This post is being written as part of Debbie Reynolds' "Thanksgiving Challenge - Post What You Are Thankful For". Today I'm writing about my thankfulness for space.
And no, I'm not talking about space, the final frontier with planets and black holes. And I'm not talking about space, in terms of being able to be alone. For this particular post, I am talking about space in our homes. I am grateful we have the ability to live in homes that are sized for our needs.
This thought process all started this morning when I read a post from John Henry (architect extraordinaire) where he mentioned micro-homes and homes with 120-150 square foot living spaces. I often see articles and videos about tiny houses which are 400 square feet or less. And I've wondered why they don't use all those 20-40 foot shipping containers that are piled in New Jersey as homes for the homeless. The thought of all of these teeny spots for living is certainly interesting, and can fit the needs of some home dwellers. But I know that would be not be enough space for me. And then I got to thinking how every home I've owned so far has been the perfect size for me at that time in my life.
For example, the first home I owned was a two bedroom, one bath, 774 square foot ranch home on 0.17 acre. The kitchen was small but could fit a two-person round table. The usable counterspace was almost non-existent so I used that table for all my food preparation. There was no room for a dishwasher so I performed that function. There was a small built in closet for coats, and some built ins between the two bedrooms for storage. Downstairs was a partial basement where the washer and dryer were. In order to get there, you had to go out the door, down the steps and into the basement. There was a small gravel driveway and carport. When I think back on that relatively small house, I realize it was the perfect size for my two very young children and me. I could keep an eye on them at all times. Their room was right next to mine so I heard everything. The wood stove heated up the house perfectly. The house didn't take too much energy to keep clean. It was exactly the space I needed at that time in my life.
And then my next owned home was a 1,200 square foot co-op. This home had three bedrooms and two full baths. The extra bedroom definitely made bedtime easier. Rather than jumping around on their beds in the same room, both boys went right to sleep. I had a galley kitchen with no room for a table, but there was a dishwasher and plenty of counter space and cabinets. There was a dining area right outside the kitchen and a decent sized living room that was big enough for a sofa, armchair, TV and end tables. It also had enough space for an office area. This home and the space that went with it was perfect for this time in my life. We could walk to town anytime we wanted. The boys could walk to school when they were old enough. Everything was convenient. I didn't have to shovel the driveway or my parking spot. And in the summer we could wander up the hill to the complex' pool or walk down the hill to the park. This space perfectly fit life at that time.
And then I moved from that to a 1,720 square foot ranch home with three/four bedrooms, two and a half baths, a two car garage, back deck, back yard, driveway with plenty of parking space and an acre of land. This has been a great house for this time in our lives as well. Sitting out in the back on the deck, or having a barbecue or camp fire in the backyard, or having space to put our woodpiles. Whatever it is, the outdoor space we have is a great spot for daily use. Also, my husband builds boats, and our garage has been relegated to canoe frames, wood, glue, clamps, paint and whatever else is needed for boat building. And we have a guest room for company and a real office for me (with a door and everything!) As with my previous homes, the space in this one is perfect for now.
And next? If all goes according to plan, our next house will be a 2,000 square foot ranch home. We don't actually need that much space, and started with plans for a home about the same size as the one we have today. But for various reasons we decided on a larger home. And I know this house will be perfect in terms of space as well because we expect to have a LOT of company. We will have two guest bedrooms inside the home, as well as a camping trailer outside the home. And future plans are to also add a one-bedroom cabin on the property. The fourth bedroom will be used as my office, with huge glass windows facing the mountain views. I love to cook and I'll finally have a brand new kitchen built the way I want it with plenty of cabinets and a dishwasher and everything! So once again, the space will be perfect.
There are places in the world where this kind of flexibility with home sizes is unheard of. I am so grateful that we live in a country where we have many options for living space. And I am also grateful that I have been financially able to take advantage of those choices. But those two sentences are too big to fit on the "subject" line of this post, so I say simply, "I am thankful for space."
Comments(12)