Smaller homes (rented or owned) can challenge an individual to become truly creative in regards to storage and decorating. It can be both rewarding and frustrating but for me, the end result is always worth it.

I couldn't agree more. I recently moved into a flat which was pretty much the same size per room as my last flat, but the last place had tons and tons of storage, walls of each room covered in cupboards. Up until now I have hoarded - old bootfair finds I 'might' use one day, things I've edited out of displaying but couldn't bear to get rid of etc etc.

The new flat is also really pretty - high ceilings, light, feature fireplaces and big stained glass windows. So I really wanted to only take my 'best' stuff to this new place, and not fill it with tat!

So I made a real conscious effort to cut my stuff by about half, a mix of selling on Gumtree and giving to charity - it was really hard at first, but I found the more I did it, the easier it was.... and a second viewing of the flat about a week before moving in gave me renewed energy to give more stuff away!

We've now moved in and I honestly feel like a new woman! Not carrying the weight of 'dead' stuff in the flat feels amazing - and the process of letting go of things was so cathartic. I would describe it as feeling lighter, fresher and open to new possibilities. Not only is it a new flat, but it feels like a new chapter in life.

I love my condo in Midtown, Atlanta! It's technically a 2-bedroom but we use the second bedroom as a dining room. 950 sq. feet. I would probably have trouble downsizing further from this size, but I could live in this place forever. Floor-to-ceiling builtins are also a HUGE perk and space saver. I also could not survive without my basement storage.

Question: Where is the couch in this picture from? This is exactly what I'm looking for...

I love my 125 square foot RV that I live in full time. It is the perfect size for me. I have perfectly tailored it to my lifestyle so I have enough room for all the things I love to do. It forces me to continually edit my belongings and it is a breeze to clean.

If I had to stay in one place for the rest of my life (shudders) I'd want something just a bit bigger, but still under 300 square feet if the ceilings were high enough for a loft bed, so I could have a washing machine and more kitchen space.

I would also like to know where the couch is from! That would be perfect for our small space.

I lived in a 50 square meter place, then a 110 square meter place, then moved back to the 50, and I love it. Partly because it's nice to vacuum the whole place while plugged into one outlet. Smaller space is also a great incentive to keep things pared down.

My apt is on a top floor with tons of light and a vaulted ceiling so it doesn't feel small at all.

We currently live in a 256 sqft space for me, my husband, and my six yr old. I feel the pressure for larger right now, though, as the bump grows larger. I'm looking for a tiny older two bedroom currently. Hopefully something in the 600sqft range if the layout is good. I can't imagine living in larger anymore. Cleaning tiny is too easy to go back now.

I completely agree. Current house is 1850 square feet but about 800 of that is the studio. If I suddenly had multi-millions to spend, I would want my same house only on about 10 acres on the coast!

Oh, I dunno. If I won the lottery, my house-building plans would be moved up by a few years, and I'd probably add some extra features (hot tub in the backyard? Larger kitchen? Bigger pantry? Why, yes, please.)

I like having things and people in my house. I like the sets of inherited china and pretty porcelaine, and I like hosting dinners for 20, and I'd like a big family, and living away from the city requires additional storage space (aka: if you're intending to do groceries every few weeks, you'd better have pantry and freezer space!)... In other words, I'm making the smaller space work, but I wouldn't mind an actual house. :)

That said, my "expansion" plans involve moving from a 2-bedroom city apartment to a 3-bedroom country house (near family, and we already own the land), and we're still looking at less than 1500 square feet (at the high end), so we're still not talking Downton!

I've been searching for months to downsize to a one bedroom, but my current locale is bereft of larger 1 BRs. The 2 BR right now would isn't too big, but is severely underfurnished and is more space than we need, includes a large backyard we never use, and still is small enough in some ways to feel cramped (small kitchen).

The only 1 BRs are very tiny or in fancy complexes .... I just wish I could find a place like ours, with just one room gone, and with cheaper rent.

Oh well...

