Darling Hot Green House

The extensive makeover of Britt and Donna Starlings Edgewater  home provided enough leftovers to assemble a potting shed in their backyard.

Thirteen is our lucky number Donna says so its 13 feet wide.

Between 22 to 23 feet long she says This house built itself.

Constructed with 17 salvaged double hung windows their old front door and some leftover lumber and sheet metal roofing the Starlings tiny house is part party place for Donna and her friends. Its also a private retreat where she and her hubby come in the evenings to talk about the affairs of the day and make plans for the week.

Britt and I kind of break away from the kids the computers the TV and unplug she says.

Arranged over a bed of crushed oyster shells the tiny hot green house is furnished with a feathered chandy a distressed wood table and chairs her childrens play table a silver framed mirror pillared candlesticks an old mantel a cast iron Tiffany-style sea shell lamp and a black wicker settee. She says everything was plucked from the recyclable pile or was gifted.

With their three children and toy French poodle Snowflake the Starlings cozy up around the relic coal-burning pot bellied stove in cooler weather.

My grandmother always had one in her home in Boston Donna says.

This one was a gift from her parents a couple of Christmases ago. Acquired from a family friends grandmother Donna believes that family owned the stove for 100 years or more. Fueled with briquettes purchased at the hardware store she lets son Michael 13 light the fire.

Every night were in here Donna says.

Draped with lush leafy tropical plants and all of her favorite shabby chic accessories that no longer suit the dcor of her redecorated contemporary Caribbean home she says the hot house is so peaceful and at night its so twinkly and soft.