| Author | Content |
phicks
Lakeland, FL
(Zone 9b)
July 25, 2009
12:22 PM Post #6863486
| http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/ |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA
(Zone 9b)
July 25, 2009
01:15 PM Post #6863646
| I think the tiny houses might work for camping, but doubtful that they would work well for a more long term stay of residence. It would be interesting to know the height/size of the persons designing the "tiny houses".
They might be OK for short, petite people, but would be very uncomfortable for someone 6'7" in height (like DH). With the exception of my DB who is a runt at 5'11", all the men in my family are well over 6 ft tall. The women average 5'8" and taller. My MIL was 5'10" tall. An ecological home doesn't need to be a sardine can. |
bugme
Barnesville, GA
(Zone 7b)
July 25, 2009
02:23 PM Post #6863894
| Makes me claustrophobic just looking at the pic! |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 25, 2009
02:35 PM Post #6863932
| When I first lived in a house with tall ceilings I realized how uncomfortable 8 ft ceilings make me feel.
Then I discovered the grandiose spaces of the old southern buildings - with 12 or 14 ft ceilings. My house here has 12 ft ceilings. Now even going into a builder house with 8 ft ceilings gives me a feeling that I need to be some place else! |
phicks
Lakeland, FL
(Zone 9b)
July 25, 2009
02:52 PM Post #6863968
| i dont see any thing wrong with the house. other then its a bit to small . am six foot to id just make it taller . paul |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA
(Zone 9b)
July 25, 2009
03:25 PM Post #6864070
| Making the house taller works if you never intend to sit or lay down. Need somewhere to put the legs!
DM's current living space has a bathroom designed for short people. DH needed to use the 'loo and had to wedge himself in. The space between the end of the toilet and the shower door were so tight that he got stuck and we had to help him off the pot. Needless to say, that was an awkward moment for him.
|
phicks
Lakeland, FL
(Zone 9b)
July 25, 2009
03:33 PM Post #6864081
| LOL |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 25, 2009
03:34 PM Post #6864082
| I think it is a basic flaw of houses - and gardens - to make them too small- too cramped.
I think all my life Ive been trying to "break out" of small spaces. I grew up in a house with 3 rooms - not 3 bedrooms - 3 rooms all together for 8 people. There was no space for me.
Now I have a house with 5 - 6 bedrooms 11 rooms plus several outbuildings - 12 ft ceilings - and I spend a lot of time wondering if I shouldn't add on a laundry room or expand the kitchen. I live alone with 2 dogs.
People need enough room. However is enough is to be determined. But not enough is not comfortable. |
twiggybuds
Moss Point, MS
(Zone 8b)
July 25, 2009
03:49 PM Post #6864122
| Phicks I found that link very interesting. The other versions of housing shown were equally interesting. It ties in well with your other recent thread:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1018705/
Obviously there is a growing movement toward minimalist living thanks to economics, green concerns and fears for the ability to survive. In my view, any home at all is better than none. I'd hate to know I had to spend my life living in such cramped quarters but it's encouraging that many folks are taking some initiative. I bet they'll have a good resale value too.
I wonder if there are any subdivisions or other developments to accommodate a dense population of these "modest" structures. The zoning authorities around here would go into shock at the suggestion. They can't stand to even allow a Katrina Cottage to remain in place and they're spacious palaces in comparison.
The minimum wage just went to $7.25 I think and that won't pay rent on anything with leftover $ for living. I see a growing need for these kinds of solutions.
|
phicks
Lakeland, FL
(Zone 9b)
July 25, 2009
03:51 PM Post #6864127
| Dont for get to sign up for that Free Solar System i posted ----- Paul |
Molamola
Christiansted, VI
(Zone 11)
July 25, 2009
07:39 PM Post #6864894
| There's no room for a refrigerator, or any food, much. And as time goes on, with the design, they, umm, gradually get bigger and bigger, lol. |
podster
Deep East Texas, TX
(Zone 8a)
July 25, 2009
09:07 PM Post #6865135
| Yep ~ just like the compact cars of the early '70s! |
twiggybuds
Moss Point, MS
(Zone 8b)
July 25, 2009
09:38 PM Post #6865246
| Just what I was thinking Mola. Last month I finally had enough of my kitchen and dining area that was a cluttered dysfunctional mess. Of course that describes my whole house because I hate to part with anything that has any foreseeable value. Everything had to come out of the cabinets and the old falling apart desk drawers. Some things I haven't seen in years and others that I saw everyday and never used. I know I'm an extreme case but I just can't wrap my head around how people can live without collecting things.
