Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: ceiling heights (was RE: [C-L]_ very small/ compact housing)

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Feb 4, 2006, at 10:31 AM, Jenny Williams wrote:

> On a related note, I'd like people's input on ceiling height.  We're
> desgining and building our house at Manzanita Village in Prescott, AZ,
> and we have been planning 8' ceilings throughout.  Everyone is telling
> me that we'll regret it.  With 8' ceilings, though, we will manage a
> ~6-7' high attic, which we could finish at a later date for a cozy 
> spot.
> We have height restrictions for building, so we can't go above that 
> [snip]  Our house will be about
> 2200SF on two floors (not counting said attic).

2200 SF is a lot of feet. What do you need the attic for, other than 
storage? Having less storage means you will accumulate less. More, 
more, more means more, more, more. A simple life filled with clutter is 
not so simple.

I personally would go for higher ceilings. 10 ft ceilings would allow 
you to have loft beds in the kids rooms, for example. Test sound 
quality in high ceilings vs low ceilings and see which is more 
important for you.

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