Sure, this house has a lot of the usual attributes that generally make me happy in a home: the white walls, the rough-hewn wood, the use of natural materials left exposed, and the beautiful tension between rustic, glamorous and simple.
But perhaps what draws me the most to this particular home is its scale.
For a little while now I have been craving the coziness of smaller spaces; I've been dreaming of finding a smaller house - one where no room goes unused, and no corner is left unattended, especially now that we've finally made the decision to have no more kids...
...and this house seems to fit that fantasy. For me. At this particular moment in my life.
We'll see, my friends. Only time will tell.
(images: jordi canosa)
But perhaps what draws me the most to this particular home is its scale.
For a little while now I have been craving the coziness of smaller spaces; I've been dreaming of finding a smaller house - one where no room goes unused, and no corner is left unattended, especially now that we've finally made the decision to have no more kids...
...and this house seems to fit that fantasy. For me. At this particular moment in my life.We'll see, my friends. Only time will tell.
(images: jordi canosa)
Oh My goodness! I LOVE this house! So open, I love all the different textures!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Take Care,
Maria
That's such a cute house! I love all the white, the flooring, walls... all of it.
ReplyDeleteI love the scale of this house, too! I love it.
ReplyDeleteI love its diminutive size and you are right, the scale is somehow enchanting. I've seen that wonderful kitchen before, but not the rest of the house. Thanks for sharing this beauty!
ReplyDeleteThis is a truly gorgeous home my dear!! I can see why you like it so, and of course I would think it is very 'you'. That kitchen is so lovely and that trunk in the living space is beautiful! Love those beams...What a beautiful fantasy to have and if anyone can make it come true it is you my friend. But I do so love your current home:) ~ Tina XX
ReplyDeleteIt's gorgeous! So simple, and the small size is comfortable and unpretentious. These photos feel like fresh air to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Me encanta el estilo de ésta casa! tan simple,tan serena,tan...MarÃa!
ReplyDeleteBesos
Marce
me too on the cozy spaces lately. i've been thinking about whether there's a way to make some of our spaces feel more cozy/perform more functions - or whether we're going to have to move! this house is lovely - so fresh feeling, too.
ReplyDeleteI live in a small house, and I love it. But when every corner is used you have to spend a lot of time keeping those corners clear. And you know< I never dream of a bigger space, just a screened in porch and a fireplace.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beyond special home! I'm so with you on the coziness side of life. Smaller is better in my world! I'm thinking little grass huts on a tropical island somewhere with a great commune of sustainable conscious people! A girl can dream, non?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this lovely home.
ReplyDeleteI live in a 600 sq ft cottage with one bedroom and one bath a husband, shepherd mix, and one crazy calico cat. Somehow we manage to survive and not kill each other. :)
In all honesty, there are days when I wish for just ONE more room... just one more closet for my art gear... but then I realize I really don't need it. That is when I re-organize, donate, and simplify.
There is a sort of peace about using every inch of space that you have and not wasting anything. It is definitely challenging, but I find it extremely rewarding.
Best of luck in whatever life my bring you.
It's a lovely house, and I can see why it appeals to you in particular, but I say bigger is better, albeit harder work. A room to escape to where no one will think of looking, a few extra bedrooms for house parties, a storage room for all the handmade crowns and spaceships Noah comes home from school with, a radio-listening room. The unattended corners will wait very patiently for attendance.
ReplyDeleteWell I for one sort of hope you do end up in a new space so I can see what you do with it! I'm dreaming of the photos you'll share. And this house is really really beautiful. But those stairs scare me. I know I would be the first one to go shooting out the side and land in a heap on that gorgeous floor. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteCindy - you always crack me up! (And thank you.)
ReplyDeleteAnd Mise..! You remind me of my friend Florence, because those would be her arguments exactly, I think. (And I do believe children need at least three different personal rooms with all the stuff they accumulate! I'm glad my son is not the only one! I was beginning to think he has some sort of hoarding disorder!) ;)
But seriously, for me, this search is in part to simplify our lives (less wasted space, less cleaning, less wasted resources overall), but also truly, to simplify our finances and not feel so strapped all the time. Plus, I think I'd like to be able to travel more - which, our finances being what they are at the moment, we can't afford to do much of it at all...
So... Nothing has been decided firmly, but I'm leaning more and more towards finding more balance in our life - and as it stands right now, there is a lot of energy focused on our home and maintaining it. And as much as I clearly love our home, I also don't want to give up on other areas of our life... Anyway. Just thoughts.
Thanks to all who have responded to this post - I will make the time to visit your spaces, I promise.
xoxo,
-maria
such a lovely find, friend!
ReplyDeleteI can totally see why you love it so--especially with all those sunlit staircases drawing you to other cozy spots in and out of the house!
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful space! I'm sometimes torn on the bigger or smaller.....We have smaller and sometimes I wish for a bigger kitchen or more than one bathroom but mostly we are pretty happy with it. It's easier to clean and furnish, costs less to keep up on it, which ultimately means we use less resources, which is always good. Happy Monday Maria! I hope you have a great week sweets :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous home! The simplicity and sturdiness of the materials used definitely help promote that sense of easy order. I've been thinking so much lately on how to simplify too, and this house is a great visual.
ReplyDeleteevery time i see a house like this with exposed beams and stone walls it makes me sad for the house that got away...one we looked at but didn't buy because it wasn't the right time, wasn't a good location etc...but oh how gorgeous, rustic, cozy, and steeped with history it was.
ReplyDeletequé linda marÃa!! sumar belleza esta muy bien!!!y compartirla...más!!!besos y muy linda semana!!