I couldn't agree more. My husband and I live in a 1,200 sf / 2BDR/ 1BA home which is PLENTY of space. Watching the home tour type shows on TV - they always say their favorite space in their mansion is the small guest house....

Um, having lived in the same 350-square-foot-ish studio apartment for 13 or so years now, I can say with all honesty that I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A BEDROOM. Otherwise, I'm pretty OK with the size of the space.

If I won the lottery, I'd just fix everything that needs to be fixed. I like my current house size (1,800) and don't need more space, but would certainly like some money to make renovations that would otherwise be years on the horizon.

I'd be really curious to know more about your living space. I live in about 600 sqft right now in a slightly awkward layout with just me and my dog, and I can't imagine sharing it with another full grown adult, let alone a child!

Have to laugh reading these comments, everybody agrees "small" is better but everybody seems to have different ideas of "small"! As far as I can see the range is between and 125 sqft and 950 sqft. My own is 600 sqft and I consider it, yes, small (for a 2-bedroomed house).

Agree. My house is just under 1100 sq feet, and I've previously lived in places half the size. I do wish I had a third bedroom - I'd sacrifice my large living room and huge master BR for that - but other than that, the size is fine for me. I like small house, large yard.

Yes! Post-divorce, I moved into a 500 sq foot garage apartment that was terrific. Then to a 3-BR house with a basement and a carport (I thought I might want to have my work studio at home). Then (realizing I didn't want to work at home after all) I moved to a 400 sq foot apartment that I absolutely loved. Unfortunate irreconcilable neighbor issues, so I moved to my current large and elegant 2-BR apartment. While I love the building, the amenities, the location, and the neighbors, I wish it was about half its size.

"Small" is really relative! I don't think I have a small space at all, but I don't think it's a ton of space, either. My definition of small is anything under 600 square feet. I wouldn't go for anything bigger than what I have right now, because I chose my house based on the amount of space I felt I might need for the next 10 years, in case I didn't move during then.

I have a ~1600 sq ft house. The space is totally fine for 2 adults and 3 cats. I do wish the layout was a little better. It's 4 tiny bedrooms - wish it was 3 larger bedrooms, but it's more than enough. I might turn one of my bedrooms into a giant closet, since closet space is what my house lacks. Yay ~100 year old houses!

My heating and a/c bills are way more than enough. And 1600 sq ft was definitely too much for me to clean, I did get a cleaning service - but the cost of that goes up with the size of the house.

I have friends who want 2500+ sq ft houses. They've been living in tiny apartments and I really don't think they are considering the additional costs associated with that much more space.

Right there with you. Only our space is 1400 sq ft.

I am fine with our 1400 sq foot home, just the layout is not that great, but we make it work until we can tweak it better.
I understand why some folks like and love larger homes. Downton is remarkable, but one would need staff for sure. LOL We have friends who have a three story mansion and while it is beautiful, I cannot imagine furnishing it, heating it, cleaning it or cooling it. They do have a cleaning service which I would too with that kind of house, but I still could not do it.

Okay, first of all, I have dibs on that craftsman house with porch.

My house now wouldn't fit most AT folks' ideas of a small house, but we did downsize 1000 square feet when we moved, and probably could have gone smaller if we didn't have kids. I've been sorting through things and we're looking forward to having a garage sale in the spring.

It's funny, I've been to a few large houses since we moved, and I always come home from those places ready to look for other things to get rid of. Not sure what that's about, but if it makes it easier to keep downsizing, I'm all for it!

I have always loved small. I feel snug and secure when we have just enough space to live comfortably.

I think for me it comes down to storage. My current place is larger than my last place, but there is nowhere near as much storage: not a single cupboard in the bathroom, no linen storage, no downstairs storage area, only half as many kitchen cabinets, a closet with great builtins but only 1/4 the size of the the last bedroom closet. I had to build a 'closet' in the living room because we had to have SOMEWHERE to put our camping gear, tools, and holiday decorations. If I owned this place, I'd rearrange the kitchen to add more storage around appliances, build a permanent closet in the giant living room, switch the pedestal sink to something with some storage, and feel like I lived in a mansion! But without good storage space, I can SEE all the things all the time, and that makes it feel more cramped.

