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Downsizing To A Cozy Home

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Now that all of my kids have their own homes, I was left with one of those very big and very empty Traditional houses. Don’t get me wrong; I have plenty of furnishings. In fact, every room is filled with plush sofas, dressers and tables that hardly ever get used nowadays. My children and their families visit quite often, but I have decided that my home with its three-car garage and expansive walk-out basement on the lower level is just more space than I need anymore.

stucco home front entry

After a long discussion with my children, we all decided that it was time for me to downsize to one of those small home plans. We found the perfect home with a quaint front porch and lovely stucco exterior. It wasn’t by any means small, but compared to my six bedroom home, it was definitely smaller. I knew that moving all of my belongings into this new home was going to be a challenge. Plus, I cannot stand clutter in my house. I love it when everything is neat and well organized. So I knew that it was going to be a challenge to move all of my belongings into the new home.

I wanted to keep the entry as open as possible, so guests will have plenty of space when entering to take off shoes and coats. I had enough space in my foyer that I put a cute little bench with bins underneath that are perfect for storage. To the right when you enter the foyer, there is a beautiful library that I use more as a family room. I had just the perfect couches with a matching ottoman that can easily be moved to provide more space when several of people are visiting. Plus, I can move the couches together to make a comfortable sleeping bed for my grandchildren when many of them stay over at one time.

kitchen with island

 

 

The kitchen is comfortable, but quite a bit smaller then what I was used to at my old house. I knew I was going to have to get creative as to how I am going to store all of my kitchenware and appliances. One of my daughters suggested than I hang all of my pots and pans above the center island. Not only was that a great storage solution, but also they looked so adorable and added a lot of charm to the space. The new kitchen did have a sizable walk-in pantry, but this one features narrow shelving. I actually found that the smaller shelves are less difficult to organize as well as easier to see what I have stored. Since the center island was too small to have seating for casual dining, I set up a small, cozy table in the nearby nook with a beautiful bay window. I also decorated the nook with additional cupboards so now I have plenty of drawer space for all of my knick-knacks and utensils.

 

 

living room with shelves

 

This new home was built for space saving opportunities. The space under the stairs included a convenient bar and counter, so I added several shelves above the counter to display some of my collections, mostly consisting of ceramics figurines and glass pieces. It is the perfect place for them and kept out of reach from my younger grandchildren. All of the bedrooms were sensible in size, however, I love to save as much space as I can. My bed is extra tall and I have always stored bins under them for storing items that I do not use on an everyday basis. It’s also an excellent spot for hiding my huge piles of shoes when they are not in season. I placed a comfy ottoman at the end of my bed that I sometimes keep extra blankets and pillows on for when I need them. The upstairs bathroom was a little cramped, so I figured I could place some freestanding shelves over the toilet for additional space that is perfect for extra toilet paper and towels.

All in all, I was surprised that I was able to fit almost all of my furniture and belongings into my new, smaller home. I was even more surprised that I managed to arrange everything so that it looks neat and uncluttered. It seems that I have become an official pro at maximizing my new home’s floor space!

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