Who wants to live the small life?

Have I convinced you to live in a small house yet?  Lots of people love living the small life — and bring great gusto to it. And not just on mountain tops and deep in forests.  These people found smaller is better even in the biggest cities.

Designer and architect Rohan Walters built an 1100 square foot “Driveway House” in Toronto in a space that was just 12 by 40 feet.  Read more about it here where Humble Homes drew our attention to it.

The use of glass walls and frosted panels allow lots of light to penetrate into the interior of the home.

I particularly like how the electrical outlets are placed high on the walls along a silver-coloured strip.

And it’s super efficient, too, using as small an environmental footprint as it does a physical one.

In the heart of Paris, clever use of design by Julie Nabucet and Marc Baillargeon allow comfort and style in just 130 square feet. Thanks to Tiny House Talk for the heads up.

The bed pulls out from underneath the raised kitchen area.

And I love the bold touch of the red kitchen cabinets. This angle allows you to see how they’ve brought light into the kitchen through the clouded glass of the bathroom door.

Of course, there are lots of opportunities to create a great small space in New York City.  This Houzz story shows a 300 square-foot studio in Manhattan.  Are you expecting more sleek finishes and mid-century modern lines?  Nope, this space has gone all Boho in Soho. (Actually in the Upper East Side, but who could resist…?)

In decorating her studio, she was inspired by both New York City and rural Chilean Patagonia. She wanted to create an urban refuge but was also drawn to rough woods, thick wools and warm colors, which were naturally suited to the apartment’s existing brick wall.

Eclectic Living Room by Brooklyn Photographers Rikki Snyder

Even this tiny NYC apartment shows us warm wood and rich textures.

This story from Life Edited shows how they’ve fit so much into the tiny area without looking cluttered or “stuffed”.

From Apartment Therapy we learn about another tiny home, right across the bridge in Brooklyn and just 460 square feet.  They have used light wood tones as well to make their house look warm and yet clean and elegant.

But the secret to living in such a small place is in building up.  Looking the other way in the suite we see how they have created a second story in their sleeping loft.

Lots of clever use of built-in storage, plus an office area tucked under the bed.

Big cities and small homes.  The perfect combination.