LEE-ANN GERBER
One holiday, while visiting my parents' home, my mum mentioned she was clearing out her filing and had come across my old report cards. She asked if I wanted to keep them. I looked through and found my very first report card, where my teacher noted, "Lee-Ann enjoys puzzles that are advanced for her age and, once she starts something, she keeps going until she has finished it." 😊 Both of these statements still hold true. But what does this have to do with smaller spaces, you ask? Well, is there any puzzle more satisfying than fitting a large, intentional life into a small space?
There are many more advantages to living in a smaller space! It is environmentally friendly—compared to standard homes, tiny houses reduce greenhouse emissions by up to 36%. And since you need far fewer materials for your smaller space, you can opt for more natural and sustainable (slightly more expensive) options. Your running costs are much lower too, with a tiny home using around 20 to 30% of the energy of an average house. This means they can be fitted with solar panels or wind power at a much lower initial investment, allowing you to live off-grid—a benefit that, sadly, may be necessary in our beautiful country. Additionally, smaller living spaces blur the lines between indoor and outdoor life, inviting nature in and encouraging us to step out, fostering a life of deep connection and reciprocity with the natural world.
Now, I’m not suggesting that everyone needs to live in a 3 x 7m box on wheels. "Small" means something different to each of us. It could be a cabin in a scenic landscape, connecting you with nature. It might be a smartly designed, multifunctional apartment in the city, maximising a limited footprint. Or it could be a two-bedroom house that suits the size of your family now that the kids have moved out and the big family home no longer makes sense. While living in smaller spaces can have many benefits, I’m also not saying it will single-handedly solve the global housing or climate crises. What it does achieve, however, is changing the relationship we have with the objects we choose to own and the spaces we choose to live in.
The key word when it comes to smaller living is intentionality. With limited space, you must be thoughtful about each item you choose to include. In a world where consumerism and algorithms try to convince us we have an empty void that can only be filled with the latest (fill in the blank), it might feel radical to say, "No more. I want to change my relationship with my belongings, myself, my community, and nature." That may seem like a big ask from a small home, but this is the superpower of choosing to live more intentionally by going smaller.
I truly believe that smaller homes are the future—a catalyst for healthy people, thriving communities, and a symbiotic relationship between built environments and the natural world.
