2 Adults + 4 kids + 1 dog = 1,070 sq. feet
Possible? Absolutely. We're doing it. Comfortably.
We recently made the 3.5 hour haul to visit the closest IKEA {insert singing angels here}. I practically love IKEA. I mean, the stuff isn't necessarily top quality. It's not all sustainable, reusable or renewable either. But, IKEA is the mecca for small space ideas! This trip was no different. My husband and I both fell in love with the 760 sq. foot demo home set up in the show room. I think it was for a family of 4. If you're ever near an IKEA go check out the 760 house, I think it's awe inspiring.
Eddie Vedder: Society (Into the Wild soundtrack)
Oh, it's a mystery to me
We have a greed with which we have agreed
And you think you have to want more than you need
Until you have it all you won't be free
Society, you're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely without me.
When you want more than you have
You think you need...
And when you think more than you want
Your thoughts begin to bleed.
I think I need to find a bigger place
Because when you have more than you think
You need more space
Society, you're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely without me...
Society, crazy indeed
Hope you're not lonely without me...
There's those thinking, more-or-less, less is more
But if less is more, how you keeping score?
Means for every point you make, your level drops
Kinda like you're starting from the top
You can't do that...
Oh, it's a mystery to me
We have a greed with which we have agreed
And you think you have to want more than you need
Until you have it all you won't be free
Society, you're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely without me.
When you want more than you have
You think you need...
And when you think more than you want
Your thoughts begin to bleed.
I think I need to find a bigger place
Because when you have more than you think
You need more space
Society, you're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely without me...
Society, crazy indeed
Hope you're not lonely without me...
There's those thinking, more-or-less, less is more
But if less is more, how you keeping score?
Means for every point you make, your level drops
Kinda like you're starting from the top
You can't do that...
For weeks now that song has been haunting me. Subconsciously, I believe I felt guilt. I was complaining a lot about needing more space. "If we just had a playroom for all the toys." -or- "We need a separate dining room." -or- "We really need an office.". Then Oprah changed my attitude during a show about Denmark. They have a very simplistic lifestyle. The end result was me falling in love with our house. We have a GREAT house! Best of all it's just 3 miles from my husbands job so he gets to come daily for lunch. (I know! What was wrong with me!?!?) So, I decided we need two things: 1) Less junk. 2) More organization! The problem? I had no idea how to organize it better than I already was.
This is where IKEA came to the rescue. I've been inspired. My new mission is to condense and organize from floor to ceiling. This weekend we're kicking it off with a yard sale. To prepare for it I've been walking around the house each day with a bag and I fill it with things for the yard sale. You'd be amazed how quickly the bags fill up. I'll keep you posted. I'm picking up my drill again and building some incredible recycled shutter shelves... just wait!
And by the way, I think we could actually downsize our house. Seriously.
3 comments:
Thank you so much for this post. We too, have a small home, and I always complain about wanting a play room, or a spearate dining room. It's all about layout and organization. There is a "small home" magazine I saw at Home Depot... their definition of small was 1800-2000 sq. feet? WHAT?! I always remind myself that large homes (with the exception of green homes) are not the most eco-friendly. They require more resources to build, they require more energy for heating/cooling, and require more land space!
Now I am inspired to downsize and organize :)
It's definitely all about being proud and invested in what you have!
1800-2000 is SMALL?? Wow. Tell that to all the loft apartment owners in big cities and they might revolt against the big orange store. haha
I'll tell ya what, the farmhouse table at Knock-Off Wood has changed my life. You have no idea how much a table with benches opens up a room. We have room for all 6 of us + 2 guest (if we bring in 2 chairs in our eat-in kitchen! It solved my dining room desire for sure.
And, I'm glad this post helped you! That makes my heart smile. :)
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