A Quick Downsizing Quiz for the Undecided

On the fence about downsizing? We help you decide whether that fencing should encircle a mansion or a mini trailer

We all consider downsizing for different reasons. Maybe we’re sick and tired of the maintenance and upkeep of a large home. It could be that we’re weary of the financial burden, or of being tied to a house and yard. Perhaps we want a smaller footprint for greener living. But is downsizing really for you?

If your circumstances make downsizing a necessity, go for it and decide to love it. But if you have a choice in the matter, take a few minutes with what I call the Knee-Jerk Reaction Test to see if downsizing is really for you. Gather a pencil and paper, look at each picture below and write down the number next to the response that most closely matches your own.Ready? Here we go.

Siemasko + Verbridge

1. This is my dream home!
2. Lots of roof there to maintain.
3. All I see is time and $$$$.

Bonterra Build | Design

1. I don’t think my grand piano will fit through the door.
2. Must be nice having time to sit on the porch.
3. When can I move in?

Oregon Cottage Company

1. Is this the garage?
2. I’d have to get rid of a lot of stuff, but maybe it’s time.
3. We could live on the road and visit the grandkids whenever we wanted!

Beth Dana Design

1. Where’s the kitchen?
2. It calls to me. But where am I going to put the Cuisinart, the KitchenAid mixer, the coffeemaker, the espresso machine and the countertop rotisserie?
3. As long as I can find the microwave, I’m good.

Leff Construction Design/Build

1. This is a bedroom I would love to live in.
2. I could probably get along without the fireplace.
3. How many people sleep in this room?

Dailinger Designs

1. I am so not ready to give up my king-size bed.
2. At least there’s room for a chair to throw my clothes on.
3. All I do is sleep there, anyway.

Martha O’Hara Interiors

1. Finally! A laundry room that fits my family!
2. Hopefully I’ve outgrown the need for multiple machines.
3. Looks more like a Laundromat than a laundry room to me.

Castle Building & Remodeling

1. And just where am I supposed to fold the 15 loads of washing I do each week?
2. Maybe this would discourage my son from bringing home his laundry.
3. Compact, functional, no piles of clothes … I like it!

Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.

1. My partner and I both work from home, so this shared office is a good idea.
2. This office makes me tired.
3. Just give me my laptop and a Starbucks!

Rossington Architecture

1. How can you expect me to accomplish anything in such a ridiculous space?
2. This could work if I culled my files …
3. Genius use of closet space.

Stephanie Bonini

1. This closet might work for my partner. But where’s mine?
2. I wish my closet looked like this.
3. Anything I haven’t worn in the past year gets donated, so this is perfect.

David Clough Construction Company

1. Cleaning gutters and working all day in the garden is my idea of a good time.
2. I am seriously getting too old for this.
3. I’d rather golf, read, drink, watch TV, shop or travel than work in my yard.

Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture

1. Where would I play croquet?
2. Wow, I could weed this in five minutes.
3. Someone pour the wine!OK. All done? Now add up all the numbers you wrote down. If you scored:

13–21: You are definitely not a candidate for downsizing, and can totally ignore my next several ideabooks.

22–30: Brace yourself — there is a move in your future. You are definitely showing signs of being bitten by the “maybe it’s time to downsize” bug.

31–39: Call the moving company! And watch for the next installment in this series on the secrets to successful downsizing.

Thank you to:

Houzz and

Becky Dietrich

Bathroom Trends: Open Vanity Storage

Give Your Bath Functional Storage and Extra Style Points, Too

The open storage trend started with kitchen cabinets exposing stylishly organized dish and glassware. This trend has now moved to the bathroom. After all, bathrooms can always use another way to make an added style statement since they tend to be more utilitarian areas. This look can be achieved in both modern and traditional homes. Not only does it look great, but it also helps create a more open look to those tight bathroom spaces! Here are some great tips on ways to successfully achieve an open vanity look.

Lori Shaffer

If you have a long open run, adding some symmetry will help to create an organized and balanced look to the space. Folded towels help to soften the space creating added warmth and visual comfort.

AMI Designs

Utilizing baskets to contain smaller items is key in keeping a clean look. The baskets used in this space coordinate nicely with the overall finishes of the bathroom without stealing the show.

John Maniscalco Architecture

Create a spa-like look by lining up rolling towels. Displaying crisp white towels helps set the mood for the bathroom, giving it a clean look. And there are few places better for a clean look than the bathroom.

Jennifer Brouwer (Jennifer Brouwer Design Inc)

More traditional and transitional spaces can benefit from an open vanity. Opening up some shelves instantly gives you the illusion of more space. The light-colored box storage helps to contain smaller items and offers some contrast to the dark heavy wood.

Prestige Custom Building & Construction, Inc.

