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Sunday, March 18, 2012

Rethinking your use of your home's spaces and furniture - Part 1

As you know from a previous post, I really want to downsize my house and yard but am going to be living here for 5 to 6 more years.  I have been contemplating how to make myself happier with that reality and truly I am grateful that, in the midst of all of the economic difficulties and lots of foreclosures, this is my biggest problem with my house! However, I really resent spending time and money on this place but I do want to be more satisfied with it.  We are chipping away at some minor maintenance and improvement projects on our list.

While on vacation I read this interesting article in USA Today - Digital cloud devours our books, CDs, DVDs, photos .  What was interesting from a home perspective is the discussion about how entire parts of rooms and lots of furniture have become obsolete as books and media become digital.  As late adapters of technology we aren't there yet but it got me thinking about doing some research on how people are changing how they use their homes.

This led me to an interesting blog that I have added to my list, The Little Old Lady Stays Put, where the author talks about trying to stay in her home by sharing the space and upkeep while also looking at other living situations.  She led me to this book, Right-Sizing Your Home: How to Make Your House Fit Your Lifestyle, which I haven't ordered yet but am thinking about getting.  The concept is certainly what I need to think about.

I'm going to keep working away at rethinking my home's spaces, including the yard, and furniture and see if I can create a more satisfying experience while living here.  Have any of you done the same?  Ideas please!

10 comments:

  1. I have thought about sharing our space with someone else but as of right now Master Bliss is against it...unless it is Belle Fille and I am against that ; ). Over the last few days there was an Airstream parked across the street while its owners visited our neighbor...I wanted to steal it so badly. I told MB that we should sell, live in Airstream part of the year and live abroad the other part...he didn't laugh and almost agreed.

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    1. Bliss, those Airstreams are appealing aren't they.

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  2. Sometimes I to long for a smaller home and yard but when we have looked around at downsizing the costs are crazy. We have so many rooms that we no longer use that I just keep the doors shut. I now just give then a good cleaning when we will be having company over. A small yard has some appeal but then I don't want to see and hear my neighbors when I step out the door, so here we will be staying

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    1. Debby, Your perspective sounds just like my husband's!

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  3. Interesting ideas! My first visit to your blog, and I am thinking about the same thing. My husband and I separated and I am now spending half my time away from my kids, so my house has a lot of shut doors.

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    1. Thanks for visiting and good luck rethinking your space. Sounds like a challenging time.

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  4. Oh, I may have to get that as well. I already have rightsizing your life on order............

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    1. Barb, I have that one on order from the library too! We'll have to compare notes.

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  5. I look forward to downsizing but then again that will mean the kids are all on their own - that I don't look forward to!

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    1. Martha, I can understand not looking forward to that. We have found though that it is a wonderful new time in parent-child relationships. So great to see them thrive as adults.

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