small space, big style

My new favorite tv show is Small Space, Big Style.  HGTV does it again for me, after my first love House Hunters.  All these people who live in homes of 1000 square feet or less, some even in as little space as 350 sq ft.  I'm already pretty smitten with the idea that good things come in small packages, within the contexts of homes and otherwise, i.e., my philosophy professor from last quarter, Russian nesting dolls, or my parent's crazy puppy.

The distortion of scale is so surprising: what you think can't fit actually does, all these hidden drawers and surprises behind curtains.  There are daybeds that function as living room couches (I'm not a fan) and staircases doubling as bookcases (huge fan).  This lifestyle seems to have that same interactive feel of reading a pop-up picture book, the joys of opening and closing things!

What I'm most impressed with is the discipline it takes to upkeep a small space.  You can really tell someone's philosophy of living from their home, their commitment to their space or lack of, how they want to use their time and money.  It almost seems like a luxury to have a place like this, one that has been upgraded and renovated, while there are other people who live in close quarters out of necessity and don't have the means to do up their place.

This is one of my favorites, not the place itself, but the homeowner. I think the guy is genuinely perceptive about his space. So spot-on when he calls his inflatable couches and ottomans "cartoons of furniture"!  I don't think I could look at plastic furniture every day when I came home. They're probably not good for posture either...