Be it ever so humble…

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I do enjoy looking at places like this… as a reminder of how little we really need when it comes to shelter.

We spend our entire lives working to pay for our homes and to maintain them… not to fulfill our need… but for the sake of comfort and luxury.

Be it ever so humble…2019-06-29T11:06:35+00:00

Abandoned homes are full of memories

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The large branch on that tree out front would have been perfect for a long rope swing.
I betcha this house was once full of children, all who eventually grew up and went off to the big city to seek their fortune.
But, they left a real treasure behind.
Such a sweet little house.
Abandoned homes are full of memories2019-06-29T11:06:34+00:00

The clawfoot bathtub

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When it comes to comfort, a clawfoot tub cannot be beat.
Here we have a modern take on the traditional soaking tub.
I encourage all my clients that when the time comes to pick out their tub that it is important that they get into the tub on the showroom floor, sit down, and lean back… most modern tubs, including Jacuzzis, are instruments of torture in comparison to these cast iron classics.

The clawfoot bathtub2019-06-29T11:06:32+00:00

Small and tall

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Small and Tall.
“Nine over Nine” windows… each nearly as large as the front door.
This little house appears to have ten foot ceilings, a steep pitched roof, and a proud chimney.
Sweet huh?
Small and tall2019-06-29T11:06:31+00:00

Beach house

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It’s this time of year that I like to remember that there are handmade houses of a different kind in a much warmer place. 🙂

Beach house2019-06-29T11:06:30+00:00

Good workmanship vs bad

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I’ve seen this many times before.

Here we have a gorgeous antique cabin.

Don’t we all just love that massive stone chimney?

Aren’t we all impressed with the visual impact that such a prominent feature adds to this home?

Once again, being bold has paid off.

The simple beauty of this cabin draws us in to look closer and it is upon that close inspection that we notice the messy chinking that has been applied between the logs of this vintage structure.

But for some unknown reason, this awful mess is only on one side of the door and on the logs above it. The rest of the cabin looks beautiful. The chinking has been applied correctly to the right side of the front door and around the end of the cabin, all the way to the chimney.

It’s heartbreaking to see that such poor care was given to a major part of this historic cabin. At first it’s somewhat confusing as to why half the cabin would look so bad, and yet the other half appear to have been lovingly cared for.

If I had to guess, based upon years of experience, I would say that this cabin’s owners hired someone to chink the cabin and that after a day of him working on the home he was “removed”, and then later someone who knew what they were doing… someone with skill… someone who worked with care…  was brought in to finish up the rest of work.

Were there any lessons learned here by the owners? Probably… you know, the ones we all know so well, but sometimes fail to remember or to practice…

“Never hire the lowest bidder.”

“Hire the best, leave the rest.”

“You get what you pay for.”

“Good work is rarely appreciated, but bad work is always seen.”

“It’s cheaper to do it right the first time, than it is to do it twice.”

 

 

Good workmanship vs bad2019-06-29T11:06:29+00:00

Do you have a favorite window?

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Imagine if you were challenged to come up with the best window that you could imagine… what would it be like?

And then, when the comes time to build your next home… make sure that dream comes true!

Do you have a favorite window?2019-06-29T11:06:28+00:00

A log and stone home

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Log and stone.
What a great home!
If I may be so bold as to suggest a “if I had built this” comment…
I just can’t help myself…
It’s the way I am… lol…
It’s challenging to find a more attractive house than the ones that feature the combination of log and stone.
I would have made one little adjustment on this home that I feel would have made it much more appealing… I would have built the stone addition a different size than the log section, rather than having it as a continuation of the existing log structure.
Here I would have made the stone section one-and-a-half story tall and I would have recessed it a foot or two back from the front of the log section. This subtle change would have made each section “pop” and celebrated each section’s uniqueness.
And, of course, (while I’m making changes), I’d have added a welcoming porch across the front of the cabin.
A log and stone home2019-06-29T11:06:27+00:00
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