# 237 - Assembling our Country Cabin Contractors!

A garden center near our home has built on-site a beautiful office that is very similar in design to what I am wanting to build for a country home. While on their property, I stand in their office and my heart goes pitter-patter a bit faster each time I see it.

I would love to have something similar to this house. Of course, the front porch would have to be wider and there would have to be a backporch overhang as well, but I truly love this house. The designer put in so many details that make this a special, well-built house. All the little things add up and the dedication to craftsmanship is impeccable.

I hope that we have beautiful, lush landscaping around our cabin in the woods, but we will have to stick with shade loving plants because the cabin will be tucked into the forest.

The double front door is something simple, but it's an element I want to incorporate into the design of our own home. Double doors can indeed come in handy, especially on moving day.

I already know that the front porch will have posts that will be substantial. You can't get these from an ordinary hardware/wood supply store, you must go have them specially cut, raw cut to your specifications.

For the bulk of the exterior, I might consider nicely painted hardiplank siding, but the wood on the front porch must retain the appearance of its natural grain and character, we mght stain those pieces. A metal roof topping off our house would be a delight. Previously, I'd not wanted divided light windows, but these days, the division of window panes is an illusion because the division occurs in between the glass panes, so these windows are easy to clean. I still favor picture windows, but a picture window must be in the proper place to look right. I do like the symmetry of this little house. My front doors will likely be something different, but this overall look is what I'm shooting for, on a budget.

The accent window is a nice touch. I love surprise elements to a home that make it pop.

This front porch is warm and cozy, but not large enough. We must have a porch that is sizable enough to accommodate a porch swing angled sideways and to hold a few tables and chairs for fun gatherings. The house must be designed with both front and back covered porches. I don't particularly care for the bright green trim, but I don't pay much attention to cosmetic aspects that I can easily change.

This house will have to be built larger to expand it to hold three bedrooms. But, the basics for the house are in place. This home is built on pier and beam with decorative concrete forms used - you can see the swirls and it is a nice touch. I guess the drainage here is helpful. That will be a concern for us, to make sure everything is graded properly when building our home and workshop so that it will not give us problems with drainage.

Getting a shot of the electrical and mechanical hot spot is important as well.

And this garden center definitely has an architect and designer close to my own heart. As for this entrance, I will be glad to have something similar to it on our land as well. Of course, we'll personalize it, but this design gives me a good head-start.

The workshop across the drive is also nice and has elements to tie in with the house, such as the windows and doors as well as matching colors.

The great news is...it looks as if we've found an awesome concrete team for our area. They do much of the work for the city and for many people around town who are full of gratitude for their incredible knowledge and skill. I've spoken with people who had their concrete foundations poured by this team nearly 20 years ago and it has been better than any other they've seen. They'll be able to do both our workshop with the concrete foundation along with the pier and beam foundation for our house.

Additional good news is that we've also found a master electrician who is nice young man, former military and very fair. He knows his business and will be working with us on the side to get our electrical needs squared away.

Looks like things are falling into place. We should be making a trip to our acreage pretty soon, another camping expedition. Maybe, one day, even after we have built a house on our land, Deputy Dave and I might still pop a tent on the other side of our land and have a little bit of old-fashioned fun. Until then, we'll enjoy the hardships because the best parts and the richest memories can usually be found in the midst of hardship.

In a blink of an eye, I'll be sitting on the front porch of our house. Living in the woods will be a dream come true. I believe life is about to become more fun and more full than it's ever been. We have tastes and bits and pieces of country living...it's always been beautiful and welcoming to both of us, but getting to live it full-time will be astronomical. Living in a place you've dreamed of living in brings a feeling of delight and EXCITEMENT --- no matter your age!

Is it Christmas? I feel like a kid just thinking about moving to the country! A great big wood package is waiting to be enjoyed every day for the rest of my life. I'm ready to get started!

Buyers for our city house can show up this weekend. We're ready to sign the paperwork and put our city house under contract to sell. It's time.