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The Magnolia Is a Tiny House That Proves Downsizing Can Still Be Luxurious

Because they come with the promise of more freedom as part of the package, in addition to that of cutting down monthly costs, tiny houses are having quite a moment. Most of them can be towed like a regular RV, they’re cheap to run and are more or less self-sufficient. What’s there not to love about them?
The Magnolia tiny house is now at its sixth iteration: an all-season mobile home that doesn't sacrifice luxury when downsizing 8 photos
Photo: Minimaliste
The Magnolia tiny house is now at its sixth iteration: an all-season mobile home that doesn't sacrifice luxury when downsizingThe Magnolia tiny house is now at its sixth iteration: an all-season mobile home that doesn't sacrifice luxury when downsizingThe Magnolia tiny house is now at its sixth iteration: an all-season mobile home that doesn't sacrifice luxury when downsizingThe Magnolia tiny house is now at its sixth iteration: an all-season mobile home that doesn't sacrifice luxury when downsizingThe Magnolia tiny house is now at its sixth iteration: an all-season mobile home that doesn't sacrifice luxury when downsizingThe Magnolia tiny house is now at its sixth iteration: an all-season mobile home that doesn't sacrifice luxury when downsizingThe Magnolia tiny house is now at its sixth iteration: an all-season mobile home that doesn't sacrifice luxury when downsizing
Canadian company Minimaliste has been building custom tiny houses for over a decade now, and perhaps the most popular model they’re offering is The Magnolia. First introduced in 2019, The Magnolia reached its sixth version, the V6, at the end of July this year.

Available at the bottom of the page are the original Magnolia and its most recent iteration. We’ll discuss the base model in general terms.

The Magnolia tiny house is now at its sixth iteration\: an all\-season mobile home that doesn't sacrifice luxury when downsizing
Photo: Minimaliste
Minimaliste works on commission, so each of the models it makes is a custom piece. Once they design a tiny house for a client, it becomes available for the larger public, with the possibility for future clients to further customize the base layout to better suit their needs. The Magnolia is the largest tiny house on offer from the company: it is pretty much a luxury apartment in miniature, proving that you don’t have to compromise on comfort and style when you’re downsizing.

The Magnolia is 35.6 feet (11.1 meters) by 10.5 feet (3.2 meters), totaling 385 square feet (35.7 square meters) of living space, but dimensions vary slightly from model to model. Because it’s the largest tiny house on offer, it can’t be towed without a special permit. It is still a mobile home, nonetheless: sat on a triple-axle trailer, it can be towed from destination to destination, though it’s best used as a cottage, vacation home or permanent residence.

The Magnolia is a stunner both inside and out. The exterior contains sections of the facade charred in the Japanese tradition of Shou Sugi Ban, which implies blackening the wood to achieve a darker color. This color, unlike what happens with regular paint, won’t fade in time or by prolonged contact with the elements.

The Magnolia tiny house is now at its sixth iteration\: an all\-season mobile home that doesn't sacrifice luxury when downsizing
Photo: Minimaliste
This is a tiny house that’s meant to withstand the harshest Canadian winter and scorching temperatures in the summer. It’s small and may look somewhat unassuming from a distance, but it’s an all-season residence that promises comfort and protection to the two people inside. For larger families, though, The Magnolia can be made to accommodate up to six people.

The base model includes a full-size bedroom, a full-size bathroom, a fully-stocked kitchen and living room. The living includes a couch and TV with storage in the “bump out” area, while the open kitchen is packed with all appliances needed for long-term living, like dishwasher, full-size fridge, cooking top with oven, and working space and space for eating.

The bathroom is accessible through both sides through barn mechanism-operated doors, and includes custom shower, custom sink with vanity, compost toilet and the mechanical closet with water heater and water filtration systems. It’s tiny, alright, but it has everything you need.

The bedroom is just what you can find in a regular-sized apartment: a queen-size bed (that fits at least a dozen throw pillows, based on the photos available in the gallery above) with storage underneath, bedside cabinets and another massive unit above head. Another space for storage is available in the loft, but it can also be turned into a guest room that would perfectly fit a twin-size mattress.

The Magnolia tiny house is now at its sixth iteration\: an all\-season mobile home that doesn't sacrifice luxury when downsizing
Photo: Minimaliste
Minimaliste currently offers three models of The Magnolia, the XL, Magnolia II and Magnolia III. They all come with mini-split air-conditioning units, LUNOS heat recovery air exchanger and two ceiling fans, kitchen appliances, hot water tank and double filtration system, compost toilet, standard RV hook-up and the possibility to connect it to public sewage. They’re exceptionally well lit, basked in natural light, airtight and perfectly insulated to allow full-time living all around the year.

Further customization options include the possibility to add underfloor heating, solar panels, skylights or different materials for the build. As long as you have the budget for it, the sky is the limit in terms of what you can ask for. That said, the base price for The Magnolia is 130,000 $CAD, which is just under US$100,000 at today’s exchange rate.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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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.
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