My girl Meghan is living the dream! She and her hubby, Stephen, have an amazing third of a house in the super cute Glen Park 'hood of San Francisco. It's rent controlled and and in a prime location. They've been blessed with 2 super cute boys (1 and 3 years old) and are living in 450 square feet, so life is a challenge, but they pull it off with ease! Their house is so much fun to be in and fun to shoot!
Living in such a small space can be a challenge, but it also has it's perks... they spend a lot of time outside (luckily, Glen Canyon Park is only a few flat blocks away!) and they only keep the good stuff. Meghan is constantly purging her things. But one thing that certainly remains is sweet and kinda creepy style! I love a place that has kid toys in the fireplace (hello, brilliant!!) and shark teeth on the shelves. They definitely make great use of the space they have. They've turned the walk-in closet into the office and their dining room is now the boys' shared room! There are windows everywhere allowing for tons of natural light, which you NEED living in foggy SF and in such a small space.
I asked Meghan a few questions about her home...
Tell me about your sweet little home? Meghan "My favorite thing is also my least favorite thing. I am a minimalist at heart and love having empty counters and spaces and everything being organized. I like quiet and calm, but with 2 kids it's hard. I want them to have toys to play with and make huge messes and be dirty and have fun as much as they want ad we don't have any outside place for them to play so it's crucial [for them to be able to make a mess]. For now I'm sacrificing what I prefer so my kids can have a happy childhood. I dream of a slightly bigger place where all the hard work we've done to purge will pay off and we'll have some empty spaces. My house is moslty clean from 8pm-6 am and we are totally happy with that."
What's the biggest challenge to living in a small space? Meghan's answer "Creating distance of space within the house and trying to find comfort with living with everything being out all the time. We also have to be creative with storing our things. You also have to be ok with friends coming over when your place is a complete disaster" and Stephen's answer "Forcing yourself to selectively edit what you have in your surroundings. It's like fine moonshine- you distill your life to just the good stuff."
What is the best thing about living in a small space? Meghan "The less you have, the less you have to clean!"
What's at the top of your list for your next home? Meghan "Outdoor space! A space to get dirty and run around without having to pack up and go to the park. Washer and dryer is a close second."
Meghan spends most of her time shaping the lives of her precious littles and tidying up after them. Stephen spends his days at Earth Baby (compostable diaper service that totally ROCKS).
Here are a few photos from our visit. The redhead and the little one are Meghan and Stephen's boys... my boy is the blondie in the first photo. Do you live in a small house/apartment? How do you make it work?
