History of the Founding Project: How the LemonDrop Became Citrus Manor

October 25, 2010

My neighbor likes to remind me that I was only going to stay in our tiny yellow house for a few years before moving to a “better” house. At 720 square feet, it was certainly cozy and was quickly dubbed the “LemonDrop” for its cheerful yellow color. However, my husband and I fell in love with the little house and the neighborhood around it. Sure, it was stuffy in the summer and chilly in the winter, but it worked for us. Then we had a son and the house seemed to shrink – the poor wee one would literally run in circles in the living room. My husband was using a desk in the corner of our bedroom for late night work. Something had to change.

The design process took a while as we were struggling with the demands of new parenthood. After setting design priorities – passive solar, lots of natural light, a green roof, and a central fireplace – the form of the addition began to take shape. We wanted a dining space that was not in the living room, a master bedroom and bath, a home office, and space for entertaining.

Our budget was tight, so we focused on energy efficient design and good spatial quality, rather than expensive finishes. And we did some of the work ourselves. As with many homes, there are still lots of projects on the “to-do” list, but we are enjoying the new space. We have experienced how passive solar and energy-efficient design has not only reduced our utility bills (even with more space), but has also made the house much more thermally comfortable, bright, and cheerful.

The addition’s exterior is a citrusy green and the interior color scheme is also heavily citrusy in keeping with the original LemonDrop. To celebrate the addition, the home was rechristened “Citrus Manor” in a big housewarming celebration that confirmed that the house is also good for entertaining. Our home has become a nurturing center for our green lifestyle, our family relationships, and our connection to our larger community.