Hi Everyone!
Happy Tuesday friends. Today I’m super excited to share another Small Home Big Style feature with you. This one is extra special to me because Maddie and her husband are an active duty Air Force family. Their story feels so so familiar to me as an Air Force veteran so when I discovered Maddie on IG I knew I just HAD to have her here to share how she lives and loves in her small space. Plus they happen to be stationed at the ONE place I tried for 5 years to get stationed at while I was in the service! Here’s what Maddie had to say about small space life….
Where/What city do you live in?
Misawa Air Force Base, Japan
Who do you share your home with?
I share my home with my hubby, Chris, & our fur baby, Sake. Although, we do live in a town house.. so we share the building with 3 other people!
Do you own or rent?
We rent (military housing). We never live in one place for too long.
How many sq ft is your home?
Just over a thousand square feet!
What do you love most about living in a small home?
Living in a small home is perfect for my little family. Being that it’s my first house, it has made it easier for me to learn how to decorate & not get overwhelmed with filling any huge spaces/walls. Plus, I love how cozy small houses can be!
What challenges have you faced?
When I find something new either thrifting or shopping, my husband is always like “where the heck are you gunna put that?” I’m definitely a collector & lover of things so it can be difficult not to clutter!
Any unique storage solutions?
Currently, I don’t have any storage solutions.. — if you’re reading this & have some.. send them my way please!!
What’s your favorite room in your home?
Definitely our living room. Though it’s not my favorite decorated space, it is where my husband & I have made most of our memories having movie nights, dinners, camp outs. That’s what matters most to me!
Which space has been the biggest headache! You know, the one that’s been the most challenging to work with?
My bedroom has honestly been the biggest struggle. Most homes have master bedrooms.. we do not. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve moved & rearranged that room trying to fit the furniture in the best, de-cluttered way. We don’t even have a dresser in there because it would take up too much space! (We have our dresser in our closet. Which is also tiny.)
Do you every wish you had more space?
In our bedroom & bathroom, DEFINITELY! Sharing a bathroom with a boy can be hard as is lol – and we have to share one tiny medicine cabinet, & one tiny storage cabinet! It can definitely get difficult.. & messy. But I do feel like my family room & kitchen are the perfect size for us!
If you could do it all over again, would you still choose to live small?
Well, we didn’t necessarily get to “choose” to live small but definitely don’t mind it! If we did have an option, I think we would have chosen just this!
Best piece of small space living advice?
My advice for small living… stay organized! It’s so easy to overfill & clutter a small space. If I buy a new piece of furniture, I choose one thing to sell. Im constantly swapping my things out, rather than adding more & more.
I love how Maddie and Chris have made their space comfortable and personal. Its really hard to make military housing feel warm and like home, but they’ve done a great job. This is the PERFECT example of not letting a temporary living situation deter you from creating spaces that bring you joy.
Thank you so much Maddie for giving us a peek into your home today.
Until next time…
Alis says
I would love to know what is the plant with the pink-striped leaves? Hanging in the window next to the llama picture. TIA.
Karen says
Hey, I was in the AF! I was at McChord (way back when it was its own base). And Japan is my favorite country 🙂
Nice space they have! Love the plants and the macrame plant hangers. I should relearn macrame and make one myself!
Andrea says
SO GOOD! Love Maddie’s style & what she did with her space!