When I was young, we had an adopted set of grandparents (even though we had two sets of our own, we tended to pick up extras along the way). They lived in a small log house off a road that wound through the trees near a Montana mountain town. The house had a deep covered porch across one end and on that porch, near the door, hung a straw broom. Every morning, that broom was whisked back and forth across the porch floor, then returned to its hook.
Ever since then, in my mind, a porch should have a straw broom. Even if it's a tiny hill-billy porch that was supposed to be temporary, but will soon be going into its fourth year. Hill-billy porches need sweeping, too. And when the hook for the broom is a simple wrought iron one, all the better.
And houses need numbers, or so the holiday fill-in delivery people have reminded me every year: Is this number four? (Oops! Sorry about that.) It's just that I didn't want a $2 made in China number tacked to our house. It's a small thing, maybe even a silly thing, but I was sure I could do better. Enter this vintage porcelain house number that was still secure in its original paper package with the proud words Made in the USA printed on it. Ebay, I love you.
A house number, a broom, and a hook. Not all things on my to do list are big. Thank goodness there are smaller projects like these in the mix, keeping the cross-off factor high while delivering that luscious feeling of accomplishment. Ten minutes with a drill and screwdriver on a sunny afternoon, and the little house became even better.
Have you been looking for a tastefully designed, small house plan that lives large? You may just find what you've been seeking in the Shelter Collection - four small floor plans designed for gracious living in 900-1400 square feet. Peruse the study plans & building plans here.
