Category Archive

Homes & Tours

Take a close-up look at real Offbeat Homes of all shapes, sizes and flavors.

Has anyone else named their house?

So, I am thinking of naming my house. Has anyone else named their house? Is this too antiquated, or will I confuse folks? Or are we bringing the funk to the suburbs? (Good Rick James funk, not gross funk.)

5 reasons why living in a trailer park is awesome

We currently live in a trailer park. The problem is that most people can’t get over the fact that we are “living in a trailer.” So I would like to, on behalf of all proud trailer park residents, set the record straight on this super-awesome alternative living space…

Is it possible to “put down roots” while on the road?

In the past six years my husband and I (and our two pets) have lived in five countries (and I don’t mean ones particularly close together). Having never found that mythical place called “home,” a few months ago we put our most recent dwelling on the market, and two weeks ago we moved into our motorhome.Yesterday, my father-in-law mentioned he looks forward to us “putting down roots.” And so, as I easily do, I’m questioning… What is the benefit I’m missing out on (that I’ve really never known) of being part of one specific community? Does it exist as an RVer, as an ongoing traveller?

Offbeat Home Hunters: The Maine character edition (or “other Portland” edition!)

We set out to find a cozy, three bedroom house in Portland (preferred) or South Portland, with a small but usable yard space. We weren’t afraid of a cosmetic fixer-upper, but wanted a structurally sound house. We both love all things old and all things character — moldings, built-ins, original details, and an overall cozy feel. So here were our three top choices…

Get inspired: a tiny house built by a teen

We have an entire tag devoted to tiny homes, but this is the first we’ve featured built by a middle-schooler. 14-year-old Sicily and the tiny house she built are both amazing and adorable. She named it La Petite Maison, and it’s 128 square-feet of efficiently organized space. It has a working kitchen and bathroom, a queen-sized loft bed, a bunch of storage — and it’s on wheels.

How our haunted house is like a three-legged dog

I live with my soon-to-be husband and my nine-year-old daughter in the top part of a duplex in a pretty awesome city. As much as we love the neighborhood, the house, however, is an entirely different story. But despite all of its flaws, there is something adorable and promising about our house. I realized this one day when I compared her (the house) to our animals…

How an ice storm inspired me to rainbow-ify the exterior of my home

I have been spending a lot of my time working on the inside of my house. [Editor’s note: Remember Sara’s living room, rainbow ceiling, and geeky kitchen light makeover?] But recently I started thinking about what I wanted the OUTSIDE of my home to look like. What do you think I would do if I couldn’t decide on a color? Use them all!

Comics, cats, and childhood bedroom corners in the cozy Canadian apartment tour

Our home is full of comic art commissions and prints that we’ve collected at various comic cons over the years. We’re also fond of physical media, so have a ton of books, CDs, vinyl, and movies. I love colour and mixing patterns. We’re both giant kids, collecting toys and figurines, Legos, and more.