Our Story
Much of our 36 years together have been spent travelling and living abroad with our kids, collecting pre-loved, handmade and vintage ‘treasures’ and searching for small humble shelters by the sea in which to house them, and us.
From a little ceramicists cottage overlooking the Pacific Ocean and a little fisherman’s shack right on the edge of the sea, to a little off grid surfer’s cabin on our own private Tasmanian headland - we had three simple criteria: they had to be small, in nature and made of wood.
Once discovered, we rescued and sustainably restored these shelters into our favourite places to escape and truly connect with nature, and importantly, with each other.
Our ‘little’ escapes became places where we could create and handbuild what we needed, leave our worries and schedules behind, remove ourselves from the modern world and get more in touch with nature. Our family and friends who also experienced them encouraged us to share our spaces and sustainability message with more people. As a result, we began welcoming guests to our Little Black Shack in Mackerel Beach, Sydney.
Inspired by the appreciative and positive guest feedback we received, we continued our travels and our search for more small humble shelters. This time we discovered two original log cabins in a natural hot spring village, in the forest, amidst the mountains of Niseko on Hokkaido, Japan’s beautiful northern island.
We now know them as Ane and Otōto, The Little Onsen Cabins. Like all our ‘rescues’, our commitment to sustainability has guided us and our team of local Japanese carpenters over the last 2 years. The Little Onsen Cabins incorporate all the modern comforts with traditional Japanese features, original antiques and fittings and iconic vintage and handmade furniture.
Ever conscious of our impact, Ane and Otōto have been designed to give our guests everything they need whilst taking as little as possible from the environment.
They both come with private onsen (natural spring water baths), fully equipped kitchens with essential Japanese ingredients (and cookbooks), fireplaces, outdoor fire pits, barbecue areas and decks overlooking the forest and mountains. Thoughtfully and sustainably restored, it is our hope that our guests will enjoy The Little Onsen Cabins, the mountains and the forest as much as we do.
Our Purpose
All of our little escapes immerse our guests in nature - the forest, the mountains or the sea. And each one is designed with both our guests and the environment in mind.
Why?
To allow guests to feel closer to nature, more inspired by, and more protective of her.