I see these people walk into a beautiful kitchen and say 'oh I will completely gut this' or 'it is just so small'. Some of those kitchens they call small are bigger than my entire house!!
They all complain about 'small' master bedrooms! You sleep there - how big does it need to be?
I just don't get it.
The bigger the house - the more you pay for heating and cooling (and other utilities), the more you have to clean and the more crap you have to buy to fill it!
I think that thing that truly gets me are the popular rehab shows. I love watching them and getting ideas - but they make me so angry when they take a sledge hammer to perfectly fine cabinets and built ins. Remove them carefully - and let someone who has little money reuse them!!!!!!!! Not everyone has more money than sense, I see so many things destroyed that could be rehabbed in so many ways - I just cringe. They are so wasteful!
Then there is the tiny house movement! That is more my style. I don't quite think I could be totally happy with a 400 sq. ft. home (I have my pantry/canning supplies you know!!) - but I like a small home. Mine is about 900 sq. ft. - 2 bed, 1 bath. I am fortunate that I have a full basement. Originally we made half of the basement into a laundry room/utility room (furnace/water heater) and storage. The other half we used for years as a family room. Now that is a lot of storage & craft area. It is soon going to be a huge project for me!!!!!
We never felt the need for anything bigger - I mean there was just 2 of us for 33 years! Now just me (and of course my kitties). Small has never deterred me from entertaining. I have had big birthday parties, baby showers, campfire parties, and Thanksgiving here many times. One Thanksgiving I cooked for, fed and entertained 50 people! Did it all myself in my little kitchen and had people every where - but we had a ball.
I have so many nieces and nephews tell me how much the enjoyed those days and truly miss them.
Here is a mini tour of my comfy, cozy 'nap' house. It is a 1947 bungalow. It is all mine and I love it.
Opposite ends of the living room. Nothing big or fancy - just comfy. Lot's of dust catchers too!!! I have many family pieces that I display and use.
The TV wall and plant corner in the living room.
This is the sink area of the kitchen. As you can see I have very little counter space. Organization is key.
I also have a wash stand on wall on the left - that contains microwave and has storage underneath as well. Here is a pic of the washstand (I added a faux top - just sitting on it so as not to damage it). Sorry you can't see the bottom of stand. That cream box on the wall - is a cabinet my Daddy made my Grandma when he was 12. I use it for spices and flavorings (it has original hardware). The edge of a door you see on the left goes to the basement. The opening on right goes to dining room.
Some day I will get to showing the 2nd bedroom (much going on in there) and the bath. The bath is a work in progress right now!!!!
So there you have a tour of the "nap" house as my nephew calls it.
How about you? Do you prefer large or small or something in between?
What is the trend where you live? I love hearing about other areas and what is popular.
Walk on up and visit for a while!
So there you have a tour of the "nap" house as my nephew calls it.
How about you? Do you prefer large or small or something in between?
What is the trend where you live? I love hearing about other areas and what is popular.
We have a 1200 sq foot house on a little under half an acre. It is just my husband and I. I love our house. We have 3 bedrooms and 1.5 baths. So many have commented on how nice our home is but some (my brother and his children) have asked why we bought such a small house. My reply was because only two people live here. Some people just can't understand that bigger is not always better. I do not want a lot of 'stuff' and I do not want to spend all my time cleaning.
ReplyDeleteI so agree with you. Over the years people have not understood why we didn't go larger. No need. It is paid for and manageable to care for.
DeleteI have family that have ginormous houses and there is 2 of them. Rooms that are never used. Makes no sense to pay for what you don't use or need.
You sound like an amazing smart couple!
BTW your house is charming.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much.
DeleteLovely, cozy comfy.
ReplyDeleteHome is where we live.
d
Thanks. That is how I feel as well. I am grateful at this point in life that this is what I have and can manage.
DeleteMy current home is 1200 square feet on the main floor, with about 800 sq feet of finished space in the basement. Add in an extra 250 sq feet of sun room and it's huge. It was fine when both my children were still living here, but now is far too big. Hence the reason for trying to sell. My son and I are looking at condos of about 700-800 sq feet. I'm sure that will feel tiny after what we've become accustomed to but I'm sure we'll manage.
ReplyDeleteI love your dining room, especially the little corner cabinet. The entire house is lovely!
That sounds like a lot of room to me too. Oh yes, it would have been wonderful with children there. It sounds lovely. I hope you sell it soon.
DeleteI think you will love the size of something smaller.
Thank you so much!
Very pretty..cozy and homey.
ReplyDeleteI love it.
Thank you - it is home to me!
DeleteI have trouble with those shows also. The waste and the consumption bothers me. I love your little house. Other than lots of instruments, baby grand, two cellos, bass violin, several violins and a viola we need a big front room.
