Photo taken from the website "The Year of Mud: Cob and Natural Building"

Joey and I have been talking about the possibility of someday building our own house.  This idea is exciting not only because of the romantic notion of physically building a home together, but also saving money while building a house... if we were to do it right, that is.  I've always been a huge fan of cob houses and other alternative ways to building a home naturally.  For the longest time I would design blueprints of my ideal home to build based off of my grandfathers barn.  I wouldn't change much to the design or the feel of the barn except for getting rid of the snakes and spiders and adding a living interior instead of wild kittens and hay with ticks crawling in it.  The cob house above looks wonderfully comfortable and seems to say "Welcome Home".  This kind of architecture is the kind that is made out of love.  Finding and collecting salvaged wood, doors and windows, and other used household items to help to create the structure re-uses and breathes new life to forgotten pieces while giving the house an eclectic and cozy feel.  Using materials provided by the earth (straw, mud, sand, and clay) to create quite possibly the best insulation a house can offer is a partnership with the land and the builder as the home is created.  Like I said... love!  This little daydream, along with a chicken coop and some goats, sounds perfectly delightful.  What's your dream home?