- Name:
- Kyla
- Location:
- Atascadero, CA
- Square Feet:
- 980
- Division:
- Small
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- I love that it keeps our family close, we can't isolate ourselves! I love the tall ceilings that make it feel bigger. I love that it makes me keep things simple - I can only keep what we reguarly use and wear. I'm anti-clutter!
We added a bar between the kitchen and living room. It was the obvious thing to do with the useless 1/2 wall that was there when we moved in. I enjoy the ability to chat with people relaxing at the bar while I'm cooking.
I also love that we OWN it for less than what we were paying in rent for a larger home. I used to spend a whole day cleaning and now, I can have the dreaded chores done thoroughly in 3 hours...this simplifies my schedule immensely!
- Biggest Challenge of Living in a Small Space
- The biggest challenge has been having only one bathroom. The 3 of us getting ready in the mornings is a bit difficult, and our daughter's only 7...dreading the teenage years! To make it easier, we moved the toilet from the middle of the bathroom to next to the wall. We then added a double sink vanity so 2 people can get ready at once. We also added a large wall mirror (which was free, we found it in our garage!) and my husband added a gorgeous cherry frame to it, with a shelf to hold frequently used lotions, gels, and soaps.
We also raised the kitchen cabinets as high as possible to maximize our kitchen storage. Open shelving underneath allows us to reach our frequently used dishes quickly.
When we moved in last year, we were forced to get rid of tons of stuff! It was a cleansing and liberating feeling!
Categories:
Style,
Main,
2012,
Small Cool,
Small Spaces
Like this Small Cool 2012 contest entry? Favorite it below!
Small Cool Lessons: Discovering Small Space Design Ideas That Really Work
Marisa and Peter's Playfully Eclectic Home
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Z2 iPod Dock and Wi...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
Okay, I'm going to need to know what gray you used :) I'm a big fan of gray.
I love how uncluttered and clean everything is in your home. I give you extra props for having not just one or two people in your home, but three! Our home is similarly sized, but without the garage. It's often a challenge for us to fit our "stuff" and I can only imagine how much that would increase with a child (and all they require). I do wish we could get a peek at the bedrooms and laundry area, but I love what you've shared.
Love the back splash in the kitchen!! And the gray floor tiles, perfection!
Very cute. I love your grays also. If your maiden name happens to be Garner, no wonder I love your space because you're related to my daughter!
Those sinks are AMAZING!! Very nice space!
Love your shower curtain!
totally love the infrasrcture
Agree with DETEX
I love that kitchen! So clean and simple but with great attention to the details that make it special and add so much visual interest (i.e. glass cabinet doors, full height tile splash, farm sink, furniture base molding around the back of the peninsula, etc. Love the bathroom countertop and sinks as well. Very well done...my favorite by far!
love it, but where is the refrigerator?
Wow. After seeing some of the other entries, 980sq seems pretty HUGE!
I'm so excited our home was chosen!
Yes, I agree that our space isn't nearly as "small" as some of the other entries - which I have enjoyed looking at!, but it did qualify as being under 1000 sq ft. :)
Thanks for the compliments! The grey-blue in the kitchen is Benjamin Moore "Smoke" and the living room wall is Sherwin Williams "Dovetail".
Bedroom pics, yes, I realized after I submitted that I should have included them. My daughter's room isn't nearly as clutter-free, she loves her stuff!
Love the kitchen.
@kimslee, fridge is right by where the dining table and chairs.
It's so beautiful! I also want to see a HT of this place.
The whole thing is really awesome. Where is that shower curtain from?
@Andrea_Xtina It's Marimekko, the pattern's called Hetkia/Moments.
I'm coveting the slate floors and mosaic backsplash! Such a lovely space.
Love the whole house...would love to know where you got the backsplash tile and what it's called. So much nicer than straight penny tile. It's nice but not too busy.
Also, I love how you balanced color with calm neutrals. Specifically thinking of the living room art and curtains. You have a lovely eye for balance and detail. Thanks for showing us your home.
What an adorable bathroom. Do you mind stating the source?
The source for the vanity.
I like the backsplash and your plant... but other than that... the table and chairs in the kitchen don't seem to fit in and nothing about this seems really personalized... I'm not really a fan... sorry :(
I have to admit, I voted for you before even looking at the pictures because you're from my hometown, but now that I have I love your house. The paint colors are great and the kitchen backsplash is wonderful.
@purplecharm, we got it from overstock and it was a bit of a hassle! It wasn't as described and the plumbing parts leaked, thankfully my husband is super handy and they were good about refunding a portion of our purchase price to compensate.
