Just muddling through the dog days of Summer
here on this end.
here on this end.
Oh, and that, too.
Getting ready!
Still planning on making the big move
to our new home next month.
to our new home next month.
Our closing date is roughly a month away,
and I'm well aware that the big day will be here before we know it!
and I'm well aware that the big day will be here before we know it!
The home inspection went well, with only a few minor repairs to be addressed.
We're dealing with a sane and rational homeowner ( a nice change, LOL! ),
so the back-and-forth over who pays for what and how much is going smoothly.
so the back-and-forth over who pays for what and how much is going smoothly.
Just a few concerns, though....
Every move is a trade-off in one way or another.
At least it's always been that way for me.
And the trade off here is space.
Internal space, anyways.
In moving to my darling little Victorian cottage,
I will be losing roughly 500 sq ft of living space.
I will be losing roughly 500 sq ft of living space.
Old homes are notorious for lacking in closet space and storage,
but this little gem comes with something our current home doesn't have....
tons and tons of outdoor storage in the shape of two barn-like structures.
but this little gem comes with something our current home doesn't have....
tons and tons of outdoor storage in the shape of two barn-like structures.
Yep, there's one of 'em right there.
So I actually look at this move as an opportunity to do some things
I've needed to do for years.
I've needed to do for years.
Purge
Rid myself, and ourselves, of useless things simply taking up space.
Simplify
If we don't use it every day, out to the barn it goes!
Better yet, it will either be sold or donated.
Get Creative
Re-learn how to organize and store those essentials we use every day.
When closet space isn't an option, look around!
Put the junker's motto...."re-use, re-purpose, re-cycle" into action.
Put the junker's motto...."re-use, re-purpose, re-cycle" into action.
So now we do this...
Ain't that always the way? ;-)
Thanks so much to the many of you who wished
me and The Mister a Happy Anniversary yesterday!
me and The Mister a Happy Anniversary yesterday!
He wanted to go out, I wanted to stay in, so stay in we did.
I'll feel better about celebrating once the big move is over, I'm sure.
I'll feel better about celebrating once the big move is over, I'm sure.
Have a wonderful evening, and I'll be by to pay y'all a visit in the days ahead!
P.S.
I would LOVE to hear from those of you who live in wee little farmhouses,
quaint cottages and teensy Victorian's....how do you manage space?
I would LOVE to hear from those of you who live in wee little farmhouses,
quaint cottages and teensy Victorian's....how do you manage space?
Tips, advice, words of wisdom?
Posts
60 comments:
Hi Anne!
Happy belated Anniversary!
I am so excited that you and your hubs will be moving into your new home soon. It is such a lovely place.
The outside building will really come in handy, so you better get busy purging however, you can look at it another way. It will be a great place to hoard all your stuff!
hugs
Sissie
I'm so excited for you, what a dream come true!!
You must be so excited but I know the worst part is just waiting it out. That's what I did when I knew I was moving....I got rid of stuff! Some things I kind of wished I had held on to so if you have any doubts that you might be able to use it in the new home then put it aside and wait. Good luck!~Hugs, Patti
well I don't live in a little farmhouse or cottage... but how I wish I did...I did have a wonderfully large farmhouse in my past (married) life...I miss it. I'm dreaming of a little beach cottage! If you haven't already..check out the new issue of Country Home...there'e a story in there about Carol Faust's 1893 White Cottage in Flat Rock,NC...she did some great things with that little house... you'll love it! If you don't have the magazine ( it's expensive @ 12.99) I'll copy the story for you and send it!
Have a great weekend!
Tammy :-)
its just soooooooooooo exciting!!! are you going to get some little farm animals?
So you got the house! I am so happy for you! Congratulations!
I cannot wait to see what you do with your new home! :)
When we bought our home, it was a little cottage with 3 closets... each the size of shoe box. Every thing I owned had a function. Our coffee table was an old trunk that stored blankets. I used dressers... and actually still do use them instead of side tables and sofa tables for extra storage. Each of my closet doors had clear shoe storage bags that I used for storing nails, screws, flashlights, medical supplies, etc.
