Home & Garden...

Small homes are better for the environment than large homes. Why?

• Fewer materials are needed to build.
• Less resources are usually used - in terms of energy, time, etc.
• A small house leaves a smaller footprint on the planet.
• Small homes allow for larger green spaces to be left intact.
• If you live in a small house, you might be likely to bring in less material goods - and owning less stuff is better for the earth.
• It takes less energy, water, and other resources to run a small house (in most cases).

How to live smaller and still live large:

• Make one room your focal point - do you really need a living room, family room, and den? Most likely no.
• Create an open floor plan. This makes a home look and feel larger than it is.
• Have tall walls. Tall walls and vaulted ceilings open up a home creating a more spacious feeling.
• Use natural light. Natural light via windows (even toward the top of walls) counters that normally darker feeling small homes can have. Skylights also work well to open up a small space.
• Stick with light colored interior paints - sometimes darker colors work, but in a smaller space dark can make small look smaller and less inviting.
• Open up your plan to include outdoor living. You may only have one living space, but using large wide opening doors leading to a patio space, can create a second, outside living room. Also consider adding large french doors, or pretty sliding doors with a balcony to bedrooms. A balcony takes less space and resources than a whole other room, but really opens up your home plan.

[image via stock.xchng]