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Book Review: “The New Small House”

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Published in October 2015, Katie Hutchinson’s book The New Small House, is a delight. The book’s 200+ pages feature stunning photography, beautifully detailed descriptions, and illustrated floorplans – all of which made me want to immediately buy a piece of property and start the process of building one of her designs.

Alas, the time is not quite right for that – as my husband and I are still renting an apartment deep in an urban landscape, waiting for our next move in a few years. But I will keep this book on hand and refer to it frequently as we start the planning process.

While I’m not a big fan of so-called “tiny” houses (The New Small House doesn’t devote too much ink to what I consider the too-tiny options), I do wholeheartedly advocate that people consider houses of 1400 square feet or fewer. I won’t go into the many reasons; I’m sure you’ve heard most of them before. Suffice it to say that Ms. Hutchinson’s book provides inspiration and motivation for finding the right size and best design – for you – and presents a few of what I consider most-perfect houses (at least most perfect for how I want to live for the next 20 years of my life).

Consider this description of the book found on a bookseller’s website:

The ingenious and attractive designs of these 24 small houses (ranging in size from 500 square feet to 1640 square feet) suit young families, independent couples, single folks and those entering retirement. The houses are categorized by their location, from waterside gems to city dwellings and include new construction and renovations featured in 275 beautiful color photographs and 30 illustrations.

Ms. Hutchinson’s detailed floor plans will be helpful as you start assessing your current furniture and accessories and begin deciding which of your best/favorite pieces will fit where in your new smaller house.

In addition to Katie Hutchinson’s design inspiration, I found in the pages of The New Small House one of my favorite new downsizing phrases: “Simplify smartly.”

Now is the time to re-present fundamental small-house design strategies – complete with whole-house case studies – for homeowners eager to simplify smartly.”

As a baby boomer who has observed my own generation and the ones before and after, and knows a bit about demographics, economic cycles, and business and political environments, I realize that facilities to house many of us baby boomers will be few and far between in the coming years. Instead of leaving it to chance as to where you’re going to end up in 20 years (maybe leaving your kids a big house full of stuff no one wants), why not find a spot of land in an area near family or friends you love – or near beaches, mountains, rivers, town squares, universities, or urban areas with plenty of shopping and dining options – and build a house like one of those featured in the book?

If you’re of remotely sound mind and healthy-enough body, think about downsizing. And do it before you think you need to! Once you know you need to downsize, it can be too late: You’ll be older, and perhaps you’ll be exhausted, injured or unwell. It will be too overwhelming and you’ll be stuck.

Some people will hesitate starting the downsizing process for such a long time, that by the time they want to sell their 5-bedroom house, demand for that type of property will have fallen and prices will have plummeted. (It’s currently a red-hot sellers’ market in the U.S. and your house will likely bring top dollar.)

Flip through the pages of The New Small House and picture yourself in one of the beautiful small-home settings she describes. No worries if it’s just not YOU. You may be accustomed to having a lot more space, and you may be okay with all the kids’ stuff and Grandma’s stuff shoved in closets and drawers and the attic, and you may think you need two guest rooms because twice a year you use them. That’s okay. It’s just not your time.

It’s long been common for people to want to “stay put.” Change is difficult and fear of the unknown can be paralyzing. Many people (my parents included) say, “I’ll go feet first out of this old house and I don’t care that I’m leaving a mess for my kids to deal with.” But for many others, it’s a wise decision to start thinking about a new way to live. Katie Hutchinson’s The New Small House will show you how elegant and stylish it can be to “live smaller.”

Downsize today. Enjoy a simpler life for a change.

Find the book on Amazon.

A Wall of Memories

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Photo collage on wall
This wall of framed family photos at our lake house didn’t make the cut during downsizing.

While the PHOTOS themselves made the move from our lake house to Arlington and are in nice album that’s now on the shelf in my apartment, those frames had to go.

There was plenty of wall space in the guest room at the lake house for about 30 nostalgic family photos to be displayed. These black-and-white photos all had a story behind them (as all photos do, I guess!), and the frames and mats had all been selected to complement the old photos. Knowing that we were downsizing and selling most everything from not only the Atlanta house but also from the lake house – into what can only be described as a small apartment – was overwhelming and emotional, to say the least. It was heartbreaking. I knew I’d miss seeing the loving faces of these long-lost family members.

