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A Farm of My Own:  unconventional homes/farmhouses  |
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Whimsy_girl
True Blue Farmgirl
576 Posts
USA
576 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 03 2006 : 4:17:46 PM
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Just sharing a daydream with you...
On the long drive home from farm fair yesterday I kept noticing all these older farms and how cool their gigantic silos are... I also got to thinking about how neat it would be to convert one of the wider sorts of silos into an actual home...
I imagined a silo sitting on a full basement and a spiral staircase going up the inside, using cob as insulation and in place of sheetrock as it would be very easy to go around the round walls. Each floor would be like a loft on alternating sides of the silo with a dumbwaiter going down one side for laundry, and whatever else we would want to haul up and down safely.
The stairway would change colors to coordinate with each room so that it would look nice in each room you are in but be an adventure in color for the person climbing up. All along the stairway would be round windows to look out as you climb.. was thinking like round port holes perhaps..the side where the stairs would be, would also make a great place for under stair storage on each floor.
The top pointed little roof would cover a quiet space to do my crafts and scrapbooking, and have a large window and veranda with an outside stairway down stopping on screened and non screened outdoor living areas,one for grilling outside the kitchen and the one at the very top would have our telescope up there for gazing at the stars.
I had a lot of fun designing this home in my mind.. told DH about it and he just laughed and told me I was cute and that I have one heck of an imagination.
you can be oh so smart, or you can be oh so positive. I wasted a lot of time being smart I prefer being positive. |
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Juliekay
True Blue Farmgirl
237 Posts
237 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2006 : 5:03:32 PM
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| Sounds pretty awesome to me |
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berries
True Blue Farmgirl
475 Posts
gloria g
Florida
USA
475 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2006 : 5:27:56 PM
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I did see that on HGTV. I would go to their web site, and put it in a search. It was beautiful!!!!! I'd go for it! Good Luck in your search. It could happen!
Enjoy,
gloria g.
Richards, TX
strawberry fields forever and ever! |
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Whimsy_girl
True Blue Farmgirl
576 Posts
USA
576 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2006 : 6:24:00 PM
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Oh thats cool, someone has actually done it before then!
I will see what I can find..
you can be oh so smart, or you can be oh so positive. I wasted a lot of time being smart I prefer being positive. |
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Buttercup
True Blue Farmgirl
1433 Posts
Talitha
Vermont
USA
1433 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2006 : 6:28:04 PM
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Bobbi, I think that is great!! I have one of those imaginations too!! Oh and I see you like to scrapbook...me too! I really like your idea and think it would work great! Imagination is the key because with knowledge only you are stumped and can not use it creativly but with imagination you can always learn how to put it to good use!! So you keep that great imagination!!! Heres to dreams and imagination!!!! 
"If we could maintain the wonder of childhood and at the same time grasp the wisdom of age, what wonder,what wisdom,what life would be ours" |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2006 : 6:53:43 PM
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I'm glad to see that there are others out there who do that sort of thing!! I love your idea. How fun would that be- living in a grain silo?
Karin |
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Whimsy_girl
True Blue Farmgirl
576 Posts
USA
576 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2006 : 7:16:58 PM
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I think it would be a total hoot! and it would be a way to have a cool custom place but that would blend in well with it's environment!
you can be oh so smart, or you can be oh so positive. I wasted a lot of time being smart I prefer being positive. |
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sillyfoulks
True Blue Farmgirl
164 Posts
Elizabeth
Illinois
USA
164 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2006 : 05:58:11 AM
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We have 3 different silos on our farm. We have talked about taking one and building an observation deck at the top, with several landings as you go up. Someday we may finally have the chance to do it, but in the meantime, there are so many other things to get done.
Elizabeth
Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing.
http://livingcountrystyle.blogspot.com/ |
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sonflowergurl
True Blue Farmgirl
349 Posts
Katee
Tampa 'Burbs
FL
USA
349 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2006 : 08:13:11 AM
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I grew up near a missle silo, it's all underground. My parents told me someone bought the place from the military (no longer in use) and they made it into a home and built a building on top of it, but that it's really cool and goes way down into the gound.....how's that for a tornado shelter in the middle of "tornado alley" in Kansas?!?
A grain silo, that sounds really cool too!
Katee
A life without love is like a year without summer.
"Looking Toward the Son"---- http://sonflowergirl731.blogspot.com
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2006 : 08:51:07 AM
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My dream house is an old barn converted into a house and a silo that is converted into an indoor rock climing wall for my husband with permanet anchors at the top so you could climb when ever it is already set up with a permanet top rope.
have a lovely day and may God bless you and keep you safe |
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Buttercup
True Blue Farmgirl
1433 Posts
Talitha
Vermont
USA
1433 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2006 : 4:40:03 PM
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How neat Sunshine! Some people have turned barns into wonderful homes! I think that is a really neat idea for the silo too! I hope one day your dream comes true!! Thanks for sharing it!
