Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

A Yoga Instructor’s Tiny Home Stretches the Limits of Small Space Design

A Yoga Instructor’s Tiny Home Stretches the Limits of Small Space Design

Fritz Tiny Homes packs a micro-gym, an office, and a teaching studio into a flexible 362-square-foot dwelling on Vancouver Island.

Heather and Kevin Fritz of Fritz Tiny Homes just unveiled their latest micro dwelling on wheels-and it’s as much a gym as it is a house. "Our client, a yoga instructor, asked for space for her Peloton bike and an eight-by-eight yoga room, where she could teach remotely," Heather says. "We fit both of these things and more."

Named after the client, Ashleigh Trahan, the home is wrapped in black metal and Douglas fir and features tall windows that showcase the landscape of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.



The tiny home in Canada that Fritz Tiny Homes designed for Ashleigh Trahan and her partner Elyse is clad with metal and Douglas fir.



Heather and Kevin Fritz outfitted the living room/yoga studio with a green velvet Article sofa, which they customized by removing the legs and adding a wood base with large built-in storage drawers. An A-frame window fills the tiny home with sunlight and views of the landscape.

"I dreamed of building a tiny house for years-and when the pandemic hit and housing prices skyrocketed, I realized it was the right time to make the dream a reality," says Ashleigh, who lives in the micro-home with her partner Elyse. "I wanted to build a tiny house as a way to live with less and prioritize what really matters to me," Ashleigh adds. "I wanted freedom of location, space for movement, and the ability to enjoy the outdoors."



The Fritzes arranged an open-plan office area between the living room/yoga studio and the kitchen. The area features hidden storage drawers beneath the concrete desktop.

In response to Ashleigh and Elyse’s love for the outdoors, Kevin milled Douglas fir and applied it to the ceilings, giving the interior a warm, woodsy feel. The material also references the towering pines outside the A-frame window in the living room, which doubles as Ashleigh’s yoga studio.



White cabinetry creates a light and bright aesthetic in the kitchen, where an elongated microwave doubles as a vent hood. A Chateau Lighting pendant hangs above the counter by Phoenix Concrete.

A sofa from Article, covered in brilliant green velvet, enlivens the living room and ties to the green of the pine trees. Heather and Kevin customized the sofa for the space by removing its legs and mounting it on a wood base with large, built-in storage drawers. A fold-out table and stools that accommodate six people are stored in one of the drawers for when Ashleigh and Elyse have friends over for dinner.



An stairway with alternating risers and built-in storage drawers accesses the loft-style bedroom. The flooring throughout the home is Douglas fir.

The office area, located between the living room/yoga studio and the kitchen, features a concrete counter with storage drawers and a Blauberg Vento ERV ventilation system tucked beneath it. A floating walnut shelf with recessed lighting on its underside provides illumination for the workspace.



A coffered walnut ceiling in the micro-gym provides the headroom necessary to stand and ride a Peloton bike. The windows in front of (and beside) the bike provide the feeling of riding outdoors.

The kitchen showcases bright white cabinetry, a full-size LG refrigerator, an elongated microwave with a built-in hood vent, and a propane range from Unique Appliances. "When we build tiny homes, we like to keep everything off of the upper portion of the walls, and we place the functional elements down low," Kevin says. "This maintains an open feeling and keeps from blocking the sunlight that pours in through the windows."



The bathroom features brass fixtures, Hexagonal tiles by Phoenix Concrete, and hexagonal walnut tiles cut by Kevin with a CNC router.

Heather and Kevin’s favorite aspect of the custom tiny home design is the walnut pull-out cabinet near the front door. "It has integrated storage for jackets, shoes, and any odds and ends that need to be handy in the front area," Heather says. "The cabinet also conveniently hides the wheel well."



The loft-style bedroom features a headboard with integrated LED lightning for reading in bed at night. Windows on either side of the bed provide cross ventilation.

The micro gym, where Heather and Kevin placed Ashleigh’s Peloton bike, is located toward the rear of the home beside the bathroom. The compact space is marked by awning-style windows and a coffered walnut ceiling. "The high ceiling allows for headroom to stand on the bike, and the windows make it feel like you’re riding outside," Heather says.



The Fritzes created built-in bedside storage in the loft area, where a Douglas fir ceiling provides warmth and texture.

Heather and Kevin finished the spa-like bathroom with wall tiles made from concrete with glass beads that lighten the weight of the material. For the shower floor, they cut hexagonal tiles from walnut using a CNC router and waterproofed them with an epoxy seal.



The openness of the loft-style bedroom lets the clients view the landscape from bed.

A staircase with storage drawers beneath each riser accesses the loft-style bedroom, where a tall landing area, built-in bedside storage, and a headboard with integrated LED lighting provide comfort and practicality. "Ashleigh is 5’10, so we wanted to include ample standing room for her in the loft," Kevin says. "The landing also makes it easier to get in and out of bed."



Metal cladding provides a durable shell for the tiny home on wheels.

"Movement is a huge part of our lives," Ashleigh says. "I was worried that moving into a smaller home might mean sacrificing space for yoga, weight training, and my Peloton bike. But when I started designing my home with the Fritzes, I learned that preserving aspects of my lifestyle was the key to making tiny living sustainable for the long haul. I’m so happy-we have a micro-gym and a room where my partner and I can roll out our yoga mats."



Kevin and Heather Fritz talk beside a fire pit in the front yard of the tiny home.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
×