Downsizing is a hot topic with our clients these days. When moving to a smaller home, deciding what to bring with you can be a real challenge. The biggest misconception that people have is that downsizing is simply a matter of getting rid of some things. The truth is that there is much more to it than that!
While it is certainly important to keep things that you love, keeping EVERYTHING you love is often not possible. This means that sometimes you have to let go of a favourite piece of furniture if it’s the wrong size or scale. Believe me, I know how hard this can be! When we recently moved from a large single-family home into our much smaller condo, I had a hard time accepting that my favourite chaise wasn’t going to work in the new space.
Having recently gone through the downsizing process ourselves, I can relate to the challenges that many of my clients face. The one thing that finally convinced me that I had to let go of my chaise was the floor plan we created with everything drawn to scale. Looking at the plan, it was obvious that the chaise was not going to function well.
Downsizing often means moving from a family home to a condominium apartment. Condos present a lot of different challenges, most of which are related to storage. When designing for condo living, I like to think about creative ways to add storage and reduce clutter. This could be anything from adding custom closet organizers to choosing furniture with doors and drawers.
Especially in an older condo, you might find that renovations are needed to make the space function well for your lifestyle. Another common misconception about downsizing is that you can’t make changes to a condo. It’s true that condos have strict rules for renovations, but in most cases you can move or remove interior walls without any issues.
One of the most important areas to maximize storage in a condo is the kitchen. For example, you could open the kitchen up to make space for a peninsula that not only adds storage but also provides a perfect area for entertaining. In our condo, I decided to extend the kitchen cabinetry all the way across the wall into the dining area. This allowed us to incorporate a bar area with a mini fridge and lots of drawers and shelves to keep all the essentials handy.
Downsizing is a huge undertaking, but it’s also an exciting opportunity to create a living space that suits your current lifestyle. If you are thinking about moving to a smaller home and want to downsize in style, let’s talk!
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