FINDUSONLINE
homemagazine.co.nz
@homenewzealand
facebook.com/homenewzealandI’vealwayslivedinsmallspaces– I’venever
lovedtheideaofexcessspaceorroomsthatare
onlyusedoccasionally.Andforsomereason,
whichI don’treallyunderstand,I canremember
thesizeofalmostallofthem.
I grewupinaninner-citycottage: 110 square
metres,whichatonepointfittedsixhumans,
twoLabradorsanda cat.Later,therewasthe
apartmentinFreemansBay‘StarFlats’,a roomy
72 squaremetresandtwobedrooms,whichfelt
likea palaceafterthe1960s48-square-metre
shoeboxI livedinbeforethat,andit felt
positivelygiganticcomparedtomyone-bedroom
Londoncouncilflat.Twobedrooms!Aseparate
laundry!Theluxury!
Fora while,I renteda villainGreyLynn- at 140 squaremetres,it’sthebiggesthouse
I’veeverlivedin.I barelyhadthefurnitureto
fillit,whichwasprobablya goodthingbecause
thenwemovedintoourplace,whichstarted
outlifeasa 62-square-metrebachandwhich
weeventuallyextendedtoa positivelyroomy
103 squaremetres.(Atonepoint,wehadone
bedroomtohousetwosmallchildren,two
adultsandonelargeblackdog.)
It stilldoesn’tfeelsmall.Maybewe’vebecome
goodatediting,thoughthereisa tonneofstorage
andI ama firmbelieverintheideathatyou
shouldn’tbuystuffunlessyoureallylikeit and
it’sreallywellmade.Keepingthefootprintsmall,
whetheryou’refurnishingorbuilding,means
beingabletoinvestina fewreallygoodthings,
ratherthanlotsofgenericthings.
Asthehousesinthisissueshow,livingsmall
meanslivingbetter– andit alsomeansmaking
useoflandthatmightotherwisebeimpossible
todevelop,whichiswhywe’veruna ‘Hidden
Density’specialfeaturingcleverurbanhomeson
sitesyoumightneverthinkcouldfita house.
That’sthekeyreally– ifyouonlybuildwhat
youneed,youinvariablyfindyoudon’t need
much.— Simon Farrell-Green
Visitinga housein
personaddsa whole
newlayertoyour
experienceofit. The
playoflight,thesound
ofbirds,thewaya
doorclosesbehind
youallcompletethe
picture– andthey’re
thingsthat,aseditorof
thismagazine,I getto
experiencefirsthand.SoI hopeyou’lljoin
usonHOMETour
thisyear:we’re
headingtolocations
aroundNewZealand,
openinghousesthat
havefeaturedinthe
magazine,withsupport
fromourfriendsat
Fisher& Paykel.Thefirst
touris in Wellingtonon
Saturday7 September,
andticketscost$75.
See p. 154 for more.A life in
numbers
Photograph
Jackie Meiring