Oh, Ross...Karina, Karina!*

As a follow-up to my last post, here's an example of a home I could move into immediately!** This is an example of a Ross Chapin Architects small home design, the Karina, designed by Karen DeLucas, former owner of the house shown. Please check out that last link, that blog will take you through the house timeline of construction, from insulation, interior/exterior paint colors, vendors used for lights and fixtures, flooring, and landscaping through text and loads of great photographs.

Yes, you do see stainless appliances and granite countertops in this kitchen. However, I feel the kitchen's small scale and practicality stand for more than those so-called HGTV "must-haves."

I love the wood tones and crisp calming colors of the interior design and truly adore the exterior house details.

Click to enlarge

The Karina home plan comes in at 1,606 square feet and is part of their collection of small homes over 1,000 sq ft. It's entire foot print is only 22' X 55'; however, the smallest of the three bedrooms is a healthy 11'-6" x 12', it still has 2 full and one 3/4 sized bathrooms and even a separate 2nd floor laundry room with space-saving pocket doors.


Brilliant, right?!



Now, the bath is a bit more swank than I would prefer with its attached-yet-separate tub and the glassed-in shower with "rain" head, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at the soft-close, low-flush toilets.

Lovely wrap-around back porch


* Loose adaptation of "Corinna, Corinna".
** IF I had the money and/or a job where I could afford the upkeep! ;)

Cute Adaptive Reuse Nightmare

A co-worker directed me to this compilation of stories on WebUrbanist about adaptive reuse projects. They range from an airplane-now-home to an airplane hanger that is a completely contained beach resort.

Architect: John Perkins

One story that really intrigued me was this one on the bureaucratic nightmares involved in a seemingly simple project; converting a garage into a small residence that would fit into the preexisting urban landscape and meet all city codes.

So not as easy at it would seem.

Images: bottleworld.net

SHELTER: A Fabled Needle at Rest

I have been wanting to introduce you to the lovely Jen from The Fabled Needle. She is an artist who sells her lovely illustrations (like the one at left!) and knitting patterns through her Etsy shop, The Fabled Needle. 

I kept putting off publishing this piece because I was trying to write some clever little introduction piece about her home but instead I will just go ahead and let you read her own impressive words describing the sweet abode she has created for herself and her (brand new!) husband.

What is the age and style of your house? It is a 1935 Spanish Revival duplex. We are on the top level.

Do you decorate with that information in mind or against it? Hmm, not specifically, no. This style of home is one of my favorites so I suppose it does influence my choices on an unconscious level.

How would you describe the decor style of your home? Low-maintenance eclectic. It's mostly a hodgepodge of things I like that hopefully work together.

How would you describe your personal style? Low-maintenance eclectic. I don't know if I can pinpoint my personal style although my artistic sensibilities are an important part of who I am. Perhaps I'm just lazy!

Do you think your décor style matches your personal style? Yes. There's a mix of fussy things with really simple modern ones.

How well does your home match you and your personality? Would someone you know think your space represents who you are? Do you think it does? I feel at home in this place more than any other place I've lived in. I love old details, even if they are not in good condition. I'm not about upgrading and if the original yellow and green tile in the kitchen is a little worn and pockmarked, so what! It shows that the kitchen was used by someone who loved cooking. I don't know if that answers your question though. I would say, yes, this place really suits me!

Do the colors in your clothes closet show up in your home?I think my clothes are mostly neutral with the occasional bright spots of color - so yes!

How comfortable are you in your living space? Totally, especially after about 2 years. This place has really good energy, as hippy-ish as that sounds. It also has tons of natural light, which makes me really happy.

What specific difficulties did you have when decorating your space? This place is huge! We still don't have rugs in some places I'd like. Also, we're definitely on a budget in terms of decorating the house and when I prioritize, fabric and art supplies and the like usually win out.

What was your biggest influence in choosing your current décor? Practicality, price, longevity. I don't think one should buy expensive things that they'll be sick of in 6 months.

What has been the most expensive change you have made to your space? We bought a sofa when we moved back to L.A. I loved it, more than a woman should love a sofa. It's the prettiest off-white, ultra-suede (so you can clean it!) and so comfortable.

What has been the least expensive, yet most influential change you have made to your space? Putting curtains up. There are so many windows, I felt exposed before we covered them. I got mostly inexpensive curtains and rods from Target so it wasn't too painful.

Have you done any of the décor yourself? All the light fixtures came with the place. I did paint my office a beautiful silvery grey that I love.

What DIY projects have you done? I had to rig a curtain rod for the huge front window. The wall is curved and the window is really wide so we had trouble finding something we just install with no customizing (and I wasn't about to hire someone to do it).

What changes have you made that make you feel the most proud? The same answer as above. I used my MacGyver skills to figure out how to install an exceptionally long curtain rod on a curved wall for cheap. A scalloped wood bookshelf bracket was involved.

