Planned for an efficient use of space, this home is affordable yet still very elegant. This one story house is attractively detailed with a facade of mostly brick /stone, a well-balanced main entrance enhanced by stately columns, and a low sweeping feature wall which further accentuates the graceful look of this home.

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Just like these manor-style cottages with garage being built in a lot of residential areas in Quebec, this one is notable for its medieval style exterior ands its 36 feet wide facade. This handsome home allows for easy site planning on a narrow lot.

Find out more….

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The first things to catch your attention in this handsome manor are well-balanced volumes, remarkable windows and brick facade. The steep gables of the two central volumes give this house real elegance, achieving the manor style, always popular with home plan buyers.

To learn more about plan #3418, see details…

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Last month I received an email from a very ambitious soul in Sooke, BC asking if we had ever considered turning some of our shed designs into home plans. At first I thought she meant using the style as the basis for a home design or a Carriage House Plan, but after a number of emails and phone calls her mission was clear – tiny, tiny, tiny (tiny house plans)! Lois turned out to be a wonderful person and a really creative thinker. She wanted to embrace the idea of adding multiple dwellings on her Sooke property in accordance with new zoning which allowed for densification.

The idea of micro-living intrigued me so it was time for some research. 
After much digging on the web and calling different city halls around BC, I came to understand that Lois’ idea is more than just a concept – it is now a reality. Many regions are allowing additional dwellings to be added to properties as separate living units for grandparents, renters, and the increasingly common “boomerang children”. These dwellings are sized in accordance with local building by-laws and can be as small as 300 square feet which is, amazingly, in accordance with the National Building code of Canada. Formalizing densification also addresses the issue that there were illegal (and often unsafe) dwellings being added to properties.

Drummond House Plans - Tiny House Plan no. 2923

Still the question begs to be asked, “Why would someone want to build (or live in) a home the size of a shed?” From a user’s point of view, a tiny house would be perfect for someone needing independence, low maintenance, affordability, and safety. From a city planner’s perspective, it addresses affordable housing and densification mandates.  From a landlords perspective it’s a small space to independently house a family member or generate income to help out with mortgage payments. From city hall’s perspective it is additional tax revenue. When you look at it from all of these perspectives, tiny houses make sense.

Can a person comfortably live in a space so small? One need only ask people with live-aboard boats and RV’s that very question. With careful planning and paring down to necessities, both groups of people would say “absolutely”! Of course, it may be quite challenging for a young or growing family but “living small” is an ecological and social challenge that some are happy to embrace.

For the purpose of definition, Drummond House Plans classifies a tiny house as a dwelling which is under 1100 square feet. These houses are frequently fawned over as being darned cute and amazingly efficient. These homes also have the added benefit of having a smaller carbon footprint and are ideal for areas which embrace high-density housing. 

Thank you, Lois, for starting this conversation. We look forward to adding more designs to our available Drummond Tiny House Plans for people just like you.

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Northwest architecture is inspired by nature and necessity.

It is not hard to identify the nature inspiration when surrounded by towering trees, rugged landscape and amazing vistas. The Northwest response to stunning scenery is to create house designs that are in harmony with the environment. Houses are often nestled into a sloped site and the lines of Northwest house plans tend to echo the strong elements of their environment – strong vertical lines in harmony with majestic fir trees, horizontal lines to evoke the feelings of rock ledges, roof undulations to blend with the peaks on the horizon. A Northwest home design is usually clean in design, lacking excessive exterior details. When architectural accents are desired, they are usually achieved with the use of natural timber and rock to further blend the house with its surroundings. A generous use of windows creates a seamless transition between indoors and out and brings light into the interior.