I like having a selection of pots and pans for instance. What to do with all the collections I call necessaries? I guess it would give plenty of incentive to keep climbing the ladder of success and striving for a larger house.
I went to youtube to look at one of Phicks links last night and somehow ended up watching a documentary about the Untouchables in India. It's all relative.
|
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 25, 2009
09:41 PM Post #6865256
| There are some tiny tiny houses south of here and it really is amazing to see a family come out of them. Makes you wonder how they all fit in there. There will be 8 or 12 people in what looks not much bigger than a 9 x 12 space. Course they sit on the porch a lot. |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 26, 2009
06:21 AM Post #6866260
| We have a 16 x 24 foot cabin at the nursery that we use sometimes. Makes a good guest house and is cheap to heat and cool. Don’t think I would like to live in it on a permanent basis but two could live there very comfortably in a pinch.
I would prefer it to the yellow outhouse on wheels they were pulling around on the link anyway.
|
bugme
Barnesville, GA
(Zone 7b)
July 26, 2009
06:49 AM Post #6866287
| And to think, our ancestors (the settlers) actually lived in such cramped quarters. |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 26, 2009
07:47 AM Post #6866382
| Yep. Luxury is nice but I think it’s what you are accustomed to also. Growing up we didn’t have ac. Just open windows and fans. When we upgraded to an attic fan we were the envy of the neighborhood. Don’t think it is any hotter now than it was back then but at the time we didn’t have or know anything else. It was just hot. Now day’s kids stay in the house because it’s to hot outside. We stayed outside because it was to hot inside.
If the economy keeps going south we may all have the opportunity to learn what its like to live minimally.
|
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 26, 2009
08:49 AM Post #6866492
| I hope it doesn't get much more minimal than this. I don't have ac. Hopefully I will get heat before the winter comes around again. |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 26, 2009
10:07 AM Post #6866759
| Sounds like your one step ahead of the rest of us in adjusting. We have already started cutting back on the heating and cooling around here and my-better-half has started a search for feather beds. Guess I will have to figure out how to add a dog-run to the house to use in the summer. |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 26, 2009
10:48 AM Post #6866887
| lizards_keep: Its a lot easier to go with out ac in this type of house because it is designed for the climate:
tall ceilings bring the hot air up and out of the human level. A whole house fan exhausting air out of the attic would be a good accompanyment to the architecture. Also the windows are symmetrical so there are cross breezes. I leave the upstairs balcony door open so heat goes up and out. With fans to keep the air moving, it really is comfortable without an a.c. - but I would prefer to have one if I could find an electrician to install one. That is what is not available (!).
But basic archtitecture can do a lot to make houses more comfortable for less money.
I just ran across this feather bed. Not cheap. But there is a 15% coupon today only. T9G152.
Woops. Forgot the link! http://www.thecompanystore.com/parent/Basics Featherbeds/350...
This message was edited Jul 26, 2009 10:05 AM |
podster
Deep East Texas, TX
(Zone 8a)
July 26, 2009
11:12 AM Post #6866986
| New houses are definitely not designed for cross air circulation. There has been such a move toward energy efficiency. Lizards_keep instead of a dog run, you might try a screened in sleeping porch. I would 'love' one of them. Also, another one to consider is a kitchen removed from the house. |
phicks
Lakeland, FL
(Zone 9b)
July 26, 2009
11:35 AM Post #6867045
| i have a out side kitchen and laundry room here. paul |
darius
So.Appalachian Mtns, VA
(Zone 5b)
July 26, 2009
11:53 AM Post #6867104
| The 'model building code' which is the standard on which all 3 national building codes are based, calls for a minimum of 350 square feet for a permanent residence, and the average ceiling height must be 7 feet. That means a sloped ceiling in a livable attic space may be only 4' tall on the lower end, but must be high enough at the taller end to average 7 feet across the entire room. Frank Lloyd Wright was a man who insisted ceilings remain at 7 feet, as space above that was wasted. Of course, he wasn't very tall himself. He also thought bedrooms should only be 'sleeping compartments', and not the McMansion bedrooms complete with sitting area, wet bar, library and whatever else they can design...