It wasn’t only THESE photo frames I had to get rid of. In the Atlanta and Hartwell Lake houses, there were a total of 164 photo frames. (You read that right, 164! Ridiculous!) On every shelf in every built-in bookcase, on every dresser and in every nook and cranny, I had the faces and experiences of my past to look at and enjoy. I loved being surrounded by these memories displayed in all these lovely frames!

But they weren’t going to fit into my new apartment. As I did with the wall of framed photos, I took all the photos out of the frames on tabletops and shelves and put them in a box for looking at when I need to see them. But what was I going to do with the frames? If they were no longer going to house my memories, I wanted to recoup some of the money I had spent acquiring them.

Fewer people are buying “cluttery” items these days.

I tried to sell the frames in one big lot on eBay. Not one bite. Then I broke them up into individual sets. Still nothing. The nicer ones, I tried to sell by themselves. I sold a couple of frames that cost $60 each and got $12 for the pair. (Ten cents on the dollar!) Of the dozens of frames that didn’t sell on eBay, I put some of the larger and a few of the more-expensive smaller frames at a consignment shop. Out of about 40 that I had there, I sold three. In eight months, just three! The rest I took to Goodwill and said, with a sigh, “Good-bye. Thanks for serving me well.”

What I learned through my downsizing process (and from observing dozens of other downsizing processes) is this: Many people are already bursting at the seams and they don’t want more stuff.

Saying good-bye to beloved items is hard. Like, gut-wrenchingly hard.

The point of this whole story is to convey this: I know that like me, you’re probably nostalgic about your things. You have a hard time thinking about parting with a lot of them. But it’s just stuff and a lot of it has no place in the fresh new life you’re planning. Take a lot of good photos of your most beloved items, then list them on eBay or use one of the many apps that help you sell your stuff. And if it doesn’t sell, take it to consignment stores, take it to the street, or take it to Goodwill. But don’t expect to make a lot of money from selling it.

I’ve been going to estate sales lately. (I had one for my mother’s estate and one of my own when we left Atlanta so am familiar with the process.) Fascinating to see what people collect – especially Washington, D.C. estate sales, because many people have traveled the world in one diplomatic position or another and collected scads of cool stuff. It’s fun to buy a couple of interesting, small items to give to others, or to decorate a nicely wrapped gift, or to wear with pride and say, “I bought this at an estate sale for five bucks.” Over and over, I’ve seen a whole life stacked in room after room, collected over a 40-year run in the house. A lot of items sell, especially those in fabulous homes that are being emptied after the death of a parent or after divorce. (Can you say “bargain”?) But in many instances, even in fabulous large estates, after the sale is over the house is still full of items that are ultimately given to charities or hauled to the dump.

Sell your good stuff as soon as you start thinking about downsizing.

The fabulous, large items you have (dining table that seats twelve, French mahogany armoire that belonged to your grandmother, eight-foot-high chest of drawers that belonged to your mother) should be listed for sale the minute you know you’re going to move. The longer you wait, the less likely the items will sell and the less they’ll bring. They’re not going to fit into your fresh new life. Your kids (especially Millennials) likely don’t want those big old items, and if you decide to put them in storage, you’ll spend thousands until you decide what to do with them.

Many people offer this advice to others about the downsizing process: “Downsize before you think you need to, because once you know you need to, it’s often too late.” Too late here can mean you miss your opportunity to move while you’re still young enough to enjoy a few stress-free years in a fresh, new life. It can also mean you’re older and maybe dealing with illness or injury, at which time your stuff ends up in an estate sale being sold for ten cents on the dollar and you end up in assisted living. Don’t hesitate. DownsizeToday!

Small Closets? You Need Lots of Drawers.

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Photo of bed and dresser
Small closets in our apartment meant I needed to be creative about storing stuff. Many items that should really be in a closet went in these IKEA dressers and under the bed in Container Store bins.

When my husband and I moved to Arlington, Virginia, into a small apartment, I let him have the master bedroom closet, the larger of the two closets in the apartment, because he wears suits or sports jackets to work most days, he has quite a few, and he’s kind of a “shoe guy” and needed the extra space. (Yes, I know, so generous of me to give him the master bedroom closet!)

My closet (in the guest room where I also have an office) was awful! Even outfitted with additional Elba shelving from Container Store, it’s pitiful. (I went from six closets in our two houses to one small closet; I’m still amazed I got through it!) After hearing about my plight, my good friend Melanie Williams, herself a happy downsizer, suggested an option for storing clothes which I would ordinarily hang in my closet but didn’t have room for: “Go to IKEA and get three tall dressers, put them side by side, and customize one piece of glass to cover the tops of all three dressers to make them look more like one piece.” It has worked out – and looks – better than expected, although it was a bit more expensive than I wanted to pay for something that’s likely not a piece that I’ll take with me after we relocate again. (This is not the last place we’ll live. Having already downsized, it will be so much easier to pick up and go when it’s time to find a place when it’s time to “retire”.)

