IONA TINY HOUSE A BLEND OF OLD & NEW PART 2

Architect Elinor McDouall designed the tiny house interior, from stern to bow, to fit into the convex curves of the hull then extended it towards the decking and river. Reuse of timber is a feature throughout the interior.

A snug with an angled couch and wood burner forms the living space in the stern of the boat. The hull is visible where a cabin was removed, which exposed the planks.

Elinor based the kitchen design on Jamie Oliver’s TV show kitchen, and incorporated salvaged, open-spaced, architects’ plan drawers. The kitchen walls are timber, reclaimed from a building in town.

Using great timbers

The Fijian kauri plywood used in the master bedroom contrasts with the kitchen, and the mixed timber ceiling slats, deliberately thin at around 8mm, continue the curvature of the boat.

“Back in the day they didn’t do match lining with any particular timber. You’d just get a truckload of native,” Elinor explains.

Salvaged architect’s plan drawers provide storage space under the divan. The raised floor leads to a single-berth nook, snuggled into the curve of the hull. A wardrobe holds linen, an ironing board, and the electrical board. There is room for a Tesla battery if the house ever goes off grid.

The Iona in 2020 is anything but plain — once a working boat, now