Name: Becke, Lee, Pierre and three geriatric cats (Badooda, Magiggles and Einar)
Location: Lakeport, Ontario, Canada
Size: 1800 square feet
Years lived in: 1
Becke & Lee are self-described "artists, computer nerds and wheelers & dealers" of vintage goods (at The Vintage Cabin on etsy) who made the move from the city to the country a year ago. Becke writes, "My husband & I made the move out of the city & into this house a year ago so we could have more space to garden, be creative and enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle. Since we've been here though, it's been nothing but work!"
Q: My wife and I live in a small suburban condo but dream of building our own house someday. We hope that staying here another year or two will help us afford the big move. My question is, and maybe some of the readers have resources as well, how do we go about designing/building our own home? Do we contract an architect? Have other Apartment Therapy readers attempted this?
Q: I'm finally moving into my own apartment (larger photo & floorplan below) and am having serious furniture layout dilemnas with my living room! It's a great space, but every layout I come up with seems too unbalanced between the left and right sides, especially if I try to include an L-shaped sectional (which I would like to get for the comfiness factor). It'd be great to have something that takes advantage of the views out the bay windows and also an office space/large desk that doesn't face a wall.
Q: My boyfriend and I moved into our new apartment about a month ago and are LOVING all the great natural light. However, it seems that these two east-facing windows (they're smaller, towards the top of the wall) let in a ton of heat along with all that great light. The "glass" isn't real glass, but rather a peice of plexi and I think that has something to do with it. We can feel the floors and furniture in their path get very hot, even on mild days. 
Q: I installed new windows and am now ready for window treatment as the blankets I've been using for privacy is reminding me a bit of my college days. Since this room (larger photo below) gets afternoon light and is street facing - it would be nice to get something for privacy - and for light blockage when watching movies (there's substantial glare from outside). 
As fantastic as it is to see far away friends and family for Thanksgiving, it is pretty universally accepted that this is a tough week for traveling. If you are one of the brave souls hitting the road this week, jump below for a quick round up of posts that might make things just a little more organized before, during and after your trip.
