This gorgeous small house in a mountain ski resort in New Zealand is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. The building, made of structural straw and portrayed in lime, looks to be carved out of stone. Evan is the brilliant builder and owner of this Ohakune mansion, which he affectionately refers to as “Pumice” since it resembles a massive stone. Evan and his business partner, Kevin, constructed the home!

Both men had spent the previous 30 years making strawbale homes, but they knew nothing about small dwellings, which sparked their attention.

They began by shaping and bending the straw to give it structural capability. After that, they coated it with lime, Evan’s “preferred medium.”

“Lime breathes really nicely.” “It’s water resistant, and it has some really good healing properties, so it doesn’t crack too much,” he said to Bryce Langston of Living Big In A Tiny House. The home seems to be very natural and has a cave-like vibe to it, but Evan claims that many people have characterized it as an “oversized pizza oven.”

The one-and-a-half-ton rock fireplace outdoors adds a lot of charm to the property. Before entering, one must pass a water barrier made of flat rocks, which provides a layer of seclusion from the outer world. “We’ve had people remark on the perils of late-night pub returns, but everything appeared to function OK,” Evan added with a grin.

Pumice is little more than 10 meters long and 5 and a half meters wide, with bales 500 millimeters thick. Going inside the house is like entering a contemporary cave. The ripples from the river outside produce a wonderful impression on the ceiling, defining movement in the flowing plaster. The spherical shape of the whole area is odd yet peaceful.

“It’s due to the fact that your eye has nothing to concentrate on or against,” Evan added. “You’re simply a gentle nature on the inside.” Evan has complimented the home’s natural geometries with natural materials such as wood, COR-TEN steel, and lime. From the exterior, one would never guess that it had such a large interior.

The major attraction in the living room is a comfortable-looking sofa. “We wanted to be able to sit next to your loved one and watch TV while still seeing the mountain and the fish in the pond, and we didn’t want it to be too high in the space.” “I think it’s quite decent,” Evan concluded. The pumice opening windows are located quite close to the water, which helps to chill the whole area.

“The air is usually cooler if you open the windows at the bottom near the ocean.” So if we uncover our skylight or turn on our fan, it convects cold air in, causing the home to naturally aspirate, “Evan said. The lime render in the kitchen goes directly off the wall and into the counter top and sink, which looks fantastic. There’s also a lovely breakfast bar for two that runs from the bench.

The bathroom is very magnificent, and it looks as though it has been carved rather than made. “It’s the pleasure of not having definite borders,” Evan stated. “We can simply curve things, and you just have to have this appreciation for what it’s going to look like in the end because there’s a lot of work backward from here to get those curves to have the flow that appeals to your eye.” It is an art form. There’s no way around it. ”

One of Evan’s favorite characteristics is that it has heated flooring. “We’ve also put heat up the back of the seat, so when you sit in the shower, the seat is toasty,” he continued. The bedroom, which lacks direct sunlight, is most likely the coziest area in the home. The “cave aesthetic” is embodied in this portion of the home.

“I believe it is due to a lack of delineation between the wall and the roof,” Evan stated. “It’s all-encompassing with that curving nature, so that sensation of comfort and security is really all-encompassing.” And it’s rather pleasant if the fire is lit and the curtain is drawn. ” A bioethanol fire with open flames against the plaster creates a pleasant natural light in the bedroom.

The gases are so minimal that it is totally safe even without a chimney. Another creative idea is to mount the television on the back of the headboard of the bed, which they simply roll out as required. Because of the blend of contemporary and natural elements, this home really is one-of-a-kind. Take a look at the video below to get a tour of this one-of-a-kind house.