600sqftandababy

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Small Home Tour: Susan and Teenagers in 1000 square feet

I put the call out asking for more Small Home Tours and you all really came through! I’m still working my way through your emails so if you haven’t heard back know that I am getting to it. I needed to get this one up as fast as possible because Susan understood the assignment ;). Living in a small space with teenagers and adult children that stay from time to time this is exactly the kind of inspiration that I need with growing children in a small space in the city. Thank you Susan!! I’ll leave you with her beautifully minimal artful home in Australia…

Intro:

Hey I’m Susan but people call me Suse, Susie or Sue…. never Susan, which works for me. I live an urban life in a country town called Margaret River which is on Wadandi Country in Western Australia. 

I am a mum to 4 with two adult children (22 and 24) and two teenagers (16 and 14). To earn a crust, I work in the area of community infrastructure for my Local Government Association where I plan, design and coordinate the construction of playgrounds, pathways, trails, wayfinding, public art and more! I also love to design and make – anything from house/landscape design through to baking and basket weaving.

How big is your home and what is the layout?

My home is a townhouse of 97 sqm (ed. note roughly 1000sqft) that we designed and built four years ago. On the ground floor is the main bedroom, bathroom, laundry cupboard and lounge/dining / kitchen area. The second floor is the kid’s domain consisting of two bedrooms and a little loft that serves as an extra sleeping / lounge area. 

Who lives there?

Sounds like such a simple question but my answer may be a bit convoluted so here goes…. I live here fulltime as does our rabbit – Sherlock. My two younger children (Jemma and Spencer) share their time between my place and their dads and my partner Matt stays with us a few nights a week. Although we all spend various amounts of time here this is our family home - a place that we created together and that we love. 

My two older children (Summer and Indi) have lived out of home for 5 + years now. Having the small loft area means that they have a little space to call their own if they want to come home for any length of time.

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

My decision to go small was definitely a conscious decision but was also influenced by what I could afford to build. 

Approximately 10 years ago now I lucky enough to be in a position to leave the rental market and build a small home for my family. My number one desire was to live super close to town to reduce the time I spent as a taxi service for my kids. I also wanted the ability to grow food, have a garden space to be in and enjoy and to be able to construct the best house I could (in term of solar passive functionality) with the very limited $ I had available. This led to us building our first small abode (located two doors down from our current place) and five years later this house.  We joke that I built this place so I could purchase the second-hand marble table that I had being eyeing off at our local second-hand furniture store.  I mean it’s sort of true and in my opinion totally worth it, my table is kind of amazing. 

The way people typically live in Australia is in large houses (the average is approximately 230sqm) with double garages in the burbs. I wanted something very different for my family, something that would allow us to live just that little bit lighter on this earth. Also, I was seeking a home that helped to look after us by keeping us warm in winter, cool in summer and the bills low whilst providing us with welcoming space to share with friends and family (who love to come to stay).

How would you describe your home style?

I would describe my home style as eclectic minimal (if that’s even a thing?). We love art not stuff. 

Is there a piece of furniture or accessory that you couldn’t live without that makes living in a small space easier?

The kids rooms have built in robes with drawers, shelving and hanging space that allows for all their clothes (and many other items) to be stored in one spot.  This works so well and would be something I would replicate in future abodes should we move. 

What is something you love about living small?

In a pre-pandemic world I was lucky enough to visit Japan and learn about wabi-sabi which is a way of being that celebrates beauty and appreciation for imperfection. At Toco Guesthouse (our hostel in Tokyo) I watched as our host made breakfast for five completely happy that all she had to work with was a rice cooker on a stool, a sink and very small work area. She was content with what she had and adapted the way she did things to suit the space.

This is what I love about living small it provides my family and I with what we need without the excess. This, in turn, allows us to value moments such as a frog enjoying the water bowl in the garden or the kids being able to easily meet up with their friends because living small allows us to reside so close to town.  

What is something you hate?

There is nowhere to hide the pile of washing that needs to be folded and put away. This goes on the lounge which means that you either need to address this before sitting down or you need to share the lounge with the washing. Upside of this is I’m pretty good at staying on top of putting the washing away!

I think small spacers need to stick together and share all their best tricks. Do you have any storage or organisation tips you want to share?

What works for me is continuous editing. About once a month I pick an area to go through. This could be a drawer or a whole room depending on time available, my energy levels and how many podcasts I have to catch up on. I go through, familiarise myself with what there, give it a tidy and remove items we no longer need or use. These are then passed on to friends and family or donated.  Too much stuff stresses me out so this process keeps our small space organised whilst also helping to keep me calm. 



Thanks again Sue for opening up your beautiful home to us and for giving all of us hope that kids can grow up comfortably and happy in a small space.

Sources (kindly shared by Susan):

Living Room Wall Sconces

Living Room Art - Isabelle de Kleine

Art beside bookshelves - Amalia Keefer

Large Art in Kitchen/Dining - Oliver Hull

Dining Room Lights - Vintage