Beeker's Words

The Katrina Cottages were mentioned in the NYT a few times over the past few years and I have fantasized about them since. Katrina Cottages are small, permanent dwellings that Andres Duany developed as an alternative to the FEMA trailer.  After Katrina, people needed a quick, inexpensive way to rebuild. Duany designed various floor plans but kept the cottages small and easy to build. These cottages were so popular that they are now offered through Lowe’s to everyone who wants a cottage! I have always wanted to live in a cottage. I love the style and the intimacy that I associate with a small dwelling. My husband and I are in agreement that the next home we purchase will be one that we design and build to meet out specific needs. My husband wants to build castles with moats. I just want a simple open box. I want a place where I can be surrounded by little gardens. An herb garden, a rose garden, a vegetable garden, a lavender patch and berry bushes. I want to be able to leave the windows open to welcome the scented breeze and I can close my eyes and feel sun bleached linen curtains dancing with the wind. I picture walls of bookcases and overstuffed comfy furniture. Knick knacks and found objects litter the shelves. You can smell soup and fresh baked bread. Everything around me is something I have made, or has been made for me. These images bring me such peace and contentment. My one regret is having never lived by myself. I have always shared space with family, roommates, and then a husband. You compromise when you share space. I want a space that is just me. Who knows maybe our future home will have room for a small guest cottage that I can just appropriate for my own use. My husband can have the workshop he wants and I get a cottage to call my own!