Create the Look: Mini Mending Cabinet
It’s the little things that can save so much space— like this secondhand shelf, now living out its new life as a mini mending cabinet in our combination bathroom and laundry room. (When in doubt, go vertical if it’s safe. The best, untapped storage spaces are often UP.)
While Adam and I are no experts at patching and darning, our little ones are certainly experts at wearing holes in everything.
For our 7 year-old, it’s the knees of every pair of pants he has. For our 2 year year-old it’s the tips of her sleeves. And for our pups, it’s every dog bed, fitted sheet and plush cushion in the house.
So we simply try our best. Because as we’ve learned through our journey over at the Tiny French Farmhouse, restoration and repair don’t have to be carried out perfectly in order to be not only effective, but also absolutely delightful.
By request, here’s the latest Get the Look… but I don’t want everything I publish to be shoppable. I don’t wan’t to earn income by constantly encouraging people to buy more, when I know that most of us can (and should, for environmental reasons,) live with less. What I do want is for folks to be comfortable, confident and content in their small homes or apartments. And I want to be a resource for reliable ideas that can help you spend less time searching for your stuff, and more time with the ones you love.
So when people ask where I got something that’s in our home, I usually point them to similar handmade and vintage designs. As such, for folks who inquired about this little cabinet: here are some secondhand items and independent online storefronts with handmade goods that can help you recreate this look in a sustainable way that suits YOUR needs and YOUR style.
Create the Look: Cottage Kitchen Corner
I don’t want everything I publish to be shoppable. I don’t wan’t to earn income by constantly encouraging people to buy more, when I know that most of us can (and should, for environmental reasons,) live with less. What I do want is for folks to be comfortable, confident and content in their small homes or apartments. And I want to be a resource for reliable ideas that can help you spend less time searching for your stuff, and more time with the ones you love. So when people ask where I got XYZ in our home, I usually point them to similar handmade and vintage designs. As such, folks who inquired about this little functional corner of the kitchen, here are some secondhand items and independent online storefronts with handmade goods that can help you recreate this look in a sustainable way that suits YOUR needs and YOUR style.
Rightsized Vintage - A Collection of Secondhand Goods for Sustainable Small Spaces
By request, I’m resuming my Rightsized Vintage posts for all subscribers of my newsletter.
These weekly posts will highlight and link to nine secondhand pieces that are well designed for small spaces, or areas in need of enhanced utility or creative storage solutions. This is a way to add character to our homes, source more responsibly, and shop small. (Plus you can always message a seller to request used packing materials if they’ve got them.)
Repurposing Project: Boot Rack Turned Stemware Storage
We don’t need a bigger space — we just need to creatively enjoy the space we have.
One of our little repurposing / upcycling projects for the Rightsizing in Real Time series in my newsletter was this secondhand boot rack turned stemware storage:
For me, this is a great reminder that most of the time we don’t need a bigger space — we just need to creatively enjoy the space we have.
Rightsizing in Real Time - An Ongoing Event for January 2024
I am stepping into 2024 with no illusions that a turn of the calendar will magically ease stressors, or reveal an untapped source of much-needed energy. Yet who doesn’t relish optimism, coupled with a fresh beginning of any sort?
A new year.
A rising sun.
An unexplored perspective.
It’s my job (and my joy) to help people discover comfort and contentment within their homes— particularly spaces that are compact and/or in need of heightened versatility. In order to tenderly weave that work into the intentions imagined by many at the top of the new year, I’ll be publishing regular posts throughout January as part of a month-long series entitled Rightsizing in Real Time. This series will offer simple, flexible prompts and examples aimed at helping folks with their own rightsizing, downsizing, repurposing, and/or organizational endeavors.
I hope you’ll mull over the concepts that apply to you at your own pleasant pace.
Good things take time and consideration.
Rather than jumping frantically from room to room (which is a common and often overwhelming approach that I find laughable when applied to small spaces), we’ll explore solutions to typical small space hurdles through a more versatile lens.
How can we thin the crowding of belongings wherever that occurs?
How can we better define and adapt zones?
What areas are under-utilized and need reimagining?
Where do we start when operating on a tight budget and with sustainability in mind?
