Sunday, March 1, 2015

Architecture and Design Week has come to a close!

This is our final day, I am sad to say; but I still have four great homes left for you to see. For the final day, we are looking at tiny homes and sustainable living to cap this fabulous week!

House #1

The FabCab tiny house kit will get you started living well within your means and help you dramatically lower your carbon footprint.


     When you are living small you have to be creative with your space while still giving you the functionality that you need like storage and office space. This is typically how many people with tiny homes organize their workspace and belongings, usually with a loft bed on top also.


     As you see in the initial photo, tiny homes are often on a small plot of leased or purchased land, but they still need basic ways to get their electrical needs and other utilities. An inexpensive way to do that is to reuse old soda cans for a DIY soda can solar panel for heating and cooling, naturally.


     Tiny home living is primarily about saving a lot of money and living more meaningfully without clutter in your life; but also having a bigger impact to the planet. This is one way to do that.

House #2

     This cute little bungalow is my style. It has a great little pool and garden all around. The plot is small but cozy and extremely private. I love the back patio, the style of the home, and everything else about it.

     Just because you live small with few things in your life doesn't mean you don't have some nice things like clothes. Even in a tiny home, you need a decent place to store your wardrobe that doesn't hog the square footage.


     You saw the gorgeous backyard to the home and what the benefits are to having more of your land to do what you want with. Instead of piling your life with material things and clutter, this type of living shows you what you are missing in a big home with no garden space and outdoor appreciation. This is simple living and it's breathtaking.

House #3

     If you are more of an Earth Mother type, this natural dirt and log home will make you happy.

     This is the ultimate hippie paradise! It is green living at its finest, using sustainable and reclaimed materials. In this home, nothing is wasted, and all of the wood is used and recycled.

     It is amazing what very few materials can do but you'll notice not only is wood great for flooring, it makes a stunning ceiling. This home is a true natural splendor with cork fiber wall paper, unfinished window framing, recycled iron light fixtures, and organic cotton bedding. This room is amazing and it has done a lot with its limited space.

     When you are trying to live green, you don't want to waste water on keeping a pool or having extensive landscaping. A better alternative is recycling old pallets into handmade furniture that brightens up the yard and provides you the best seat in your yard to love the natural surroundings.


     Being green means living off of the land. This means building a chicken coop for fresh eggs and using rain barrels to conserve water to harvest the power of the clouds. Nature does provide everything we need, we just need to know how to use it.

House #4

     If you want a little more style to your green home, perhaps you might enjoy the Cal Earth Eco Dome. It is earthquake and fire proof so there is also a greater peace of mind with this home.
 
An eco-living home isn't complete without a DIY home furnace from reused materials and a conservation-friendly design that doesn't require all of the electricity usage of a normal home. The sun has what you need to regulate the temperature in your Eco Dome home.
 
     Now, you may not want an energy sucking, expensive home to run all year but that doesn't mean you don't want some of the benefits of traditional living. Even an eco-friendly home needs a cozy patio courtyard for listening to nature and admiring the stars.
 
     It has been a fabulous week with everyone and going through this has been truly fun; especially as I go through the home buying process myself at this time. Thank you all and keep checking back for Indie Author week, spotlighting up and coming children's authors with great books and reviews for you to check you. Thanks for stopping by!