Some tiny houses are built to live in full time. Others are built to make you slow down for a few days, breathe, and remember what quiet feels like. Shiva, a farmhouse-style tiny house on wheels from Simplify Further Tiny Homes, is in the second camp a private little escape dropped into an open North Florida field, complete with an outdoor clawfoot tub, a fire pit, and horses grazing just beyond the fence.
Set near Lake Butler in North Central Florida, Shiva packs a queen sleeping loft, a full bathroom, a real kitchenette, and a surprising amount of outdoor living into a 16-foot-by-10-foot footprint. It sleeps two, welcomes well-behaved pets, and sits just 25 to 30 minutes from Ginnie Springs and Ichetucknee Springs — making it an easy base for swimming, tubing, and floating Florida’s famous freshwater springs. Hosted by Superhost Govinda, the listing holds a 4.71-star rating across 85 reviews.
Shiva is one of a collection of tiny homes built and hosted by Simplify Further, the family-run company started by Krsna Balynas and Govinda Carol. Their philosophy — “Simple Living, High Thinking” — runs through every detail here, from the reclaimed-feeling finishes to the soak-under-the-stars tub. Let’s take the tour.
A Farmhouse Cabin on Wheels, Wrapped in Black and Cedar
Shiva’s exterior sets the tone before you ever step inside. Black board-and-batten siding is warmed up with natural cedar accents, and a hand-built archway spelling out “SHIVA” frames the entrance to a fully fenced, private yard. That privacy fence is doing real work: it carves out a self-contained outdoor room around the home, so the deck, tub, and fire pit feel like your own backyard rather than a shared field. A second-story walkover balcony and rooftop patio perch above the sliding glass door, giving this little house a genuine two-level presence.
Step Inside: An Open Living Area Under Knotty Pine
Inside, the design leans into the “open feel” that Simplify Further is known for. A knotty-pine ceiling runs the length of the home, white walls and rustic LVP wood-look flooring keep things bright, and an open staircase climbs to the loft without boxing in the main floor. The result is a space that reads far larger than its 160-square-foot footprint — proof that high ceilings, light wood tones, and a few well-placed windows do more for a tiny house than square footage ever could.
A Kitchenette Built for Real Cooking
The kitchen is small but legitimately functional. Butcher block counters wrap an L-shaped run, a stainless steel sink sits under a wood-trimmed window, and a two-burner cooktop handles everything from morning coffee to a full dinner. White subway tile and open shelving give it that farmhouse feel, while a mini-fridge tucked below keeps groceries cold. It’s a smart lesson in tiny-kitchen design: keep the prep surface generous, the storage open and within reach, and let natural light do the rest.
Just off the counter, a clever fold-down table with two stools creates a dining nook that can disappear when you need the floor space back. A driftwood sunburst and a hanging macrame shelf keep the coastal-farmhouse mood going.
A Cozy Queen Loft with a Walkover Balcony
Up the stairs, the sleeping loft is the heart of the stay. A queen bed sits under that warm pine ceiling, flanked by windows and a steel pipe railing that keeps the loft feeling open rather than closed in. There’s a smart TV for cozy evenings, and — the detail guests love most — a walkover balcony that leads out to the rooftop patio. Wake up, grab your coffee, and step outside to serene morning views over the field.
A Full Bath with a Soaking Tub
Tiny homes often cut the bathroom down to a wet bath and a composting toilet, but Shiva keeps things comfortable with a full bathroom. There’s a proper indoor tub-and-shower combo surrounded by white subway tile, a standard flush toilet, a vanity with storage, and bright windows that bring in natural light — a rare and welcome touch in a space this size.
The Star of the Show: An Outdoor Clawfoot Tub
If one feature has made Shiva a guest favorite, it’s the outdoor clawfoot tub. Set on a wood deck and surrounded by potted plants and a privacy fence, it turns an ordinary evening into the kind of moment people book a tiny house for — a warm soak under the open Florida sky. It’s romantic, a little wild, and exactly the sort of “reconnect with nature” experience this home is built around. (Like any outdoor amenity, it may occasionally be offline for maintenance or weather, which the hosts flag upfront.)
Fire Pit, Hammock, and Florida Sunsets
The fenced yard is its own destination. A fire pit anchors the space for evenings under the stars, a hammock sways in the breeze, and a daybed swing and picnic table give you room to spread out. String lights make it glow after dark. Because the property is rural and open to the west, the sunsets here are a genuine event — gold light pouring across the field while you settle in by the fire.
