This month’s issue of Sunset Magazine features a 1,000 square-foot houseboat in Sausalito, on California’s Richardson Bay. The article describes a fabulously chic house that is much more than a home – it’s a lifestyle.

Imagine enjoying the beauty of the bay while living with all the comforts you’d expect of a modern pre-fab home. Life is different out there on the water. Errands are run via kayak, early morning seal-watching is an everyday occurrence and time is measured with the tides. The homeowners (Matt and Jennifer Harvey) seem to enjoy a real community living on the water. And the relatively small space equates to less time spent dealing with the home and more time spent with friends.

Would you trade your small space for another if it meant such a change in lifestyle?

Be sure to check out the full image collection by Thomas J. Story and article by Abigail Peterson online at Sunset.

(Images: Thomas J. Story/Sunset