In Marton, New Zealand, you’ll find a little, yellow submarine nestled in the woods.
Its captain? A man named Keith, who got the idea randomly one day while sitting in a yellow cafe in Wellington, New Zealand.
“I just said out loud, ‘I think I’m going to build a yellow submarine’ – and the kids said ‘keep it down, dad, you’re embarrassing us,'” he told the host of Living Big In A Tiny House.
We’ve got to say, that’s NOT where we expected the story to begin!
But Keith wasn’t kidding – six months later, construction was underway after his partner Jen located a grain silo on an Internet auction site called Trademe. The couple agreed that it looked like part of their vision of a makeshift submarine.
They managed to snap up the giant silo for just a dollar!
Then Keith painted it a bright Beatles-friendly yellow and it sat in their backyard. He continued tinkering with it and adding bits from items he already had lying around.
In case you haven’t guessed, he’s pretty handy. He likes to build things and has a background as a radio technician. But his creativity is what really stuns us – for example, the top of the “submarine”? An overturned spa pool.
“There was no plan, it was just sort of ‘fudge it as we go,'” he said of the overall construction.
And this is just the outside!
He’s recycled things from satellites, radar antennas, and plenty of other items the rest of us might never think of using to build a submarine home in the forest. And the front is built from plywood!
Keith’s submarine isn’t just an homage to Ringo’s Starr’s quirky hit though (despite it sitting in a “sea of green”).
There is a Beatles theme, but Keith incorporated Soviet Cold War, U-boat, and Steampunk aesthetics too.
This isn’t the first liveable structure he’s built with his own two hands either. While the submarine is operated as an Airbnb rental, Keith also build a colonial tiny home for himself.
But renting out the submarine has also been quite an adventure, introducing the couple to people all over the world who want a unique place to stay on their trips to New Zealand.
Ok, we know what you’re thinking – let’s see the inside!
First, Keith ramps up the anticipation with a slow-opening hatch.
Once inside, the theme is, not surprisingly, that of an actual submarine with little marine details scattered about.
Oh, and there’s a life-sized John Lennon to act as your concierge (and that we’re pretty sure scares the living daylights out of guests who wake up in the middle of the night).
Aside from John, it’s a truly stunning interior with lots of well-used space.
The sub has a social area with a large couch, a table for eating or working, and a little kitchen with a sink stuck in an old dresser – and that’s just the front part of the first floor!
“You can fit anything into a sardine tin if you try,” Keith says of the bathroom that’s nestled into the “pointy end” of the vessel.
And he’s right – there’s a toilet, sink, AND shower.
The crew’s quarters are in the back and seem as though they would easily accommodate a small family (the Airbnb listing says the maximum is 4 guests).
There’s yet another quirky space in the vessel as well.
Keith shows us to the “control room” which sits at the top of a ladder. It’s not entirely clear what’s meant to happen up there but it sure is a fun space, with a captain’s chair and everything.
The couple is shocked (and relieved) that their vision came together and resulted in a liveable/rentable space.
And we have to say, it’s one of the most unique tiny homes we’ve ever seen.
Since we’ve only shown you part of it, be sure to scroll down below to get the full tour!
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