All states (and cities within them) have the option to alter a national building code to suit their needs, but seldom are minimum space and safety requirements lessened.
Personally, I could live in a minimum size, well-designed house... as long as I had an adjacent building of at least 2,000 square feet to hold all my "stuff"! |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 26, 2009
11:54 AM Post #6867108
| Gloria125
I apologize. Did not mean to imply anything.
I truly believe that things are going to get rough in the coming years and am trying to adjust and learn new ways ( or rather relearn some of the old ways) to do things.
You may wake up one day and find that there is no more electricity. Houston was running announcements a few weeks ago that if people didn’t raise their thermostats to 80 and start conserving power they were going to start rolling black outs throughout the city for up to 30 minutes at a time. Don’t know if they ever did but the writing is on the wall ….. they can’t keep up.
After Ike people started freaking out after just a few days with out power and no stores open.
I don’t want to be one of these people. Besides I’m getting tired of paying more and more for less and less.
I concede the soap box
Podster
I have given the sleeping porch some thought and think it may be the way to go. After Reda and Ike we did sleep on the patio. Our house was designed for ac and has few windows. The only good thing about it is that it’s well insulated.
We don’t do a lot of cooking anymore but I do want to get the canning out of the house.
|
phicks
Lakeland, FL
(Zone 9b)
July 26, 2009
12:36 PM Post #6867255
| am 30 percent off the grid . paul
|
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 26, 2009
02:59 PM Post #6867855
| We designed our house for cross-ventilation and put the bedrooms on the east side, so they wouldn't get the hot afternoon sun. We never put in a/c until recently, after we lost a huge old shade tree and had two summers in a row when the heat was up in the 100's for several weeks at a time. So far I think we've only turned it on once this summer. We do use ceiling fans and have an attic fan as well. AND a big screened porch, where we eat our meals all summer, with a pass-through window to the kitchen to save steps. One thing we don't have which I really regret is any way of getting off the grid, but when we built the house in the early 70's there was nothing very practical which would accomplish that, and retrofitting would be too expensive. At our ages (both retired) we'd never get the money back, either.
I do love being able to have the house open to the fresh air, and being able to hear the marsh wrens singing at night in the reeds by the river. |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 26, 2009
04:43 PM Post #6868191
| It sounds just lovely. The sounds I have are the neighbor's stereo! |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 26, 2009
07:13 PM Post #6868674
| Well, our neighbor has had their kids' yappy dog for awhile now, but it's far enough away that it recedes in the distance as background noise. We're just aware of it because usually it's so quiet here.
I'll bet you don't even like your neighbor's taste in music, right? |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 26, 2009
07:18 PM Post #6868689
| That's right. I like classical - this is bum bum bum --- Country Music out of Nashville. |
bugme
Barnesville, GA
(Zone 7b)
July 26, 2009
07:55 PM Post #6868820
| lizards keep, agreeing with you about canning in the kitchen, the last time we did canning it was on the deck using the turkey fryer for the canner and it did a fine job. |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 26, 2009
08:45 PM Post #6869010
| I could get addicted to this sound: " . . . to hear the marsh wrens singing at night in the reeds by the river." |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 26, 2009
09:42 PM Post #6869194
| Do you know what they sound like? They have a burbling cascading song that's just lovely - it's a bit like a house wren if you're familiar with them.
