We’ve lived in our current house, a 1,295 square foot 1969 rambler, for 10 years.  When we initially looked at the house all those years ago, I walked straight to the backyard, looked at the large expanse of sky, and knew this was it.  Never mind the fact that the rooms were small and the bathrooms tiny, it was perfect.  We bought it thinking it would be our starter home.  A place we would live for a few years before trading up to a larger home.  

That never happened.  

We loved the neighborhood. We loved our home.  We just couldn’t find a convincing enough reason to move. 

However, as the years have gone by and we’ve added two kids to the mix, we have felt increasingly constricted. We’ve had to find room for cribs, clothes, bikes, books, and toys. We’ve felt the weight of our belongings suffocating us in our own home.  We’ve tripped over piles of clothes, toys, and old picture frames.  We’ve crammed our closets with boxes, coats, shoes, and Christmas presents. Yet we continue to move forward, routinely purging, donating and organizing as we go.   

We could have moved.  We could have bought a bigger house.  This would have given us more room for our belongings, for sure. But, we’d have other challenges: bigger mortgage payment, larger home to maintain, and longer commutes. 

So instead we’ve made it work.  We have gotten rid of lots of things.  Even things we like! Even things that are useful! And sentimental! Because we just can’t keep it all.  

We aren’t perfect and our house isn’t perfect.  But we are working toward a vision where we can easily find and put away the things we need.  A place where we feel calm, organized, and focused.  We want our house to fit our family and allow us to spend less time shuffling stuff from one corner to the other.

In this space, I’ll share my experiences, both successes and failures along with realistic advice on how to live and thrive in a smallish home.  Even with kids.  Even with lots of stuff.  Even if the layout is challenging. 

I believe that through creativity, organization, and a bit of hard work, we can think differently about square footage.  Because in the end, it’s only a number.  What matters is HOW you live in your house and WHO you share it with.

I hope you’ll join us on our journey!  You can follow along on Instagram @smallishhome