The Little Cabin in the Woods

In my secret other life I’m an Interior Designer. Okay, well, maybe it’s not really that big of a secret. You see I’ve been remodeling homes in Phoenix for almost 20 years. My first career choice would have been as an actual Interior Designer, but the Universe had other plans for me, and, at this point, becoming a nurse and now, Nurse Practitioner, is such an integral part of who I am and what I’ve become. But I still love interior design and I still remodel the occasional house. And now I get to remodel a house that I’ve wanted for more than 25 years.

If you’ve spent even one summer in Phoenix, then you know it’s not really a dry heat, but an oppressive, fiery inferno that bakes your skin and sucks out the moisture from every orifice of your body and soul. Every summer for the past thirty years I become an irritable beast longing to get the hell out of hell and threaten my husband that I will move away from Phoenix, never to return again. 

For many people in Arizona the northern part of the state becomes a refuge from the summer heat. When the temperatures soar to 110 degrees in the desert, the temp in northern Arizona is usually about twenty degrees cooler. I have always wanted a place of my own in the mountains of Arizona, and, FINALLY, it happened. In November of last year my husband and I purchased what I now lovingly refer to as my little cabin in the woods. Not only does this cabin represent my newfound ability to get out of the heat whenever I desire but after the past two years it represents so much more. It represents my ability to reconnect with Mother Nature, which is high on my priority list for 2022.

Isn’t she a cutie. Okay I know she’s a little rough right now but just wait til I get started. My goal for this cabin is to take my cues from Mother Nature, with a color palette and materials inspired by her design. I want to plant flowers and an edible garden. And, instead of being trapped inside for months on end during the dog days of summer, I want to wake up early in the morning and drink my coffee on the deck, and return to that spot in the evening to watch the sun set with a glass of wine in hand.

At a mere 1300 square feet this house might be the smallest remodel I’ve even completed. But don’t be fooled. This journey is no easy one, as most remodels aren’t. The house has significant foundation issues which are first on the check list of repairs. But after that it’s all about design.

So keep a look out as this journey unfolds. I can’t wait!