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| The Breakfast Station |
People who know how to live big in a small space fascinate me. Design shows that give tips on how to organize and maximize a room always grab my attention, as do posts featuring the tiny house craze. Teeny-tiny homes are designed to use every square inch of space in the most efficient and innovative ways.
We can all learn from such a lifestyle. Certainly, it's good to be mindful of over consumption, as well as, lessening our carbon footprint in a world where resources are limited.
Often urban dwellers learn to lessen their carbon footprint out of the necessity of living in a small apartment. There is never enough space for the 99% of New Yorkers in particular. The same is true of London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong and many major cities. But a lack of space doesn't have to mean a lack of modern appliances that do the jobs of their full size siblings.
1) First up is the above photo^, a 3-in-1 Breakfast Station - How clever for a resident of a tiny apartment (or dorm room) to have an all-in-one space saving: toaster oven; 4 cup coffeemaker; and griddle. It's the only gizmo a cook needs to make a hot traditional breakfast for 1-4 people. Sometimes people in tight quarters eat out because they don't have the tools to make breakfast at home, but eating out gets expensive! This unit pays for itself in less than a month's time!
2) EdgeStar 6 Place Setting Countertop Dishwasher - A compact unit that gets high ratings from owners. Reportedly, it's relatively quiet, powerful and has 2 wash cycles (short and long). A hose hooks up to the sink for filling and emptying water.
I don't have a home dishwasher and would need to give up a cupboard where I store pots and pans, if I ever decide to install one, so it's nice to have the option of setting a dishwasher on a countertop. But right now, I don't want to give up any space, period; however much I like the idea of using a small, portable dishwasher.
And for no logical reason, I don't mind hand washing dishes. (I use rubber gloves.) It's putting away dishes after they dry that I dislike. Unfortunately, a dishwasher would still leave me with that repetitive task.
3) On the other hand, if my apartment building lacked a laundry room, I couldn't stand to hand wash clothes, or haul my laundry outside of my building to a Laundromat. On a weekly basis, noooo! The Panda Portable Compact Washer/Spinner Dryer sits next to a sink or tub to wash (depending on the model selected) either 7, 10, 12 or 15 pounds of laundry per load. The semi-automatic washer has an inlet hose, but you can use a bucket to quickly fill the tub with water directly. A built-in pump makes for easy drainage. Overall, customers love the Panda washer/spinner despite not having all the bells and whistles of a big machine. Many reviewers recommend cutting back on the detergent (to half) when washing a load of laundry. (Coincidentally, using less detergent works better in my building's commercial-size washers also. Less seems to be best all around!) The spin dryer leaves clothes slightly damp, but almost dry. Hang items to finish drying.
4) For homes too small for a combination washer/spinner dryer, there's still hope! A stand alone, Panda Mini Portable Compact Washing Machine goes anywhere. It has a 5.5 pound laundry capacity. Customers report, this mini washer has the strength to clean blue jeans, several t-shirts, plus other light articles (socks, undies) in a single load (sounds like a super hero:).
5) Pair it with the stand alone Laundry Alternative Mini Portable Countertop Spin Dryer - The electric, spin dryer is ventless; quiet; and super gentle on clothes. Handles 12 pounds of laundry per cycle; dries clothes in 3 minutes; water empties out via a drain. Users say the clothes come out slightly damp, but close to dry. (A tumble dryer uses heat to vaporize water, whereas, a spin dryer removes the water by spinning and draining.)
6) Singer 4423 Heavy Duty Extra-High Speed Sewing Machine - Frankly, I don't how to use one of these, but imagine a competent seamstress can't be without a sewing machine regardless of how small her living space is. The Singer 4423 has 23 built-in stitches, an automatic needle threader and top drop-in bobbin. It only weighs 14.5 pounds. Click the above link to read about its many features, as well as, to compare it to other models.
7) 6 Sheet Strip-Cut Paper And Credit Card Shredder Without A Wastebasket by Aurora - I do know how to use one of these :). Powerful with sharp blades, this compact paper shredder for scrapping sensitive documents and expired credit cards fits over a kitchen trash can. The labor saving device doesn't cross shred, but cuts 6 sheets of paper at a time into thin spaghetti strips. It also reverses to clear paper jams caused by overloading. If a person with limited space has nowhere to sit a big paper shredder, this little guy has all the parts needed to shred regular-sized paper, yet it fits into a desk drawer. And at $14-$16 (depending on the seller), it's cheap!
Surely living in tight quarters requires compromise, but just look at the ingenuity and efficiency of the mini gadget market. They lower energy bills too. Living big in a small space is very smart and doable in the 21st century!
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