Hi, friends! I’m kicking off Monday with another edition of Small Home Style! As you know, I love talking about small home living; it seems a lot of you love talking small home design with me too which makes me thrilled. Last year I started the series Small Home Style to share ideas and inspiration to help fellow home dwellers to maximize their spaces. This year, I’m expanding the series to feature home tours, once a month I’ll feature a fantastic small home. The tours will include a wide variety of small homes all over the country.

Homes don't have to be huge to be amazing. A small well-designed home is my jam; their cozier and have built in charm. All you truly need is a vision. Small spaces are uniquely individual, and I love the idea of taking a peek inside these spaces and sharing what makes them so unique, plus sharing tips about living small from the home dweller.

I’m delighted to share a charming Cape Cod style home in a historic town just outside of Chicago. I adore this house; it’s full of character and charm and lots of pretty greenery. Each room feels serene and relaxing. Almost three years ago, Londen and her family said goodbye to their first small home that had more bedrooms, in favor of an older home that needed lots of love in their dream neighborhood. Londen share's her renovation journey of her Cape Cod on her blog Sixty Fifth Avenue, you can also follow her @SixtyFifthAvenue on Instagram for daily design inspiration.

Cape Cod Chicago Home Tour

HOUSE DETAILS:

Built in 1940
Location: Historic Town just outside Chicago
1200 Square Feet
Londen shares her home with husband, 11 year old daughter and their ornery forever sleeping Cat.

wall color: Benjamin More Edgecomb Grey, lightened 50%

Please share some details about your home and does your home have a nickname?

We bought our cape cod style home almost three years ago. It has two bedrooms, a living room, family room, dining room, kitchen, one and a half baths and an unfinished basement. Our house is located in a walkable historic train town just outside of Chicago. She was built in 1940 and has about 1200 sq. feet.

I named her Ethel since it seemed like a good old fashioned name for an old outdated house. We have been working hard giving Ethel a makeover since the day we moved in. She pushed back a bit in the beginning, but once we named her she seemed to be ok with her new family and the changes being made

What are some of your favorite features about your home and why do you love it?

One of the first things that sold us on this house was the wood burning fireplace and the hardwood floors in almost every room except for the kitchen, which was tile, and the family room, which was an addition at some point. The kitchen banquette my husband built is one of the best features we added. I knew it would help our small kitchen function better, but I didn't realize how much we would enjoy just hanging out there playing games and doing homework. If I had to pick a favorite room, we would all agree on the family room. I think we always gravitate there because of all the windows and view into the backyard.

" My favorite thing about living small is using every inch of our home. We don't have rooms that we never use or go into, that feels good to me. " - Londen

Any challenges you've faced living small ?

Living small has its challenges, especially in an old home when closets are limited. Our bedroom closets are functional but I could use another storage space on the main level. Being organized is key and getting rid of things we don't use. That is not easy for some of us, but It's easy to get swallowed up in clutter and excess if you're not careful.

I would like to add one big challenge we deal with daily in our small home. We don't have a mudroom. We have long winters here in the Midwest, so it's not ideal. We use our back door everyday and enter right into our family room. We added hooks for coats and in the summer I hang a market basket filled with sunscreen, sunglasses and whatever else we might need to grab and go. We also have a big basket by the door for shoes.

" If I had to pick a favorite room, we would all agree on the family room. I think we always gravitate there because of all the windows and view into the backyard " - Londen

wall color: Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

You recently completed a kitchen renovation, can you share more details about this project?

We gutted our kitchen and started fresh. The original kitchen was in bad shape and there was a bulkhead that kept the cabinets short. We had that removed and installed taller cabinets from IKEA. (We are currently working on crown moulding for the top of the cabinets to create a built in look)
I don't mind needing a stool to reach items that aren't used everyday on the top shelf. We recently installed the mini subway tile and took it to the ceiling. (Our first DIY tile install) I can't say I will be doing that again anytime soon

The apron front sink and butcher block counters are also from IKEA. I love the deep, soft close drawers and Integrated cabinet panel which covers the dishwasher. This is the first time this house ever had a dishwasher, we were sure to fit one in.

