What a wonderful job she did and so much creativity to maintain the style of her home.

Wow ~ I wonder if this is a male or female. They did a fantastic job and sure are creative and able to do so much with their hands. I loved it and thank you for sharing this with us. Really inspiring.

FlowerLady

I love the floors, wall color and the cabinet job she did. And saving that money by DIY, she says she got it all done for under 1500.00! Thanks for that link McGil

Wow wow wow. He/she has a lot of imagination and ingenuity. Excellent "makeover." Just beautiful inside and out.

Wow wow wow. He/she has a lot of imagination and ingenuity. Excellent "makeover." Just beautiful inside and out.

Many thanks for sharing this wonderful home. Here in the UK 700 sq ft is by no means "small" in housebuilding terms - many three bed new builds are no bigger - and a whole terrace of them would be shoe-horned onto this little gem's plot. We downsized from 1200 to 900 sq ft four years ago (I shall forever miss those extra feet!!!) and I draw enormous inspiration from pictures like these. Thanks!

Competa, I'm so intrigued by your description of homes in the UK. What are the size of the rooms in a 700 sq ft house? You mentioned three bedrooms and I just can't imagine that. My daughter and her husband live in a 710 sq ft house. It has two tiny bedrooms, one closet, a tiny bathroom, living room,and a kitchen not even big enough for a kitchen table. It is very cute and comfortable for them.

If 700 sq ft is normal what would be considered a big house? Do you have family rooms, dining rooms, or more than one bathroom?
I hope I don't sound rude. I'm just curious about how other people live.

Hi Peaceofmind - A typical 700 sq ft house would have a lounge about 14 ft by 11ft, a kitchen-diner about 15 ft by 8ft and a small cloakroom downstairs. (D/S cloakrooms have been a legal requirement in new-build homes for the last three or four years). Upstairs there would be three bedrooms, the largest about 10 ft by 11ft and the smallest being about 7ft square. There would be no built-in wardrobes either!! Bathroom would be 6ft square MAX. and, in most new builds nowadays, a tiny en-suite around 6ft by 3ft. En suites usually have shower cubicle, wc and washbasin but may have just shower and basin or wc and basin. The dimensions of the house will be in the region of 15 feet wide (with the kitchen diner stretching across the back) and between 20 and 22 feet from back to front.

I have managed to find a floorplan for a 2 bedroom house currently being built close to our home, the dimensions of which are: Kitchen/dining room 13f5 ins by 8 ft11ins, living room 13.9ft by 10.9ft - including stairs to first floor - tiny cloakroom adjacent to front door. First floor: Bed 1 9.11 x 12ft, ensuite (size unspecified but must be tiny!) Bed 2 6.11 x 10.9 ins. Bathroom unspecified size. The square footage of this house is 614. Purchase price starting from in the region of £150,000 depending on size of plot/position and whether the house is terraced, end-terrace, semi detached or detached.

You ask what would be considered a big house. Well, as in the US, the sky really is the limit! However, as a guidline, new build four bedroom homes start around 1050sq ft - this would usually comprise a lounge, small separate dining room and kitchen around 10ft x 8. Downstairs cloakroom, four bedrooms (two doubles, two singles) master maybe with fitted wardrobes, and en suite.

The scarcity and price of building land ensures plot sizes are seldom generous either!

Family rooms, additional bathrooms and eat-in kitchens do feature in larger properties but the average Brit could neither afford to purchase or maintain such homes.

The houses I've referred to are new builds. We do, of course, have countless older properties which, in general, tend to be larger than new homes.

The majority of homes do not have garages. Very few homes have the benefit of a basement area either.

If you would like more details, please drop me a line and I'll do my best to answer any questions.

Thanks for your interest.

Competa,

Enjoy your sharing the homes in UK. One of the areas which I keep seeing as a "today" thing, is the freestanding kitchens. I love the use of furniture rather than cabinets. There seems to be a lot of sites from the UK showing these options. Am also a fan of watching movies filmed in the UK when they show the tiny cottages...their landscape, exterior, interior.

I did spend a few weeks in the UK, staying at B&Bs in the country side, but at the time was not as aware of my interior surroundings. Dragging luggage up stairs to get to rooms was the only downside and a lesson for future travel.

Thanks, Competa for your very informative reply. I know there are places such as New York City where people live in very small homes but here in the midwest bigger is seen as better. It is really ridiculous. I like smaller homes but I think of small as 1200-1500 square feet.

Just two questions, since closets (wardrobes) aren't very big do you have a smaller amount of clothes? I'm not much of a clothes horse but I probably have 10 pairs of pants, a half dozen dresses, and fifteen or so shirts or blouses. Many people have much more than that, and closets the size of small rooms to put them in.
My second is what do the people in the UK think of americans with their excessive appetites in all realms of their lives. I'm beginning to feel like an "ugly american"
Anise

Anise: Do we Brits have less clothes? Not necessarily! We tend to shoe-horn wardrobes, chests-of-drawers and shelving into every available space and cram that full in turn!

Although some new-home builders incorporate either a built-in wardrobe or alcove into the master bedroom, it will, of necessity, be small. Typically no more than 3 or 4 feet wide by two to two-foot-six inches deep. Ceiling heights are lower too (average 8 ft or so) so not much scope for high shelving or above door cupboard storage.

It's impossible to say what people "over here" think of Americans but, given the income to support it, from what I see around me, most Brits would be only too happy to adopt equally "excessive" appetites. I certainly would.

I have less clothing than most people I know -- including my husband! I have a small, hall-type closet and a dresser, both of which are half-empty.

I just don't enjoy clothes shopping or deciding what to wear every day. I find it exhausting. I probably would wear the same thing for days if I could get away with it.

This is a very interesting thread. I'm intrigued by the description of UK homes. I live in a NYC suburb where most homes are considered "small" (though more than 700 sq ft) but are very expensive compared to the rest of the country. I also have many friends who rent shoeboxes in Manhattan. I see alot of enormous homes in the home decorating forum which is why I enjoy coming here as I feel like I fit in more. I think its wonderful that people can do so much and be happy with the space that they have. Thank you for sharing.