Family Living…in 500 square feet!
April 10, 2013
I’m a big fan of Jordan Ferney and all of her creative ventures over at Oh Happy Day. She and her husband recently moved back to San Francisco after living abroad in grand Paris (lucky, non?!) and settled themselves into this charming 500 sq ft apartment. Did I mention that they have 2 young sons and that, ahem, this space is only five hundred square feet? After some renovations and more than a few gallons of white paint, the Ferney residence is fresh, fun and functional…the perfect combination!
(At the request of Jordan, only 2 photos can be shared here but please visit Oh Happy Day to see many her entire house tour, including more before and afters of each room)
Photos by Heather Zweig for Oh Happy Day
Confession, I struggle with being content. Always have and probably always will. It’s just my nature to always be thinking about the next project, plan or to-do on my list. (It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with what I have, quite the opposite in fact, as I feel blessed in so many ways in my life…I just always seem to be thinking ahead to what’s next). We live on pretty modest means and it’s easy to dream about spreading out in a bigger home at some point along the way so this apartment was a great reminder for me this week, proving once again that the actual square footage of a home means a lot less than how one actually uses the space. Minimal doesn’t need to look sterile. Surrounding ourselves with what we love and paring down to the items that we actually use and need will make even the tiniest abode function better and feel like home.
Photos by Heather Zweig for Oh Happy Day
Touring through Jordan’s house tour inspired me to think smaller, purge the unnecessary clutter and focus on how well our home functions rather than on the square footage it might be lacking. Does looking at other people’s homes (or lives on Instagram and other social media, for that matter) leave you feeling envious and discontent with your own space or does it inspire you to tackle future projects and DIY’s? I’ve been reading some interesting discussion on the subject and, personally, I wouldn’t be blogging about interiors if viewing so many spaces made me feel bad about my own home. I’m a dreamer and thinking ahead to long list of projects on my wish list (and believe me, it’s very much a wish list!) somehow keeps me going, despite the realities of our minimal budget. And I sincerely hope that the homes I share here make you feel just as excited and motivated for your own “one day” projects 🙂
