EcoRenovator - View Single Post - RobertSmalls

Piwoslaw · 01-10-11, 01:26 AM

In Central Europe there are lots of families living in apartments with just 25-40 m2 (250-400 ft2). "Families" in this case may mean only two people, but may also mean 2 parents + 2-3 kids + grandma. The living room often doubles as the parents' bedroom, the small bedroom is for the kids plus storage (but you don't need much storage space when you can't afford to buy junk to store...). I've seen a few apartments with no separate kitchen, only a sink + stove + fridge in one corner of the bedroom. I've also seen tiny apartments rented by 5-8 students with a portable stove on the washing machine in the bathroom.

You don't need a tub in the bathroom, since you'll only be taking showers if you want (or need) to save water.

Hmm, which rooms do you use least often? The kitchen and the bathroom, each for an hour or less per day, so do they need to be heated 24/7? Give that some thought. A hundred years ago having your own bathroom was considered a luxury, the stardard was one bathroom per 3-10 apartments, or an outhouse and a pot of warm water for washing. Yes, sharing bathrooms or kitchens with family members is not easy, let alone with strangers, since everyone seems to 'needs to go' at the same time

The problem with today's way of life is that everyone thinks that they need more of everything, instead of getting by with what they have. If you don't have a 4000ft2 dollhouse with 7 bathrooms, an individual room for each and every activity (no matter how seldom you need it), and a three car garage full of old junk, then you're not worth anything.

Oh, I just remembered that when I was in Berkeley, the room I rented was something like 18'x18' or maybe smaller. It was just one room, with the kitchen in one corner and enclosed shower + toilet + sink in another. In the other two corners were a bed and a sofa + small table, and that's it. Having grown up in a 100m2 house with a garage and yard it felt cramped at first, but I got used to it since it was quite functional. A little rearranging would allow two people to live there.

01-10-11, 01:26 AM	#14
Piwoslaw Super Moderator Join Date: May 2009 Location: Warsaw, Poland Posts: 962 Thanks: 188 Thanked 110 Times in 86 Posts	In Central Europe there are lots of families living in apartments with just 25-40 m2 (250-400 ft2). "Families" in this case may mean only two people, but may also mean 2 parents + 2-3 kids + grandma. The living room often doubles as the parents' bedroom, the small bedroom is for the kids plus storage (but you don't need much storage space when you can't afford to buy junk to store...). I've seen a few apartments with no separate kitchen, only a sink + stove + fridge in one corner of the bedroom. I've also seen tiny apartments rented by 5-8 students with a portable stove on the washing machine in the bathroom. You don't need a tub in the bathroom, since you'll only be taking showers if you want (or need) to save water. Hmm, which rooms do you use least often? The kitchen and the bathroom, each for an hour or less per day, so do they need to be heated 24/7? Give that some thought. A hundred years ago having your own bathroom was considered a luxury, the stardard was one bathroom per 3-10 apartments, or an outhouse and a pot of warm water for washing. Yes, sharing bathrooms or kitchens with family members is not easy, let alone with strangers, since everyone seems to 'needs to go' at the same time The problem with today's way of life is that everyone thinks that they need more of everything, instead of getting by with what they have. If you don't have a 4000ft2 dollhouse with 7 bathrooms, an individual room for each and every activity (no matter how seldom you need it), and a three car garage full of old junk, then you're not worth anything. Oh, I just remembered that when I was in Berkeley, the room I rented was something like 18'x18' or maybe smaller. It was just one room, with the kitchen in one corner and enclosed shower + toilet + sink in another. In the other two corners were a bed and a sofa + small table, and that's it. Having grown up in a 100m2 house with a garage and yard it felt cramped at first, but I got used to it since it was quite functional. A little rearranging would allow two people to live there. __________________ Ecorenovation - the bottomless piggy bank that tries to tame the energy hog.