THE COMPACT LIVING SPACE
MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS AND CONVERTIBILITY
(Being developed but usable)
The idea is to have a smaller home, closer to work, to save time and money. Or just to save money, period.
Smaller home - Closer to work (often makes it more expensive, but we are "buying" time saved; the quality of life is improved by shorter commute times.)
An intelligent alternative, if available at a quality place, is living in a trailer. Trailers can be beautifully and space-efficiently constructed - and the top of the line for 1500 sq. ft. is about 65K.
Use of rooms
Ideally one sitting/tv area, with dining/breakfast table - no unused living room
Master bedroom - Consider using one of the smaller bedrooms for master bed and then using
the bigger amount of space in the master bedroom for an office and a sitting room.
Guest/office/work/exercise room -
In wall Murphy bed, why keep space open for very occasional use?
Foldable tread mill.
Full size "table/desktops" pull down from wall on both sides of the bed.
One regular computer desk (high powered portable laptop, with wireless internet in house),
no big, hard to move desks.
Children
Separate play/rec room, with video surveillance hook up
Children's room - Two together for 3 and up to 10 or 11, then individual rooms.
Space savers
DVR - to record all tv programs you watch, watch no programs live
DVD player recorder
All music put on MP3 player, played through tuner/receiver and fairly compact speaker
system, wired for surround sound with wiring under the carpet
Only high powered laptop computer, with monitor and wireless keyboard/mouse if preferred.
Storage in home (Principle: go high, use maximum vertical space not square feet of floor)
Bookshelves to the ceiling (permanent or moveable, attach upper part to wall for stability)
Garage storage shelves - professional are expensive but efficient, alternative is to use tall
open shelves plus some closed storage from Home Depot or Lowe's
Closets - Professional or use "systems" from Home Depot or Lowe's.
Kitchen - Install rollout shelves in all lower areas and anything like a pantry.
Storage location - In a facility or in a house or in its garage?
Cost of house per foot = $200 or $30,000 x 6% = $1800 deductible plus 390 prop tx
Storage facility rent 10 x 15 (150 Sq. ft.) = $2000/year
Best: Storage shed in an out of the way, out of sight mostly, place. Cost (150 ft.) =
Bigger garage is second best.
Resources: Good "Small Living Space" and use their suggestions.
Examples:
Murphy bed, of course, on one wall, with a couch that is moveable (in pieces).
A super, flat wall, with touch to open doors. TV/computer monitor opening in it. A screen comes down and a projector tv projects onto it. One door section has office items stacked to the ceiling on shelves. One or two have the closet behind it. Wall that is movable is on one side of the living room space. It can slide to create a guest room and a curtain is pulled out. . (He has two bunk beds that pop out of the stationary wall.
A dining room table that fits into a small bookshelf space, telescopes out, with storable foldable chairs, so can set up a long dining table.
Desk: A pull out from between drawers is good, so it is easy. Or it can be pulled out of a side slant slot and rotated.
LitttleDiggs.com
Living room: Movable chairs, pull out chairs with no backs to add more seats for groups. With removable tops, so you can store stuff under the seat.
A narrow stair case up to storage opened in attic, closable insulated door.
Open "cubes" all the way to the ceiling.
