Forget everything I’ve ever written about living small.
Forget that whole less is more philosophy that I have so often espoused.
I hereby declare that I am no longer interested in traveling light.
Nope.
With this latest move – to the largest place we’ve lived since 2013 – we pulled out all the last little bits that had been stored in lockers and in friends’ homes and crawlspaces, and, we have not only put it all in here, but it doesn’t even look crowded.
You know why?
Because – this new place is YUGE!
People – I have one kitchen drawer dedicated to nothing but big bowls!
We each have our own bathroom!
In my ensuite, I have a single drawer that holds only a hairdryer, a straightener, a couple of hair clips and a brush. Those items slide around in their own little habitat, delirious with all the room to move.
There. Is. Space. Around. Every. Thing.
We have now handled all that we own. I’ve held each sock, each shirt, and all my shoes and every single related thing inhabits its own specific piece of household real estate.
There is even tons of room to walk around the bed. Do you know how easy it is to make a bed when you can do that?
This place comes with chairs and lamps and end tables. We even have a dining room table that can easily seat six people! No more perching space for only two. Nope. Chairs for all!
Oh. And a guest room that is nothing but a guest room!
WHAT?!
Look, I am the first person to say that unless you are writing about someone yelling, “Fire!”, you should rarely use exclamation points. But I feel like I should be writing this post in all caps with exclamation points scattered throughout like the caws from the crows outside my window. Given that fact, don’t you think it is quite obvious that I’m demonstrating a mature amount of restraint?
(Perhaps I should explain a little about the crows. I am writing this from my desk that is set up in the corner of our bedroom next to the window. Right outside this window is the Sechelt Marsh, where geese, goslings, ducks, crows, endless little flitting birds, crows, pigeons and eagles all take turns conducting their avian choir).
So yes, exclamation points are scattered throughout this post like the endless cries of birds. Indulge me on this please – I’m kind of giddy.
Maybe we should talk some more about our huge home.
I’m thinking that maybe this place wouldn’t feel so large if we were downsizing from a really big house. But we aren’t.
Before this, we spent seven months in an 800 square foot cottage in Roberts Creek.
Previous to that, we spent six-months with no fixed address as we moved around the country in our tiny trailer.
And before that – we spent three years in a 745 square foot apartment.
So, in spite of it feeling like we still seem to have tons of stuff (which, obviously, we do, if it takes a solid week to put it all away), we have also spent years winnowing it down to what feels essential.
I’m going to post this now, rustle up something to eat in my ridiculously large kitchen and then organize that last remaining spot in the garage (which is going to be my new art studio!!!).
Then again, maybe I’ll put on some music and dance around in our 1220 square feet of space…because hey!
That’s what you do when you’re living large!
Once again I feel like we’re moving in the same direction. Just 3 years ago I ditched 80% of my belongings to move into our tiny condo in the city. It was freeing, for sure – not being weighed down by all that stuff. And as much as I loved my condo, there were a few frustrations that popped up during my search for a minimalist lifestyle. Not being able to turn around in the laundry room ( also known as the pantry) with a basket of clothes, for example.
We just moved from our condo last week to our new cabin, upgrading our space by another 800 square feet. Oh, Colleen, how I missed the space. Hate to admit it, but the breathing room, literally, is making my heart sing. Having lived in a smaller space, I know I will continue to live with less (stuff), but there’s room to dance. And, what’s even more interesting is that as I unpack, I’m getting rid of MORE stuff. More space, less stuff.
So happy to hear you’ve landed in such a great place! I know you always find the joy in wherever you are, but it sounds like this is just what your heart needs right now! Yay!
It’s funny how we keep doing this Gwen – it’s like we’re sharing the same dance card 🙂
I’m with you on the laundry plan. Our apartment had a closet with a stacking set. Not fun. Then with the trailer we moved to weekly laundromats, which was certainly, let us say, an ‘interesting’ experience. In the cottage, it was a stacked set, stuffed behind the mattresses that we had to store, all within a tiny room that I generously called my studio. And now we have a separate space for a side-by-side washer and dryer and I feel like I’ve arrived in the world. Yikes.
But yes, we’ve edited even further and I know exactly what I own and where it is. It feels like more oxygen has entered my lungs.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying your new country space too. Look at us go!