Beautiful Drummond House Plans - Northwest Collection - Cottage Plan #2957

So what about the necessity side of design in the Northwest? The Northwest climate is well-known for the amazing amounts of precipitation so protection of residents and the very building itself is a must.  The Northwest design accommodates this by implementing medium to low sloping rooflines with generous overhangs. To take this a step further, you will notice that many Northwest designs include a covered grilling area for year-round trips to the BBQ. Additional outdoor living spaces are achieved by adding generous decks, often combining open and covered areas for year-round enjoyment.

Charming Northwest Home Design by Drummond House Plans - no. 3832

A Northwest house has wonderful flow and functional interiors with modern amenities. Modern minimalist interior design is quite common as it helps with the laid-back lifestyle so common on the Coast. These designs are not limited to the enjoyment of “Coasties”. Although originating in the northwest, these houses can be built as a primary home or vacation home in any region of the country that has a natural vista or stunning cityscape to be enjoyed.  

Very popular Drummond Design - Carriage Plan no. 3935

Drummond House Plans has a beautiful and extensive collection of Northwest house plans available for your family’s comfort. We also have a number of designs being worked on so you should visit the site regularly or sign up for new design notifications.

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Dear Readers,

It is with much joy that I wish you all very merry and joyous holidays on behalf of all of us at Drummond Designs.

May your new construction or renovation projects be filled with success in the new year.  We hope to be able to support and help you in any way possible.

And above all, I wish you warmth, joy, love and good cheer in this season of gathering with your loved ones.

Regards,
Jessica

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Who would have known that everytime we flush we are actually flushing away valuable and natural fertilizer.  At least that’s what Dave claims in his article “Sustainable Sanitation“ found on the blog called “On the Level“.  It is actually on Bob Vila’s website.  Although most of us know who Bob Vila is,  I personnally remember him from a very funny family sitcom called Home Improvement.  I really enjoyed the show.  Too bad America’s more into the “reality shows” now…  But enought about that, let’s get back to the main subjet cause I could really get sidetracked!

In this day and age everyone is trying to figure out better ways to recycle and save energy.  Sometimes, little do we know that some very basic ways of re-using energy exist very close to home.  Actually, in our homes!  Who knew that urine is filled with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, three ingredients in artificial fertilizer. Feces also have these components in lesser amounts but produce methane, which can burned and used as “biogas.”  

I have often heard that if stuck in the woods with an open wound, urine can be a very powerful, effective and needed antiseptic.  But, I had no idea that it could actually help trees, grass and garden’s grow!  Nature really is intelligent.  We have much yet to learn from her (mother nature).

I’m sure this piece of information will please many men who enjoy a good outdoor “relieving” session;)  It will now be difficult for us women to complain….

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Ecoflo® is a water treatment system for residential sewage that is based on the principal of filtration. 100% natural and ecological, its organic filter functions without an electromechanical component. It treats pollutants and retains solids from the water contained in sewers originating from the septic tank.

Ecoflo® is available in two models: fibreglass and concrete. It is adaptable to all kinds of lands and soils and it discretely integrates with the landscaping without making noise and is odourless.

Ecoflo® is a very flexible solution as it can be installed under conditions that most conventional systems, presently on the market, can not. Its filter captures all pollutants and suspended matter, making it impossible for it to reject polluting matter back into the air which, in turn, ensures the longevity and proper functioning of our septic tank installation.

Recent studies have shown that the septic installation of Ecoflo®, combined with a natural soil and conforming to regulations, can reduce phosphorus contents in domestic waste water by 98%, making it a privileged protection of lakes and waterways.

Each Ecoflo® owner is bound with the manufacturer by an annual maintenance contract. Every year, Premier Tech Environment (PTE) and its network of local partners, inspect and maintain each installed Ecoflo® The purchase and complete installation of a septic system varies between 8 000$ to 10 000$ Certain conditions such as the region, the type of soil and the Ecoflo® model can influence the total of the invoice. The purchase of an Ecoflo® includes: an annual preventive maintenance at no extra charge, a 20-year warranty on the caisson and its components, a 10-year warranty on the filtering system itself. Once installed, the Ecoflo® septic system is considered to be permanent. Only the filter must be changed every 10 years in order to ensure quality treatment.

