As we age, our requirements in a home can change and many find themselves in situations where they are no longer able to comfortably live in their previous houses. There are accessibility issues, trip hazards and fall risks as well as issues with stairs, wheelchair accessibility and even tasks such as maintaining a large home can simply be too much. This spectacular tiny house on wheels has been especially designed with accessibility and mobility in mind, making it the perfect home for the retirement of one very special lady.
Tiny house designer Ferne is always happy for a design challenge. Through her business, Tiny Footprint in Australia, she has taken on some truly wonderful builds, but the crowning achievement so far might just be this stunning home which was constructed to realise her mother, Merle’s dream.
Merle isn’t getting older, instead as she says, she’s reaching a more mature age. Unfortunately, that can come with some challenges in terms of mobility and accessibility within her home. She found herself in a position where she was moving back to Victoria, Australia where Ferne lives on a beautiful farm, with kangaroos and bunnies bouncing over the fields. The idea of living close to family was appealing, but it was important to Merle to still have her own private space, where she could be completely independent.
Her tiny house was designed and built around her specific needs. Care was taken to insure that the home was completely mobility friendly and accessible, with ramps leading up to the home, wide entrances and zero trip hazards, even the kitchen counter-tops had their height reduced to make them a more convenient hight for Merle. The home was built to ensure that, if required in the future, wheelchair accessibility was also an option. The homes walls were even reinforced in places where hand rails could be mounted, to ensure there could be a sturdy object to grip nearby when needed.
Aside from just the practical aspects, there are some truly stunning features built into this home too, such as the incredible porch area with surround cafe blinds, heated flooring and a very clever bed-lift. Be sure to watch the full video tour (above) to see all of this homes incredible features.
Merle is such a wonderful lady and I feel this is one of the most heart-warming stories that we have filmed to date. Merle’s home is not only special because of it’s design. It’s really her connection to her family which makes this place so special. Here, she can have all the independence she requires, while still being close to her family, still able to grow her vegetables (in her specially built raised gardens next to the home) and do her crafts, while also getting to watch her grand-daughter grow up. This is indeed a very special place. If only we could all hope for so much in our later years.
