Named The Gypsy Mermaid, their tiny house on wheels was a DIY creation built on an especially tight budget. Thanks to its mobile design, the wagon gave them the freedom they had always wanted, while still offering a cosy permanent place to call home.

The self-build was a natural step for the duo as both Rebekah and Robert have previous expertise in building and renovation, including masonry and interior design. Rebekah also runs her own interior design business and gets most of her clients through the Gypsy Mermaid Instagram account. 

Impressively, the Sofias built their tiny home entirely from recycled and reclaimed materials, including metal and cypress which form the exterior. Their frugality meant the project cost them a grand total of $15,000 (£10,800). Talk about a bargain build!

Their ambitious project started in October 2015 and took 20 months to complete. The couple started by drawing a design for the floor plan and producing artistic renderings for the interior. When building commenced, they started from scratch with the construction of the home's frame. 

“We built every inch of it, including all of the wooden beams which were built by Robert and carved by me,” explains Rebekah. The tiny home community shares a lot of their designs online, with #tinyhomes on Instagram affording a huge amount of inspiration and ideas for aspiring builders.  

“We used things that we acquired and that other people didn’t want," says Rebekah. With her creative background, it was a great opportunity for Rebekah to experiment with unusual materials and integrate them into the space through clever design and upcycling techniques.

As much thought was put into the interior as the exterior. This bright and airy scheme combines eclectic European style with bohemian touches. “Everything was custom-made for the space to be comfortable and to fit adequately,” adds Rebekah.

One of the standout features of The Gypsy Mermaid is its small-scale wood-fired pizza oven, built into the structure using concrete and bricks. Such heavy materials added considerably to the weight of the wagon, but as the couple don't plan to regularly move their genius tiny home it was a sacrifice they were willing to make for fresh home-cooked pizza.

Due to the property's tiny dimensions, the wagon had to have an open-plan layout to make everything accessible. The different living spaces are set into zones to make tiny living easy for the couple. 

However, the small bathroom is divided from the main living space with a beautiful narrow archway, designed to give the couple some privacy. We love the unusual glass sink and that characterful stone detailing!

Moving from an 800-square-foot cottage in Ocklawaha, Florida to the 221-square-foot wagon was a big challenge for the Sofias, who had to declutter and downsize their possessions. However, it didn't take them long to overcome the problem. “The fact that it’s filled with all the things we love, without all the extra things we don’t really care about makes it very special,” says Rebekah. 

The only downside of living in a small space? The lack of storage. The couple had to improvise in order to make room for their remaining belongings, using clever storage hacks like these drawers under the sink. Framed with chicken wire, you can easily see the contents at a glance from the side.