Assortment

Becoming Home: The Laundry

And there was laundry to fold. And that load of whites, only half-dry, waited on the chair for its turn in the dryer again, because the basketball uniform had to be quick-dried first – there’s that game in a couple of hours. (And on the computer, Holly Becker’s website, Decor8, because you remembered, mid-laundering, that she was going to show her arriving-any-day-now baby boy’s nursery reveal. Of course you had to take a look.) 

And your mind wanders as you fold that laundry. All those napkins, goodness. Must not have been a single clean one left in the basket down the hatch in the banquette, where they’re kept. And, napkin after napkin, you think about clothing and laundry and how it’s changed since the little house – well, since the camper, really, that kick-start into small space living.

Once upon a time in your life, there was a walk-in closet. Now? Now, you have eighteen inches of hanging rod space in your bedside wardrobe to call your own, and really? That seems to be enough (and, oh how luxurious did eighteen inches feel after having had only nine inches of hanging space in the camper that winter!). Of course there are those four drawers for t-shirts, undergarments, and athletic clothes in the wardrobe to the right of the desk, four each for your man and you, and those three under-bed totes each, like drawers under the bed. That’s where you keep your bulkier things, like sweaters and jeans.

And you think about how it’s time to purge your wardrobe again. Thin out the things you rarely wear. Yes, J.Crew shirt, I’m talking about you. And North Face running shirt that’s just too short? Time to go. And why on earth would you keep three pair of wool tights when all you ever wear is one? Time to pack up a bagful and make a few dollars at the consignment shop on main street in the next town over.

And that brings your thoughts back to the laundry. And how it rarely seems to be a monster anymore. How the three hamper-crates upstairs, and the big hamper basket in the wardrobe downstairs hold the dirty just fine. How washing, then drying one load nearly every evening, then warming the load in the dryer for a bit to loosen the wrinkles before folding them in the morning, seems to work just fine, too. Sometimes, the machines are humming during the day, and on weekends, too – yes, it’s real life around here, but over all, you can’t help but be in love with the fact that fewer clothes makes less laundry. And of course, having those six boy hands folding and putting away their own is a bonus all around.

 

 

Wishing you the loveliest of weekends, friends!

 

In case you’re curious about our washer and dryer, they are:

WM1355HW 24"  LG compact front load washer similar
DLEC855W 24" LG compact ventless dryer similar

 

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Becoming Home: Loft Inspiration

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In the wake of the loft reveal, I thought I’d write a bit today about the inspiration behind our loft, and how it came to be.

I suppose it goes all the way back to my childhood, really. I grew up in a small valley surrounded by mountains in northwest Montana. I come from a stout stock of people who were take-what-you-have-and-make-do types. We lived simply, with used furniture in quirky, mostly old houses (except for the four years that we lived in the Big House – the house that kind of blew all our minds).

There was no such thing in our world as interior design. In fact, I didn’t even know such a thing existed until I was in my late teens, and even then, I didn’t realize it could be a career choice.

There was no such thing as actually ordering bedding, curtains, or bath ensembles (those coordinating bath ensembles that I thought were so amazing!) from the Sears catalog. The catalogs in our house were just for looking at.

In our world, you used an old sheet with a coordinating floral pattern, and you made curtains from it. Or, you scrounged the bag of hand-me-downs and re-structured (albeit in a very novice way – oh, some of the pieces I tailored!) garments to fit better.

I learned that I had to make what I wanted with what I had or what I could find. I learned that my creativity was the key to bringing into reality something that had started as a vision in my mind. I learned to persevere and not give up. I poured over images of beautiful things and beautiful spaces, not in a jealous sort way, but as one who was ready to be taught and inspired. In the process, I found that it costs nothing to appreciate good design.

So, here we were, a couple years ago, with a wonderful little cabin in the works. One that was large enough to hold us, and small enough to challenge me. I would have to draw on all that I’d learned along the way to make it work.

One of the most important things to me was listening to the needs and wishes of everyone who’d be living here, and then taking those needs and wishes, and balancing them against reality. A wish that came up from our oldest boy was that he wanted his own room (we’d been watching season one of the Waltons & John Boy had his own room). Even though the sheer (lack of) size in this little house would clearly prevent that from happening, I took his desire seriously and told him I’d see what I could do.

Use what you have.

Think outside the box.

See what happens.

I began to draw inspiration for this new vision of how I could give each boy his own private space inside a single room. I thought of boat design (those boat designers know a thing or two), of train design (berths!), of pioneer cabins (trundle beds), of military barracks (non-standard bed sizes) – anything that successfully condensed a lot into a little.

I began to troll the internet for images that spoke what I was thinking. More lines were filled in. More details were drawn into the picture that was forming for our loft space. Like tumblers clicking into place in a combination lock, the details came together, and the finished plan was born. Out of what we had, a wish was granted.

Following is a blog post I wrote in March of 2012, back when the loft plan was beginning to take shape, showing some of the images that I’d found that helped write the story of our loft. I thought you’d like to see…

 

There's a book that’s been much looked at and loved here, lately:  How to Make Play Places & Secret Hidy Holes. Yes, imaginations have roused to life with all the cubbies, shelters, tents and cocoons one can make with cloth, cardboard and wood.

It must be the same interest in the sheltering feeling of small spaces that caused me to have Small Home Designs and Inside the Not-So-Big House lying on the floor next to my bed right now. Treasures. Including this, found on the fly-leaf of Small Home Designs, hand written by a knowing soul:

"Dedicated to those who don't want to build mansions."

Love.

And, seeing that the words are written in a classic grandma-perfect hand, most surely by one who had known the beauty of small in her life, I find myself agreeing most wholeheartedly, seeing how she obviously knows.

 

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While thinking along these lines, I noticed that there is small, then there is the small within the small. Like the bed nook. Not a room, but a carved-out portion for the bed, linens, pillows, books, art, lamps, sleeping.  So much with so little.

Keep looking and you'll see what I mean...

 

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Are you nodding your head, too?

On Winter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m such a winter girl. Love the snow; love the hush that blankets the earth. Love the endless sparkles at my feet. Wool and down, and warm winter boots for a bundled-up walk by the river on a Sunday afternoon.

Blue sky had cracked through the thick storm clouds; the sun shone through. We made first tracks in the powder, like walking through sugar.

Nellie girl found a bird wing to play with, I captured eagles and geese through my lens. We saw ducks, too, swimming around. But mostly, it was just quiet. Plain and simple quiet, the kind that trickles down, right down inside, and settles what needs settling.

It was only an hour that we were there, looping through the snow-laced woods. A perfect hour.

 

 

Good morning, friends! Happy Monday to you. I have to say  a gracious thank you for all the loft love on Friday! I’m glad you so enjoyed spending some time up there. I’ll be working my way through the questions in the comments, stay tuned for answers!

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