SF Painted Ladies by Christine Brun on Creators.com

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SF Painted Ladies

Even before the economic speed bump of the last year, it felt like we Americans were slowly yet steadily embracing downsizing.

Reducing the overall square footage of your primary residence by 1,000 to 2,000 square feet is something that you will definitely notice and something that takes planning in order to enjoy. In particular, if you have lived for years in a larger home you will face specific challenges regarding what items to keep, what to eliminate and what new types of furnishings or appliances you might require in order to achieve a practical lifestyle that remains comfortable.

If you are young and your first independent home is 1,200 square feet or under, there will be an easier transition. You have accumulated much less "stuff" than the couple who have been in their home for 30 or 40 years and have been allowed to store everything from baby toys to schoolbooks over the years. You can make all-new purchases with the intention of fitting into considerably smaller space than your parents' home.

Our collective national history contains many periods when people expected to live in relatively tiny homes, and there are dozens of treasured examples of American small-home styles that are worth studying for inspiration.

Begin with the colonial log cabin, a one-room home where all kinds of household tasks occurred around a large fireplace. You cooked, sewed, read or ate at one large table in the center of the cabin. The family also bathed, slept and prayed right in that same space. Today, we have loft spaces that are one open space with the luxury of a separate room for the bathroom. Other than that one modern distinction, the essential function of log cabin and loft are equal. Luckily, we have available hundreds of products that can simplify chores and improve the function of simple space.

The famous Painted Ladies reflect an era in the gracious and wealthy city of San Francisco when homes were built to hug the sharp hills and use vertical space instead of sprawling side to side. To this day, the Victorian-era homes remain popular and expensive when compared to a modern row house in the suburbs. It is the architectural detail that attracts owners: Corbels, intricate woodcarvings, turrets, brickwork and bay windows. Contrast this style against the relatively simple lines of a small Craftsman-era bungalow or even a Spanish-Revival-style bungalow.

These days there are many mid-century homes with very little embellishment that are wildly popular because they generally feature unique built-in features and a strong awareness of practical space allocation. The famous mass-produced Ranch-style houses of Levittown introduced Americans to the concept of simplifying building techniques in order to deliver an affordable house model to more people. In 1949, this was accomplished by eliminating basements and pouring a cement slab for a foundation. Plumbing pipes were laid right into the slab in order to save running copper conduit overhead, and unless a pipe burst in the slab, everyone was pleased with the savings. Garages were also eliminated with the intention of adding one later as finances improved. Generally, these little homes were an average size of around 983 square feet or so and eventually, most residents did add onto the original floor plans.

We need inventive and flexible architects to create a new generation of plans- floor plans that can expand and shift with the family's financial fortunes -- that starts out small and affordable. Marianne Cusato, the creator of the Katrina Cottage, is ready to unveil an adaptable, sustainable 1,700-square-foot virtual home at the Builder's Show in Las Vegas, Nevada this coming January. Cusato believes in the theory of two master suites so that one might actually generate income for a family if necessary. When you plan a private entrance for one part of your home, it might also enable you to live with relatives, younger or older, on a permanent basis and result in a more affordable lifestyle for all.

Christine Brun, ASID, is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by e-mail at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net. To find out more about Christine Brun and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.