The bathroom door to the powder room hits the toilet seat when open.
Isn't that special! I could fix this by installing a pocket door. But at $2000 for costs and labor, that isn't going to happen anytime soon.
The blinds in our second story hallway are always closed because otherwise the neighbors can see into our bathroom. We are very friendly with our neighbors, but I don't want to frighten them!
My neighbors window.
View of the bathroom from my neighbor's window.
When fully reclined, the family room lounge chair hits both the sliding glass door and coffee table.
My husband and I use the same small bedroom as office space.
Our chairs are generally only two feet apart. Let's just say we bump into each other a lot and it's not always an accident. And because my husband is a 'stacker' - he does not file papers but stacks them in piles - I never get to nap on my favorite couch. See all the paper and magazine piles on the couch? And by the way, I hate his chair - the black one - but he refuses to give it up.
I have to share a bathroom with my husband and two large boys, 16 and 20. And that bathroom is a small 5 x 5 feet square. Let me help you picture this situation. Because there is no storage in the bathroom, I have to put all my make-up, hair accessories and 'lady stuff' elsewhere. And manage to get it into the bathroom when I need it. Thank God my boys are average young men who pay little attention to anything other than food and friends. Otherwise, there would be many more embarrassing moments in this household.
The family bathroom.
Genevieve
I struggle with many of the same issues as yours in my small house. I would also add lack of big closets. I have to constantly remind myself of the positives about our house instead of the negatives. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. Your home is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteNancy
Great post - funny too! It's always nice to know you're not alone! Kelleyahroo
ReplyDeleteGreat post - funny too! It's always nice to know you're not alone! Kelley
ReplyDeleteThank you for keeping it real Genevieve!!! While jewel box homes definitely have their wealth of good points, they inherently come with oddball realities of their space (constraints). It's taken me quite some time (7+ yrs now) to find furnishings & arrangements that work well & truly flow in our smaller scaled rooms and with our not so small family (6 total). Know that line from Dirty Dancing "...nobody puts Baby in a closet...", well that's exactly where we put our newest addition. Yup, our tiny WIC is her nursery. We have a 1400 sq ft 1920 cape cod. My next learning curve is how to better edit our belongings to fit appropriately. Been working on it, but I still have a ways to go. That's a lesson I'd like to pass on to my children before they've moved on from our family home. How to live to the fullest in their space, not pack it to the gills, LOL!
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. While I have 12' of glorious counter space in my kitchen, tons of cabinets, and a huge finished attic for a master bedroom...I have no dining room, and we have one bathroom (that opens off of the kitchen...ick...) and is about 8'x5'. I know people who have closets bigger than my bathroom. But...sigh...there is that awesome kitchen...
ReplyDeleteWe've gone back and forth from a huge house to small houses. Currently our house is 2500 square feet and it should be just about right for us now that two of our kids are out of the house. But, we get TOO MUCH STUFF in it. Downsizing from twice the square footage has its challenges! You definitely need to think differently!
ReplyDeleteI used to think we could keep just about anything because there "was plenty of room"....well, now there is not plenty of room. We cannot keep all the gift boxes, the extra craft supplies, the surplus decor items...there is just not enough room!
We have four children all over the age of 10 living at our home at various times (the older ones come back from college, or come for the weekend, etc) and it gets tight! My husband and I both work from home, we try to hold band rehearsals and church parties and it gets a little crazy around here! I am on a major rampage right now to get rid of any excess.
:-)
Funny, but oh so true post!! :-)
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on things you hate about your small house. Usually on the internet, I read about how cozy and charming small homes are and how inexpensive the upkeep is, the small carbon footprint, blah, blah, blah. Well, I live in 1144 square feet and I hate it most of the time. My son's outdoor graduation party was ruined when a big storm blew through and forced my guests indoors. We were practically sitting on top of each other, the air conditioner couldn't keep up and no one could begin to reach the buffet. I was almost in tears. This small house stuff isn't for sissies.
ReplyDeleteI have seen many small homes that have decent sized bathrooms. I feel a comfort and camaraderie that yours and mine are similar size! I,too, have thought a pocket door would solve many problems in that area but to retrofit a pocket door....uh...nope. On the brighter side, it cost us about 50.00 to put new flooring in that small bathroom!
ReplyDeleteSharon,
ReplyDeleteHow nice of you to stop by and leave a comment. Love the story about your bathroom!
Genevieve