Hi Everyone!
Happy Monday friends. I have no clue where the heck last week went. It legit flew by so fast. Ive got a few fun posts headed your way this week, starting with another real life Small Home Big Style story.
Today’s feature comes from the other side of the world… India!! Jasleen sumbitted her home to share and Im so excited to do so. Its always fun to see how people live in areas other than our own and I was incredibly excited to hear how she has made her limited space work for her and her family of 4. Lets take a peek at how she lives and loves in her home across the ocean…
Where/What city do you live in?
New Delhi, India.
In a small colony called Vasant kunj, which has apartments constructed by the Delhi Development Authority (a government body) and sold to private citizens.
Who do you share your home with?
My husband and two sons. Our elder son, now 20 years old, is in college in another city and comes home on vacation every few months. My younger one is 14. Still a long way from college 🙂
Do you own or rent?
We own the apartment.
How many sq ft is your home?
The exact measurement is probably between 1000 and 1100 sq ft.
What do you love most about living in a small home?
Before this we were living in a larger duplex apartment but had to move here to be closer to our sons’ school. Initially, I thought this space was much smaller but now I love it. The fact that we have less space forces me to edit and organise constantly and believe me, that is a good thing. It’s amazing how much we are capable of hoarding when we have the space to dump junk in.
What challenges have you faced?
The apartment originally had three bedrooms along with a tiny kitchen and the living room and a small lobby area that was used as a dining room. The space looked closed in and limited. We chose to knock off the wall of the third bedroom in the middle of the apartment and used this space for an open kitchen and dining area. One end of this space houses our bar essentials. The original kitchen is now our TV room. This single change (opening up the third bedroom) made a significant impact. Our home looks more spacious than it actually is. Plus this let’s in light towards the back of the house. Also, when we have people over, it’s so much nicer to have our giests sitting and chatting with us while my husband cooks. The present kitchen is by no means large, but it is definitely better than the tiny closed room that was the original kitchen. This one is a galley layout and although it gets chaotic when all three boys decide to cook together, it works somehow.
Any unique storage solutions?
I use a lot of boxes and baskets to store stuff. (Don’t we all?) We have furniture that has storage as well, like our bed and the coffee table in the family space. But generally, I try and keep editing what we own, trying to keep only what we need and what we value. This is not easy though and I have to devote time every now and then to evaluate what we need and what we can do without. As well, I keep adjusting how I keep things, changing layouts slightly to adjust to the changing needs of the family.
What’s your favorite room in your home?
The living room and also my small balcony off the family room. It looks onto the main road but a few trees planted between our apartment complex and the main road shield us from the traffic noise. I love spending early mornings on the swing chair in the balcony, with my first cup of coffee before the rest of the family stirs.
Which space has been the biggest headache! You know, the one that’s been the most challenging to work with?
Well, the biggest challenge has to be the kitchen. After deciding to break the inner wall of the the third bedroom, we also enclosed a small balcony to make our galley kitchen. It is still a small space though as we had to fit our refrigerator and our washing machine into the kitchen. We do not have the luxury of having a separate laundry room. We have a washing machine but no dryer. In India, most people dry their washing in the sun. We have a tiny balcony off the master bedroom where we have a clothes drying stand. Although it gets a little difficult to dry clothes during the monsoon season!
Do you every wish you had more space?
If you could do it all over again, would you still choose to live small?
I am happy in this space, although I do wish we had separate rooms for the boys. We did manage for a few years by shifting the tv out (and using that as our younger son’s room) but reverted to the previous arrangement when my elder son left for college. Also I would have liked a small space that could have been the designated laundry room. As it is, everything is crammed into the kitchen. Having said that, it is easier to manage this space. The more space one has, the more one has to clean.
Best piece of small space living advice?
Conducting a decluttering exercise every few months. Even if you don’t discard anything, it helps to clean and organise.
What amazing perspective, right! I LOVE how Jasleen and her family haven’t been afraid to make changes and allow themselves to really make thier home work for them. Thank you so much for sharing your sweet home with us and for sharing how you’ve been able to make your home work for you through the years.
Until next time friends…
ElleX says
Lovely space!!!!
Jamala says
This definitely a stylish space. She’s decorated it with so much character and charm. And her motto is perfect. Thanks for the introduction
Shavonda Gardner says
Didnt she! Im loving all these amazing homes im getting in. Love seeing how diffrent people make thier homes work for them…and they do it with such style!