Monthly Archives: July 2024

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Living in Small Spaces: Part 1

Like many others, I’ve been fascinated by the thought of living in a tiny house. I even considered doing so while I planned my move to South Carolina. But after watching shows like Tiny House Nation, I soon realized that it takes a certain mentality and more than a little will power to confine one’s life into 300 square feet. Bedrooms you have to climb ladders and crawl into, bathrooms where the toilet and shower are in the same space, chairs that are more at home in a camper than a living room, nope! That’s all fine for a short period, but I am neither mentally prepared or have the will power to live in such a small space for the rest of my days.

I’ve done it before and it was not pleasant.

When I arrived in Arandis, Namibia during my stint in the Peace Corps, I fully expected to live in a tiny grass hut. Such was my preconception of Namibia and Africa in general. I knew there were modern cities in Africa. Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, looks like any European metropolis, complete with the traffic and noise. But I didn’t think I’d be working in Windhoek. This was the Peace Corps after all. They go to where the need is most, and that tends to be in rural areas. So, I saw grass huts in my future. 

I was surprised to find that my first home while in country was a three bedroom house built of concrete blocks. It had full plumbing, power, a nice kitchen, and a living room with a 65” TV and sectional sofa, and a small front lawn. Hardly a grass hut.

So much for preconceptions!

However, by the time I left Namibia, and due to managerial snafus, I was moved to a 500 square foot house, then to a 100 square foot cabin that was originally intended for one person staying overnight. Truthfully, not even one person would want to spend a night in that tiny closet. The place was poorly designed and I barely had enough room for a single bed. Yet I stayed in that cabin for 5 excruciating months. I had an old hot plate for cooking, a fridge the size of a foot stool, and the water from the faucet was not ideal for drinking. I was told that it was temporary, that I was in “transition”. It was hot, smelly and full of mosquitoes. It was not the best 5 months of my life.

Me sitting in front of the tiny hut I spent 5 months in.

When I came back to Florida I rented a 450 square foot cottage. After living in that tiny cabin, 450 square feet felt absolutely palatial! Still, I was in transition; going from my Peace Corps life in Africa to the life I had previously known in Florida. I eventually moved back into my 1450 square foot home and, when I did, I found that I had far more space than I needed. My mind had adjusted to the confining space I was forced to live in.

I had no use for a dining room, one of the smaller bedrooms I used to stage house renovation and repair projects which I could have done in the garage. The other small bedroom remained empty. I pretty much stayed in three room; the kitchen, the living room, and the primary bedroom. Together they were about 800 square feet. I had room to spare!

When I sold my home in Florida my initial intentions were to find a place in South Carolina that was smaller, perhaps around 1000 square feet. I thought that anymore space would be wasted on me. But, sometimes things just don’t pan out like we planned. Instead of downsizing, I’m actually upsizing. The house I intend to buy is a bit more than 1500 square feet. Ah well. It’s still not Buckingham Palace, so there’s that.

Unfortunately, my new home won’t be finished for quite some time. It’ll be at least 10 months before the house is ready. So, I’m in transition once again and, once again, I’m existing in a small space.

I’m renting a studio apartment while my new home gets built. The apartment is 462 square feet. Because space is so limited I find that I need to revisit some of the strategies I used in Namibia and, more so, in the small rental in Florida to optimize storage and make this little spot feel like somewhere I want to be, not escape from. 

With that in mind I’d like to highlight some of those strategies. Maybe you can use some. Maybe you can suggest some. I’m always open to new ideas. So, let’s get crackin!

The first thing I want to talk about is a table. Elevated, flat, hard, durable surfaces in a studio apartment is, unsurprisingly, hard to come by. This place has approximately 4 square feet of counter space. It’s nice counter space, made of a composite granite-like material, but it’s barely enough real estate to prep a decent sandwich, much less cook a meal. Obviously a table of some sort is the answer. 

In the small rental back in Florida I had bought and used a very inexpensive stainless steel table. I got the idea from my friend, Sara. She had a nice stainless table she was using as a kitchen island. That table proved to be very versatile. It was easy to clean and maintain. So, I got one too.

