A Woman's Eco Home is Her Castle

Using an existing character building such as an old croft, small church or farm building I aim to turn it into one large living space with a mezzanine level for the bedroom area and a small section off the main living space will be a bathroom.

In doing so I aim to do three main things. Firstly the build will be ecologically sound and efficient for years to come. Secondly it will mean I live cheaply with minimal bills. And finally I will be able to live creatively; creating a living space that works for my lifestyle, suits my mood and reflects my personality.

With very little work needed on an already sound and water tight building the carbon footprint of the actual build should not be too high, however all of the work that needs doing will use natural (where possible) fabrics - woods, stone etc. It is important to me to live honestly on the planet, and the more honestly I live the calmer I can be in knowing I'm being authentic and closer to the earth rather than hiding from it or fighting against it. Plenty of investment in things such as solar energy and insulation should mean I will be relying less on the soaring price of gas and energy from multinational companies. I will not be feeding their profit but feeding myself with only the necissary amounts of heat, water and power from renewable sources where possible. Creatively speaking creating my space in which to live, work, holiday, grow, cook etc etc will be the most fullfilling element. So many ideas to create an effective and visually beautiful living space can finally be applied to a building that is my own rather than the landlords. Paint can be applied, nails hammered into walls and eccentric cat flaps can be installed. The space can be utilised for the things I do: a yoga space, a corner for rails of vintage clothes and a large kitchen open to the lounge space for friends to chat while I cook. Room for big old armchairs and lets not forget the famous copper bath installation that friends know I have been in love with forever! May seem a little OTT for an eco build however copper conducts heat from however little hot water you put in it so a luxurious bath can be had with very little energy or water waste. Glamour can go hand in hand with rustic..