📝 Full Checklist is on my Substack.  The Garden Keeping Journal – September  Edition includes:

• 🌱 Plants & Planting
• 💦 Water
• 🦌 Critters
• ✂️ Maintenance
• 📝 Planning & Reflecting

👉 Get the Garden Keeping Journal on Substack  Exclusively available to subscribers of Letters from the Porch on Substack.  Subscribing is FREE.
​​

If a corner of your garden or landscape has stalled — a bed that's never settled, timing that won't resolve, or conditions that make even simple choices harder — that's exactly what a Design Consult is for.

​Learn more about my Consult and Bespoke Design services here:

Until next time, enjoy September's beauty!
~Miriam
​

Reality Check
It's most often NOT about the size or square footage of your home, but about how the space you have works.  Or doesn't.

And most of the time, it doesn't work - at least not for you, now.

Most homes, whether new or old, have virtually no thoughtful design or planning on the front-end with respect to efficient and meaningful use of the space.
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Either way, addition or remodel, you'll be "living-in" a bit of a construction zone for a while, so what's the better choice?
​

It's crazy expensive to add square footage.  ​Roofs, foundations, new framing, insulation, windows, extending HVAC etc are extremely expensive no matter how big or small the addition.
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​More square footage adds more cost than just the building.  You've got to budget and plan for the long-term too, not just getting the space built.  Maintaining, heating, cleaning, and furnishing more square footage is a forever commitment.  And a family that grows always ends up shrinking again as kiddos fly the coup, or situations change.
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Let's be really honest.  Planning Departments are no fun to deal with.  Getting plans and permits approved for additions is much more difficult and time consuming.  You'll have to deal with zoning, setbacks, height restrictions, and on and on.  It's slow, frustrating, and... slow.
​

Unless you live on a massive property, with easy access, it's almost always a hassle to provide adequate access for contractors to build an addition.  Landscaping and site disruption is never ever as minimal as you were promised.  And the neighbors often have very strong feelings about changes like this​ since it affects their views, or light, or access, or even just the massive noise of new construction.  
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Generally speaking, additions (even small ones) typically will require architecture, structural engineering and more layers.  All of that can be expensive, complicated, and slow.  These layers are not always required for remodels.  Plus, you might be able to avoid hiring a general contractor for a remodel - big savings and one less layer.
​

​A thoughtful remodel will almost always increase the value and quality of your existing square footage without necessarily affecting your property taxes (which are based on SF).  If you haven't maximized that value of what you already have, adding more space is frequently not going to get it done.

American's generally assume that more space will just make them happier, make life work better. 

​Think again.  Here's an excerpt from an article I wrote a a while back:

The average American home is now 2,700 square feet, which is a 50% increase over the still large 1,500 square foot average in 1973.  The overall trend is a forever increasing one.  Yet at the same time, the average size of a family has been decreasing.  So if the American dream includes living in the largest home you possibly can, does that mean that Americans are happier now?

According to a recent article in The Atlantic, this means that the average home provides each resident in an average American family almost 1,000 square feet of their own.  Each person!  Seriously?  By my math, I figure that your average, slightly overweight American can only occupy somewhere between 4 to 9 square feet at any given moment. 

And, not surprisingly, that study indicates that these people aren't any happier with their residential situation than they used to be.  Here's why - because bigger and better are always going to be relative terms.  If it all comes down to comparing how much home you have to the newest, biggest McMansion in the neighborhood, then you will always be disappointed.  

Again - even new homes often don't work for the way you live, unless of course you had it built specifically for your needs. 

There are countless opportunities to improve your existing SF before adding any space is necessary. 

​Here's just a few examples:

• If you don't use every room in your house every single day, that space can probably be reallocated to more important and meaningful uses.
• Vertical space is almost always under-utilized.
• Flow of rooms and spaces must be natural, logical, efficient, and pleasant.  For example, kitchen access and storage near parking, the location of doors/windows, hallways should be functional, multi-purpose spaces and not just passages, and natural light brings warmth and energy.
• Storage is so much more than just a generic closet -  built-ins that are customized to your stuff, and sometimes editing your stuff, can create masses of space and functionality.
• Size of rooms are often far bigger than needed - open empty floor space is not useful unless you host dance parties, and massive furniture may not be scaled properly to your space.
• I could go on and on.

A truly customized space means designing every single square foot to work for YOU the way YOU live and makes it a joy rather than a struggle to spend time in that space.
​

Now I'm not suggesting that you should NEVER add square footage to your home.  There are certain circumstances that make it worthwhile in both the short and long-term.  

It's just that if you haven't maximized what you've already got, I truly believe you are missing a huge opportunity to live your best life in a wonderful home that you will enhance your life.  

Sometimes it's harder to figure out how to make that remodel or renovation truly work.  Where to start, how to tie it all together, what is worthwhile in the big picture.

But you don't have to tackle this on your own. 

​The Whiskey Porch excels in the fine art of architecturally re-designing your space in a truly custom and entirely thoughtful manner.  We specialize in small-not-tiny spaces, and you would be truly amazed at how big a small space can feel when it's well designed.

We can help you with a quick or extended consultation.  Or we can do an entire design plan for you.

This is my passion and I'm really good at it! 

​You can learn more about our services here.

Give me a call or send me a note - I'd love to chat with you.

