NEVER TOO SMALL 40sqm/430sqft Tiny Cabin - The Pod

The pod design was inspired by partly my Danish heritage. I love the simplicity of Scandinavian design and also inspired by the Tasmanian landscape. So it's a merging of really simple paired back design and then letting Tasmania do the talking. My name is Alice and I'm a travel writer here in Tasmania. I spend most of my days writing about Tassie so this little tailored pod is all the things that I love about this island in the built form. The tailored pod is located in Lewisham which is about 40 minutes drive from Hobart. It's also a gateway to the east coast beaches. The sand dunes and the pine trees is a really a signature view that is it's almost a one-off here in Tasmania as well as that really beautiful feel of being part of a local community as well. Well I built the house to live in it. With my travel writing I tend to travel a lot and I came to find that a lot of the time it was empty. Hosting on Airbnb has been a really beautiful balance for me because it allows me to share and celebrate Tasmania through having people stay here. I'm able to then have the freedom to do more travel writing and I can block out the calendar and I can come home and then at the same time share my home. So it's really just a really beautiful blend. I wanted the build itself to be very simple and transportable and I also wanted to have a feeling as if it was floating in the landscape a really light feel. So the pod came in two separate structures which were brought on separate trucks and then when they arrived were joined and as part of that join there's beautiful skylights that allow the light to filter in between the two separate pods. The pod is built with a timber frame and bracing. It's inspired by a war aircraft which means it's very strong but very light. The exterior of the pod is wrapped in Tasmanian oak and then we've got the big floor-to-ceiling glass at the front. So when you get into the pod you pretty much see all of the pod in one hit and that's the beauty of this small living. You've got the whole scene playing out before you with the landscape as the backdrop. With the living room I wanted it to have a really intimate cosy feel so the fireplace is the focal point designed and built by local blacksmith Pete Matilla and he basically created the fireplace with flame in mind and movement. The couch is built by local furniture maker Simon Anker out of hydro wood timber and it literally floats a bit like the pod itself and he's done such a wonderful job in making something that not only looks incredible but feels super comfortable. So over to the left of the pod is a great little storage space with reading nook and you can actually see Mount Wellington while you're sitting there. I've created a special honesty cupboard and that's full of things that are made by local people. If they really fall in love with something that they've used or engaged with during the stay they can actually take it with them and also it slides out to be a single bed when when I've got extra family staying. What I love about the sleeping space is that it's so cosy there's a lovely black timber or darker timber around it's elevated and two cute little windows that that bring the the view in. So we've got an electronic skylight so you just hit a button and you can open it so you can feel the cool night air but I love to be able to look up and see the stars at night. Underneath the bed there's some great storage as well which is really generous. The front pod and the back pod are divided by skylights which put a distinct but very natural division between the living space and then the dining space in the back. The kitchen is small like everything else but it has everything you need. It's got the induction cooktops, the full-size oven, we've got the fridge there, the galley kitchen also has plenty of storage above and below and just enough bench space to do what you need. The kitchen table has also been built by a local furniture maker who doubles as a police officer. He's built this beautiful Tasmanian oak dining table which works really well as a extra bench space for the kitchen too. So separating the bathroom is the only interior door in the whole pod a glass sliding door and once in there there's a beautiful ceramic basin that's handmade under the foothills of Mount Wellington. It literally floats on top of a patina aged bench top and we've also got a forest style shower and you've got a lovely little aspect of a small window that looks out where you can see the dunes and the ocean beyond and we've also integrated a simple laundry facility is in there as well. So one of my favourite elements of this whole pod is the outdoor bath. It's like the hero and I know a lot of the Airbnb guests just absolutely love it. The huon pine bath is built out of hundreds of tiny pieces that were hand glued and then a robot carved the final product. So the outdoor deck has got privacy screens so that people can enjoy the bath in their own private space. So when people arrive at the pod I want them to feel that really warm welcome. So they come and they have Tasmanian bath salts, Tasmanian bubbles on the table waiting for them. They've got a Tasmanian book that will extend their travels for exploring more of the area. So there's different layers of experience that are complementary and part of the stay. Hosting has made me think very differently about design. I think it's really the simplicity that sings in this space and the feedback has shown that. The highlights like the fireplace and the bath are the elements that people are really engaging with and really enjoying. What I love most about hosting on Airbnb is getting to share this little piece of Tasmania with people and making sure that they really engage in a beautiful way with the Tasmanian landscape and the people and the makers and go home with a story to tell. Thanks for watching. To receive updates on our latest episodes please subscribe and click the notification bell and if you have a unique space that you're interested in hosting on Airbnb head to the link in our description to learn more.