Since I moved to Brooklyn, ants have been invading my kitchen for several weeks each spring. Usually I buy commercial (and toxic) ant bait traps from my local hardware store, but this year I opted for an easy solution using two ingredients I had in my kitchen pantry. Here's how to make your own non-toxic ant killer. 

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Name:

Elizabeth

Location:

San Francisco, CA

Square Feet:

475

Division:

Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

My husband and I met in college where we secretly shared a single, twin-bed dorm room for three years. Moving into a studio and upgrading to a ‘full’ bed made us feel like we had all the space in the world! I have enjoyed the creative and organizational challenges of living in a small space, while still making it feel welcoming and comfortable. We love entertaining in our small space because guests always comment on how cozy and relaxing it feels. I love all the natural light we get, the pleasing color palette and all the personalized touches that really make it feel like our own. Plus, our home only takes about an hour to clean from top to bottom! It’s the perfect size for the two of us.

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Name:

Katie

Location:

Vancouver, Bc Canada

Square Feet:

250

Division:

International

What I Love About My Small Home:

As part of a heritage building, it has the most eccentric charm: a bathroom built over the bed, creaky wooden floors and beautiful architectural details. Also my glorious amassment of local artworks and antique books which have been gifted and collected over the years.

Storage chests and trunks are the perfect furniture for small spaces. They provide extra storage space, can act as a coffee or side table and, in a pinch, can even stand in as extra seating. Check out this roundup of storage chests in a variety of styles and price points.

I love bedrooms that are well-styled, but I also love the clean simplicity of a bed that looks like it's seriously meant for sleeping in, with cloud-like crisp white bedding and a few downy pillows. 

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Name:

Caitlin

Location:

Oakland, CA

Square Feet:

328

Division:

Teeny-Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

My unit is located in back of a building perched on a hill. I am two floors down from the main entrance, but my lovely picture window still looks out onto a sweeping hillside down to a beautiful lake. The unique situation means there is no apartment below me, despite the fact that there are two lower floors. I share walls with the hillside, hallway, and a ventilation shaft. It's quiet and peaceful, but from my window I can see for miles. As a youngster I was enamored with books like 'Walden' and 'My Side of the Mountain' - I wouldn't have thought I would get so close to those treetop daydreams and still be able to bike all over one of the best metropolitan areas in the country. I'm also so grateful for my cabinet space in the kitchen. I really appreciate the ratio of kitchen to living space; it's in keeping with my priorities (nomnomnom).

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Name:

David

Location:

Duesseldorf Germany

Square Feet:

667

Division:

International

What I Love About My Small Home:

Although our home is small, we have everything we need.

Name: Lala, 4
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Ever since my daughter was introduced to Lalaloopsies in December of last year, she has been hooked! I love the look of the environments in which the characters live; it really lends itself to having a handmade look. I didn’t realize just how deep I would get into hand making everything. I went a little Lala handmade crazy.

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Name:

Khris and Valerie

Location:

Seattle, WA

Square Feet:

565

Division:

Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

There is a lot of natural "Old Seattle" character in our building, with its rugged brick walls and 1920s details. The small size of the apartment suits us. Since we can see the TV from the living room AND the bedroom, we start each morning by taking our coffee and phones back to bed to watch the a.m. news, read emails, and hang out together before getting ready for work. We like to think of our apartment as a rustic cozy squirrel den, and it's romantic to share a small space.