This Adventure-Ready Tiny House Has a Mud Room and a Fold-Down Deck
Husband-and-wife team Brian and Joni Buzarde of Colorado–based mobile tiny house builders Land Ark RV recently completely their latest project—the Draper home.
Clad in sleek, black corrugated steel siding and equipped with a fold-down Cumaru deck, the Draper tiny house is ideal for adventurers. The 300-square-foot RV’s efficient floor plan includes a mud room entryway, a gallery-like hallway with clerestory windows, and a sleeping loft with large windows that can be accessed via a custom-designed oak ladder.
Having built and lived in their own tiny home, named Woody, since 2012, the Buzardes saw the need for a mud room entry that's separate from the main living/kitchen space. "The mud room entry features a generously sized seven-foot width wardrobe, a separate W/D utility closet, and a nook with a bench and cubbies. This maintains tidiness and creates a more calming living experience in the living/kitchen space where one would spend the most time," says Joni.
Land Ark RV used Camura—a renewable Brazilian hardwood—for the deck and the inset siding.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
The sun-drenched main living area opens up to a galley kitchen and a convertible U-sofa that transforms into a queen-sized bed for occasional guests.
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The hallway utilizes recessed lighting and clerestory windows to create a sophisticated and calming atmosphere as one moves from the entryway into the main living space.
The Cumaru deck can be lowered and raised for transport in two minutes via a manual winch mounted inside.
Draper's frame consists of cold-rolled steel and closed-cell spray insulation for the floor, walls, and roof. Land Ark RV added an extra layer of rigid insulation outside the framing for the walls and ceiling.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
Draper is fitted with 12 dual-pane tempered windows, eight of which are operable and four of which are fixed angled.
The sofa and mud room bench cushions were custom-designed by Land Ark RV with Sunbrella® Elements Collection fabric.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
A sliding patio door allows the living area to extend outdoors onto a large fold-down deck that can be lowered and raised for transport.
The walls and ceilings are made from white-washed pine. The floors consist of waterproof luxury vinyl planks, and the built-in components are made of Baltic birch plywood.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
The custom-lined patio door curtains and convertible sleeper sofa room divider are made from Sunbrella® Elements Collection fabric.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
A U-shaped living lounge can be converted into a sleeping area for guests.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
Levolor Light-Filtering Cellular Shades provide privacy and energy-saving insulation.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
The Buzardes didn't want the deck to look tacked on to the rest of the unit, so they continued the Cumaru hardwood decking along the deck inset siding. The wood siding pleasantly contrasts with the black corrugated metal, and the Cumaru deck wraps along the wall, blending in with the facade of the house.
Built-in storage and laundry.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
A lofted bedroom.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
"In a small space, materials shouldn't demand your attention. From the light-colored cabinetry to the white-washed pine walls, and the slightly darker LVP flooring that grounds the space, the materials meld with the outdoor scenery, and the eye is instead drawn to the views framed by the large windows, and the overall refined feel of the space. The angled clerestory windows follow the roofline and draw your eye up as natural light pours in," says Brian.
The compact bathroom is surprisingly large with a vanity, wall-hung toilet, and a spacious walk-in shower with a window.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
A shower area in the bathroom.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
If you’re looking for a larger Land Ark RV model that can accommodate up to six people, see our story on The Drake.
Land Ark RV’s Draper is a midcentury modern-inspired tiny house with clean lines, a simple and elegant layout, and an angled ceiling.
Courtesy of Jeremy Gudac
Project Credits:
Builder, Interior Design, and Lighting Design: Land Ark RV / @golandark
Structural Engineer: Nick Geurts
Photographer: Jeremy Gudac
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