Billie's Folly

I don't know why I dislike appliance garages so much.  Perhaps it's the corny name.  But I think a lot of it is about the "garage doors".  I've never been a fan of roll-top or accordion doors.  Whatever the reason, subconsciously or not, I left out counter top appliance storage from my last post on efficiency. There's no denying the convenience of having large appliances handy.  They can take up a lot of counter space, and not everyone wants to look at them.  But if they aren't at counter level and readily at hand, they won't be used.  I know I've chopped a lot of nuts by hand, rather than lug out my food processor.  On the other hand, there are those deep corners under cabinets in the kitchen (or in my case, the pantry) that are hard to reach and often wasted space.  So, I couldn't deny the efficiency of adding appliance storage with "bi-fold doors."  My plan is to set each appliance on a felt square, so they will slide easily to w...

I strive to be efficient in my daily life.  I find it satisfying.  I set things on the stairs, so a trip up or down is never empty-handed.  I group errands by the direction I'll be headed.  Planning this house gave me the opportunity to correct the inconveniences my old house had, and make this new one more efficient and functional for my lifestyle. The most significant example of this was my anticipating the long season of "damp" in Oregon, and how I could adapt the house to it.  So, I designed a glass conservatory entry porch, I created the glass-ceiling breezeway at the other end of the house, and I covered one patio with glass.  I intend for the doors to the porch and breezeway to generally be unlocked during the day.  People can enter and get out of the rain, before I get to the front door (and UPS can set packages inside).  And more familiar people and pets can enter through the breezeway, to take off jackets and dry paws before entering t...