Staying Rightsized (Part 6)
Staying Rightsized is a weekly photo roundup featuring some of the many space-saving considerations around our cottage. I share this as a reminder that we usually don’t need a bigger space— we simply need less stuff, and more creativity. As minor as some of these moments seem, the little things really do add up, providing more space for navigating daily life within limited or awkward square footage.
Above: A spare, recovered floorboard is repurposed as a shallow window ledge in the kitchen, providing an unobtrusive surface for utility and play.
Above: A two-tiered, vintage, rolling side table provides twice the surface space for decor and essentials in the combination laundry room + bathroom.
Gift Guide
Post Summary: My 2023 personal gift guide featuring low waste goods, products from independent makers, and/or items we’ve found to be of great use in our home. (Note: None of the items on this list are sponsored, though I have worked with some of these products or brands in the past.)
The following is what I gift or often find myself recommending throughout the year. Some of these items are new-to-me in 2023, while others overlap with my gifting lists from previous years… because the point isn’t finding the latest thing— it’s about sharing goods that serve a practical purpose with unique style while bringing joy and hopefully reducing waste.
More Than a Greenhouse
Summary: How 114 square feet -- and the kindness surrounding it -- made me feel safer in an uncertain time. (Thoughts on Giving Tuesday and supporting The RightWay Foundation)
We constructed our 114 square-foot greenhouse two and a half years ago. Despite the structure’s small size and the fact that it’s not connected to water or electric, it still needed to jump through the hoops of permitting, as it’s located in a preserved natural + wildlife area with high wind and flood risks. For this reason, we wouldn’t risk erecting the greenhouse on our own. We needed a professional who was familiar with odd building projects as well as the climate of the region.
No one wanted to take on the job. We were told it was too small and too strange. If anyone was going to consider it, it was going to cost us… a lot. Even if we weren’t already in the process of building our little home (which is technically a guest cottage), as well as renovating the Farmhouse we bought with our friends, the quotes were FAR out of the reach of my company. (I actually screamed when I read the first one: $21,000.)
Staying Rightsized (Part 5)
Staying Rightsized is a weekly photo roundup featuring some of the many space-saving considerations around our cottage. I share this as a reminder that we usually don’t need a bigger space— we simply need less stuff, and more creativity. As minor as some of these moments seem, the little things really do add up, providing more space for navigating daily life within limited or awkward square footage.
A repurposed net bag attached to the underside of a reclaimed wooden stool is repurposed as a breathable shelf, allowing the treads of little shoes to dry by the front door.
A petite, hooked bin holds a bottle*, thermometer, battery-operated nightlight, and handkerchief for our toddler. This eliminates the need for a side table by the bunk, freeing up space for the kids to play. (*The bottle is PURA Stainless, and is an adaptable design that can be used with beverages for kids and adults.)
Rightsized Furnishings via Small Sized Businesses
In this post: Celebrating Small Business Saturday, as well as updates & milestones in the cottage.
This month we approached the one year anniversary of moving into our little guest cottage in the southeast. Our architect and I designed this ~900 sqft structure with great care, as it’s an essential component of the part-time, multigenerational arrangement that allows us to slowly restore the Tiny French Farmhouse abroad as time and budget allow.
Overall we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the efficiency of the cottage, which really does function as we’d hoped and envisioned it would. But when we moved in one year ago there were still several construction tasks left unfinished, as timelines and budgets ran dry (as they presumably do for the majority of folks, despite the highly polished interiors we often see online that can lead us to believe otherwise).
For example, there’s a 4’-long utility “hallway” that connects the main room (living space / kitchen / dining room / entry) to the bathroom / laundry room combo, and that tiny space was left largely undone. The HVAC concealment door that we’d sliced in half and turned into double panel (so we could still fit into the hall when opening the door) was missing hardware and paint. The flooring behind the door was never installed for some mystifying reason. And the opposite wall, which offers a closet-sized nook where the breaker panel is located, was meant to contain a built-in cabinet system that never came to fruition.
The utility alcove connecting the main room on the right with the bathroom / laundry room on the left (as seen using wide angle photography while standing within the HVAC closet across the walkway).
Note: The full version of this post also contains a Q&A with Lyonella Cook of Sandpaper and Wax Design, the artist who restored the newest vintage piece in the cottage, pictured here. A preview of the questions and responses is below:
QUESTION: Sourcing secondhand and vintage are a great way to combat the “fast furniture” trend that is so taxing on the planet. But some older pieces have toxic finishes, making them less healthy for households— particularly homes with young children. What is your approach to addressing this issue?
