At 420-square feet, “The Haven” at Water 65 in Waynesville, North Carolina, sits somewhere between a traditional tiny house and a compact cottage. With a private main-floor bedroom, full kitchen, spacious bathroom, laundry, and a bonus sleeping loft, it packs nearly everything we'd look for in a home designed for longer-term living.
We had the chance to stay at Water 65 and tour its three tiny homes, and The Haven was one of our favorites. Beyond the interior, each home incorporates a generous covered porch that adds valuable outdoor living space, while the three-unit property sits alongside the river just a few blocks from downtown Waynesville. Guests also share access to a hot tub and fire pit.
Inside, hardwood floors, tall ceilings, and an open layout help the 420-square-foot footprint feel comfortable rather than cramped.
🏡 Main Features
- 📏 Approximately 420-sqft
- 🛏️ Private main-floor bedroom
- 🛌 Large bonus sleeping loft with two beds
- 🍳 Full kitchen with residential-size appliances
- 🧺 Washer/dryer combo unit
- 🛋️ Open living room with full-size furniture
- 🛁 Spacious bathroom with tiled shower
- 🚪 Two entrances into the bathroom
- 🌿 Large covered porch with outdoor dining
- 🔥 Shared fire pit & hot tub
- 🌊 Riverside setting near downtown Waynesville
🌿 Covered Porch & Outdoor Living
Before heading inside, one of the best features of The Haven is its large covered porch.
Double doors connect the porch directly with the living room, creating a natural indoor-outdoor flow. There's enough space outside for a six-person dining table, along with a ceiling fan and private grill, making this a legitimate extension of the home's living space rather than simply an entry porch.
The wider Water 65 property consists of three tiny homes arranged within a semi-private riverside compound. An eight-foot decorative fence surrounds three sides, with the river forming the fourth. The homes share a hot tub and fire pit, while each unit maintains its own interior and porch.
🛋️ Living Room
Stepping through the double doors brings you directly into the open living and kitchen area.
There's room for a full-size sofa and additional chair, so the living room doesn't require tiny or unconventional furniture. A large TV is mounted above the fireplace, creating a defined entertainment area without taking up additional floor space.
The open ceiling above also gives you a view toward the loft, helping connect the two levels and making the main room feel taller.
🍳 Kitchen
The linear kitchen is one of our favorite parts of this floor plan because it fits a surprising amount of functionality along a single wall while preserving an open living area.
There's a full-size refrigerator, four-burner gas range and oven, microwave, compact dishwasher, and plenty of cabinetry. A dedicated coffee station adds another useful surface without crowding the main cooking area.
The property also confirms that the kitchen comes equipped with cookware and other essentials, so it's designed for more than simply reheating takeout.
A small closet beside the kitchen provides additional enclosed storage for anything you'd rather keep out of sight.
🛏️ Main-Floor Bedroom
The private bedroom sits at the opposite end of the home, providing separation from the main living area.
Water 65 currently describes the room as having a queen-size bed, while a small closet provides dedicated clothing storage. It's certainly not an enormous bedroom, but keeping it on the main level means you never have to rely on the loft for everyday sleeping.
One of the smartest parts of the floor plan is the bedroom's direct entrance into the bathroom. You can essentially treat the bathroom like an ensuite while still maintaining a second entrance for guests.
🛁 Bathroom
The bathroom feels surprisingly large compared with the overall size of the house.
There's a generous vanity with substantial storage, along with a beautifully tiled shower behind glass doors. Water 65 highlights the home's tile, glass, hardwood, and solid-surface finishes as part of the higher-end approach taken throughout the interior.
But the dual-entry layout may be our favorite feature.
One door connects to the bedroom, while the other opens toward the kitchen and living room. If friends are staying in the loft, they can use the bathroom without walking through the private bedroom—a small design decision that makes the two-bedroom setup considerably more practical.
🧺 Laundry
Another feature that makes The Haven feel surprisingly complete is the washer/dryer combo unit tucked into its own little corner near the kitchen. Water 65 also lists both a washer and dryer among the home's amenities.
For a short-term rental, laundry is a nice bonus. If this were being adapted for full-time living, we'd consider it practically essential.
🛌 Bonus Sleeping Loft
Above the living area is a large sleeping loft with two double beds, allowing The Haven to accommodate up to four guests between the loft and main-floor bedroom.
What surprised us when touring the home was the amount of height toward the middle of the loft. It still has the sloped ceiling you'd expect upstairs, but the center feels considerably taller than many tiny-house lofts we've toured.
There's also a mounted TV, making the loft feel like its own little retreat.
For full-time living, you could take a completely different approach and turn this area into an office, hobby room, lounge, or substantial storage loft while keeping the main-floor bedroom for sleeping.
🌊 Staying at Water 65
Part of what makes The Haven interesting is that you're not just renting an isolated tiny house.
Water 65 is a three-unit tiny home retreat along the river, giving guests the ability to rent individual homes or potentially book multiple units when traveling together. The property is adults-only, and the shared outdoor areas encourage some interaction while each home still provides its own private interior.
The location also offers a different tradeoff from a secluded mountain cabin. Downtown Waynesville's Main Street is only about three blocks away, and the property is one block from Frog Level Brewing, while Maggie Valley is roughly three miles away and Asheville about 25 miles away.
That means you can enjoy the river and outdoor spaces without giving up walkability to restaurants, breweries, and shops.
✨ Final Thoughts
The 420-square-foot Haven remains one of our favorite small homes because it gets many of the fundamentals right.
There's a private main-floor bedroom, real kitchen with full-size appliances, comfortable living room, laundry, generous bathroom, and bonus loft without any one space feeling disproportionately small. Add the large covered porch, and the home offers considerably more usable space than the interior square footage suggests.
If we were adapting the layout for full-time living, we'd probably want a little more closet storage in the bedroom. Otherwise, there isn't much we'd need to change. The loft could become a guest room or office, the porch provides plenty of entertaining space, and the dual-entry bathroom is particularly practical when more than two people are staying here.
The riverside setting and walkability to downtown Waynesville make it an appealing vacation rental, but the floor plan itself provides plenty of inspiration for anyone considering a 400- to 450-square-foot tiny home for full-time living.
Would you keep the loft as a second bedroom, or turn it into an office or extra storage space?
Book now: $250+ per night!
📍 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina
📐 Size: 420-sqft
🏡 Type: Foundation Tiny Home
▶️ Watch a walkthrough tour:
Want to explore model photos, floor plans, or customization options? Contact Water 65!
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Images courtesy of ©Water 65 & Airbnb.
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+Hi There!
My name is Alan—founder at Dream Big Live Tiny Co! A few years ago, I quit my consulting job to pursue a life full of adventure. After traveling around the world for a year, I sold most of my stuff and moved into an 160-sqft tiny house. Now I spend most of my time showcasing incredible people living with less in pursuit of more freedom, as well as incredible tiny houses around the world!