Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

A Tiny Cabin in France Makes 215 Square Feet Feel Nearly Boundless

A Tiny Cabin in France Makes 215 Square Feet Feel Nearly Boundless

With its emphasis on the outdoors, the petite shelter in Normandy offers room to roam.

Situated about a half mile from the sea and the limestone cliffs of Normandy, France, the compact cabin that architects Jean-Baptiste Barache, Sihem Lamine, and Pierre Gourvennec of arba designed in Longueil is a kind of homecoming. "The landscape is very dear to our clients as it’s where the wife grew up," Barache says.



The blackened timber–clad cabin that arba designed in Longueil, Normandy, France, is marked by large glass doors, layered with wood slats that slide open and connect the home to its lush landscape.



An expansive wood deck on the front facade extends the living space and creates an indoor/outdoor experience.

The clients-the wife works as an English teacher and the husband is a philosopher and theater critic-live full-time in Rouen. They commissioned the 215-square-foot cabin as a retreat they’ll eventually use as their retirement home. "They wanted a minimalist space, a frugal construction," Lamine explains. "This project was about making the most of the existing gardens and the proximity to the sea."

Surrounded by walnut trees, the tiny home is wrapped in blackened timber. Large glass doors slide open and disappear behind walls, joining the home with its verdant surroundings. "It’s as if the garden is passing through the house," Barache says. "We wanted the clients to feel like they’re in the garden even when they’re inside." A generous window in the dining and living area features a deep frame that doubles as a bench where the couple can sit and view the sea and the village church. "It immerses them in the landscape," Lamine says. An expansive wood deck offers another indoor/outdoor living experience.



A deep window frame in the living space doubles as a sitting area and harnesses views of the garden and the village church.

"Normandy is known for its rainy and windy weather," Barache says. "But it’s a place where you can experience four seasons in one day." Since the weather varies dramatically, the architects designed the retreat to be adaptive. "It’s small-scale, so it’s easy to heat and ventilate," says Lamine. Substantial openings on each of the four elevations create a cross breeze that flows through the interior. The windows are layered with wood slats that help mitigate sunlight and provide an added layer of insulation; they also allow for privacy or openness, depending on the weather and the clients’ mood.

The kitchen, bathroom, living, and dining areas occupy the ground floor, while a wood ladder leads to two bedroom lofts on the second level.



The open-plan ground floor allows the communal spaces to flow into one another. A wooden ladder accesses the lofted bedrooms.



A Cove 5 metal fireplace from Charnwood warms up the 215-square-foot cabin.



Brilliant green mosaic tile covers the walls and the floor of the bathroom, where the architects arranged a varnished wood soaking tub.

In the kitchen, wood cabinetry and counters contrast with the white tile backsplash. The bathroom features a soaking tub made from varnished wood and bright green tile on the floor and the walls. "The idea for the bathroom came from a trip with the clients to Japan," Barache says. "The bathtub is central in Japanese culture. They shower before getting into the bath. Here, the whole bathroom is a showering space."



Sliding wood doors close off the loft-style main bedroom, where botanical-print wallpaper lends a whimsical note.



The wood headboard in the main bedroom features a built-in storage nook.



The guest bedroom, which is wrapped in wood, also features a built-in storage nook.

La Petite Maison is as compact as it is efficient. And because the home is so tightly woven with its cinematic landscape, its 215 square feet feels boundless. "Creating such a comfortable and dynamic house in such a small volume feels like a big achievement," Lamine says.



At night, the large window in the dining area creates a lantern-like effect for the cabin.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×