REPLY: I have made it a personal business standard to test EVERY SINGLE piece of furniture for heavy metals using FDA/OSHA approved testing kits. Yes it is absolutely more expensive but I believe in guaranteeing a safe product for families. The expectation of safety I have for my own family is the same expectation I have for my clients family. My background is in construction, if there is one thing they drilled home in college and on the job site...safety first!
Thanks... but no thanks! (Thoughts on Avoiding Unnecessary Gifts)
Because the best gift anyone can give our children is a healthy planet for their generation and those that follow.
Because the best gift anyone can give our children is a healthy planet for their generation and those that follow.
It’s the time of year… for unwanted and unnecessary gifts.
With the planet groaning under the weight of ever-intensifying consumerism, households feeling relentless financial strain, and families grappling with an excess of clutter in their homes, it’s time we more widely accept and respect one’s decision to firmly avoid giving and receiving gifts.
But how do we kindly tell a child’s relatives to stop sending toys?
What do we do about well-intended friends who insist on giving “something”?
What solutions are there for rehousing the unwanted gifts that inevitably make their way through the door, despite the recipients wishes?
And what are some unique gifts that won’t further contribute to overflowing households, and — inevitably— landfills, which have a greater impact on disenfranchised and marginalized populations?*
Staying Rightsized (Part 4)
A reminder that we usually don’t need a bigger space— we simply need less stuff, and more creativity.
Staying Rightsized is a weekly photo roundup featuring some of the many space-saving considerations around our cottage. I share this as a reminder that we usually don’t need a bigger space— we simply need less stuff, and more creativity. As minor as some of these moments seem, the little things really do add up, providing more space for navigating daily life within limited or awkward square footage.
Above: A vintage, folding ironing board provides us with a collapsible, dog hair-free surface for sorting never-ending laundry. (Lately it’s been functioning as a mobile desk as well.)
Above: A swivel-arm, wall-mounted rack holds accessories / functional decor for our 7 year-old, while a lower wall basket keeps art supplies (and magic wands) within reach of both kids.
Learning to Manage a Home
Help transition-age foster youth learn how to manage a home.
My grandpa Lou was orphaned at 9.
Left suddenly alone without a mother or home, he was handed off between various households in different towns and states. Over the years he ran away, lived on a breezeway, and was reunited with - and then dismissed by - relatives. He once watched a caregiver burn his clothes and everything he owned right in front of him— an experience that still haunted him decades later. Foster youth experience disproportionate rates of homelessness, incarceration, food insecurity, and trauma. My grandfather was no exception.
It wasn’t until he met a caring mentor that he felt heard, safe, and guided, and could then begin to become a responsible young adult.
He took over the management and responsibilities of a scrapyard.
He served and traveled in the military.
He started a family.
He gave back to his communities in tangible and meaningful ways.
When foster youth have a person and place they can count on, they can begin to break the cycle of trauma, and pivot their energy from surviving towards thriving. This is one of the many reasons I passionately support the nonprofit organization The RightWay Foundation, and invite you to join me by becoming a part of the family support system that foster youth need in order to grow. This season’s contributions will go directly towards nurturing responsibility, helping the youth in RightWay’s supportive housing manage their apartments— from cleaning, to preparing healthy meals, to paying their rent on time.
Click here to help guide our youth, nurture responsibility, and give them the gift of a safer, healthier, and more stable household.
Staying Rightsized (Part 3)
Because we usually don’t need a bigger space. We simply need less stuff and more creativity.
Staying Rightsized is a weekly photo roundup featuring some of the many space-saving considerations around our cottage. I share this as a reminder that we usually don’t need a bigger space— we simply need less stuff, and more creativity. As minor as some of these moments seem, the little things really do add up, providing more space for navigating daily life within limited or awkward square footage.
Suspended clips for air drying washable wipes and all manner of small linens.
A teapot put to additional use when the weather insists on see-sawing between the 40s and the 90s on a daily basis in November.
