Good things come in small packages — even when it comes to your timber home. Check out these tips on downsizing your home.
1. Stay Open and Diverse
Load up on multipurpose rooms: a family or game room; a great room, which combines space for living, dining and cooking; and a loft that doubles as a guest bedroom are popular spaces to expand square footage while combining functions. This design strategy is collectively called “open planning,” because it eliminates unnecessary interior walls, which also helps reduce costs. For inspiration and to tour a smaller timber home built for two, click here.
2. Don’t Waste Space
Two of the most notorious space-hogging offenders are formal living and dining rooms. Why? Nobody uses them! They just become extra spaces to furnish and clean. Think practically to avoid creating the ill-fated dust-gathering room.
3. Focus on the Kitchen
Everybody congregates in the kitchen. Cooking and eating are very social activities, so an eat-in kitchen is a typical wish-list contender. If you frequently host parties, groom your kitchen for this type of activity by installing two dishwashers and two sinks to lessen the amount of time you spend on cleanup. A large pantry for additional storage is another good use of space.
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