Much of Spaces in Places co-founder Amy Elliot’s childhood was spent visiting her family’s potato farm in Ballarat, making lasting memories in the paddocks.

This formative experience planted the seed to one day create an accommodation model that could encourage others to experience the natural beauty of regional and rural Australia with the same joy.

But it wasn’t until one day at the pub with her partner Tom Bennett and longtime friends Gabe Hamilton and Andrew Kyriacopoulos that the idea really came to life.

‘The chat was full of ideas, as usual, when it suddenly became clear that the concept I had carried quietly for almost a decade finally had the right people around it,’ Amy says.

They realised their collective skills formed a perfect blend for a venture like this: Gabe, a builder; Andrew, in finance and operations; Tom, working in brand and creative; and Amy, with her interest in design, architecture, and a deep connection to landscape.

What they came up with is not only their accommodation business, Spaces in Places, but also a sister company dubbed Second Spaces, a construction company that builds architecturally designed, off-grid tiny homes for anyone looking to add a second dwelling to their property.

‘Second Spaces is built on the belief that small-format living can be both sustainable and beautifully designed,’ Amy says.

‘Passive-house principles are widely adopted in Europe, and we’ve always admired the efficiency, comfort, and longevity of that construction methodology. We wanted to bring those benefits into a small footprint, proving that high performance doesn’t need to be reserved for large, expensive homes.’

Fast-forward a year of rigorous research, many prototypes, and three now-available-to-purchase tiny home designs created in collaboration with architects Ardo, Amy and her team have also recently opened bookings for their first tiny home retreat in scenic Bonnie Doon, a small town in Victoria’s north east.

It took about two months to prefabricate the 15-square-metre structure in Second Spaces’s Box Hill warehouse, before it was transported to the water’s edge by Lake Eildon.

The one-bedroom stay is powered entirely by its own off-grid solar system, and allows guests to experience the comforts of a passive-designed home first-hand.

‘The materials and colours are deliberately natural and minimal, drawing from a Japandi aesthetic. We wanted Space 1 to sit quietly in the landscape — to feel like it belongs there — almost like a refined bush hut when viewed from the rear,’ Amy adds.

‘The vision for Bonnie Doon was centred on one core philosophy: every guest should be free to experience their stay in whatever way feels right for them. Rather than prescribing a certain type of escape or encouraging guests to “disconnect,” Spaces in Places embraces the idea that different people need different things at different times.’

Large picture windows perfectly frame the lakeside views for those who want to stay in, unplug and enjoy the restorative setting.

But there’s also wifi to work from the accommodation, and plenty of activities to keep you entertained — from cooking on the firepit, taking a dip in the plunge pool, watching a movie at the outdoor cinema, hiking or visiting the local town to experience the food and wine scene.

‘Our ambition was to create something that isn’t just a cabin,’ Amy says. ‘It’s sunrise paddles, firelit evenings, outdoor cinema, stargazing, music, cooking, exploring.’

Talk about a serene escape!

Book your stay at Spaces 1 here. Find out more about Second Spaces designs here.