A developer who was inspired to create the first-ever tiny-home communities in upstate New York has revealed how he made the real-life “fairy-tale” residences a reality to “make the world a more beautiful place.”
Bruno Schickel found inspiration for his developments from a rather unlikely source: the children’s book “Miss Rumphius,” by Barbara Cooney, which tells the story of a sweet, young girl, Alice Rumphius, who longed to bring more beauty to the world by filling it with flowers.
As he was reading it to his daughters, something about the book’s message struck a chord with Schickel, who tells Realtor.com® that he soon set about finding his own unique way to leave a positive mark on the planet.
His solution? A tiny-house village where kindness and beauty permeate every property—and residents are encouraged to bring their own fairy tales to life.
“I had this ‘Eureka’ moment reading this story about a girl who leads an adventurous life, returns to the coast of Maine, orders a bushel of lupine seeds, and scatters them everywhere she goes to make the world a more beautiful place,” he recalls. “That’s what I wanted to do with my communities.”
Schickel, who is the founder of Schickel Construction Co., used that vision to create his first tiny-home community, Boiceville Cottages, which began with just a few small structures and is now home to more than 140 tiny houses.
“In 1996, I started my first tiny-home community, Boiceville Cottages, that was inspired by that book,” he adds. “They are very much fairy-tale houses that I designed and my construction company built.”
Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes in Brooktondale, NY, Schickel’s colorful collection of storybook homes can all be leased for 12 months at a time, with prices starting at $1,695 for a “studio” house. They go up to $2,395 a month for a two-bedroom gatehouse cottage with its own office.
The community is designed to give residents a feeling of privacy, while also providing them with opportunities to connect with neighbors. The properties were also designed to be sustainable.
“Bruno designed a compact but livable blueprint in order to create a more minimal and sustainable living space,” the website states.
“He also incorporated modern elements into the cottages to give the community fresh and youthful storybook charm while still using natural materials to create a cottage community that is design-centric but also efficient and sustainable to renters.
“The cottage apartments are staged in a pinwheel trio to afford residents privacy while still providing a sense of neighborhood that is essential for the community. Bruno built the Meeting House in 2012 to serve as the community’s common space where residents can gather, cook, exercise, and host events.”
Around 20 years after he created his first successful tiny-home community, which continues to thrive today, Schickel set his sights on opening another development—this time in Burdett, NY.
“In 2014, I scouted out a piece of land by a lake and created La Bourgade on Seneca,” he says. “I always wanted a European-designed village.”
The community initially opened with 41 tiny homes, but has since expanded with more structures.
“It now has 60 rentals,” Schickel adds. “When I finished the project, there were 41, but I was able to acquire more land and add 19 more homes.”
The tiny-house community overlooking Seneca Lake offers a range of rentals, from a 600-square-foot, one-bedroom abode for $1,695 a month to a two-bedroom dwelling offering 1,000 square feet of space for $1,995 a month.
Schickel says the cottages appeal to every demographic and age group, including people working from home, retirees, and younger families just starting out.
“The average stay is four to five years at this location due to its incredible view of the lake,” he explains.
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“They don’t tend to attract people with more than one child.”
Residents love the sense of community Schickel has created, including the impressive array of amenities that encourage people to come together and spend time with their neighbors.
“These communities were designed to make people interact with their neighbors,” he says. “They naturally create a sense of community, which makes for an easy way to socialize.
“You might bump into someone at the dog park, getting mail, or at the Meeting House. The residents also self-organize get-togethers that include wine parties and cookouts.”
On a 19-acre parcel, the homes are sited across seven acres surrounded by untouched woods.
“We are really in the country and very remote,” Schickel says.
“The homes were built in clusters of three, so you have immediate neighbors along with this neighborhood. All of the driveways are private. Everything was designed on a curve to soften the slope, so it is very safe to walk around.”
La Bourgade uses public water, and Schickel says he built the community’s septic system.
“We take care of all of the snowplowing,” he says.
“We only ask residents to shovel their sidewalks and encourage them to do their own gardening, if they want to. The property is beautifully landscaped, and there are fruit trees in the courtyards that do phenomenally well.”
Schickel also developed Freeville Cottages, a 12-home rental community in Freeville, NY. He says he has future plans to open a 40- to 50-home village in Interlaken.
“I seek places that don’t have any zoning,” he says. “People absolutely love the homes.”
