As much as we strive to reach it, dream of it, and imagine it into our lifetime goal, perfection doesn’t exist. But this floating tiny house comes pretty close to it, with its off-grid capabilities, its gorgeous styling, and its location of unmatched beauty.
For those of you for whom downsizing is the most suitable lifestyle right now, for whatever reason, this floating tiny is perfection materialized. It’s called the Bora Boreal and it’s a floating house on a lake outside of Quebec, Canada, rendered completely off-grid in a remote location, which makes it just perfect to fully immerse yourself into the gorgeous natural environment all year around.
The Bora Boreal is actually an eco-resort consisting of two identical floating villas, so both can be experimented in person, if you’re ever in the area. If not, they can serve as inspiration for a possible future tiny house build, showing just how much can be achieved in a compact space, with the right skills, the right layout, and a very clever design.
Houseboats are a viable alternative for downsizing and off-grid tiny living, as the countless viral stories of recent months have shown us. Tiny floating houses, a sort of hybrid alternative housing solution, have been gaining momentum because they offer the functionality of a tiny on top of a floating platform, a sort of best-of-both-worlds kind of situation. The Bora Boreal fits that description, bringing plenty of personality and a gorgeous design into the mix.
Photo: Bora Boreal
Described as a floating chalet, this tiny features 35 feet in length and 12 feet in width, and sits on PVC floats with foam inside, anchored to the shore in all four corners. When the lake freezes over in the winter, the tiny becomes immobile but remains usable, because it’s properly insulated and heated, with foam in the floor and fiberglass in the walls. It’s also off-grid all year round, so it’s the perfect retreat into nature – or away from whatever monsters and zombies the apocalypse might bring, if you’re into this kind of comparison.
Power comes from two 250W solar panels rigged to batteries, while water is brought onboard in large plastic jugs. Gray water drains into a septic tank on the property, which is then emptied regularly, so there’s no dumping of dirty water into the lake. Because this is an eco-resort and water management has proven tricky so far, the chalet doesn’t offer a shower onboard – but one is available on land, in an annex structure.
The interior layout is open-plan and can open completely on two sides, creating the impression of being on an actual boat. There’s a wood-burning stove for heating, with a backup propane heating system that helps to keep a constant temperature when you’re away, and a small covered deck with a BBQ grill. Both these units are specced as rentals, so they don’t offer much in terms of kitchen amenities, but if you’re checking them out for inspiration, there’s definitely room for improvement.
Photo: Bora Boreal
The living room features several pieces of furniture that can be moved around for extra versatility, but the highlight remains the way it can open up to the elements. There’s floor-to-ceiling sliding glass on one side, and a large garage door on the other. If you open both, you erase the visual barriers between the interior and the outdoors, as if you were on a boat. The biggest difference is that both openings have screens, and you don’t get pest protection like that on a boat.
At the other end is the kitchenette, which is very compact but still sufficiently equipped, with a butane cooktop, a sink, a bar fridge, and a surprising amount of counter space and storage. The dining area is an L-shaped sectional that can easily seat at least six people, framed by windows on both sides so it can also serve as a reading nook or simply a cozy vantage point from where you can take in the views.
The bedroom is “hidden” in the loft upstairs, though you might miss it at a first glance. The ceiling of the kitchenette and the dinette is the floor of the loft, a metal grill that allows natural light to come through and adds to the industrial vibe of the place. You reach the loft by opening a latch and dropping down a metal ladder: it’s an airy, brightly lit place that holds a queen-size mattress and a small nightstand, and which clearly compensates for its spartan finishes with breathtaking views.
Photo: Bora Boreal
Location is essential with any type of floating home, and the Bore Boreal gets the best. During summer, you can go swimming or hiking, or sit by the custom fireplace on the shore. In winter, there’s a skating rink available, and all types of winter sports and activities. For potential future houseboat-dwellers, this floating chalet aims to offer an all-season taste of what that experience could be for them, when and if they decide to make the transition.
Here’s one of the Bora Boreal chalets up close, because words and pictures can only do so much.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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