apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Well I'd have to start by disputing the 300-333 ft2/person idea. I think one needs a baseline amount for a person, an amount for a couple, and an amount for couple child. Then add on so & so many ft2 per child. These would not be linear. Then multiply by an age factor.

When I was in grad school, 100 sq ft were plenty. Now many years later I'm back living alone and 750 sq ft are sort-of enough but not quite. The necessary space is decreasing, though, and I expect that when I get to be elderly, 100 will be plenty once more.

The current US Department of Defense minimum standard for non-shipboard living is ninety (90) square feet of living space per person.

My apartment is 10 times that - and while some would consider it small, after 5 years in the military followed by 10 years of roommates, it seems like a luxury to me.

Sure you can have too much space. I think there are plenty of people who are drawn to a home because of generous square footage but are puzzled what to do with it when they move in. Especially giant bedrooms.
I downsized to a 1BR condo two years ago and haven't looked back. It has taught me to be more efficient, organized, and selective. But my BF's lease is up in a few months and we're trying to decide if it's good for two.

My boyfriend and I have very different ideas about what size space is "comfortable." I require lots of decorative space, but I like things to be snug and cozy. He's 6'8"... and obviously has some different requirements.

It's been difficult for us to find a happy medium- where he's not bumping his head, and I'm not feeling lost.

250 Square feet per person 100-200 more square feet.

I tend to think in rooms rather than square footage. I dislike the idea of having a "spare" room, because I know perfectly well that it'll become a dumping ground and never get used. I live in about 900 square feet and think I could easily live in 700 provided the layout is good. I think "just right" will probably vary depending on the person/people involved.

My bf and I live in a small bungalow that is probably around 600 square feet, maybe smaller. But we feel fine in it. I imagine some people might feel cramped but it feels cozy and comfy for us. We created "areas" in our living room so that helps. I also like that we can open the door and see the outdoors. I probably couldn't live with the same size in an enclosed building.

My last apartment was 1100 SF. It always felt too big to me, and while people were generally impressed by it's size, I was struggling to make the space feel well furnished and cohesive.

My current apartment is 740 SF, and I feel so much more comfortable in the space. I feel like I have the chance to edit my belongings to only things that I love, and I have no where to hide junk. Bigger is not always better.

Hm...my partner and I have about 600 square feet...right on the formula! I tend to think our apartment is pretty big for us though. We rarely use the living room, and are quite comfortable with a house guest or two. If we had a bit more storage space, but less overall living space, we'd be quite comfortable.

We're about to cram in a roommate though, so we'll see how that goes! Quite frankly, the thing I'm most worried about is fitting her food into the kitchen cabinets!

I would go with a minimum of 300 sq feet for one person and then add 100 sq ft afterwards. And I'm going with bare minimum. Comfy would probably start at 500 sq feet per person and go up 150-200 sq feet per person.

My partner and I (and our 2 large dogs) lived in a 650 sq ft apartment for 8 years. It was fine, but we recently upgraded to an apartment that is 1000 sq ft, and it feels much more luxurious.

However, for the first time in our relationship, we can't have a conversation with each other from any point in the house, which we are still getting used to.

I have definitely seen houses that were much to big for the number of people who lived there. Certain rooms just don't get used, and they acquire a dead stale dusty air about them. I feels cold instead of cozy.

Well I don't have a matrix, but I do know that NO ONE needs a 3000 square foot home.

i'm totally happy living alone in my just-under 400 square foot apartment. i could live in less, too. i dream of studio living -- i find it highly appealing.

While I've always dreamed (as we all have) of living in a big home, right now, apartment living is so attractive. Sure, it forces you to get rid of unnecessary stuff, but it also keeps you from getting a ton of stuff as well. I know people who are planning on building a larger house to house all the stuff they have. If it doesn't have a ton of storage, it's out of the question. As for me, I'd much rather get rid of clutter and live in a small space that's easier to maintain. While I don't really want to live in a studio (I like bedrooms), I could totally see one or two people living comfortably in 500 to 1,000 square feet.

Depends how often you are home and what you do with your time there I would imagine. I know some people with more space than they know what to do with who are not content and some who have just under enough who seem quite happy, so who knows really knows.

My husband and I live in a two bedroom apartment with my brother. It feels very large to us at just under 1,000 SF. The only reasons we have an apartment this large is because we entertain large groups of people on a regular basis and because both my brother and husband have lots of adventure/camping gear. I'd love it if anyone shared tips for storing those types of items in a condo/apartment type setting without a garage or storage unit.

This post inspired me to go measure my rather large studio. I guess I have between 450-500 sq ft including my kitchen, bathroom, and closets. I'm really happy with this exact amount of space but only because I have a ton of closet space and can tuck things way.

I could comfortably live in this much space with another person but only if it were a 1 bedroom and not a studio. Having some visual and sound separation would be totally key for my happiness.

I think a whole lot of people require too much space because they pack rat too much stuff. I would hate having rooms or closets full of items I never used but couldn't emotionally part with. What a complete burden that would be.

At 1500 square feet, my place used to seem a little cramped, but now that I've given away or sold about half my stuff, it feels huge! I've now got an empty second bedroom (which I'm thinking of renting out) and am in the midst of turning my living room into a mixed-use space (living area/design studio). My next place is definitely going to be smaller.

My pack-rat parents, by contrast, have a McMansion. I don't know how they stand all the upkeep on a place that size.

I'm so tired of the "smaller is better" rhetoric. I live by myself with three cats in 650 sq feet. It is a huge challenge and when I purchase my next home, I definitely would like at least 1000 sq feet. Sometimes it is nice to have room to spare.

