Ocean Isle Beach Self Storage

This mico-cabin built in Finland is an inspiration to design, livability and art, but the pictures are only half of the story.  Check out the article on Treehugger.  The owner-architect  wanted to build a house so small that it could be built without a permit.  Small in size, but note the 2 floors.  This thing is livable.

For all of you folks that are on the fence about Brunswick County, NC check out this video. Not for the sappy romantic stuff, but for the beautiful location, our beloved Southport.  

Polish architect Jakub Szczesny has designed a built a less than 5-feet wide home in downtown Warsaw, Poland.  It converts an otherwise pointless space between two buildings to living space.  Check out in the WSJ article.  Apparently the house was built for author Etgar Keret whose father survived the holocaust by hiding in small and much less lavish digs.  This home is a tribute to his family.  Art meets architecture.

This is the main entrance to a tiny house built by Swedish architect Torsten Ottesjö using recycled and eco-friendly building materials.  Next comes the kitchen and finally the bedroom.  According to Ottesjö, if you design a space well, it doesn’t have be large or angular.  He and his wife vacate to this structure located in the Swedish countryside both winter and summer.

After seeing this I'm wondering if my digs are a little opulent.  What do you think?

Blue Tea explores quality, style and layout in their new article called Kitchen Renovation Tips to Increase Property Value

Have you ever wondered what the insides of a 16’ wide house would look like?   Above you are looking at the 2nd floor of a 3 story, 16’ wide home.  I think the owner architect Doug Sandberg did pretty well considering his lot is 18’ wide.  Needless to say, it’s a shotgun house.  This house defines “small footprint”.  

This is an idea that could enhance the "quality of life" in any community.  I hope that our city planners are taking note.  This story was featured on NPR.

Martha does it again with 24 of her Favorite Kitchens.  There is not a photo in this gallery that doesn’t just scream great design.   Look closely and you will find something that speaks to you.  Whether it is countertops, storage, flooring or shelving, there is something in here for everyone.

Building a crate is not hard, it doesn't require very many tools and all of the supplies can be found at the local building center.  OmniStorage has posted a blog article that will give you a good concept of How to Crate Your Artwork.  

Brunswick County, NC is a unique place.  In addition to over 40 miles of beautiful beach scattered out over 5 islands, there is also over 55 miles of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), numerous tidal rivers and creeks and over 30 golf courses.  It’s no wonder why families choose this county for their annual pilgrimage.  There is something for everyone.  OmniStorage has published a blog post on these 5 beautiful islands.

Consider the above.  I can identify with this Carl Richards napkin chart.   Except for me the line is much steeper.   What is your relationship to stuff?  Have too much, too little?  Give it some thought while you read Carl’s “You Probably Have too much Stuff,” his most recent contribution to his New York Times blog, entitled Bucks.

 Kristie Barnett has published an excellent article called 6 Tips for Staging Historic Homes.  6 tips don't seem like much, but read the article.  In addition to excellent advice and beautiful pictures, there is a comment section where readers have posted their ideas on the subject.

Sometimes a picture tells a 1,000 words.  Sometimes you’re not certain what it says.  This picture for example.  It seems to say “Wow! Check out this beautiful room.”  What it doesn’t say is that this beautiful room is a re-purposed shipping container.  Yes, a container that is used to move products and possessions over distance is here re-purposed as a hotel room.  Jetson Green has brought this eye-opening Chinese photo gallery to an English speaking audience.  Enjoy.

Apartment Therapy starts out with a clean slate in their article “How to Make it Yours:  the first things to do in a new home”.  The article itself is a good start, but where it really shines is in the reader comments.  The posters recommend setting up your stereo system before you start on anything.   One woman recommended bringing your favorite candle to create an atmosphere that reminds her of “home”.  Enjoy.

There is no "wiggle room" when organizing a small space.  Everything has to work together, or else it won't work at all.  Welcome to small space organization boot camp.  As usual Simple Organized Living keeps it brief and informative with these 5 simple steps.  

The beach has strict rules prohibiting the building of permanent structures.  So the family built it on their land which is contiguous to the beach, and on a sled.  When there, they slide it out onto the beach.  Upon leaving, they slide it back onto their land.  This concept has been used for lifeguard stands as well as fishing huts and just begs for more applications.