Two Lofts Connected by a "Bridge" Fit Inside These Tiny Homes

John Trujillo
·2 min read

Shaye’s Tiny Homes make units tall enough to accommodate a head-height walkway, a copyrighted element they license out.

Welcome to Tiny Home Profiles, an interview series with people pushing the limits of living small. From space-saving hacks to flexible floor plans, here’s what they say makes for the best tiny homes on the planet. Know of a builder we should talk to? Reach out.

In 2013, Shaye Boddington was expecting a daughter. Dreaming of an out-of-the-way place to put down roots and raise her child, Boddington and her then-partner bought property and built Lucy: the house that would inspire her to start a tiny home company with her mother, Sheila.

The ten years to follow would see the mother-daughter team design more than nine different models, some of which have elevated hallways connecting loft spaces at either end. This idea and other innovations, says Boddington, have earned Shaye’s Tiny Homes upwards of 450,000 followers on TikTok, adding, "Mums are allowed to blow their trumpet a bit!"

Here, she tells us about the company’s model of licensing out designs to builders across the world and shares a modular design recently added to the company’s lineup.

The founder of Shaye’s Tiny Homes own residence, the steel- and cedar-clad Hazel is a 230–255 square foot design that starts at approximately $137K USD. Flexible spaces like the semi-detached room at the short end of the porch were added to the house to help make it resilient to changing needs.
The founder of Shaye’s Tiny Homes own residence, the steel- and cedar-clad Hazel is a 230–255 square foot design that starts at approximately $137K USD. Flexible spaces like the semi-detached room at the short end of the porch were added to the house to help make it resilient to changing needs.

What qualities make your tiny homes stand apart from the rest?

The head-height walkways linking two lofts with a "bridge." No other designs had that feature prior to our initial Hazel design. Prior to our walkways, lofts were crawl spaces only. This is copyrighted, and companies around the world have asked for permission to build them as licensed builders.

The Hazel was the company’s first model to feature their hallmark catwalk that wraps around the second story. Hardwood reclaimed from timber that had fallen into rivers during transport was used for much of the home’s flooring.
The Hazel was the company’s first model to feature their hallmark catwalk that wraps around the second story. Hardwood reclaimed from timber that had fallen into rivers during transport was used for much of the home’s flooring.

What’s the most exciting project you’ve realized to date?

I think the first one we built, a Hazel model, was the most exciting because we realized we had hit on something special. It was bought by a young couple so they could raise money to buy their own property—it got them out of the rent trap. We then went on to adapt Hazel’s features to many more walkway models.

One of Shaye’s Tiny Home’s larger designs, Lisa was launched last year at a starting price of around $167K USD.
One of Shaye’s Tiny Home’s larger designs, Lisa was launched last year at a starting price of around $167K USD.

See the full story on Dwell.com: Two Lofts Connected by a "Bridge" Fit Inside These Tiny Homes