We downsized last year to half of what we had before and couldn't be happier. We spent two years on our move I think that was the secret we didn't have to decide on what to keep all at once. The cleaning is the main bonus and having less space concentrates the mind on what is important.

My husband and I bought a 1080 square foot house when we were having our first child. We didn't really give any thought to how long we would be here and 1080 seemed like TONS of space for three people. Fast forward and 5 people in 1080 square feet with ONE bathroom is a little tight! We could use an extra bedroom (we have three) but if I hit the lottery, I think the only thing I would change is a master bathroom addition so we don't have to share the one shower!

We struggled to find anything in the location we want to be in, in the size range we feel is ideal for us. We have (moving to the house this week) lived in a studio of only about 300 sq ft for almost ten years, because it made sense when considering the cost of post graduate degrees.

Our relator must have thought we were freaks, when we begged for listings as close to 800 square feet as possible. We both grew up in larger homes and after years as big city living as adults in smaller scapes and then staying in 300 sq ft for this long, anything more just seems excessive with our lifestyle. We rarely have guests, since everyone lives so far away.

I despise holiday/seasonal decorations--41 and never owned/put up an Xmas tree ha! I hate shopping in general too. We never had a need for a full dining room, since we end up watching a movie with dinner, and if we're not asleep, we tend to be at our PCs most of the time, since we are PC gamers.

It's just my husb and I (and a dog soon) and no kids in the future, so what in the heck will we do with the extra space? We ended up with a bit over 1200 sq ft, but cycling to work sealed the deal, in spite of the excess. We're both minimalists for the most part. I'd rather have less "stuff" that's quality that have too much space to fill up and dust.

If I won the lotto? Pay off college debt. Anything left over would go into minor remolding upgrades, investments, and a to huge chunk to charity.

I feel this way too. We have 1200+ square feet which is relatively small for this area. I always think "if we had one more room it would be perfect." But then I visit friends or family in their larger homes and it just feels so big and excessive. I come home liking my house more and appreciating its size.

I think quality over quantity applies to homes and how we live. And I don't mean that in a snooty way. Far from it. I think quality means less "stuff" and more enjoyment from experiences.

In another recent post I mentioned that I moved from nearly 2000 square feet with basement littered with stuff. Now I'm in a 1 bedroom condo that is about 650 square feet and of that 150 is the bedroom for my daughter. I think of it as a studio with a bedroom.

If I won the lottery, increasing the square footage would be the last thing I would do. Actually, I have no desire to increase the size. Instead I'd put priority on the location where we lived even if it meant downsizing. And we'd have the place done they way we want (until reading something on AT to makes us want to change, hahaha). And we'd probably be out - a lot.

Love this post!! I couldn't agree more! Does anyone happen to know where this coffee table is from?

We've see-sawed over the past 15 years between 300 square feet and 1500 square feet for just the two of us and our cat. Right now, we enjoy about 800 square feet with a great layout, an ideal location, and tons of privacy. It's perfect for us. If we won the lottery, I would stay put and upgrade a few things around here, but there's no need for more space.

I completely agree. Our family of 4 is currently renting a 1250 sf house and sure I'd like an extra room or two maybe but it does the trick for us. Cleaning is faster. Our house is more efficient. We don't hoard. It forces me to be smarter about the things we bring into our house. I like the simplicity. I think ideally I'd go for 1800 but not much above.

Oh and looks like small is relative. What works for 1-2 people is definitely going to be different for a family with children.

My husband & I were just talking about this yesterday. We downsized into our 1000 sq ft house three years ago and even if I won the lottery I wouldn't ever go back to a large home. I love living small.

I'm in a 628 Sq. ft. space that I moved into about 9 months ago. My first apartment was cheaper in rent, for more space, but poorly maintained, and buggy at @ 1000 sq. ft. I had a bedroom and closets I had for a company room, but I hate wasted space and the apartment seemed so dark and chopped into odd pieces.

