something old. something new. (alternate title: let's wreck some stuff!)

it doesn't take long to demolish an 875 sq ft house. all in all, ours was just a pile of sticks in the basement within a couple hours. by the afternoon a flat piece of land with a big hole is all that remained. but before we tore it down we spent time pulling out the things we loved. part of the process of this build will include reclaiming and reusing materials and items that stand the test of time. we're doing this for a couple of reasons:

1. first of all, this new house is about building something that is good for the neighbourhood, our family and if we want to get really ambitious, the world. so every little bit we can stop from going to the landfill helps. the ideal solution would have been to move the house to another location. we attempted this option first, unfortunately all the movers who viewed the house deemed it too small for their clients.

2. we like old stuff. not everything old mind you, but there's something magical about pieces and materials from different eras. especially when those materials are used alongside newer, modern items. so the new homes will include items that stood the test of time in other locations, and will continue to do so here.

from our old house we salvaged the hardwood flooring, some beautiful light fixtures and a pair of french doors. we'll use these items as feature points in the new houses, the kind of thing that might spark a conversation with visitors over a glass of wine. even better if the wine is a few years old too.