Tiny Houses

Cold weather-ready tiny house is fit for a family of four

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The Charme has been designed to withstand Canada's harsh winter weather and is home to a family of four
Minimaliste
The Charme is finished in cedar, laid both horizontally and vertically, with the latter charred using the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban method, which is often used for its distinctive appearance and to protect the wood from insects
Minimaliste
The Charme's interior measures 330 sq ft (30 sq m)
Minimaliste
Charme's kitchen includes an electric cooktop and built-in microwave oven, a double sink, and a small dishwasher
Minimaliste
The Charme's living room, which also doubles as the dining area, includes a large storage-integrated sofa that can be rearranged
Minimaliste
The Charme is kept a comfortable temperature with a mini-split air-conditioning unit, radiant underfloor heating, energy-efficient heat exchangers, and a ceiling fan
Minimaliste
The Charme's kitchen has a small dishwasher, which is still quite a luxury in a tiny house
Minimaliste
The Charme's ground floor master bedroom has enough headroom for the owners to stand upright
Minimaliste
The Charme includes a double storage-integrated staircase
Minimaliste
The Charme's bathroom includes a shower
Minimaliste
The Charme's two bedroom lofts are connected by a catwalk
Minimaliste
The Charme's loft bedrooms are typical tiny house-style bedrooms with a low ceiling
Minimaliste
The Charme's loft bedrooms have integrated storage units
Minimaliste
The Charme's two loft bedrooms will be used by the owner's children
Minimaliste
The Charme's living room has a small dining table
Minimaliste
The Charme's living room seats can be rearranged and the table extended
Minimaliste
The Charme has been designed to withstand Canada's harsh winter weather and is home to a family of four
Minimaliste
View gallery - 16 images

Canada's Minimaliste has previously impressed us with its line of models that can withstand its country's harshest weather, and with the Charme, the firm has completed its first home that's specifically designed for family life. The tiny house measures 330 sq ft (30 sq m) and serves as full-time home to a family of four.

The Charme is based on a triple-axle trailer and measures 38.5 ft (11.7 m) long. It's also a little wider than most models, coming in at 10.5 ft (3.2 m) in width. This means that it requires a permit to tow on the road, though is unlikely to be moved very often. The home is finished in cedar, laid both horizontally and vertically, with the latter charred using the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban method that protects the wood from insects and helps preserve it, as well as lending a distinctive appearance.

The Charme's living room, which also doubles as the dining area, includes a large storage-integrated sofa that can be rearranged
Minimaliste

Visitors enter into the Charme's living room, which also doubles as its dining area. It includes a large storage-integrated sofa that can be rearranged around the coffee/dining table. The kitchen is nearby and has a two-burner electric cooktop and a built-in microwave oven, a double sink, and a small dishwasher, plus some cabinetry.

The bathroom looks relatively compact and contains a shower and a vanity sink, as well as a conventional flushing toilet (this will be connected to a septic tank). It also hosts a washing machine and dryer, plus a mechanical room that contains a water filtration system and other equipment.

There are three bedrooms in the Charme. The master bedroom is located on the ground floor, next to the living room, and has a storage-integrated bed, side tables, and wardrobes, and offers enough headroom for an adult to stand up straight.

The Charme's ground floor master bedroom has enough headroom for the owners to stand upright
Minimaliste

The other two bedrooms are reached by a twin storage-integrated staircase that offers a lot of storage and has a small pull-out table meant for the kids to use for their homework. The bedrooms themselves are typical tiny house-style bedrooms with low ceilings and have storage units and space for a double bed in each. A catwalk connects the two.

According to Minimaliste, the Charme is designed to withstand Canada's harshest winters and its insulation is rated with an R-value of R34 in the floor, R24 in the walls, and R44 in the roof. It has a high level of airtightness, which means that, in a similar way to a Passive House, it maintains a steady temperature using minimal energy. Radiant floor heating, a mini-split air-conditioning unit, a ceiling fan, and heat recovery air exchangers all help keep the interior at a comfortable temperature too.

The Charme starts at CAD 138,000 (roughly US$97,500).

Source: Minimaliste

View gallery - 16 images
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2 comments
Wolf0579
Marginally better than an RV for retired types, but these "showcase" versions are usually stupid expensive for what they are.

Lets see a square foot cost analysis on these and compare them to conventional RVs, mobile homes, and permanent structures.
BlueOak
@Wolf0579, as someone who has evaluated RVs as semi-permanent vacation property dwellings, that is a very poor comparison. RV's are built of straw and not meant to be long-term lived in. Anyone shopping RV's knows you avoid the ones that have been lived in long term - the aftermarket deadbolt lock being an immediate hint. Tiny homes naturally have high cost/sq ft because you are cramming all the infrastructure of a regular home in a small footprint - simple math. Tiny homes are not for everyone, but lets at least be honest when evaluating their cost and durability.