We are beginning a brand new project. 
Can you guess. We are still in the planning stages. I will need your help. 
I am sure we will manage to make a great big mess first. 
Yes. It is a building project. My first big building project was the large deep Kiwi verandah on the West side. The second one was taking out the ceiling in the living room to incorporate the attic into a loft study and extra bedroom. 
The third one was the converting part of my basement into a large cellar that is filling with food for the winter.
This one is even grander. A Gingerbread House, in the garden, as a retirement home for The Matriarch. A perfect little self contained miniature home linked to the main house with a glass corridor. All I have so far is a complete vision in my head, a couple of drawings and some paint and sticks on the lawn. 
We will build it right here under the cherry tree.
Naturally it will be built using recycled materials, clever use of angles and windows to maximise the sun or shade, environmentally friendly principles, perfect balance and in a form that will allow it to blend with the house and tuck in under the existing trees. It will be well appointed and quite quite beautiful. It will be light, with high spaces above the head, and interesting windows framing her favourite views. There will be a deep loggia so she can sit outside in the rain or watch the sun go down with a glass of wine and company. And a verandah out to the East for sunrises.
It will have a tiny kitchenette with a beautiful hand thrown pottery basin and a window that opens to the loggia. There will be an inside bathroom and washhouse with an extra outside barn door onto the deck for summer accessibility. The small double bedroom will have a Japanese screen door and I am eyeing the floor of an old abandoned schoolhouse down the road. The main room will be two stories high with a tiny loft for her young visitors, high windows to catch winter sun and a wall full of her books as high as the loft floor. A ladder will access the loft and the books. She will not be alone you see. Her grandchildren and their friends will flock to their favourite Nan in her Wendy house so close to the pool.
There will be a sitting area that has tall windows out to her North/ East courtyard for the morning telephone conversations and late Television watching.
I am still working on where to put the writing desk with her computer.
Everything will be on one level, and joined to the house through a glass corridor that will double as a glass house in the spring, with room for a lovely comfy chair for sitting in the spring sun.
The Matriarch is not old enough to step into that calm period of her life yet, but she is planning ahead. Until she moves in, it will be the perfect guest house for the summer people! A writers retreat or a farm stay cottage. 
My new fire hydrant, Madonna eat your heart out.
Good morning. So here is our homework. I would love you all to put your thinking caps on. At the moment the area is 18 foot square. Once you take out the loggia you have a very small space. We need to work very hard on maximising the space without losing the grace in the lines. Remember light and air! This has always been my mantra when working with a building. I am sure that you have come across some fantastic space saving techniques. I would love to hear about them.
Although The Matriarch is paying for her little house with money that is returning to her purse soon, after a long stay in the hills, we still need to be very careful about the cost. But budget does not have to be ugly.
This weekend The Tall Teenager known now as Triple T Sid and I, are going to build a cardboard model of the Gingerbread House Project. He likes to work in miniature. I will show it to you. I can show it to my builder next week. And I will show it to the junk yard man whose property I will be combing for materials.
Have a lovely day. I had better get a wriggle on and start mine! Daisy is calling. Life is so exciting.
celi
On this day a year ago. introducing the worm farm.
The Kitchen's Garden 
87 responses to “And now for something completely different”
I am so touched by your care for the Matriarch–I’d want to fast forward my life just to live there! You know, a writers’ retreat could be a wonderful opportunity for you and writers. Visit some of the writers’ colonies for ideas (Dairy Hollow http://writerscolony.org/, Ucross http://www.ucrossfoundation.org/residency-program/, Wellspring House http://www.wellspringhouse.net/about). And finally, after you fish me out of spam for too many links, visit Tumbleweed Tiny Houses http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/for some space- saving ideas.
Wow, you are full of surprises. I will only be following the progress, not offering ideas as I should be coming up with ideas of my own to fill a hole in my dining room wall which has existed for three years due to chimney removal. I don’t even notice it anymore. Sigh. Yours sounds like a fun project.
But a hole in the wall has such possibilities! c
Brilliant Cinders!! I have forwarded this on to my honey builder..(hubby)…to add to his honey-do list for some grand ideas!! 🙂 Living in the Northwest, we always think of light, light, light when considering new living spaces!!
Yours will be beautiful!!
