Living Small operates out of a 509-square-foot housette, or “teeny house” in Seattle. Occupants: Two people, two cats, and a whole lotta love.
What is Living Small?
Living Small means a few things:
- Saving space and time: Small space solutions, dilemmas, divestments, etc.
- Eco-consciousness: From food chains to chain stores, green design to green consumption.
- Local love: community-minded amusements, both Seattlecentric and beyond.
- Horseplay, history, and just a touch of sentimentality.
Have a question? A comment? Reach me at livingsmallblog@gmail.com.
Living Small 
You are the bomb! I laughed… I cried; glad you are enjoying the new w/d. Very cute pics of the house and the blogger.
Thank you, unbiased individual. Glad you enjoyed the read.
Hey Living Small,
I ran across your blog on tehcnorati and really enjoy it.
will be checking in regularly and jumping on the RSS train. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Matt: Thanks for dropping in, and thanks for the compliment. Ride that RSS train!
Stumbled upon your blog and really enjoy it. Im a fellow Seattlite and simple liver. My itty 400 sq ft apartment houses me, my cat and my one-woman web design studio, command shift design.
:)
Liz: thanks! Glad you like the blog. Keep up the Small living; our numbers are growing!
I found on when I googled “I love thrift shopping” . I may have to try the no new clothes challenge!!!
That is the coolest Google search term for which my blog tuns up. Thanks for stopping in, and good luck with your challenge. Check back and let me know how it goes!
Hey there deary! I’d like to send you some questions to be a part of my Tiny Lifers highlights, but I can’t find your email address. Would you mind emailing me when you get a chance at greenplantDOTblogATgmailDOTcom
Toodles!
Amy – Green Plan(t)
We’ve been blogged! Just what we needed to warm up the gardening world this cool wet summer.
Thank you for creating such an inviting, interesting conversation.
Kim
The Copper Vine
Thanks, Kim. Glad you found the Small Biz Shout-Out. Here’s to The Copper Vine!
Cool blog! We’re in a pretty small house (911 sq. ft.) with 3 humans, a cat, fish and soon, a hamster or two). We love our little house and do our best to live a low-impact lifestyle. I’m glad I stumbled on your site – it gave me a nice lift today.
Geoffrey
West of the Laguna (http:/socolife.wordpress.com)
Thanks! 911 sounds great for a family. And hamsters are super. Glad you found Living Small!
Hi, love your page and your little house (esp.the purple door) I don’t live very small at the moment (3 bedrooms) However spent 5 years on a 32 foot sailboat when I was a child with my parents and my baby brother… we had solar panels, no TV and were very creative with storage. I love these cottages, being a big fan of craftsman homes anyway. I also enjoy your craft links..gotten some great ideas.
Thanks, kristina. I’ve enjoyed all of your comments and anecdotes. Sailboat — that’s the epitome of Living Small! Glad you like the craft links. More to come, as always.
I’ve read about tiny houses, and living small, from time to time.
I have a question/problem that’s hard for me to resolve… it’s a little bit of a chicken/egg thing. What kind of shift in thinking do you have to make in order to be able to live in a tiny house? What I mean is, I’d love to “simplify” to the point where we could do that, but I have:
– bikes
– electronics
– books books books
– kitchen wares
… that all take up space.
I realize some stuff is just “stuff”, but some stuff is stuff you do use and could say “need”.
Who has talked about really scaling back? I want to read about how people manage without the things that traditional large livers have and tiny livers don’t. And how they can transform their outlook to arrive at a comfortable system that doesn’t involve accumulation, but still answers the “needs” one feels are there? I know people out there must have answered this question; I just need someone to point me there.
Final question — who has resources on tiny living with children?
[…] 14, 2009 Thank you for the comment you left on About Living Small. So thoughtful, and such great questions, that I thought I should […]
Thanks for these great questions, Jon. I went ahead and answered in-post, rather than in-comment. I’m eager to know what other resources the Living Small community will offer. Thanks again, and all best.
You are what’s RIGHT with the world. A quiet, yet sane and valiant voice amidst the cacophony and lip service of the Internet generation. Thanks so very much.
Peace,
Bubba
Thank you so much, Bubba. Those kind words warm my heart!
Great blog! We’re living small in Seattle as well (www.chezerbey.com). We have about 750 SF which I admit feels like it’s too much sometimes!
-Lauren
Thanks for the link, Lauren. Love what you’re doing with your own small space. West Seattle, maybe?
I love this blog! Very cool. My 7 month old son and I recently moved in to a 400 square foot cottage, and I love seeing what others are doing with the same amount of space.
Thanks, Kara. I’d love to see your cottage if you’d like to share it. All the best to you and your son in your Living Small house.
hi!
just writing to let you know that i miss your updates but continue to check in regularly. started reading your blog a few years ago and absolutely love your POV, tips, crafts & pictures! my fiancee and i recently moved into a tiny cottage (about 700 sq ft) and although it was a MAJOR size downgrade from our 1300+ apt, i absolutely love living smaller and making the most out of less. your blog has always been a great source of inspiration and resources. hope all is well with you and yours and i anxiously await your return!!!
best,
steff
In 3 years my wife and I plan to live on a 30 mile lake in Ontario, Canada.
We won’t be buying the $500,000 cottage or the $250,000 cottage to keep up with the “norm”.
Instead we will put a 25′ x 16′ wall insulated wall tent with wood stove on a flaoting barge that is amphibious.The 2nd barge is for yard space and a garden.The Tri Sea Pearl sailboat is cheap wind driven transpotation.Our car will sit on a marina lot for land travel.
You see no one owns the water and when you consider that your yard is 30 miles of nature and beauty it becomes a “FINN” adventure for two.
I refer to my 580 sf house as “the little cottage”, but I love your “housette”! I may have to use that word instead from now on…..
Please come back and post more, I love this site so much *cries* xxx
Interesting blog! Here are some small cabins built by the Amish in Kentucky: http://www.amishcabincompany.com Energy efficient cabins made in an off-grid Amish facility that fit into the small house, green building movement, using Amish craftsmanship that is well-known for quality construction. Delivered pre-built and fully assembled. With enough of a clearing above and to the sides, they can literally be taken up the side of a mountain by dozer, and off-grid solar power options are now readily available. Linton