Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Design tips for small houses

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Apr 17, 2017, at 11:40 AM, Fred H Olson <fholson [at] cohousing.org> wrote:
> 
> Replacing the functionality of my "junk box" is the hardest to
> imagine. My junk box is not literally a box but rather a collection of
> things in various of those spaces listed above that are kept as raw
> material for future projects.

There used to be a huge used book sale to benefit a private school near us. It 
was huge and they collected books all year. Interesting is that the “let’s get 
organized” book were filed with crafts, woodworking, needlework, etc.

One of my criticisms of our workshop is that there is tons of stuff in there 
that no one will use ever or for at least 10 years. When I say let’s get rid of 
this, someone says oh so and so used something from there just the other day. 
We have at least 9 SF of wood of various sizes and kinds standing on end in 
bins. Enough old nails and screws to poison all of New York City. No one knows 
if the cabinets of cans hold anything that is still useful.

But I do think a workshop can work. It needs a caretaker, or two or three, who 
organizes and keeps track of stuff. Watches over how it is used and that things 
are put away. Our door is locked but everyone has a key so it is usually a 
mess. But we have far more tools than any home workshop would have. And they 
are good quality.

I look at all those bits and pieces and calculate the cost of real estate. We 
need a workshop but do we need a 20'x20' workshop when we are talking about 
building bike storage outside somewhere — on precious other land. You could 
also estimate that way what your bits and pieces are costing you.

It also has taken us 17 years to purchase all those tools. We started with 
donations but now it is a line item in the budget.

> I was unfamiliar with the term, fortunately Wikipedia knew:
> An inglenook or chimney corner, is a small recess that adjoins a
> fireplace.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inglenook

When I started looking for a picture, I was beginning to think I had the word, 
but finally traced the development of the inglenook. The inglenook eating booth 
grew out of the nook by the fireplace. 

In some houses there was a booth built around the fireplace — a bench on each 
side with a high back. There are also ones beside a coal stove. Then a table 
was added. Then during the craftsman era, that nook became a well-ornamented 
nook with a table and two benches. Sometimes a wrap around with a bench in 
back. The benches had high backs with walls to the ceiling.. 

The detail on the wood was often exquisite. Some were even Victorian with less 
plain decorations.

> Ann's use of "QUEL" in another message eludes me after consulting
> Wikipedia and a web search.

Speaking for her, I think she meant the Spanish “quel,”  meaning “that” but I 
suspect it has a colloquial meaning related to “oh, well.”

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org