IKEA Malm 6-drawer chest
IKEA Malm 6-drawer chest, white stained-oak veneer

The dressers themselves were reasonably priced (all three together cost around $550), but they came unassembled. I hired someone to do the job (I’m handy around the apartment but have absolutely no patience for THAT kind of project), and I paid him around $400. And the glass cost ($350), so the total price exceeded the $1000 I wanted to spend. It was the best option for the space, so I went with the plan. I was so happy to have such a large space for it, and lucky to find such a large piece that fits so well. (It’s not really my style – though all that shifted so dramatically after leaving the two houses, where I had a huge mix of styles at play, that I guess my current “style” is up for grabs!)

Rolled up jeans and pants

Never before have I had pants and jeans all rolled up (a Marie Kondo trick). But it’s cool that I can fit a bunch of them in the drawers. They’re easy to find when they’re all rolled up. Scarves and sweaters are also nicely organized. HA! I even have sheets in one drawer – no linen closets in this apartment, GAH! – and all my jewelry in the two small top drawers.

Creative fixes to “smaller living challenges” are everywhere: In blogs, magazine articles, books, and YouTube videos. Every downsizer has his or her own tips and techniques! My downsizing story is all working out. I’m having a blast during my reinvention – without the stress and worry that’s so often associated with owning houses. Now that it’s over, I can say downsizing was the best decision of my life.

And if you think to yourself, “There’s no way I can downsize!”

… think again. Everyone can and should lighten their load! You’ll LOVE the space you create from taking many of your favorite accessories, lamps, rugs, artwork and a few pieces of your favorite (smallish) furniture. During the process, just remember that you’re designing the next decades of your life to be as simple as possible. When you live a simple life, you have so much more room for family fun, travel, outdoor exercise, reading and enrichment, and other pursuits.

(Footnote: Rest assured that “family time” doesn’t necessarily need to occur in your home. Sell now in this fabulous sellers’ market, buy a smaller place, and with the all the extra money you’ll have, you can take your family on amazing vacations on the river, in the mountains or at the beach. Think about it!)

Life After Divorce and Downsizing

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Birds eye view of woman in living room
Newly divorced and recently downsized? Even a small space can at first seem so empty. Photo courtesy of MaxPixel.com.

A few months after I had downsized and moved to Arlington from Atlanta, I met two women who’ve both become my close friends. Each had recently moved into my apartment community after going through divorces and, as you can imagine, they were a bit dismayed – “shell-shocked” is a better description – to find themselves in small apartments, and alone.

Their places were new and tidy, with sleek marble countertops, stainless steel appliances and nice balconies. Both Allison and Susan decorated their places with furniture, accessories, rugs, lamps and art they had owned and loved in their old lives, but their apartments were not “home.” Far from it. They felt like sterile new hotel rooms and my friends felt like they were visitors.

But within the first year of moving into the building, they were 80% “recovered” from the idea of being in a new place. Their apartments took on a personality of their own. Both found jobs; each had been afraid they’d be unemployable because of their age (mid-50s). But enterprising women with upbeat attitudes can almost always find jobs, even if they work in a less-than-perfect environment for less than they’d like to earn.

I sat down with both of them over drinks recently to talk about their downsized lives. “I was miserable the first couple of months, not really because of the divorce – that was a long time coming – but I missed my house, my yard, and my neighbors.” Soon, though, Susan said she was having a great time being alone. She read or watched movies at night or went out with friends in her new urban neighborhood. She traveled to see her only child, a son in college, when time and money allowed. She wasn’t too interested in dating, but she met someone who turned out to be a good fit for her. Susan recently purchased a condo in a nearby building. It was a smooth move this time, because she went from one 1,200 square-foot floorplan to another.

Life in Small Spaces

“The best thing about living in a smaller place is that it’s so much easier to take care of and it feels so much cozier than a big, open floorplan. And it’s totally me. It reflects my life and my personality. I take 3-day weekends pretty often and my building has a 24/7 concierge. It’s awesome not to worry about anything when I leave.”

