A big dream comes true

Tiny House pioneer builds with Geberit

Only 24 square meters – enough space for Marjolein Jonker to build a full-sized house. The Dutch expert for the Tiny House movement has fulfilled her own dream of a small home in 2022. In the bathroom, she relies on compact Geberit design.

If anyone knows how to live simply and comfortably in a small space, it's Marjolein Jonker. The 47-year-old is an ambassador and frontwoman of the Tiny House movement in the Netherlands.

Tiny Houses are fully-fledged houses on a small scale with a maximum of 50 square meters of usable space and a minimal ecological footprint. There is a clear philosophy behind them: to live a simple life in a small space – away from individualism and consumerism, towards community and minimalism.

The Sprout

Sprout is the name of Marjolein Jonker's small dream home, which she had built in 2022 on her property in the Dutch municipality of Olst-Wijhe. In just 24 square meters, loft bed not counted, the native Dutchwoman has created a cozy home for herself.

The concept, designed by Woonpioniers and built by Blindwerkt, consistently pursues the idea of sustainable living: it consists of bio-based materials such as timber, hemp and jute, is environmentally friendly, and in Marjolein Jonker’s case completely energy self-sufficient.

Independent of the grid

A small ecological footprint is central to the Tiny House following. In the case of Marjolein Jonker’s Sprout, one of the highlights is the facade made of a fast-growing special wood. Thanks to a platonising process without chemical additives, the so-called “platowood“ has a lifespan of 50 years. In addition, naturally less sustainable and young trees are used, which store more CO₂ than mature trees. This protects the stock of tropical wood.

The house gets all energy needs solely from its solar panels. Although it has a connection to the water supply, most of the water needs for toilet, washing machine and the garden is covered by rainwater through an innovative rainwater harvesting system.

Hamam on four square meters

Illustration Tiny House (© Woonpioniers)

Like the rest, the bathroom manages with only a few square meters, just their four. For the interior, the owner chose high-quality products and materials that will last a long time: “Because I need less space and resources, I can opt for high product and material quality and a luxurious design. Geberit fits perfectly with this philosophy.“

A wall-hung, rimfree WC ceramic, an actuator plate and a compact washbasin from Geberit are used. “With Geberit, I know that my sanitary objects will last for years and offer a great deal of comfort,“ says the fresh homeowner, explaining her choice. With the bathroom interior, which also includes a bathtub with rain shower, Marjolein Jonker has fulfilled her personal dream of a “Tiny Hamam“.

To the interview with Marjolein Jonker