Living Designs

When people think about decorating their homes, they often think about "buying" things, and getting things finished. But a home can be an expression of deep needs for belonging and being able to express the self without fear of judgment. As much as a a house may belong to us, we may wonder if we belong to a home. It can be extremely therapeutic to consider one's home a process of self and family expression, rather than a showroom for someone else's design, or a showroom of market determined values. If you're decorating or modeling your house thinking only of its resale value, can you truly feel "at home"? Are you afraid that if you hand-paint a wall, as this wall in the picture, someone else will think your house "too funky"? Ah, as long as the walls are intact, the cellar dry, the electric wiring good, the plumbing operational, why not express yourself fully? You can repaint that wall before selling your house. But I also believe that a home w...

The Yurt : July 13, 2006 This is my 20 foot-wide yurt on an island off the coast of Portland, Maine. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside is a mystery of light and space. I built it as a means to have a place I could live in when others were using my family's cabin, because I want to live simply during months when it is feasible. The aesthetics of living in a building where you can hear the birds, the ocean, the wind--all very clearly--is very different from those of living in a building where you hear televisions, cars, loud music you may or may not like. Living without electricity really gets you to think about energy and light. Living without running water really gets you to think about how much water you use daily generally when in contemporary housing. That awareness can bring a greater appreciation and value to resources we take for granted. Summer 2006 readings: Gawande, Atul. "The Malpractice Mess: Dealing with Doctors' Mistakes." (2005, ...