Good for you, Colleen. Minimalism (less stuff) does not have to be lived in a tiny house or tiny trailer. A bit of breathing room for your small collection of stuff is a happy thing. Enjoy!
That’s it exactly Shelly. Everything has taken a deep breath (including me) and it feels cleaner and more open. We have only select things that made the cut, and they get to have a little glory of their own this way.
Wonderful !!!!! piece and great comments. A testament to the capricious nature of our “needs” at various times in our lives.
It seems, Lynda, that I have unleashed everyone’s inner need to exclaim! I can’t believe I’ve driven even you – the woman with the appreciation of all things Japanese and delicately restrained – to fill a comment with unabashed exclamatory expressions!
Well done you!
Touche. I believe it’s a matter of mimesis (not unlike joining the shriek-fest on a roller coaster simply everyone else is doing it and you realize how much fun it can be to let go). Eee-e-e-e-e-e
See how lame that looks without a few of these !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ?
And on top of everything, I just learned a new word: mimesis. I will be using that in a random, yet appropriate, sentence today. Thanks for that. And yes, yelling on the roller coaster or while zip-lining is a wonderful feeling.
Cracked me up … again … and I can totally relate!!! Today I took delivery of a brand new funky KIA SOUL. Yup, me who’s owned a boring burgundy1991 Plymouth 4-door relic for 26 years. I’ve claimed it gets me where I’m going — what more do I need? For the past two years I haven’t spent a dime on upkeep. Either it will last forever or I’ll drive it into the ground. Well, the ground came close: front struts, brakes, rust and now a possible transmission problem. Yikes!
All I need is something to get me to the gym, the dentist, doc and shopping so something practical, eh? I don’t even like cars and only differentiate them by colour. I test drove the Honda Civic and it was impressive, the Mazda3 Sport in “metallic red” was awesome but then the KIA Soul blew me away. It’s perky, funky and fun to drive. It’s got soul, sista!
Then it came down to colour. When the salesman showed me a colour swatch, I liked the lime green. Then he took me to the lot to compare it with the orange and silver models. When he told me the colours were “Alien Green” and “Wild Orange,” my mind was made up … much prefer to be “wild” than “alien.”
I’ve followed your epic journey into downsizing and now your excitement with going large. Change is the spice of life!
Wild Orange sounds like such fun. Good for you. Isn’t it funny how something can suddenly shift?
I think the trick is to listen to those heart impulses and roll with it. I love that you found something perky and fun to drive. That’ll put a smile on your face every time you jump into your Soul. Ooooo. See what happened there? You literally jumped into your soul. Whoa, baby.
Change IS the spice of life.
Yes, it’s good to be practical and sensible and oh so pragmatic – but sometimes the only thing to do is to slide into some sparkly shoes or step on the gas on the Wild Orange.
Let’s do it!
I’m with you girlfriend! Moving from our 600 sqft condo in Victoria (ok not actually totally moved as Nigel has to work there Mon-Fri) to our new house I had so much fun putting one type of item in each drawer. I even went to Homesense and bought drawer containers so things wouldn’t rattle around. Seriously though, I’m being very thoughtful about anything that comes into this new space so as not to clutter. Love your!!! and enjoy the space
That’s funny Margaret. You get it! I’ve done the same; putting in little trays and dividers so the stuff doesn’t roll into each other. Like you, we still want to be careful about simply filling it up. I like having visual space around things and am trying to be very judicious about what stays and what goes.
So fun to read!!! ❤️
Thanks Dee Dot. It was fun to write 🙂
I am so into trying to figure out how I can possibly go from 1200 sq feet to about 600 sq feet, I can’t wrap my head around your current exuberance, Colleen. But I wish you well in the enjoyment of your new space. Spring is a time to burst out and grow, so go for it, my friend!
We have definitely busted out Joan. I think part of what makes this feel so spacious, is that, in spite of still having quite a bit of ‘stuff’, we definitely have less than most. That’s part of why this works. Having said that, I know that it would already feel like an adjustment to go back to 600 square feet – but I know I could. The trick is to toss as much as possible toward the thrift store.
How deliriously happy you sound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy New Home!
Ha! You’re right Colleen!!! I’ve never used this many exclamation marks – ever!
It’s true Colleen. I’ve certainly never used so many exclamation marks in one place!