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All posts in “New Room Diaries”

Storage Possibilities in a Small Home

I’ve done a major clean out of my old house. My rule is: If it doesn’t fit in the POD, it doesn’t come with me. I still know there are things I am going to want to get rid of once I move in. I also know that compressing a 2,600-square-foot house into 1,450 square feet is going to present its own set of storage challenges.

I have a desire to live minimally, with everything in its place. But with no pantry, no real laundry room, and just a few closets, I know I’m going to be storage-challenged. Still, there’s hope! Check out these great built-ins and ideas for gaining practical space in a not-so-spacious house.

Built-In Bookshelf

Courtesy of Homestyle, Magazine

Some of my most favorite possessions are my books. Forever I’ve kept them in stacks on the floor or crammed into any little bookshelf I can find. I love how these built-ins make statement! They are both pretty and practical.

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The Reality of House Shopping

Well… House shopping isn’t as dreamy as the commercials make it out to be. Especially when you work for a home and garden magazine. Over the years, I’ve worked for Southern Accents, Coastal Living, and freelanced for several others. During my experiences, I have had the privilege to write about and visit some of the most incredible properties in Birmingham and across the country.

Though my salary never came close to being able to afford any of the fabulous houses we would feature, I did cultivate my eye, and on a few occasions got some bad cases of the “wants.” Still, my hopes were high. I know my limits, and I know I can make something great out of not much. On my endless house tours with my agent, I carried these visions in my mind…

Cute Cottage 1

How much do you love this simple wood frame house? To me, this is the quintessential American home, complete with American flag. I could just imagine my blow-up swimming pool crawling with kiddos in the front yard.

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Starting Over: Inspired by Beautiful Rooms

Luckily, my divorce was friendly—for the most part. When it came time to divvy the goods, we didn’t argue over anything— probably because we didn’t have much and what we did have was big, bulky, and dark—things I knew wouldn’t fit into my future sunny “cottage.” He got the the sofa, the big stained armchairs, and the Tiffany-style lamps I never liked anyway.

I am starting over. I can do anything I want! Oh the bright, happy visions! White, bright, colorful, fun! Check out some of my favorite dream shots of light-filled rooms:

Bye-bye, dark house

(House Beautiful, July 1999)

House Beautiful showed this image in their June 1991 issue. Interior designer Victoria Hagan proves that simple, white slipcovers and sisal rugs are forever stylish.

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Starting to fade. IKEA, Here I come!

I often fantasize about living in one of the 450-square-foot apartments in the IKEA showroom. Somehow, they’ve managed to squeeze in everything you could possibly need to exist—and they make it look comfortable. There’s a full, albeit minuscule kitchen.A living area boasting a 48″ screen TV and plenty of bookshelves, a bedroom with totally stylish linens, even a bunk area for the kids complete with happy colors and a strand of lights.

Cathy in her IKEA living room

Hi. Cathy Still Johnson here. Welcome to my IKEA living room!

Could I do it? Could I? What would my sacrifice be? Closet space? An extra bathroom? The dining area that I use as a desk? My yard? Hmmm. Isn’t that what parks are for? It doesn’t sound so bad does it? I did live in a dorm room in college after all. Maybe I’ll apply for a job. And instead of wages, I’ll ask for room and board—along with a daily serving of their Swedish meatballs.

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Lots of Priorities. Limited Options.

My New House Priorities:

  1. A great public school system
  2. A house I can afford on my salary (i.e., small)
  3. A family-friendly neighborhood
  4. Minimum 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
  5. Convenient to conveniences
  6. A spot for a garden
  7. Garage
  8. A light, sun-filled home with a good floor plan

My Options: Limited.

Me? Stubborn and unwilling to settle. Luckily, I did want a smaller home—with purpose! My old house had a great big front room that I never could decide what to use it for. A grand entry? So not me. A living room? Already had one. We settled on a nothing kind of space and never really addressed it. It was just a room with two chairs and a big fireplace. We just don’t live like they did in 1918.

Foyer

I could never find a purpose for this room in my old house. It ended up being our Christmas tree and fireplace room. We probably only used it two months out of the year except to enter and exit the front door.

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Selling the First House

There’s a lot more to selling a house than hiring an agent and sticking a sign in the yard. There are open houses: Declutter! Keep it clean! (try that with young twins!) Take care of repairs! I never cared about our foundation problem until I had to write a $1,200 check. And oh the disappointment when you realize the market deems your home value isn’t what you thought. So much for equity!

The Dining Room

My favorite room in my old house was the dining room. Style-wise, it was all over the place. Regardless, it was full of things I loved.

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Home Sweet Home

My first house: A 1918 Arts and Crafts home in the historic district of Birmingham, AL. Oh the fun times my—ahem—now ex-husband and I had. The house had some edge. It was cool. It was the kind of place where friends wanted to hang out. And because it was perfectly located between downtown and the suburbs, it was a spot friends stopped by for a beverage on the way home and stayed on for another. We were in our 20s and it was just right.

The First House

My First House

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