Like this Small Cool 2013 contest entry? Favorite it below!
- Name:
- Kirstin & Jeff
- Location:
- Los Angeles, CA
- Square Feet:
- 713
- Division:
- Little
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- Our little home is a Casita Del Rio—it’s right at an entrance to the LA River in Atwater Village, and we’ve become full on river people. We are so lucky to have all these exotic birds, peaceful water, and stunning natural landscape steps from our house. And in the midst of LA freeways, it’s the weirdest thing. The location lifts the spirits with our house filled with reminders of places, people, and experiences that make us happy, and that inspires us to make our stuff! Having a lot of space means nothing if it doesn’t energize you to make your stuff, and there’s always projects happening here. But mostly we love our home because Mr. Furley (the coolest little doggie in the world) lives here.
- Name:
- Evan
- Location:
- Brooklyn, NY
- Square Feet:
- 900
- Division:
- Small
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- The fact that we only have 1 bedroom is made up for with the original details throughout. All of the wood was kept in pristine condition and though we live in a garden apartment, we get decent light and have relatively high ceilings. Though we fantasize about houses, it is nice to be able to simultaneously use the "dining room" and "living room" when entertaining, especially because we were able to fit a normal size dining table. There is also a half room which we've turned into a walk-in closet which can feel quite luxurious. I also love that little by little, we're becoming surrounded by DIY projects that we just adore living with!
- Name:
- Carlos & April
- Location:
- Alhambra, CA
- Square Feet:
- 480
- Division:
- Tiny
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- When we first considered downsizing, we never dreamed such a budget friendly rental property existed in our L.A. suburb. Tacked onto the back of a 1910 California Bungalow and on half an acre of virtually un-lanscaped forest, we set up house in our quirky-cozy, tiny apartment in the trees. We love the history of the home (Norman Rockwell is rumored to have painted in the studio above while on retreat) and the large casement windows that drench us in morning light and bring the outdoors in. The clever floorplan gives the illusion of space and the farm sink and clawfoot tub add such charm!
- Name:
- Poppy
- Location:
- London United Kingdom
- Square Feet:
- 500
- Division:
- International
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- 1. It has a big view of London life.
2. It is full of furniture I inherited from my grandparents.
3. It has a working fireplace.
4. I made the kitchen cabinets myself out of old floorboards I got from a reclaim yard.
5. I wallpapered two of the bathroom walls with my father's scripts from when he was at drama school in the 1970s.
6. I have a little urban terrace-garden.
- Name:
- Ashley
- Location:
- Charleston, SC
- Square Feet:
- 632
- Division:
- Little
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- Lots of stuff. My house was built in the 1940's, so my midcentury-inspired furniture fits in quite well. Most of it was found at thrift stores or on Craigslist, or lovingly built by my super awesome dad. My apartment is on the second floor surrounded by lawns so the view out of any window is lovely. Also, because my house is basically a square split into 4 smaller squares, from any room I can see into 2 other rooms. Which means if something super exciting was going on in 3 rooms at once I would get to partake in all of it!
- Name:
- Justin
- Location:
- Brooklyn, NY
- Square Feet:
- 590
- Division:
- Tiny
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- Our apartment is 99 years old and has managed to retain nearly all its original detail, including Arts and Crafts style plaster moulding, a gas fireplace, and large windows with leaded-glass transoms. It's basically really warm and inviting, providing an interesting contrast to some of our contemporary art and furnishings.
- Name:
- Adam
- Location:
- Los Angeles, CA
- Square Feet:
- 936
- Division:
- Small
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- I love that my place isn't defined by a specific time. it can kind of be whatever I want it to be. It's a personal space where nothing is too precious, which (I believe) allows a level of comfort and warmth.
- Name:
- Kylie
- Location:
- Kansas City, MO
- Square Feet:
- 824
- Division:
- Small
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- I love that I moved into this condo as a single, college student and have over the last 6 years added first a dog, then a husband, a daughter and now another baby on the way. Our home has completely adapted to each new stage and forced me to press into new ways of thinking about design. Every room started out with builder's beige paint on the walls and zero personality. Now, every room reflects who we are as a family. We've added wood beams, crown molding, tiled walls, a new bathroom vanity, swapped every light fixture...the list goes on and on. Everything we can change, we have. I love that a small home restricts you to tweaking and perfecting the few rooms you do have to work with. With all of our energy being poured into such a concentrated area, we ended up with spaces we love.
- Name:
- Lindsey & Hrishikesh
- Location:
- Los Angeles, CA
- Square Feet:
- 798
- Division:
- Little
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- Our place was built in 1959, and we immediately fell in love with the period built-in nooks and cabinets. Over the years we've lived here, we've updated it to be more modern while trying to stay true to the spirit of the period. The built-in dining table was custom-made by our friend as a wedding present. The stereo cabinet in the living room was originally bought by Lindsey's grandparents in 1968, but we've re-wired it to play through the television and wirelessly stream music. We especially love our kitchen floors, which we re-did with handmade cement tiles from Nicaragua, and the pair of wooden chairs we got from an old farmhouse. And in the afternoons, our place is flooded with light, thanks to our perenially sunny city. All of this makes it a great place for Hrishikesh to work out of during the day, and for Lindsey to come home to each night.
In small homes, the bathroom in particular can be really pressed for space. I know that in my own small house (not as tiny as my old apartment, but well under the average size in my city), it's difficult coming up with enough wall space for towel bars. We have hooks and bars on the back of the door, but I'm always looking for alternatives since that's not ideal. One solution I'm eyeing is the 12-inch towel bar:
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