This Urban Micro Home Is the Perfect Basecamp For an Adventurous Couple

Wind River Tiny Homes creates a tiny house that caters to its owners’ outdoorsy lifestyle in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

When a young, Chattanooga-based triathlete couple approached Wind River Tiny Homes to build a new house, they sought to keep the new build around 600 square feet—but with plenty of outdoor entertaining space. To meet their request, Wind River designed a 650-square-foot house within code, with just the right dimensions for passageways, clearances, a stairwell, and a bathroom under the stairs.

The tiny home's exterior features eastern cedar siding, painted Hardie Board, corrugated metal accents, casement windows, and a charcoal grey standing seam metal roof.

The tiny home's exterior features eastern cedar siding, painted Hardie Board, corrugated metal accents, casement windows, and a charcoal grey standing seam metal roof.

An aluminum-clad, double-pane glass garage door by Chattanooga Garage Doors.

An aluminum-clad, double-pane glass garage door by Chattanooga Garage Doors.

To accommodate guests, the designers incorporated a garage door that opens to provide 150 square feet of deck space. There's also a 300-square-foot outdoor area with a fire pit defined by pea gravel. 

Trex decking material.

Trex decking material.

A small vertical green wall brings nature indoors.

A small vertical green wall brings nature indoors.

Keeping the owners’ hobbies in mind, Wind River created space for paddle board storage, a carport with a pulley system for lifting kayaks off the couple’s Subaru, and a battery charger for their training bike. 

Shop the Look
Behind the Shou Sugi Ban barn door is tongue-and-groove wainscoting reclaimed from an old elk lodge building in Chattanooga.

Behind the Shou Sugi Ban barn door is tongue-and-groove wainscoting reclaimed from an old elk lodge building in Chattanooga.

An Edison bulb chandelier made from steel pipe.

An Edison bulb chandelier made from steel pipe.

As homage to the couple’s love of cycling, the Wind River team inlaid bike gears on the bar counter of the rustic modern kitchen. 

A "Big Ass Fan" smart fan with motion detector.

A "Big Ass Fan" smart fan with motion detector.

A custom concrete counter top by Set in Stone.

A custom concrete counter top by Set in Stone.

The interior finishings are made from locally sourced and reclaimed materials. Integrated speakers, ceiling fans, smoke detectors, and a smart thermostat create a compact, yet efficient home. 

Wind River Tiny Home made custom polygon storage stairs on casters to fit the angle of the staircase

Wind River Tiny Home made custom polygon storage stairs on casters to fit the angle of the staircase

The cabinets under the stairs are ideal for shoe racks.

The cabinets under the stairs are ideal for shoe racks.

The kitchen features grey shaker cabinets, engineered hickory floors, and two-foot ponderosa pine brackets custom made by Wind River Tiny Homes. 

A cozy bedroom.

A cozy bedroom.

The section under the kitchen bar counter features wainscoting reclaimed from an elk lodge building in Chattanooga, with a herringbone middle section. Three bike crank cogs are inlaid into the concrete bar table, creating a unique design. 

A brushed nickel industrial faucet

A brushed nickel industrial faucet

Project Credits: 

 Architect of Record: Josh Bone 

Builder, Interior Design: Wind River Tiny Homes / @windrivertinyhomes 

Concrete Counters and Inlays: Set in Stone

Garage door: Chattanooga Garage Doors 

Michele Koh Morollo
Dwell Contributor
Michele Koh Morollo is a journalist who has been writing about design, lifestyle and travel for the last twenty years.

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