In 2016, tiny houses became a veritable phenomenon. The Washington Post cites many benefits of tiny living, including “financial and emotional freedom, a greener lifestyle,” and “the satisfaction of building one’s own refuge”. They say that in the United States, in particular, tiny house living is popular among millennials, whose student loans do not allow them the financial freedom to purchase a regular home, and baby boomers, who are seeking affordable housing with minimal maintenance requirements. It seems, however, that even big celebrities are getting in on the tiny-house trend, with NBA player Matt Bonner leading the way.
Matt Bonner, center-forward for the San Antonio spurs, made a base salary of 1.49 million during the 2016 basketball season. So, as a result, he did what any 6-foot-10-inch male would do— he bought a tiny house!
It was clear that some modifications would have to be made for the tiny house to be able to accommodate Matt’s impressive height. But, as you will soon see, the results were totally worth it.
Matt enlisted the help of John Weisbert and Zack Griffin, hosts of the show Tiny House Nation, to help 276-square-foot tiny house. According to The Big Lead, the decor of the house was built to reflect Matt’s wife Nadia, while the size of everything was specifically tailored to the 6’10” athlete.
To be able to accommodate Matt’s impressive height, the doors measure a whopping 7 feet and 1.5 inches. The overall theme of the home is very rustic. The muted colors and stone wall section make for an extremely cozy entrance/living room area.
Directly beyond the sitting area is a tiny kitchen. Stairs lead towards an upstairs loft area which has been converted into a sleeping area for Matt’s two children.
The bathroom carries on the rustic elegance seen in the rest of the home. Although most tiny houses incorporate a compost toilet, Tiny Home Tour reveals that Matt and Nadia opted for a flushing system instead.
The children’s loft sleeping area incorporates beds, as well as a place to sit, and a place to play on the ground. This area has a bit more color than the rest of the home, featuring various shades of blue. According to the Concord Monitor, Matt’s children quickly discovered that they could hide up here without him being able to reach them.
The main bedroom incorporates touches of white and fur. In combination with the room’s warm lighting, the overall feel is very much like a luxurious, mountain cabin getaway. To accommodate Matt’s size, Weisbert and Griffin constructed a specialized headboard which can easily be folded down to reveal the extra-large bed.
The outside of the house also has a few awesome additions, including a slide-out porch, and an adjustable basketball net. According to Tiny Home Tour, the net can be adjusted to a lower height for the kids or to NBA standards for Matt.
Although this isn’t the family’s main residence— they own one in San Antonio, Texas, and another outside of Meredith— Matt is extremely impressed by Weisbert and Griffin’s skills, telling The Concord Monitor, “I can barely build a birdhouse. I have so much respect for what they did.”
