I’ve been lucky enough to call Anne Sage a close pal for a long time. She’s one of my truest friends that I’ve met in this crazy world of blogging and Instagram and we go way back. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing her different apartments and homes evolve over the years — but her place now is simply STUNNING! I am so excited to share today’s Small Space Squad home tour. Get ready to treat your eyes to the beautifully minimalist, yet cozy home of Anne Sage, her lovely husband, and their four pets.
Home Tour: Inside the Cozy, Minimalist Modern Home of Anne Sage
Who: Anne Sage
Where: Los Angeles, California
Number of years living small: My whole life — hahah! I grew up in a very narrow row house in Toronto, and have lived in apartments and small houses my entire life! Right now I live in a 900 square foot, 2-bedroom 1-bathroom house with my husband and our four pets, and before that we were in a 600-square foot bungalow. Those extra 300 square feet make our current home feel like a mansion
To start, tell me your story about how you ultimately ended up choosing a small space?
We definitely prioritized our desired location over having a ton of space. We live in a neighborhood called Atwater Village, which is one of the city’s most desirable areas. It’s family-friendly, full of trees, and centered around a charming main street of shops and restaurants. The neighborhood consists mainly of single-story residential structures, built in the 1930’s-1950’s, and the rents can be astronomical! But we love being centrally located, so we’re willing to sacrifice space for that.
What is your biggest challenge in your small space?
We both work from home and our second bedroom serves as my husband’s dedicated home office, leaving me to use the dining room table as my “office.” Sometimes I wish I had my own dedicated workspace! As well, our setup makes hosting guests tricky; even though we technically have a second bedroom, there isn’t a bed in there, so guests end up sleeping on the sofa in the main living space. It starts to feel very crowded, very quickly!
What is your favorite part about living small?
I’m definitely grateful that I have fewer rooms to keep clean! Plus, I lose things really easily, and I can’t imagine having an extra thousand square feet in which to misplace my phone or my keys, ha!
What is your number one hack for living small?
Edit, edit, edit! There’s no room for hoarding when you have a small home. I’m very careful about buying only what I know we’ll use, and I regularly do ruthless purges on belongings that aren’t seeing any action. Living small definitely forces you to be realistic about your needs!
Do you ever feel pressure to be “minimalistic” or feel guilty about buying things you don’t “need” for your home?
I sometimes feel guilty when I take a load of stuff to Goodwill. Because I’m so careful about what I buy in the first place, it feels extra painful when I get rid of something six months later because its proved unnecessary to our life — it’s like an admission of failure!
What have you learned about yourself by living small?
I’ve learned that when it comes to physical belongings, I’m pretty unsentimental. I hold onto very few mementoes and keepsakes and have zero qualms about forcing my husband to get rid of his, too!
What’s your number one storage hack?
I’m super proud of a shoe storage solution I devised for our closets: I mounted vertical wire shoe racks — the kind that usually hang on the back of doors and look really ugly — to the inside walls of our closets! We lose a tiny bit of storage space for hanging clothes, but it’s worth it because the shoes are all hidden away yet easy to grab, too!
Who is your biggest small space inspiration?
Honestly, I’m so busy creating my own content that I rarely have the brain space to consume anyone else’s.
What do your friends and family say about your choice to live small?
I think I’ve done such a good job making the most of our space, people actually comment on how bright and airy our home feels, not on how small it is!
Thank you so much to Anne Sage for sharing about your life with us! Be sure to look at Anne’s blog and Instagram feed for more of her style.
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