ReplyDeleteI hate the absolute waste they portray.
DeleteThat's a lot of instruments! You would need room for all of those. Big room, lots of music - sounds like merriment for sure! Love it.
Your home is so cosy and welcoming.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I feel blessed in this little world of mine.
DeleteI love it! Your nephew was right, it is a nap house. I could certainly see myself curling up there. We'd chat awhile about life and gardens and pets, and then snooze.
ReplyDeleteCarol in NC
I agree. It is a very comfortable place to be.
DeleteThanks
We lived for six years in a Dutch Star bus. 300 square feet and under bus storage. I was like a long skinny apt. Then after my open heart surgery moved into a house I loved with wood floors and and overgrown back yard that felt so secluded. Loved it too but the stairs were too much for me. It was an odd little house but had lots of character. Now we have been in a manufactured home in a Senior park for almost 5 years. We own it outright but rent the land it's on so low payment plus they do the lawn mowing and sprinklers and sewer, water, garbage. We love our home but I wish I could take out the carpet and get flooring that I could sweep and mop through out the house. It's a little over 1600 square feet and sometimes that is way too much for me to clean. I have lived in smaller places a good many years and one 4 bedroom, 2 bath huge home for 5 years many years ago - that was just an invitation for all my husbands weird entertainment friends to move in. After 9 months I would kick them out. Funny I figured it out one day and every one I kicked out had been there almost 9 months to the day. This went on for several years. It was like birthing a baby. I was done and over it. I didn't want to run a half way house for starving entertainers so that's when we sold it and moved into a bus for 6 years. That stopped my husband from being a "soft touch" for every sob story. I have had many living spaces including a cute tiny one bedroom a half a block from the hospital when I worked there that was perfect for me since I was newly divorced at the time. I guess I prefer older places that are small and have character. Grew up in Albany Oregon and we lived in a 750 square foot house with mom, dad, two brothers, me, a cat and a dog. Never felt cramped even though my mom turned the tiniest storage closet into a miniature bedroom for me. We had plenty of places to run an have fun outside all day long. Oh for the good old days.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the good old for sure. You know you wouldn't have these fun stories to tell, had you not had house 'guests'. Sounds like an interesting life.
DeleteStars would definitely be too much if I ever have health problems. That would be when I would have to investigate leaving. I can understand you not wanting them.
My Mom and Dad raised 5 kids in a 2 bedroom home, and when the others were younger an outhouse! Guess we all get used to what we have and love it.
I got rid of most of the carpet and had lovely original under it. Love it.
Thanks for the fun story, I enjoyed it.
Your sweet little bungalow is the opposite end of the scale to our big old farmhouse here in Wales UK. Half of it was derelict when we bought it, but during the 30+ years we've lived here, it's all been restored. Now we no longer need the granny flat as mum is no longer with us, and our three children have left home, and so we don't need the 8 bedrooms we ended up with! We have it on the market at the moment, but not many people want a house this big. It's hard keeping it all tidy in case we have a sudden viewing. We plan to move to something very much smaller but will have to part with most of our furniture (especially as the rooms are large here so could take big chunks of furniture.) I would like generously-sized rooms again - only less of them!!
ReplyDeleteI would love a farmhouse as well. Yours sounds lovely! It is amazing how many people have homes that housed multiple generations. I love that.
DeleteIt sounds huge - but cozy as well.
Perhaps some of your children could benefit from items of furniture. That would be nice to pass on.
You sound like my mother in law - she always said she wanted a small house with big rooms!!
Oh I love your home!! It is beautiful and cozy, and one can tell it is filled with love. Looks like your kitties love it too. Great way to display the cabinet that your daddy made as well as the other treasures.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch HGTV anymore. I found some of the shows annoying, like couples who have million dollar budgets and then another million to remodel...
Thank you so much. My kitties are quite comfy here and of course they rule the house.
DeleteI have so many things that have been passed on from past generations. I think they are what make the house a home.
Makes you wonder where they find those people or is it all make believe. They are usually very young and have little kids - what do these people do for a living? Drives me crazy.
OR just maybe they are beyond their eyeballs in debt!
I love it! So warm and cozy. I spent most of my life in a ten room house (just the two of us), but there is a 400 square foot summer place. I'm equally happy both places.
ReplyDeleteI have never had a big home. This is more than plenty for me. How cool to have both!
DeleteThank you so much.
Thank you for sharing pictures of your home. I just love it! Very welcoming and cozy.
ReplyDeleteBarb in PA
Thank you Barb. Kind of you to say.
DeleteWhat a lovely cosy welcoming home you have. I love it.
