Living (really, really) small

Downsizing your home is pretty popular today, whether you’re forced to because of a paycheck cut, you want to reduce your carbon footprint, or you because you simply realize you can live with less … stuff.

When it comes to downsizing there are the folks who go from 4,000 square feet to 2,000 square feet or from a regular house to a condominium.

And then there are the folks who miniaturize, like Keith and April Blankenship of Kamiah, Idaho.

The Blankenships moved to Kamiah from Portland in 2008. They built a 220-square-foot house on April’s parents’ property using mostly secondhand building materials.

According to a story about the Blankenships on Tiny House Blog, they built a small house because:

-it was less expensive than the alternative.

-they spend a lot of time outdoors so only needed a place to sleep, eat and shower.

-they chose to live efficiently, using the space they do have well and not collecting “unnecessary crap.”

-they wanted/needed to work fewer hours and didn’t want to worry about working to pay a mortgage.

“It’s kind of a statement against McMansions and the ridiculous consumer culture that’s helped America reach this current state of economic crisis,” April says in the post. “It’s about living within your means and trying to be as sustainable and economical as possible.”

Check out the layout and photos of the Blankenships’ house on Tiny House blog , on the Blankenships’ Flickr page, and on their own blog, A Great Leap in the Dark .

Could you live that small? Before you say no, check out the Blankenships’ stylish digs and the adorable houses sold by a company called Tumbleweed Tiny House Co.