Smaller vanities and powder baths can also look fantastic with an open vanity! Imagine this space with a floor-to-countertop doors and drawers. It would appear incredibly closed in and lack style. By giving this vanity furniture-like legs and open shelving, you immediately get the feel of more space.

Schnarr Craftsmen Inc

In smaller bathrooms where there is a lack of counter space, homeowners can use an open vanity space to display items that are typically placed on countertops, like tissue boxes, cotton swabs and other toiletries.

Ana Williamson Architect

Displaying additional rolls of toilet tissue is not always a great look in a guest bath, but when discretely displayed in an open vanity you can give your guests peace of mind when the last square gets used and keep them from riffling through your doors and drawers.

Beth Dotolo, ASID, RID, NCIDQ

In guest bathrooms, like this one where storage isn’t important, it can be nice to simply leave the space open to create the look of more space. Guests can then use the space underneath however they need to.

The open vanity is a trend I don’t see soon disappearing for two reasons: It offers the illusion of more space and gives you extra opportunity to be creative and stylishly functional.

Thank you to Houzz for the great information!

Christmas Cleanup Tips for the Not Naturally Organized

Dreading the post holiday chores?

First let yourself unwind!

Then grab some boxes, a few supplies and this easy guide!

 Cleanup? I finally got my feet up! Let’s face it: After all the time and work we’ve put in to making the holidays, the last thing anyone wants to do is clean it all up.

If that resonated with you, you are probably Not Naturally Organized and this is just the holiday version of the core issue that divides the Naturally and Not Naturally Organized: now or later. While we, the Not Naturally Organized, want to finally relax and maybe think about cleaning up someday, our Naturally Organized brothers and sisters are twitch, twitch, twitching to haul it all away today.But what about savoring the beauty? I’m with you completely … until February when your tree is moldering in the corner of your living room. Who wants that? Go ahead and relax; whenever you decide to tackle the mess, here are a few tips to make the process as easy as can be.

Take pictures

Before you tear everything apart, take some quick pictures of all of your decorations. I did this last year, and these were my reference when I pulled out the boxes this year. I made a few small changes, but this gave me an easy start.

Be sure to take close-ups to see the details.

Separate the non-breakables

This is my biggest time saver and how I start on the tree. I remove the non-breakable ornaments and lay them in their box. I don’t bother removing the hooks, and with a few exceptions they don’t get tangled. I began doing this to save space on the divided boxes but found it saved me so much time. Bonus!

Break it down into categories

In addition to non-breakable and fragile ornaments, I have boxes for trees, books, lights and miscellaneous larger items like snow globes and the Advent calendar.

With the trees I set the large ones on the bottom and carefully stack the others. The glass or pottery trees I wrap in tissue and securely place in the middle.

Organize-It

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Ornament Keeper Ornament Storage Box – $61.99

This is a very nice box, but inexpensive plastic ones work just fine.

Buy the right supplies

In my family growing up, taking down the tree was as much a part of the tradition as setting it up. My siblings and I were responsible for packing up our personal ornaments, and I carefully wrapped each one in tissue. When I had my own tree with hundreds of ornaments, I dreaded putting them away every year until I finally bought a slew of boxes with dividers.

After the non-breakable ornaments, I remove the fragile ones. If an ornament is precious to me, I’ll take time to wrap it in tissue, but most of them I set in their little cardboard cradles. I’ve never had an ornament break in storage.

This is a really good time to cull the ornaments you don’t love or use. If it’s sitting in the bottom of your boxes when you take down the tree, there’s a reason. I always have a bag for Goodwill at hand.

All season long I have a big basket of our Christmas books by the tree. Every night youngest and I read several titles — a favorite tradition. Storing the books is as simple as emptying the basket into their labeled box. A non-breakable tree or two is often stacked on top.

Make a note

This is one of my miscellaneous boxes. Here I’ve created an inventory for this box: nativities, Advent calendar, snow globes, wreaths, luminaries, lights for the tree.

Under that is a second note and a reminder that we needed to buy two more strands of lights. I was glad to have this when we opened the boxes and before I hung the lights on our tree.

What do you need or want to buy before next Christmas? Take note and write it down.

Get help at the end

I work alone stripping the tree. I’m able to move quickly without breaking anything. When all of the ornaments are boxed, I ask one or two members of my family to haul them down to storage.

Although this looks like mayhem, it’s really only some cardboard, a few boxes, a bit of paper and tissue, and some greenery. This is when I want to throw in the towel, but I make myself keep going. Once I’ve recycled, thrown away or put away everything outstanding, my husband and son haul the tree out and tie it back on the van to take to a local park for recycling. I sweep and vacuum everywhere, but we’ll still see needles here and there for weeks.

Special Thanks to:

Alison Hodgson

Houzz Contributor

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