the hovel i want to call home

[bibliophile birds]

how would you classify the style of this? it has a bit of a craftsman feel, but i guess it would ultimately just be a cottage/bungalow?

my color choices would range from

to

with trim in a nice light gray like this

or something like this

with a grayish cream trim.

 

[bibliophile birds]

my friend who i lovingly call Handy Danny came by today. he's an electrician, plumber, general handyman. he's very creative in use of materials and really gets what i try to do- he did the majority of the work on my crazy mobile chicken house!

he was in that house about a year and a half ago and expressed GREAT interest in the project when i mentioned it to him today. he hasn't been under it to see the foundation, but he thinks that it's pretty sound. he said that his current house was almost that bad and he fixed it up for around $25000, but his place is a bit bigger and his wife has a tad more expensive finishing tastes than i do. his ballpark estimate was $15000 if it doesn't need a new roof and there are no major foundation issues!

the best thing about Danny is that he is the KING of reusing/recycling/re-purposing materials. he never gets rid of anything usable and is extremely generous in passing along materials- he never wants payment, just wants to see the things go to good use. he instantly started rambling off things he had stored in his shed that would work for the project! plus, his wife is leaving for Kuquait for 18 months with the military in a few weeks and he's looking for something to keep himself busy while she's gone (he works nights).

so, basically i'm about to wet myself with excitement.

 

[Farmfresh]

My house is a 1928 Craftsman bungalow in the mid-west style. I really like the bungalow design because it is so efficient in the use of space.

I also LOVE green, but I would use the same shade and go much darker. Craftsman colors always resemble what you find in nature. The house is supposed to melt into it's landscape and seem to disappear.

My house has a lot of stone showing on the foundation and some brickwork as well as some stucco. I chose a dark beige gray with white trim to pop out my exposed rafter tails and wood trim. Sorry I just don't have a decent picture to post.

Here is one of my recent (2010) bedroom redo just as we were finishing the paint. It looks quite calming with the normal lights on. Reminds me of watermelon rind. I told you I like green!

added to say

Another similarly aged bungalow up the street from me is painted that lower color of yours with cream trim and it looks wonderful!

 

[bibliophile birds]

i've been playing around with Google Earth today (isn't it the best!) and wanted to show you the images. it might give a good idea about why this part of the farm is so appealing to me.

the whole farm (extremely rough doodle- obviously we don't own half a church)


the "main" section of the farm- the part we actually use


Elmer's- the part of the farm i'm hoping to take over (where the house is)


and, hilariously, a picture of my car in the field with the mobile chicken house!


i'd be going from the hustle and bustle of a busy horse farm to quiet and solitude and my own little bit of paradise!

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Wow! In the section you want, there is tons of room to pasture and garden!

 

[bibliophile birds]

i know! i'm becoming increasingly obsessed with this project! constantly thinking of all the awesome things i could do: finally get a dairy cow, get some sheeps, build a smokehouse, have my own garden far away from my grandfather's garden (and his nosiness)!

the only thing it doesn't have that i would like is a pond. there is a nice creek, but i'd like a pond for geese and ducks. but i could always dig a pond. we've got all the equipment.

 

[Denim Deb]

I'd love to have that kind of room.

 

[bibliophile birds]

here's the layout i've worked up. i took the measurements myself so they aren't perfect, but they are close. the house is about 27ft by 27ft, which is 729 sqft.

3D view

in these, i've added a new wall in the right side room to create the little bedroom in what is now just an open room. i've also added stairs in the left side room to see what it would look like if i added a loft over the back bedroom.

 

[colowyo0809]

Wow! Such potential! That is beautiful! If it was me I'd start by tearing out the ceiling to leave it open, tear out all the walls leaving the studs, and the redo from there. And yeah, that foundation would be perfect for a cold cellar on the shack Hope it works out for you!

 

[Farmfresh]

My only suggestion is that you don't use as many complete walls. With smaller square footage the suggestion of a wall will make the space more useful and open.

For example in my little bungalow, we have two short walls and a big doorway between the living room and dining room, which keeps the space more open that a whole wall would.