I also feel much less like a pea in a huge pod, and while my new company room is also my dining room/living room, my new 1b/1b is a lot better organized and seems larger, brighter, and cleaner than the older one.

I don’t mean to be the spoiler here, but between this article, last week’s Good Question on home downsizing, and the accompanying commentary, I really am not impressed by the apparent race to the bottom of how many people, animals and least possessions can be crammed into the smallest possible dwelling, and the bit of undercurrent implying that someone who lives in a larger space should feel guilty about it.

As a person who neither lives in a McMansion nor tiny apartment, I do not and nor do I believe that most people in larger residences haphazardly purchase home furnishings just to fill up space while disregarding size, scale and utility. I find it absolutely absurd to occupy one’s mind with questions of what should be kept or thrown out simply because my residence is so small by purpose or necessity that one or two extra items will result in my storage space reaching capacity or a boiling over of clutter. Are you trying to live in the space or be its editor? Living results in change, change always results in accumulation of stuff. It is not a sin to keep items you expect to be useful in the future. Similarly, constant purging oneself of valued items, as advocated by some, is futilely fighting basic human nature to keep items of sentimental or economic value and as admitted by some, results in a painful disposition process. Living in a small space does not imply greater virtuousness nor make you a lesser person.

People live in the space they feel appropriate for their means, activities and ability to maintain, and simply because one chooses to live in a small space does not provide one license to be critical of those living in larger. I have a lot of stuff, I am extremely fortunate to live in a large space, I am very happy not worrying myself about where to store things, and I appreciate using the small space solutions on this site to improve the storage and accessibility of my stuff.

I'm open to downsizing more than we are now, it just so happens that the price and location of the place we're in now is fabulous. We also have to accommodate studio space for both myself and my husband. Even so, I've been selling off excess stuff for a few years now with no sign of stopping. My dream is to clear out a ton of stuff just in time to buy our own place!

I feel like I constantly have to defend living in a larger footprint. It's 1,800 square feet, it's not a McMansion, you know? But I agree - somehow this "race to the bottom" has people making perfectly reasonable decisions look like the enemy.

The tone of your comment is exactly why we do need articles like this. Downsizing and living in small spaces is certainly looked down upon in many circles, as illustrated by your "race to the bottom" quip. I get plenty of jibes from my own friends and family for living in a 500 square foot apartment, and it gets really old. For many of us, living in larger spaces is either not an option or not appealing. I choose to live where I do because of the needs of my family, not yours. There's nothing wrong with living in a larger space, but there's no reason for you to criticize those of us who, for whatever reason, live in smaller spaces.

I'm stunned at the comments that take offense at those who love living in smaller spaces. The previous commenter is spot on about why we need articles like this. Live in as big a space as you want if you feel it suits you. Race to the bottom? Give me a break.

My point earlier was that a large house doesn't fit our lifestyle--that is, that WE don't want or need all that space and all the stuff it would eventually get filled with. I left a domestic violence situation and lost almost everything in that place as a result. I learned (about myself) that I don't need things to be happy. Not a single object. No joke.

When I spoke of quality over quantity earlier I don't mean just a price tag either. I meant something I really enjoy to fill a need, not something I had to just go and and buy in a short time. So many times in my youth I would end with multiples of an item because I was to quick to grab something and change my mind later. Back then, I would get caught up in the thrill of shopping and make poor choices.Loosing almost everything + a small space taught me to slow down and make things count more. Make sense?

I also have a very low sentimental attachment to objects in general--because the memory is in my head--not the object. My mom has tons of china, but when she passes, I don't want any of that; it's better it go to someone in the family who will use it for formal occasions. What I would like of all things? One of her favorite coffee cups, because that's what she uses every day. I understand not everyone has that outlook, but getting snarky and assuming that another way of living automatically judges you is jumping the gun and then some.