Allison’s story is similar to Susan’s: Allison’s two kids were in college, the divorce was a long time coming, and the move to a small apartment seemed like a slap in the face, a “step down” in life. She had wanted to stay in the house, but after realizing how much upkeep would be involved (and how much expense she’d have to incur on her own), it was obvious they’d need to sell the house. “In retrospect, I’m so glad I got out of that house. Taxes, utilities, the security system, yard maintenance, and pest control were about the same every month as the mortgage payment.”

Dividing Up “The Stuff”

Susan and Allison both said that deciding who was going to get the nicest stuff was the hardest part. It had become a personal battle for both couples. Once they separated themselves from the need to ‘win’ any particular item, it was so much easier for them to move on and move out. They knew they’d have plenty to furnish their apartments, regardless of whether they got every lamp and painting they wanted.

Susan and Allison are lucky. They have college degrees, they’ve worked for most of their lives, they’re outgoing and socially comfortable, and they’re in good health – both physically and emotionally. They’ve come full circle in a relatively short period (two years) and are fully embracing their new way of life.  “I’ve bounced back. I’ve reinvented myself. I couldn’t be happier,” said Susan. Allison added, “I cannot imagine being in some big house in the suburbs. I feel much younger and more energized now.”

If you’re going through a divorce and downsizing, take the “long view” and focus on reinventing yourself. Make new friends. Be comfortable in your new space. Rest assured that with time, you‘ll not only survive, you’ll thrive!

Make Yard Maintenance a Memory!

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downsize and reinvent by moving to a new home
Lock-and-leave living is perfect for people who downsize and want to live simpler lives.

The phrase “lock and leave lifestyle” started popping up about ten years ago. It describes the growing trend of people who want to leave their large homes and all the headaches and costs associated with maintaining them, in favor of a home they can lock up and leave as they take advantage of travel and leisure opportunities.

Apartment buildings and condominium developments not only allow people to live free of worries of all the leaky attics, musty basements, back-breaking chores and “bank-breaking” expenses associated with home maintenance. Many also provide amenities ranging from concierge services and coffee bars to pools and workout facilities.

Having downsized from two lovely, spacious homes in Georgia (one in Atlanta and one two hours away on Hartwell Lake), with a total of five yards, into a 1225-square-foot apartment was an enormous challenge, from many perspectives. The thought of having to get rid of ALL THAT GREAT STUFF, most of which had interesting stories associated with it and most of which I truly LOVED, was gut-wrenching.

And when I first looked at the building where my husband and I were going to live, I was nauseous. Neither the move nor the downsizing was my idea. My husband started a business in Arlington, Virginia, in 2010 and after four long years of commuting every week between Atlanta and Arlington, we made the decision that it was time to actually live together again.

After selecting our favorite items from both houses, and after the estate sale in Atlanta and basically giving away furniture and fabulous accessories to the buyers of the lake house, we moved into the apartment, which seemed tiny in comparison but is rather large by urban-living standards in a market like Arlington.

We were determined NOT to rent storage space because of the associated costs – and also because we wanted to be free to pick up and move again when the time was right. (However, when YOU are deciding if you should downsize, renting storage space is often a great idea – especially if you’re not sure exactly where you want to settle.)

Downsizing was a long an arduous process (more on that in another post), but after a year of settling in, we could not be happier in our lock-and-leave living arrangement. Among the advantages of doing this now, while we “young-ish” (62 and 63), are the following:

  • We’ve revinvented ourselves! My husband’s company is thriving (he learned technology at a ripe old age) and my own reinvention is an energizing work in progress.
  • The number of fun new people we’ve met is impressive. We’re kind of the oldsters in many respects, but people love us!
  • We walk to restaurants, shops, farmers’ markets and yoga studios.
  • Our monthly utility bills are 20% of what we used to pay.
  • When storms come rolling in, I don’t worry about trees crashing through the roof or water seeping into the basement.
  • Bike trails circle this area and the Capital Bikeshare program is amazing. We use both almost all year long.
  • The parks, riverside walks, nature trails, Chesapeake Bay, Delaware coast, and the Shenandoah Mountains and Valley are amazing! We are both active and love the outdoors.
  • “The DMV” has been extremely interesting to explore. The museums! The galleries! The history!

I can go on and on about all the positive aspects of downsizing and moving into a lock-and-leave building (and I can also let you in on some of the negative), but I’ll save that for another day.

In the meantime, contact us to share your downsizing story or to ask questions about the best way to start the process. We can refer you to lots of local resources to guide you during every step of your journey toward a simpler life.