ReplyDeleteWe've lived in our little house for 28yrs - it's not posh but it's definitely a homely home. Our 3 kids have all left now so we have a bit more room (it's a 3 bed semi with 2 living rooms, a small kitchen and a cellar). More than enough for 2, plus we're now mortgage free.
Thank you so much.
DeleteMortgage free is the best! That is such a blessing. I sure would hate the thought of moving and having a mortgage again! UGH
Enjoy your space and celebrate being mortgage free.
You have such a lovely home :-)
ReplyDeleteIt does amuse me how the idea of what's small is different between UK and the US.
The three of us lived in a 630sqft, 2 bed 1 bath bungalow for 8 years, and it was a tight fit, especially as the kitchen and the garden were tiny. But apart from the too small kitchen, I would not say that this was a particularly small house for a couple with just one child.
Then, 4 years ago, when we finally paid off enough of the mortgage that we could move to a larger place, we moved here, 3 bed and still only one bath 1100sqft Georgian cottage. And this just feels huge in comparison. We almost immediately got a dog to help fill the space up, lol.
It is amazing how different things are in different countries. I think 2 bedroom is large enough for 3. My kitchen is little, but my back garden is pretty good size. I am so glad you were able to move into a larger space.
DeleteThat is funny that it seemed too big - and you got a dog!
I am happy for you!
Thank you!!!
Ooh I love the coziness of you friendly warm looking home. A"NAP" home for sure. Must feel like a cocoon when fall and winter comes. I live in a new home now but the best memories are still in my small Cape cod home where we spend so many happy years.
DeleteThank you Jane. Yes, it is most comfortable and cozy in the winter. I just snuggle in, turn on a lamp and read a book.
DeleteIt fits me.
I live in a 550 sq. ft, 1 bedroom apt. and it suits me just fine. My kitchen is just a galley and I would love a bit more counter space but really, I manage just fine. I've lived in smaller places and it was never an issue - in fact - I wouldn't mind going back to around 400 sq. ft. With that possibility in mind I am de-cluttering - I've never been a hoarder or had tons of knick knacks - but I do love my books and have a ton of paperwork to deal with. The last time I moved I did it in stages and the first time involved all my bookcases and boxes of books - the movers were a bit horrified! :-)
ReplyDeleteI think your place sounds just about right for a house and you have things that mean a lot to you out where you can enjoy them. It looks very warm and welcoming.
First, thank you.
DeleteSecondly - good for you. Less space would definitely mean less stuff. I still have a lot that ISN'T special items - and much of that just needs to go.
It is wonderful to hear people testify to loving small living. Heck, a girl has to have her books!
Your place sounds wonderful.
Your home is lovely.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thank you so much.
DeleteBlessings
Here in the middle of the country most people live modestly except for the "new" areas of towns where they are building the half a million dollar homes. Why??!!
ReplyDeleteWe live on Farmer's homeplace where his grandparents started out. We are 1/4 of a mile from the original family homestead. I grew up 10 miles away in a small village. My childhood home had been a boarding house where my grandfather stayed when he first came to America from Germany. When it came on the market as a single-family home my parents bought it. Unforunately through the years they let it run down and now it would take too much $$ to repair. Since my dad died 2 years ago my mom is cleaning out what she wants to keep and donating the rest. It is on the market but really only the lot is worth anything. The house has some old woodwork that would be salvagable but not much else.
Our house is a bit too big for us but just right when the Ohio kids come home. We have 4 bedrooms but one is a storage room. When I get out all the beds, etc, I can sleep 10 adults and 3 littles. We don't use the upstairs except when they come home, we sleep in the basement. Warm/cool and close to the bathroom. The second floor is not cooled or heated and the bathroom is across the house and down the stairs. We just close it off and I clean it well when they give me their EDA. Our newest old part of the house was built in 1911. The original room was above the old cellar and had square-head nails in the floorboards. We could tell where they added on with "newer" style nails and the floor boards went straight east-west instead of diaganol.
When we lifted the house to put in the basement, we had several people ask why we didn't just build a new one. What?? There was/is nothing wrong with this one at all. We just needed access to the plumbing and wanted a basement instead of a cellar. We also added on a bathroom/laundry wing. (Our old bathroom was the original pantry. 4 feet from the kitchen table. YUCK! We gutted it and turned it back into a pantry.)
I love my old house with new parts and all it's character.
Oh I loved reading your story. I love hearing about folks who live in old homes. Makes you close your eyes and visualize. Older homes just had such craftsmanship and character.
DeleteYour place sounds wonderful. I don't blame you for closing off the top floor if not using it. People just don't understand that saving something is saving history. So many just don't care. Thank you for saving that home.
As for your Mom's house - baseboards, maybe doors, hinges, door knobs, sometimes old windows, original ship lap, there could be all types of things others might want to save.
sorry for the loss of your father.
