The Headaches of Living Small

One of the obvious but seldom discussed aspects of living in a small space is simply getting used to it. A 3 bedroom home or a 1200 square foot apartment it isn’t. 300 square feet or less could seem a little, well, claustrophobic.

Contemplating a granny pod or microapartment, you wonder: Will the walls seem as though they’re closing in? What about those bad or annoying smells from pets, cooking or what have you? Are you afraid that visitors will drop in, take one look, and start a fundraising for you?

That’s pushing it a bit, but there’s no question that moving into a small space will take adjusting.

Here’s where the ingenuity of small home design comes in. Everything should be designed to give you as much clean, well-lit, safe and convenient space as possible. That flexible furniture we discussed elsewhere in this blog—movable, foldable, adjustable in size and height, will be crucial. So will the semi- or non-visible support technologies, such as motion sensors, voice-activated assist devices, medication management tools and more.

Small does not mean simple. It takes every bit of the creative, sensitive design thinking any other successful living space will take.

There’s another consideration: If you’re planning to occupy this as a couple, and at least one of you is built like a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, this might not be for you.

So be careful when considering your options. Also take care to be as well informed as you can about what those options might be. These are changing and developing all the time—but, in this day of the online search, research should be easy and even fun.

And we’ll try to keep you posted and updated.