For those dealing with downsizing, the change can be stressful. In our first post on the topic, we rounded up our favorite examples of families, couples, and single people living in small spaces. This time around, we're listening to 9 people who've downsized and shared their stories in their own words. Despite budget challenges and the difficulty of paring down, all of them ended up happy in their small homes. Through the process, they've learned that living with less can sometimes mean living better...
From Jenny and Clove: "We essentially downsized (1100 in SF to 500 sq ft in NYC) to devote ourselves to our art. Though our space was a wreck, and our budget, a shoestring, we were determined not to settle. We wanted New York & San Francisco, indoor and outdoor, upscale apartment & artistic freedom...Being an artist requires perseverance, energy and ingenuity, qualities that allowed us to re-use, re-purpose, and re-invent ordinary materials in order to create an extraordinary space."
Dee Williams on why she moved from a 1,500 sf house to an 84 sf cabin: "A simpler life, more time, more money. I don't have a mortgage. I don't have a big utility bill. Being able to offer money to my family if they need it, (and to) my friends if they need it. Right now this is where I want to be!" (Photos: America at Home)
Dave, who downsized from a 1200 to 900 square foot apartment, says: "I found myself trolloping around my old place in Andersonville all by myself and decided that it was silly to have so much unused space. I would also wander around late at night dusting things with my nightshirt...not a healthy situation. With the help of a fantastic AT blurb, I managed to sell almost everything on Craigslist (although I could not find a buyer for my old Latrine chair) and started over for the new flat."
Sharon Kastrinos, who downsized with her husband from 1,800 square feet to just 150 square feet says: "There's a tremendous burden that's off your shoulders. Small is OK, and it might even be better." Her husband, Bill, now designs tiny Tortoise Shell Homes.
Andrea on her 650 sf apartment: "Last fall I became an empty-nester, sold the large, suburban colonial in Baltimore and headed up to New York and graduate school. I brought with me only what I thought I would need to live alone for the first time in my life. I shed an awful lot of stuff along the way! It is incredibly liberating to pare down, not to mention much easier to stay organized, keep the place clean and tidy, and really savor those things I chose to keep."
Mark and Katie decided to tour the country in a tiny T@B Trailer with their dog, Mister. Mister had no trouble adjusting: "When we lived in the apartment he didn't get to see us very much, and he only went outside a few times a day. On the trip, he gets to experience our adventures with us. He's getting a lot more attention and a lot more exercise now. When it's time for bed he cuddles up extra hard with us, as if to say 'Thanks for including me.'"
From Susannah and Jeff: "We moved from a 2,000 sq ft house in South Carolina to a 550 sq ft condo in the Southside of Chicago and wanted to keep most of our stuff! Small can be beautiful and functional, but it requires a lot of planning. Our furniture comes from a variety of sources: craigslist, garage sales, ebay, thrift and consignment stores. We wait until the right piece comes along - desperation and instant gratification are expensive! We believe that imagination is more important than bank account and try to live below our means."
From Melissa and Matt: "Our style is really based on what the space will allow. This (550 sf) apartment presents design challenges that other apartments have not. Our style seems to evolve out of those challenges. Some things that never change are the sentimental objects that remind us of friends and family, our travels and good times. Trying to make those things fit into the space we're living in usually dictates the overall aesthetic."
From Gregory and Em: "The (626 sf) studio is a direct extension of our personalities, lifestyle and interests, and has really taught us to live better with less...an especially notable accomplishment considering our bibliophilia and propensity for collecting. Patience is a virtue when transforming a space. Both of us believe in waiting for the right piece for the right price, rather than rushing into purchases that we might regret later. Live by the dogma: buy less, buy better and buy only what you love."
The Janssen Family moved from a 382 sf apartment into a 200 sf RV. Sara says, "I love that we are in such close quarters…our family life thrives because there is no where to “get away” from each other. We are in constant conversation. It’s also great that we can see Bella no matter where she is playing...and that we are so involved in her life. I also love that we can completely open the RV up and have fresh air blowing through…or decide to eat outside whenever we want. There is nothing better than falling to sleep hearing the raindrops pitter patting on the roof…or waking up to the sun and breeze streaming in the windows."
