When a member of the Canadian Forces approached Acorn Tiny Homes owner and builder D’Arcy McNaughton with a problem, he knew he could provide a solution.
The customer needed to transfer to different military bases every three to five years, facing the pervasive problem of uncertain housing. He didn’t want the frustration associated with entering and exiting the property market multiple times, nor did he want to get stuck in a rental trap and line the pockets of a property owner. Instead, he decided he wanted a tiny home he could hook onto his truck and drive to each military base he would be stationed at. D’Arcy answered the call, and ‘Sherloak’ was born.
This beautiful 30-foot tiny home on a triple-axle trailer with a galley kitchen, breakfast bar, two lofts, a living area, a sunroom, bathroom, and suspended hammock floor was the perfect solution for the on-the-move customer. Similar homes retail for CAD 158,000.
PinThe Sherloak’s exterior features stunning black-charred Shou Sugi Ban wood and cherry wood grain corrugated steel.
While D’Arcy had plenty of flexibility and freedom to create the home, the customer had one request – a 111-gallon freshwater storage tank. According to D’arcy, the customer wasn’t sure where he would be parking the home, and water accessibility was crucial to ensure the house could be functional and run partially off-grid.
PinSherloak’s exterior of stunning black-charred Shou Sugi Ban wood sets the scene for what you can expect on the interior. Natural wood, combined with striking black features and fixtures, creates a unique industrial theme that fulfills the client’s every need. The 372 square feet tiny home is accessed through a double glass-paneled door, which guides you straight into the heart of the house – the kitchen.
As both wheel wells needed to be factored into the design, Acorn Tiny Homes built the galley kitchen cabinetry to work around it without compromising space or functionality.
PinThe kitchen might be a food preparation hub, but it’s also more than that. This military customer’s kitchen boasts a two-person breakfast bar, which doubles as the countertop. When he’s not preparing meals, he can be conversing or dining with friends.
PinAcorn Tiny Homes wanted to match the kitchen with the rest of the home as much as possible, and a butcher block countertop paired with striking black cabinetry was the perfect fit. Butcher blocks are not only cost-effective but their wood grain and warmth are desirable features in a rustic-style home.
D’Arcy also said that the masculinity of the block was a breath of fresh air in the tiny home space: “It’s one of the things that we often see with a lot of tiny homes. They’re very soft and feminine. That does work for some people. Some people want that wood vibe. We really think we hit the nail on the head with that in this design.”
PinThe kitchen is not only a beautiful space where the homeowner can prepare a meal, but it’s equally as practical as any full-sized home kitchen. It boasts a propane gas four-burner stove with an extractor hood and a double sink. There is also an abundance of meal prep space and cabinetry for all cooking and serving essentials.
PinD’Arcy wanted to stay true to the ‘masculine’ and industrial theme of the home, which meant looking for appliances to suit. Rather than purchase whiteware that would draw the eye for all the wrong reasons, he installed a black retro apartment fridge that blends in seamlessly with the black door frame leading to the bathroom and the black cabinetry in the kitchen.
PinD’Arcy said Acorn Tiny Homes are ‘maximalist’ when it comes to storage and using every square inch possible. That’s why they managed to fit so much into a conservative-sized kitchen, even while building it directly around the stairs. In every single square foot of space, you’ll spot a cabinet or drawer to make life easier for the owner.
They also installed a microwave convection oven, broiler, toaster, and air-fryer combo. According to D’Arcy, it was an excellent choice for the space.
“It’s an all-in-one unit that does everything, and it’s a relatively small footprint, and it also fits into that space that we built under the stairs.”
D’Arcy even managed to fit a dishwasher drawer under the combi oven, further maximizing the small amount of space they had to work with.
PinPinBathrooms are never the main focal point of a tiny home. According to D’Arcy, the client is there to shower and shave and be on his way. Therefore, they wanted to create a practical and stylish space in which the toilet wasn’t the main focus.
They designed a custom vanity in a sleek black color scheme with a gorgeous wood top, and this unique vanity would hide the toilet away when it wasn’t in use.
“You just pull it out when you need it. It allows us to keep the industrial theme that we have going on in the bathroom there without a bright white toilet taking away from the look.”