What do you plan to do next in your space? I want to crochet a blanket. Something with a neutral base and lots of color. Something happy and handmade.

What kind of homes do you most admire or lust after? Little bungalows, cottages, old ones, pre-1950. Homes that were cherished.

Have you seen any movie or TV homes that you would want to live in? I love the house in Practical Magic* - that was probably the best part of the movie! I adore Frodo's Hobbit hole too, in Lord of the Rings.

*Incredible link to pictures and info about the set decor!

Images: Jennifer's own photos and AmasVeritas' fabulous Practical Magic site.

This Is Where I Live In My Dreams

I just fell in love and I bet you will too.

Check out this post at Desire to Inspire.

Affordable cottage in the NYT

700 square feet and bought for $95,000!!

I have to give it to The New York Times. When they catch my interest, they usually get it big time. You may have seen this first set of pictures on other blogs already because this place in the Catskills is beautiful. But what what struck me is how it truly was something I would be interested in. That price is incredible, it's almost impossible to find a house that cheap here in Richmond, though of course most people I know can't afford a weekend house, let alone a place two hours away from where they live and work during the week. However, I loved how they furnished the place with hand-me-downs, and purchases from Craigslist and to top it off also used it as the venue for their outdoor wedding! That's the way to get the most for your money!

I love the use of the green, which seems to change color subtly throughout the house. It's definitely cute and country but not too so. Check out that incredible stove, unfortunately it doesn't work though.


(Click to enlarge)

That gallery wall- designed hallway blows me away and reminds me of another that I featured on this blog before. The newspaper was supplied with a rundown of their decorating costs. Decorated for only $2,352! Other homeowners featured in the newspaper's regular features can't seem to even get a closet organized for that little amount of money.

This cottage reminded me a bit of this cottage I found in an old issue of Cottage Living, from the 80s, that I bought when I was in Fredericksburg. I love the cottage aesthetic, the airy feel, and the simplicity. The use of the darker green for the window blinds is perfect, it adds a dash of color that works as decoration 24/7 when the shades are up, whereas white curtains (the obvious choice) would add nothing to the room.

In this bedroom shot (one of my favorites!) the different shades of green with the rich yellows, the red side table, and the orange tones of the spool-turned bed really speak to me; a mix of harvest tones mixed with white gives the room a warm and cozy feel.

Fearing The Loss

Sometimes I experience a strong fear that people will continue to buy cute little houses simply because they can get them cheap just so they can remodel the heck out of them or demolish them altogether so that none of the little details remain. I'm scared that quaint little houses like these will no longer exist where I choose to live when I finally have the money to buy me one.

Here are a few that I've saved for inspiration:


Richmond, VA and a mystery location


Austin, TX and a mystery location


Arlington, VA and New Orleans, LA


Hampton, VA and Richmond, VA

NOTE: Don't forget about the giveaway!

Images: CVRMLS; I don't have sources for the next three pictures. The last four photos were taken by me.

Do they know me or what?

Have you tried the Sproost quiz?

It was right on the money concerning me, so you should go check it out:

50% Rustic Revival
You can take kid out of the country but you can't take the country out of the kid... or is your theme "you can take the kid out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the kid?".

Either way you play it, you are one of the unique individuals who loves a mix of modern and country. The clean lines of the modern softened by rustic/vintage elements is the perfect mix in your mind. And can we blame you? You've taken the best aspects of two popular designs and mixed them in a manner that appeals to young and old alike. A subtle background of white or light colors provides a nice canvas for all the wonderful flea market, eBay, or garage sale finds as well as the classic modern pieces that you love.

50% Cottage Chic
Who says that cottages can't be modern and chic? Who says that they have to be floral and cheesy? Not you!

You love the carefree spirit that the cottage interior inspires, but you are also serious about your appreciation for modern art and hip treasures. You love old and new alike, and love to highlight them all to expose the uniqueness of each. What better way to show off these treasures than with a light background?

Could I Stuff My Stuff in a Little House?

Loring from Tumbleweed Houses

Sometimes I think I could conquer this clutter problem if I only had a smaller home.

You know, if I was FORCED to get rid of a lot of stuff. Because, volunteering to let some things go is NOT my strong suit. Even though I don't buy much at all, there is so much stuff stored for the future. I guess getting rid of it is hard because it might mean I don't expect to someday use the heart-shaped cake pan or pancake molds (for someone other than me or friends), five flower vases, a Shaft-like leather coat (I feel so dressy in it), the BCBG satin cocktail dress (ditto), or the large traveler's backpack from my 2002 trip to Ireland.

I would love to fit everything I own in something like this little house, but even if I get rid of all the aspirational things, I would still need my magazines, my photo albums (pre-digital), and my animated character figurines. Above all, I would also need storage for my fabric, patterns, supplies, and sewing machine. So I don't think I'll ever fit into this little gem...

