Maximize your space with this helpful advice
“If it’s done right, a smaller house doesn’t
mean you have to sacrifice—in fact, it can be a much more attractive
place to live,” says Marianne Cusato, author of The Value of Design
and an architect who has won national awards for her small-house plans.
“It’s not about shrinking everything down, but rather about using
spaces for more than one purpose and building those spaces with an
attention to quality and good design.”
As big houses on large lots have declined in value, some of the most sought-after real estate in America today is smaller homes in mixed-use neighborhoods, places with sidewalks and front porches and a feeling of community. In other words, neighborhoods that look a lot like those from the 1950s.
If the current economic downturn means that you’ve had to put on hold your plans to move up—or that you need to downsize to a smaller home—think of it as an opportunity. Here are some tips for making a smaller home work for you.
1. Make the Most of What You Have
You don’t have to use a room in the way its name suggests. “Just because it’s a dining room doesn’t mean you have to use it as one,” says Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live. “Make it a home office or sewing room or both. It’s your house and you can do what you want with it.”
2. Remodel Small
To open up a modest-size home, put in interior windows or take out walls or parts of walls. The house will feel larger without added square footage.
3. Declutter
When Cusato lived in a 300-squarefoot New York apartment for eight years, she told her family not to give her any gift that she had to store. “I loved the feeling that everything I had, I really wanted and needed,” she says. “Ironically, now that I’ve moved into a space that’s 1,180 square feet, it doesn’t feel nearly as well organized.”
4. Celebrate Details
A smaller house doesn’t mean you need to downsize on quality. Focus on the smaller details that add texture and beauty to a room, such as elegant light fixtures or natural woodwork in floors or moldings. Realize that less can be more.
5. Add an Outdoor Room
Extend your living space by creating attractive outdoor places in which to sit and socialize. During the warm months, you’ll gain square footage without hiring a builder or taking out a home equity loan.
As big houses on large lots have declined in value, some of the most sought-after real estate in America today is smaller homes in mixed-use neighborhoods, places with sidewalks and front porches and a feeling of community. In other words, neighborhoods that look a lot like those from the 1950s.
If the current economic downturn means that you’ve had to put on hold your plans to move up—or that you need to downsize to a smaller home—think of it as an opportunity. Here are some tips for making a smaller home work for you.
1. Make the Most of What You Have
You don’t have to use a room in the way its name suggests. “Just because it’s a dining room doesn’t mean you have to use it as one,” says Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live. “Make it a home office or sewing room or both. It’s your house and you can do what you want with it.”
2. Remodel Small
To open up a modest-size home, put in interior windows or take out walls or parts of walls. The house will feel larger without added square footage.
3. Declutter
When Cusato lived in a 300-squarefoot New York apartment for eight years, she told her family not to give her any gift that she had to store. “I loved the feeling that everything I had, I really wanted and needed,” she says. “Ironically, now that I’ve moved into a space that’s 1,180 square feet, it doesn’t feel nearly as well organized.”
4. Celebrate Details
A smaller house doesn’t mean you need to downsize on quality. Focus on the smaller details that add texture and beauty to a room, such as elegant light fixtures or natural woodwork in floors or moldings. Realize that less can be more.
5. Add an Outdoor Room
Extend your living space by creating attractive outdoor places in which to sit and socialize. During the warm months, you’ll gain square footage without hiring a builder or taking out a home equity loan.
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