I have to admit the "race to the bottom" comments make me wonder why there is such a negative perception of choosing, or in some cases having, to live in a smaller place.

Nobody's forcing anyone to defend anything in regards to choosing otherwise. Some of us like small spaces. There are a lot of reasons I appreciate what I have. Is that enthusiasm perceived as being negative? It certainly was not intended that way.

For what it's worth, I have sentimental attachments to certain things. In my case they happen to be small and fit in a few boxes.

After living in relatively bigger apartments (not houses) in the US, when we relocated to Germany couple of years back, we were quite shocked to see the size of the apartments in Germany. We (two adults and one 3 year old) now live in a 800 something square feet apartment and I always cribbed the lack of storage specially the kitchen. There are no built-in closets like they are in the US and neither do we have a dishwasher or even a freezer!!

Our kitchen is just 5 x 9 feet and very poorly designed. We have an under the counter refrigerator and when keeping food inside or taking food out of the refrigerator, the only space to keep the containers is on the floor. I hated everything about it and complained on and on. Not that I am very happy with the kitchen now and I still wish that I had a bigger kitchen with a better layout and a 2nd Bathroom or a WC.

That said I am quite happy about the apartment as such. It has lots of sunlight, good neighborhood, play areas for children, greenery etc. And I feel very cozy and snug in this smallish 2BR apartment. Also, after living in Europe for about 2 years, I have learnt the secret of clever storage. The more I try to apply this, the more creative I become and the more blessed I feel.

For 16 years I lived in a two story 200 yr old colonial and then we had to move pronto. 3 people in a 4 room apartment. One year later, our daughter moved out and we moved into a four square bungalow. It isn't that much bigger but four rooms seem vast after our drastic downsizing. I'm so in love with our little home. I'm a minimalist so I'm still jettisoning things but I couldn't be happier with the change.

I don't want to clean more than 1000 square feet per week. Smaller is easier for me to manage. I want a simpler life, and smaller with less stuff helps me accomplish that. Plus the aesthetic of small, cute and cozy really appeals to me. I love all the articles on small space living and storage solutions.

I like cozy and so no big mcmansion house for me if I won the lottery. I like the apartments/small homes shown on AT and they seem to be the most creative. We live in a small house which I love, even 'tho we need another br.
The big houses with the huge "big warehouse room" and sky high ceilings make me very uncomfortable...I'd cry if I had to live in a house like that.

I see AT as a community where people are (perhaps more than the general population) able to step outside themselves and see that others' have needs that are different from their own. But I can't tell you how many comments I see on various home and apartment tours from people saying "that is NOT small" or "I thought this was Apartment Therapy" and "Why do you keep showing houses?"

I imagine a lot of you are making these decisions based on the needs of you and your family - I think what others are doing is shunning the people who make decisions based on their needs because those needs happen to fit a definition of "small" that is unsuitable. The best wisdom is probably to just "live and let live."

I'm not judging. I love small spaces, and used to have them. Over the years, my needs changed, just like all of yours. And perhaps I'm bringing real life into this as well, as I've had critique from both ends of the spectrum. People who thought my house was too small, people who thought my house was too big, people who thought I should have tried to buy something newer, people who were haughty about my neighborhood. I couldn't please everyone, so I imagine I brought a little of that into this thread, so my apologies.

Hi all! So glad my post started a conversation.:) To answer the questions about the furniture: my coffee table is from CB2 (the Smart Table) and the couch is from a place in San Francisco called Therapy.

@Pi you are right. When we had a family and pets we had a very large house and garden now we are retired and are delighted to live in city centre 2 bed. We have no large maintenance worries as we live in a co-propriety and all growing is done in pots. I think the point of the piece was that it is possible to be happy in a small space. I think that was the original idea behind AT although it seems to have drifted away from that a bit.

I live alone (with a cat) in 800 s.f. and could do with less...like Eliza Doolittle, "All I want is a room somewhere!" I could afford more. Less is liberating.

