When can I move in?

"Let's sleep on the balcony tonight." I think this is my all-time favorite bed ever. The Mann house in Sonoma Valley, California, by Fernau + Hartman Architects.

Christie Keith asked her Dogged blog readers to imagine where they'd live, if they could live somewhere else.

Fernau + Hartman Architects have designed several homes in Northern California that would be just perfect for me, thanks.




More wonderful photos here, at Desire to Inspire.

1913 Craftsman, restored

This old house: saved from demolition in 1989, moved to a new site, rewired, replumbed, repainted and refinished to perfection. Photos by Christine Cotter for the L.A. Times. Read the article here.

Before:

"In the living room, plywood once covered the stained-glass windows on the fireplace wall. In this family photo, homeowner Wendy Harn's father, Don Harn, uncovers the beauty underneath."

And after:

"Since 1913, it's had many different lives," Harn says. " The windows were covered with plywood. Wainscoting was plastered over. All the bookcases and cabinetry were painted white." Warms my heart, this most excellent transformation restoration.

Room with a view: lookout cabins and towers

"View from the lookout cabin," Mendocino National Forest, California. Photograph by sf eyes, from Flickr.

God's country, all right.

"View to south from Kendrick Mountain Fire Lookout Tower," Arizona. Photograph by Al HikesAZ, from Flickr.

Hidden Lake Lookout, Washington. Click to embiggen. Photograph by Bmaas [see him resting above the clouds here], from Flickr.

Not a fire lookout — this is a lakeside home in Finland. I totally adore this photo. See more at Arch Daily.

File under: When can I move in?

Methow Valley Cabin by Lawrence Architecture.

I already have a favorite cabin, but ye gods this one is wonderful. Credit to Lawrence Architecture for the great design: not too big or too fancy — built to shed snow — and that setting? So beautiful. The cabin seems as much a part of the valley as the sagebrush and the pines. More photos here.

Found this at the terrific design site Materialicious. Honestly, just look at those cabins...

Ikea chicken-coop hack

A masterpiece of Swedish design. Photo from ikea hacker.

All the cool kids these days are busy with their chickens and their bee hives, and here I am without so much as a barn cat or a bird feeder. Wait, I have sheep! But they're down at the farm, and I need something here, dammit.

In the meantime, up above is a cool Ikea chicken-coop hack from, well duh, ikea hacker via the Ethicurean via Urban Chickens. I could do this.

And if not — on to Plan B:

How cool would this look with a little paint? From Street Use via Make.

Related:
Poultry posts from Raised by Wolves
Chicken posts from Smartdogs' Weblog [Fort Peepage...LOLOL]
Spring chicken raisin' - one of many chicken posts by Gina at Pet Connection
Chicken posts from Team Chicken at Sunset Magazine's One-Block Diet
Bee posts from Birdchick

Stair Porn is back, OMG

Stairs by Patrick Jouin.

Stairs. That is all. Mmmm... stairs...

The Art Gallery of Ontario.
Oh. My. God.

Stair Porn.

Incredibly cool sheep barn

For when I win the lottery.

In the city of Almere, Netherlands, 70F Architecture projected this beautiful sheep stable that can house from 100 to 150 sheep.

More photos and info at CoolBoom.

No place like home

New Zealand: Drift Bay House by Kerr Ritchie Architects. More photos here, at Arch Daily. [H/T x3 to Materialicious.]

How I love you, o precious week of Thanksgiving vacation...! I might be up at the family cabin now, but am hunkering down here at home instead, happy for the extra time to spend with a dear old dog and eager for the anticipated rain.

Speaking of cabins and other dwellings that make me happy:

Another shot of the New Zealand home by Kerr Ritchie Architects. [Click for big.] Pity about the view.

In Montana, a Forest Service lookout-style cabin perfect for the grizzly-averse [like yours truly]. Slide show here, along with a NY Times article on the new cabinistas.

This one, on a rocky outcropping in Fosen, Norway, is Cabin Vardehaugen by architecture studio Fantastic Norway. More photos here.

Casa Lago Rupanco in Chile, by F3 Arquitectos. I want. Slide show here.

When can I move in?

And where should I put the sheep? Float cabin photo from materialicious.

I love materialicious. Check out a few of the homes and links Justin has featured lately:



This cabin was built on an exposed postglacial archipelago in Canada’s Georgian Bay. Interior view:



Monte-Silo, from gigaplex Architects.

I love this house. Lots more photos at the gigaplex Architects link.

Justin Anthony's materialicious has two sibling-blogs: the totally addictive workalicious and the ever-so-tantalizing stair p**n. Mmm, stairs:



All three blogs feature architecture from around the world and great links, including this humble favorite: The Tiny House Blog. Enjoy.

Must have

Seriously. Check out the shepherd huts at Plankbridge in Dorset.

I'm in love.