My DH likes classical; I like songs you can sing - but not country. I play French artists in my studio. |
darius
So.Appalachian Mtns, VA
(Zone 5b)
July 27, 2009
09:53 AM Post #6870601
| Like Piaf? |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 27, 2009
10:00 AM Post #6870631
| Ah, oui. And also Charles Trenet and Georges Brassens. My current favorite is Isabelle Boulay, though. She's Canadian but sings with a more Parisian accent. I also really like Carla Bruni. |
darius
So.Appalachian Mtns, VA
(Zone 5b)
July 27, 2009
11:51 AM Post #6871222
| I haven't really kept up... not having a stereo for some years makes it difficult. I have lots on vinyl (mostly classical), and finally have a player to hook up as soon as I find a belt. Then I want to put them on my computer and clean them up... scratches, pops, whistles... and make cd's for frequent use. |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA
(Zone 9b)
July 27, 2009
11:56 AM Post #6871246
| I have a lot of classical on vinyl as well. Mostly Deutsche Gramaphone recordings.
The CDs seem rather flat by comparison with the vinyl. One sound engineer explained to me that a decision was made on digital recordings to omit frequencies over/under a certain level as it was perceived that the human ear could not hear those frequencies. There have since been studies that show a greater range of sound perception beyond what is "thought" to be audible. Perhaps that is why I find so many classical CDs to be flat in comparison with my vinyl.
Then again, that may have been corrected and it's just my old sound system that makes the music flat. |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 27, 2009
12:01 PM Post #6871267
| No, music aficionados say that there's a real difference in the sound quality between CDs and vinyl. Among other differences, vinyl's sound is warmer and more complex. That's why it's becoming a lot easier to find record players lately.
Actually I put my music on an iPod and play it that way. I'm sure it loses in fidelity but I don't have that good an ear anyway (although my husband does) so it doesn't matter to me, and it's so much easier than repeatedly changing CDs when I'm at the easel trying to concentrate on what I'm doing! |
darius
So.Appalachian Mtns, VA
(Zone 5b)
July 27, 2009
12:07 PM Post #6871292
| I agree that fidelity is better on vinyl even to my tin ear; on the other hand, repeated playing causes wear to the grooves... |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 27, 2009
03:49 PM Post #6872097
| Ive had my hearing tested and the results according to the technician were "surprising for a woman" since I have lost a lot perception of the highest sounds. As a freshman in college I was on the rifle team - ROTC and in those days no one thought to provide protection for our hearing. Im not sure of the total reason, but he did say the perception of sounds is different in women than in men.
I wonder how much of our entertainment has been modified to suit men rather than women? |
phicks
Lakeland, FL
(Zone 9b)
July 27, 2009
04:41 PM Post #6872304
| Hey Gloria how about doing a Article on archeology and plants? must be something you can write about mmmm ? Paul |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 27, 2009
05:01 PM Post #6872378
| Well that's what I did for about 12 years, Paul. Haven't done any recently, but I am thinking about doing one on fire ecology. I still have more questions than answers though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenbaum_House
Here is a link to the Rosenbaum House - the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Alabama.
I just noticed that the living room has the same clerestory windows that were in our Santa Barbara house - designed by one of F. L. Wright's students.
This message was edited Jul 27, 2009 4:26 PM |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 29, 2009
02:30 PM Post #6880757
| I must be the resident delinquent since I’m an old Hippie that still listens to Led Zeppelin. |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 29, 2009
02:54 PM Post #6880855
| Lizards_keep, I still have old Big Brother and the Holding Company records, along with Country Joe and the Fish and Jefferson Airplane. They're just not as easy to listen to since I can't get them onto my iPod. |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 29, 2009
03:18 PM Post #6880945
| Oh!, good stuff … not too many remember Country Joe. I had to get all my tunes switched to my laptop and then up loaded onto the ipod and other things.
