Tiny Apartment Hangup (warning: too long) - Page 2

[tinynyota]

I'm loving this thread! We don't have a tiny space exactly (1908 house, about 1800sf including non-existent storage), but it's in mid DIY renovation and a total messy, dusty hazard zone! With no money or time to get much done before baby, we need to suck it up and confine ourselves to just a couple rooms. No bathtub here either. But beyond that, I'm really embarrassed by how bad it looks - and I have pretty loose standards!

[pickleeater]

My husband and I live on a 35 foot sailboat (if I would have to guess square footage, I would say its probably 150-200ish. It is 10 feet wide, but just at the very center).

That being said, we love living in the small space that we have, and it really causes us to question everything that we bring into our boat.

With baby on the way, this brings a whole new challenge to our small space. Everything for baby needs to have a very direct use, and we cant have multiple things on board that serve the same purpose.

It is definitely harder than if you had a lot of space, but you can make it work. If you search around online, you can probably find people who raise their children in smaller spaces and it can give you some really good ideas on how to best utilize your space.

Another boat living friend once said to me that she thought the problem with society today is that everyone has too much space and forget how to get along, because they can. I really believe that, and love our small little space.

Good luck!

[JudiAU]

You can do it. Some thoughts: buy a portable washing machine. So SO convenient, and we had laundry in the building. We could wash everything besides jeans and big DH pants. Diapers were a breeze. You can bathe the baby in the shower easily. Or in a bucket. Or not. =) Closets make great baby rooms.

[finnegansmom]

I would find living in a small space a welcome challenge.
Just think of the money you are saving and maybe say, we'll live here for 2 years so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
I would completely disect every inch of the place, and rethink all of your furniture.
Scour the ikea website. European apartments are very small and their furniture is small scale and usually offers great storage soluations.
storage under beds, shelving above door frames and windows, etc.
would you have room for a murphy bed? it would give you floor space when you need it...
post pics and maybe we can help you brainstorm.
Good luck!

ETA - you can use a wetbag for a diaper pail, hanging on the back of the bathroom door or in the shower when not in use.

just a side note, we moved into my inlaws house while they were building and all 4 of us (my dh and 2 kids) lived in their bedroom for a few months. The mint green carpeting (gross) and light pink walls (grosser) made me insane. obviously it was only temporary but we got through it. i used to live in boston so I understand what it's like to live in a 200sq ft apartment....frustrating but it can be rewarding since you tend to save more money not buying useless junk.

[dollysods]

We are about to add a 2nd child to a small apartment. With #1, we learned fast that hanging things on hooks/ over the door storage, etc. was key. We nailed boxes to the wall to store our cloth dipes and a lot of our baby supplies.

You will figure out a way to do it. Ask for people to give you food, babysitting, etc rather than toys. Consider an account at a consignment shop-- don't hang onto the stuff that is outgrown if there is no room.

Our tub-free apartment has been frustrating during my pregnancies (and our shower is teeny) but has been okay so far for my daughter. It is huge for a newborn and not necessary at first, but the PRIMO EuroBath still is adequate for my 2.5 year old and we have it hanging in the bathroom.