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Couple Builds Amazing DIY Tiny House… They Built Their First One In Only 40 Days


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Pascal and Catherine built their first tiny house in just 40 days and are currently living in it as their second home. They’re a couple from Kamouraska, Québec, Canada, that started a tiny house building company called “Ma Maison Logique,” which in English means “my logical house.” Pascal designed the tiny house to withstand extreme Canadian winters by using triple pane windows and installing a tiny wood stove. They also installed an air exchange vent in the bathroom to keep fresh air flowing in and used natural, non-toxic paint and oil finishes to ensure good air quality indoors.

Catherine is an interior designer, and you’ll see that she added simple touches throughout the tiny house to make it seem more spacious while at the same time keeping it cozy and comfortable. The tiny house can be off-grid because it has a low-tech composting toilet, 28-gallon fresh water tank, propane stove & the possibility of adapting the fridge to run on propane as well. They don’t have solar panels installed yet, but it’s an option they’re looking into. For the moment, the tiny house is plugged into shore power and is connected to a municipal water supply.

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Couple Builds And Lives In Amazing DIY Tiny House

Ma Maison Logique 001

Images © Exploring Alternatives via YouTube

The house is ultra efficient and tiny so it’s super easy and affordable to keep warm inside.

Ma Maison Logique 002

They built their first tiny house in only 40 days! Now, they’re building tiny houses for others through their company, Ma Maison Logique.

Ma Maison Logique 003

Images © Exploring Alternatives via YouTube

Video: Couple’s DIY Tiny Home Built in 40 Days

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Learn more: http://www.mamaisonlogique.com/

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Danielle is a digital nomad who is passionate about tiny spaces, living with less, reducing waste and eating plant-based food. Danielle is half of the Exploring Alternatives blog & video project. You can find more of her at www.ExploringAlternatives.ca and her Exploring Alternatives YouTube Channel.
{ 29 comments… add one }
  • Mark
    December 20, 2015, 3:38 pm

    Very nice home, very livable. One can see efficiency has been build into this home. Color and larger windows make the place appear larger too; particularly in the sleeping area. The kitchen is excellent, livable too. All things said, excellent effort, the exterior look is one of the best I have seen as well.

    • Mr. Lonnie
      February 4, 2016, 6:28 pm

      agreed. love the clean contrasts with walls and floor and counter tops …

  • Kathy
    December 20, 2015, 4:36 pm

    Alors, c’est une maison belle! LOL I tried reading their blog, but my French is very rusty. I was looking to see if they mentioned the length or square feet (or meters). It looks like 20′, does any one know? I love the light and airy feeling Catherine gave the interior. Obviously they are both very talented to have built this themselves, let alone in 40 days!! Beautiful.

  • Carol
    December 20, 2015, 8:36 pm

    Talking about the frig, my husband and I have one about the same size and it is perfect for us, though ours has a small freezer. LOVE the wood stove! Where can you purchase one that size?
    For me the kitchen is way too big and I would covert part of it into an office space for my husband and for mine, I could use the couches, since we work from home. Love the white painted wood. It makes it feel more spacious.

  • Brandi
    December 20, 2015, 11:48 pm

    Love this one!!! I also would like to know what name brand the wood stove is……please. I only saw 3 pics…..is there more somewhere?

    Thank you for sharing your home with us.

  • Brandi
    December 20, 2015, 11:52 pm

    After I hit send all the rest, including a video FINALLY finished loading. LOL OOOOPs. Sorry about that. Would still like to know what kind of wood stove that is. Please.

  • Jackie Beidler
    December 21, 2015, 1:12 am

    Love the whole house. I also would prefer to have washer/dryer combo, and stairs (due to health restrictions). Would also love to have more info on the tiny wood burning stove. Any updates yet?

  • gale
    December 21, 2015, 3:55 am

    This is really a nice house with all the light coming in and the light colored interior. Wood is beautiful but too dark for me in a small space. Their video is great too because it is short and to the point. You get to see the interior without a lot of chattering. Wonderful little home.

  • Sage
    December 21, 2015, 12:24 pm

    Hello I am new to this forum and to tiny house building and I have encountered a problem. I am in the process of building my frame and just found out that I miscalculated the size of my trailer and the amount of building space I have. As of right now my subfloor frame ends 16″ from my trailer hitch. It’s about 3″ from the trailer jack, Will that be a problem later,when moving the tiny house?

    • Peggy Andrews
      December 17, 2016, 4:33 pm

      Sage, I would say you may have a problem. I’m not an expert but tongue weight is extremely important for towing. It should be between 10% – 15% of the total weight of the small house including all contents.

      Extending the house further up the tongue will certainly change the weight distribution. As far a 3″ from the jack…. How do you expect it to have enough room to manoeuvre the home? Is there enough space to raise it into a towing position? The hitch coupler must be at least 4″ above the towing vehicle hitch when starting to make the connection. Does the weight of the small house prevent the jack from raising the coupler to the proper height?

      I would suggest before you continue, have your plans reviewed by an engineer. If not, at least have an EXPERIENCED 5 wheel driver assess the weight distribution within your small home plans. S/he can also give you advice on the trailer weight and hitch set up.

      Towing anything, but especially a small house MUST consider weight distribution from front to back, and side to side, along with hitch weight. Otherwise you may find yourself flipping over on a turn or swaying down the road or uncoupling. Building a small house has a lot more involved than just framing and designing interior space. Venting and condensation are major issues which could cause hidden mold and rot in your small house.

      Spend the money to get good advice in the planning stages NOW. Otherwise you may find your completed small home cannot be towed or is unliveable.

      There are several workshops for ‘how to build a small home’, some put on exclusively for women. You may find this would help you from making more fundamental errors which cost time and money to fix. Hope this helps. Good Luck.

