By Arabella Peterson Interiors 09.10.2025

“How I Built an Off-Grid Tiny Home in Byron Bay”

Seed & Sprout founder Sophie Kovic shares the sustainable features behind her viral self-sufficient home.

Going off-grid – it’s a fantasy many of us share. During a particularly frustrating run-in with technology, while stuck in gridlocked traffic, or after reading a grim estimate of how many microplastics you’ve consumed that day, packing up and moving to the forest to live a simple, low-impact life starts to seem very appealing.

For Sophie Kovic, environmental advocate and founder of eco-lifestyle brand Seed & Sprout, this daydream is a reality. Along with her son, miniature poodle, and thousands of thriving native plants, animals, and microbial species, she lives part-time in an energy-independent tiny home in the Byron Bay hinterland.

Before we get into the how and why of it all, let’s delve into the what. A “tiny home” is a fully functional, compact dwelling no larger than 40 square metres – in Sophie’s case, just over 17 square metres. And while it may conjure images of a Bear Grylls-esque survivalist setup, “off-grid” simply means living without being connected to public utilities like electricity, water, or gas, and instead generating your own power and managing your own waste.

Her day-to-day responsibilities include “running solar with battery storage, collecting rainwater, and processing wastewater on-site.” It’s what’s called a closed loop, and as Sophie explains, “you’re always aware of what you’re using and what’s coming in – you can’t just switch on more power or run extra water without thinking about it.”

Sophie’s house sits on a 66-acre permaculture farm, which she shares with seven other shareholders. Each of them owns a private two-acre plot, which they care for individually, while also collectively tending to the on-site working farm, permaculture education centre, and campground.

The reason Sophie built this micro-sized home is admittedly “unsexy,” as she puts it, but undeniably important: carbon sequestering. She believes this process is “the answer to many of our modern-day dilemmas.” For those wondering (me, five minutes ago), this means capturing and storing carbon dioxide so it doesn’t remain in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Individuals can support it at home by using renewable energy, planting trees or gardens, and choosing natural materials that lock carbon away instead of releasing it. Needless to say, Sophie’s home does some serious sequestering.

Beyond the technical reasons, the decision was personal too. “I guess, like many people, I’d always loved the idea of living lighter – fewer possessions, less impact – but I wanted to see if I could actually make it work day to day,” she explains. “When the opportunity came up to build on a community farm in the Byron hinterland, it felt like the perfect place to try. I wanted a space that was beautiful, functional, and completely self-sufficient – somewhere that made me more intentional about how I live.”

It’s no coincidence that a large proportion of our Makers home tours have featured homes in the Northern Rivers – this idyllic corner of the world offers coastal and countryside charm. “It’s the kind of place where you can have coffee in town and be swimming beneath a waterfall an hour later,” says Sophie.

She feels especially connected to the area, being the region where she grew up. “People still wave as they drive past, and life moves at a pace that leaves room for connection. The soil is rich, the produce abundant – roadside stalls overflow with citrus and jars of homemade jam. Winding country roads lead past old-fashioned general stores that haven’t changed in decades, and matcha outposts pop up in the middle of paddocks.”

While the goal is to live full-time on the farm, Sophie has split her time between the tiny home and an apartment in town for the past three years. Despite the constant packing, and having to remember which home her possessions are in, she says it provides the “best of both worlds.” However, once her schedule and the farm’s infrastructure are set up to support easier daily living, she’ll make the permanent move.

“Space, fresh air, and a sense of community” are the key ingredients that make farm life so fulfilling. “It’s quiet but never boring – there’s always something growing, changing, or happening,” says Sophie. But there have been a fair few challenges and adjustments amid the bliss, including adapting to the seasons. “Sunny days mean plenty of power; rainy weeks mean you might need to slow down your electricity use,” Sophie notes. “You start noticing weather patterns in a way you never did before, and maintenance is ongoing – there’s always something to check or fix.”

Sophie designed the tiny home with support from Aussie Tiny Houses. In a tale as old as time, “Council approvals were slow and finding certain sustainable materials took longer than expected.” However, these hurdles are overshadowed by moments of joy, “like seeing the solar system working for the first time or the pool filling with damwater,” according to Sophie, these “made it all worth it.” Neighbours and contractors who helped out along the way have become friends, and the process over time became a shared labour of love.

The internal features include a kitchen, a bathroom, and a loft bedroom accessible via a small staircase. Sophie shares that she prioritised “light, flow, and functionality.” “I wanted it to feel open despite the small footprint, and I wanted materials that felt good and would last. Every decision had to balance sustainability, comfort, and practicality,” she says.

As she explains, “Everything has to work twice as hard in a tiny house,” and this is evident in the clever storage and space-saving tricks throughout. “The stairs double as pull-out drawers, the kitchen cabinets go super deep, and there’s a drawer dishwasher,” she adds. Despite these hacks, her only regrets are, “I’d add a bit more storage. Even when you live minimally, there are always a few awkward items you need to find a place for. I’d also have oriented my bedroom towards the view – that was a big miss.”

The piece de resistance (and arguably the main reason Sophie’s tiny home went so viral on TikTok) is the natural pool. The turquoise water overlooks lush forestry, and it blends seamlessly into the natural landscape. Once a concrete water tank, it’s been converted into a “living, chemical-free ecosystem.” Filled with “aquatic plants and beneficial bacteria instead of chlorine”, it’s as much a sanctuary as it is an ecological marvel. “Wildlife uses it too – frogs, birds, fish and dragonflies – so it feels like part of the environment rather than a separate feature,” she says. “On hot days it’s the perfect way to cool down after working outside, and in winter it’s my cold plunge.”

The rest of the farm uses a circular approach, with Sophie’s values showing up in the home’s materials, systems, and daily routines. Recycled and responsibly sourced materials were non-negotiable, and they “chose non-toxic finishes”, designing everything for longevity. “The walls are coated with non-toxic paint and the wiring in the walls is even shielded for EMFs to reduce our own toxicity levels,” explains Sophie. “Daily life here naturally keeps waste low – composting, running on solar, collecting water – it all becomes part of the routine. Living in a tiny house helps you realise how little you actually need.”

The next project? A glass greenhouse and a jetty for the dam. “And I’d like to build some sort of communal space for gathering,” she adds. “Bit by bit, I’m shaping it into a place that supports both me and the community around it.” And while there’s no denying a self-sufficient setup requires time and investment (no matter how tiny the house), Sophie insists it’s more attainable than you might think. “Jump right in, knowing there’ll be challenges,” she advises. “There’s a learning curve, and you’ll need to stay on top of maintenance, but it’s incredibly rewarding.”

Whether in an apartment in town, a patch of farmland, or anywhere else in the world, home to Sophie is “less the place and more the feeling.” “I carry the feeling of home in my heart.”