This has been a fun process for me because I've decided to downsize considerably in order to justify having a few nicer things in the small space. I'll be going from an 1,800 sq ft home with separate garage/workshop to a 530 sq ft apartment above a 500 sq ft garage/workshop. This is an experiment for me both in simple living as well as in designing a living space that will cost as little as possible to heat or maintain. I'm also a bachelor, so it's a bit easier making a tiny space work. This structure is also being built on the edge of an heirloom fruit orchard of mine (16 acres), and much of my time is spent outdoors. The apartment is a comprised of a main living space divided into three areas: a well-equipped little kitchen, a dining area, and a home office. There's also a separate bedroom with a large closet as well as a full bath. The workshop/garage is large enough to hold a pick-up truck, tractor, a laundry area, a workbench, and three large chest freezers for storage. My challenge has been to take a serious look at what I truly need and I'm willing to give up in order to make this space work. I've learned a lot about myself in the process. In particular, a piano is more important to me than a sofa! When guests come to visit, our time indoors will have to be spent around the dining table. This is a concession I decided to make in order to have space for an upright piano. I also had to give up having a big, comfortable leather club chair and ottoman for reading and relaxing. Instead, I opted to have an over-sized bed (California King), really comfortable dining room chairs and an ergonomic chair for my desk (Aeron). Having sized down so drastically though, I will own my home outright (and all of its contents.) It's also been designed to be so well-insulated and airtight that I'll have a monthly utility bill of around $195/mo that will cover all space heating, air conditioning, hot water, electricity and propane, including a gas range and a top of the line steam shower. My Scrimps have turned out to be what I've simply given up: *No formal living room *No sofa *No space for a comfortable leather chair *No guest room My Splurges are: *Kohler Unwind Luxury Steam Shower (with six shower heads) *Sun Valley Bronze architectural hardware *Custom made Cedar garage and entry doors *Custom made Cherry kitchen cabinetry *Custom made Cherry rolltop office desk *Custom made Cherry Shaker Panel bed and nightstands with storage drawers beneath *6 Cherry dining chairs & table by Gary Weeks & Co. *BlueStar LP gas range *Yamaha Avant Grand N2 piano *Lie-Nielsen Roubo workbench (in garage) *BR-111 Tiete Rosewood floors and staircase *Sorpetaler Triple-Glazed European windows (from Germany) *Farrow & Ball paint *Caesarstone countertops *Rohl faucets and apron kitchen sink *Fisher & Paykel refrigerator/freezer *Bosch dishwasher *Motawi tile for bathroom and kitchen backsplash *Jaga...

Indigo, it has to be better than mine. My rooster isn't an antique nor is it special. Can you find a picture online of it? Ded, roosters in the kitchen has a long history and apparently a spirtual meaning although I haven't looked it up. Geese were a 1980s thing and I never bought one thank you very much.! lol Look what I found in a drawer. It was in a ziplock full of little things when I had a shadow box back in the 80's. Remember those? :) Picture was taken from the internet. It's marked "Wade England" and when I googled it I think IU may start a tiny collection to put in an obscure place in the house. It's 1 3/4" tall.

It’s very windy in Winter Garden right now. Rain, too, but not like Ian! My hubby works for Lowe’s and they are open today! I can’t imagine they’ll have much business. Donna PS-Rubyclaire, the folks who will be our across the street neighbors in Live Oak just moved up from Orlando a couple of years ago. A Florida meet-up would be really fun!

the UPPER PENINSULA of michigan is something like 3167 miles north of me... as i am 15 miles north of toledo ... and 626 to my favorit area coper harbor mi ... even for a Texan.. thats a long way away ... the real mystery.. is what reference i made to the UP ... that BK remembers... ken https://duckduckgo.com/?q=adrian+mi+to+copper+harbor&atb=v298-1__&iaxm=directions&source=directions&start=what%3AAdrian%252C%2520MI%2Cwhere%3AUnited%2520States&end=what%3ACopper%2520Harbor%252C%2520MI%2Cwhere%3AUnited%2520States&transport=automobile