Homes

Home Homes

Offgrid In Normandy: How He Built This Modern A-Frame On A Budget

Mar 11, 2015

When you think of living off the grid, various images come to mind, and no doubt some of you envision grizzled people huddled together for warmth, living in some remote forest.

A Little Caesars commercial recently illustrated this in a funny way:

However, that’s not the most accurate portrayal of life off the grid. As Jean-Baptiste Barache demonstrated, building an offgrid house for cheap doesn’t mean you need to compromise living conditions. His A-frame barn, stationed in the middle of a field in Normandy, France, is a perfect example.

He paid a local barn builder to construct the rough frame, and then collected various salvaged materials from all over the place – lumber from theater sets, veneer and particleboard, and red cedar shingles for the exterior cladding. All said and done after 18 months of working on the build, he estimates it cost around $105k.

Going without electricity doesn’t mean forgoing power, but it does cast daily life in a much simpler mold. A gas canister fuels the simple stovetop in the kitchen; a homemade wood-burning stove diffuses heat through the house in a slow, steady burn.

The front of the barn looks decidedly antique…

While inside, the rough, unfinished walls and ceiling keep costs down. Upstairs you’ll find three “pods” for sleeping.

At night he and his wife light candles and oil lamps, and Jean-Baptiste refers to Junichiro Tanizaki’s “In Praise of Shadows” as a source of inspiration for living comfortably without electricity, noting the appreciation he has for the shadows cast by the flickering flames.

Images: Céline Clanet

Strange Home In Siberia Give New Meaning To “House Flipping”

Mar 28, 2015

If you happened upon this house while walking around Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, chances are you’d do more than a double-take. The surreal design of this inverted home comes courtesy They followed through with all sorts of details, from the upside down furniture inside, to the parked car in the driveway, and even the food hanging upside down in the kitchen.

1 of 8

I like shooting stories about people who belong to the “one in a million” category – unusual people doing unusual things. They can be amateur artists, builders, extreme sportsmen, winter swimmers, or people who live in difficult conditions in the modern world and manage to survive. (Source)

Photographer Ilya Naymushin took these photos, which capture the curious reactions of visitors touring the home. The house itself was constructed as a sort of tourist attraction, and we imagine it might be the main attraction in Siberia – why else would you take a vacation there?

He wanted to build a simple cottage, but ended up with a massive castle

Feb 29, 2016

Every man’s home is his castle, a sentiment Jim Bishop took to heart when he began construction on his namesake project, Bishop Castle, in 1969 at the age of 25 in Wetmore, Colorado.

Jim Bishop on the balcony of his castle.

Jim Bishop bought the two-and-a-half acre of land just outside the limits of the San Isabel National Forest ten years earlier for $450 at just 15. The land was used by his family for the occasional camping trip until his marriage in 1967, when he was then inspired to begin the construction of a simple stone cottage for him and his wife on their property. The inspiration to build a castle came when the issue of installing a water tank arose. An iron worker by trade, this was an easy feat for him to accomplish. However, upon the remarks of family and friends that the iron and stone work he had chosen for building materials made the cottage look rather as if he were building a castle, he decided to switch gears and do just that: build a castle. Why not?

Jim's initial incorporation of ironwork was purely ornamental, but is now used structurally along with steel to secure the castle's foundation. — Jim’s initial incorporation of ironwork was purely ornamental, but is now used structurally along with steel to secure the castle’s foundation.

In the beginning stages of his castle, word spread and many offered their help to Jim in the construction of the castle. But no one ever did come to help Jim build his castle, which did not deter him in the least from his vision. “By God, I’ve gotten this far by myself!” he declared. “If you want something done right, do it yourself!” So, for the next 40 years, Jim balanced his work as an iron worker with the construction of Bishop Castle, a project that only ever kept growing in size.

Jim Bishop at work on the iron work of his castle.

Like any construction project, occasional issues arose: a running dispute since resolved was with the San Isabel National Forest, where he collected the stones and rocks for the castle. Jim’s goal is to complete Bishop Castle in its entirety before he passes away. He still has many additions to his vision to complete before that time is nigh, among them being the installation of a moat and draw bridge, a balcony large enough to fit an orchestra, and even the construction of a second castle!

One of the entrance signs to Bishop Castle with Jim's terms and conditions to visitors. — One of the entrance signs to Bishop Castle with Jim’s terms and conditions to visitors.

Until then, Bishop Castle is open to visitors as an official tourist attraction, as listed by the state of Colorado’s Chamber of Commerce. The price of admission to Jim Bishop’s legacy is a donation to the (continuing) construction costs.

Three College Kids Built This Affordable, Sustainable ‘Dogbox’

Mar 26, 2015

One wouldn’t think so by looking at it, but this beautiful example of sustainable, affordable design was the brain child of three ambitious architecture grad students. New Zealand natives Ben Mitchell-Anyon, Sally Ogle and Tim Gittos started the venture with the goal of gaining real-life building experience as their education came to a close. I’d say they passed with flying colors.

They worked hard to find an affordable site to build the house, but finding cheap land had a catch – it was at the top of a steep hill. With the help of some dedicated and gracious friends, they were forced to hand carry all materials up the hill in order to get them to the building site. Hands on experience, indeed.

The house itself uses affordable, locally sourced materials and off-the-shelf components in order to remain cost-effective. For example, guard rails are made up of common chain link fence, and gives the home a bargain bin, yet contemporary aesthetic. Most of the finished materials such as the concrete and plywood were left raw, saving construction time and money, as well as reinforcing the industrial-chic framework.

The 256sf Kokosing Makes Tiny Living Feel Luxuriously Doable

Jul 23, 2017

With its white and gray color scheme matched against the brown hickory hardwood, the Kokosing nails the whole modern farmhouse style perfectly. Add the giant farmhouse sink, white quartz countertops, full size fridge, built in washer, high end appliances, and plenty of creative nooks for storage and you have a tiny home that’s completely styled out and 100% livable.

1 of 26