Living in smaller spaces posts by Rita Wilkins. Rita is a renowned expert in decluttering and minimalism, empowering individuals to simplify their lives through practical tips and resources, while also captivating audiences as a professional speaker and author.

5 Top Design Secrets for Designing Your Small Spaces

By Rita Wilkins The Downsizing Designer Designing small spaces is absolutely one of my favorite topics. Although for many of you who know me well or who have followed me for a while, you know that I have many favorite topics that are design-related because I love what I do. But this is personal! Many [...]

By |2021-01-19T18:53:03+00:00January 19th, 2021|Decorating, design ideas, Home Decorating, how to utilize space in your house, Interior design, living in smaller spaces|Comments Off on 5 Top Design Secrets for Designing Your Small Spaces
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5 Practical Design Tips to Maximize Your Small Home

By Rita Wilkins The Downsizing Designer As more and more Americans are choosing to downsize and live in smaller, more manageable home, they are often confronted with how to let go of the furniture, artwork, and accessories that they have been using in their larger homes. As a designer who once owned a big home [...]

By |2021-01-08T18:15:51+00:00January 8th, 2021|Baby Boomers, Design, design ideas, Interior design, living in smaller spaces, simplify your life|Comments Off on 5 Practical Design Tips to Maximize Your Small Home
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Downsize by Decluttering

Downsizing is on the minds of many Americans…especially now! And, particularly with Baby Boomers who are or will become empty nesters in the not too distant future. With fewer day-to-day responsibilities, they’ve suddenly discovered more time and freedom to pursue interests that have been put on the back burner. And, even if you’re not a [...]

By |2026-03-27T22:13:25+00:00September 23rd, 2020|A Peek into Your Good Life, Baby Boomers, decluttering tips, Design, downsizing, empty nest, freedom, Interior design, Interiors, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, motivation, personal growth, retirement, simplicity, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, time, trending|Comments Off on Downsize by Decluttering
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Secrets to Living a Vacation Mindset Everyday

It was sure a bitter cold evening, a fire was blazing in the fireplace, and we carefully sipped the hot toddies that we cupped in our hands. I was sitting between my beloved ex-mother and father-in-law on their tiny, well-worn loveseat. I listened intently to story after story of their many trips taken during their [...]

By |2020-10-28T18:53:56+00:00August 6th, 2019|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, downsizing, empty nest, freedom, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, motivation, personal growth, retirement, simplicity, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, time, travel|Comments Off on Secrets to Living a Vacation Mindset Everyday
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New towns and new friends

Rita Good morning, and welcome to day 23 of my 30 day journey to the South of France and today I'm here with a new friend Patricia Brooks.  We're in this beautiful town that she chose to move to just a little over a couple of months ago, right?   Patricia I’ve been in France [...]

By |2019-07-30T16:15:47+00:00July 30th, 2019|A Peek into Your Good Life, Baby Boomers, bucket list, community, Concepts, decluttering tips, downsizing, empty nest, freedom, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, motivation, personal growth, retirement, simplicity, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, TEDx Talk, time, travel|Comments Off on New towns and new friends
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Discovering the Life I Love

Good afternoon. I just arrived in Marseille a few hours ago and I'm settling in to my tiny little hotel room on the fourth floor overlooking a beautiful tree line street.  A little jet lagged, but so excited to be here and to share my new adventure with you. Little did I know when I [...]

By |2020-12-16T17:29:39+00:00July 3rd, 2019|A Peek into Your Good Life, Baby Boomers, bucket list, community, Concepts, downsizing, empty nest, freedom, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, motivation, personal growth, retirement, simplicity, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, time, travel|Comments Off on Discovering the Life I Love
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Aging Parents With Lots of Stuff, and Children Who Don’t Want It

Mothers and daughters talk about all kinds of things. But there is one conversation Susan Beauregard, 49, of Hampton, Conn., is reluctant to have with her 89-year-old mother, Anita Shear: What to do — eventually — with Mrs. Shear’s beloved set of Lenox china? Ms. Beauregard said she never uses her own fine china, which [...]

By |2018-06-29T15:00:32+00:00August 21st, 2017|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, community, design trends, downsizing, Interior design, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, travel, Universal Design, walkable communities|Comments Off on Aging Parents With Lots of Stuff, and Children Who Don’t Want It
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The New Baby Boomer Boom

Jimmy Buffett is wasting away again in Margaritaville. On Feb. 16, the 70-year-old singer of calypso tunes about flip-flops, boozy cocktails, and cheeseburgers in paradise announced a partnership with Orlando, Fla.–based Minto Communities to bring Latitude Margaritaville—a tropics-themed, “no worries” active-adult community—to a development parcel fronting Daytona Beach. Complete with a fitness center, aerobics studio, [...]

By |2018-06-29T15:01:42+00:00August 15th, 2017|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, community, design trends, downsizing, Interior design, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, Renting Trend, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, travel, Universal Design, walkable communities|Comments Off on The New Baby Boomer Boom
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Why It’s Now An Empty Nesters’ Housing Market

Bill Saporito Mar 10, 2017 There’s a mismatch in the housing market. Demand is rising, yet homebuilders don’t have the capacity to create the supply the way they did in the boom years. They haven’t banked as much land, they haven’t filed the permits and they’ve become increasingly short of labor—one possible byproduct of the [...]

By |2018-06-29T15:05:53+00:00August 7th, 2017|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, community, design trends, downsizing, Interior design, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, Renting Trend, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, Universal Design, walkable communities|Comments Off on Why It’s Now An Empty Nesters’ Housing Market
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Intentionally Minimalist Retirement

Just before I retired in 2011 I sold almost everything I owned. It wasn’t because money was tight, but because I wanted to spend my life as an adventure, traveling the world, pursuing my passions of writing and photography and most of the things I owned weren’t going to fit into that lifestyle. I didn’t intend to [...]

By |2026-03-27T22:13:44+00:00July 25th, 2017|A Peek into Your Good Life, Aging in place, Baby Boomers, bucket list, community, design trends, downsizing, Interior design, lifestyle, living in smaller spaces, minimalism, Renting Trend, retirement, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, travel, Universal Design, walkable communities|Comments Off on Intentionally Minimalist Retirement
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