Small Home Tours_EmMorrice_Living Room.jpg

I have been working behind the scenes to try and bring you many more small home tours this year. These tours are a real labour of love for everyone involved. It is vulnerable to share your home on the internet and it takes hours to tidy, take photos and write heartfelt responses sharing the way your family shares a small space. I am so incredibly grateful to everyone that takes the time to share here. And I can tell you that they all do it help others and connect with likeminded people. So I also want to thank everyone who reads here and sends kind comments here or on instagram to any of the small home contributors. I love to hear of connections made through this space. A kind and encouraging place on the web is truly a unique place so thanks for being that way here.

That brings me to re-introducing Em and her family of 5 in Montreal in 1000 square foot apartment, Em is a writer, lifestyle blogger, and homeschooling mom. You can find her at @emmorrice and www.ournestinthecity.com where she shares parenting wisdom, their annual trips abroad (when there's not a pandemic, of course!) and city living among other various passions. Em and I connected over small city living with kids many years ago and I love to see how manages it all in one of Canada’s most beautiful cities. Please read her Home Tour below….

How big is your home and what is the layout ?

Our flat is 1,000 square feet with two bedrooms (yes, all three of our kids share one room!) Thankfully, it's quite open concept and we use every square inch. Our entryway, for example, doubles as Brad's office. His desk is placed in the closet and we've positioned a bookshelf to protect him from the freezing winter drafts when someone comes in the house. Homeschooling takes place at the kitchen island most of the time, and the kid's shared room includes a triple bunk bed.

Who lives there?

I live with my husband and three children (ages 7,9,10) in our city condo. We (my husband and I) both work from home, homeschool one child, and the other two attend the local elementary school. We live in Mile End, Montreal on the second floor of a classic Montreal triplex, which we've owned for close to ten years.

Entryway with a peek into the Kids’ bedroom

What is something you hate?

In our small living context, we have neighbours above and below us - this is a challenge. In order to love our neighbours and respect their wishes, we can't run the vacuum after 8:30pm or watch loud movies in the evenings. I have to time my workouts for the middle of the day so as not to sound like a herd of elephants to our neighbours below. Things that cramp our style and would be nice not to worry about.

What are your best ways to beat the winter blues and keep from going crazy with kids indoors?

When the Pandemic first hit last winter we still had months of freezing weather ahead of us in Montreal which was so difficult. Though we have very little space, we bought a small trampoline for the kids that we store in a closet most of the time. It's been amazing for them! The past couple of years (starting around ages 5 and up) our kids got really into board games which helps them work cooperatively and not beg for screens every hour of the day. We're also avid readers in our family. One area I'm woefully maximalist is our ever-growing library, but I'm clever in hiding them around the condo so you may not notice.

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?

Our closets work very hard for us, with ours and the kids', both having drawers, shelves, and storage all the way to the ceiling. Under our bed is also dozens of games, our luggage, keep-sakes, and my workout gear. But the best way to save on storage is to own less. We have a rule that with everything we bring into our home, something must go (ideally from the same genre), and I edit our clothing and possessions very regularly.

View from the top bunk in the kid's’ room shared by Emily’s 3 kids.

Thanks so much Em! For opening your home to us and sharing your philosophy for living small as a family of 5. Emily previously shared her values for kid room sharing years ago on the blog (Previous post here), and it was really reassuring that it is still working for them years later.

Small Home Tours: Emily and Family of 5 in Montreal in 1000 square feet