In addition to the main house, the owner also collaborated with Sydnor Architecture and Design, to create a “tender” house; which is a yacht club term for what used to be a boathouse, workshop or storage shed.  In this case, the tender serves the purpose of guest quarters or a fully functional ADU.  At 380 SF, every inch of space matters. Therefore, details like storage for clothing, food and outdoor gear were all carefully considered.

In spite of its tiny size, the tender has a full bath with a 5 ft. soaking tub and shower, heated towel bar, Quartz countertops, floor to ceiling tile covering the entire room, a space-saving, wall-mounted Icera toilet, and a deluxe Roburn electric lighted mirror cabinet; where appliances can be tucked away in their charge stations.

The tender has every feature that a full-sized kitchen offers, including a pull-out island, space-saving drawer dishwasher, a euro- sized gas range and refrigerator by Bloomberg, horizontal grain white oak cabinets, plenty of counter space, a pantry closet, garbage and recycle storage.  Again, the owner selected a water-colored tile from OTM and floated open shelves with under cabinet lighting for a clean, contemporary look. Using good quality materials and finishes, the tender house is a small living paradise with its riverside deck and large vertical opening windows.

Other details include built-in dressing drawers, an electric fireplace for warmth in the winter and heated cork flooring.  To reach the upstairs sleeping loft, builder and designer, Rob Roy of Recycadelic Design,  “floated” the wood steps with metal plates for support and steel hand-and guardrail, creating a treehouse sleeping loft. Using wood moldings and rice cloth wall covering from Manolo Walls, the owner completed the tender with a “wainscoting” that surprisingly, makes a small space feel larger. Friends and family love staying in this tiny floating home with nature so close.