Vintage French Reusable Shopping List
A recent post featuring our vintage, French, wall-mounted reusable shopping list garnered so many questions that I’m sharing a (recently updated!) shoppable collection of some of my favorite similar designs below. Here’s to shopping small, sourcing secondhand + sustainable, and warming our homes with unique goods that make our spaces all our own.
From left to right, top to bottom:
1. Commissions (1)
2. Commissions (2)
3. Epicerie Fine
4. Cats
5. Wooden shelf
6. Perrier
7. Liste with peppers
8. Hen
9. Cuisine, galvanized
Note: I earn a (very small) commission from secondhand items sold from this post. Photos are © the individual shop owners.
Staying Rightsized (Part 2)
Because we usually don’t need a bigger space. We simply need less stuff and more creativity.
Staying Rightsized is a weekly photo roundup featuring some of the many space-saving considerations around our cottage. As minor as some of these moments seem, the little things really do add up, providing more space for navigating daily life within limited or awkward square footage.
Because we usually don’t need a bigger space. We simply need less stuff, and more creativity.
Above: Custom cushions top the raised benches / tables on either side of the kids’ wardrobe. With the cushions on, the kids each have a reading nook by a window. With the cushions removed, the kids each have a desk at which to play and work.
Above: 1¼” wide magnetic wooden blocks (squeezed between the trim of two narrow windows) support individual kitchen knives in order to free up drawer and counter inches.
The Tiny French Farmhouse: Sleeping 9 people in <800 sqft
NOTE: This entry was written as a response to one of the most commonly asked questions about the farmhouse: “Where does everyone sleep?!”
Our <800 sqft farmhouse residence, which is shared between five adults and four young kids, was listed as a 2 bedroom / 1 bathroom online.
Thankfully, upon receiving the private link to the full property listing, we discovered that there was also an unlisted half-bath — or “WC”— upstairs between the little bedrooms. We rejoiced heartily over this. (We still do.)
While the surprise WC solved the most pressing space-related problem we’d anticipated (one toilet for nine people was clearly not going to suffice), there was still the significant, runner-up spacial issue of the need for a third bedroom. As we’re three parties who intended to overlap frequently during both our short and long-term stays, creating an additional, dedicated sleep space was promptly added to our list of restoration and renovation projects. We marked it as non-urgent, but a high priority.
As you can imagine (and see for yourself via my photos), our repair + to-do list is very long. The farmhouse and its outbuildings were constructed in the mid-1800s, and adapted mindfully but inexpertly over time. Some of the our list’s entries are essential. Some are aspirational. Some need to be done for regulatory purposes. Others are constantly being erased and re-written to reflect our families’ evolving needs as life unfolds in the unexpected ways it does.
This past summer was our first with all three parties / nine folks together in the residence at once…
Staying Rightsized (Part 1)
Staying Rightsized is is a new weekly photo roundup featuring some of the countless space-saving considerations around our cottage.
Because as minor as these moments seem, the little things really do add up and provide more space for navigating daily life within limited or awkward square footage.
Wait - Do I Hate Hosting Now?
It’s not the space or the food. It’s the energy.
Don’t share this with any home decor magazines because I’d be out of a small but essential revenue stream for my small business and family, but these days I cringe at the idea of hosting.
It’s not our space— I designed it with hosting in mind.
It’s not the people— I (generally) love people.
It’s not the food— Adam always concocts something tasty.
A Personal Ode to Public Libraries
How public libraries have directly impacted my design philosophy, consumer habits, and our family
Earlier this month I found myself tiptoeing alone through the public library with my tripod and camera, trying to discretely capture a particular visual that had long been brewing in my mind. I’d hoped to use the footage to help spread the word about Library Card Sign-Up Month, an event that takes place every September in the United States in tandem with the start of the new school year.
Unfortunately, the library’s sign-up campaign kickoff is often drowned out by concurrent and omnipresent “back-to-school” consumer festivities. Yet as retailers loudly inundate children and caregivers with the latest trends before clearing store shelves for Halloween candy and decorations, a library card quietly remains one of the most timeless, useful, versatile, accessible and cost-effective back-to-school supplies available.
In the past 2½ years alone, local public libraries have saved my family a whopping $24,000.We’ve borrowed hundreds of books, reserved private study spaces, checked out STEM kits and sensory toys, attended special community events at various branches, and more.
But it’s not just about the money— the library has saved our family so much space.