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!

Architecture and Design #4

          Architecture and Design week is almost over but we're not done yet!

House #1

     This Studio City modern design by Keven Stirdivant is unique in many ways. The front door is joined by a walking bridge crossing onto the top of a three car garage on a sloping lot. The top of the garage becomes usable space on a fantastic deck, overlooking Los Angeles and all of the beauty of Southern California. The left side of the photo is the stunning pool deck with surrounding miniature golf course and beautiful landscaping. The structure is elegant but nothing is over the top. All aspects of this house have function as well as style.

     I love this interior. It is just as unique has the exterior snapshot with a little more glamor and sophistication but nothing that takes away from the intelligent design of the home. The wall coverings and light fixtures are fabulous, and I love the side paneling on the walls. For everyday living, you might drop the side frames around the fixtures, but overall it's a gorgeous house.

     This is a shot from this year's Modernism Week in Palm Springs, CA. This particular piece is in Joshua Tree, CA. This type of outdoor design and unique art goes hand in hand with the exterior architecture of the home and the style. It's a fabulous and a very similar design is usable as a back patio or gazebo area.

House #2


     Also from Modernism Week, this Shields Residential is a Palm Springs Mid Century Modern design. It is a stunning piece of property in one of the most beautiful cities in California.

     Initially I had a different master bath design but then I realized this design idea gives continuity to the architecture from the exterior to the interior. The modern design is still true to the home and the Southern California lifestyle; and the round mirror just stands out. Excellent design pieces like this don't need intricate moldings or décor pieces.

     I also had a different pick for the backyard but it just didn't fit the home at all. This backyard however does. The landscaping and palm trees in the background are exactly what a typical pool area and surrounding greenery would like in Palm Springs for this price range and architectural style. It blends perfectly with no fancy decks or anything else. The backyard streamlines to the city all around. It's still simple because there are no huge waterfall rock formations or waterslides, or fancy patio chairs. This works with the home and the area.

 



House #3

 

     I was going to do another New York City townhome as a more cozy abode but this house is so grand and more fun to work with; so I chose it to be the final home of the day. The growing greenery all over the home takes you away from city life and gives a calmer ambiance. The black and white architecture color pallet gives the home the ability to bask in its true glory as a grand home with an East Coast feel, or Hollywood Hills essence. It's a more simple structure than many mansions these days but it doesn't need to be anything else than what it is. It's already perfect in my opinion.

     Naturally a home all white on the outside would be all white on the inside with East Coast charm and design. The floors give all the color you need, and again, the touch of greenery makes it a home. Look at all of the natural light coming in. The light fixtures are elegant as well but they're not ostentatious. The home has its own splendor so you don't need expensive chandeliers or elaborate cabinetry.

     The first picture already shows what the pool area and backyard has to offer but a home that is on the East Coast, especially like Connecticut or New York, should have all year around swimming. The winter is no place for an outdoor swim in the Northeast but when you have money for a home like this one while raising a family, you have money to keep them entertained all year long with an indoor swim park. Why not?