Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Invest in basics that are pretty enough to display.


Compliments of Lauren Oster
Photo By: Rachel Whyte

Hi Friends,

Since hidden storage is at a premium, many tiny house dwellers keep things like dishes out in the open — and choose pieces that brighten the corners they occupy. Bigger-house dwellers should follow their lead, no?

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...


We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you.

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Live well,
Yvonne

Monday, January 30, 2017

Square footage ain't nothin' but a number


Compliments of Lauren Oster

Hi Friends,

Radical downsizing may be a daydream for most people — but the intrepid folk who live in itty-bitty homes have a thing or two to teach the rest of us about living the good life and making the most of what we’ve got.

Whether you’re in a downtown studio apartment or a one-room cabin in Montana, your home’s footprint doesn’t have to prevent you from living large; with a bit of strategic thinking (and a well-constructed loft bed, of course), any space can feel like a palace.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...


We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you.

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Friday, January 27, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 19 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster/Laurie March
Photo By: Don Hamilton Studio

Hi Friends,

Designing a Home From the Ground Up. Few of us have the time or inclination to assemble our own nests, but tiny home dwellers often do, and they enjoy the satisfaction of living spaces tailored to their personal specifications. What could be cost-prohibitive and tedious for a sprawling family home is, in miniature, more like an exquisitely demanding hobby. Plus, customization gives tiny house builders the freedom to choose the features they really want...cocktails in the shade, anyone?

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...


We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you.

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 18 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster
Photo By: Bodega Pictures

Hi Friends,

Skylights. Nothing opens up a diminutive bedroom/loft like a regal view of the sun (and stars). Bonus: The odds of accidentally flashing the neighbors via a skylight are reassuringly low.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...


We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you.

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 17 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster

Hi Friends,

Lucite Furniture. Space-age case goods might be a square peg in a round hole for rustic cabin living, but they’re right at home in more modern nooks, and provide a terribly convenient place to put one’s feet up without adding visual clutter.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...


We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you.

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 16 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster
Photo By: Bodega Pictures

Hi Friends,

Curtains (for Everything But the Windows). Closet and cabinet doors: Who needs ‘em? When living and storage space compete for the same few hundred feet of territory, tucking stuff behind a cloth panel is as good as willing it out of existence.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...


We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you.

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Monday, January 23, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 15 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster
Photo By: Escape Traveler

Hi Friends,

Windows, Windows, Everywhere. Tiny-house experts tell prospective buyers and builders to keep their window-to-wall ratio high, and it’s easy to see why; light, scenery and ventilation are all lovely, but the impression of extra space is priceless.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...


We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you.

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Friday, January 20, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 14 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster
Photo By: Paul Bradbury

Hi Friends,

Paying Cash. It’s hard to deny the appeal of living without a mortgage (as the majority of tiny house owners do). What’s an extra room or two compared to the feeling of being debt free? Plus, fewer debts mean more money to do the things you really love (Hello, Bonnaroo.)

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...


We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you.

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 13 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster
Photo By: Mint Images - Tim Pannell

Hi Friends,

Reducing Dependence on the Grid. Tiny house dwellers who aren’t quite ready to simplify their way out of running water can still take charge of their energy use by using generated, solar, or wind power instead of a public source. While self-sustaining homes aren’t necessarily cheap or easy to get up and running, their proud owners say the simplicity they deliver is more than worth the trouble. Speaking of simplicity...

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

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Live well,
Yvonne

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 12 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster
Photo By: Portland Press Herald

Hi Friends,

"Creative" Plumbing. "Going with the flow" in a diminutive space can mean...well, not having a flow in a traditional sense at all. Some mobile tiny homes use gravity-fed rainwater collected on their roofs for bathing, while others have composting toilets (or outhouses across the yard.) It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, to be sure, but it is an intriguing way to go green and save space.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 11 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster
Photo By: Bodega Pictures

Hi Friends,

High Ceilings. A shipping-crate-turned-home has a certain industrial cool, but tiny house hunters know a few extra inches of attic space can be the difference between a single story and two. That’s seriously high-value real estate.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Monday, January 16, 2017

Happy Martin Luther King Day


Photo Compliments of Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Hi Friends,

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech on Wednesday, August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington, DC. Words that resound in our history today, however, most publications only reveal a portion of the speech and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share the speech in it's entirety.

