Tours
This tiny house was designed with elderly & disabled people in mind to keep them independent but safe
Having mobility, accessibility and safety in mind, one daughter designed the perfect home for her elderly mother.
Irene Markianou
10.01.20

If tiny living sounds like something an adventurous young couple would do, let us prove to you that this is not the case. Older people too can benefit from small houses as well, on condition that the latter are specially built to cater to their needs.

Just like Merle’s tiny home in Victoria, Australia, that gives her the opportunity to be close to her family yet independent and has eliminated for her the risks that many conventional homes would pose.

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Merle’s daughter, Ferne, and her friend Chris have been running a company together since 2017 which specializes in building tiny homes based on the needs of the owner.

As they explain on their website, they started by building a home for Chris herself, and then they moved on to building lots of other houses for their clients. But it seems that Ferne’s greatest accomplishment so far is building her mom’s tiny house.

Last year, Bryce Langston, the creator and host of the popular online web series Living Big in a Tiny House, visited Merle and her daughter in Merle’s tiny home in Australia and they took him on a tour in this special home.

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Ferne had in mind that her mother was not getting any younger or more agile as time goes by, so she decided to build for her a house that would address the needs mature age brings about.

The whole house was built with accessibility being a priority. They made sure there was a ramp leading from the garden to the patio, while there are no steps inside or spots that could cause anyone to trip and fall. It’s all flat and secure.

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Additionally, Ferne had in mind that in the future her mom might need to use a wheelchair so she also made sure that all the rooms and storage space would still be accessible in that case.

The bathroom and kitchen are also elderly-friendly, in the sense that there are special handles to help the woman sit, stand or simply grip when needed. And, Merle’s favorite accessory, the water tap is flexible so she can easily wash the dishes!

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Ferne also made sure there would be plenty of storage space, while there is room for entertainment as well, given that the bed can be lifted up, leaving a comfy sofa behind that can seat several people. And Merle loves having people over as she admits!

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As for the patio, it is surrounded by cafe blinds and it has heated flooring, which, as Ferne explains, is very important for older people. In there, Merle spends countless hours playing with her grand-daughter or simply doing her crafts.

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What does Merle love more about her tiny home? The fact that she can be independent and that she doesn’t need anyone to help her move around the house or even clean for her. Everything is easy for her to do, as she tells Langston.

“I love the under-floor heating, I love the openness, I love the safety, the security. I tell my daughter, who has designed it for me so beautifully, that it’s my little bit of heaven. Best present she’s ever given me.”

We just loved this tiny home and how functional it is for this wonderful lady.

You can watch the tour in the video below.

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