Where do you really live?

I was reading this great article on Mother Earth News and in the article, they referenced the following questions from Natural Building Movement, designed to help you figure how and "where" you really live.  Perfect for tiny home planning.

Where do you really live?

1. Before you get started, make a list of all the activities that you do at home and things you need in your house. Be as detailed as possible.

 2. Over a period of one to two weeks, keep a log of where you go in your house, and what you do there. You might post paper at doorways, and accurately record exactly where you go and how long you spend there, or just take notes from memory, once a day. In larger rooms, be specific about which part of the room you use.

 3. Look around your house for spaces that you never inhabit. Imagine what would change if that space magically disappeared.

 4. Make another list of “activities and needs,” without reviewing the first list. If you have patience, make a new list one a week for a few weeks.

 5. Uncover your first list and compare it with later ones. You may be surprised. More than likely there are probably some areas of your home you don’t use as much as others.

As we go forward with our planning process, I think these are great exercises.  We've started a bit of this already but I want to get even more into the discovery process.

Inspired by Boats

Thinking Flexible

In Hong Kong, because of the space, apartments are small and expensive. Gary Chang, an architect, decided to design a 344 sq. ft. apartment to be able to change into 24 different designs, all by just sliding panels and walls. He calls this the "Domestic Transformer."

Book Review: Put Your Life on a Diet

Put Your Life on a Diet by Gregory Paul Johnson

I just finished this book the other day and thought it was very interesting.  Gregory Johnson is one of the founders of the Small Living movement and had some good tips for paring down.  I really like the idea of "outsourcing" your living space and needs.  For example, if you do your laundry at a laundromat of exercise at at gym, you don't need to own and maintain equipment that you don't use every day.  You are basically renting and sharing the upkeep of those services with others.

Not everything in his book, which is part workbook, is needed or applicable to us but it's a good first step if you are considering a small living type of change.

Here is an excerpt from the book via Natural Home's site.  You can also visit Gregory's site at Resources for Life.