This is my first reply to great comments from small-house-society members following my first posting.
Thank you for the great comments. I believe that a small home doesn't have to be plain to be economical. With a lot of careful thought, a small home can be as inviting and functional as more costly homes. Shop carefully. Do it yourself. Beware of the creeping compromise. Compromise can save money and time but wreckless compromise can spoil the design.
I am grateful to this group to learn that I am not alone in my aquired appreciation of small homes. I have built and lived in larger homes but after my two year experience of living on a houseboat in a marina in Little Rock, Arkansas, I quickly discovered how economical it is to live in a small space. I tapped that wonderful experience on the houseboat to rethink my needs and began drawing small homes. I did not want the word "cabin" to enter the conversation when people see my small homes. To my thinking, cabin is what you get when compromise gets in the way of good planning.
Happy to be a member of this fine group. http://www.resourcesforlife.com/small-house-society
Jim Marple
