02 July 2011

Oh give me a home where the reindeer roam

Wednesday's Homes section of the New York Times profiled a cottage on the outskirts of Helsinki Finland.


The cottage in question belongs to a husband and wife team of architects and they built their little slice of heaven for €30,000 ($42,000 US).


They were looking for a getaway and rather than build something far from the city, they built this cottage in a recreational park ten minutes from home.


At 150 square feet, they report that there's ample room for the couple and their two kids to relax and unwind. In their design, they took a page from the boat builder's handbook and built in space to hide everything when it's not in use.


The home sports a high-efficiency fireplace and tatami mats that heat automatically when the temperature drops below 40 degrees.


I love the idea of living in a small space, and a small space on the shores of the Baltic sounds like an ideal get away. It does to me at any rate. What do you think? Could you live in a small space?

16 comments:

  1. I could if I had to or if it was a vacation home where we'd be spending most of our time outside, but not for every day living. Shhh don't tell, but sometimes my family gets on my nerves, and I need a little alone time. Tough to do in 150sqft when it's hailing outside.

    Heck for that matter, downsizing from my 240sqft kitchen would be tough.

    That's a pretty impressive use of space, though! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Well this place is essentially a vacation home and they have two young kids so it works for them. I wonder how it will be when their kids are teens.

    As someone who lives alone, I can see me in something like that full time. I love the idea of not being able to buy anything for fear of cluttering up my home.

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  3. I am blogging about a 650 sq. ft. house next week, and I thought it was small! I could do 150 if I was alone. With two kids? I would go bananas!

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  4. I live in a really small home but again, I live alone. I like living in a home that makes me think before I make a purchase. Anything I buy has to have a place and the usual bargain I strike is that I have to get rid of something old to accommodate something new.

    The only thing that gives me trouble is books. I'm a heavy reader and I hang onto the books I read. I see them as trophies of a sort. I've been here for more than ten years and my living and bedrooms look like a poorly organized used book store.

    That's OK, my books make me feel smart.

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  5. It looks like everyone would be enjoying the outdoors most of the time, so essentially it functions more like a custom hotel room than a true home (theirs is 10 minutes away after all).

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  6. Seeing their get away makes me want to see their usual digs.

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  7. I live in a 785 square foot condo with my fiance and our golden retriever. It feels small, but not tiny. It's small enough that I have to shop thoughtfully and not bring home "stuff."

    I love the idea of living small and would enjoy a tiny vacation home like this. I don't think I could swing it full time, though!

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  8. I'd love to give it a shot and see how I do.

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  9. I'd like to think that I could easily live there. As a second home it would be much easier than if it were my primary residence.
    I've been really wanting to buy a second home to get away for the weekends. This gives me the inspiration that it doesn't have to be big or expensive.

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  10. It's probably warmer in Utah than it is in Finland. That'd be the perfect mountain escape.

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  11. Fine IF the weather was accommodating, otherwise I feel it could quickly turn into a nightmare with a husband and two kids underfoot ..... and we cannot forget about the dog. :) -Brenda-

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  12. You're Canadian Brenda, I thought you'd be made from sturdier stock. :)

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  13. As we've just added on a couple of rooms, my answer would be NO! But a well-planned small space is going to be easier to 'live small' in, of course. In a holiday house you don't need room for lots of groceries and meals tend to be simple (or eaten out). Ditto for clothes and toys.

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  14. Re your books (and we have the same problem at our house): I remember seeing a home profiled in a magazine and wondering why it didn't feel right. On the final page I understood. The only books in the house were eight airport novels, neatly stacked on the two steps of a low library stool. I felt sorry for the library stool.

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  15. And what an addition you're adding. If you ever want to write a guest post here about it you're more than welcome to.

    I always wonder about people when I walk into someone's home and find it to be bookless. How is that any way to live?

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  16. Living in 150 square feet is not for the faint of heart! That being said, a well planned and organized home could be any size you want as long as you know what you are getting into. This is their idea of the perfect getaway cottage. It doesn't have to be everyone's.

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