A young family in England jumped into the adventure of building their own house. The finished house looks unlike any I’ve ever seen. Their creativity inspires me, even as I wonder about the maintenance for some of the practical details. But let’s look at the beauty first (which seems to be a generally good policy) which is shown in this fascinating article.

The outside view above catches your eye, but the two inside shots below astound me. What a gorgeous home!

Here are the young folks that created all that beauty. My son tells me that his generation has lots of folks that don’t accept the American Dream premise, but don’t believe in changing the world either. He says many just plunk down and live in impromptu communities, trying to live life on their own terms. Trying to make beauty, sustainability and a small difference with how they live their lives. I applaud those willing to buck the current and do things their own way.

The photo below gives a sense of how the structure was built. As does the sketch further below. There’s more info at their website.

As I mentioned earlier, some of the practical details here will probably become an annoyance for the residents over time. The moving and twisting of the wood, the likely roof leaks that will follow, the degradation of the straw insulation with moisture and time and the general humidity level in the hose. Yet those concerns may be unfounded. Sometimes an idea is just so cool, that’s it’s worth the risk of some failures in the ultimate execution.

I applaud those that live all in and take their chances. Life goes by quickly. Please don’t tiptoe through it only to arrive at death safely.

Thanks to Gail Funk for pointing out this little gem on Facebook.