With so much overwhelm and complexity in today’s world, many are choosing to simplify their lives. The cost of living, the choice to live more sustainably as well the decision to spend time traveling or pursuing other interests can lead us to make the choice to live in a smaller physical footprint. The “tiny house movement” as well the Swedish activity of “death cleaning” are signs that there is an awareness away from the cultural bent towards consumerism towards a more mindful approach to living.
As a person with a bent toward Buddhism, I believe in the strength of the notion of the “middle path”—to not live at the extremes by being either excessive or too restrictive. As such, my personal choices (which I like to think are moderate, balanced, thoughtful, sustainable and practical) tend to bleed into my approach to building and designing spaces. With our lives busier than ever, with decision fatigue having an effect on us more than ever, making our choices simple and easy as possible comes as a huge relief for most of us. I ask: how are we able to maintain our lives as effortlessly as possible, to keep our burdens to a minimum while still being able to enjoy and live our lives to the fullest?
That said, below are some approaches for designing spaces a that can help us achieve a some of these goals:
- Keep unnecessary circulation (aka hallways) to a minimum. This may also include keeping doorways to the exterior of a home to a minimum. The more doorways, potentially the less useable living space there is that is taken up by circulation (unless the requirements of the home necessitate this, then, of course, go for it!).
- Avoid awkward spaces or excessive corners in a home that are difficult to vacuum or clean for obvious reason. Do you really want to have to clean under a clawfoot tub for example? Or, maybe the choice of the tub outweighs this chore?
- Create lots of organized storage areas. If your space is small, everything needs to have a place. Linen closets, wardrobes, pantries, medicine cabinets, coat closets are a premium for any living space, but especially for small living areas.
- Open plan living provides communality and can make a small living area appear larger. I like the idea of a kitchen that opens up to a great room, where the dishwasher can engage in a conversation or watch a movie. This is also why kitchen islands are so great.
All in all, the trend toward smaller homes is something that can be embraced gracefully and practically, making time for other engaging activities other than cleaning and over-working to pay a mortgage or rent. It is also important to recognize that our time here on the planet is precious: that it is vital to both be aware of how we utilize our resources now, as well as to acknowledge that the residue we leave behind does matter.
FOXLEY DESIGN 