your home reflects your lifestyle

It's amazing what you learn from people by looking at their homes. What we have or don't have in our homes tells about what is important to us and how we live our lives. I found this great article about a couple living in Manhattan and the choices they made to live there. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/cozy_crazy_couple_makes_tight_studio_R15ToNFTaJE3c17zkw4efP/1
They found a place that used to be a maids quarters and turned it into their home. They have a bed and a tv, catpost and pretty much not much else. They like to eat out so the miniscule kitchen is not a problem. They don't like to entertain too much which isn't a problem here. They are very busy people, they work and they play all outside the home so they are only there to sleep - which is about all they can do there. It keeps them from getting overcluttered. Small spaces are nice for that...on one hand it doesn't take long to clean them, on the other just a few things out and it looks messy so you want to clean it more. Their studio will be paid for in two years which will then allow them to enjoy the excitement of NYC life even more. It's definitely a city that likes to play and it also allows them to build some cash for the day they may decide to move.
There are many choices you make when you look at a house....how much time do you spend at home? How much entertaining do you do? How much stuff do you have and how much of it do you really need? Ever hear of the 80/20 rule? Well it works in our homes as well, we use 20% of our stuff 80% of the time. It's great to have the big Turkey platter but we really only use it a couple times a year. I just moved one of my clients and helped her pack up. So many things we tossed out, so many things she still packed and doesn't know where to put them when unpacking. It's hard for us to give up some of these things, they are memories. Everyone has their own clutter level that they must keep. For some, it's minimal, for others, they have to have a lot. Finding the balance is hard. But the effects of living in a space that FITS your needs and FITS your lifestyle are worth it!