You know my passion for small spaces and recycling so when I found this site Montainer they are a one stop shopping site for taking a shipping container and creating your home, office, ADU, yoga studio or an extra sleeping room. They have a team of architects, engineers, builders and designers that put the package […]
Granny knows how to Downsize
My 95 year old mother in-law lives in a Granny Flat, she came west from cold Ohio to live behind her sons home in warm San Luis Obispo 15 years ago. Evelyn climbs the exterior staircase to her one bedroom 400 sq ft apartment above a garage. I was inspired to build my own studio […]
AIA Tour in PDX = small + smart
I wanted to share the highlights of the AIA Portland, 2013 Design Matters: Tour of Exceptional Portland Homes. It was in conjunction of the Portland Design Festival. It started with a bit of a drizzle and by the end of tour the sun was out- so PDX. Most of the homes were owned by the […]
Airstream Dreams
Downsizing is all about priorities. What do you really need to live, work and play? What are the essentials? Arriving at a place where your space is smaller may actually lead to a larger lifestyle. Mobility, less financial burden, a clutter free existence – FREEDOM! So, I love it when I see successful people living […]
My New Old Shed
Hello friends! I’m back! Summer was busy, busy and my time spent with family and friends was top priority! Now that Fall has come and everyone is getting settled back into their schedules, I have found time to work on my blog once more. As I mentioned in a past post, my son and I […]
Boring Boathouse turned Nautical Guest Cottage
Summer is finally here, so when I found this fabulous Boathouse makeover over on Remodelista, I had to share with you. Look at how Seattle-based architects, Bosworth Hoedemaker, converted this rather dull, concrete boathouse into a stunning yet simple guest cottage. Doesn’t look like much from the outside but open up those doors…Front row seats […]
I’m dreaming of a dacha…
Happy Friday! So…ever heard of a dacha? Well, neither had I until I came across a story in Food & Wine magazine. A dacha is a Russian summer cottage and they are widely seen through out the country. Most of these homes were built during the Soviet era and had size restrictions – a majority […]
The Ultimate Toilet
It’s almost Friday and maybe you’re making some extravagant plans for your weekend…a spontaneous getaway, a day at the spa or maybe even jet setting off to a fabulous destination? Sounds lovely doesn’t it? Well, if luxury is your middle name, I have found the toilet for you! I had to share Kohler’s latest commode. […]
Pre-fab it: Homb
Being completely inspired by my last post, I couldn’t resist doing a pre-fab encore. Check out Homb – a fantastic line of pre-fab homes designed using a 100 sq. ft. triangular system. Go here to view more plans. It turns out, that while squares and rectangles are perfectly fine for building…triangles are way cooler! This […]
Old Barn – New Home
Happy Friday! Hope your week has gone well. So, after my last post, I was eager to find a beautiful home that used reclaimed materials in the building process. This one caught my eye…. Would you believe that this gorgeous residence used an old barn frame for the main living quarters!? Yup…an old barn in […]