A close friend has lived in the same place since 1975, without a good clean-out. As her 1,100 s.f. unit grew too small for her stuff, she "annexed" the condo next door, putting her at about 1,600 s.f. That's her prerogative, and yes, she clearly derives pleasure from her home. But she also has a huge amount of money tied up in it, which crimps her other luxuries, especially travel. The way I look at it, she's paying a great deal to store...stuff.

This article starts from the premise "would we live in a bigger place if we won the lottery?" It's a nice fantasy, but in the meantime, most of us have to make tradeoffs. Living well in a small space that I can "lock and leave" for a travel adventure is my pick.

Yes, living in a small space is usually the tradeoff for being in a more central location, or more 'desirable' postcode with all the perks that entails. I do sense some snobbishness on threads like this, as if people who have larger homes are living in self-imposed exile, in some cultural wasteland! If people could have a bigger place and STILL enjoy the perks of living centrally, I think most people would opt for a bigger place. And if you have the luxury of a holiday home in the country that you could escape to, a small city apartment makes perfect sense.

I had a large flat in Evanston, IL in a vintage building that got to be a chore to clean. When I moved to California I wanted a smaller, more modern place for a change, still filled with my eclectic, vintage decor. I like it! It feels cozy. I got rid of a lot of stuff in my move. I have a large room off the porch that is for a washer and dryer that I use instead for storage! The laundry room is across from my apartment so I don't need a w/d. I've put things I don't need right now stacked nicely in boxes.

I've lived in different size places over my adult life and prefer a smaller space with a very open floor plan and ample/clever storage. It is interesting that some people take offense to the small space living posts on AT. Isn't small space living the core of this site? IT was originally focused on apartment living in NYC after all. They do feature other aspects of lifestyle and larger homes but the reason I believe many of us hang out here is for small space peeks and ideas.

I don't feel people are trying to compete in how small their space is, I think they are just sharing their own experience. I prefer a smaller home but by no means do I judge anyone that can have, maintain and prefers a larger home. Also, when we say a small space helps us personally to keep things pared down as the author did here, that doesn't mean that we are accusing others of filling up their larger spaces with stuff.

I've lived in different size places over my adult life and prefer a smaller space with a very open floor plan and ample/clever storage. It is interesting that some people take offense to the small space living posts on AT. Isn't small space living the core of this site? IT was originally focused on apartment living in NYC after all. They do feature other aspects of lifestyle and larger homes but the reason I believe many of us hang out here is for small space peeks and ideas.

I don't feel people are trying to compete in how small their space is, I think they are just sharing their own experience. I prefer a smaller home but by no means do I judge anyone that can have, maintain and prefers a larger home. Also, when we say a small space helps us personally to keep things pared down as the author did here, that doesn't mean that we are accusing others of filling up their larger spaces with stuff.

I've lived in different size places over my adult life and prefer a smaller space with a very open floor plan and ample/clever storage. It is interesting that some people take offense to the small space living posts on AT. Isn't small space living the core of this site? IT was originally focused on apartment living in NYC after all. They do feature other aspects of lifestyle and larger homes but the reason I believe many of us hang out here is for small space peeks and ideas.

I don't feel people are trying to compete in how small their space is, I think they are just sharing their own experience. I prefer a smaller home but by no means do I judge anyone that can have, maintain and prefers a larger home. Also, when we say a small space helps us personally to keep things pared down as the author did here, that doesn't mean that we are accusing others of filling up their larger spaces with stuff.

As someone who lives in a 3 bedroom apartment with 5 people, I'm all for a bigger place. More yard (we have a 12' x 3' balcony right now) and probably another room or two. However, seeing as this website is called, ahem, APARTMENT therapy, we could hardly enter the discussion if we didn't live here. And neither could all you lovely folks who make the best of, or choose to live, sharing walls, ceilings and floors. Here's to the end of clutter, and the joy of contentment and appreciating that we all have different tastes and space requirements.

also very interested in the source for the sofa.

