Renovating
Less is More
Today’s homeowners are looking to smaller spaces for comfort and ease in their lives, as well as to cut back on excess costs and waste.
BY
Brandi Wills
PHOTOGRAPHY
courtesy of Stitt Energy Solutions

Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “Less is only more when more is no good.” As a noted nature-lover and a proponent of organic architecture, America’s most famous architect would perhaps proclaim that same statement upon viewing the current trend among American housing.

In 1970, the average U.S. home was 1,500 square feet. Today’s homes average 50% more square footage and include luxurious standard features such as home offices, walk-in closets and a number of bathrooms that equals or surpasses the number of bedrooms in the home. However, according to the National Association of Home Builders, the increase in home size has stabilized, due in part to a small but growing number of homeowners who would rather live in a smaller space.

Homeowners are looking to smaller spaces for a variety of reasons. Among the benefits of owning a smaller home is cost-savings: property taxes have risen 50-100% since 2000 and energy costs spike on a yearly basis. Utilizing smaller spaces more efficiently is a key step in drastically cutting energy usage.

Others are finding the ease and comfort of a smaller home appealing. Most homeowners find that over the years, they have amassed a collection of material objects that were purchased more as a means to fill space than out of necessity. Downsizing a living space allows the homeowner to reduce the amount of excess objects in their homes and really showcase the most beloved and personal objects they own.

In the case of Maren Engelmohr, an architect at Forum Studio and a designer involved with Belcher Homes’ Vision Houses, the choice to move to a smaller home was an investment in her family’s future. “We got involved with this project and purchased one of the homes primarily for our kids,” she says. “Green living practices will be a key part of their lives as they grow up, so we try to teach them about recycling, water conservation and energy-efficiency every chance we get. Creating an efficient, forward-thinking home for them was one of the best things we could do for their futures.”

Learning to utilize smaller spaces more efficiently is a long-term benefit that you’ll find surprisingly rewarding.