Tiny Home in France

Hi Lloyd,

Here are some more photos of our tiny house that we just finished building for our family of four, out here in the countryside of central France.

We (my partner and I) started the design process last summer (just before finding out that she was pregnant), started construction in October, and moved in in February, just in time for our baby to be born in the “living room”!

We spent a lot of time working on a design that would be both functional and comfortable, allowing us to meet the needs of our daily life while maintaining enough open space to move around and play without stepping on each other.  We achieved this by pushing the kitchen and bathroom to either end of the main level, keeping the rest of the space relatively open, aside from our built-in couch and bench, which cover the wheel wells.  High ceilings, large windows, light colors and lots of natural light compliment this design, leaving our main living space feeling light, open and spacious despite its small size.

When we say small, however, we should mention that this house is quite large compared to other tiny houses, at least in France. Since we were designing a space to live in for a minimum of a few years with two small but growing children, we were rather ambitious and really pushed the limits of what is possible size-wise. The house’s large size meant we had to be really careful about the materials we used, so as not to overweigh the 3.5-ton weight limit in France.  For this reason, we used lightweight, thin poplar for the floors and wall coverings, and most of the interior furniture, as well as exterior siding, is removable to minimize weight during transport.  In other words, it’s not a house that is meant to be moved too frequently.

Our home has two loft spaces- one bedroom for my partner and I, and the other as a bedroom and play space for our kids.  Our three year old, Maya, can still stand up in her loft, and we imagine she will be able to for another couple of years.  Our bathroom is quite spacious as well because of a few rather luxurious elements that make life easier with kids.  The first of these is the inclusion of a bathtub instead of shower, because it is much more practical for smaller children, despite taking a bit more space.  At the last moment, we also added in a washing machine because we use washable nappies for our baby and neither of us were keen on spending our days washing them by hand.

He’s reading Tiny Homes on the Move.

We wanted to find a balance between efficient design and creative shapes and unexpected details to keep the overall aesthetic beautiful and light on the eyes.  Some examples are the use of round windows, copper tubes as curtain rods, and using curves to blend the re-used wood and galvanized metal that we salvaged from old nearby buildings for the exterior siding.

When people ask how we manage living in such a tiny space with two kids, we answer happily that we’ve never felt so comfortable in a home!  Efficient use of space, good organization, and a simple lifestyle that keeps material possessions to a minimum, leaves us feeling light and free in our daily lives. The housework is done in 10 minutes, the cost of living is reduced, and we have more time and energy to spend together as a family.  We’ve found that all of the natural light, warmth and views of the beautiful nature surrounding has a positive effect on our inner well being, especially after having spent years living in the dark, cold traditional stone houses of our region. This has also really decreased our energy consumption- we almost never turn on lights in the summertime, and use them much less often in winter.

Your books and all of the great ideas in them were a big inspiration for this house and other projects in my work as a carpenter and builder. Thanks for all of your work!

Amicalement,
–Tomas and Stephanie