Hosive

in the book series, not so big house, the key to getting the most out of a small space are niches. even in big homes, what makes a home “homey” are the small little places that feel cozy and safe. where memories are made. so good architects, builders and home makers build little spots into a house or apt to make the space memorable and alive. i’ve been blessed to live in a few places with little nooks and spots that radiate with life.

we bought one of the not so big house books because we were moving from a 2400 sq/ft md house into a 1100 sq/ft nyc apartment. but it turns out the not so big homes in the not so big house books were not so not-so-big. they were huge places! we have different definitions of not so big house!

in these features, i’ll detail mundane little spots around our apartment…..the spots where we live…and life is made.

what gives our place an open feel and yet a sense of boundary and closure is this island. it allows the apartment to flow from the kitchen to the dining area into the living room…and at the same time marks the kitchen as it own space….while being its own niche as well. its one of the countless favorite little places in our place. this is why we love our home!….there are so many parts to love.

from the kitchen view, you can see all the storage it gives us with pots and pans; drawers for utensils and gadgets. plenty of storage for a nyc pad…which makes theresa happy….we can almost fit all our kitchen gear from maryland.

looking into the kitchen, you see how the island works as a serving station when we entertain friends, family and church folks. drinks, food, water and utensils all fit….allowing for a buffet setting for large and small groups.

another view from the kitchen, closer to the stove shows the vast usable space available to us….theresa likes it when its completely clear and clean looking. but that only happens once in awhile since we have people over all the time.  when not entertaining, we use the end of the table for mail, messages and stuff to remember to do.

for quick lunches and dinners, we also like to eat here. these two stools look like they were made for our apartment from the height to the color. in maryland, we had an island and made the mistake of buying three seats and that made the island look crowded. we did not repeat the mistake. this looks snug and right.

on other days, the area is my work station….or brunch spot….and even a place for coffee and the new york times print edition. i still get the paper….i’m archaic.

underneath the counter are two important fixtures of our home….the fire extinguisher….and that pc looking things is….

our korean rice storage and dispenser…it evenly dispenses the right amount of cups when the lever is pulled. we use the rice pc all the time…..but thankfully have not had to use the fire extinguisher!

finally from this angle and this shot, you get some good views of our soft bamboo floors. they’re usually great except when you drop(heavy)stuff on the floor as  they dent easily. good news is that bruises and scratches blend into the look and fabric of the floor so no worries.

niches within niches and magical floors…we love our home!