20 Tips for Living in Small Spaces
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.14.07
TreeHugger likes to promote living large in small spaces and doing more with less in a minimum space for maximum living; having less space means hoarding less stuff, using fewer resources and maximizing the functionality of what we can fit. Shari, the proprietor of the blog My So-Called Japanese Life, knows (and lives by) these ideas all too well; as a Westerner living in Japan, she's had to adjust her lifestyle to match up with the way things work on the small island nation, not least of which is living in a small apartment.
The experience has been enlightening, it seems, and, among other things, has yielded some pretty good advice about living in small spaces; between this list of 20 tips and this list of 10 tips, there's something that everyone can learn about maximizing space efficiency and making smart choices about what you surround yourself with in your home.
To the regular TreeHugger reader, the lists serve to reinforce ideas about the utility of transformer furniture, and that less is more; for those uninitiated with these ideals, there's lots to be learned. ::20 Tips for Living in Small Spaces via ::Apartment Therapy: Los Angeles
Note how the bathroom, kitchen, and dining areas take up over half the living space. The problem isn't so much being uber-efficient with space, it's thinking in terms of "nega-space" -- as in, do we need these functions in a personal space instead of a collective solution like a place to eat (cafeteria), bathe (public baths), and relieve ourselves (shared toilets for a given floor).
The more people start thinking of living space like they would a hotel room or a dorm, the easier they'll see the real solutions.
Also, a western bed is silly in that small of space. If you already have a closet, stacking futons and bedding can take away nothing from the daytime floorspace. Even if one adds space for it, its footprint is 1/6 the size that of a queen-sized bed.
Using small spaces wisely is all about minimizing the fixed objects, having as little as possible to begin with, and using vertical space as much as possible.
Living in small spaces will save you a lot in rent/mortgage payments as well as on your utility bill - I just posted this link to my site GreenDeals Daily (http://GreenDealsDaily.com).
When I lived in Toronto it seemed like so many people were against the "condo boom" happening there but really these dense, small abodes near the city center are quite environmentally friendly when you consider the efficiencies of heating/cooling a small space and reducing commuting distance to downtown jobs. Highrise condominium buildings that block out the sun don't seem very green but they really are in a lot of ways.
I think you may appreciate this article "Me Want More Square Footage --Why following the urge to buy big might not make you happy". It was published in the Walrus Magazine.
http://www.walrusmagazine.com/articles/2008.02-homes-urban-happiness-me-want-more-square-footage/