Adventures in Downsizing

Many of you have asked for pictures of the house project. Here they are. We're still in the trailer, will be for another 6 to 8 weeks. But there is light at the end of our tunnel. We feel so ahead of our time, downsizing just on time to be the new Poster Family for Green Living. That's what our contractor told us we could be. Yes, we've got a much smaller carbon footprint than we had in Boston. Even though our family has grown to 5, if you include Kitty. And we're getting a special delivery of 6 more little lives in just a week and a half. Chicks.

So, here's the house we bought one and a half years ago. A face only a mother could love. We saw potential. Our friends said we must have vision...which is a nice of saying "what the hell were you thinking?".

Chris spent many a weekend shoveling lava rock and pulling out junipers. Those are the weekends we met and got to know our neighbors. They were as happy as we were to see the rocks and evergreens go.

Here's a shot of the back of the house(s). On the left the studio/garage, center house, right cottage/office. It is the buildings on the left and right that make living in a 925sf house seem do-able. Chris has an office, I have a studio. You've seen pictures already of the kid's tree house.

In the foreground is the livingroom (former dining room). Through the 2x4s is the new kitchen (former kitchen and laundry room).

In this image you are looking at a bathroom, two bedrooms and a loft! We squeezed it all in.

Bare faced wee house.

Some new detail. She's a happy alligator, we haven't named her yet. She's part of the roof support on the front porch roof.

Looking a little less scary than a few weeks before - but still, the end doesn't seem near.

Taken standing against the south wall of the living room (former dining), looking at bath (right), master bedroom, front hall closet, laundry closet.

More exterior progress. You can see a bit of the trailer we're living in on the left. The Prowler. Nice.

Check those floors out. Radiant Heat, Baby! You're looking at the front door and front window from the new dining room (former living room).


Kitchen on left, I'm standing in the dining room, worker-dude (I think it's Luke) in the living room.

The cement goes onto the radiant tubes. Yes, we're keeping the floors cement. We'll put a rust colored stain on them and give them a slightly glossy finish and it will be like an urban loft. Only in Santa Cruz.

Back of the house. A deck will go off the back, set of french doors on left are from the dining room. The set of french doors on the right are from the master bedroom and will also have a deck and you will walk down into the meditation garden.

Rain chain on the front right corner of the house, right under our happy (yet unnamed) alligator. The rest of the rain spouts will have rain catchment barrels attached. We don't get enough rain to waste.

Front of house, blue door, green windows, green roof, the stucco will be orange! Color me happy.


Master bedroom, half barrel ceiling.

The boys upper window. They have a sleeping loft in their room. It will mean they can have a playroom downstairs, or someday have separate spaces if they need them.

The wall-board is already up, though no pictures yet. Next week they tape and give it the "old world finish". And, if the sun shines we will surely get mud on the outside. So many things left, but so much has been done. Can't wait to move in!