Spring Fever!

Every year around this time I get a major case of spring fever. I cannot get enough pictures of outdoor spaces. The funny thing about my home is, as small as it is, I have a huge backyard. Its part of the reason I don't want to move! Very few new homes have big yards. What really sold me on my home was the 10 x 10 screened in porch it has. As soon as I saw it, I was hooked. One of my greatest pleasures is having a cup of coffee on it in the AM or even better, in a light rain. (my porch is the last picture with the "has been replace Kmart bistro set!) No matter how big or small your yard is, think of it as another room to your house and fix it up to enjoy!

Storage

Storage! The one thing every "smallspacer" needs to ponder! Luckily, storage has become big business and applies also to our larger spaced friends. I love new and cool ways to store things. When coming up with storage in my day to day life, the first thing I ask myself is, do I want this to be stored openly or behind closed doors? Throw in some practicality and it usually turns out fine. For example, my office desk, I tried hard to keep the things on top of it pleasant to look at. This cannot be practical all the time, but for the most part its a good start. If your stapler is boring, put it in the drawer next to you. If its funky or fab, (or you use it every 3 seconds) keep it out! Not a exact science, but it works for me!

Cottage Living

While surfing the net I came across this website with planned community cottages. They are located in Seattle Washington and tout life in the "not so big house". I love the simple but stylish designs of these homes. Check them out at www.cottagecompany.com.

The Cozy Cone

While reading ads for home sales, if you read the word "charmer" "dollhouse" "great starter home", those are all code for small. A scene in the Disney movie Cars, shows a row of motels, in the shape of orange traffic cones. The name of the motel is the "Cozy cone." While watching my 8 year old daughter declared, "Mom, we live in the cozy cone!" At first I wondered what the heck was orange in our home that made her say that! She then went on to say our home feels cozy to her. Cozy is not a word that comes easy in 3000 square feet. Cozy comes pretty natural in small spaces!

I Love White

White. The small space color of choice. A lot of people, stick with white because it can make a small space look larger. While this is true, its not why I use white. I love how white makes me feel. For me its calming. Makes the mind feel less cluttered, and goes with anything. All white rooms with bold color accents are always fabulous. I love lots of color, bold, pale and in between, but white will always be a favorite of mine.

Banquettes!

One of the things I love about living in a small space is it makes you have to plan for what you really want out of your space. I'm seeing more and more banquettes in magazines these days, and I bet they started out as a need for people with limited space. The great thing about banquettes is they can be designed so many ways. Loveseats, benches, custom built right in to a corner. I've seen them designed in country, modern, you name it! Tons of styles are out there on the net, so if you have a limited area, think about designing your very own banquette!

Tulip Tips

TulipsApril 2007Tulips are one of the easiest to grow and almost problem free flowers for the garden. They are a true spring delight sure to bring a smile. Some of our tulips are finally in bloom and the rest are ready to follow suit. Each year the tulip clumps get larger. The majority of the tulip clumps are orangish red giving a blast of wonderful colour. Somehow a clump of rosy pink and