I can never have enough light, chris, I used to dream of a house where instead of opening the windows i opened the walls! c
Oh a Project. I was reading an article the other day about small houses and cabins and gorgeous dinky bijou residences of charm and character. I’ll see if I can find a link as they definitely mentioned websites for “bijou” living. I borrowed the word bijou house of charm and character from my mum 🙂
Found it. It was in thee weekend Guardian (remember that from your London days?) http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/aug/17/cabin-fever-tiny-homes?INTCMP=SRCH – there were details of websites etc for teeny-tiny living
Claire, i went there and what a treat! Lots of fabulous rustic places some excellent window ideas too c
Celi, one thing I would add from my own expereince of living in a small(er) (and listed house – i.e. don’t mess with it) is think storage. Think about the things you have there, and where they will be kept and accessed – shelves behind doors, instead of wallls, cupboards unde rstairs, hooks for pots and pans, etc. Happy planning !! Oh and the things that need storing – ugly or beautiful – beautiful on glass shelves, ugly under sinks !!
Brilliant, absolutely Brilliant Celi. There are a couple of books out there by the architect, Sarah Susanka. The first is called The Not So Big House and a second book Creating The Not So Big House. Her sensibilities mirror yours. She is an advocate of “less is more”. Her books have received huge acclaim. They are definitely worth checking out. Virginia
I fixed your typos for you virginia .. but don’ t worry, our words often get way ahead of our fingers. I shall check out Sarah Susanka.. what a fabulous name.. c
What a fabulous idea! I love that you’re going to connect the gingerbread house to the main house with a glass walkway. That will be lovely in the cold weather. Can’t wait to see your miniature design.
i think it might be great for stargazing on those cold winter nights. But I am not sure who is going to keep the windows CLEAN!.. c
Oh, this is very exciting…..
Ooh, another addition! Can’t wait to see the finished project!
This must be a source of comfort for The Matriarch knowing that you both are there for her. Hopefully, she’ll remain independent for many years to come and even then, your plans will still provide her as much independence as she can handle. We should all be so lucky, Celi.
The plan is that she will remain independent within arms reach.. it will take a few years and this will be a guest cabin/summer house until then, we are just trying to get ahead of ourselves while we all can.. we are lucky! c
Well, this is just wonderful news!! I’m green with envy over this little cottage.. your matriarch will adore it!! What fun! I’m not great on ideas, just like the idea of windows and light everywhere!!
she loves lots of light too so that is a win win.. c
I am totally confused, I thought the Matriarch was you at a future date, but it’s not is it from reading the comments. Good luck, I saw a lovely design somewhere where the stair sides had book cases built into them which I remember thinking looked amazing. I just googled “Granny Flats’ which threw up loads of references; know you are not building a flat (UK English for an apartment btw for your American readers) xxx
The Matriarch is John’s mother.. She prefers to be referred to as The Queen.. We call them granny flats in NZ too, I must google that too and look at what you found! Thank you joanna..
i.e. http://www.livinggreendesignerhomes.com.au/granny_flats-designs.php
Recently saw the staircase with storage shelves built in on grand designs revisited; it was a wonderful use of space.
That would be awesome, in fact i could use that in my existing house. c
Micro homes: http://www.buildinghomegarden.com/micro-homes.html http://www.houseplans.com/320-square-feet-1-bedrooms-1-bathroom-cottage-house-plans-0-garage-32884 for example.
excellent.. house plans.. exactly what i need to look at.. good thinking.. morning bill.. c
Afternoon Miss C.
Evening Bill.. c
I recently read a book at my son’s place called ‘Tiny Homes – Simple Shelter by Lloyd Kahn…… maybe you can get some ideas!
You know i just came across that book in my research today, maybe I should look at getting it! c
And don’t forget insulation! (we are very keen on insulation in NZ and the Govt even subsidises it). Lucky Matriarch! This is such an exciting project. Here in NZ I’ve seen some very clever desks-in-a cupboard; computer desk with shelves above it, and folding doors that shut it away. Doesn’t take up much space, and can sit in a living area without being intrusive. Good luck with the project. ‘Everybody needs an old person,’ to quote you back.
This is a good idea, The matriarch does work at her desk every day. in fact she has read the blog every day since i started. We will need to be clever about desk space. You are right about the insulation Juliet.. there will be plenty! c
Love the fire hydrant and comment. What a nice building plan. You’ve thought of so many things that will make it perfect for viewing the surroundings.