      • Natalie
        December 19, 2016, 11:01 am

        I do agree. Getting your plans checked is very wise! — Tiny House Talk Team

  • Theo
    December 25, 2015, 10:18 pm

    Overall, it’s quite nice. I’d change a few things if I had done it, of course. A bit more white inside then I really care for, but that’s just personal. What I really do not care for is, another loft, hate them. What I really do like is the fact that they have actually insulated it.

  • Dominick Bundy
    February 4, 2016, 3:02 pm

    This is one of my favorite tiny homes… love the bright open airiness and all the windows . . As well as that flip up/down table.. Only change I’d make for me is a flush toilet instead of that composting one..

    • Peggy Andrews
      December 17, 2016, 5:03 pm

      Dominick, you have three choices in a small home if you do not use a composting toilet.

      1. Hook up to the City sewer system. This is almost impossible because most zoning City by-laws do not allow small homes on wheels.

      2. Be in a “camping” community where you can pull your small home to the local ‘clean out’ station. This is where the holding tanks in your small home are emptied into a large tank or sewer system. This is usually done by yourself and not by any attendant. It can be quite an uncomfortable and gut heaving task. However, some permanent camp “resorts” will have a person available to do this job or assist you.

      3. You can get a piece of property and install a septic sewer system or septic holding tank. The tanks can be serviced by a sewer cleaner who, for a price, will come on a regular basis to pump your sewer tank contents into his holding tank truck. This is only, if the City allows the installing of the unground holding tank and all of the appropriate toilet to holding tank connections.

      So, unless you have the property or are willing to go regularly to a ‘pump out’ station, (hooking up and driving your small house) to a disposal station, composting may be the only alternative.

      There are many types of composting toilets, but most are far more acceptable than having to empty the contents of your sewer holding tank, yourself. It is a messy, smelly, bacteria laden task, unless you are a professional and have the equipment and knowledge to do it right.

      In a small home, plumbing is not just turning on the tap or flushing the toilet. There are regulations which must be followed. Most often City by-laws do not allow small homes on wheels the same services as those of City apartment or home dwellers.

      • Natalie
        December 19, 2016, 10:58 am

        All true, and a very good breakdown of the reality. I’ve camped and emptied a holding tank, and composting is far less gross in my opinion! — Tiny House Talk Team

  • Colleen O'Hogan
    February 4, 2016, 4:08 pm

    http://www.marinestove.com/sardineinfo.htm
    We are considering the wood stove in our tiny home build. The”Sardine” is about 12″x 12″ and it can take them up to 12+Mos or more to build from time of order. Cost starts at $1,200

  • Richard Bryant
    February 4, 2016, 8:11 pm

    This is certainly one of the better design solutions in recent months. The sometimes harsh climate of Canada certainly influences design, aesthetics, and the demand for solid construction. For those who want or need small appliances, bathroom fixtures, and wood stoves, I might suggest visiting your nearest marine supply / outfitter store. Most items will be extremely well built, suited to small spaces, and able to take all manner of bad weather and rough rides. They will likely be expensive – but factor in the concept of “life-cycle cost analysis” and sustainability in your budget calculations.

    AVD

  • Gabrielle Charest
    February 4, 2016, 8:47 pm

    What an enchanting, spacious home!

  • Dolores Burke
    February 5, 2016, 2:21 am

    What a beautiful home! These young people should be commended. Finally a living room space that is comfortable and can serve more than one purpose. Good job.

  • Maria
    February 5, 2016, 6:45 am

    Well I would put an incinerated toilet in bathroom. Put in a under counter refrigerator that has freezer on top and frig below. remove some cabinets so I could have more room in living area . I don’t like built-ins. I would remove the seating area. I would put my own furniture in the space. I couldn’t tell if the windows open up in this tiny house,but that is a must for me. But over all great Job guys.

  • Kelly
    March 9, 2016, 8:42 pm

    Would you build one of these homes to sell? I am interested!

  • julia
    August 13, 2016, 1:00 pm

    Hi 🙂 i love your house! I have a queation 🙂 i also would love to have wood panel in my tiny shower. I build a eco friendly tiny house – and the wet room is giving me a hard time to find solutions without the use of toxic materials. So i wonder what you have behind the wall – on the bathroom floor and what you treated the wood with 🙂 will be ever grateful for answar ♡

  • Jody
    August 13, 2016, 3:36 pm

    I love the white! I can’t beleive they did this in 40 days! Wow impressive!

  • ZACHARY E MOHRMANN
    August 13, 2016, 7:46 pm

    Not so tiny I’m afraid, But a very nice house….

  • ZACHARY E MOHRMANN
    August 13, 2016, 7:49 pm

    I’m sorry I have to take that back, it is a tiny house and it is still beautiful…

  • Kevin
    August 13, 2016, 10:39 pm

    The stove is a canadian company http://cubicminiwoodstoves.com.

  • julia
    August 15, 2016, 11:07 am

    Hi 🙂 i love this house. I wonder about the shower. Is there plastic behind the wood wall? And what treatment is on the wood? I also would love to have wood walls in my tiny home. Thanx.

  • Donna
    August 15, 2016, 12:10 pm

    This is beautiful. Bright and airy. Perfect solution for a sofa. I would need a bigger fridge but the rest is perfect. How long is the trailer and how long did it take you to build it?

  • e.a.f.
    February 18, 2020, 2:13 pm

    I like this house. It gives you a luxurious fibe. The table placement makes good use of space as does the build in living room furniture. If stairs aren’t you’re thing, you can sleep down stairs. Plenty of room. The use of white really makes he house feel calm and light. With shorter days during winter, it helps keep the house light.

    I’m going to check out that fire place! The next house will have one! Keeps you warm and if the utilities go out, you’re still warm.

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