Houzz Tour: A Cozy, Eco-Friendly Octagonal Home in Wales
The compact handcrafted home incorporates smart details, local materials and upcycled finds
This pint-sized pad sits on an organic farm overlooking the beautiful Aeron Valley in west Wales. It was built to be environmentally friendly and was constructed by a local craftsman using materials sourced from the area, including sheep’s-wool insulation and Douglas fir cladding for the exterior.
With a footprint of just 463 square feet, the house is compact and designed around an octagonal footprint. “The challenge was to use the available space well,” says Hannah Cockburn of Cream & Black Interior Design, who did the interiors. “We had to make the unusual shape work practically, but also in an aesthetic way. The size and open-plan layout mean everything’s on view all the time, so we needed to make it look pretty.”
With a footprint of just 463 square feet, the house is compact and designed around an octagonal footprint. “The challenge was to use the available space well,” says Hannah Cockburn of Cream & Black Interior Design, who did the interiors. “We had to make the unusual shape work practically, but also in an aesthetic way. The size and open-plan layout mean everything’s on view all the time, so we needed to make it look pretty.”
Heating comes from the wood-burning stove, in which the homeowners burn timber grown on the farm, but there are also solar panels and a wind turbine on the land that supply electricity and additional warmth via underfloor heating.
Cockburn designed a birch-ply wall featuring integrated shelves for the living space and near the bed. “Some of the panels are painted, and some we left plain to create pattern,” she says.
Cockburn designed a birch-ply wall featuring integrated shelves for the living space and near the bed. “Some of the panels are painted, and some we left plain to create pattern,” she says.
Outside, the walls are clad in Douglas fir, grown and sawn in Wales. Sheep’s-wool insulation keeps the house warm in winter and cool in summer. The walls are breathable thanks to hemp fiberboard and lime plaster inside.
The octagonal shape of the house is extended slightly along two sides to accommodate storage and the bathroom. The cooking, dining, sleeping and living areas exist neatly within one open space.
“We worked with a local carpenter to create the handmade kitchen cabinetry and furniture,” Cockburn says. She added an oven that has a slightly retro, homey feel. “We just thought it suited the space,” she says.
Oven: Candy
Oven: Candy
Rather than wall cabinets, Cockburn chose open shelves for the kitchen. “It’s a really simple construction, and we used patterned tiles inside to create interest,” she says.
“We tried to upcycle, find affordable pieces and use eco-friendly materials inside wherever possible,” Cockburn says. The dining chairs came from a local junk shop, and were painted and had their seats reupholstered.
“Using reclaimed pieces fits with the eco-friendly ethos of this place, and they also help to make the interior feel [homey],” she says. “Filling it with new furniture might have made it a bit sterile.”
“Using reclaimed pieces fits with the eco-friendly ethos of this place, and they also help to make the interior feel [homey],” she says. “Filling it with new furniture might have made it a bit sterile.”
The kitchen sink sits below an octagonal window that echoes the shape of the building. “You can look out over the landscape when you’re doing the washing-up,” the designer says. The sink is not in view from the bed, but tucked away in the section that also contains the bathroom.
Countertop: Silestone
Countertop: Silestone
“The space designed to house the bathroom was very limited, long and thin, and we wanted to give it some character but also keep it feeling quite natural,” Cockburn says. “We used Welsh slate tiles on the walls, which have a greenish tint.”
The sink stand was made by the builder and plumber who worked on the house. “We simply used goods from the local plumbers’ merchant to make a stand,” Cockburn says. Having found an original sink, she discovered it had no overflow. “So we bought a modern, practical version of an old-style basin instead,” she says.
Wall lights: Heal’s
Wall lights: Heal’s
The armchairs were made for the house, and have patterned fabric on the sides. “Again, it’s about putting a little bit of detail in,” Cockburn says. “Also, in a typical living room you don’t see the back of the furniture, but this is such an unusual space — you’re walking around the furniture all the time!”
The curtain fabric is in soft, muted blues and has a pattern of trees. “It reflects what’s outside and brings it inside in a soft way,” Cockburn says.
Curtain fabric: Delaware, Villa Nova; arabesque rug (similar): Rugs Direct
Armchairs in your favorite fabrics and patterns
The curtain fabric is in soft, muted blues and has a pattern of trees. “It reflects what’s outside and brings it inside in a soft way,” Cockburn says.
Curtain fabric: Delaware, Villa Nova; arabesque rug (similar): Rugs Direct
Armchairs in your favorite fabrics and patterns
More decorative plywood paneling to the left of the bed creates some privacy and softly separates it from the storage space and bathroom beyond. Since the owners sometimes rent out the house as a vacation home, extra sleep space was added: To the right of the bed, bunk beds pull down from the wall, so the house can sleep four.
“We wanted the bed to be very cozy and inviting,” Cockburn says. “There’s a locally made Welsh blanket at the end, and we combined lots of different textures.”
The headboard and the chest at the end of the bed were made and upholstered specially. The chest stores the bedding used on the bunks.
The headboard and the chest at the end of the bed were made and upholstered specially. The chest stores the bedding used on the bunks.
The wooden bed frame was made a little higher than a standard bed. “This creates space for storage underneath,” Cockburn says. “It’s essential in a small space.”
The ceiling light is an old recycled bike wheel, transformed with bulbs. The flooring is engineered oak, which is compatible with the building’s underfloor heating.
Birch plywood and reclaimed piping were used to make the hanging storage.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: A young couple
Location: Near Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales
Size: 463 square feet (43 square meters)
Designer: Hannah Cockburn of Cream & Black Interior Design
The views of the countryside from the tiny house are stunning, so Cockburn designed the interior to complement the natural beauty. “We wanted to create a calm, relaxed space that doesn’t take anything away from the amazing landscape outside,” she says. “The idea was to keep the look simple and not too contemporary, with lots of calm, warm colors.”
Local craftsman Steve Gates used Scots pine trees to build the impressive timber structure that holds up the roof and walls of the house. These add definition to the interior. The kitchen cabinets were made to fit the space. “We then used oak floorboards that are maybe 400 years old to make the end panels,” Cockburn says.