larissaswayze, Author at Of Houses and Trees

The Architecture of American Houses

And now for an Of Houses and Trees first… a short post! Think it can’t be done? Well, I’ll show you. I’ll show you all… I came across the below poster awhile back and knew I had to share it here in

Living Room Design Board

Real Life Home Design Board #1: Living Room

Looking for living room design board inspiration? Combine pre-owned furniture with a few vintage and new finds and – voila! I’ve decided there needs to be a word/phrase for when you’re inspired by other people’s inspirations (like what happens on

Mr Sun, Sun, Mr Golden Sun

I don’t remember when I got hooked on being green. I mean, I’ve always adored nature. Trees. Lakes. Dirt. My family’s annual (and sometimes bi or tri-annual) camping trips (usually to the majestic Rockies) led to a love of the

Deciding on Siding

“Oh my god, [I’m] back again…” and I obviously have Backstreet Boys on the mind since watching their riveting documentary “Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of” on Netflix the other weekend. (I’m not even being facetious, it was surprisingly moving.)

A Horse (Fence), Of Course

I am pleased to announce that the land has new residents of the four-legged variety. Horses!

Land news! No, I haven’t finished (nor started, really) another house design. Devin’s computer has gone on the fritz and it’s the one that has AutoCAD on it so everything happening on that front is happening in my head. And

So Close and Yet… (House Design Woes)

We had never been so close to actually doing it. Selling our comfy, cozy, happy home and moving out to the wilderness… of rural Parkland County. We talked to a realtor. We started madly doing all the projects that needed

The Town with the Painted Past

Here I go again. My second attempt at this post, which was sadly lost during a Tiny House Nation marathon. In my last entry I put up a few images of our recent family trip to Maui and, I don’t know about everyone

Mahalo Back Girl

Pictures of my recent Maui family vacation! These have nothing to do with houses or trees, but nobody will care because Hawaii is so effin beautiful.

An epic failure has occurred over here at Of Houses and Trees, folks, and my heart is a-broken. I probably put a good two to three hours into a post about my favourite locally-owned Stony Plain home decor stores and – right

Apartment Living in the Country + Our House in the Trees Update

A garage apartment, aka carriage house, can be used as a primary residence, guest suite or rental property. Versatile! Which is why we're building one.

I realized I haven’t posted an update on one of the main focuses of this blog, which is my own adventures in designing a brand new home, in a very long time… I actually don’t think I’ve ever posted an update on

How To Incorporate Tiny House Living Into Any Home

A tiny home may not be in your future, but what about a tinier, simpler life? Here are a few things we can all learn from the tiny house living movement.

I’ve been infatuated with tiny house living since the moment I heard about it. Not surprising since I’ve always had a love-on for the little. From the plastic toy toilet I used to hide from my sister as a child (I didn’t want to share), to the miniature potbelly pig I desperately wanted for a pet as a teenager. I’ve been cultivating my weird obsession with tiny versions of full-sized things my whole life. And now, here is a movement that not only bolsters one of my many eccentricities – it also validates it. Because tiny houses aren’t just adorable, they could save the planet too.

A tiny home is 500 square feet or less, although I’ve read about people building homes as itsy bitsy as 96 square feet (about the size of a smallish bedroom). Did I mention the average Canadian home currently sits at around 1,900? So… what are we doing with the extra 1,400 square feet? Why, filling it with stuff, of course!