petit dwelling // tip number one

as some of you know, andrew and i made the decision to buy our first home a few months back.  we had lived in tiny apartments ever since we could remember, and thought that the next logical step for this midwestern family would be to buy a spacious house.  you know, a house with extra rooms for guests in a neighborhood with lookalike houses in some shade of beige with extra rooms for guests.  naturally.

but as soon as we set foot in a house with our realtor we felt as if it swallowed us up.  like the whole pinocchio and the whale thing.  to our surprise, the feeling of owning a house just wasn't a comfortable fit; nor did it give us the satisfaction we had assumed it would shower us with upon entering.  on paper, it had all the amenities, and even a lot of character with built in book shelves, but still, it was just too much room for us, despite being a two bedroom.  we did not expect to start looking at crack-box-sized condos as a family of three, with plans to make it four in the near future, but we did.  

after reflecting and making many pros and cons lists, we made the choice to downsize and live within walking distance to things we love: restaurants, the library, and the park.  andrew and i both feel that smaller and simpler is better for us.  this sentiment is one we don't think we will grow out of, either. 

one evening we were reminiscing about one of our happiest times back in college where we lived on main street above a local coffee shop.  there was no dishwasher, no closets, lots of windows, and one make-shift bedroom on the top floor overlooking the river.  it was so romantic.  and so easy.  we missed that simplistic style of living and decided that it would be best for our family to stay on the small dwelling path as opposed to what most growing families do: get a bigger home.

we actually bought the second place we looked at, undeniably shaking our heads "NOSIREE" at the house we thought we were sure to fall in love with.  when we walked into the "for sale" charming two bedroom bungalow on the top floor, we wanted to sign the papers right then and there.  it took us back to that time on main street when our room was so small our bed hugged the wall, and when cooking meant snuggling, too...for our kitchen was THAT small.  and as for this new space, the storage was lacking {like most 100 year old buildings} but it exuded loads charm, making up for it ten fold. 

...fast forward a few months and we are all settled in.  

we have thoroughly enjoyed getting creative with each nook and cranny, utilizing every inch and celebrating each corner.  this leads me to our first tip in dwelling small: use those walls to your advantage! 

what could be put in drawers or cupboards can usually be arranged some way on a wall.  we use an ikea magnetic strip in lieu of a knife drawer or knife block that takes up counter space.  i love the display of knives because it adds a high-end restaurant look, along with practicality since we cook all the time.  ikea saved the day again with open shelving to hold our everyday pantry items and dinnerware in our itty bitty galley kitchen.  every now and then when i find a treasure at a local flea i use a hook to display it, like you see below.  the amount of storage we have accumulated in our kitchen is unreal.  we now have some empty cupboards, believe it or not!

and then there are bookshelves.  we own quite a few seeing that every room has at least one.  and not only do we store books on them, but everything else that requires some sort of shelving or display.  we have more bins and baskets than you can shake a finger at, too.  target has been our to-go for those.  we put them on walls, on shelves, next to chairs, and under tables.  they are sprinkled throughout our home and occupy every room.  and because of our numerous tall and slender wall bookshelf storage, we have eliminated the use for a dresser of any kind, freeing up our small space and giving us more walking room. 

here are a few more wall storage ideas we currently utilize:

- picture ledges to house books
- spice racks for more books and stuffed animals 
- wire baskets hug on walls to store odds and ends
- vertical wine bottle wall storage to get them off counters
- wall coat hanger / storage bin for gloves and hats
- hats hug with nails as practical art

here are some photos of our home to give you an idea...

for those of you who also dwell small, what are some of your ideas?  i'd love to hear them.  

and stay tuned for more petit dwelling tips...