Sleeping in a Tree House, Living in Small Spaces

I will never:

     go to Antarctica
     sail around the world
     climb a mountain
     go hang-gliding.

I like my adventures to include electricity, a bed, and minimal exertion. 

This is as close as I could get to my old fantasy of living like Swiss Family Robinson. I slept in a tree house!

the info is found in the link above

 I was in the trees as tall pines surrounded us and one ran through the middle of the house.  




It had almost all of the comforts of home--a mini fridge to chill our wine, a coffee maker for the morning, and continental breakfast provided by our hosts. 


This was like having a sleep-over in a play house.


Two hundred snug feet in this octagonal "room" included a sleeping nook,  round table with two chairs, a love seat and recliner, desk, and mini entertainment center. It had almost everything a person would need.


Skylights above the bed gave a good view of stars peeking through the foliage. 

The shower and toilet were in a cute little cabin at the bottom of the stairs, which was fine for one night. 

I tried out all of the space in the tree house. Whether I read in the recliner, or sat at the table, I loved seeing waving tree limbs. The light filtered through them which would have made the space dim but for the large windows.





I imagined living in it. I decided I could do without a desk, but would need a small stove and mini-sink in place of the buffet.  I'd have to cut my wardrobe by two-thirds and stash it in roll out drawers under the bed. Could I make do with just curio shelves for books?  Which twelve books would I choose?





I've always loved small cozy spaces. Maybe that comes from having three sisters and little privacy. In the house I lived in on Whidbey Island, I took over a large closet as my retreat. In another, I turned the old coal room into my sewing cubby.

When we first moved to Dobson we rented a small home, and for the first two weeks survived with 2 pots, 2 plates, etc, a pair of air mattresses for beds, camping chairs and TV trays. It was so simple!

As I contemplate down-sizing through my "golden" years, I imagine a smaller town home next. If I can avoid the old folks home, I fantasize building a tiny house attached to one of my daughters' homes. 

I'd like to talk to some folks who have downsized from the 2011 average US home size of 2,480 square feet to about 300 square feet. Minimalistic spaces preclude abundant goods, but not beauty.  Would I be just as happy with one decorative teapot instead of four? 




I want to feel cozy, but not confined. The apartment above might be just a bit too small, but isn't it cool? Watch the video, everything is hidden behind the wooden wall.  

The tree house gave me a sense of what living small would be like. As an experiment, I'd give it a try. Would you? 












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