​
Thanks so much for following along.  I hope you found this a worthwhile read.  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!  

​Peace & contentment,
~Miriam

You might also be interested in our Cottage & Bungalow Resources Page... check it out.
​

📝 Full Checklist is on our Substack.  The Prescott Garden Keeping Journal – August  Edition includes:

• 🌱 Plants & Planting
• 💦 Water
• 🦌 Critters
• ✂️ Maintenance
• 📝 Planning & Reflecting

👉 Get the full monthly checklists on Substack  Exclusively available to subscribers of Letters from the Porch on Substack.  Subscribing is FREE.
​
Coming soon: Bonus content and a private local garden chat just for Substack subscribers!  You won't want to miss the chance to join in on this!
​

Thanks so much for reading along.  I hope you found one or two tidbits that were useful - either something new to consider, or a little reinforcement of what you're already doing.

As always, if you have any suggestions for a must-add, please do let me know.  

Remember to slow down and enjoy what you've created (and forget about the struggles or failures!).  

I really enjoy the comments and feedback and look forward to hearing from you.

Until next time, happy August!

From this week's dispatch in Letters from The Whiskey Porch - a weekly letter on home, garden, and smaller, simpler, more beautiful living, written from a 1924 Craftsman bungalow in Prescott, Arizona.

[Read the full letter →] 50 Fridays over on Substack.

📝 Full Checklist is on our Substack.  The Prescott Garden Keeping Journal – July Edition includes:

• 🌱 Plants & Planting
• 💦 Water
• 🦌 Critters
• ✂️ Maintenance
• 📝 Planning & Reflecting

👉 Get the full monthly checklists on Substack  Exclusively available to subscribers of Letters from the Porch on Substack.  Subscribing is FREE.
​
Coming soon: Bonus content and a private local garden chat just for Substack subscribers!  You won't want to miss the chance to join in on this!
​

​I’m moving all of my seasonal content — including these monthly garden checklists and my more personal reflections on design, simple living, and the art of living well — over to Substack.

It’s a quieter, more intentional space where I can share practical tips, stories, and behind-the-scenes moments — all without ads or social media noise.  And, we can foster a more personal conversation there which feels more like sharing from the porch than broadcasting into the algorithm void.

It’s still completely FREE to follow along, and I’d love to welcome you there.

​🌿 Start here to learn more and subscribe

We specialize in exceptional, custom design services for Prescott homeowners - architectural and landscape design.  Are you wanting to refine and area or do a complete landscape overhaul?  Give us a call.  

​Learn more about our services here:

I enjoy putting these guidelines together every month, and find that it forces me to really think through the various things I typically do. 

Although I know some of these lists get pretty long, I've learned that in my own gardens those areas that have been established for a long while (8+ years) there's really very little to do on a weekly or monthly basis.  At least until late fall.  That's because I use almost exclusively perennials that are water wise and have finally gotten the right plants in the right locations where they tend to thrive.

It takes time.  Be patient.  Have fun with it!

Until next time, happy 4th of July!
~Miriam

This week's letter over on Substack is a reflection on Midsommar, the Summer Solstice, and a few small ways to welcome the season with more beauty and less fuss.

Read it here:  A Simple, Peaceful Midsommar
​

I hope you'll hop over there and say hello.

If you're looking for more inspiration, check out the other blog posts about Living with the Seasons here.

📝 Full Checklist is on our Substack.  The Prescott Garden Keeping Journal – June Edition includes:

• 🌱 Plants & Planting
• 💦 Water
• 🦌 Critters
• ✂️ Maintenance
• 📝 Planning & Reflecting

👉 Get the full monthly checklists on Substack  Exclusively available to subscribers of Letters from the Porch on Substack.  Subscribing is FREE.
​
Coming soon: Bonus content and a private local garden chat just for Substack subscribers!  You won't want to miss the chance to join in on this!
​

​I’m moving all of my seasonal content — including these monthly garden checklists and my more personal reflections on design, simple living, and the art of living well — over to Substack.

It’s a quieter, more intentional space where I can share practical tips, stories, and behind-the-scenes moments — all without ads or social media noise.  And, we can foster a more personal conversation there which feels more like sharing from the porch than broadcasting into the algorithm void.

It’s still completely FREE to follow along, and I’d love to welcome you there.

​🌿 Start here to learn more and subscribe

Okay, well this is definitely a pretty long list but keep in mind that many of these checklist items for June are only reminders and quick or casual tasks.  For me, I get great solace from just spending time puttering in my landscape and I don't really see it as work.

Keep the feedback coming and let me know what you think.  I love to hear from you.

​Let me know if you think anything needs to be added to this list.

Until next time, happy summer!

This Prescott landscape project began exactly there - with an empty high-desert lot exposed to strong sun, wind, difficult soil, and wide-open surroundings.

The goal was to create a layered meadow garden that felt welcoming, rooted, naturalistic, and deeply connected to both the architecture and the surrounding landscape.

In this week’s Design Dispatch over on Substack , I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the design thinking behind the project -  from blank slate to final landscape plan to a garden slowly settling into itself over time.  Plus lots of Before & Afters.

Bonus:  The Curated Botanical Guide.  A gorgeous 47-page companion guide that breaks down all of the plantings, color palettes, design principles.

🌿 Read the full story here:  A Meandow Landscape.