@herselftheelf, no worries! thanks for being honest! Different strokes for different folks. We have only lived here 6 months and have done a huge remodel, so lots of future projects still on the to-do list. :) I do like things kinda plain though!
@carepac, the backsplash is from Home Depot, it's a river pebble "tile". thanks for your kind words! I was worried it was too busy when we installed it, but it's grown on me.
And apparently I don't know how to tag people in my responses!
You've got style :)
Yay Kyla! What a great space! I never saw your home here in Asheville, but from knowing you and how you helped me pick out great stylish glasses, I"m not at all surprised to see such a stylish home! Best wishes! Much love, TKB
Beautiful, simple, peaceful. I love the colors, textures, and the open, uncluttered feeling.
LA and NYC have plenty of style, but the Central Coast does too!
gorgeous! love the kitchen & living room so much! great colors, art, style- but the one & ONLY thing I'm not a fan of is the dining set... gotta agree w herselftheelf on that one... compared to the simple/clean/modern/fresh vibe of everything else, it just feels so 80's & dated... something more in the style of the barstools or a vintage danish modern set would b so lovely... :)
The bathroom is so unique and wonderful! Surprising mix of colors works!
... something in the same wood tone as the beams would really tie them into the space more... :)
Love your home...clean lines, stylish, and polished! (would also like to see bedroom pics:)
something like this is my dream house for right now.
@trishkabob, thanks! miss you!
@ellenx, thanks for the additional thoughts on the table, funny how it's hard to view your things objectively. It's a world market table and I've never noticed it looks 80s. Do you think it's just the color? It needs to be refinished and I was thinking of using a darker stain, but maybe I'll start trolling Craigslist for a danish modern set. ;)
@jessadawn @peggybelle, I love the central coast!! Atascadero has come a long way in the past few years, it still has a long way to go, but I love the area in general.
killer kitchen
This is a great house! Small but mighty.
Great to see the Central Coast represented!
Love your space Kyla. Especially the kitchen. Where did you get your bar stools from? I've been looking for a set for a while and I think those are perfect!
Love it! Great color palette and the kitchen is A++ to me. Can't believe that backsplash is from the Depot! I think the large floor tiles add to the sense of spaciousness. I agree that the dining table is a let-down. But that can easily be changed. If you're on a budget as tight as mine, the IKEA Torsby table would look great in there. Chrome-plated steel legs with a white tempered-glass top. I'd keep the chairs and stain them blue.
Three people in under-1,000 sq. ft. is a little too much togetherness for me, but I'd move in there myself in a heartbeat. Great work, family!
La'uv it!
@killacam, barstools are from overstock as well. I was drooling over some from bluedot but hubby didn't care for them.
@jukesgirl, the slate floor is one of my favorite things! I love the texture of it. Thanks for the ikea table suggestion, I'll keep an eye out for it on our next trip to IKEA.
LOVE your place, Kyla! Makes me want to downsize...
Love the.kitchen. I think the dining set would be great with a darker stain that complements the grays.
Such a cool shower curtain!
Looove your kitchen!!
Love this space! If you are okay with a counter height dining set...Kmart (yes, Kmart) has a great real wood one. They have them set up in the stores here in the Milwaukee WI area. It's very inexpensive and well made (just check out the rating and the reviews):
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_021W018474420001P?prdNo=8&blockNo=83&blockType=G83'
My 13 yr old daughter and I live in a 980 sq. ft. apt and I really am quite minimalist and even made a wood sign that says less is more.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29996837@N08/5797195429/in/set-72157624888359742
love that backsplash! great place!
@jillstigs, I'm usually not a fan of kmart, but we have one close by so I'll check it out! I agree, less is more. We spend our lives working for "stuff" and I'm beginning to realize it's not worth it!
On that note, maybe I should be contect with my perfectly functional dining room table, haha!
I love your clutter-free space. It speaks to me.
This kitchen is really really gorgeous and your space is almost flawless! So elegant and relaxed. Favorited.
Love the wall colors, the flow of the space and how the art work is displayed. Excellent!
Thanks for the additional comments! :)
So I had to let those that commented about the table not fitting in know that I found an amazing 1960s metal and formica table at a thrift, it has slender metal legs and a black and white crosshatch patterned surface, it rocks! Bought some knock-off eames black chairs to complete the set, LOVE! The old table found a loving home on craigslist. Thanks for the unbiased opinions! I knew we wouldn't win this contest, but it has been fun participating. :)