That's about allthe3 storage tips I 've got for you!!!:-)))) But I will leave you with this... we love our nelwy rennovated, added- onto home... but many days, I miss my little cottage.
Blessings to you and your new nest!
Hugs,
Melanie
How exciting is right! We purchase our lovely 'lil 4 acre farm last Oct. and STILL haven't moved in yet, we had to update the plumbing in the house and the electrical pole outside, hopefully within 2 weeks we'll be moving! I'll be watching all your replies on how to manage small spaces & hopefully you'll be posting a few of your own ideas upon moving in! HAPPY MOVING TO US!!!! HUGS~ Ginger
My sincere apologies for my lack of spell check.:))))
I am looking forward to watching you move and make this new house a home!
Anne, our old house is large but has only two tiny, tiny closets. So enter antique wardrobes. I have one french one that is so large it comes apart into twenty four pieces. It would only fit in a very large room. I keep all my scrubs and linens in it. I look for furniture with storage potential in mind. When we finally move into our smaller house I will have to purge up a storm. Joe is a hoarder so I do not look forward to it.
hugs♥olive
Oh my goodness, I am so excited for you and Mr. Twigg! Enjoy these days and cleaning out an purging is a good feeling. I did that 8 years ago and could do it again:)
I have a poolhouse with NO closet! I find creative ways to store things in dressers and cabinets. Hope you will enjoy this process! Love the buildings outside as well as that gorgeous house:)
Have a blessed evening! HUGS!
Anne, I went to correct a word and lost my comment. If the previous one shows up, please delete it.
We live in an older home with limited closet space. I've hung fabric cubical organizers and store various things in them. It leaves space available for a guest to hang clothes and also provides a spot for the guest to have some shelf space. We also have a walk-in attic. We've installed metal restaurant shelving for storage of all my many dishes. Think storage furniture for all the rooms ~ wardrobes, buffets, standing cabinets, Welsh dresser, chests, etc. It's amazing how much one can store in a small house. :-)
Good luck. ~ Sarah
manage space? got all day?
HI ANNE I SO LOVE YOUR BLOG :)
I LIVE IN A SMALL OLD FARMHOUSE WE HAD TO GUT IT OUT AND START FRESH IT HAD NO CLOSETS AND STILL DOES NOT HAVE A LOT OF STORAGE ! IT WAS JUST A VERY SIMPLE HOUSE NO DETAILS AT ALL BUT I COULD SEE CHARM IN ITS SIMPLE LITTLE SQUARE OF A HOUSE ! YOUR NEW HOME HAS LOVELY CHARACTER AND I CAN NOT WAIT TO SEE WHAT AMAZING THINGS YOU WILL DO !
THE BEST OF LUCK TO YOU !
WARMLY
JANET
English Husband and I lived in 700sq. ft and no garage for 18 years. Me as an antique dealer , he as an artist. When we had our little spats I went and sat in the car, listened to the radio. no where else to go!! I had my bed on a platform where those plastic big boxes with my flea market stuff in them
could slide underneath. Just enough dishes for two. no big box store shopping. BUILT INS!! go up! don’t have a lot of furniture, crap or things we don’t adore.
Happy (late) Anniversary, my sweet Anne!!
It's funny how the big move seems so far away, but it will be here all of a sudden. You have to wait for days and days, then suddenly, you have to kick into action. It's going to be so exciting! I can't wait to watch you transform your new house into your cozy home.
Patricia :o)
PS: WONDERFUL barn!! I'd get chickens!!!
Happy belated Anniversary!! Best of luck with your move. I can't wait for the day that I get to buy another home, but this time with some old character.
Hello my sweet friend!
I am so excited for you!
And if you really want advise for living small...give me a call! As you know...we now live in our 464 square foot cottage and I have learned alot!!!
One of the biggies is to not have anything here that we do not use....Our rule is at least once a month!
I can't believe how much stuff we had that I only used once a year!
I still have SOME of those things...they are just stored differently...like in our out buildings!
Have a wonderful weekend and seriously...call !
