Ladders, Stairs, or Slide-Out? This Tiny House Lets You Choose

Tiny houses have come a long way since those rustic, trailblazing specimens that first appeared over two decades ago (though one could say that tiny homes like yurts, tents, and wagons have been around for ages). Fast forward to now, and you can find a customized tiny house to fit any inclination: low-tech tiny houses, high-performance Teslas of tiny houses, ultra-modern tiny houses for architects, a tiny house for a firefighter, a wheelchair-accessible tiny – the list of possibilities goes on.

Over in Port Macquarie, Australia, the Hauslein Tiny House Company is offering their own take on the tiny house dream – one that can either come with a ladder, staircase, or even an RV-inspired slide-out to magically maximize space. Co-founded by husband-and-wife duo Sarah and Scott Rohdich, who have lived in a tiny house of their own, the company's charming Sojourner tiny house boasts an abundance of style and smart design ideas. Here's a quick video tour of the 306-square-foot Sojourner with the staircase option (you can also see the ladder version here):

The company describes the origin of the house's name:

"To ‘sojourn’ means to rest, abide, dwell or stay. It’s about having a break from the journey, to be refreshed. There is an element of temporariness to it which we feel is captured by the relocatable nature of our homes. You can stop awhile, and move on in your own time, taking your resting place with you."

The exterior of the 26-foot-long house is a balanced blend of cedar cladding and metal siding, with that distinctive gabled form, with dormers to one end.

Stepping past the glazed and electronically locked front door and into the interior, we come into the living room space, which has large windows lighting up the seating area and the dining table. The dining table isn't attached to the wall, so it can be pulled out to create a more pleasant dining experience. As Scott mentions in the video, the company opts to build for standard-sized furnishings when it comes to tables, couches, and appliances, as they believe that these are better than fold-out alternatives.

The tall ceiling above the living room is outfitted with a rather ingenious tool, a newer version of the Victorian era "airer." It's a pulley-operated clothesline and drying rack; quite useful to dry clothes inside the house during rainy days, and here it's been readapted as a smart space-saving and energy-saving feature.

The Sojourner's kitchen area is laid out along one side of the home, and includes a large sink that has a removable dish-drying rack, a dishwasher drawer (which presents less of a tripping hazard), and lots of LED-lit glass cabinets overhead to store and display kitchen items. The washing machine has been installed under the counter here, a common thing to see in European kitchens. All the counters are made with durable wood, and the spruce-ply wood cabinetry uses soft-close hardware.

There's a lot of space under the stairs for storing things, plus a microwave and apartment-sized refrigerator.

The stairs themselves are nicely done, with wooden treads and a welded metal handrail, perfect for people who hate to climb ladders.

The stairs have been designed so that there's a lower landing where one can fully stand up at the top, before sitting down to get into bed.

Up here, there's a queen-sized bed, as well as a clever wardrobe that has a swinging door with integrated shelving to store more things.

The bathroom is directly below the bedroom, and is a little bit smaller here than in the ladder-equipped version of the Sojourner, due to the stepwell needed for the stairs, but nevertheless has all the necessities like a toilet, small custom-made sink, and shower.

With so many people now becoming interested in tiny living, it makes sense to offer a model with or without stairs or slide-outs, which means that these tiny houses can stay relevant even as someone ages in place. Prices for The Sojourner start at $78,826 – and can range up to $98,600 for a fully kitted-out model. For those who want something smaller or larger, you can also check out the Little Sojourner and The Grand Sojourner. Find out more over at Hauslein Tiny House Company.