Keven and Heather Fritz have always been passionate about intentional living. What started as life on an upcycled city bus before moving into a garden suite loft has now turned into a fully-fledged business building tiny homes.
Kevin is a craftsman with years of experience in high-end custom home designing and building, while Heather is vice-chair of Tiny Home Alliance Canada. They both gave up their jobs to focus on tiny home living full-time on a hobby farm with their four children. This allows them to practice what they preach while building tiny homes for their customers under the business Fritz Tiny Homes.
PinTheir very first tiny home to show people what they were capable of was a 268-square-foot home in black standing-seam metal with aluminum and a wood-style look. It came with a price tag of $160,000 and many high-end and unique features.
PinThe first house from Fritz Tiny Homes is a 24-foot modern build with metal siding, windows, and beautiful roof lines for aesthetic appeal. These roof lines also allowed the tiny home to be divided into three sections. The metal siding with wood texturing meant it could withstand the elements, and the nine windows with a full glass door allow for plenty of natural light.
PinFritz tiny homes are built with open-plan living in mind to allow for openness and space.
PinTemperature regulation is a critical consideration in any tiny home from Fritz Tiny Homes. Their model has two Ember Infrared heated mirrors produced by Warmly Yours. These operate on a thermostat and are the home’s primary heat source. One is in the bathroom, and the other is above the sofa in the living space.
PinStorage space is crucial in all Kevin and Heather’s tiny homes, but not at the expense of style. They purchased a sofa from Simone & Ivy and replaced the legs with custom-made storage drawers. The couch looked exquisite but was now multi-functional.
PinThe kitchen is the heart of any home, and that’s undoubtedly true in this tiny home. It features a full-size kitchen with flat white cabinets, storage in the toe-kick areas, stainless-steel appliances, butcher block countertops, and an eating bar. It’s also hard not to notice the stunning Baltic birch wall panel ceiling cladding complete with timber beam features and LED lighting.
PinThe kitchen is the heart of any home, and that’s undoubtedly true in this tiny home. It features a full-size kitchen with flat white cabinets, storage in the toe-kick areas, stainless-steel appliances, butcher block countertops, and an eating bar. It’s also hard not to notice the stunning Baltic birch wall panel ceiling cladding complete with timber beam features and LED lighting.
PinTo maximise space in the kitchen, a microwave sits above the oven to double as a hood vent. You will also find a drawer under the fridge/freezer.
PinEvery tiny home builder does stairs differently, but Kevin’s design experience took his stairs to a new level. They are a white oak left and right stair ladder, fitted with custom cabinetry underneath. The left/right tread system means they take up half as much space as a traditional staircase. The storage unit under the stairs has enough space for a wardrobe, shelving, and electrical box storage.
PinUnlike some people who build tiny homes and work in square feet, Fritz Tiny Homes work in square inches. They prefer to pack as much convenience into every square inch rather than square feet. They certainly do this in the laundry area. This space under the staircase works as a utility closet, custom storage, laundry room, pantry, and bathroom entry.
PinThe inspiration for the loft-style bedroom came from Heather and Kevin’s first home in a converted Edmonton city bus. Their bed was positioned between two emergency exit windows that lifted up like awnings. They loved the breeze, listening to the rain, and being so close to nature. They tried to recreate this look in their own design. The bedroom has windows on both sides for as much nature access as possible. The bedroom also has an in-floor mattress and a headboard with LED lighting.
PinHaving full functionality in the bedroom is essential. Kevin and Heather got creative with custom storage drawers, small side table drawers, and USB ports. Yet, even with all this storage, there is plenty of space to move around.
PinThe bathroom in a Fritz tiny home looks akin to those you’d see in your average house. It has a full-size soaker tub, rain shower head, white oak vanity, and a large mirror that makes the space appear larger while also functioning as the home’s second heat source.
PinThe floor of the bathroom is a custom poured tile floor with concrete walls featuring glass beads. These beads add R-value while also lightening the weight of the concrete. It also features a waterless toilet adjacent to the bath.