And Acorn Tiny Homes more than achieved their goals. Upon walking into the bathroom, you’re greeted by gorgeous wallpaper, striking black fixtures and fittings, and an industrial-style shower that draws your eye for all the right reasons.
PinThanks to the clever use of four-foot by three-foot tiles, the bathroom in Sherloak appears much larger and more spacious than it is.
The shower in Sherloak is undoubtedly the star of the show. It boasts three-foot by four-foot tiles to offer the illusion of more space. The shower also features a low-flow Nebia shower head, which aerates the water and increases its volume by 60 percent. The aeration process reduces the water droplet size, enabling you to enjoy more coverage with less water. In a tiny home, it’s a hyper-efficient addition and particularly important for someone living in a tiny home with a limited water supply.
PinThe master loft bedroom carries on the same beautiful rustic vibes as the rest of the home but has something that many other tiny homes don’t: a full-depth closet.
According to D’Arcy, most tiny home wardrobes offer three feet of space, with clothing bundling at the bottom. However, their client is in the military, so garments must be meticulously ironed and starched. Realizing the importance of clothing being hung at full depth, the Acorn Tiny Homes team extended the wardrobe into the mechanical space below, providing the homeowner with approximately seven feet of depth for his clothing.
PinWhile the homeowner already has an abundance of storage space in the seven-foot-deep wardrobe, there is plenty more where that came from. D’Arcy installed storage baskets at the foot of the bed. These not only give the owner extra space for his personal possessions but also provide a barrier between the bottom floor and the bedroom.
PinWood grain is undoubtedly a popular element throughout the tiny home. Acorn Tiny Homes used rift-sawn white oak as the wall panels and solid white oak throughout the house, including the trim and solid wood furniture custom-built for the space. The ‘sameness’ of the white oak is cleverly broken up with black accents and darker wood ceilings.
PinThe majority of Sherloak might be white oak and black, but color can be found where you least expect it. A green retro-style loveseat is located in the living area adjacent to the kitchen. It’s a vital injection of color in the heart of the home.
PinA traditional tiny home ladder just didn’t seem fitting for this industrial-themed home. D’Arcy wanted something unique for this military customer, which is why he chose an industrial-style ladder.
All rungs are installed individually on the wall and lead to a hammock floor and the second loft. Adjacent to the ladder is a bookcase, which is actually a secret door leading to a small sunroom.
PinTiny homes are full of surprises as they are, but Sherloak is on a whole new level. Not only does the homeowner benefit from a fully functional bookcase, but it also leads to a hidden sunroom with a clever access point.
The room is accessible via a hidden latch. Simply push the lamp on the wall, and the lamp activates the door, which then starts opening to reveal the room within.
PinThe small sunroom is a reminder that tiny home builders can do some amazing things in small spaces. The hidden room boasts an industrial black color scheme but is surprisingly light and spacious.
PinYou might assume that the sunroom was a client request, but it was D’Arcy’s brainwave. The client is outdoorsy and had a large porch as his special request. D’Arcy and the client discussed the cost feasibility as well as the practicality, given that the owner would need to move his tiny home every three to five years.
Knowing the barriers ahead of them, D’Arcy came up with the idea of a small sunroom as a gazebo-style addition to the front of the house. The homeowner can still build a deck at every location he moves to, but he can have something akin to an outdoor living area if he chooses not to.
PinFor that extra ‘outdoor’ element in the sunroom, D’Arcy installed double skylights. These let in plenty of light and sunshine despite the dark-colored walls. There is also a gorgeous light fixture that ties the rustic vibes of the entire tiny home together.
PinD’Arcy makes it his mission to create multiple ‘hang out’ areas in tiny homes to give each family member a space to call their own.
“By having different areas that you can relax and unwind in your house, it just opens up the realm of possibilities for your house, especially if you have guests over, or…you’re stuck inside for bad weather.”
And that’s where the suspended hammock floor comes in. The Acorn Tiny Homes team built a loft net in the living area to “expand the livability of the space.” It takes up no additional space that could have been used for storage, yet it allows guests and the homeowner to enjoy the tiny home to its full potential
PinAlongside the hammock net and master loft, there is also a second loft with endless potential. The homeowner can use it as a guest bedroom, an office, a space for relaxing, or even storage.
