Laura Fenton - The Little Book of Living Small

Its a small world. Tiny houses, minimalism, and a less-is-more attitude are everywhere today. After years of a bigger is better mentality toward homes, people are realizing that extra square footage does not equal greater happiness.

A generation ago, the ideas that a smaller home might be better and that quality should come before quantity were revolutionary. Today, there are four different television shows about tiny houses and more than a million images with the hashtags #tinyhouse and #tinyhome on Instagram. For the first time in decades, the average house size in the United States is shrinking. (The all-time high of 2,467 square feet in 2015 was 49 percent bigger than in 1978!) In recent years, megacatalog retailers have introduced collections of small-scale furniture to cater to a growing market, and a Want Better Not More poster has become a cult best seller. Small is suddenly a big deal.

Smaller homes are trending for a number of reasons: More than a decade after the housing crisis, builders are finally building houses for regular people, not just the rich. Millennials, who have witnessed the dangers of overextending, are seeking out more affordable housing options and delaying home purchases. And those same younger people are moving to cities in increasing numbers.

Choosing small is not just a financial decision or a reaction to the housing market. It is also an ecological choice for an increasingly green-minded sector of homeowners. The same energy that has people across the globe protesting in demand of climate change action has people reconsidering how and where they ought to live.

The small home trend is also closely related to the minimalism movement that turned Marie Kondo into a household name. Indeed, the goal of living small is to streamline every part of our lives.

But the road to tiny is not as simple as deciding to downsize your home. Choosing small is a lifestyle that impacts every part of ones lifenot just the four walls that surround us. A smaller-than-average home requires dedication and discipline, but it rewards its inhabitants with greater freedom.

This book is a comprehensive guide to the small lifestyle. It will show you how to make the most of limited square footagewith grace and style. It will also help you discover the joy of living well with less in all aspects of your life. A small home can provide the same material and spiritual comforts as a mansionwhether you are a single person or a family with kids. This book explores both the motivation behind choosing to live small, as well as the practical, everyday advice for managing a tight footprint.