Ecoflo® successfully passed the tests of “Le Bureau de Normalisation du Québec (BNQ)“. It is certified according to norm NQ 3680-910 oriented for the protection of the environment. Its results surpass industry requirements.

Plan the Purchase of Your Septic Installation
Follow these steps
Obtain a soil analysis and elaborate plans and specifications.
Contact either a technologist or an engineer to obtain the plans and specifications *(profile of your building site, a topographic survey of the site, the level of permeability, etc.)
*Required by the “Ministère du Développement durable“, the Environment and Parks.

Obtaining a Permit
Submit the plans and specifications received either from the technologist or engineer to your municipal inspector.

Installation
Request a tender from different installers trained by Premier Tech Environment to install your septic installation. The installer is able to supply all the necessary components (septic tank, pre-filter, Ecoflo®, clean stones for the disposable field, pumping station if necessary, etc.)

Inspection and Conformity
The municipal inspector or an authorized agent will be there during the installation and will inspect the job at different stages of the work in order to assure that the work is done according to the plans and that it is conformable. Once the installation is complete, your installer will give you a folder with your owner’s manual along with your maintenance contract. Please be sure to complete your contract as quickly as possible and forward copies to the intervening parties mentioned. This way, your Ecoflo® will be registered in our data base and the following year, a technician will proceed with the prevention maintenance included in the purchase price of your system.

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Our month of June feels more like mid-July with the tremendous heat and clammy humidity, doesn’t it? Like barbecues, air conditioners must be selling like hot-cakes! 

As it’s usually the custom, when a subject such as air conditioning becomes a hot subject, you usually tend to hear comments of all kinds.  The ones who own an air conditioning device often complain about the performance.  Others wish to purchase one but simply do not know where to start.

Now, if you are anything  like me, you may have no idea of what size to buy or how many BTU’s you need your unit to have in order for it to be profitable.  I honestly thought the term BTU was strictly used in the barbecue business!

I recently found out through Energy Star that many elements can be taken into consideration to help you choose the correct air conditioning.   For instance, did you know that the total square footage of the area you wish to cool is essential?

Also, here are some elements you may need to consider to help you make the smartest choice:

If the room is heavily shaded, reduce capacity by 10 percent.
If the room is very sunny, increase capacity by 10 percent.
If more than two people regularly occupy the room, add 600 BTUs for each additional person.
If the unit is used in a kitchen, increase capacity by 4,000 BTUs.
Consider where you install the unit. If you are mounting an air conditioner near the corner of a room, look for a unit that can send the airflow in the right direction. 

I also encourage you to visit the following site in order to view the chart that will give you a better indication of what type of strength your unit should be in order to be effective.
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=roomac.pr_properly_sized

Happy shopping and may your summer be a little less sticky!

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Colours again?  Who can blame me especially on a day like this?  Ice pellets, snow, wind!  Gray and white are the only colours I’m seeing through my window today…..  Even the parked cars this morning are all grey and black in colour.

But what are the colour trends this year? Is there any pizzazz to look forward to? Perhaps the following can help you to get started in some choices you may want to make should you have chosen to remodel.

 Benjamin Moore has a nice way of presenting the 2008 trends on their website naming them Modern Tranquility, Organic Comfort and Pure Opulence.  Of course, it’s not because it’s trendy that it’s necessarily tasteful…

Sico on the other hand speaks of Mysterious, dark looks, Punch colours, Sico’s mushroom collection, and also Sico neutrals.  I particularly like Sico’s website for all the other sections.  For example, they have a Feng Shui colours section with precious information and other links.  Some of you will also delight with their  Colour Fan Club.  

There is much out there to give good ideas and uplift the spirits.  I for one am seriously looking forward to giving a little red touch to my kitchen!

Enjoy!

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