Sandra and John's House

As I mentioned before, Sandra and John live in a 700 square foot house.  When we first went in she showed us what used to be their guest room, their dining room, and their rec room (the couch, the fold-away dining table, the large screen TV all located in the front room).  I suppose if you are going to downsize drastically, a sense of humour is always a good thing to keep. 

In fact, their house has a living room; a kitchen which leads to the large fenced patio/back garden; an office with a huge desk; and a bedroom, all beautifully decorated. 

Sandra watering her thirsty roses.

The office and the bedroom are  linked by a small bathroom which doubles as a hallway in this respect.  There looked to be loads of storage cupboards, no wasted space and no clutter.  It was simple, comfortable and pretty. 

That sign says 'Welcome to Nana and Papa's'

They 'outsource' their other needs:  as I mentioned, the Doubletree is their guestroom.  They use a laundromat.  They keep their 'seasonal' items in a rented storage unit.  Sandra said she loved changing the decor for the seasons.

I can't believe we came away without photos of the meals we took in the back yard, but there it is.  We'll just claim jet lag, OK?  Picture a pleasant space enclosed by a tall wooden fence and large shade trees, a glass table covered with a lovely tablecloth and cushioned chairs.  The temperature is just between cool and warm.  One can hear neighbourhood sounds, but this is a separate world.  It was magic.

The front porch and back patio are such pleasant spaces in the renouned
California climate; I think they should count as two more rooms!

Theirs is an older styled house; I think John told me it was built in 1926. This might be one of the reasons I loved it so!