When we first looked at the space we're in now, I thought, this will be hard. Rob is fan of all kinds of gear: photography tools and drones, sports and camping equipment, musical instruments, you name it, we had it all. As a fashion lover, I was also accumulating a large and unwieldy collection of clothes and shoes. And this little apartment has a closet that's just 2.5 feet wide. It was clear we were going to have to make some big changes to the way we live to make this space work for us.
Now, after more than two years of living here, I've come to really enjoy our surroundings and the lifestyle it lets us live. Here are some things I love about living in our 400 square feet:
It's simple. With less space, we have fewer things to take care of and less clutter to worry about. We spend less time cleaning and this gives us more time to focus on what's important.
It's good for my conscience. Reducing my footprint to make this planet livable to more people is a non-negotiable for me. Living small sets parameters around how much we buy and how many resources we consume - for example, we need to use less energy to heat our home. Ultimately I know a systems transformation is needed to solve climate change, but when we get there I want my lifestyle to be as carbon neutral-ready as possible.
It helps me become a curator. Living in a small space has helped me get clear on the possessions I really want to have around, as well as more selective when making new purchases. For my wardrobe, this has made a world of difference in slowing down how much I acquire and forcing me to consider how to maximize what I already have.
In the end, living small has been a great way to exercise our values of simplicity and sustainability, making it one of the best decisions we've made in recent years.