SG Style

a design & lifestyle blog by Shavonda Gardner

Small Home Big Style: Bliss At Home

Hi Everyone!

Happy Friday loves! Its been a whirlwind week over here guys. 

This week we’ve had the home appraisal, pest inspection, signed lots of docs, and have the home inspection today. It’s been a lot to deal with emotionally, and there just aren’t enough hours in the day! No excuses (because I don’t believe in making them) I’m simply saying finding the time to sit down and write quality content has been difficult.  I miss writing, and I miss you.  I’m hoping you’ll stick around.

Now other than the fact that its the start of the weekend, you wanna know why I love Fridays? Because I get to share another small home story, of course, and today my sweet blog friend Kristin is here dishing on how she lives and loves in her small home. Kristin is the creative mind behind the blog, Bliss At Home.  She’s such a sweetheart, and her home is full of inspiring spaces. 


 

Where/What city do you live in?
 
I live in Rock Island, Illinois. It is one of 4 cities that make up an area called the Quad-Cities right on the Mississippi River in Northern Illinois. A bridge separates the Iowa side from the Illinois side.
 
Who do you share your home with? 

I live with my husband, Dave, and our two sons. Also, my daughter, I mean my puppy, Zoey.
 
Do you own or rent? 
 
We own our home. We bought it a few years ago and it is the home I grew up in.
 
How many sq ft is your home? 
 
1,350 sq. ft.
 
What do you love most about small space living?
 
I have always been a fan of smaller spaces. They feel cozier and more inviting to me. I also like that it breeds major creativity and you really think about how to use every inch in the most thoughtful way. 
 
What challenges have you faced?
 
Since our home was built in 1954, there are a lot of things to replace and update. Our home is definitely a fixer-upper, but it has been so fun to make it ours. We are just taking our time with it. 
Being a smaller space, we only have one bathroom at the moment that we are remodeling. Yikes, right?! We have plans to add a second one in when we finish off the basement, but for now one is all we have. So, there have been some interesting moments to say the least with two little boys.
We also have to be really smart and have spaces that multi-function. Our dining area is also my office and workspace. Our closets are all getting revamped and larger too so that has been a bit of a stress. 
 
What’s your favorite room in your home?
 
My favorite room is our living room. Probably because it is the only room that feels finished at the moment. We added in Ikea BILLY bookcases and gave them a custom feel with molding and library lights. Our fireplace got a facelift with some paint and Carrara marble tile. We also added a mantel. This room also gets great light with a large picture window. It’s full of our flea market treasures and exudes who we are and our style. 
 
Do you every wish you had more space?
 
I do wish we had a bigger backyard, but as far as the house goes not so much. We entertain here, have plenty of seating and have held large dinners. It works for us and no one has ever complained so I think we do a good job of making it all work.
 
Best piece of small space living advice?
 
Let your creativity flow and customize it to how you live. Our home changes as our kids grow. We did have our boys share a room and now they have separate rooms. I also had to add in a home office recently. I feel like our home is ever evolving. I think in a small space you have to be open to shared spaces and creative changes as your life takes shape
 
I couldn’t agree more, Kristin.  Home is all about customizing it for the way you live, no matter what size it is.  Thank you so much for sharing your home with us today Kristin.  For even more of her beautiful home head over to  Bliss At Home.
 
We are headed out of town for Spring Break next week so Ill be away from the blog.  Ill be back next Friday with another inspiring feature, and in the meantime you can find me on IG (@ahomefullofcolor).  Its my jam! Have a wonderful weekend loves. Until next time…..
 
Xo-Shavonda
 
 

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About Shavonda Gardner

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Comments

  2. Freckles Chick says

    Loved seeing Kristin & her amazing home here, great feature (and series), Shavonda!! I’m a big fan of small homes, big style since ours is ~1500 sq ft.

    Wishing you all the best for a smooth transition with all the house stuff, xoxoxoxo.

  6. Anonymous says

    Dear Ms. Shavonda:

    I think anyone who has either sold or bought a home know the stress involved, so don’t worry about your followers. We await hearing about the next chapter in your adventure when you have the time to post it.

  13. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says

    i love kristin’s home and from her gorgeous pictures and amazing style i’d never guess it was on the smaller side! she’s so talented! and ya know what- when i read your title my brain mushed it together and i saw “small home, big ass style” (it mixed in the bliss) and i thought to myself “damn straight she’s got big ass style!”

  15. Megan Gordon says

    I love small homes and as I sit in my larger home, I think we could easily downsize with no problem. However, I’ll probably wait until my kids are older to decide what to do. My dad was raised in a tiny house with one bathroom. There were 6 of them and my grandma used to host wonderful family meals and we never complained of how tight it was. Smaller houses = tighter families, right? 🙂

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