Shobac Cottages

I saw these interesting cottages on Boutique Homes and thought that together they made a beautiful, little vernacular village. Individually, they would make a great tiny house. The Shobac Cottages of Nova Scotia were designed and built by Brian MacKay-Lyons on historic land settled by the Acadians during the 1600’s. The four identical cottages, large studio and octagonal barn are used for rentals, private events and a design/build internship program called the GHOST lab.

Each 800 square foot cottage has 7-foot tall windows that frame the ocean view of the Atlantic. They each contain two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, one bathroom, two decks, a wood stove, dining area, living bay and custom tile and maple floors. They rent for between CAN$1,500-$1,995 a week. The entire site, along with the studio and the historic octagonal barn can also be rented for events and are ideal for art workshops, weddings, equestrian vacations, family reunions or corporate retreats.

Read more

Les Roulottes de Campagne

Ever since Kent posted the MiniCasas on the Tiny House Blog, my love of gypsy caravans has been renewed. The other day I ran across these gypsy caravans for rent and for purchase in France, and was amazed at how beautiful and spacious the designs were. The Roulottes de Campagne were designed by the same company who created the Carré d’étoile or the French Cube. Gypsy caravans like these are offered in over 50 locations within France. They cater to vacationing Europeans, but tiny house lovers can get a lot of ideas on how to live luxuriously in a small space with these beautiful photos.

The caravans are built from partially recycled timber and meet high quality environmental standards. The insulation is made from wool and the windows and doors have double glazing. A hot water heater and electrical wiring is included.

Most of these caravans are around 215-230 square feet and include a kitchen, a bathroom and sleeping facilities as well as plenty of storage, heating for winter use, outdoor living spaces and lovely details including polished brass port-hole windows. They come fully equipped and can accommodate up to four people. Some are even accessible for the disabled. The units start at €29.800 or $41,000 and take 2-4 months to be completed.

Read more