Lede
Interest in “drawing house” — the practice of sketching homes by hand or with digital tools — is moving from niche studios into classrooms, hobby circles, and everyday home projects, as educators emphasize visual thinking and software makers simplify design workflows. Architects and teachers say the activity helps people understand how spaces function, while consumer-friendly apps make it easier to translate ideas into basic floor plans and exterior studies. The result is a broader audience engaging with a process once seen as specialized, with implications for design literacy, career pathways, and how communities participate in shaping the built environment.
What “Drawing House” Means Today
Drawing a house can mean several things, from quick pencil sketches of façades to measured floor plans and digital models. In informal contexts, it begins with line, shape, and proportion — a front door centered under a gable, window grids suggested by a few strokes, a roofline that conveys slope and shelter. In more technical settings, it expands to plan, section, and elevation, the trio that shows how rooms relate, how light enters, and how materials meet. Between those poles sit a growing set of tools that help bridge the gap: grid overlays for perspective, template libraries for doors and stairs, and entry-level modeling tools that turn 2D outlines into simple 3D forms.
Step 2: Get the company ready to close
This is the tidy‑up phase. Close your business bank accounts after clearing transactions and paying all creditors. Collect any receivables and settle supplier balances. Deregister for VAT if applicable, run final payrolls and pensions, and cancel direct debits, insurance, software subscriptions, and leases. Tell your accountant you’re closing and make sure final corporation tax returns and any outstanding accounts are submitted to HMRC. If there’s cash or other assets left once debts are paid, distribute them to shareholders before you apply—anything left after dissolution can pass to the Crown as bona vacantia. Don’t forget less obvious assets: domain names, licences, trade marks, deposits, gift cards, inventory in storage, and PayPal/Stripe balances. If you keep statutory registers and minute books, bring them up to date and store them safely—you should keep key records for at least six years. Finally, pass a board resolution approving strike off and recording that the company is solvent and eligible. These prep steps dramatically reduce the risk of objections.
Step 3: File the DS01 and pay the fee
When you’re ready, complete form DS01 (the strike off application). You can do it online or by post; online is faster and a bit cheaper. You’ll need the company number, registered name, and the usual contact details. A majority of the directors must sign; if you have a sole director, they sign alone. Make sure the registered office address is able to receive post for several months—even if you’re using a service address—because Gazette notices and any objections will be sent there. Pay the small filing fee (currently around £8 online or £10 by post). Keep copies of everything you submit along with the date you filed. Pro tip: avoid informal trading after filing. Only activities that are strictly necessary to close the company are permitted. If you accidentally issue a new invoice or sign a fresh contract, you may invalidate eligibility and should withdraw and re‑file later. Once submitted, Companies House will email or post confirmation and schedule the first Gazette notice.
Eggs, Grits, and Sides: The Simple Things Done Right
Waffle House shines brightest when it keeps things honest, and the basics prove it. Eggs land the way you ask—over medium that is actually medium, or a soft scramble that is tender, not dry. Grits are a blank canvas: butter, salt, pepper, done. If you like them creamier, let the bowl sit a minute and stir; the texture thickens into something spoon-cozy. Toast is hot and buttered, with raisin toast offering a nudge of sweetness without needing extra jam.
The Reagan Show (2017)
If Our Nixon is about unraveling, The Reagan Show is about the performance—and the discipline behind it. Made almost entirely from archival footage, it spotlights a presidency that truly understood television. You watch the White House operate like a Hollywood set at times: advance teams staging perfect vistas, staff calibrating every camera angle, and a media-savvy leader leaning into myth-making while handling high-stakes diplomacy. The film is witty without being dismissive, and it invites you to examine the line between storytelling and statesmanship. It also highlights how image can be strategy, not just ornament—especially in the Cold War, where perception shaped leverage. For anyone curious about modern media politics, this documentary offers a foundational case study. It pairs nicely with more process-heavy films on this list; after seeing how policy is built, watch how it is packaged, sold, and remembered. You will never look at a Rose Garden photo-op the same way again.