hashtag flexibility

If one characteristic has punctuated our life in a small home, it is flexibility. It is the one essential quality to make living in a small space possible.

We’ve swapped bedrooms with our son countless times. Most pieces of furniture have been used in multiple rooms for a variety of purposes and if they don’t have that flexibility, we have swapped them out for a more functional model as our needs change. In seven years we’ve had two different dressers, three bed frames, three couches, four kitchen tables, and an untold number of accent chairs. Our needs change, our space evolves. Flexibility is key in making our home function best for us.

We knew moving into this home that we would have to be creative and give up some traditional ideas. Spaces cannot serve just one purpose and we expected each space to evolve as our lifestyle and family changed. One particular nook went from office space to a sewing desk to an entry bench and now has a dedicated shoe cabinet. We needed all of those functions at different times so we found ways to make that twelve square feet live up to its potential.

As we dream of the future in perhaps a smaller home, flexibility will be our motto. We know if we can be creative and live happily in a small apartment for the better part of a decade, we can realistically consider a tiny house, an RV adventure, or perhaps downsizing apartments to live in a different city. We can make anything living arrangement work if we’re flexible with our needs and willing to make the most out of the space we call home.

 

This post was written for inclusion in the September collection of the Small Family Homes Blog Community. Read below for more writings on living small from our community of writers. Check back next month for a new topic and posts in the series and follow our community board on Pinterest for the latest small homes and family minimalism pins!

 

Justice Pirate– “7 Simple Living Must-Haves” : When simplicity seems so far away or impossible to embrace, you realize it is the best and easiest way.

Little Bungalow– “Small Space Essentials” : My five favourite items for making small space living more enjoyable.

Real Food Simple Life– ” Furniture Free Living: A Necessity in our Small Family Home” : Why our large family decided to go furniture free and how it helps us thrive in a small family home.

A Life Shift– “10 Must-Haves for Small-Space Family Living”  : What is essential to how we live compared to families with more space?

Tiny Ass Camper– “Our Essentials for Thriving in a Tiny Space” : Reflections on what skills have become our essentials for thriving in less than 100 sq. ft.

Shelley Vanderbyl– “Home Design for Happiness” : Artist gives 10 ways to design your space for happiness.

RISING*SHINING– “Necessities in Our Smallish Home” : The tangible and intangible things that keep our home functional and enjoyable.

600 Sq Ft and a Baby– “Our necessities for small family living” : While I could list the items in our home that make small living possible (ahem, wall bed), it’s really about our commitment to living small and some questions we ask ourselves before we buy anything.