251 Square Feet*

But a girl can continue to dream, can't she?

Of course, their much larger homes (680-840 sq. ft. ) are adorable too, like the Enesti, Sebastarosa, and the truly cool-sounding (and almost identical to the Loring) B-53!

* The loft is not officially included in the listed 251 square feet. With it, the house is actually over 400 square feet.

P.S. Explore their site, there is so much information there. The comments on every house design page are fascinating; especially when it comes to the customization requests.

I'm still mad no matter what they say...

From Time, Inc's own press release about the cancellation of Cottage Living:

Cottage Living, one of a few magazines that some had already marked for closing, launched four years ago with an editorial mission to celebrate unpretentious living. Despite initial skepticism about its name, the title quickly grew, doubling its rate base to 1 million in 2007, gathering industry nods including AdWeek’s 2005 Startup of the Year. However, the magazine remained small in terms of ad pages, which declined 5.1 percent to 514 this year, according to the Mediaweek Monitor.

“Since its inception, Cottage Living attracted significant advertiser support and fostered a loyal following among readers,” Sylvia Auton, an executive VP who oversees Time Inc.’s newly formed Lifestyle Group that includes Cottage Living, said in a statement. “However, the economic downturn has particularly affected the shelter market and while the brand was genuinely loved by readers and advertisers alike, the economy inhibited its ability to grow and therefore, sadly, we had to make the decision to close it.”

**********************

I also thought this comment found after The New York Observer's shelter magazine story was pretty astute as to why these type of magazines seem to fail despite their great missions.

googy gomez says:
Here's an editor's position: The problem is that there is a conflict of interest between the readership and the advertising base. Readers want to know how to outfit their pads without spending a small fortune. But the companies who offer these budget products and solutions tend not to have a helluva lot of money to advertise. Walmart, IKEA and Target are in the small group of exceptions, but who wants a home decorated entirely with stuff from big box stores like that, which standardize their product selections to be profitable and, in the process, remove almost every ounce of individual personality to most of that stock? And certainly the smaller stores with great stuff tend not to have the money to advertise--maybe you'll get a quarter page out of them if you're lucky. The people who do have the money are luxury companies like jewelers, car companies, fashion houses, resorts, etc. Ergo the heavy expansion of mags like Domino into fashion. Of course, this latter group of advertisers have huge overheads and want to recoup their money, so they hawk products that cost and arm and a leg. Then editors, in order to retain them, create stories in which they can feature those advertisers, which necessarily means that the stuff they're showing climbs in price. Some publications straddle the line brilliantly (Met Home comes to mind). We need more of that kind of thinking...

This is getting to be a REAL pain...

ANOTHER favorite magazine, one of the few I actually subscribe to, has been canceled. The list of magazines I have loved and lost is getting longer and longer.

Now they are taking Cottage Living away from me (and you too!) I just found out about it on Shelterrific here.

Why, why, why?

Why is it that the magazines that supported design restraint and fairly good spending habits disappear while the ones that live to showcase excess carry on forever.* When it comes to shelter magazines, I have almost nothing in common with Metropolitan Home, Architectural Digest, or even Elle Decor.

However, I could always relate to magazines like Budget Living, Bargain Style, Living Room, Blueprint, and Cottage Living, which all acknowledged that everyone really wasn't "the millionaire next door". Those canceled magazines were the ones that could have helped save this country from our immense case of "keeping up with the Joneses". However, I guess since they were already preaching to the choir (people who don't buy willy-nilly everything their advertisers were selling) they weren't making enough money. Because magazine sales are all about the advertising, not us, the readers.

Well, here's a warning to Country Home.

I love you and I will try my hardest not to get a subscription to you, but you are about the only one left out there.

So please take care of yourself, ok?

*Although Home & Garden somehow didn't survive at it's last try at bat.

The House I Grew Up In

Wende asks: If you could, would you buy the house you grew up in?

Strangely, I currently had the above picture which was taken when my family first moved into the house. My dad gave me this a few weeks ago so I could scan and preserve the image for him. Obviously it doesn't look like this now, in fact, just a few months ago, my Dad had the windows in the back of the house (both bedrooms) extended down to the brick line, changed some of the kitchen cabinetry, and installed all new stainless appliances.

Finally you can look out of the windows in the bedrooms! As a kid, it was both frustrating and scary hearing all the sounds of the outdoors but not being able to see anything. It was the same room design that prisoners have and came with a similar trapped feeling.

Though the house has gone through a lot of design changes and updates, the answer to Wende's question would still be no. I would still hold out for the bungalow cottage owned by the Barnes on the other side of the street. That house started it all. Their corner lot, fenced-in backyard for Bridget the dog, and finished attic bedroom was a dream.