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Thursday, December 27, 2007

diminutive

Is it just me or is it really annoying to read about some poor slob in Better Homes and Gardens who has painstakingly remodeled his or her "tiny" home...only to turn the page to find that their postage stamp of a house is actually upwards of 2000 square feet?
This is my open statement to all those people who think they are living in a small house. 3800 Square feet is not a cottage. 2000 square feet is not space challenged. And, yes, if you are one or two people complaining about living in a house that is 1800 square feet...you are indeed, a whiner!

Am I crazy or does anyone else find this absurd? Come on...weigh in. Let us know what you
think---good or bad---in the comments. Does this bother you as well? What size of a house do you live in? Do you feel your house is too large, too small, or just right?
---And just for the record...the four of us share a measly 865 square feet. That is roughly 215 a piece. And we are living to tell the tale---without complaining.


13 comments:

  1. our new apartment is about 35-40 square meters...so 35 square meters would be 376.736865 feet squared according to google calculators.

    And guess what? I'm a thousand times happier than I was living anywhere else!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Although I should also admit I've shared smaller spaces with people...dorm rooms rock :)

    Happiness is just a state of mind I say.

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  2. I think we've got it just right at 1500 square feet for 5 people. Everyone has their own space-except me, to go when they need a time out!! The smallest since getting married was 920 square feet. And the smallest ever was growing up- 5 people in about 1200 square feet. My father had three daughters and a wife in a three bedroom one bath house- no central heat or air!!

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  3. My house is about 2200 square feet. I've never thought of it as small. When I think of small, I think of studio apartments or lofts, or anything under 1,000 square feet. If it's got more than two bedrooms, it's not small.

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  4. Mamacita Chilena:
    So you guys have roughly 188 square feet for each of you. That is close to what we have. But man it must be nice to have shed the roommates and in-laws. Congratulations on that!

    Sam:
    I would like, someday to have the size you have now. That would be about perfect for me, too.
    My dad also lived with three kids, a wife, and a dog...all female and all red headed. The poor guy. and as I recall we didn't have air conditioning until much later. How did our fathers survive!!!

    Heather:
    Your house is about the same size as my last parent's house. They had 4 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, formal dining and parlor...and they used every inch of it. They would have never considered it small by any stretch of the imagination. I just can't understand the logic of people today who think that way. Something under a thousand is what gets my small rating, as well.
    --although, I hope I didn't give the impression that I have a problem with big houses...just with the writers of Better Homes and Gardens ;)

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  5. I'm totally with you. We were living in roughly 1000 square feet and were completely satisfied. We're currently (and temporarily) living in 3000 square feet. It's HUGE. 3000 square feet is WAY MORE THAN enough for 4 people.

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  6. We were in 920 sq feet with four of us and a dog for years. Then we went to 1400 which I thought was perfect. Now I think we are around 1700 or a little under. It's fine. I personally don't like cleaning three toilets, but I remember the line that used to go out the door when we only had one.

    My big goal is not to fill all the space that exists in my house. And to be content no matter what. But yes, 2000 is not a small cottage!!To me a small cottage is under 1000.

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  7. In our thirty-five years of marriage, we have lived in three homes, each one getting a little bigger. As we get older, I'm sure our next home will go the other direction again. Life is like that--it goes in cycles.

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  8. I'm with ya. I used to gobble up home magazines that had articles about maximizing small spaces. We lived in 950 sq ft with a family of four at the time. I finally stopped buying the stupid magazines because I'd get it home and be astounded that the "small spaces" they referred to weren't all that small!!!!

    I don't think most average folks think 2000 sq ft is small; I think it's an elitist thing. I'll leave the magazines to them.

    We did a room addition, and now we have about 1450 sq ft; three bedroom, one bath. It's more comfortable, but as the kids get older, it gets smaller. *sigh* oh well.

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  9. Mrs. Wilson:
    Wow 3000...I wouldn't even know what to do with all that space...

    Jodi:
    I would LOVE to have more than one toilet, plus a little more square footage than what I have. But it definitely matters more, the way you use a space. I haven't seen your house, but Angela's immediately comes to mind when I think of how I would like to use a space.

    Linda: I hope to move up a little bit more than this but honestly I also know that this can be sufficient. This is our second home since marriage so I am thinking once more would be OK. I moved nearly constantly when I was growing up. I don't want to do that now since I have to do all the work as the adult!

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  10. ClaireBoe:
    I would love to add on. I think the 1450 you have seems about perfect for me, as well. Although, one more bathroom would be a dream.
    As I said before...I don't mind when people have larger houses...just when they say that they are small...it makes me wonder what they would think of mine.

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  11. I just came back to make sure that I had the smallest place of all the commenter's. And I do, by like 700 square feet...do I win a prize or something?!?

    And honestly, this feels HUGE because of the mental and emotional space it's given us in being away from the in-laws.

    Realistically, it's bigger than most one bedrooms in Santiago. Santiago is like NYC. Space is just ridiculously expensive.

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  12. stumbled upon this blog.... I live in NYC and my studio is 250 sq feet. I can't really entertain (but that's what the hundreds of restaurants and bars are for), but if I had more space, I'd only accrue a lot of worthless junk. Or maybe really cool furniture. only a couple of my friends have more spacious abodes here in the city, one in brooklyn -- but that's because they have families. I think urbanites have a more healthy, progressive way of living. Minimalism is the way to go.

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  13. Anonymous:
    I think urbanites are forced to have healthier minimalistic existence. My father lives in a small studio--about the same size as yours-and is now forced into simplicity. But it fits him perfectly because he craves order. Yes, I definitely think it is progressive, as well. I believe clutter contributes to stress and depression. And it seems to be a rare person that can leave a big empty space alone.
    p.s. I hope you stumble back...always love the commentators

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