When I decided to remodel my bathroom, I threw ideas around with my dad. I knew I wanted to do subway tiles and a set of accent tiles at eye level. As a personal preference, I was determined to raise the shower head to taller than my 5’8 frame, so we decided that 6 feet was a perfect height.

Then my dad threw me a curveball. After just remodeling their master suite, they had tiled all the way to the ceiling and he suggested that I consider doing the same. It wasn’t something I’d given any thought to, but I liked the idea…it felt fresh and clean to me.

When I got home from Hawaii to see the finished job, I was SO SURPRISED by how much BIGGER my bathroom looked. By removing the shower door, raising the tile to the ceiling, and pulling the tile across the back wall (including behind the toilet), the space was visually expanded!

Each morning since, as I wash my hair under the taller shower head and look up the wall, I feel like I’m in a whole new larger bathroom! Tile choice can visually expand the size of your bathroom…no need to knock down walls! : )

A dear friend came over for the first time on Friday night. We went walking, I made dinner, we drank wine, and talked photography. She’d had me over to her home once before and we did the same. Knowing how she lived, I was slightly intimidated to have her over to my shoebox, but when she entered my house and took the brief tour, she simply said, “your house looks like a hotel!”

In that moment, I realized that no matter what size my home is, or how my bathroom is half painted, has mismatched towels, and isn’t any closer to be remodeled, I can’t compare my home to anyone else’s and that it’s fabulous…just as it is.

I’m certain that I’m not alone in this…we all have things we don’t love about our houses, and maybe we’re downright embarrassed about something. But rather than dwelling on those things, we need to pick out our favorites and focus on those!

Be proud of your small space…after all, it’s a reflection of you!

When you live in a small house it can be hard to open your doors for festive occasions. During the holidays, people seem to dress up their homes and welcome oodles of friends and family in, and we can feel like our little shoeboxes just don’t measure up.

However, I’m here to assure you that regardless of the size of your home, the people who love you will love being in your space, in spite of its size!

Every year on the 23rd, I hold a Christmas Eve Eve Open House and this year’s party was a success once again. In my 761 sq. foot condo, I had about 30 people milling about and it was WONDERFUL.

The beauty of an open house is that seating is not required for everyone. People tend to mingle in small groups and then switch throughout the night. I had a group of friends with babies hanging out in my bedroom for a while and my sister and her friends stayed in the kitchen near the champagne cocktails for a bit, too. ; )

The flow of your home matters for large parties, too. In the past, I’ve had my tree in a more central spot in my house, however, it blocked the flow and diminished the capacity for additional seating. This year, I did some rearranging and switched up my furniture which allowed for me to put my tree in a corner by the windows. It makes me happy to see the lights from the walkway, and it makes the inside much more open, too. I took chairs from my table and strategically placed them throughout the living room, too. I definitely had a much better flow this year, which made my home more comfortable for me and my guests.

The other piece of advice I’d give for other small home dwellers is to have easy to eat food (no cutting at an open house!), accessible drinks (be sure to have plenty of non-alcoholic beverages, too), and multiple trash bags!

Also, know that there could/will be spills or breaks. Be an easy hostess and relax when things like this happen! You’ve welcomed people into your home and the last thing you want to do is make them feel unwelcome when accidents happen!

All in all, in spite of the size of your home, welcome others in. Do not be afraid to have people in your space…it’s a reflection of you and you is who they love!