This week my family visited friends that live in a house that was built in the 1950's in North Clairemont. The houses in this neighborhood were originally modest in size and most owners have added on. Their house had a large addition too. They told me that they loved the house except the closets were too small. They are in the midst of working with California Closets to enlarge all of the closets.
The family that lived there in the 1950's-1960's had three children, a couple of pets and two married parents. They used their garage for their one car. The new household has two married parents, one child and a dog. They use their garage for storage and they have three cars and a motorcycle.
I started to wonder why is it that we need more room now? I grew up in a house built in the 1930's. The closets were small but we didn't know that at the time. They were just our closets. California Closets did not exist to tell us that we needed more space.
What really caught my attention at my friend's house was the trash cans. A couple of the original trash cans from the 1960's were still there. They are small industrial strength metal cans. Our modern trash cans are about 5 feet tall and we use one for recycling and one for waste.
Maybe it all harkens back to portion sizes in America and ultimately our waistlines. I have my Mother's china from 1966. The plates are small by today's standards. The coffee cups are cute and hold a literal cup of coffee - not the jug my husband takes to work. Our portions are entirely different than a generation ago.
I agree that storage is a critical aspect of life. None of us wants to feel consumed with clutter. We want to store everything out of view. In our quest to live simple lives I ask you where did all of the stuff come from? More importantly, what do we really need?
Colleen K. Cotter @ 619.804.6840
Managing Partner of www.mySanDiegoAgent.com
Broker Associate of Keller Williams Realty
DRE #01325265
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