ReplyDeleteHi Maria,
ReplyDeleteIt was so nice to have you stop by my blog and visit. :) I always love comments and I'm still pretty new to them so it's like receiving the best gift I've always wanted each time I check my email and find someone has left one.
hahahaha I really do love my neighborhood, and it does have some very quirky attributes, but I was a traveling diva this past weekend and visited some of my favorite spots to get-away. I was near the San Antonio Riverwalk for shot of the historic home and the door is from an antique store in Fredericksburg. I AM so lucky to share the alley with the garden store in the last photo.
Hope you have a lovely Monday and thanks again!
*hugs*
Bonnie
so clean, cozy and charming... aaahhhhh happy to have found your blog... xx
ReplyDeleteEs un sueño, creo que la vi en alguna revista, es muy linda, me encanta !!
ReplyDeleteso pretty! I love small house (though mine is no mansion!) some dreams do come true....maybe yours will too!
ReplyDeleteGreat house. I love it!
ReplyDeleteI am with you sister! I keep telling my huz all the time that I want smaller and less stuff. I want to surround myself with only a few things things that I really love. I want to spend more time w. the family not more time fixing & cleaning (!). Maria, in Sweden the average home is a lot smaller (than US). And if I crave anything - I crave that! Simplier & more quality living! Miss you! ox Mon
ReplyDeletei get the appeal of a smaller place - that one is really tiny - like a doll house. but so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOh my.....what an absolutely beautiful home. It could easily pass for yours in a heart beat, couldn't it? Those stairs, that kitchen....that bedroom. Beautiful....Thanks for sharing this dear Maria and your thoughts.
ReplyDeletexo
Melis
It seems to be transition time... This is a great space! I too like the scale and the stone walls are so wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWe also have just one son, and will have no more. With no one else in the house to play with, I find that he is happiest when he is near us. Our home is small and anything bigger would be wasted space since we are usually in the same room, and we like it best that way! It can definitely be a challenge, though, dealing with all the "special" things he wants to keep!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome little house! I have been following your blog for sometime as I work to ready my own wee house, and I have taken a lot of inspiration from your gorgeous design sense. I am in the process of downsizing and streamlining my life to move into a 480 square foot house and it feels so good to me. I will continue to watch this space for more lovely ideas as I make my new house into a home!
ReplyDeleteI love that you are drawn to your own particular tastes, and not what is overly trendy. I find myself sometimes loving things not because they speak to me, but because they are popular, so I applaud you for finding something so special and unique. Also, I live in an extremely tiny space, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's easy to keep clean. :)
ReplyDeleteMaria- The textures and scale of this house make it so cozy. I think all of the natural light coming in keeps it from feeling too small.
ReplyDeleteI completely admire your desire to downsize in a world where bigger is often seen as better. I hope others will follow your lead because really, who needs all of those unused rooms? Give me a little cottage or cabin in the woods and I'll be happy.
While selling our home in Chicago, we lived in a small apt. then on to a small townhome for a year. We lived much more simply and it truly made life easier that we didn't have to deal with so much "stuff". We do have a new home now, we moved here mainly for the wonderful outdoor space we have. But sometimes I still dream about downsizing and how much less work it was!
ReplyDeleteoh, this place is great! i especially love those built in shelves in the entry way. it's funny i was thinking just yesterday that having a smaller house would not be such a bad thing, especially when it comes to cleaning :) i'm a lazy cleaner and i'm pretty sure having less rooms would help.
ReplyDeletei can SMELL that house...does that sound odd? you know what i mean? when you connect?
ReplyDeletewe want to city-live for a while someday. i swoon at the thought of living vertically and getting good at it. but a small space in the country like this one would do, too.
loved that blue trunk. xoxo.
oh, i really really love that house. it will stay in my mind, i think!
ReplyDeletei too want to live in asmall space- i think it's best. my family and i have lived in many different houses so far and i find my 2 children are happiest in a smaller house. somewhere with cosy utilised spaces and where we can't accumulate too many unnecessary things! although we all like having open spaces outside to go walking. :)
That is a beautiful home. I love all of the natural elements. I'm on board with you, I'm craving a smaller home too. We have so many spaces that get no use at all. Besides, there would be less room to spread out forcing us to enjoy more time together. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletethis is a beautiful home. so cozy.
ReplyDeletexo
This is really beautiful and I especially love all the soft, rounded corners everywhere. Very child-friendly, too:)
ReplyDeleteArgh! Utter perfection. I want to move in instantly. It connotes a whole perfect existence I dream of!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. Been feeling like that myself lately, as my kids grow and fly the nest. Love those beams and those stairs!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful home, I could imagine coming in there after a cold rainy journey home, lighting a fire and snuggling up on the sofa, perfect!
ReplyDeletewow, what a beautiful home. i would love to live there!
ReplyDeletejust give me those stairs and i'll be happy. :)
ReplyDeletep.s. do you think it would be weird if i started leaving you comments in spanish? because i really want to...
your home looks amazing, there is a touch of the holiday feeling for everyday in your home, wonderful
ReplyDeleteKay - this is not my home. This is my *fantasy* home at the moment. ;)
ReplyDeletexo,
-maria
This house inspires me too. I'm all about not wasting space ... though I also have to be mindful of my tendency to clutter things up. There is definitely a good balance of pretty possessions and useful things in this fantasy home.
ReplyDeleteoh, that house looks amazing! so rustic and beautiful and lived-in. it's so perfect, and i hope you find one just like it.
ReplyDeletei want to move into your blog and vacation here...shouldn't be a problem right...hehe...xo t
ReplyDeleteI love the rough-hewn, exposed beams. I have some clippings in my inspiration file of just such ceilings... one day, right? By the way, we live in a 500 square-foot apartment... it has its moments. :)
ReplyDeletewhat a great house. love that staircase! and the shelving by the door!
ReplyDeletethank you for you sweet comment over at ill seen ill said about my home. it made my day!