Love ya bunches!
Donna
Oh you're going to have so much fun making that gorgeous victorian farmhouse yours! ~Lili
It's an exciting, yet stressful time for you right now! An outbuilding would be really nice! I have to pay for storage right now for all the stuff I sell...if I had a building of my own, I'd have storage, and I'd hold sales several times a year from there, too!
That is so great you will have outdoor storage, you can do all kinds of things with those buildings too, projects galore! We have a tiny house and I wouldn't trade it for the world, moved from a much larger home with absolutely no character, just like other people in cookie cutter homes. We store under the bed, in antique chests, big cupboards, I even bought an old sideboard with lots of cabinet and door space for our front room. You will love living in an old, character all around home! I'm new to your blog and am looking so forward to your journey. It will be loads of fun!
~Tracie
I think we all keep just a little bit more stuff than we actually have room for- I know I'm not disciplined enough to get rid of anything that I might possibly need some day- I only go donate books to the library when my shelves are overflowing, only take clothes to the Goodwill when there is no more room in the closet. You'll do fine and have a great time decorating your wonderful dreamed of house.
Raised my three daughters in a 1000 square foot bungalow. Started out with 2 bedrooms. All three in one. Re-married a man with a lot of brains who made more space out of what we had and each girl actully ended up with a room of sorts for their teenage years. We now live on 10 acres in the middle of the woods in a 3000+ sqr. ft. home, empty nesters. But we now have room for 6 grandchildren to visit. You can do it. It will be perfect.
Can't that huge outdoor building become a perfect walk-in closet so you don't have to get rid of a thing???
Take care, Sue
I am so SO happy for you and I know that you will make this space perfection!! It is such a beautiful place!
And happy late anniversary......
Lou Cinda :)
oh, good luck on your move! :D i hope it goes as smoothly as possible.
Hi Anne.. Oh how exciting to be moving:-) and scary! It will be so worth it when it's over your new house is too charming! I live in a mid size victorian with a total of 3 closets (not walk ins by any means), coming from a track house (yuck) that was full of giant closets it blew my mind!! The overall square footage of the two houses was roughly the same (2000ish sf), but the victorian has all these lovely formal spaces that lack practicality (giant foyer, winding stair, etc).
They had amoires for a reason it's all about furniture with space:-) A great excuse to shop :-)
Happy packing:-)
Bella
Happy belated anniversary! I am late catching up with everyone. I am excited to see your new place. It will be here before you know it! Thanks for sharing. Anne
Hi Anne, A belated Happy Anniversary. I know you will feel like celebrating after you close on your home. You get so anxious when you know that you can't wait to get there. Is one of your out buildings so that you could make it into a studio. I grew up in a very small house with several brothers and sisters. We had a lot of dressers, trunks, under the bed, in the attic storage. It is surprising what you can do when you try. Have a great day.
Anne, I am so excited about your move. I think you are addressing the biggest part of moving to smaller quarters....purging and getting rid of excess stuff. Plus, you have to be creative on storage possibilities. In my home I have underbed storage boxes to hold things in everybody's rooms, for example. Love & blessings from NC!
All I know, Anne, is that you'll manage it with beautiful style! Looking forward to seeing all the fabulous solutions you come up with while making your new house your home...
Julie
I know it will be gorgeous and a wonderful home! I want to see that fabulous sofa again, and all the great things you have. Can't wait to see how you put it all together, and lucky you with all the great outdoor storage. That will help tons!
And I love that photo album, it IS beautiful.
xo,
me
Happy belated Anniversary! Oh how I know what you'll be going through. Purge is the right word...now is the perfect time to pick out what's important to you and what you can live without. I still have things in boxes out in one of the buildings along with furniture that I just don't have room for. Don't be in too much of a hurry to get rid of things if you have the room outside to keep them for a while as you may just change your mind. I've ended up taking some things out and bringing in others so give yourself some time to live in your new surroundings. We did this a year ago on June 19th. You sure learn what things are important to you. Enjoy this new adventure..don't forget to breathe! Maura :)
Hi,
I am so excited for you!! Congratulations and enjoy the move.
