Yes, You Can Have a Dream Bathroom in a Tiny Home—This One Is Proof
Welcome to Tiny Home Profiles, an interview series with people pushing the limits of living small. From space-saving hacks to flexible floor plans, here’s what they say makes for the best tiny homes on the planet. Know of a builder we should talk to? Reach out.
"Intentional living is my greatest passion," says David Latimer, explaining how he’s devoted himself and many of his working hours to the tiny house movement. In 2014 he founded New Frontier Design and launched six luxury tiny homes over the following decade. Before, he’d managed tiny home construction projects for the likes of Disney, Dunkin’ Donuts, Le Labo, Rhone, and Fjallraven, and received recognition through several publications and television programs. But mobile living was his calling, he says.
Latimer outsourced production to Movable Roots and Zook Cabins in 2019, and at the same time, expanded New Frontier Design’s creative services to craft new ideas for tiny homes. Here, Latimer walks us through his company’s original lineup and a few of the firm’s most recent designs, including the Luna and the Bella.
The $225,000 Alpha model was New Frontier Design’s first tiny home. Opposite the glass-door entryway, there are two garage-style doors: a glazed one that rolls up, and a wood one that folds down into a deck.
What qualities make your tiny home stand apart from the rest?
Our homes blend contemporary design that has crisp clean lines and open, minimal spaces with natural materials that have warm, inviting textures. The dichotomy of simplicity and the nuance of natural materials is one of our trademark features.
Our lighting design is also a distinguishing element. We’ve heard from many people that our homes come alive at night because of it. We use valances to hide the source of the light, which then turns the surfaces of the home into the light source, creating warm, rich, textures and a vibe that is as comforting as it is exciting. By combining abundant natural light with our lighting design we make spaces feel larger than they are and create an entirely different experience for night and day within the same space.
The central living space can be converted into a dining room by pulling out the steps leading to the kitchen—and with it, a fold-up table and two benches that seat eight people.
We believe in eliminating the boundaries between indoor and outdoor space by utilizing large glass doors and windows. Hidden storage and multifunctional furniture also makes the homes feel more open and uncluttered whenever an item is not being used. Through our design solutions, our homes perform as if they were larger than they are.
At 375 square feet, the Escher aims to fit as many of the usual residential comforts into a larger design. Amenities include a king-sized bedroom, a walk-in closet, and an expanded four-by-four-foot shower in the tiled bathroom.
The Escher’s $235,000 price tag also includes a kitchen with quartz countertops, a copper backsplash, and custom cabinetry. There’s also an oven and four-burner propane stove from Furrion, a Fisher Paykel dishwasher, and a stainless steel refrigerator from Whirlpool.
What’s the most exciting project you’ve realized to date?
We’ve just launched a new park model, the Luna, in collaboration with Zook Cabins that we are very excited about. It’s 400 square feet, and has all the luxuries and features that New Frontier is known for.
The Dunkin’ Donuts project was a fun home that was showcased in Madison Square park in New York City. It ran 100-percent off-grid on a coffee-bean biofuel we created. We collaborated with Olivia Wilde on the interior design.
We’re still working on the name for our newest tiny home, which we’re calling the Beta, but we love the massive wet bath with the rain head shower inside a skylight.
The Cornelia starts at $185,000. Like all of New Frontier Design'’s models, it can be equipped as an off-grid unit.
The model was envisioned as a writer’s retreat, but its maple fold-out desk and floating cedar shelving makes it suitable for any desk work. The interior board-and-batten siding is also fabricated from maple, while the floors are made from reclaimed hardwood.
The Bella model was designed as a vacation stay near or in urban areas. Large picture windows are placed at the ends of the unit in lieu of glazing on the side, which keeps the interiors more private. The Bella is about a foot and a half shorter than other models, helping it fit on smaller sites.
The Bella features the largest bath out of any of the company’s models: a spacious seven-by-nine-foot wet room with concrete-finished walls, smoked glass partitions, and a rain shower set into one of the skylight shafts.
What does your base model cost and what does that pricing include?
Our homes start at $140,000.
What aspects of the design can a client customize?
If a client places an order of 10 or more units, we can create a completely original design for them. For our standard models—the Alpha, Escher, Orchid, and Cornelia—there is a standard size and XL version. Clients can customize finishes, fixtures, colors, appliances.
Where are your tiny homes currently available?
Anywhere in the U.S.
Are there plans to expand to different parts of the world?
We area available for design projects anywhere.
New Frontiers Design refines its lighting with every new model. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the $220,000 Orchid tiny home. The LED valence lighting strips ensconced in grooves both in and outside the home are wired to separate switches, allowing you to dim each separately.
How long can a client expect the process to take after they put down a deposit?
It can range anywhere from four to eight months. It all depends on what our pipeline looks like at a given point in time.
Do you assist with the placement of the tiny home?
We deliver the homes and put them into place where the client wants them. We work with local contractors to set the client up with everything they need to know and do to make the process as smooth as possible. Almost always, you need local contractors to do this specific site work because of local codes and permitting, etc.
The Orchid as a row of clerestory windows, several skylights, and a roll-up glass door (all from Pella), making sure the daylighting was as comfortable as the valence LEDs. Where there isn’t glazing, maple-finished plywood panels line the walls. The hardwood floors are made from oak.
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