While I would highly recommend a stainless steel table, I would strongly suggest that you not get a cheap one like I did. Mine cost about US$100 and it was not very good. The table top was stainless, but barely so, and the rest of the table was of lower grade metal. The lower surface was definitely a poor grade aluminum. The table top was of low grade stainless. Over time I found tiny rust spots on it. Food grade stainless will not rust so the metal in that table was obviously not food grade. 

That cheap steel table did come in handy.

Still, the table served its purpose. I used it for food prep, a workstation desktop, a sound studio station, a dining table, and more. Even so, I was happy to leave it behind. If you decide to get a stainless steel table get one that has food grade stainless as its top surface. It will definitely cost more than a hundred bucks, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.

This time around I decided to take a different approach. While shopping in Costco I came upon a robust, adjustable height table with a glass top from a company called Tresanti. Glass is key because it makes the top easy to clean and maintain and it makes the table extremely versatile while looking sharp. 

As I mentioned, the table is height adjustable. Back when I was working I found that standing was a lot better for me than sitting at my computer all day. I had my desk raised and the company I worked for gave me a chair that allowed me to easily sit in a quasi-standing position whenever I needed to. I’ve been standing whenever I’m at my computer ever since. 

This table, then, is perfect! It’s the right size to sit behind my two comfort chairs, dividing my “living room” from my kitchen/editing studio/whatever else I need the space to be. (More about those chairs in Part 2.) I can dress it up for an intimate, candle lit evening, fit it out to record audio for my next video, or pound out this post for my blog. 

The raised height is great to stand at. And the stools complete it.

The table was a tad spendy, but it will be with me for a long time. 

I bought two fairly inexpensive, decent quality upholstered stools to go with the table. The stools are comfortable and serve as my dining chairs and as extra seating on the rare occasion when I’m entertaining more than two people. Together the table and stools look as if they were made for each other.

From workstation to an intimate table for two.

So, I’ve doubled my elevated surface area, added more seating, and have created a flexible workspace that looks great. And what I’ve bought will find use in the house I’ll eventually move into, so nothing is wasted. 

The second item I’d like to talk briefly about is actually an indulgence of mine that just happened to be useful. 

One of the few bits of furniture that I brought with me is a lamp that I found in Goodwill several years ago. I bought it for US$10 not knowing if it would work.

Some of you younger readers won’t recall ever seeing this type of desk lamp. It has a heavy metal base, a bendable snake-like stem, called a goose neck, and a wide, rectangular…, I guess you would call it a globe. It’s the portion of a lamp where the light source, a bulb in most cases, would be. This lamp, however, is fluorescent. It uses two, 16 inch long fluorescent tubes as its light source. These types of lamps were popular years ago, especially in accountants and newspaper editors. 

It may not look it, but this is a great lamp.

What’s special about this lamp, special to me anyway, is its versatility. It’s ideal for reading and any time I need a more focused light source. The thing I like most about the lamp, however, is its looks: clean lines, functional, understated with a hint of Art Nouveau aesthetics. It takes up very little of what precious desktop real estate I do have while providing a much needed function. The cost puts it in line with my new found frugalism and the looks certainly coincide with Mid Century Modern tastes.

A win-win!

More about living in small spaces in part 2. Until then…

Stay tuned.

Vern

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The Move So Far…

I’m sitting in an iHop, waiting for my breakfast. It’s 9:32 am on July 4th. I think it’s about time to update my status of my move to South Carolina.

Back when I started this new chapter I knew there would be challenges. I’ve been around the block a few times and change and challenges are not new to me. Events in the past only prepares you for the notion that there will be challenges in the future, however, not what those challenges will be. 

Greenville’s iconic bridge over the Reedy Falls

On the face of it, my move to South Carolina has been largely uneventful. That’s primarily due to my friends, Brian and Francis in South Carolina and Sara in Florida. They have provided lodging for me and storage for my stuff. And the days leading up to my departure was filled with special memories thanks to Marcia. No words can express the depth of my appreciation and gratitude to these my rare and wonderful friends. I hope I can repay their kindness and generosity in kind in the future, once I am settled.

Speaking of getting settled: I now have a studio apartment, have registered my car and changed my driver’s license. For all intents and purposes ( incense and porpoises) I’m now a South Carolina resident. 

