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It seems there is a trend towards minimizing. Living a full life with less stuff…the ‘less is more’ theory is alive and well. There are several blog sites dedicated to helping those interested in accomplishing this task. I confess I drank the kool-aid. I too, find myself paring down, weeding out. I assumed my motivation was due to where I’m at in my life [read: age]. After 7 months of actively working on selling, giving away, or tossing items, I really like the feeling of living with what I love. This, for me, is not minimalist in the usual sense, since much of what I love involves stuff that I’ve collected along life’s journey and I treasure those items. For me it’s culling the boxes of things that are no longer useful, my adult kids don’t want, or that maybe someone might treasure.
Minimalism is not a lack of something. It’s simply the perfect amount of something. – Nicholas Burroughs
In the same area of interest, I’ve read a lot of articles about smaller houses being in demand. I think that part of living with less space is so very personal. One man’s 4,200sf house may seem small for their lifestyle, family needs, etc. Our 1,750sf house is feeling large in the way of the maintenance involved in caring for it. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not ready to sell and buy an Airstream, but there have been conversations about the possibility of townhome living in the future. All of this got me to thinking about that cottage I’ve always dreamt of and what that might look like, as well as some of the larger homes that are labeled as “cottages”. So here are some pretty cottages, and a couple of homes that aren’t quite cottage-sized by U.S. standards.
I’ve written on this topic before, HERE, HERE and HERE.
Is this the Brit’s idea of a small house? I doubt it, but I have to share a line from an all time favorite Jane Austen movie…
Are there any Sense & Sensibility movie fans out there? Preferably the 1995 Ang Lee version, starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet & Hugh Grant? Fanny, the not so nice sister-in-law, says this of Barton Cottage, “Oh, a cottage! How charming. A little cottage is always very snug” [while knowing that she [Fanny & her husband] will be moving into the beautiful, large, estate that Elinor and her mom and sisters are forced to move from due to British law. Does this look like a cottage to you?! -below-
This is what I envision as a cottage…stone walls, nice roofline and a soft, welcoming glow from the windows. For more images of the interior of this dreamy cottage visit Caroline Holdaway Designs.
{Designed by Caroline Holdaway ~ Photography by Simon Brown}
This might be a backyard studio…it appears to be very small, but isn’t it sweet?
The cozy feel of a cottage has been interpreted for us though lots of movies, but I realize I don’t live in England, probably never will, and that rooms in a smaller home in the U.S. will probably have a different feel. Still, here are some of my favorite small space rooms.
This charming home was posted a few years back on Cote de Texas. The home belongs (or did at the time) to artist Melanie Millar. It’s a charming, but smallish home.
{Cote de Texas ~ Artist Melanie Millar}
{Cote de Texas ~ Artist Melanie Millar}
{Cote de Texas ~ Artist Melanie Millar}
While I love the open floor plans so popular today, its the the tucked away rooms, the surprises, that appeal to me. The dining nook below may have been something with an entirely different purpose before.
{Cote de Texas ~ Artist Melanie Millar}
Cindy over at Rough Luxe Lifestyle did a post on Musoka Living Interiors last month. I fell in love with their style and this bedroom in particular.
{Rough Luxe Lifestyle ~ Muskoka Living Interiors}
Dan Marty always managed to make any room seem comfortable, large or small.
Sometimes smaller rooms may force you to employ double-duty of pieces of furniture or rooms. This table, turned desk space, could be wonderful in any living room.
This towel bar serves as a pan holder, clever use for a small kitchen.
The breakfast bar doesn’t have to be strictly utilitarian, the canisters and flowers make this bar such a pretty addition to a small space.
{Chris Barrett Design}
Can you imagine yourself living in a smaller home? Maybe once the nest is empty?