Cheryl, I love your home! Have you seen the price they want for those tiny houses? Here you can buy a tiny real house and the land for under the price of some of them! I guess though if you were going to go on the road that would be different.
ReplyDeleteI could talk all day about those beautiful cabinets they tear apart only to put a cheaper newer one up. So sad. Have a great day!
Vickie I guess if you want to travel all the time it might be worth it. I wouldn't want a mobile one.
DeleteI almost cry when they trash nice cabinets, shelving, wall units, etc. It is just so wasteful and sad.
I mean heck - they could be used in a garage if nothing else. I just think of how many people that would love to have them. So sad.
Thank you so much!
This was such a fun peek into your life; I love your home! My first house was 1103 square feet, 3 bed, 2 bath, and honestly, it was probably ideal. We've since inherited a 3600 sq foot McMansion from a very generous recently deceased relative, and we made the decision NOT to try to fill it. We simply shut off the extra rooms and only used the furniture we already had (with the exception of adding a dining room and kitchen table, because it IS nice to have room for that now). But my preference is a smaller house. Less to clean, and fewer things to go wrong. I love your blog...been reading for quite a while, but finally decided to comment:)
ReplyDeleteThank you Melanie and welcome. Glad you are here.
DeleteHow generous! Wow. That is a huge difference in size. Glad you didn't see the need to run out and spend money to fill a free gift! Many would have.
I have thought about having more room in the past - but you are so right. So many things to go wrong, clean, heat.....so nah, I'll stay here.
Make sure to comment again.
I am in agreement with the HGTV comments...and it upsets me so much when these youngsters step into a beautiful home and talk of gutting everything...they must have their granite, stainless steel, and open concept!! ugh. And the waste... We have been in our home for 33 years. It is not small (4 br 3 bath) but I have made it cozy. I still love my original GOOD furniture purchased in the 70's...traditional style. Homes in my area are selling for a million every day. My pet peeve comment is "but it is so 'dated'..." give me a break---so are we , in our mid-70's!!! haha. When our kids come to visit (we live in south Florida...they come a lot!), the bedrooms are full. In fact, with 6 extra adults and 6 extra children, there isn't really room for all. One family will only come when the others aren't. I might add that one of the bedrooms, in our end of the house is an office. No beds in there. Or room for one! Bookshelves, 2 large desks, etc.
ReplyDeleteLove your home. Like you, we are happy to have 0 mortgage!
Thank you.
DeleteYes, they have to have new and fancy - but you know, some day that will be DATED too!
Quality, character and charm mean a ton - then family makes up the rest of it! It doesn't have to be the newest, brightest, fanciest gadget or fix.
I am glad your family gathers together at your home - that is indeed what makes it a home. Zero mortgage is huge!
God bless you. Many fun get togethers to you and yours in the future!
I love your house! We keep looking for small 1940's one to buy. I want a "nap house" too!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa. Thank you. I hope you find what you are looking for. I am city limits - but there are a lot of small towns around that might be worth a look.
DeleteI hope you find you nap house too!
You have a beautiful and cozy home! I love all the family pictures.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I like seeing the pictures - especially those old ones of folks no longer here.
DeleteOh Cheryl how I agree with you regarding these shows. I can no longer watch them because we no longer have Direct TV. In fact the only time I turn the TV on is when bad weather is on the way. I used grey paint when it wasn't even in style. I loved the sliding barn doors, the subway tile, etc. until EVERYBODY started doing the SAME thing!! I want my house to reflect me and my tastes. I have a "mix" of my grandmothers furniture - some painted, some wood, our furniture (some of which we've had for going on 51 yrs. next month) and whatever I like. When we built this house 21 yrs. ago, the forest green and cranberry were the big thing. As much as I love plaids, after 21 yrs. I'm getting tired of cranberry and forest green and want to go with something lighter. But I'm NOT going to run out and do what the TV people want! I love the "farmhouse" look, but what they call farmhouse today is not what I had in mind! Most people would be shocked to see what I'd really like! I loved Fixer Upper, but I think they went a little too far with all their "expanding" of paint, furniture, shop, B & B, etc. We all know that everything that goes up, must come down - someday. So, I'll just continue looking at "Farmhouse" blogs on Facebook, etc., pick out what I LIKE and save it for future reference. Have a great rest of the month. We went from mid 90's (with heat indecies well over 100). It got up to about 72 today and I was FREEZING! Had to put a sweater on (in August).
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that irks me is that when young couples are buying a house, they want it move in ready! I prefer an old (older) house that I can redo to suit my tastes (painting, flooring, etc). I've come to HATE the word UPDATE. It makes it sound like a bad thing to have anything "old" in your home.
Delete