#KISS - When are you staying at my house?

‘We can't have it all’, they say, in a popular saying. Reading this week's idea I was able to answer it right away. One of the sacrifices we make by living in a small house is not having adequate space to receive our friends and family as guests. Let me tell you some anecdotes.

We have been living in small spaces for about fourteen years, with a living room, a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. So hosting guests is quite a challenge. However, we have been privileged to have some guests in these conditions. Friends and family have accepted to sleep in the living room, or on the sofa, prioritising the company and the good atmosphere.

For example, family members have sometimes visited us, staying for several days. Because of the trust we have, we are able to live together during this time. Perhaps one of the most difficult things is that to go to the bathroom you always have to go to the bedroom. But we have been able to communicate well so that this happens smoothly.

Also, sometimes we have received friends, some close and some not so close. This has widened our circle of friends and has led to funny anecdotes. For example, we once had a childless couple visit us, and they agreed to sleep on a double mattress in the living room. After turning off the lights we heard that she was making some strange noises. That's when they told us that our cat Miñe was trying to sleep with them. When we tried to get her off the mattress she would get angry and bite. It must have been terrifying for them! What a mess...

In an attempt to be better hosts, a few years ago I bought a bunk bed. The bottom bed was a double size, and the top bed was a single size. Obviously, the top bed was rarely used, so it seemed like a bad purchase for a long time. However, having this furniture, we once stayed six people in one of these places. Because we were all friends we were able to function well.

If I could find a balance between our minimalist lifestyle and the issue of providing accommodation for others, I would like to live in a place with two rooms. One would be for us, our clothes, bedding, accessories, etc. And the other for hosting guests, where a bunk bed would fit in nicely! I would love to have those that even have a mattress under the main bed, at floor level, that goes in and out like a drawer. So you could have two people on that mattress, two on the main bed, and one more on the loft bed. five people! It's no longer my problem how they will get along with each other in one room.