Down here if you are old it is assumed that all you listen to is country. Go figure.
|
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 29, 2009
04:39 PM Post #6881292
| I still have a suitcase full of Jefferson Airplane, Led Zep, and all those oldies. My room mate worked for a record store on week ends and brought all the new records which we all taped. Now to find something to play them on. |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 29, 2009
05:01 PM Post #6881383
| A friend recently told me about a usb-turntable that he got. Supposedly comes with software to remove scratches and other noises before transferring them to cd’s. He said that it works very well. If you are interested I will get some more info for you. |
darius
So.Appalachian Mtns, VA
(Zone 5b)
July 29, 2009
05:17 PM Post #6881471
| You can find USB turntables (with clean-up software) at places like BestBuy, for under $200... |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 29, 2009
05:20 PM Post #6881483
| I looked into those technologies and wasn't sure how well they worked. Also, I have a Mac; a lot of those things are only for PCs.
This message was edited Jul 29, 2009 5:21 PM |
darius
So.Appalachian Mtns, VA
(Zone 5b)
July 29, 2009
05:22 PM Post #6881489
| They plug in to your stereo system just like a cd or tape player, and into your computer with a USB cable... as I remember. However, I only looked at them briefly early this year, as the software didn't work for a Mac. |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 29, 2009
05:34 PM Post #6881531
| I think this is how is works. The turntable plugs into the computer where it down loads the record to the hard drive. There it is cleaned up by the software. Then it can be saved or burned onto a cd or uploaded to an ipod. If I remember, it was a pretty straight forward operation. Not sure on the Mac question. |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA
(Zone 9b)
July 29, 2009
07:14 PM Post #6882020
| Would that be Country Joe McDonald and the Fish of which you speak, lizard? |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 29, 2009
10:18 PM Post #6882923
| Yes, it was Country Joe and the Fish, and it was I who spoke first of that illustrious group, mermaid. |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA
(Zone 9b)
July 30, 2009
12:46 AM Post #6883526
| Sorry for the mixup g_g...guess I should keep up with the conversation...waxing nostalgic...I still have my Stan Freeburg (St. George and the Dragonnet, John and Marsha, Day-O) and Chubby Checkers vinyl going strong. Pop them on the turntable periodically to the rolled eyeballs of guests. Hee hee. |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 30, 2009
04:17 AM Post #6883738
| Bunch of hippies. (grin) |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 30, 2009
03:37 PM Post #6885738
| Not to worry, g_m!
We visited your area in the late 60's and got to see Big Brother and the Holding Company when they were playing at some dinky tiny bar downtown. We were really impressed with her and wondered if anything would become of the group. We still have some psychedelic posters in our basement that we bought back then, and I have a Family Dog t-shirt with an art-deco design on it. Interesting times...
I just use my turntable for an old French album - and some Pete Seeger and a few others of that ilk. |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
July 30, 2009
06:40 PM Post #6886532
| Homage to all the hippies and such, up-with-whom-I-cannot-keep!! Love the music, what I know of it...
Back to tiny houses...seems like they could be a much more viable option done in groups. One and I would be far too cramped. Two or three together, which I could close off at will (say an evening space house and a morning space house or living space house and sleeping space house) and I might manage to be quite comfy...should still be a good option as the small scale of each would allow for the use of reclaimed materials... |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 30, 2009
06:59 PM Post #6886580
| But then there's a question of heating several small houses instead of one larger one, which I suspect wouldn't be as fuel-efficient. The only reason I'm sorry that I have a detached studio for my painting is that before I go over there to work I have to heat it - or cool it - so that it's comfortable, instead of being able to take advantage of the heat or coolness I've already paid for in my house. It's also a pain in the winter to have to go outside to access it. |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
July 30, 2009
07:45 PM Post #6886790
| Semi-attached is more where I was going with that. I was thinking that they would only need to be heated/cooled as needed, and situated so that that could be effective...living space and heat source in the west, sleeping in the east sort of thing. One of the least efficient things we-peoples do is live in several places at once...and I had thought of these as contiguous. Like a staggered series of playing cards, overlap only at the entrances. |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 30, 2009
08:13 PM Post #6886940
| That's interesting. Wonder how efficient that would really be. |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
July 30, 2009
09:48 PM Post #6887400
| Lol. Haven't studied enough to know. But what those tiny houses are is basically a really efficient, environmentally friendly package. The biggest problem is learning to live in something that tiny. And two connected with 2-3 inhabitants (?!) would be far more efficient use of resources than 1-3 separate units, I would think, because of the shared spaces like kitchens and baths. Certainly a living/bedroom addition would make it overall a more viable option for more couples. And that kind of space is the easiest to maintain...as long as you don't need a home theatre...