Interesting comments-on all "sides", (although I think it's silly to have a "side" in this, it's the individual's preference, often tempered with financial or/and location needs).
I'm blessed. I was brought up in a large, 5bdrm home. In my young adult life, I lived in everything from a 1-bedroom, built better than most homes I've lived in, mobile home, (made in 1960, haven't ever seen another "mobile home like it & I often dream about it-it had an "extension" on it, so it didnt feel cramped or even like a mobile home); to living on a plantation in what you may call a "mansion". I bought my dream land at 22, but after putting a cheapie mobile home on it at 30, in a "domestic situation" with my first husband; I ended up giving him everything-just to get away.
I moved and eventually remarried & lived in a large 5bdrm, with six children between us. It didnt last long & I got a lease to own, beautiful, SMALL, Victorian cottage...which I stupidly put in his name during a short reconciliation...and lost everything again. Then, I moved back to my hometown, into a studio apt, but kept a few boxes of the most sentimental & expensive things I'd been able to salvage from the previous 20yrs.
I had to leave to come up north to seek treatment for a rare genetic disorder I have-plus a spinal injury. Bottom line, when I was coming back, my 80-something Dad said he'd sold everything I'd put in storage, "because I didn't think you had anything important"-for $1.
At least $10K of jewelry, art, crystal, antiques..all gone. Vsomeone got one hell of a deal. Unfortunately, it also included my most sentimental stuff I didn't want to bring with me, left it with my Dad for "safekeeping". Pictures, baby books, my kids ornaments they made for me each year, stuff from my childhood-gone.
I moved up to a yoga ashram for 2yrs as the webmaster..starting, literally, with VERY few possessions. I left, met someone in town, moved in together when we got engaged in May. We spent the summer collecting cookware, dishes, furniture, tech stuff. We had a nice, very old home that we were renting. (He had 3 young children that I was adopting after we were married in Jan.). He was killed in an accident Nov 5th, and the landlord lied to the family and police, saying we had broken up, and had no right to anything in the home. That was a Friday afternoon, by the time I got the paperwork. & an attorney on Monday-the house was bare. (I was in the hospital-had a minor heart attack).
I rented the small apt I mentioned in another post, then my loft which was condemned last March-again, I lost a lot, first from damage, then having to be out in 48hrs. I don't drive-legally blind, and at the time, was bedridden 5-6 days/week. Being on disability, I didn't have the money to pay someone to help me-and any friends I had in this town moved away years ago.
SO, I was in a pickle, but my Dad came through-my daughter says because he felt terrible about my stuff 11 years prior. I found an apt that was WAY above my price range. I get less than $800 in disability now, (and yes, I get $59 in food stamps, no housing and Medicare. I'm NOT proud of it, but I don't have a choice anymore). Rent is $915-BUT, includes utilities, cable, Internet, etc. it's also larger than I wanted-BUT, except for the cheap wood paneling, it's a nice, clean, 2bdrm, (2nd bedroom for my kids & uncle who visit + I will need a live-in asst in the near future.). I have a beautiful sun porch and deck. It's over a garage/shop/grow room/hot tub/storage (YES, HOT TUB!! Haven't used it yet, lol, but hope to soon!!), on an organic farm. My Dad is helping with the rent, which brings my disability down, (YES, I report everything), and I don't have a penny to spare-well, except for my Sita, (cat), 5yrs old, who brought me out of a deep depression 5yrs ago. (I also lost a baby at 4 months shortly before my fiancé died).
It's bigger and more to clean than I need, but I have an understanding landlord who has become a friend-she's not in much better shape than me, so we whine together when the weather causes us both to be bedridden.
One of these days I'm thinking we'll get a bottle of wine, have a slumber party, and I'll convince her to let my kids paint this ugly paneling on their next visit!!
<sigh>. Naaaah, both of our doctors would disown us... ;)

Oh. I just read your post again and realized you are not asking for advice, just starting a discussion. But if I had a beautiful room like that, with space for a big sofa, an easy chair, a straight chair, a big coffee table, 2 end tables, and still a lot of beautiful floor, I'd never call that small!