Every tiny-house company has an origin story, and for Simplify Further Tiny Homes in North Central Florida, it begins with Shanti. This is the home Krsna Balynas and Govinda Carol built first — with little construction experience and a lot of secondhand materials — then listed on Airbnb just to see what would happen. It booked out almost immediately, the bookings kept coming, and a backyard experiment grew into a whole village of rentals and a full-time tiny-house building business. Today the Shanti lives on as the company’s “most simple and economical” model: a wide-open, single-level tiny house on wheels with a ground-floor queen bedroom, a real kitchen, and a full bathroom, starting around $30,000. Let’s take the tour of the home that started it all.
A Clean Gray Cabin on a Tandem-Axle Trailer
The Shanti keeps its exterior simple and tidy: gray LP SmartSide board-and-batten siding, white window trim, and a single band of natural cedar tucked under the shed roofline for warmth. At 20 feet long and 8’5″ wide on a hand-built steel chassis with dual 5,000-lb axles, it reads as a proper little cabin rather than a camper — understated enough to drop onto a rural lot, a backyard, or a tiny-house community without drawing a second glance. The restraint is intentional: this is a “blank canvas” model meant to be finished and personalized however the owner likes.
Step Inside: A Wide-Open, Single-Level Floor Plan
Open the door and the whole home reveals itself in one glance. With 133 square feet on the main level and no loft to climb to, the Shanti uses a wide-open layout that flows from a queen bedroom at one end, through the kitchen, to the living area and entry. A stained pine tongue-and-groove ceiling caps the space, white walls keep it bright, and waterproof wood-look vinyl runs underfoot. The lack of stairs is the headline here: everything lives on one level, which makes the home unusually accessible for a tiny house and easy to move through.
A Full Kitchen with Butcher Block and a Forest-View Window
For a home billed as “economical,” the kitchen is genuinely complete. A butcher-block counter wraps a stainless drop-in sink set beneath a window that frames the trees, paired with a gooseneck faucet, a flush-mount two-burner electric cooktop, and a 3.1-cubic-foot mini-fridge with a separate freezer. Closed oak lower cabinets handle the clutter while open upper shelving keeps dishes within easy reach — a smart small-kitchen move that trades cabinet doors for breathing room. An electric tankless water heater feeds the sink and shower without the bulk of a tank.
A Cozy Living Nook
Opposite the kitchen, an 8’-by-10’ living area gives you room to actually relax — here outfitted with a cushioned bench that doubles as seating and storage. Because the floor plan is open and the ceiling is high under that pine planking, the living space borrows light and volume from the rest of the home and never feels boxed in. It’s a flexible zone that could just as easily become a home office, a reading corner, or extra sleeping space for a guest.
A Ground-Level Queen Bedroom — No Stairs Required
The Shanti’s defining feature is its main-floor bedroom. Instead of the usual ladder-up sleeping loft, a queen bed sits right on the ground level, framed by windows on two walls that pull in light and forest views. For anyone who has hesitated about tiny living because of a cramped loft — older guests, anyone with mobility concerns, or simply light sleepers who don’t love climbing down at 2 a.m. — this layout is the whole selling point. The loft that does exist is a compact 7’-by-4’ storage shelf overhead, not a bed.
A Full Bathroom with a Tiled Shower
The bathroom is a real one, not an afterthought. A 36″-by-34″ shower with a tiled surround sits beside a 30″ vanity topped with engineered marble, alongside a porcelain gravity-flush toilet. The build can also be plumbed for a composting or alternative toilet for buyers who want to go off-grid-friendly. Like the rest of the home, it’s finished cleanly — tile, a proper vanity, and a window for natural light — proving that “simple” doesn’t have to mean roughing it.
