Empty mollusk shells are used by hermit crabs for tiny mobile homes. Now, carpenters based in a coastal area of Portugal have seemingly taken inspiration from these crustaceans to create a charming cabin on wheels.
The Concha — which takes its name from the Portuguese word for "shell" — is an elegant off-grid home design from Madeiguincho, a carpentry company run by Gonçalo Marrote.
Marrote's father and grandfather were also carpenters, and that wealth of experience and generational craftsmanship is evident in the build's stunning finish.
The compact cabin is just five meters in length, but it packs a lot into the small space. It features a kitchenette, a shower room with a composting toilet, a living space with plenty of storage, and a lofted bed.
Among the impressive interior design features is the staircase leading towards the sleeping area, which has cupboards and drawers added to the step cavities. The clean, minimalist aesthetic almost masks its ingenuity.
It's immediately ready for anyone to start their off-grid lifestyle, with New Atlas observing it has a solar array and battery storage for power, as well as water tanks for both freshwater and wastewater.
Pictures of the cabin parked up on the beach make the property immediately alluring, but this kind of home provides a number of additional benefits. For one, its $63,000 price tag is a lot cheaper than typical homes or apartments. The money-saving doesn't stop there, either, as those solar panels will create free electricity, making energy bills a thing of the past.
A tiny home also encourages a decluttered lifestyle. With less space to populate, temporary or permanent residents need to be more mindful about what they buy. While this keeps coins in your pocket and items out of polluting landfills, it will also help clear your mind with fewer things in the vicinity to distract you.
It's clear why tiny homes are becoming a viable way to live for more and more people, especially as the technology needed to make a go of it — such as solar panels — is becoming cheaper and far more accessible. Even homes connected to the grid can make huge savings on solar panels via the Inflation Reduction Act.
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