Moving from a large house to a much smaller one often causes unexpected problems, such as how to seat everyone when more than two or three guests visit. I encountered this when moving from my Sarasota home to the current one.
Unlike an aunt who made fabulous somethings out of nothings, I depend on the smart shopping for miracles. She always added room at the dining table by placing a legless ironing board across a couple of straight-backed chairs. I have not seen a board like that since a childhood often spent visiting her fascinating house.
The last move came unexpectedly when my brother fell ill with a life-threatening disease. He looked after our parents during their last years without complaint. When he needed someone, the decision came easily to sell my home and find one closer to him. Since he needed constant hospital and doctor visits and looking to when he must move in with me, I rushed to find a house. In doing so, I discovered the old adage, ‘marry in haste; repent at leisure’ to be very true as I married my life to a building I truly disliked.
As the upper picture showed, my previous living room held quite a number of people. Sliding glass doors opened into another section with seating, plus additional seats around the pool. The new house, which looked okay before adding furniture, shrunk when I added cutouts simulating a sofa and love seat. What to do at Christmas or other holidays when guests arrived in larger numbers?
I searched for solutions online and in my own furniture which was currently in storage. The new living room set provided an unusual answer when I discovered it came with not one, but three ottomans. Tucked out of the way under the chair arms that hid them or brought out to make room for more visitors, they solved the need for more seats. One problem which needs solving is the rollers on the ottomans which can slip unexpectedly. They will soon be sporting new, short legs in place of the wheels.
A coffee table from my previous residence, offered four more stools that slid underneath the table and out of the way when not needed.
Taller bar stools at the kitchen counter slid under or away from the counter as the occasion required.
Since facing the seating problem, I now pay closer attention to furniture which provides more than one use. For instance, a nice looking trunk not only offers storage, it can act as seating or a coffee table when needed.
My sister goes to thrift shops and buys cheap, large mirrors with attractive frames. These are her ‘canvasses’ for beautiful paintings. She inherited the talents of the aunt I mentioned earlier. When I look at a broken chair, I see a broken chair. Sis sees a beautiful treasure waiting inside the wreckage. Within a short time, she turns it into a precious gem anyone would be proud to own.
Would I still prefer a larger home? Yes, it is easier to keep clean. An item out of place does little to distract, while in a smaller home, the pair of shoes carelessly cast aside has the capacity for making the room claustrophobic. However, this house makes me think and gets the creative juices flowing. It will probably be the last in many moves. That, my friends, is the fun side of shrinking homes.