Settle in—this is a deep-dive post. If you like long, reflective takes about home life and moving, pour a cup of coffee and join us. In this post we’ll cover:
- Lessons we’ve learned about downsizing over the past few years
- Which pieces from our larger home moved with us and still work
- Why certain items endured while others didn’t
- What we learned about packing and preparing for a move
The idea for this post came from noticing how much of our previous home’s furniture and decor either made the move with us or was replaced after we settled into a much smaller house. Some pieces—like a custom loveseat, chairs, and a coffee table—were purchased after we moved here to fit a smaller sitting area. Other items such as a rug, a tray, vases, art, and a bookcase came with us from Richmond and have continued to find homes in different rooms.
We didn’t have a crystal ball when packing a 16′ moving pod, so we measured, guessed, and made choices based on what we thought would work. Downsizing doesn’t mean you can’t buy new things that better suit the scale or function of your new home—especially when you’re moving from a 3,150 sq ft house with 14 rooms to about 1,400 sq ft with six rooms and one bathroom. We sold a lot of furniture with our house in Richmond knowing it wouldn’t all fit here, and then adjusted further after living in the new space.
Downsizing is a balancing act of keeping what makes you happiest and what functions well, and letting go of the rest. Our selection process for what to bring included practical measurements, past usage, gut instinct, and emotional value. We prioritized items we used frequently or loved deeply, and passed on extras that were merely decorative.
One key piece of timeless advice: let your new home evolve. We tried different layouts and used temporary solutions until we found what actually worked in daily life. It’s normal for a room to feel odd at first. Trial and error produced better configurations over time, and several pieces found permanent spots only after being moved around.
Some furniture found long-term homes quickly. Other items were shifted room to room until we realized they weren’t the right fit and donated or sold them. For example, wide 6-drawer dressers we used before didn’t survive long-term in a smaller house, while narrower 3-drawer dressers proved far more versatile—doubling as nightstands and saving floor space.
Certain rooms absorbed more items because of their size and function. Our upstairs family room, for instance, became the catchall for pieces from three different rooms in our old house: the office, the former family room, and the kids’ art space. Because it’s the home’s largest living area, it could accommodate sofas, shelving, desks, and storage that wouldn’t fit elsewhere.
A few specific takeaways from what stayed and what didn’t:
- Classic, well-made pieces with neutral palettes and flexible size tend to last. Our Parsons desk from 2007 still feels fresh and useful.
- Smaller decorative items—art, lamps, plants, meaningful knickknacks—are worth bringing. They make a new house feel like home quickly and are inexpensive to replace if needed.
- Be willing to repurpose. Items that served one function in the old house can succeed in a different role in the new one (a shelf can become kitchen storage, a dresser can double as a nightstand).
- Stick to a cohesive aesthetic. Choosing items that complement a light, airy, coastal vibe made mixing and matching easier and reduced the need to buy new decor.
Practical packing lessons we learned:
1. Know which rooms need big pieces
Avoid filling the moving pod with large items you won’t have room for long-term. We ended up donating a few bulky dressers that took space in the pod but didn’t suit our smaller rooms.
2. Bring the little things you love
If a small item has meaning or makes you happy—art, a lamp, framed photos—pack it. These items help your new house feel like home right away. But be ruthless about filler items you barely use.
3. Stay flexible and let things evolve
Don’t force an item into the same role it had in your old house. Repurposing increases the chance pieces will stick around and reduces what you need to buy.
4. Think cohesively
A consistent color palette and style make rearranging simpler. We avoided heavy, dark rugs and furniture that clashed with the lighter, beachy aesthetic we wanted here.
5. Be patient
Downsizing takes time. Let rooms evolve over months or years. You’ll avoid rushed purchases and find better long-term solutions by living in the space and experimenting.
The overall lesson: bring the pieces you use and love, be selective about what you pack, and accept that your home will find its rhythm over time. We don’t miss most of the things we donated, and decades-old staples—simple planters, a trusted rug, or a beloved dresser—have continued to feel like home. If you’re downsizing, prioritize function, sentiment, and cohesion, and give yourself the grace to let the new space grow into what you need.
We hope this roundup of what stayed, what went, and what we learned helps you approach your own move with less stress and more clarity. Downsizing doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort or style—it’s an opportunity to be intentional about what truly matters in your home.
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