Live smaller; live better

I am a big fan of Jay Schafer and his Tubleweed Tiny House Company. Jay founded the company in 2000, after having made the decision to inhabit only 89 square feet 3 years before. His philosophy is that one should “not maintain a lot of unused or unusable space.” I could agree more, though I think my personal “ideal sized” home is somewhere in the 800 suare-foot range. Thankfully, Tumbleweek makes and sells plans for homes anywhere from 40 - 950 square feet. Below are a few of my favorites. Learn more by visiting http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/.

The Harbinger: 297 sq ft; 1br (loft), 1 bath

Inside the Fencl; 130 sq ft, 1br (loft), 1 bath

The B-53; 743 sq ft (with 2 br, 1 1/2 baths), or 837 sq ft with 3rd br

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Craigslist Real Estate: Cozy Ithaca Cape

I keep a very close eye on the real estate listing in my town, even though we are not looking to move any time in the near future. Sometimes the best listings can be found on Craigslist, like this little gem:

Cape exterior: Great colors - I love the red door

Living room: I confess I've always wanted a fireplace with little square windows on either side. All it needs are some built-in bookcases underneath!

Dining Room: How great is that rounded doorway?

For more information, and to see the full slideshow, click here.

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The Cabot Cove Cottages

One of my favorite cottage stories comes courtesy of Coastal Living Magazine. The Cabot Cove Cottages in Kennebunkport, ME, epitomize the term “cozy coastal cottage.” This group of cottages was built in the 1950s, and had fallen into disrepair over the past few decades. 16 designers took it upon themselves to make over each cottage, creating “a magical village, on a modest budget.”

Cabot Cove Cottages

The Float In Cottage: I love the nautical detailing; the porthole, brass fixtures, sailboat model and lantern on the ledge.

Sweet Dreams Cottage: This feminine design features a mostly white palette with touches of pink and green pastels. I especially love the green china hutch.

Sweet Dreams Cottage: This petite yellow dresser also serves as a nightstand, and fits the small space perfectly.

Harbor Cottage: Classic beachy design in blue and white. This just may be my favorite cottage of all!

See the full slideshow at coastalliving.com!

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My Cozy Home: Kitchen Makeover on a Budget

We moved into our house in May 2008. In the nearly two years we’ve lived here, we’ve changed all of the rooms – at least in the cosmetic sense. One of our largest projects was the kitchen makeover, which we completed last February:

Kitchen before: Note the dated (but sturdy) cabinetry, original 1950s lighting, badly executed open shelving, and dingy walls. At this point we had at least replaced the original brown appliances!

During: Paiting the cabinets. We had to remove all of the doors, clean, sand and prime the cabinets inside and out.

During: We turned our dining room into a cabinet painting space! Each piece needed two coats of primer and four coats of white paint.

After: Freshly painted cabinets with new hardware and trim/moulding.

After: Pale blue paint on the walls brightens the space. The updated lighting adds cottage charm.

After: We were able to keep the butcher block counters, flooring, sink and faucet. This saved us a lot of time and money.

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