tiny houses

Would you ever consider living in a tiny house? There's a whole tiny house movement happening in response to the trend of houses in the US getting bigger and more expensive (even though families are getting smaller). People live in tiny houses for a variety of reasons, but many people do it to reduce their environmental footprint, eliminating clutter, save money, live debt free, and re-connect with the world outside their front door. You can read about one family's reasons for going tiny here.

I've lived in some pretty small apartments, but I don't know if I'd actually be able to commit to a truly tiny house (we're talking 200 sq ft here). As you may know, I'm not so good with minimalism. I can certainly get behind the idea of scaling down though, especially with rent and housing prices in the Bay Area these days. Being able to build your own home for $30K and not having to worry about a rent or mortgage payment sounds pretty amazing!

Even if you're not ready for a tiny home, I think many houses could benefit from some of the creative storage solutions that people have come up with in their tiny homes. I wish more apartments had as much built-in storage as some of these. Check out those drawers built into the stairs!

This couple built a table with hydraulic legs, so it can be raised to use as a kitchen counter, or lowered for a dining table. Oh, and the sides have hidden drawers! Why doesn't IKEA sell this?

And don't forget the most fun use of lofted space: ceiling hammocks! 

Want to learn more? Watch the documentary Tiny: A Story about Living Small (its available on Netflix) and  check out more of my favorite tiny houses on my Pinterest page. Then buy your own tiny house from Tumbleweed!

[Photos from top to bottom: tiny cabin via Country Living, built-in bookcases via Jessica Helgerson, cabinet drawers via Kokopelia, adjustable table via Dwell, ceiling hammock via Tiny House Pins]

diy inspiration garland

I've been adding some bright and fun decorations to our office so my desk will seem like a more pleasant place to work (it's totally worked and I'm definitely not typing this post from our living room couch, btw). Hanging this colorful inspiration garland added a big splash of color and pattern to the wall with a minimal amount of money and effort.

After making my ribbon hanger, I thought I might be able to use twine to hang even more things above my desk. I wanted something akin to a bulletin board (remember those?) for hanging up photos, magazine clippings, and cards I find inspiring. Even though I love Pinterest, it's still nice to physically pin things up now and then. Rather than buying and having to hang a bulletin board, I just used mini clothespins (which I'd been wanting to buy for ages, they're so adorable!). 

If you want to make your own, all you need is twine, mini clothespins, and tacks. I used mini clips from Cavallini, but Knot & Bow also has some that are even smaller. Just measure out one or two lengths of twine, hang it between two tacks, and then start pinning up your favorite images!

The best part is, it's easy to change what's hanging up without putting more holes in the wall. If I get tired of looking at one image, I just unclip it and and replace it with another. So easy!
Or if I get tired of the whole thing, I'll just pull it down and there will only be 4 tiny tack holes in the wall. No commitment!

the bookshelves of my dreams

Hey, remember it was my birthday last weekend? In case you still want to get me a gift, I'll take these bookshelves and this library ladder please (oh and I'll also need a new house with really high ceilings, thanks). I have been waiting and waiting for the fall issue of domino to come out so I could finally see these bookshelves, and I think they were worth the wait! Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook is an absolute decorating genius, and I'm green with envy over these shelves. 

What's that, you wanted to see the side view? Yep, still fantastic. She styled them beautifully as well. It's so nice to see shelves actually full of books that look like they've been read and used. It seems like so many shelves you see in photo shoots these days are just full of art and vases with a few pretty books thrown in for good measure. Oh, and don't even get me started on how gorgeous those hardwood floors are. 

OK, one more photo. Close-up on that vintage library ladder. I've been wanting one of these since I was a kid. If I had one, I'd be sliding back and forth all day LIKE IT WAS MY JOB. How does that song from Beauty and the Beast go again? Actually, maybe it's better if I don't get one...

Check out the full post on LGN for even more photos. And if you don't quite have the cash for custom built-ins yet, she also has a great post on how to DIY the look using IKEA shelves. 

[all photos from Little Green Notebook]