In an effort to have a space of their own without the need for a massive mortgage or many possessions Shaun and Petra Pearce decided to build a tiny home – and it fits them perfectly
An obsession with tiny homes, a passion for Pinterest and despair at the cost of homes in Auckland led to the creation of a nifty tiny home nicknamed ‘Pip’ (perfect in proportion).
Dynamic couple Shaun and Petra Pearce are used to living a life of adventure – their blog, The Global Couple, shows photo after photo of their travels around the world, including a trip exploring New Zealand in a converted Hiace van. This wanderlust approach to life meant they were quite accustomed to doing without.
“You get used to a small space and realise what you really don’t need,” says Shaun. “We’re the kind of couple who downsize every few years – for us, it seems quite refreshing.” Their natural inclination to travel light set them in good stead for their most recent adventure: building and living in an 8.6-square-metre home – about the same size as a modern bathroom.
After walking away empty-handed from too many house auctions, the couple started to think seriously about a tiny home – a concept Shaun had been “obsessed with” for years. The idea had many merits: it was an achievable project for builder Shaun, it would give the couple their own space without a gigantic mortgage, and Shaun could instead invest their funds into growing his building company. Even more exciting was the opportunity for the couple to have a creative project to get stuck into.
“We tried to get into a house but couldn’t do it financially, so we thought we’d do something crazy and show people that it’s something to consider if you can’t afford to spend many hundreds of thousands,” says Shaun. “It was our chance to have a bigger life by living small.”
An obsession with tiny homes, a passion for Pinterest and despair at the cost of homes in Auckland led to the creation of a nifty tiny home nicknamed ‘Pip’ (perfect in proportion).
Shaun Pearce, owner of I Build Solutions) and Petra Pearce, climate scientist at NIWA).
“You get used to a small space and realise what you really don’t need,” says Shaun. “We’re the kind of couple who downsize every few years – for us, it seems quite refreshing.”
Their 8.6-square-metre home is about the same size as a modern bathroom.
They chose to forgo a bathroom and laundry in favour of a wardrobe and desk as they knew they’d be parked near free facilities (thanks, Mum!).
Because Shaun runs his business from home, it made more sense to use the space for storage and work.
Shaun made the kitchen cupboards himself and the tiles are from Tile Space. “We just love the hexagon look, the marble and neutral colour, and the fact that they’re quite small,” says Petra.
Because Shaun runs his business from home, it made more sense to use the space for storage and work.
This side table folds out into a larger coffee table (below) and also forms the support for the bottom end of Petra and Shaun’s bed.
Petra used Pinterest as a guide for her tiny home’s decor. “Keeping it simple and using a lot of white and neutral colours are what makes it feel spacious,”
The fold-down bed caused the most headaches: it took many nights to design a configuration that would allow the bed to fold down without colliding with the kitchen bench.
The couple have to be savvy with storage in such a small space.
Words by: Debbie Harrison. Photography by: Wendy Fenwick.
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