Before You Buy, Try Out Tiny Living
If you’re considering downsizing, try these strategies to figure out how small is right for you.
Go slow. Overnight change isn’t possible when downsizing a lifetime of stuff. As you start to feel the lightness that comes with fewer possessions, you may feel more confident about moving forward.Give yourself a false sense of small. Close the door to infrequently used rooms and note how long you can go before entering those spaces. If you have spare bedrooms that are empty most of the time, it may be cheaper to pay for guests’ hotel rooms twice a year than to maintain a home with a guest room.Be an anthropologist. Observe friends and family who are living in smaller homes than yours. Try to glean what might work—and what won’t—for you.Rent tiny. Spend your next vacation in a rental house instead of a hotel to give a small space a trial run.
Products That Make Tiny-Home Living Easier
Aimee Arrow Baskets
Add a few bins to the underutilized space above your cabinets to store items you’ve bought in bulk, rarely used appliances, and party supplies. To buy: From $35, worldmarket.com.
Schmidt Brothers Acacia 24" Magnetic Wall Bar
A magnetic knife rack is a space-efficient way to store cooking knives and is safer than keeping sharp knives in a drawer with other utensils. To buy: $60, crateandbarrel.com.
Over the Sink/Stove Large Bamboo Cutting Board
If you’re pressed for counter space, a stovetop cutting board can give you a much-needed work surface (while you’re not actually cooking, that is!). To buy: $31, amazon.com.
Wire Three-Tier Hanging Basket
A trio of hanging baskets clears the counter and provides a spot for fruit to ripen. To buy: $8, worldmarket.com.
Magnetic Kitchen Storage Rack
Put the side of your fridge to work with a magnetic paper towel holder, spice rack, or hooks for cooking utensils. To buy: $52, theyamazakihome.com.
ORG Aluminum Expandable Over-the-Sink Dish Rack
An over-the-sink dish rack will hold a meal’s worth of dishes. Keep a microfiber drying mat tucked away for times when you have a bigger load of pots, pans, and plates. To buy: $63, homedepot.com.
White Bello Pegboard
The pegboard has been a classic way to make use of vertical space in the kitchen ever since Julia Child used one for her batterie de cuisine. To buy: $33, containerstore.com.
A Not-Quite-Minimalist Kitchen Checklist
Virtually everything you want to cook can be whipped up with these.
1 paring knife1 chef’s knife1 serrated knife1 vegetable peeler1 can opener1 whisk1 spatula1 rubber spatula1 set of spring-loaded tongs1 set of measuring spoons1 set of measuring cups2-cup liquid measuring cup2 wooden spoons1 Microplane grater2 cutting boards2 half baking sheets (18 by 13 inches)1 set of 3 nesting mixing bowls9-inch skillet11-inch skillet1 stockpot6-quart Dutch oven2-quart sauce pot (this can double as your “kettle”)1 colander1 hand mixer
Excerpted from The Little Book of Living Small ($19, amazon.com; $24, bookshop.org) by Laura Fenton with photographs by Weston Wells. Reprinted with permission by Gibbs Smith.
