Building a smaller home requires much more thought than building a large home. The use of space must be well thought out and concessions made.
The kitchen in our new home is 10′ X 11′, small by today’s standards, but a very workable space. Choices like painted cabinets (to make the space feel larger) and open upper cabinets helped to make the kitchen work.
Smaller doesn’t mean ordinary. Concrete countertops, buffed to a warm glow, work well with our timber frame. The open cabinets are stained a warm expresso to match the trim throughout the house. The salvaged farmsink has mass and character and with its attached drainboard is exceptionally functional.
Since our taste in dishes leans toward solid primary colors (think Fiesta Ware) and white, the open cabinets will display bright pieces and bring color into the kitchen. Baskets will hold our tablecloths and napkins. The lighted space on top of the cabinets with display bowls and serving pieces we use, but not as often.
We gave up some of the things we thought were important (a cherished antique butcher block…carted from home to home for years will now live in our son’s timber frame home) and will store larger, seldom used pieces a few steps away from the kitchen in a storage room/pantry under the stairs.
Designing and building your smaller home is about choices and lifestyles. If you need space for many cooks and prefer an eat-in kitchen, you can still build a smaller home, you’ll just need to allocate that space accordingly.
Your timber frame home can be all you want…and more…a sustainable, energy efficient model for others to follow. It will serve you well.
That said, I’ll sign off for now.
Concrete Countertops Bring Warmth to This Timber Frame Kitchen
Tags: design/build, green building, healthy homes, small homes, sustainability, Timber Frame Design, timber frame homes, timber frames, timber framing
