scorecardA 13-year-old girl in Hungary dreamed of having an airplane-inspired tiny house, so she worked with her father and a team of architects to build one. Take a look inside.
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A 13-year-old girl in Hungary dreamed of having an airplane-inspired tiny house, so she worked with her father and a team of architects to build one. Take a look inside.

Amanda Goh   

A 13-year-old girl in Hungary dreamed of having an airplane-inspired tiny house, so she worked with her father and a team of architects to build one. Take a look inside.
Lujza Pados and her father sitting outside of the Jet House.Zsuzsa Darab
  • Lujza Pados, a 13-year-old girl from Hungary, loves traveling and flying on airplanes.
  • With support from her father, Pados approached a design firm with her ideas for a plane-themed tiny home.

Nestled among the trees in Zala County, Hungary, is a little girl's dream come true: A baby blue tiny house that's shaped like an airplane.

Nestled among the trees in Zala County, Hungary, is a little girl
The exterior of the Jet House.      Zsuzsa Darab

Lovingly referred to as the Jet House, the unusual tiny cabin belongs to 13-year-old Lujza Pados.

She always dreamed of having a tiny house, and as someone who loves flying, a plane-themed tiny home seemed like the perfect fit.

"I am kind of obsessed with traveling," Pados told Insider. "When my family and I talked about me having a house to just be alone and spend quality time with my friends, I immediately thought about how cool it would be to have something like this."

When Pados brought the idea up to her family, she had their support — even though it took her father a little convincing before he was onboard.

When Pados brought the idea up to her family, she had their support — even though it took her father a little convincing before he was onboard.
The interiors of the Jet House have curved walls and ceiling.      Zsuzsa Darab

Her father was initially hesitant about the scale of the project.

"At first, I thought this is a really crazy idea to start such a complicated project and potentially invest so much money, especially in a location that's not really a famous or an expensive area in Europe," Balazs Pados, Lujza's father, told Insider.

Zala County is in southwestern Hungary, about 130 miles from the capital, Budapest.

But when he saw how passionate his daughter was about the project, he couldn't say no — and eventually became just as excited as she was.

"My dad was really into the idea of having a little house in which my sisters and I can just be alone, or have a sleepover with friends," Pados added.

With support from her father, Pados approached Hello Wood, a Budapest-based design firm, to help bring her vision to life.

With support from her father, Pados approached Hello Wood, a Budapest-based design firm, to help bring her vision to life.
The Jet House has circular windows.      Zsuzsa Darab

"It is indisputably the most fun cabin that Hello Wood has ever designed and built," Tamás Fülöp, the project architect, told Insider. "Creating a building that needs to be 'adorable' and 'cute' is a challenging, yet inspiring assignment for an architect."

The Hello Wood team started the project in January last year, and the Jet House was completed in November.

Although it took slightly under a year from start to finish, the architects only needed about three months to build the actual cabin, Fülöp said.

Pados was extremely involved in the design process, and even brought along drawings of how she envisioned her house.

Pados was extremely involved in the design process, and even brought along drawings of how she envisioned her house.
Pados reading a book on her bed in the Jet House.      Zsuzsa Darab

This made it easier for Fülöp and his team to understand exactly what Pados was looking for.

Although Pados was nervous about her first time working with so many adults, she warmed up to the process quickly.

"At first, I was completely terrified that they wouldn't hear my wants and needs, but they were friendly and did everything I could've possibly asked for, and more," Pados said.

In the end, the experience gave her the confidence to express her opinions.

"Now I can tell people what I like and don't like without being afraid of them saying something mean," she added.

"To realize the cartoon-like mood of the initial idea, we decided to design it to look like an enlarged version of a beautiful designer toy," Fülöp said.

"To realize the cartoon-like mood of the initial idea, we decided to design it to look like an enlarged version of a beautiful designer toy," Fülöp said.
There is space in the Jet House for a double bed.      Zsuzsa Darab

To ensure that the tiny house felt like an actual airplane on the inside, Fülöp and the team created space-saving solutions in the same way as a real plane — by using overhead compartments.

The total floor area of the plane is about 207 square feet, excluding the wings and the stairs leading to the entrance, Fülöp said.

Despite its size, the tiny house has a kitchenette, a living space, a bathroom, and even a double bed — which is in the nose of the plane, he added.

"It was important that the house should have the same atmosphere on the inside as it does on the outside," Fülöp said. "We were not furnishing a house, but an airplane."

Even the sitting area of the tiny house is furnished with actual airplane seats.

Even the sitting area of the tiny house is furnished with actual airplane seats.
The Jet House is furnished with actual airplane seats.      Zsuzsa Darab

Together with her father, the two of them found a website selling furniture and decor items from airplanes that have been taken out of service, Pados said.

"We ordered two of them from there, and also a lamp, created from the windows of an actual plane," she added.

Although Fülöp and his team have been designing tiny houses since 2018, this is the first time that they're working with a young client like Pados.

Although Fülöp and his team have been designing tiny houses since 2018, this is the first time that they
Lujzi sitting next to a window in the Jet House.      Zsuzsa Darab

In fact, Pados is the firm's youngest client so far, as she was only 12 when the project started, Fülöp said.

"It was a great experience designing for her since she enthusiastically joined every meeting and brought a lot of ideas," he said.

It was also refreshing to hear her perspectives, which are vastly different from those of real estate developers that the team is used to, he added.

Other tiny houses that Hello Wood has designed include an A-frame cabin, a pebble-shaped mini pod, as well as the Wauhaus — a rectangular cabin on stilts. Prices vary depending on the scale as well as the complexity of the designs, but the firm's turnkey cabins are available from $2,280 per square meter.

To make the Jet House seem more lifelike, the structure is elevated on stilts — like how real planes are raised off the ground on wheels, Fülöp said.

To make the Jet House seem more lifelike, the structure is elevated on stilts — like how real planes are raised off the ground on wheels, Fülöp said.
The entrance to the Jet House.      Zsuzsa Darab

The airplane tiny house consists of over a thousand prefabricated pieces, Fülöp said.

The frame is made of plywood, and the entire house is covered in a waterproof protective coating, he said.

"This is important because ordinary drainage and closing steel accessories like tin plating cannot appear on a shape like this in order to retain the clean silhouette," Fülöp added.

The completed Jet House is located right by the Pados' vacation home, surrounded by trees.

The completed Jet House is located right by the Pados
An aerial view of the Jet House, which is situated in a mini-forested area.      Zsuzsa Darab

"Even before the tiny house was built, we spent a lot of time there, and we just love it there, because it's near nature, and is very peaceful and relaxing," Pados said. "Although it is a two-hour drive from our house to there, for that feeling it is all worth it."

Pados and her father also have plans to lease it out as a vacation rental in the future, as they want everyone to enjoy the space like they do. However, they have yet to decide when that'll happen.

"I think this was a really good idea making this project happen, because it definitely brought me and my father closer," Pados said.

"I think this was a really good idea making this project happen, because it definitely brought me and my father closer," Pados said.
Lujzi and her father sitting outside of the Jet House.      Zsuzsa Darab

While they preferred to not disclose the exact cost of the project, Pados' father shared that it was more than his original budget.

"Initially I thought 50,000 Euros should be enough, but of course, during the realization of the project, it got more expensive," he said. "But, honestly, how much is it worth for a father to see his daughter's smile?"

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