A Pied-à-terre on Wheels Is the Discerning Man’s Mobile Home

Home is where you tow it

March 27, 2017 9:00 am

We don’t see eye to eye with the French on all things, but we’ll give them the pied-à-terre, aka a small apartment one keeps — usually in a nearby city — for occasional use. And putting one on wheels, like Baluchon just did, well: that’ll earn a tip-of-the-beret from us any day.

Christened the Essen’Ciel, Baluchon’s newest build has a 20-foot spruce frame covered with sapwood paneling and filled with insulation made from wool, cotton, linen hemp and wood fiber.

With enough space to comfortably sleep two, the top floor of the Essen’Ciel is  a bedroom with a big panoramic window. Accessible via a partially retractable staircase, the loft sits atop a large kitchen with standard appliances and a spacious living room (for a tiny house). There are also bins spread throughout for the owner to grow some greenery.

French Tiny House (8 images)

Powered by electricity from an RV-style hookup, the home can travel wherever the double-axle trailer it rests on can go, although from its looks, staying on highways and byways seems wise.

Unfortunately, the prototype Essen’Ciel is already spoken for, but Baluchon might be willing to make you your own version if you contact them and say s’il vous plaît.

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