Smaller isn't always better, but it is usually less costly. (Less rent/smaller mortgage, smaller bills, easier to clean, less to buy to fill it up)
I've got a little less than 550 ft, it's a perfect size for me 1. I've even got a little (luxurious) office, for the computer and my craft supplies. I feel like we could cram a baby in here, but it wouldn't be very comfortable. If I were ready to start a family I would probably want at least another 100-200sqft.
My best friend just bought a 1700sqft house, (plus a HUGE unfinished basement for his toys). She and her husband fit perfectly, have room for their collections and to expand the family. To each his own.

I think it boils down to two factors: stuff, and privacy. Both of which are cultural. American/Canadian culture demands having more of each, so people need bigger homes. I live in Eastern Europe, and we don't have too much stuff, and very little privacy - in Hungarian, there's not even a word for it :) Can any one chip in with an Asian/African/South American view?

Smaller is indeed not always better for a lot of that depends on what you do, how much you can afford etc.

So with that said, I live in a 600Sq Ft 1 bedroom who's main space is generously sized at 22x11.5Ft, it's part living, part dining/entry, divided up roughly in the middle by the hall to the bedroom and bath and the balcony door so that leave small living and dining areas that kind of limits furniture placement.

That said, if I weren't seeking separation of office/creative endeavors from the bedroom, this is otherwise an ideal place for me to live in, it's airy, of decent size and has a decent kitchen w/ storage so on that note, it's nearly perfect for me.

If this were a perfect world, I'd have a slightly larger 2 bedroom and use that as my office/creative space where projects can be in progress and I can shut the door on that when need be.

My Mom lives in a bit larger 2 bedroom, 1 bath duplex with a large living room and a good sized eat in kitchen (built in the late 60's) where the second bedroom is her den where she does computing, some sewing and other projects and is where the TV sits so it was a compromise on a guest room or a den. Since she lives alone, it's fine for her and when she's had guests, they sleep on the floor in the living room or sometimes in the back den. :-) That would be my preference so I'm saying move up to roughly 700SFt w/ 2 bedrooms and off street parking w/ washer/dryer and dishwasher in unit would be my next place. :-)

we have just over 1000 sq ft for 2 adults and a toddler. It feels just right for us at this point. For just myself I could live comfortably in half this space.

We live in a 725sf mill village house built in 1920. It's two bedrooms, one bath, a kitchen and a dining room. We downsized from 1100sf when we moved and I wasn't sure how we were going to make it work, but we have. I think the main thing that works for us is that each room is large and we have no hallways (bathroom is accessed through both bedrooms). Every square inch of our home is utilized and even adding a baby to the mix hasn't thrown us off our game.

And in the moments where I wish I had more space, I know it's really just so I could store more junk that I don't really need.

This kind of counting does not really make sense. Unless you don't just add the numbers for more people, but rather exclude form it overlapping spaces (kitchen, halls, dining room etc.). We all know that it makes quite a difference to live in 300SF by one person, than to live in 1500SF by family of 2 3kids...

I remember how I had a dream of living in a huge loft... now I am scared of the thought ;-) I live in 2bdroom, about 800 SF - which is really a lot for me... I easily got used to it :) but I could also live with a significant other (but not a roommate) without any problem in the same space, maybe even smaller, or with up to two kids. I just lucked out on this apartment.

And what is too much? When you have one person living on over 1500SF, or small family having mansion of some ridiculous SF... it's jut not needed. I am totally fine if someone wants and can afford a bigger place, that will be used well, by all who live there. but having huge place and then having rooms not really used, huge halls, huge dining rooms used once for Thanksgiving party etc. - is just wasteful.

I think outside life can affect how you think of your inside space.

Emika: I'm an American who has lived in Asia (Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong) for most of my adult life. All are crowded cities and Hong Kong has some of the highest density living in the world. It is very vertical, both in buildings and the space between them; let's just say when I've visited NYC I think the streets and sidewalks are some seriously wide open spaces.

When I could afford it, I always rented bigger spaces than I needed here but in retrospect it felt partly like a reaction to the claustrophobic environment of daily life. I am moving back to the U.S. soon and I am sure I will neither need nor want as much space. I'm not sure if this is just me at a different age or paradoxically has something to do with American spaces.

Of course, many people have much more space than they need in North America, (Judging from my experiences and my family's most middle class people have much more space than they need in Latin America too.) This is true even though in Latin America we are much less likely to have so much stuff. I suspect much of how large your place is depends just as much on how much space there is to expand as it does on how many things you own.

Just as important to figure out how much space is needed the design of the space. Good design is essential so that the space you have is maximized. Our NY apartment is an old one-- and it seems fairly clear that at one time the apartment next door and ours were one unit. (This has created some unique features like long but very narrow hallways connecting different sections of our place, no closets, and the world's smallest bathroom that has a tub.) If we had the money, and did not rent, a few key remodels could make our approximately 800sf place the perfect size for a family of 3-4. But as it is we are only 2 and really struggle to find a way to keep our house guests comfortable (and we have them all the time).

We are a family of 4, 2 humans 2 pugs, live in a 3 bedroom 1600 sq ft ranch town home, and I find it to be way too much space. I spent last summer emptying everything out of the spare bedroom on craigslist, and the room we use as an office could easily be combined into our great room. After reading this blog daily for more than a year and watching every episode of small space big style (thanks to dvr!) I can't wait to trade in for a smaller place.

My dream home is having the National Building Museum all to myself. Anything larger than that though would be ostentatious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Building_Museum