Designed by Jérôme Vinçon of Lode Architecture, this small pitched-roof house near Honfleur might echo other Normandy cottages on the exterior, but the comparison ends there.

The structure, which the architects call a ‘deluxe shed,’ was designed as a weekend retreat rather than as a conventional family home.

On the ground floor, large square windows frame views of the surrounding meadows, and a galley kitchen opens onto a deck. The main living space is anchored by an Italian-made LTT  Illuminated Bathtub (available at Generate Design) positioned next to a wood-burning stove. Upstairs in the sleeping loft, built-in children’s bunks are protected by industrial netting.

In order to keep costs down, interior walls are clad in unfinished plywood and floors are covered in black rubber, which is great for insulation and sound proofing. Minimally furnished, this house is proof that style and a tight budget can coexist.

The deliberately unkempt exterior landscape, high insulation and single wood-burning stove keep the cabin’s environmental footprint to a minimum (although remotely operated fan heaters can be set via telephone to warm the space up as the owners approach). Despite its undeniable simplicity, that decadent tub-with-a-view ensures the owners always know they’re far from urban crowds.

For more pictures visit: www.lode-architecture.com.