Living Room 

The front entrance features a wooden screen door with a simple hook-and-eye latch 
and a heavy entry door, painted outside and stained inside. Each door swings to the 
east. Moving around the room clockwise, one first encounters a set of double front 
windows. A floor lamp sits in the southwest corner of the room next to the large wood 
stove surround. The bricks in the surround are reclaimed from any available source. 
The mantel is stained and features simple molded detail. It is just shallow enough to 
hold several candlesticks, a small lamp, or a piece of sculpture or pottery. The wall 
above the mantel is painted white to allow it to serve as a projection screen. Small 
chairs (club-style, perhaps) sit on either side of the wood stove. On the left side of the 
stove surround, one can find several tools for the wood stove, mounted on a rack 
(poker, shovel, broom, rake). On the right side of the wood stove surround (adjacent to 
the wall) is a simple steel rack for firewood. A large opening leads into the kitchen and 
fills up a large portion of the west living room wall. The north has an opening that leads 
to the hallway to the back portion of the house. Adjacent to this doorway is an upright 
piano (with a lamp on top), and next to this is the coat closet door. Inside are winter 
coats, shoes, a few music stands, and a shelf with umbrellas, hats, scarves, gloves, et 
cetera. The east wall has two windows, and between the pair of windows is a 
combination bookshelf-sideboard. The upper half holds books, a projector (at the top 
to avoid being blocked by those walking in front of the sideboard), and perhaps a few 
boxes of photos or travel memorabilia. There should be few if any open spaces to 
allow for easy cleaning and dusting. The lower half of the furniture piece features an 
open counter space, and beneath this surface are a few drawers and large doors to 
hold board games, extra blankets, and a few other odds and ends. The center of the 
room has a large, fairly sourced rug with a simple pattern and neutral colors. A small 
sofa or equivalent piece of furniture sits opposite the club chairs. Next to the sofa is a 
very small table that holds a lamp which is plugged into a small outlet in the floor. A 
small square table serves a place to put plates and drinks, but should otherwise be 
kept free of clutter. All windows are treated with sheer, light-colored curtains to 
maintain a feeling of airiness, which nicely contrasts with the weight of the wood stove 
side of the room. The living room furniture can be moved to the walls to provide an 
open space for large gatherings (folding catering tables are used for dinner parties, 
such as for Christmas or Thanksgiving), and military-style camping cots can be used 
for occasional house guests. These are stored in the garage/shed when not in use. 
 
Kitchen 
A large doorway opens to the kitchen. A small square table sits against the east wall, 
typically holding two chairs but up to three (the remaining chairs should be stackable 
and can be placed in the coat closet, in the bedroom, or even in a corner in the living 
room). Moving clockwise around the room, one finds a line of cabinets along the east 
wall of the kitchen. A simple subway tile backsplash fills the space between the upper 
and lower cabinets and provides an easy-to-clean, blank surface. All countertops are 
stainless steel, which is completely non-porous, allows for hot pans and pots to be 
placed directly on the counter, and is a breeze to clean. A number of outlets line the 
wall for small appliances (the food processor, stand mixer, and blender). The small 
countertop to the left of the range is left open to make it easy to clean. The range is a 
30-inch, four-burner model and may be electric or gas (propane), whichever option is 
greener and more efficient. A heavy-duty range hood (such as the Broan BCDJ136) 
ensures that smoke and grease are taken out of the kitchen and not allowed to collect 
on any surface. The lower cabinet bottoms on the east wall are lined with stainless 
steel to make them easy to clean and resistant to stains and scratches from the pots 
and pans, while wire or pipe-style shelving is used for the top shelf in each lower 
cabinet. Mixing bowls, small hand appliances (food mill, pasta roller), and other 
necessary items are stored in the lower cabinets. The upper cabinets function as a 
pantry and hold canned and boxed food products, especially those that have been 
preserved from homegrown food. The far southeast counter space serves as a 
baking/pastry area, and the mixer sits on the counter at all time. The south wall 
features a large window with a Roman-style shade. The west wall of the kitchen has 
more cabinets, a small refrigerator in the southwest corner, and a sink incorporated 
into the countertop. A bridge-style faucet ensures that there are only two 
difficult-to-clean surfaces on the countertop—the rest involves a simple swipe with a 
rag. Another smaller window sits above the sink, with a small light fixture (matching the 
light above the medicine cabinet in the bathroom) mounted above the window. Another 
Roman-style shade completes this window. The west wall holds the majority of the 
home’s dishes and serving pieces, as well as a tea and coffee station. The coffee 
grinder remains out on the countertop to the right of the sink — one only needs to turn 
around from the stove to prepare coffee. The lower cabinets on the west wall hold 
small appliances and seldom-used equipment, like the stockpot used for canning and 
the equipment used for soap- and candle-making. The drawer to the left of the sink 
holds all manner of linens: washcloths, tea towels, and bar mop towels (which serve 
double duty as hand towels). The west wall is completed with a large pair of French 
doors — one an active door, the other openable with a latch on the end of the door to 
allow for large items to be moved in and out of the house with ease. Two light fixtures 
can be found overhead, and the rest of the room is lit with the range lights, the sink 
light, and candlesticks found on the table. 
 
Bathroom