Hugs,
Rozmeen
Waiting makes you edgy, doesn't it? You just gotta keep busy and it'll be here before you know it (good luck with the purge!). We used to live in a Victorian townhouse which had 2 rooms on each floor - a basement, ground level and upstairs (and a totally inaccessible loft). 'We' were me and my husband, 2 children, a big dog and a cat. Storage? Nada. We built in as many cupboards as we could and just had to be as clutter free as possible. We moved to a bigger house (1930's so less character, but also less leaks, draughts and, uuggghhh - rats!) but we look back on those 5 years in our Victorian house with great affection and if it hadn't have been for our growing kids, we'd have stayed there. You'll love your new house, despite its storage issues! x
Owww your dream come through my darling !!!...........clear you had and than your home......that's what you must do now...........happy weekend enjoy....love Ria.....
I am big on purging. I do it once a month. I make a giveaway/donate bin, trash and storage. It helps keep my space uncluttered...I live in a small space with no storage!!
Hey Anne! I've also got
purging on the mind as
we've lived here for nine
years and it's time to let
go of things that aren't
used or adored. I think
that will be your new motto
as you start to pack up
and move all of your things.
But remember, enjoy the
ride!!!
xx Suzanne
oh simplify, what a great opportunity! we live in an old farmhouse with a bit of a lack of closet space but with the five of us i am always cleaning, and donating what we are done using! good luck with the preparations! enjoy the weekend! susan
Those outbuildings will be your saving grace...I promise! We raised two children in a 1300 sq home with...wait for it...one bathroom! It can be done with clever storage and a can-do spirit and I know you got that!
Debbie
I know we talked about small space, but I wanted to add that everything has to have a function. I have trunks that provide storage, lots of cabinets and an armoire to store things. The rest goes in our shed. We don't have an attic!
I'm a wee bit jealous of your outdoor storage buildings!
xo
Claudia
Best of luck with the move!
Your new little cottage is so danged CUTE!!! So easy to see why you fell completely in love with it!
Hugs,
Diane
Happy belated anniversary! We decreased our home size in half a few years ago down to 2,000 sq ft and are managing just fine. I am a major pack rat so downsizing helps keep me in check! The biggest issues are the pantry (just a cupboard) and closet space. We turned our master bedroom into a big walk in closet complete with roll racks etc. It's not pretty, but quite functional and keeps me sane!
Happy Friday.
Hugs~
T
Sorry I missed your Anniversary ~ Hope it was WONDERFUL~ What a way to start another year ~ than in your new/old cottage! How exciting!
hugs
Maureen
We settle in one month on our "new" home and will also be downsizing (by 1200 sq ft) sold off the dining room, living room, and basement furniture. Still need to purge alot!! It feels so good to know that we will use and live in every inch of our home! Isn't it fun trying to come up with decorating ideas that are functional, practical, beautiful and efficient! Good times :) So very happy for you!!
Wendy
aint that the truth, hurry and wait, I am glad to hear that everything is going so smooth!! hope you have a great weekend, oh and I love the book cover, soo purdy! xo
Hi Anne,
Wanted to thank you for your kind comments on my little boudoir. Just recently I started sharing more of our tiny home and outdoor gardens. I really look forward to sharing ideas with you and vice versa in your new little home. I meant what I said earlier about not trading a "big" new home for a smaller, old one any day. Have a great weekend and thanks again. Can't wait to see what you do with your little gem!
~Tracie
I'd love to give advise on the space issue... LOL You'd laugh if you saw our house! My hubby and I just got married 6 months ago, therefore it's just just, no little chillins!
We rent from my grandparents, the one grandpa was raised in and raised my mom in. It has a large basement/cellar with a 2 room woodshop, canning pantry, and large open area. Main floor is kitchen, familyroom, living room, dining room, bedroom, LARGE laundy room, 2bathrooms. Upstairs is 5 bedrooms {3 of them, VERY large}, then we have 2 attics, 2 car garage that could actually fit 4 cars if there were more doors...
