The Nook is a one-of-a-kind, hand-built tiny cabin tucked into the hills of Swannanoa, North Carolina, just outside Asheville, that has been offered as a bookable Airbnb retreat. Built with the help of Rob and Karie of Shelter Collective using local materials — with almost everything woven, shaped, or whittled by hand — it packs soaring 18-foot ceilings, walls of windows, a main-floor sleeping nook, a pair of tucked-away lofts, a playful indoor swing, and even a separate outdoor bathhouse into a remarkably small footprint. It’s a wonderful example of how craftsmanship and a little whimsy can make a tiny space feel anything but small.
Images via Mike & Kristen/Airbnb
A One-of-a-Kind, Hand-Built Cabin
What sets The Nook apart isn’t a single gadget — it’s the level of craft baked into every surface. Almost everything in the cabin was hand-built, woven, shaped, or whittled, and local materials were used throughout the build, giving the interior a warm, organic character that mass-produced tiny homes rarely achieve. Soaring 18-foot ceilings and expansive windows keep the small footprint from ever feeling closed in, drawing your eye up and out into the surrounding trees.
Images via Mike & Kristen/Airbnb
A Cozy Main-Floor Sleeping Nook
Rather than sending you up a ladder to a sleeping loft, The Nook keeps the bed on the main floor in a cozy, curtained-off nook — a smart choice that makes the cabin accessible and easy to live in at any hour. Just beyond the sleeping area you’ll spot built-in shoe storage and shelving, the kind of tucked-in, dual-purpose storage that’s essential when every square foot has to earn its keep.
Images via Mike & Kristen/Airbnb
A Kitchenette Framed by a Statement Window
The kitchenette is compact but beautifully placed beneath a huge picture window that floods the prep space with light and frames the view while you cook. It’s a pared-down setup by design — there’s a refrigerator (no freezer) and no oven — which is a common and sensible trade-off in a small cabin meant for getaways, where counter space, light, and atmosphere matter more than a full appliance suite.
Images via Mike & Kristen/Airbnb
A Built-In Dining Nook
True to the cabin’s name, a built-in dining nook (the breakfast alcove) creates a dedicated spot to eat without giving up floor space to a freestanding table and chairs. Built-in banquette seating like this is one of the most efficient moves in tiny design, and it doubles as extra storage underneath. The bathroom sits just beyond the kitchen area, keeping the cabin’s wet zones grouped together.
Images via Mike & Kristen/Airbnb
An Indoor Swing at the Heart of the Living Space
The showstopper is the indoor swing suspended in the living area — a playful touch that turns an ordinary corner into the cabin’s most memorable feature. A sliding glass door opens onto the deck to blur the line between inside and out, while a mini-split unit overhead handles both heating and cooling efficiently. Overhead, two small lofts — a tea loft and an entertainment loft — add cozy perches that make clever use of the tall ceilings.
Images via Mike & Kristen/Airbnb
An Outdoor Bathhouse
Beyond the cabin itself, The Nook includes a separate outdoor bathhouse — a feature that leans into the cabin’s connection to nature and frees up precious interior space. Outdoor bathing setups like this are a hallmark of well-designed small retreats, turning a daily routine into part of the experience of being immersed in the landscape.
Images via Mike & Kristen/Airbnb
Set Just Outside Asheville
Location is a big part of The Nook’s appeal. It sits about 15 minutes from downtown Asheville and just 8 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, pairing the quiet of a wooded retreat with quick access to one of the most popular small cities and scenic drives in the region. It’s a reminder that a tiny footprint, sited well, can deliver an outsized sense of place.
Images via Mike & Kristen/Airbnb
Design Details
- Name: The Nook
- Location: Swannanoa, North Carolina (near Asheville)
- Builders: Hand-built with the help of Rob and Karie of Shelter Collective
- Sleeping: Main-floor sleeping nook, plus a tea loft and an entertainment loft
- Ceilings: 18-foot peak with expansive windows
- Kitchen: Compact kitchenette with refrigerator (no freezer), no oven
- Dining: Built-in breakfast alcove / dining nook
- Standout feature: Indoor swing in the living area
- Bathing: Separate outdoor bathhouse
- Climate control: Overhead mini-split for heating and cooling
- Materials: Local materials; nearly everything hand-built, woven, shaped, or whittled
- Stays: Offered as a bookable Airbnb retreat
What Makes The Nook Special
- Craft over kit. Hand-built details and local materials give it a character no production tiny house can copy.
- Main-floor sleeping. Skipping a ladder-access loft bedroom makes it comfortable and accessible to live in day to day.
- Height as a design tool. The 18-foot ceiling and stacked tea and entertainment lofts turn vertical space into usable, cozy rooms.
- Built-ins everywhere. The breakfast alcove, shoe storage, and shelving show how built-in furniture multiplies usable space.
- A little whimsy goes a long way. The indoor swing proves that one joyful, unexpected feature can define an entire home.
Highlights
- Hand-built, one-of-a-kind tiny cabin
- Cozy main-floor sleeping nook
- Breakfast alcove / dining nook
- Tea loft and entertainment loft
- 18-foot ceilings and expansive windows
- Playful indoor swing
- Sliding glass door to the deck
- Separate outdoor bathhouse
- Refrigerator (no freezer) and no oven
- Local materials; almost everything hand-made
- 15 minutes from downtown Asheville, 8 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway
- Built with the help of Rob and Karie of Shelter Collective
Learn More
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Alex
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I just love it . I wish I could do this in my backyard but, I live in the city and I don’t think its aloud . your special place is Gorgeous !
It may be cute, but I say caution with that swing. It is too easy for a swing to return with enough force to break that window. Swinging in a hammock would be safer. It appears the swing is hanging too close to the wall to get any real joy out of its use. I will say having the sitting area near the elevated kitchen area is nice. Perhaps a bit if wall (even glass) on the counter edge to reduce items from falling or splashing onto that sofa would be better.
True but pretty sure the swing is just for sitting as a fun/nostalgic piece that can put people into a different mood when having a conversation or partaking of the views through the window, which it does provide a higher and closer vantage point than the sofa… But good advice to tell people not to swing in it and glass backsplash for the back of the shelf shouldn’t significantly impede views for someone in the kitchen as a good tweak…
Though, if the seat is tethered it could easy be prevented from swinging too far… Another bungee string tied from the bottom to the floor could give enough leeway for a small swing but prevent it ever going too far…
There’s a lot to love in the craftsmanship in this little dwelling. Every aspect looks to have been artfully done. I wonder if the fridge is below the counter. If not there, where is it?
Forget the house (although it IS nice) I want the outdoor bath. End of. (see the airbnb for why)
Love it!!! Wish I could have this in my backyard.
I am so love in with this. So bright and cheerful.