Wake Up to Grazing Horses
Part of what makes a Shiva stay feel like a true escape is the setting. The home looks out over an open pasture where horses graze and round hay bales dot the field. It’s the antidote to a city-view rental: dark, quiet skies at night (bring a flashlight and arrive before sunset), birdsong in the morning, and a real sense of being somewhere far away — even though the springs are just a short drive off.
A Tiny-Home Village — with Its Own 24-Hour Tiny Store
Shiva doesn’t sit alone. It’s part of a small, thoughtfully laid-out cluster of Simplify Further rentals spread across a large private property, with cabins and other tiny homes positioned so each one keeps its own private outdoor area and parking. Next door is the company’s tiny-home building facility — the birthplace of homes just like the one you’re sleeping in — far enough away that you won’t hear a thing.
The most charming touch may be the on-site convenience store: a little black tiny house, open 24 hours, stocked with the things you always forget — toothbrushes, shampoo, snacks, drinks, and firewood for the fire pit. Forget something? Just walk down the trail.
Design Details
- Builder & host: Simplify Further Tiny Homes (Krsna Balynas & Govinda Carol), Lake Butler, Florida
- Style: Farmhouse tiny house on wheels, black board-and-batten with cedar accents
- Footprint: 16 ft × 10 ft (about 160 sq. ft. on the main floor) plus a sleeping loft
- Sleeps: 2 guests · 1 bed · 1 bath
- Bedroom: Queen bed in a loft with a walkover balcony and rooftop patio
- Bathroom: Full bath with indoor tub-shower combo, flush toilet, and vanity
- Kitchen: Butcher block counters, stainless sink, two-burner cooktop, mini-fridge, subway-tile backsplash
- Comfort & tech: Air conditioning, Wi-Fi, smart TV, dedicated workspace
- Outdoor: Private fenced yard, outdoor clawfoot tub, fire pit, hammock, deck, rooftop balcony
- Pet-friendly: Yes — leashed, well-behaved pets welcome
- Setting: Rural field with grazing horses; 25–30 min to Ginnie Springs & Ichetucknee Springs
- On-site: 24-hour tiny convenience store, additional tiny-home rentals, and a micro-wedding venue
- Reviews: 4.71★ across 85 reviews; hosted by Superhost Govinda (co-host Krsna Jivani)
What Makes This Stay Special
- Outdoor living is the whole point. The clawfoot tub, fire pit, hammock, and rooftop deck turn a 160-square-foot home into an experience that lives much larger.
- It proves tiny doesn’t mean rough. A full tub-shower bath, real kitchen counters, A/C, and a queen loft make this an easy, comfortable stay for first-time tiny-house guests.
- The setting does the heavy lifting. Grazing horses, big sunsets, dark skies, and springs minutes away give the home a sense of escape that a great interior alone can’t buy.
- Hospitality is built in. A 24-hour on-site tiny store and a responsive Superhost team smooth over the little friction points that can make rural stays stressful.
The Story Behind Simplify Further
Simplify Further started the way a lot of the best tiny-house stories do — almost by accident. Krsna Balynas and Govinda Carol built their first tiny home, Shanti, with minimal construction experience, sourcing materials secondhand, and listed it on Airbnb “just to see what would happen.” It booked out a month in advance almost immediately, and the bookings kept coming. Govinda eventually left his IT job to build tiny houses full time, and the couple grew the project into a small village of rentals (several they own, others they manage for friends and neighbors) that has now hosted thousands of guests.
Their guiding idea is what they call intentional living: “to simplify isn’t to minimize — it’s to maximize.” A stay in Shiva is the clearest way to feel what they mean. You can read more about their journey on their Our Story page.
Plan Your Stay
Shiva Tiny Home — Lake Butler, Florida
Book the stay: View Shiva on Airbnb
See all of their rentals: Simplify Further Tiny Homes on Airbnb
Nearby: Ginnie Springs & Ichetucknee Springs (25–30 minutes)
Highlights
- Farmhouse-style 16×10 tiny house on wheels that sleeps two
- Queen sleeping loft with a walkover balcony and rooftop patio
- Full bathroom with an indoor soaking tub plus a beloved outdoor clawfoot tub
- Fire pit, hammock, string lights, and sweeping sunset field views
- Pet-friendly, with a 24-hour on-site tiny store
- Minutes from Florida’s freshwater springs
More Tiny Homes from Simplify Further
This is one of several Simplify Further tiny homes we’ve toured. Explore the rest of the family:
- Shanti — the original Simplify Further build and their most economical full tiny house.
- Rasa — a double-loft tiny house that sleeps four, set at their build facility.
- Mantra — their most basic 98-square-foot glamping micro cabin.
Explore More Tiny Homes
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Alex