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4 Things I Learned from Living in Small Spaces

February 13, 2016 by Elsie 4 Comments

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Small space living might not be for everyone, but I’m grateful for the tiny homes I’ve lived in. Here are four things I learned from living in small apartments and homes. I’ll carry these with me to whatever place I live in next!Small space living might not be for everyone, but I'm grateful for the tiny homes I've lived in! Here are 4 things I learned from living in small apartments and homes. #SmallSpaceLiving

We’ve moved six times in the five years we’ve been married. While some of our apartments have been more spacious than others, small-space living has been our norm. There are many times when I’ve longed for a little more elbow room (or leg room!), but I’m grateful for this stage, too. I’ve learned from every home I’ve lived in.

Here’s what small-space living has taught me:

Lesson #1: I can live with less

There’s nothing like having stuff in storage to show you what you don’t really need. We’ve lived in plenty of tiny spaces where we couldn’t unpack all our boxes. And we always made do. Sometimes I go through the boxes later and find that I can get rid of many of the contents outright. Others items, I’m glad to see again and eager to put into use when we have the place to accommodate them. But either way, I’ve learned that I don’t need a lot to live comfortably.

Living with fewer possessions, whether by compulsion or by choice, has taught me to be resourceful. 

Our cabin in the winter - RichlyRooted.com

Lesson #2: I can live anywhere

I have looked at places we’ve lived and thought to myself “It’s too small!” I’ve looked at tiny kitchens and poor excuses for closets and not-enough-drawer space and said “I can’t make this work!” But with creativity and determination, we’ve always managed to squeeze into the space allotted to us. We’ve re-arranged, saved space, added shelving, and simplified our stuff until we fit, albeit snugly.

I’ve learned that I can get accustomed to just about anything, whether it’s a complicated shower, a minuscule counter, or a half-sized stove. You adapt. You learn to live with it. You learn that you can live with it, and that it’s not so bad! And down the road? Eventually you’ll be faced with an inconvenience and be able to say “Sure, I can make this work!”

Lesson #3: Bigger is still better

Although I’ve learned that I can live anywhere and that I can make any small space work, I don’t necessarily want to, long-term! Living in a 450 square-foot apartment and an 800-square foot apartment has taught me that I’d rather have the latter. I’ve written about why I don’t want to live in a tiny house, and that’s all still true. You can enjoy a simple, uncluttered home no matter what size it is. Square footage is not the true test of a simple life.

I know we’ll reach our limit on the space that’s right and good for us, but right now we’re at the point where we need to expand. I need more than one closet in my home. If we have more kids (and even with the one we’ve got!) we’re going to want more than one bedroom. At this point, anything bigger will seem like a luxury!

Bedroom

Lesson #4: I know what I’m looking for

Each place we’ve lived has helped us accumulate more data about what we want in a home. We’ve learned what we’re looking for aesthetically, what’s comfortable for us and what’s not, how much space we actually need, our patterns of living in and using various areas.

We have many treasured memories of living in a small, rustic cabin when we first moved to Alabama. But it taught me that that’s not the type–or size–of home I want, especially as our family grows. When we buy a house someday, I know we’re not going to get a perfect place that ticks every box, but we’ll use what we’ve learned to guide our decision and to make our new space work for us.

Have you lived in small spaces? What have you learned from the homes you’ve lived in?
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Comments

  1. HilaryHilary says

    February 13, 2016 at 9:16 pm

    Elsie! I love this post. For some reason, you remind me of Ma Ingalls making any place a home. I guess the great news is you don’t have a dugout yet. 🙂

    As I’ve lived in small spaces, I’ve learned the importance of getting creative … creative in my decorating, creative in my storage and what I put in each room. It may not always be ideal, but it always ends up being doable.

    Reply
    • ElsieElsie says

      February 13, 2016 at 10:14 pm

      I’ve actually thought about Ma Ingalls a lot over the past few years! I love how she always made do with what she had…and she had a lot less than I do to make a home with!

      Reply
  2. EvelynEvelyn says

    March 7, 2016 at 10:46 pm

    HI! We are fellow small-space dwellers and I’m so glad I found your blog! I’m enjoying perusing your posts and thoughts about homemaking. We started our family in 450 sq. ft. and while it was a sweet and pressing season, we LOVE our 1,000 sq. ft. home, which fits us just perfectly now as a family of 6. I can imagine that someday we might want a little more space when 3 pairs of teenage boy legs overflow over all the furniture, but for now we love it. 😉 I agree with all your points and definitely learned similar lessons… although I’m not sure I can say that bigger is still better. I LOVE how easy to clean little homes are! 😀 *thanks* for this post!

    Reply
    • ElsieElsie says

      March 10, 2016 at 11:48 am

      Hi Evelyn! Welcome to the blog! I’m enjoying less to clean, for sure! That is a good point! I’m trying to savor these more “compact” years for the unique blessings they bring…even as we dream ahead to lots of kids with lots of space for them to play!

      Reply

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