"If we could maintain the wonder of childhood and at the same time grasp the wisdom of age, what wonder,what wisdom,what life would be ours" |
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happymama58
True Blue Farmgirl
1210 Posts
Patti
Missouri
USA
1210 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2006 : 9:19:22 PM
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A friend shared with me a book she had borrowed from another friend -- it was all about unconventional homes. Some were converted cabooses and other train cars, others were ex-gardening sheds (absolutely adorable), and other things like that. The houses were great. The creative folks who can dream up things like that amaze me. I'm a great copier/imitator, but not much original thinking in this gal 
Some people search for happiness; others create it.
http://happymama58.typepad.com/my_weblog/ |
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Mrs Tiggywinkle
Farmgirl in Training
36 Posts
Sara
Spokane
WA
USA
36 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2006 : 07:28:42 AM
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Hi Bobbi-
I love the way your mind works! The dumbwaiter is a terrific idea. I googled on "silo home" & while some had to do w/military silos, there is at least one farm silo home.
Here you go: http://www.titonka.com/silohome.htm
Love, Sara
Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most. |
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Whimsy_girl
True Blue Farmgirl
576 Posts
USA
576 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2006 : 07:32:06 AM
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Thats awesome!! Thanks for sharing that with me!
I wonder if those folks have to pay taxes on an actual HOME or just a silo??
you can be oh so smart, or you can be oh so positive. I wasted a lot of time being smart I prefer being positive. |
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katiedid
True Blue Farmgirl
601 Posts
Kate
West Jordan
Utah
USA
601 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2006 : 07:52:48 AM
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On the discovery channel, or maybe it is home and garden or something, there is a show that is dedicated to unusual homes...I think I have seen the military silo house on this show. There are some really cool homes, and some that aren't so cool. Like the family that lives in a house shaped like a giant ice cream cone????
That silo idea is really cool, especially the cobb idea.
Anyone built with cobb before?
I am really interested in sustainable living/earth friendly homes. I thought I would start a hands on education by building a cobb play house in the back yard.
love.
Kate |
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Judes
True Blue Farmgirl
156 Posts
Jude
OH
USA
156 Posts |
Posted - Jul 10 2006 : 06:00:23 AM
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I don't know how this would work on a farm, unless it were on the water...but i read an article a long time ago about a couple who while searching for a regular house, stumbled upon an old rickety tug boat. The fell in love, then poured their heart & souls into renovating it and now they live in it with their 5 yr old son!
My DH & I are looking for property at the moment (somewhere in the Oregon/Washington area) We plan to pay as much as we can on the property while we still live in Ohio. Then we are going to build a Treehouse on the property. We'll live in it until we outgrow it & while we slowly build a green home on the property. Then we can rent the treehouse out as a B&B, and use it for visiting friends & relatives. Isn't that a good plan?!
A fun thing to look at: www.seattledreamhomes.com This is the website of a Seattle real estate agent. She has an entire section devoted to Artists homes, as well as unusual homes. (My 2 favorites are the woman w/ a 40 yr lease in the pyramid peak of one of Seattles tallest buildings, and the renovated church home!)
http://web.mac.com/jacnd/iWeb/citygardenmanual/Welcome.html |
Edited by - Judes on Jul 10 2006 06:05:02 AM |
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katiedid
True Blue Farmgirl
601 Posts
Kate
West Jordan
Utah
USA
601 Posts |
Posted - Jul 10 2006 : 08:45:41 AM
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Judes
Thanks for sharing that link! I love the church house was my favorite too. And the big barn, and the old mill, wow!!
I think your treehouse idea is too cool. I am invisioning Swiss Family Robinson!
Wouldn't it be fun to live in a tree?!?!?
I guess we would have to ask Julia Butterfly Hill.
Love
Kate |
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Destiny~
True Blue Farmgirl
195 Posts
Dar
west
TX
USA
195 Posts |
Posted - Jul 10 2006 : 11:25:22 AM
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Kate, that's funny that you mentioned her. I've thought about building a house up in the trees and I always think of her when I do, since reading her book.
I love that show on HGTV about the unusual homes, actually there might be two different shows but with the same idea.
In today's paper there was an article about a company that's building their first two 'Earthblock' homes here. I'm curious to see how it all turns out.
I want to build a house soon out in the country and would like to use 'organic' materials.
"Let us, together, sow seeds for a better harvest-a harvest for hope."
Jane Goodall, Harvest for Hope |
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A Farm of My Own: unconventional homes/farmhouses |
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unconventional homes/farmhouses
