Beautiful French Tiny House Blends Modern Glamping With Unique Vintage Accents

If the Bocage Normand tiny house looks like a fantastic glamping pod at first glance, it’s because it is. This rustic wooden tiny home was specifically designed and built to welcome guests for lazy weekends in the countryside or romantic getaways. It’s one of several similar units built by Plume, a French artisanal workshop, for Pepiite, a hospitality business based on the concepts of eco-responsibility and tiny living.

For Pepiite, the goal is not just to offer gorgeous, cozy abodes for the ultimate glamping experience in various locations across the idyllic French countryside. It’s just as important to ensure a minimal impact on the environment. Tiny homes require considerably fewer materials and equipment to build compared to conventional dwellings with concrete walls and foundations. Another huge difference is that they have zero impact on the soil.

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Photo: SARL Plume

That’s because, on site, these lightweight wood lodges boast eight reversible anchor points – no foundations. This means they can be easily removed at any point, without leaving traces on the soil. Lastly, tiny homes are well-known for the high level of energy efficiency compared to conventional dwellings. 

Compact, built with durability in mind, and properly insulated with natural materials, these tiny lodges require considerably less energy to function and ensure a comfortable living environment. At the same time, all of the Pepiite units, including the Bocage Normand, are just as stylish and comfortable as glamping pods built with all-modern materials and fitted with the most sophisticated amenities.

The key feature of any glamping tiny house is indoor/outdoor living. This French cottage boasts oversized front windows to create this, while maintaining the full charm of a traditional wooden lodge. From inside, the view is spectacular, and the visual effect is similar to that of a full glass wall that blurs the line between the inside and the outside.

Photo: SARL Plume

Together with the regular-sized windows and the glass door, this signature oversized window boosts natural light and brings nature closer. The exterior deck is another signature feature that is in line with the modern glamping concept. It’s a pergola-style deck with a fixed awning and slanted wooden piers that protect against the elements without blocking the view. 

The cherry on top is an outdoor bathtub added to the deck—not a typical Nordic-style bathtub but a vintage, freestanding model that complements the home’s vintage interior style. Inside, the compact but cozy layout reveals an elevated bed platform at the rear end, connected to a built-in bench.

This is the bedroom/lounge area, and it’s fully open. An adorable, ultra-compact kitchenette sits nearby, facing the rustic wood-burning stove near the entrance, and the bathroom, which is the only enclosed room inside the Bocage Normand, sits at the other end of the house. The extreme simplicity of this single-level layout is balanced out by the careful attention to detail, which results in a beautiful, vintage-inspired ambiance.

Photo: Pepiite

In other words, the Bocage Normand is minimalist, but certainly not basic. The raised bed with big, built-in drawers for storage is strategically placed in front of the oversized windows, with a smaller window to its side. The effect is similar to sleeping in one of those high-end glamping pods with self-contained bedrooms surrounded by glass. 

At the same time, the custom little bench near the bed (instead of a conventional sofa) and the compact wooden tabletop by the window recall classic French homes of past centuries. The ambiance feels both vintage and modern, and one of this home’s special touches is the colorful floral wallpaper surrounding the bed.

The visual effect is that of a full feature wall, but choosing wallpaper, and one with this particular design, is a nice vintage touch for guests who love romantic décor. The bathroom has its own vintage details, like the earthenware toilet, golden fixtures, and anthracite wood shiplap feature wall.

Photo: Pepiite

The wallpaper, earthenware, and Zillage tile (a type of tile with a glossy finish) are all rarely used in tiny homes, and were specifically chosen by Plume for this Normand manor-inspired tiny home interior. Despite its charming vintage look, the compact kitchen is well-equipped with the basics, including a small induction plate, a built-in fridge, and a small sink. The bathroom has a conventional toilet and a spacious 100 x 80 cm shower in addition to the outdoor bathtub. 

Hidden in a gorgeous location just two hours away (approximately) from Paris, Bocage Normand is vintage and contemporary at the same time. It offers the eco-responsible benefits of a tiny house and the warm, inviting ambiance of an indoor/outdoor habitat with the unique touch of French farmhouse style.
Described by the Pepiite founders as “a romantic abode in the heart of a secret garden,” this custom tiny house is already up and running and delighting all those who visit it.