Built to Be a Blank Canvas
What makes the Shanti such an enduring model is how adaptable it is. Simplify Further offers it with drywall or shiplap walls, multiple cabinet-hardware finishes, and the choice between a standard or composting toilet, so the same footprint can become a guest house, an in-law suite, a home office, a short-term rental, or a first full-time home. Under the finishes it’s built for the long haul: R13/R19 fiberglass insulation, a 12,000-BTU ductless mini-split for heat and A/C, impact-resistant double-pane windows, a Gulf-Rib metal roof, and a one-year workmanship warranty.
The Story Behind Simplify Further
Shanti wasn’t supposed to launch a company. Krsna and Govinda built it as a personal project, sourcing materials secondhand and learning as they went, then listed it on Airbnb “just to see what would happen.” It booked a month out almost instantly. Govinda eventually left his IT career to build tiny houses full time, and the couple grew the project into a small village of rentals that has now hosted thousands of guests, guided by their motto: “Simple Living, High Thinking.” You can read more on their Our Story page.
More Tiny Homes from Simplify Further
This is one of several Simplify Further tiny homes we’ve toured. Explore the rest of the family:
- Shiva — a farmhouse tiny house on wheels with a queen loft and an outdoor clawfoot tub.
- Rasa — a double-loft tiny house that sleeps four, set at their build facility.
- Mantra — their most basic 98-square-foot glamping micro cabin.
Design Details
- Builder: Simplify Further Tiny Homes (Krsna Balynas & Govinda Carol), Lake Butler, Florida
- Model: The Shanti — their original and most economical full tiny house
- Style: Single-level tiny house on wheels, gray board-and-batten with cedar accent
- Footprint: 20’ L × 8’5″ W × 13’6″ H; about 133 sq. ft. on the main level
- Loft: Storage only (7’ × 4’) — no sleeping loft; 6’4″ height beneath
- Sleeps: 2 guests · ground-level queen bedroom, no stairs
- Kitchen: Butcher-block counter, drop-in sink, 2-burner electric cooktop, 3.1 cu ft fridge/freezer, oak cabinets, open shelving
- Bathroom: 36″×34″ tiled shower, 30″ vanity with engineered-marble top, porcelain flush toilet (composting-ready)
- Systems: 12,000-BTU ductless mini-split, electric tankless water heater, LED lighting, R13/R19 insulation
- Exterior: LP SmartSide lap siding, Hardie trim, Gulf-Rib metal shed roof, impact-resistant double-pane windows
- Trailer: Bumper-pull, hand-built steel chassis, dual 5,000-lb axles, trailer brakes, DOT lighting
- Customization: Drywall or shiplap walls, multiple hardware finishes, standard or composting toilet
- Warranty: One-year limited warranty on workmanship
- Price: Starts around $30,000
What Makes the Shanti Special
- It’s the one that started it all. As Simplify Further’s first build and first Airbnb, Shanti is the proof-of-concept that launched a whole tiny-home village.
- No-stairs living. A ground-level queen bedroom makes this a rare tiny house that works for guests who can’t (or won’t) deal with a loft ladder.
- Full-size function, economical price. A real kitchen and a tiled full bath in a $30K starting package make it one of the more livable budget tiny houses out there.
- A true blank canvas. Wall, hardware, and toilet options let the same footprint serve as a guest suite, office, rental, or first home.
Get the Shanti — or Stay in One
The Shanti — Simplify Further Tiny Homes, Lake Butler, Florida
See the model & pricing: The Shanti on sftinyhomes.com
Book a stay in one of their tiny homes: Simplify Further Tiny Homes on Airbnb
Learn their story: Our Story
Highlights
- Simplify Further’s original tiny house — the build that launched the company
- 20-foot single-level THOW with a wide-open, no-stairs floor plan
- Ground-level queen bedroom framed by windows on two walls
- Full butcher-block kitchen and a tiled full bathroom
- Mini-split heat/AC, tankless water heater, and four-season insulation
- A customizable “blank canvas” starting around $30K
Explore More Tiny Homes
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Alex
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