Downsizing Done Right

With the current trend toward de-cluttering and downsizing, there are plenty of books about how to winnow down possessions to the few that are truly necessary and loved. This book shows how you can live well once that’s done. In “Downsize: Living Large in a Small House,” author Sheri Koones focuses on practical ways to live well at home once you’ve streamlined your belongings and are living more compactly.

The book features photos and illustrations of 33 well-designed small homes in urban and rural settings in the U.S. and Canada. It examines the features that make each home a success, with advice aimed at those building, renovating or even just organizing their homes.

Some of the features that Koones says can make a small home feel more spacious:

• Raised ceilings, well-positioned windows and light wall colors.

• Multifunctional furniture, like tiny kitchen tables that can expand to accommodate dinner guests.

• Flexible rooms that can serve as office, bedroom and hobby room, for example. One house featured in the book has a garage with light fixtures and doors that open in front and back so that it doubles as an entertaining space.

• Creative storage ideas, like chairs that can hang on wall pegs, hooks for bicycles, and making the best use of alcoves or space under stairs.

• Fewer hallways, which allows for more livable space.

Koones details specific types of roofs (like standing-seam metal roofs), flooring (concrete) and heating systems that are more energy-efficient and low-maintenance.

“The key is to have a home that is efficiently designed, both in terms of energy use and in terms of space,” she says.

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