It’s been a bit, so I am so pleased to share a Small Home Tour from New York! Khrystyne and her family of 4 make the most of the city living in this cozy 700ish square foot apartment. I’ll leave you with Khystyne below!

Intro

Hi, I’m Khrystyne, I’m a mom of 2 and our family lives in Manhattan. We moved here 10 years ago and both of our kids were born in the city , so they’re true New Yorkers :)

When we first got married, we lived abroad teaching English in China and quickly caught the travel bug. Living in a smaller space has allowed us to continue prioritizing travel to new places with our kids.

I have my masters in elementary and special education, but I left the classroom when my son was little because I wanted more flexibility and time to be with him. Living small allowed us to be able to make those sacrifices while still living in such an expensive city.

I now work 1-1 teaching students with special learning needs and just launched my own business called Space Jams. In my free time, I love exploring the city with my family and running.

You can find Khrystyne HERE !

How big is your home and what is the layout ?

The verdict is still out ;) but I believe our home is roughly between 700 and 750 square ft.

The layout is one of the things that drew us to consider a 1 bedroom with 2 kids. When you walk in, the entryway is open and has a nice little nook we were able to transform into an eating/work station. The entryway opens into our living room. This is where our Murphy bed is as well as our family dining, eating and work area.

The room is spacious but it took time to figure out how to make it function with all the different hats we were asking it to wear ;)

The kitchen is a wide galley kitchen with bright windows facing south. I fell in love with the sunshine and always the counter space. Our family loves cooking together and the width and open counters are perfect for that, Off the kitchen, there’s a small hallway with closets and the bathroom that leads into the bedroom and our kids room. It’s also a spacious room with a beautiful corner window I fell in love with. There’s a small closet my husband uses and then a small walk in closet where I keep my stuff and everything else that needs a home like our car seats (we don’t have a car :)

The bedroom has morphed many times to accommodate our kids ages and sleeping needs. For a while we had a crib and a pull out ottoman bed for our son. Last summer, the kids were finally old enough to move into bunks (2.5 and 5). We were so happy to find the Mydal bunk bed from Ikea because it was low enough for our daughter and still left room underneath for clothing storage.

Living room with a view from the entryway

Who lives there?

My husband and I with our son and daughter. (6+3)

Tell me about your choice to live small. Was it a conscious decision or did it just evolve?

Our apartment in China was small but we discovered quite quickly how normal that was in other countries around the world. As we traveled, we got used to a different mindset and way of life than we’d grown up with in the states.

When we moved to nyc, we were just happy to get any space bc finding an apt here is so cutthroat and complicated.

We lived in a 450 square ft apartment and honestly loved it. We were there 4 years before I found out I was expecting. When we discovered it would cost $5000 to break our lease, I went into panic mode.

I might have spent a few weeks throwing a pity party for myself. Everyone kept asking when we were moving and getting more space. But finally, one day I realized this was reality and I could either sulk or find a way to make it work. At this time I also stumbled across your home and account and just the name 600 square feet and a baby gave me hope that I wasn’t the only person out there thinking this was possible.

Our apartment now is “so much” bigger lol but I’m thankful for the lessons of gratitude and resourcefulness that first apt taught me.

We have definitely not arrived in our space. I’m not sure you ever do with kids growing and needing new things. But I’ve found so much joy and purpose getting to share what I’ve learned and work with others through their own space jams and moments of overwhelm.

How would you describe your home style? ex) modern, minimal, bohemian, vintage?

I would describe our style as an eclectic boho in the kids room and more minimal and rustic in living areas.

I want the kids room to feel rich and magical with textures colors and stories. It’s a bright room and I love that their creativity is woven into each corner.

In the living spaces, I lean towards more minimal. Having clean lines and less stuff helps me not feel overwhelmed and able to relax and work. I also love the calm that comes from decorating with natural textures and plants. I love finding beauty in unexpected places. Whether that’s in the art my kids create, an abandoned chair in our apartment building’s basement, or a rug passed down from my grandmother. People often ask to shop our home, but I think the thing that makes it feel warm and special are those things that pop up from the least expected places.

Is there a piece of furniture or accessory (or a few) that you couldn't live without that makes living in your space easier?

Hands down our Murphy bed! You inspired me so much with this when we were considering the switch!

I think the other would be our wall shoe storage unit. It has such a small footprint and holds our family’s shoes so well. We have a big one for shoes and a bench one that I use for seasonal gear. These have been total life savers!

I also am obsessed with our hanging grow light. I found it on Amazon and it’s breathed new life into a very awkward corner of our home.

Can you share some of your favourite city spots that support living small? For me it's nearby parks, community gardens, coffee shops, science world.. love to hear from others in their cities.

In the winter we love doing museums! The MOMA (museum of modern art) has been a new found mama love for me. They do an incredible story hour for kids and are great at facilitating convos with kids about art. And their discovery lab is amazing! NYC museums are world class and almost all of them have free discovery rooms for kids if you know where to look. We also love ice-skating at Bryant Park in the winter. We thrifted our own skates so it’s totally free and easy to reserve times.

In the summer, our favorite thing is to hop on the subway and go to the beach. I love the convenience of public transportation and how you can visit so many places. We also spend so much time in our parks. We are intentional about gifting our kids experiences and last year their gift was a year pass to the botanical garden. It was the best $150 we have ever spent. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by such beauty and able to visit as much as we want.

What is something you love about living small?

I love that it pushes you out of yourself. It’s impossible to just stay inside. It forces us to be intentional with nature but also what we allow or don’t allow into our home.

I used to find the small margins daunting and almost like a curse? But now I have come to find such gratitude for how it holds us in and gives us a measurement for what’s essential and truly matters most.

What is something you hate?

Hmmm I’ve come far! I think I hate not having a mud room or just an outdoor space for coming home from outdoor activities. I wish we had a place where dirty shoes, sweaty clothes or sandy bags could go that’s not in our home. Also I’d love more room for when people visit. But we make it work and the memories are still sweet.

I would do anything for a small little patio and grill. But I do think it helps us treasure that even more when we visit other places.

I think Small Space-ers need to stick together and share all their best tricks. Do you have any storage or organizational tips you want to share?

I think we so often believe that if we have the perfect system everything will fall into place. Or all the fancy boxes and labels. But I’ve found that it’s the mindsets we hold on to that are more powerful than the actual system.

I always recommend starting with what you have and taking a hard look at the habits that are currently in place. And the beliefs that are influencing them. Is there scarcity mindset at play? Comparison? Guilt? Grief? All of these impact the way we view our homes and operate in them. Pull those things out first and then try moving forward. I think that’s one of the most powerful tips for organizing.

My other idea is to always leave empty spaces. This creates a feeling of abundance knowing there is room for more. In every drawer or shelf I try to leave some empty space and when I can’t? That’s my sign that it’s time to let go.

Sources:

Murphy Bed: Breda Beds

Bunkbeds: IKEA Mydal

Art: meghancaughill

Coffee table: - world market

Sofa: Albany Park

Thanks so much Khrystyne, for opening your home to us! Love your positive outlook on small living and how much it gives to you, rather than takes away. And especially love the sentiment about leaving some blank space wherever you can.

Khrystyne and family of 4 in 700ish square feet in NYC