Joseph Letzelter - The cottage style home plans

Many people are initial to realize that the ways in which they design and live in their homes, and the products they use in them, need serious re-evaluation in order to prevent the negative effects of climate change. This includes re-evaluating the home as a place to live and grow in, rather than a showcase of one's income and social status to make an impression other people. The increasing awareness for the environment, joint with the economic uncertainty we face today, has made simple rather than ostentatious living the order of the day.

In the first place, simple living implies a smaller dwelling (possibly under two thousand square feet in size), which makes a small footprint on the earth without sacrificing the spaciousness needed for comfort. Smaller homes are easier and cheaper to heat and continue. An entrance which is human in scale provides a welcome rather than an intimidating front.

The point is that field stone or shingle sidings, and cedar shake roofs, are visibly preferable to earth-friendly living than vinyl siding. Simple living also implies letting one's imagination work (without worrying about what impresses other people). Thus, well-crafted (and occasionally quirky) architectural details are special over clean, sterile lines. Small, sashed windows help to give a human scale to the dwelling from the outside, while giving a feeling of protection and security to those inside. Simple living also implies orientating the house to the sun and building site; also landscape in an informal, laid-back style.

Exterior spaces such as decks, patios, and porches permit the house to appoint its natural environment, so in nice weather living spills easily outside and back in. Other architectural particulars associated with simple home design include high-pitched roofs, low ceilings and cozy nooks, floors of bare wood, and built-in furnishings characteristic of California bungalow house plans. This "Small is big" attitude is not just a matter of being quaint. Reducing the volume makes a building resource and energy capable, which saves money and helps save the earth. The money saved can be spent on higher-quality materials and crafting artful, intimate information both outside and in.