French tiny house company Baluchon has already made a name for itself regarding its beautiful and fresh tiny houses. Their newest creation, Mina, is proof that they still flex their creative muscles for each unique build.
Mina is on its way to its owner, Mathéa, who will be living in the tiny house full-time in the southeast France department, Alpes-Maritimes. While Baluchon hasn’t listed their prices online, tiny houses of this caliber range between €85,000-100,000, or around $94,600-111,300.
From the vibrant green and red cedar exterior to the modern and fresh interior, Mina ticks all the right boxes for full-time living.
French tiny home company Baluchon has truly outdone itself with the creation of Mina. Mina is a six-meter-long tiny house with red cedar cladding and green aluminum built on a double-axle trailer. Its owner, Mathéa, intends to live in Mina full-time in Alpes-Maritimes, southeast France.
Vibrancy, modernity, and freshness were the top priorities when Baluchon began creating Mina. Natural wood would be the most prominent element, but it has been beautifully modernized with striking black cabinetry and a feature fireplace in the heart of the room.
The tall ceiling makes the space appear much larger than it is, while the large windows and doors let in plenty of natural light for openness during the day. The living area also boasts plenty of storage in the form of overhead cabinetry and storage drawers within a large bench seat. This bench can transform into an extra bed if the owner, Mathéa, has guests over.
But there’s more to Mina’s living space than meets the eye. Baluchon installed discreet LED strips with dimmers. These provide a soft light in the evenings for ambiance.
Wood-Burning Stove
With such a small floor plan, Mathéa can remain comfortable and cozy year-round. However, it never hurts to have a heating source. The sleek black wood-burning stove in the center of the living space is more than suitable to take the chill out of the air during the winter months. You also can’t beat the warm glow of a fire in the evenings.
Storage can be limited in tiny homes, causing creators to think outside the box. While wood for wood fires traditionally takes up a great deal of space, it can be out of sight and out of mind in Mina. The oak coffee table in the living area has a storage compartment for logs. It also functions as a standard coffee table for books, beverages, and odds and ends.
While the kitchen in Mathéa’s tiny home is smaller than those you’d find in a traditional home, it’s no less practical. It boasts a fully-equipped cabinet for all kitchen essentials. There is also a gorgeous oak worktop that can transform into a table for two people. Oak storage modules opposite the workbench come in handy for ingredients and other kitchen essentials. It’s positioned conveniently by the charming Smeg refrigerator.
This kitchen is full of surprises. Its wide-opening windows allow for exceptional airflow and natural light, while the white walls lighten the space further.
The Mezzanine
Some tiny home companies incorporate storage into tiny home stairs, but Baluchon took a different approach with Mina. There is a simple miller’s ladder providing access to the mezzanine floor. The light and dark woodwork in harmony with the two-tone theme present throughout the rest of the home.
There can typically be a lot of wasted space in the average tiny home ceiling area. Baluchon used every inch with Mina. Upon navigating the miller’s ladder, you can reach a hammock floor set underneath a Velux skylight window. It’s the perfect reading and relaxing nook for a lazy and relaxing weekend.
Safety must come first. The mezzanine hammock floor is fixed in place with a rope balustrade. It serves its vital security purpose, but its lightness retains the tiny home’s ‘open’ feeling.
The spacious mezzanine floor is home to the sleeping area, kitted out with a double bed. This area features light natural wood throughout, only broken up by the in-ceiling lighting, wall lamp, and window on both sides. The well-positioned windows allow for a gorgeous cross-breeze during the warmer months.
The Bathroom
The bathroom has been well thought out in Mina. It features the same gorgeous black cabinetry as the living area, which is ideal for all those necessary bathroom goods. It’s also home to a compost toilet with a stainless steel bucket. This has a shavings compartment for odor removal and convenience. There is also a shelf above the toilet for towels, soap, toilet paper, and other essentials.
While simple in its design, the shower area of Mina is all this tiny homeowner needs for comfortable full-time living. It has lovely light wood from floor to ceiling and a spacious pentagonal shower to maximize the corner space. The black shower head, rails, and hooks, bring out the lightness of the wood.