The Beatle Is a Tiny With Quirky Personality and a Captivating Story

Even with the incredible leaps the tiny house industry has made over the past few years, there's still the misconception that this type of mobile home is anything but inclusive. Tiny homes, some believe, are only for the young, the childless, and the pet-free adventurers who can afford to travel extensively or are willing to do whatever to earn a living on the road.

In reality, there's a tiny house for everyone and anyone, as long as they can afford the still-high price point. Due to the wide array of options available, from size, layout, and features, today, tiny houses are what you might call completely inclusive. The Beatle is also that, while also being a good example of how much personality you can pack into a compact footprint with enough time, effort, and… well, money.

The Beatle is the latest model from Colorado-based builder Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses. Technically, it's not even a new model since construction kicked off and was ultimately completed at the height of the 2020 international health crisis, but the restrictions that followed delayed delivery until just recently.

This one is a fully custom model designed for a Finnish playwright with mobility issues, who contacted the builder about a unit that resembled a Vardo wagon but with all the functionality of a modern home. She wanted it as a live-in home, but one that remained essentially mobile to travel across the U.S. and into Mexico, and that could stand the test of time because she also planned on using it as a prop for movies based on her screenplays.

Arguably the most challenging item in the brief – and the one that eventually turned the unit into one with an excellent story to tell – was the owner's mobility issues because it meant the builder had to integrated additional functionality into it. The San Juan model served as a starting point, according to the builder, which describes the project as the one with the most captivating story to tell.

The inspiration is immediately apparent in the curvy, sloped roofline and the whimsical exterior, complete with tiny portholes and contrasting colors. The majority of tiny houses are nice to look at, but the Beatle seems to take exceptional pride in being this cute.

Not that it's sacrificing style for substance. There's an access ramp made of aluminum tubing and cedar deck boards that leads up to a deck made of the same materials, and that's the first clue that it's designed to accommodate someone with limited mobility. Both stow under the trailer and add little weight to it when it comes to pack up and go.

The single-loft design has also been adapted after the one found in San Juan, with the difference that the loft is now closed off from the rest of the house and located over the bathroom. The owner lives with a caretaker, and this was the compromise to get more privacy within such a compact space.

The rest of the space is divided between the main bedroom area, a window-side breakfast bar that doubles as an office and folds neatly into the wall, a complete kitchen, and a wet bathroom. Every inch of space is utilized and optimized, not in the sense that it's crammed full with storage options or features, but that it's packed with functionality.

For example, the shelves in the shower are placed at elbow height so they can double as supports, allowing the owner to prop herself up on them. Shelves and counters in the kitchen were also designed and placed so that they allow the owner unrestrained, easy use of them. Whereas most tinies will line up storage options up all the way to the ceiling, the Beatle keeps things more at a central level.

The bed sits on a platform with integrated storage, including in the hinged headboard. Though you might not be able to tell at first glance, storage options abound.

The closed loft can be accessed both from within and outside by means of a telescopic ladder.

While functionality was at the forefront in the build, it didn't come at the expense of style, either. Touches include handmade tiles for the tiny alcove for the wood-burning stove, live edge honey locust counters in the kitchen and a floating dining table made of the same material, and all-custom furniture and decorations.

The bathroom sink is a very cute example of functionality and style, as it's a small metal bucket repurposed as a sink bowl. Small, functional, and packed with quirkiness.

The Beatle sits on a 22-foot (6.7-meter) double-axle trailer and is rigged for solar, should the owner decide to take it off the grid at some point. It also comes with integrated fresh and gray water tanks, with a 50-gallon (189-liter) capacity each, and a composting toilet.

Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses says that the Beatle was eventually united with its owner after extended delays recently, which is why they're going public with the model just now. They can build similar units for future tiny house owners, with or without the features imposed by this owner's medical condition, for prices starting at $85,000.

As it turns out, you can almost have it all with a tiny house – except for a low price tag.