So... {long story, longer} I have the opposite problem. With just getting married we don't have enough to furnish the MAIN FLOOR! LOL!
Good luck with that though!
Simplicity is so good for us!
{long comment... :)
Hi sweet girl!!! What you're losing in space you are SO gaining in character!! Just remember to use HEIGHT for storage....stack things up! On top of armoires (perfect for closets) stack suitcases, baskets or beautiful boxes up, and store inside of them.....another great idea are skirted tables...use the space for storage underneath the skirt! I can't wait to see what you do with it Anne, how exciting for you both! I hope you have a wonderful weekend sweet friend, hugs and love, Dawn
Hi Anne,
so great you will soon be starting your new life!!!
I`m living in a little farmhouse, too, but also am giftet with space around.So that`s where I have my shop, and work-room--in an old pig-barn.
My husbond redid some things out there, and we put in a very big oven for wood only, to warm it up--and I love being there--summer as winter.
So many oppertunities with outside place. You will love it dear, Anne.
Big hug, Dorthe
Your new home sounds so lovely; thank you for sharing your pics and plans!
:)
Storage space in an old home is a tough one. I live in an 1890 Queen Ann Cottage with only 2 bedroom closets. Our first step was to maximize the closet space by using every inch efficiently. It's amazing how much you can store on shelves about the clothes. Also, every inch UNDER the beds are filled with plastic boxes of wrapping paper, out of season clothing, etc. We added large antique armoires wherever we could, including behind bedroom doors. When we got to the single bathroom, we made our vanity taller and that added way more storage. Eventually, we couldn't handle the lack of storage and we didn't have 2 barns so we added a full basement and a very large, covered back porch with a gigantic closet. The extra 2,100 sf solved ALL of our storage concerns!! Oh, and don't forget the attic. We added a drop down ladder and laid down 20 sheets of plywood. It's a perfect place for those projects you don't have time to get to right now. Good luck to you in your new adventure. I love my old house, even without the added space. I never want to live in a new house again.
Hi Anne,
Oh the waiting can be hard, but as you say moving day will be here before you know it.
We live in a small cottage, and have needed to get a lock up to store the overflow. One of these days I hope to get serious of a little more purging too.
Good luck with the packing and getting everything organized.
Enjoy the summer and have a lovely weekend
Hugs
Carolyn
We started with an 800 sq ft farmhouse and added on a few times, its now 4400 sq ft! But in the mean time, we did make lots of use of the barn and sheds. The rats were a problem with outside storage, though. Stuff had to be packed tightly in Rubbermaid containers and tied shut with bungee cords.
I also used only storage style pieces of furniture when I could. Instead of a coffee table, I had a trunk. Instead of a side table, I had a small cabinet, etc. Don't worry, you'll be finding storage ideas everywhere!!
Oh my goodness... The game pieces are great, they tickle me~
Thank you for sharing!
I love your blog!
We have a new look, please come and visit my blog!
Have a good evening!
Leticia
www.msbinglesvintagechristmas.com
I live in a 1903 Victorian, not many closets, eventually we turned a porch into
two nice size closets and a master bath, but I raised 4 of our 5 kids, before we did that... I don't have a lot of kitchen cabinets either, so I use much of my milk glass in my main bath to hold extra soaps, candles, washcloths and such. Don't forget you have tall ceiling and you can go up, up, up! Lezlee
Anne,
I can't contribute much since I'm still waiting for my cottage to come into my life. I will say that a little binge & purge (in moderation of course) is good for the soul. Look at the blogs from England & other countries. Thier homes are tiny, they don't have every appliance know to man, even their fridges are little. They keep what they love! Lessons learned. I'm really excited for you. I'm still on vacation, will be home Sunday. Lisa
Congrats on the house being yours soon!!!! And the anniv. what beautiful photos. You made a beautiful bride but, what would we expect with you being such a beautiful girl all the time. Advice on the stuff??? Don't sweat it. You have a barn to store it so rotate what you have & enjoy it. Keeps things from getting boring. HUGS! Charlene
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