I love this. Apartment Therapy is too often about "knick knacks to buy for your house." This post captures the true spirit of what Apartment Therapy once was (and could be again).
view VLADCOLE's profile
me personally, i've been downsized for almost 4 years. 412 sq ft and loving it. 12 paces to the bedroom and 15 to the kitchen from the front door. and only 312 to the atlantic ocean. top that!
view dhue's profile
lovely post, thank you :-)
view maike's profile
The set up of the loft bed is cool. Dropping your pillow could get real tiring though. Just the kind of thing that kids would go for.
Mafan
green laser pointer RULZ
view mafan's profile
150 sf for a couple?
a bit too small...
although the 84sf cabin looks cozy, the rest is really lovely
and agree with VLADCOLE
view animalcracker's profile
In that top picture before the break, who makes that bed? I'm starting to piece together my wishlist for my first place :-)
view msmiel's profile
interesting stuff...i admire that cabin lady
small houses are great when you have some outdoors space...on a seacliff, even better...you can do most of your living outdoors, weather permitting...
...but then i think of trailer parks. not so hot. so to really enjoy living small, it's still about location, location, location...
...i went to the links to these stories and noticed not too many comments. guess AT readers are still mostly urban and attached to their stuff...
view khanzen's profile
My hubby, 2 pugs and I downsized from a 2,000 sq ft house with 4 beds, 2 baths and 2 stories to our current fabulous place right in the heart of DC and only about 600 sq ft. We actually use the space we have now so much more efficiently than we used our bigger place and we spend so much more time outside of the house that is seems like we actually have more space :)
view Platnumblonde's profile
I REALLY love this post - it's refreshing and inspiring and confirming. I downsized last year from a double level luxury loft (http://decorateitdarling.blogspot.com/2008/02/overdue-sneak-peak.html) to a small studio in an old character building (http://decorateitdarling.blogspot.com/2008/09/its-about-time.html). The change of location meant that I had to part with half of my wardrobe and some furniture (gave most of it away to friends, left-overs went to the local charity thrift shop). Downsizing my 'stuff' was very freeing and moving meant that I was cutting down my rental costs by HALF, allowing me the economic breathing room to pay off my debts faster and enjoy extra costs (dining out with friends, trips, etc) without having to pull out my credit cards. Living on less feels amazing and is addicting. I recommend it to everyone! I would love the challenge of another small space to create a home in - maybe I'll go even smaller next time! Thank you for this post.
view jawcey's profile
Amen,VLADCOLE! I've been thinking the same thing about AT for a few months now.
My husband and I upgraded from a 470sf apartment to a 670sf cottage six months ago. We still don't know what to do with all the extra space!
I do love the challenge that comes with living small - it presents more opportunity for creativity.
view marymarymary's profile
Gregory and Em have a lovely room- I love that grey/blue color choice!
view Marie Provence's profile
Thank you for this post AT. Sincerely. I'm working hard at small footprint, mortgage-lite, sustainable living myself and it's inspiring to see other people on similar paths. It is a challenge to live in a really small space, but I agree that it is wonderfully freeing to let go of most owned objects - you can really see what a person values when every inch of space counts.
view scarletdog's profile
What a great post! We certainly don't live in a small space (1900 sq ft), but in Texas where everything is bigger, visitors are always surprised by the "small" square footage because the space is designed so well. It was built in 1968.
We try to live a downsized kind of life, our bedroom doubles as my husband's office, the dining room table is used for crafts for myself and our kid (soon to be kids), and we spend as much time outside as possible. We also think long and hard about every single item that comes into our house, share a small very fuel-efficient car, etc.
I hope one day, once the kids are all grown to live in a small condo downtown, these people are so inspiring, as are all the small spacers on AT!
view BadJuJu77's profile
Maybe a little late posting my "me-too" but still want to say thanks for this post. I love seeing the lovely creative ways others live with less.
I downsized to 560 sf last Jan. and am living alone for the first time ever. My biggest challenge? Not grabbing more "bargains" when I see them, but leaving them for someone else to score. Biggest blessings? No mortgage, low utilities, whole house top-to-bottom clean up in less time than the former kitchen used to take. Greatest satisfaction by far is my smaller footprint.
view new idea's profile