Living in 500 sqft
After recovering from the shock of selling our house in a matter of hours, we suddenly realized something even more shocking. We were going to be homeless in a month! We needed a place that would cut down on Tyler's commute, keep costs as low as possible, and if we were lucky, offered covered parking. Lord knows I don't want to be scraping snow and ice off my car all winter.
We began our search and quickly stumbled upon a brand new complex that met all of our requests. The downside? In order to stay within our tight budget, we were going to have to go with the smallest floor plan available. 545 sqft to be exact. Tyler and I looked at each other and agreed that we could do it. Heck, we were willing do just about anything to help us reach our farmhouse dreams, but a 500 sqft studio apartment was going to be a serious commitment. If we could make it through living in a box while building a new house, we could make it through anything. :)
We have been living in our apartment for just over four months now, and we haven't killed each other yet! In fact, we've haven't really minded the size at all. Yes, it's small and we won't be holding any big dinner parties anytime soon, but it's all the two of us need right now. It's only for a year (fingers crossed).
I get a lot of questions about our living arrangement, so I thought I'd share some pictures to show how we've maximized the space and made tiny living feel like home.
This is our entryway. We hung some hooks to keep clutter off the floor and added a bench and rug to keep things cozy.
The bathroom is right off of the entryway and is your typical 3-piece bath. It's a little tight if two people are trying to get ready at the same time, but we make it work.
Up next is the kitchen. There is very little storage space in here , so we used our old bar cabinet as a makeshift pantry. It has actually worked out really well. The kitchen has been more than adequate for our needs, but I have to say that I'm anxious for a spacious countertop one of these days!
We have one closet in the apartment, and it holds all of our stuff. Clothes, shoes, washer and dryer, toilet paper, paper towels, luggage, tupperware, EVERYTHING! We tried to be very strategic with this space by taking storage to the ceiling, and so far so good. Thank goodness we both got rid of nearly our entire wardrobes a few years ago!
Finally, you have the "everything else" room. AKA - the bedroom, living room, office and dining room all in one. Who knew that sleeping on a full bed would eventually have it's advantages? :)