(Yay!!)

On the house buying front, I’ve selected a lot, picked out interior and exterior colors and options and I’ll go under contract next week. Unfortunately it’ll take 10 months or more to complete the house, which is why I’ve rented the apartment. 

Knowing that I’ll be in this tiny apartment for a while, I’ve decided to make it as comfortable as I can without breaking the bank. The challenge of fitting out an apartment with an eye on my future house, and my newfound design choices, and frugality mindset have kept me busy. Every major piece of furniture I buy for the apartment will be used in the house. So, careful consideration is a must. 

Oddly, I’m finding my choices for seating and storage to be a bit tougher than one would expect. I’ve visited local furniture shops looking for chairs or small sofas and shelving. Only one store had anything of interest for seating, but the cost was more than I was willing to pay. And I could find no shelves that fit both my sense of style and my budget.

One purchase I’m proud of is a table that I found in Costco, of all places. The table is glass topped and height adjustable, both features are key to maximizing what little space I have in my apartment.

Adjustable height, glass topped table from Tresanti

The glass top makes cleaning a breeze. I can use the table for dining and food prep, and I can seat 4 people comfortably if the need arises. Not that I’m expecting to host intimate soirées in my little studio, but ya neva kno.

When I’m not using it as part of my kitchen I can use the table as it was intended, as a workstation. The height adjustable feature is great because I like to work at my MacBook and iPad while standing. Again, the glass top can be easily cleaned so dinner doesn’t gunk up my keyboards.

The table was a bit pricey at US$250.00, but, in keeping with my frugality mindset, it’s a high quality piece and I’ll own it and use it for a long time.

Another purchase that I’m happy with is my bedding. My house will have a primary bedroom and two smaller bedrooms. I intend to fit out the primary bedroom with a king sized bed, but one of the smaller bedrooms will have a queen sized bed. That is what I bought for use in my apartment. The mattress came from Costco, one of those foam mattresses in a box. I have slept on lower quality foam mattresses before and found them to surprisingly comfortable. This one is from Novaform and it’s so comfortable that I have no trouble falling to sleep on it. 

And my chairs have arrived! 

While shopping around for seating the would fit comfortably in my tiny studio I stopped in a local furniture store that caters to more affluent customers. The sales person, let’s call him Biff, scoffed when I told him I liked Mid Century Modern style of furnishings. “Oh! You mean that 80s looking stuff with the wood and avocado plush pillows?” He asked in a mockingly annoying tone.

No, Biff, I mean clean lines, no overstuffed upholstery, and neutral colors. And no motion furniture! In my world a chair is just a comfortable place to sit, relax, read, think. I don’t want it to be a bed, or vibrate, hold my cup, or heat my back. If I want to put my feet up I’ll grab an ottoman, which can serve as extra seating if needs be.

My Mid Century Modern chairs

But that’s me. I’ll confess to enjoying a sofa once that happened to be able to recline. Even so, I still don’t want that type of furniture. The chairs I bought are more inline with my style senses. They are wooden framed with sturdy wooden arms. The upholstery is not overly stuffed and very comfortable. The material is grey denim which can be easily removed and washed. I intend to get the upholstery redone in leather later, but for now, these are perfect. 

I still have a few items yet to get; a decent shelving unit, headboard for my bed, and a credenza. Each item will eventually be used in my house and I have narrowed down my choices for each. Once everything is in place I’ll give you a video tour.

And so, my move to South Carolina continues to unfold. The journey so far has been exciting and challenging in unexpected ways. I’ve also met some nice people. My family has commented on how fast things are developing. In my mind, however, things aren’t moving fast enough. I like to keep it moving because when I stop moving things get quiet. And when things get quiet I start to feel the emotions that are often associated with changes of this magnitude. Those emotions are not always positive. 

For instance, I could do so much and I was surrounded by a great group of people in Florida. One person in particular and I hung out a lot together. I miss that. I miss them. I miss that person. A lot. 

It will take time for me to get immersed in my new environment and those feelings, I’m sure, will diminish, but never disappear. I just need to keep moving forward.

Stay tuned.

Vern