Like this Small Cool 2013 contest entry? Favorite it below!

Name:

Leslie

Location:

Chicago, IL

Square Feet:

300

Division:

Teeny-Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

I am consistently enchanted about the amount of natural sunlight I get in my space. And even though it is a relatively tiny space, it is perfectly sized for me. I love the older architecture of the building, especially the wainscoting detail and also the archways in the entrance and between my living room to work space area.

Like this Small Cool 2013 contest entry? Favorite it below!

Name:

Greg

Location:

Chicago, IL

Square Feet:

550

Division:

Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

The great thing about my small space is my wall of windows. With a great view of the lake and city it makes what could be a snug space feel much larger. Plus, I love the color of my kitchen.

Name: Meg Zandi, Andy Green, and Lucille Austero
Location: Logan Square; Chicago, IL
Size: 800 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year; rented

If there's a principle that has been proven time and time again, it's the idea that with constraint comes creativity. Whether it's a small space, a tight budget, or the limits of a rental, restrictions can lead to the most innovative, personal solutions. Meg and Andy, working under all three of those limitations, offer yet more proof of this principle, and by keeping a positive attitude and seeing the radical possibilities of their space, they've managed to build an imaginative, resourceful, and intimate home.

Mother's Day is this Sunday. If you've procrastinated on picking up a gift, there are still a number of Mother's Day sales in the Weekend Guide. If mom's taken care of, then treat yourself to a weekend of fun and shopping. Check out all the sales and events in the Weekend Guide, pass it on and be sure to send us your own sale or event.

Name: Anne, a writer (most recently of the novel Love Like A Dog) and professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Leo, a creative director 
Location: South Loop, Prairie District; Chicago, Illinois
Size: 3,000 square feet
Years lived in: 10 months; Owned

When my former professor and dear friend Anne and her husband Leo decided to move their family, including their teenage son and two dogs, from a 1950s-style home on Chicago's Far North side (complete with basement rumpus room featuring built-in back-lit framed woodland scenes and a wet bar) to an industrial loft in a former South Loop engraving factory, I wondered how their style would translate across such drastically different spots. The alluring effect is a testament to Anne and Leo’s taste and years of careful collecting, as well as their spirit of taking chances on places and objects that truly captivate them.

New York City — if you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere. But what if you made it there, and now you have to move?? Will you ever find a neighborhood in your new city that suits you as well as your NYC one did? 

One of our favorite annual architecture awards is the AIA Chicago Small Project Awards. It's an opportunity for small firms to recieve recognition for work that might otherwise be shadowed by larger offices. The AIA awards innovation, low budgets and small firms — this year there were 15 winners, ranging from a table on two wheels to a studio renovation in the Hancock building.