Studiomama's Tiny Beach Retreat

It's Friday afternoon and we're dreaming of a beach retreat like Nina Tolstrup's 388-square-foot home on the shore in the northeast of Kent, England. The space is sparsely furnished (with her own Pallet Chair design!) and uses simple materials like plywood to create a modern, minimal space...

Nina Tolstrup designed the small weekend home for her family of four. There is a sleeping loft for the adults and bunkbeds for the children. Check out all pictures on Nina's site, Studiomama. Via: Remodelista. Nina has also written about building her beach house in The Guardian.

(Images: Ben Anders)

[Originally Posted 7.18.08 — Aaron Able]

Comments (25)

Love it! It's like a playhouse for a family of 4.

posted by zuzupetals on July 18th 2008 at 9:22am
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Gorgeous!

posted by Hexstatic in Montreal on July 18th 2008 at 9:42am
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I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the wood. A rug?... not so sand-friendly. In any case I'm still totally envious.

posted by whytephoenix on July 18th 2008 at 9:47am
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a perfect concoction for a lazy beach getaway. i want one!

posted by Kat1 on July 18th 2008 at 9:48am
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beautiful! awesome! dreamy!
wish there was a better picture of the bathroom...

posted by abbatron on July 18th 2008 at 10:06am
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ENVIOUS!!!!!! :-) wow, what a lovely place.

posted by maike on July 18th 2008 at 10:13am
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So is that a ladder that drops down into the entry hallway to gain access to the loft?

By the way. I freaking love it!

posted by Easyenough on July 18th 2008 at 10:13am
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Holy cow. This is PERFECT!

posted by rockypondgirl on July 18th 2008 at 10:48am
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SPLINTERS!

posted by Sluggy64 on July 18th 2008 at 10:51am
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So beautiful!

posted by twenty twenty-one on July 18th 2008 at 11:29am
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this is what a beach house is meant to be. a place to get out of the sun, a shower to get off the sweat, and just cool.

posted by bigcityboy2 on July 18th 2008 at 11:51am
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i love all the tiny living spaces you've been showcasing lately. there was that gypsy caravan bedroom, then the outdoor office, and now this. tiny packaging makes my heart flutter!

posted by Pistachio on July 18th 2008 at 12:05pm
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I want to be there right now. Colorado is beautiful but I miss the ocean. This house is a little gem - love it!

posted by mayabee on July 18th 2008 at 4:08pm
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I really like it. I like all the wood. It reminds me of the little cabin room built for an architecture show at the Austrian Cultural Forum a few years back.

posted by charlenemcbride on July 18th 2008 at 6:27pm
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Woah! I'm not sure I belong on this site! I don't like this much.

So this is just a retreat...but they couldn't put up some art? A textile? A poster or 2?

Stainless steel and colorless wood. The textural fabric on the bedspreads are the most appealing thing to me in the whole place.

I know...if you have this, you are supposed to be spending all your time out on the beach, and this is a place to brush the sand off, and crash.

I like the space. It COULD BE made cozy.

posted by wyndwalkr on January 28th 2009 at 10:49am
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Wow, love the scary hobo shack next door!

posted by binks on July 10th 2009 at 10:23pm
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It doesn't seem much like a retreat with no paint, no art, no curtains, etc. The only textile going is the bedding - kind of blah to me. Even if you plan to enjoy the beach most of the time, it shouldn't hurt to make the place a little cozy and less barren.

posted by ChrisGal on July 11th 2009 at 6:22am
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I would like this more if it weren't in spitting distance of the neighbors. A little too close for comfort.

posted by sally305 on July 11th 2009 at 9:02am
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Nice. Love the bedding. Any ideas what that style is called if I wanted to search for it?

posted by Inza on July 11th 2009 at 9:29am
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Love it. I'm surprised I've never noticed it when I've been in Whitstable.

posted by Madame Is on July 11th 2009 at 9:54am
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It's so zen, so pure. I love it. Very Scandinavian-looking.

posted by gryt on July 11th 2009 at 11:25am
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It's gorgeous. I'm curious though about safety and privacy. I don't know if I could sleep well with all of that glass...

posted by hybl on July 11th 2009 at 4:21pm
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Just what a getaway place should be...simple, easy and carefree. Enjoying being outdoors and relaxing is what it's all about. This is perfect.

posted by junklover on July 12th 2009 at 9:17am
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This is so amazing! Smart design gives way to functional, simplistic living. Love it, love it, love it!

posted by kkdm on July 13th 2009 at 12:49pm
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Wonderful - I love it! When you're surrounded by natural beauty, you don't need rugs and textiles and wall coverings - all those things seem overdone and garish, somehow.

Also, I think that photos never do justice to the beauty and textural intricacy of plain wood. What might seem plain in a photo is much more interesting in person.

posted by TammyE on July 13th 2009 at 8:47pm
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