In miniature.

My fridge is on the fritz. Actually, it's been suffering for a long while; I've only chosen now to acknowledge and rectify the problem. Unfortunately, the only fridges we can find to fit into the existing space are smaller than our current refrigerator.

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You're welcome for this gratuitous peek into my life

Smaller.
Than.
Our.
Current.
Refrigerator.
[sigh]
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It's getting to me. It's always gotten to me. My dolls house feels too tight - like a rough, wool, turtle-neck sweater that you thought was a good idea to try on, but now are struggling get back up over your head. And you're starting to sweat. 

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The average floor space in British homes is the smallest in Europe and less than half the size of American homes. My first London apartment was 440 sq feet; our current home is 1,300 sq ft. For reference, my parents home in Ohio is roughly 3,000 and my in-laws in Ireland is about 2,500. Our house was built in 1860. We have three bedrooms, but in practice it's really only two + a study/guestroom. The master bedroom is comfortable, but not big enough for anything more than a double bed (no Super Kings for us). Donal and I share a sock drawer not out of marital love, but necessity. Elliot and Noah share a small room, a closet, and a dresser - one drawer each. 

We all share the main bathroom. 
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My aforementioned white goods are small. My fridge invokes pity from my BFF and pictures of my oven/range inspired empathetic comments from her Mom. In truth, I have to carefully buy my holiday turkey not based on the number of servings required, but whether or not the bird will fit in the oven. In the same vein, I've had to alter my favorite brownie recipe because the pan that Fabulous Ina calls for just doesn't fit in my miniature oven. My washing machine can hold a maximum of 5 towels and I don't even own a tumble dryer. (My washing machine pretends to be a dryer - it promotes the clothes from sopping to moist. And helps bread rise!)

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My back garden is... quaint. 

My front garden is... well... better than it was last year.
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Of course this is just my situation. Lots of people in London have smaller homes and lots have bigger. We could buy a bigger place, or refit our kitchen, but it just doesn't warrant the hit to the wallet and the mental toll. For, as small as everything is, my house is clean, cosy and more than livable. I hope it's a warm, inviting and comfortable place for family and friends. Until I can justify my dream home, I'll just continue having one-log fires, baking one tray of cupcakes at a time, dragging in chairs when guests come for dinner, storing less, eating more, drip-drying clothes, and buying small turkeys...

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