shoot...I wonder if you could just build it like a heat well, vent in summer and move upstairs in winter...those a-frame or hipped roofs...hmmm... |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 30, 2009
10:25 PM Post #6887605
| We are so spoiled with our large houses and all of our STUFF. We have friends who live in a tiny home which was built in the 1700's. The small, mostly unventilated attic housed five children in the preceding generation, in the early part of the last century. Since they live near the NJ shore, you can imagine how hot and humid that attic got in the summer, and how icy in the winter. If you've ever read Poisonwood Bible, it certainly makes you think more critically about all of our possessions and the things we feel we can't live without. That's a huge part of the problem. |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 31, 2009
02:44 AM Post #6888304
| Imagine a wagon wheel. The hub would be where you cooked, washed, and entertained. More of less the space you lived in. The spokes would be individual rooms for a specific purpose. Like a bedroom. If all you did was sleep there it would only have to be heated or cooled for the time it was occupied |
twiggybuds
Moss Point, MS
(Zone 8b)
July 31, 2009
05:44 AM Post #6888386
| Many times I've lain in bed with the weather storming or freezing and thought how great it was to be snug and safe. I remember many times leaving work after a rotten day and thinking "if I can just make it home". Even animals claim a territory. I'd be totally devastated without a home. I admire these residents for choosing ownership, modest as it is. I think maybe these should be renamed "modern starter homes" because it's human nature to want more, bigger and better and of course more stuff.
Stuff is greatly over rated. At some point, we realize much of it is a burden but cling to it for various reasons even as we complain about dusting it or shifting boxes around. A friend of mine went with another friend to clean out her mother's house after she'd died. She told me about what an ordeal it was. The woman alternately cried, was on a guilt trip every time she threw something away, mystified at why some things had been kept and just couldn't effectively deal with it. She said she resolved to clean out so her kids wouldn't have to deal with it all. I'm gradually getting around to it.
I do think that communal living will become necessary for many in the future. We simply can't go on forever building single family detached homes. Possibly Japan offers a model for the future in America with their small spaces and frugal use of energy.
|
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 31, 2009
06:22 AM Post #6888415
| I think the closest I have come to communal living was aboard ship while in the navy. You had a bunk and a locker that was yours and that was it. Everything else was with other people. You ate, slept, bathed, and pooped with other people. You had no privacy at all. I didn’t like it.
|
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 31, 2009
07:27 AM Post #6888532
| The problem with the communal living idea isn't only the space but the personalities. One expects to have a certain degree of freedom in one's own home, and there are several people I can think of who would make it very difficult to maintain any sense of either ownership or autonomy if they shared a living space with me. On the other hand it would be wonderful to have like-minded souls to share projects like cooking or canning and preserving with. |
darius
So.Appalachian Mtns, VA
(Zone 5b)
July 31, 2009
08:24 AM Post #6888659
| greenhouse_gal, I can certainly agree with you! I now live with a half-sister and we neither one like the other very much... It's the first time (as an adult) I have shared housing not out of choice, but rather, circumstances (financial). I am retired, and she will retire early in 2 years; we have nothing in common, except our deceased mother.
Now her only child (an ADHD daughter almost 22) lives here too. That creates a subtle imbalance of power and increases all the problems. My sis owns this house and I pay rent and share the utility bills, although I don't pay as much as if I had my own place alone. Even the utilities cause problems; I'm very energy conscious, and although my sis complains about the energy bills, they leave things like curling irons, fans, lights and TV's on 24/7. Drives me crazy.
We have more or less evolved into 2 separate living spaces, save the kitchen... and I'm working on that by slowly building a small everyday kitchenette in my area. I still need to use the big kitchen to bake, or can my garden stuff, which is problematic because the kitchen is always full of dirty dishes. I plan ahead, ask them in advance to clean the kitchen, and do my big kitchen chores while they are both at work.
