Category Archive

Western homes

Here are some of the most freaky fabulous homes from the shores of the Best West Coast all the way to the Rocky Mountain states.

An art historian’s eclectic, nerdy, queer, and academic-themed 650 sq ft apartment

My decorating style and clothing style are one and the same: lots of texture, pattern, and color, and a mix of old and new, femme and butch. Plus lots of purple and lots of pink, from my hair to my lipstick! I want my home to feel not just lived-in, but full of items you can’t wait to pick up and find out more about.

A tiny, geeky, artsy, punk-y studio in Seattle

There are two big challenges here: storage room and tidiness. It’s not a very big apartment — I think it clocks in at about 425 sq. ft., and it only comes with just the closet and some poorly arranged kitchen cabinets to contain all my stuff. So most of my furniture is for the storing of things because I can’t live without making and surrounding myself with art.

Our one-bedroom condo in Seattle: Home to four people and a kitty living well

We’re a family of four that love living in a pretty small space. Our condo is 730 square feet, one bedroom and one-and-a-half baths. We didn’t intend to stay here, and I certainly never expected to end up loving small space living or a minimalist approach to possessions but this home has taught me the value of both and shaped the expectations I put on myself for how I want to show up as a home maker in the world.

Why yes, I DO live in a barn!

Walking out of the house one day with my two young men (Jace is four and Kasen is three), they naturally left the door to our loft wide open and continued to walk down the stairs as if they didn’t have a care in the world (which is true). 
I, of course, lovingly yelled up to them, “Boys…do you live in a barn?” Jace stared blankly back at me for a minute. Blinked. Then very mater-of-fact stated “Yes, mom. We do.”
 For right now, this is our home. A one bedroom, rustic, romantic loft on a little piece of land with chickens, fruit trees, and love.

Yurt + Dome = My life in a yome

My 16-month-old daughter and I live on an herb farm (no, not that kind of herb farm, though we are in Northern California). I am a farm hand here, and in exchange for a certain amount of hours a week working the land, we get to live here and breathe the fresh air, learn about herbs, and watch everything bloom.

We live in a yome here. Yep, a yome — it’s a cross between a yurt and a geodesic dome. And wait until you see the triangular windows…

Yurts, slugs, and life in a temperate rainforest

We’ve talked about Sacred Groves before — it’s Ariel’s mama’s land in Western Washington that used to be an intentional community. But it’s worth revisiting, since I just got back from the Offbeat Retreat with fresh photos and new stories. Sit back and dream your way through this quickie home tour.

Auction house odds and ends — emphasis on the odd!

Come in!

I’ve been curating my household of oddities, antiques, and collectibles — largely from my job at an auction house in San Francisco, and also fed by my love of local sales and thrifting. I think my finds add a charm to my home that was otherwise missing.

This is my house, where I keep all my Things and make my art.

We love sleeping in a closet: Elizabeth and Derek’s home tour

“Our space is great. There aren’t really many challenges with the structure of it.” Says the girl who built a bed in a closet. That’s just the first reason you’ll love this home tour.