I HAVE A DREAM
By Martin Luther King, Jr.
Wednesday, August 28, 1963

"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Friday, January 13, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 10 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster
Photo By: Brian Patrick Flynn

Hi Friends,

Retro Chic. If your tiny home is literally a vintage Airstream, carrying that atomic-era coolness inside is a given. That said, dwellings of all sorts lend themselves to playful midcentury details—trailers don’t get to have all the fun.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

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Live well,
Yvonne

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 9 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster/Brian Patrick Flynn
Photo By: Flynnside Out Productions

Hi Friends,

A Throw Rug (or Two). When a home’s footprint is small, its floor coverings follow suit — and for tiny house dwellers, throws are a strategic way to roll out the welcome mat without rolling out an entire carpet. Perfect.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 8 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster/Michelle Edgemont
Photo By: Melissa Edgemont

Hi Friends,

Bud Vases. A simple vessel with a single bloom or two fits anywhere and everywhere, delivers maximum impact with minimal effort, and is just plain elegant — no wonder they’re de rigueur in tiny homes. Plus, hanging them on the wall or in the windows saves valuable horizontal space.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 7 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster
Photo By: Wind River Tiny Homes

Hi Friends,

Gorgeous Wood. Tiny houses have no room to hide their skeletons, so tiny house builders often choose construction materials that can stand on their own as interior surfaces. Bare wood is ultra-efficient and awfully good-looking.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Monday, January 9, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 6 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster/Paige Morse
Photo By: codyulrich.com

Hi Friends,

Pocket Doors. Interesting from an architectural-history perspective? Yes. The difference, in some tiny houses, between being able to eat dinner at a table and having to balance it on your knees? Also yes. All hail the pocket door, form and function in one satisfyingly slim package.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Friday, January 6, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 5 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster

Hi Friends,

A Luxe Loft. In traditional homes, loft spaces are often bonus quarters for occasional guests or little ones. In a tiny home, a loft takes on the importance of a master bedroom—because it is the master bedroom.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 4 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster

Hi Friends,

Mobility, park for a bit and tow yourself somewhere else when it’s time to move on. It’s no accident that many tiny house lovers go starry-eyed over classic trailers; a home on wheels is a must-have for the modern nomad.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 3 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster

Hi Friends,

The Perfect Spot. Since tiny homes themselves are comparatively inexpensive to construct, going tiny means the freedom to think outside the housing development —and the ability to settle down almost anywhere. Want to live on acres of farmland? Go for it. Fancy a woodsy spot upstate? If you can find a clearing that's up for grabs, you can put down roots there...

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 2 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster
Photo By: Tumbleweed

Hi Friends,

Itsty-Bitsy Appliances. Portable dishwashers that are only a foot and a half tall, two-burner electric cooktops, mini-fridges tucked beneath the stairs: Almost every gigantic chef’s-kitchen contraption has a (very) little sibling perfect for meal prep in close quarters.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...

We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!





Live well,
Yvonne

Monday, January 2, 2017

Tiny House Dwellers Obsessions Series: Day 1 of 19


Compliments of Lauren Oster

Hi Friends,

Packing up and moving into a micro-home means hanging on to the features (and stuff) you love best and kissing the rest goodbye. So, which perks and possessions do less-is-more house hunters cherish most? Read on during our series this month to learn what makes a huge difference in close quarters. For the first day of our series features Eye-Popping Paint. For every itty-bitty-house enthusiast who wants their home to blend into the landscape, it seems there are another three who want their digs to be DayGlo bright — and why not? Electric yellow might get old fast on a full-size dwelling, but in small doses it’s pretty adorable.

WORK LESS, LIVE MORE...


We welcome our Tiny House owners to comment or share their challenges and opportunities with us; look forward to hearing from you...

Check back for more "Tiny House" obsessions from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!





Live well,
Yvonne

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Happy New Year!



Hi Friends,

May the New Year bring you joy, prosperity and good fortune...

Happy New Year from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!




Live well,
Yvonne