In the best of circumstances, I'd choose to share space with someone who had some things in common with me, yet still have my privacy. Everyone needs a "room of their own"... |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
July 31, 2009
09:53 AM Post #6889009
| Boy...that's a short, sad synopsis of the problems with communal living. You always need a commune MOM to make sure everyone toes the mark. (everyone being those who don't, lol)
Best to you in that situation, Darius! Know you are capable of amazing things...
Wouldn't it be great to be able to power up a solar oven with a teeny bit of auxilliary power that would make it viable for canning and baking...siigh. If I could invent half the stuff I think up!! |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 31, 2009
09:58 AM Post #6889043
| Wow, Darius, that does NOT sound like a good situation, especially the kitchen. When she retires in two years it might well become untenable. Do you have any other options? It must be particularly hard because this is where you garden, right?
My daughter had a roommate whose adult daughter moved in, and it made the situation extremely difficult. Her roommate didn't see that costs should then be divided into thirds, with her paying two of them, and it became very tense.
I love my sister but could never live with her. I think we'd kill each other; our circadian rhythms and general lifestyles are totally opposite. |
darius
So.Appalachian Mtns, VA
(Zone 5b)
July 31, 2009
11:31 AM Post #6889422
| Yes, it does point out some of the potential problems with 'communal' living. My neighbor down the street isn't much better off though, with a husband, and a grown son at home.
I wish I did have other options... and actually I do, IF I were willing to give up a few things, like my garden, or my beloved mountains... sigh. |
greenhouse_gal
Port Elizabeth, NJ
(Zone 7a)
July 31, 2009
01:06 PM Post #6889771
| Yes, we were thinking about a house in France that a friend is selling, but it has NO land at all, not even for a driveway. Moving from a twenty acre place on a river would be too hard, even to go to France!
You're right, though; it doesn't have to be a stepsister or roommate who makes your life difficult; a spouse and kids can accomplish that just as handily. |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
July 31, 2009
02:57 PM Post #6890165
| Don’t feel bad grownut, someone will come along and take your idea and make a killing on it one day. Happens all the time.
I happen to have invented the weedeater at the early age of 7 or 8. Tied a bolt or nut to the end of a string and had a hi ol time cutting the seed heads off the Johnson grass by twirling it. Then some greedy individual came along and put a motor on the thing and became a millionaire. Story of my life – day late and a dollar short. LOL
The communal village my work where every family unit had a private space to “live” and everyone did a share of the work to make ends meet. Unfortunately there will always be a bully or greedy person around to screw things up.
The wife did a paper on a cashless society where everyone received credit for their worth. Kind of a no work no eat type affair. It was based on the premise that everyone has some worth. An old person unable to do hard manual labor still had worth in that they could man a day care and take care of the children of the ones that could do manual labor. Since nothing was free, everyone had to do something to accrue credits to trade for things they needed. This assured that everyone did his or her fare share of work for the society.
Sounds good but you still have to have a boss or a communal Mom as grownut puts it to keep things humming along. This is where it breaks down. Where you have power you will find greed and corruption.
This message was edited Jul 31, 2009 3:10 PM |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
July 31, 2009
03:11 PM Post #6890215
| That's about too true, Liz. If we could just invent a commune MOM to ride herd on everyone...just think of the possibilities!! |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA
(Zone 9b)
August 02, 2009
04:23 PM Post #6898469
| Here is another type of tiny home. This one is 84 sq ft, build of recycled materials and looks rather cute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6izsZ-tv_V0&feature=related |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
August 02, 2009
04:39 PM Post #6898522
| Cool. Another good 'un. Not everyone's banana, but that's a house even I could clean... |
twiggybuds
Moss Point, MS
(Zone 8b)
August 02, 2009
06:32 PM Post #6898990
| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4BBTxrC6zs&feature=related
I thought this one was real interesting too. It looks like there are now and will be lots of choices in the future. |
