This tiny home in South Africa gives the term new meaning

This uber-tiny home in South Africa shows that minimal space doesn’t have to be low on style.

But at a minuscule 17 square metres, the Pod-Idladla makes even other tiny houses look generously proportioned.

Built in South Africa by architect Clara da Cruz Almeida, it was designed as an in-between home for people like recent university graduates, or as a work space, rental accommodation or holiday getaway.

Vertical storage and shelving is both quirky and practical. Photo: GREG COX/BUREAU.CO.ZA

Highly compact, the exterior of the pre-fabricated home is made of timber and steel, while the interior of the pod is finished in veneered plywood.

The interior materials remove the need for extra paint costs and paired with simple white, create a breezy, light-filled feel.

The sloping roof creates a mezzanine area upstairs that can be used as a bedroom, another work space, a living area, or simply a place to store personal effects.

The angled ceiling allows for a mezzanine bedroom upstairs. Photo: GREG COX/BUREAU.CO.ZA

The kitchen is made of entirely flat-packable stainless steel and includes an integrated bin, designed to allow for compost recycling and permanent waste, a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a freezer, one big “universal sink” and storage space for pots and utensils.

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In the bathroom, it’s a case of stripping back to the bare essentials, but with a high-level of finishing. The shower is accessed through the hallway, rather than through the bathroom. The architect’s motivation for this was that a room used for five minutes a day shouldn’t dictate a home’s layout.

The petite kitchen still has everything you need to cook. Photo: GREG COX/BUREAU.CO.ZA 

Dual purpose furniture, such as a table that extends to various lengths, transferable light fittings and a modular couch which can be folded into a cube-like ottoman, a lounge chair, or, pushed together with another unit to become a small mattress, complete the cute and compact design.

Could you live in a home like this?

The fold out table can used at different extensions. Such as a side or coffee table, or fully extended as a dining or work surface. Photo: GREG COX/BUREAU.CO.ZA 

The bathroom is paired right back, with the shower located through the hallway. Photo: GREG COX/BUREAU.CO.ZA 

Fresh and bright, the upstairs room can be for sleep or simply hanging out. Photo: GREG COX/BUREAU.CO.ZA 

Originally published on Stuff.co.nz