There was an article in The Economist this week on small homes, or as they called it, a "Very little house on the prairie".  It talks about the movement to make homes smaller again, and the example given is of a man who has built small homes out of salvaged material and antique hardware.  The idea is that there is plenty of material out there to put together new spaces for living, and that these new spaces do not need to be McMansions.

I am hooked!  I have now been exploring websites and looking at pictues and design plans, and I'm ready to build my own small house! 

I guess I should point out that I have lived in a small space before - in NYC my first apartment was probably 100 sq feet, and the amount of money I spent on rent while living in that space would have been enough to cover a good portion of a small house out in the countryside!  But I think my experience in city dwelling has allowed me to feel comfortable in a small space for my living area, since I realized that there is more outside and all around you that is yours to enjoy, just not necessarily own, and that having a small space is an excellent way to learn to live a simple lifestyle.