See more of Londen's kitchen remodel here.

Best Small Space Living tip ?

One tip to use in your own home, is to think about using furniture that functions for you as well as offers storage. For example, I have an antique chest of drawers in our living room that holds all my home decor and seasonal items that I'm not using at the time. I'm always going in there looking for something.

A huge thank you to Londen, for opening up her home to Chic Little House readers and sharing what you love about your home. I love all the pretty greenery in Londen's home; giving me serious fern goals. I hope you're all inspired by her home and small home living advice. Find more Small Home Style style and organizing tips here.

What are your favorite takeaways from this Cape Cod Cutie?

Happy Monday! I know Monday's can be rough, its back to the grind. But honestly its one of my favorite days of the week. Why? Because on Monday on the blog I celebrate living small. As a small homeowner living in under 1200 square feet with a family of four and a lab puppy, I know first hand the challenges of living small. I started the design series Small Home Style in 2016, to share small home design ideas and tips to help small home dwellers stylish maximize their spaces.

I seriously love a small well-thought-out kitchen. But, let's be honest not every small kitchen space feels like space is being properly utilized to its full potential. While small kitchens can be a challenge. With challenges comes opportunities to get creative design-wise. I've put together design ideas and storage solutions to help maximize a Galley kitchen. Today, I'm sharing Five Stylish Design Ideas for Galley Kitchens.

Galley Kitchens while practical in a small home or apartment, they can be very tricky to make it work.' Typically Galley kitchens are set up with workspaces on either side with not much 'open' room between cabinets. In addition, many small Galley kitchens are closed off from the rest of the home or have both entrance/exit to another room in the home. I'm sharing Five Stylish Design Ideas for Galley Kitchens. I've put together design ideas and storage solutions to help maximize a Galley kitchen.

Five Stylish Design Ideas for Galley Kitchens

ONE Add Built-ins. If your Galley kitchen has a doorway, consider adding built-ins around the doorway to provide stylish provide extra storage. In the kitchens below, adding the built-in cabinet gives the small kitchen a stylish exit and lots of additional storage for bowls, cutting boards, and books.

TWO Open Shelves. When wall space is at a premium in a small Galley kitchen, go vertical with open shelves. Open shelving is great in a small kitchen! Open shelves allow all you stylish store all the items you use most often out in the open. In addition, the shelves can be narrow for holding smaller items or deeper to hold plates. Open shelves make kitchen items feel more decorative. In my kitchen, I have open shelves between a cabinet and my fridge. On my shelves I have plants, bowls, cookbooks and much more, see more of my kitchen here.

THREE Hang it Up. Create addition storage underneath open shelves, by adding a hanging bar to hold pots, pans, and miscellaneous kitchen items. Having kitchen essentials out in the open will make you more likely to use them, plus it's like having art on your walls.

FOUR No Wasted Space. A lot of interior Galley kitchens lack windows, leaving a black space about the kitchen sink. Consider adding a shelf with brackets to go above your kitchen sink to hold artwork, plants, and flowers. Also, add lighting above your sink with either a pendant above of wall sconces.

FIVE Bring in Pattern. Patterned floors are everything and a complete show stopped in small spaces (see above and below!) How pretty are those tiles! I love that you can totally splurge on pretty tile for a small space and it won't be a budget breaker. Is patterned tile too much of a commitment? No worries, bring in a pretty patterned rug. Geometric or a Vintage-inspired Persian rug make a fabulous statement in a small kitchen.

I hope you've enjoyed my five ideas to help maximize the space in a small Galley kitchen. Tell me, what type of kitchen do you have? What ways have you maximized your kitchen to make it more storage savvy and sttlish?