I've always been enamored with the Craftsman Bungalow - but didn't even realize it at first. 

I remember spending time in the Pasadena California area house hunting for a possible job move decades ago and just being hypnotically drawn to the older bungalows that abound there.  I didn't know then, but it was a truly American architectural style that was also common all over San Francisco where I'd lived most of my life. 

​Looking back, the feature that always caught my eye first and drew me in, was the front porch.

So I thought I'd write a piece to explore the idea.
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Every spring I like to run a few local porch features to share some inspiration and a ton of the coolness from our neighbors' favorite sittin' spots.

Although it's spring here, we have some pretty wild swings from day to day and week to week.  That's the nature of spring in the high country of Arizona.  

I've got a couple more downtown porches on deck and if you're interested in having yours featured, keep scrolling to find out how.
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One of the key themes I come back to at The Whiskey Porch is "seasonal living".  It's an aspect of a Simple Lifestyle that adds texture, and color, and variety, and a natural flow to things.

When we talk about living with the seasons, what does that really mean?

To me, it's simply shifting your lifestyle with the seasons.  Doing different things in different spaces, as the seasons progress through the year.

Focusing on the connection to the landscape and the outdoors is just as important as the creature comforts and floorplan that you incorporate into your home design.  So, the interior isn't entirely separate from the outdoors and the landscape that your home sits on. 

By creating this connection intentionally, we craft a direct link between our daily activities and the cycle of the earth. 

And.  We can greatly expand the amount of living space available to us.

Let me explain.

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​I know the day after Thanksgiving is supposed to be all about making lists of things to give or buy.  And spending all day in line to get the best deals.  

But here at The Whiskey Porch we do the exact opposite.  Enjoying each other with gratitude for what we have and adding artful décor to our little home.  And spending time outdoors which is often gorgeous in these parts!

Here's a little peek at how we do things, Nordic style, here at Juniper Hill Cottage...

​You know you need to tackle a few things in your home (or garden) to get it dressed up a bit, but it's so overwhelming and confusing that you just never really get going and it drags on and gets stale. 

It can get confusing with all the media and buzz about what the latest trend is and what's in and what's out.  If you're not a do-it-yourselfer and want to hire professionals to do the work, the truth is you still need to be able to articulate what exactly you want to do and in what priority.  

It can be really hard to know where to start.  And maybe even more importantly, how to bring it all together so that it makes sense when you are done can be very elusive.

The result can be some false starts or even not getting started at all because you aren't confident with how to get going.

I get it.
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The Problem
The home you bought seemed perfect for your situation a few years ago.  Or, it was bigger than you honestly needed so you just moved in and quickly went on with life.

Then things changed, ever so slightly over time or in some bigger ways.  Maybe Covid made everything seem harder - you were home more, or even working from home, and spending much more time together.  Or you found yourself offering space to your adult daughter who is going back to school, and you never planned on that but here it is.  And it's just not working anymore.

What to Do?
Clearly, you have do something!  And I get that the most logical next step might seem obvious:  you need more space!!  It's too cramped.  It's creating stress and chaos.  You can't find things.  You don't have enough private space.  

So, you make the decision to add on 500 square feet to create an office and another bedroom.

But I've got a reality check for you...  there's a lot more to solving this challenge than just adding more space.

Every autumn we do a monthly cottage feature, to share with you the wonderful local inspiration of other homeowners in the Prescott, Arizona area.  #cottagesofprescott

For October, we got to check out Vyne House, in downtown Prescott.
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Simple and artful, nordic cottages are often so picturesque that they don't seem to look real.

But real they are, and outside of the largest cities, predominantly what you will find. 

To be clear, simple doesn't translate to minimalist in any way.  Although Nords tend to live lightly and not have much clutter or unnecessary possessions, what they do keep is treasured and often artful and beautiful.

So, although The Whiskey Porch specializes in Nordic Bungalow Lifestyle & Design, I wanted to clarify that this does not refer to the modern likes of Scandinavian Designs Furniture or Ikea.  Not that there is anything wrong with those ultra-clean and modern styles.  What we are thinking of is the more traditional aesthetic.

The American Dream has virtually always been:  more + bigger = better.

The fad and trend that's predominated the last many decades has been to stretch yourself to the limit in order to acquire the most impressive home possible.  This home would prove that you were successful, and obviously make you comfortable and happy.

Over many decades, that's turned into crazy-big homes which required large incomes to buy and maintain, along with massive consumption of resources to build and live in.

​Tiny is fine if that's what you really need or want, but it's pretty extreme and unsustainable by most standards. 

​A more manageable and still meaningful downsize might mean reclaiming older, smaller homes and shifting to a less consumerism mentality, while still participating in a mainstream community and lifestyle.
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Every autumn we do a monthly cottage feature, to share with you the wonderful local inspiration of other homeowners in the Prescott, Arizona area.  #cottagesofprescott

​For September, we are starting with a sweet downtown cottage.
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