Neither fridge nor freezer: how this self-sufficient house has thrived for 50 years
Imagine being called crazy just because you don’t want to live like everybody else. For Brigitte and Patrick Baronnet, that was pretty much what happened. Back in 1976, long before climate summits and green hashtags, they packed up their Parisian life and swam against the current—literally and figuratively—heading not for the city lights, but for the quiet countryside near Châteaubriant, right between Rennes and Nantes. While most people were chasing the dreams of progress, globalization, and big city living, the Baronnets took the road less travelled. And what a road it’s been!
Back to Basics (But Not Back to the Candle!)
Choosing rural Moisdon-la-Rivière for their new home, the couple settled with their two young kids in a tiny house. Their goal? To create a daily life centered on their fundamental needs and ecological ideals. In a world racing toward modernization, the Baronnets wanted to stop losing their lives to earn them. No, they weren’t interested in championing a return to the Stone Age—despite what a few skeptical neighbors might have whispered.
Rather than simply withdraw from society, the Baronnets did their homework: they researched, consulted, tinkered, built, and rebuilt. The outcome? What is seen as France’s very first autonomous house—fully off-grid, not hooked up to any public water, electricity, or sewage networks. “But don’t worry,” as Patrick likes to quip, “we do wash!” There are no candles lighting their table, just some clever solutions and a big dash of practical humor.
Living Without a Fridge (and Surviving!)
Forget about kitchen robots, freezers, or even a fridge—those are missing in action at the Baronnets’ place. Instead, their home boasts:
- A solar dryer and solar water heater
- A stove with a built-in boiler
- A rainwater harvesting and filtration system
- Wastewater cleaned by plants
- And, making a heroic comeback, dry toilets—a concept so out of fashion at the time it had almost disintegrated, but boy, does it save water! (On average, the French devote a whopping 93% of drinkable water to hygiene. Imagine the savings!)
Far from being stuck in the 1970s, the Baronnets balance nostalgia and modernity. Their house may lack a fridge, but that doesn’t mean a lack of comfort—they’ve just reimagined it, with nature as their architect and common sense as their guide.
The Modern Touch—Powered by Sun and Wind
If you think this way of life means giving up technology, think again. Today, the Baronnets have a mobile phone, a computer, and an internet connection. How do they keep these running without draining the resources of the planet? Enter their impressive solar panels. These cover their yearly electricity needs—between 3 and 4 kWh per day for the couple, which is about three to four times less than the French average. And when the sun takes a winter break, a wind turbine steps in (the second one, to be precise, as Patrick indicates, pointing to the giant, folded away for the summer).
It’s not about doing without, but about doing differently. Their self-sufficient lifestyle has propelled them from “crazy” outliers to eco-pioneers. They’ve shown that you don’t have to retreat to a cave to live in harmony with nature—or deprive yourself of a good shower and a solid Wi-Fi signal.
The Takeaway? The Baronnets prove that with creativity, determination, and a pinch of humor, you can carve out a life that’s light on the planet but rich in meaning. Maybe you’re not ready to ditch your fridge just yet, but their journey stands as a gentle reminder: sometimes, the healthiest progress comes from knowing which comforts you truly need—and which ones you can live (happily) without.
