When my husband and I bought our apartment in Kyiv back in 2017, we were thrilled to finally have a family nest of our own.
It was a cozy, 500-square-foot place with one bedroom, and we meticulously planned to optimize every inch of it. Our kitchen table doubled as my workspace, and our living room couch became the guest bed whenever family stayed over.
Hosting required pure creative problem-solving and, with limited seating around our small table, I’d sometimes feed guests in shifts. It was chaotic at times, but I didn’t mind.
After our son was born, bright plastic toys, endless boxes of diapers, and bulky baby gear started claiming every free corner of our apartment. With the three of us packed into a single bedroom, finding space was a daily puzzle, but we made it work.
Surprisingly, living so close together didn’t feel limited back then — it felt intimate, cozy, and deeply fulfilling. Then COVID-19 hit.
Spending so much time indoors made me feel isolated, and for the first time, I began dreaming about more living space. But we barely had time to figure things out before life took a drastic turn: When the war in Ukraine escalated in 2022, we made the heavy, life-changing decision to relocate to Canada.
A few months after moving, we began renting a two-bedroom house, where we currently reside. At 1,700 square feet, it wasn’t considered especially large by local standards, but to us, it felt vast.
It didn’t take long to adjust to having more space — and to quickly fill it up
Courtesy of Alona Vasylieva
At first, our house seemed almost too large for just three people.
For the first time, we had two bedrooms and a basement, which instantly doubled our usable space at a ground level.
After years of apartment living, though, the sheer thought of having so much space to keep clean felt exhausting. However, it didn’t take long to change my mind.
It turns out that when both you and your belongings finally have room to breathe — and you’ve got a trusty robot vacuum doing the heavy lifting — life shines in completely different colors.
Courtesy of Alona Vasylieva
It’s also been wonderful to have more room to host, from a dedicated guest space (in the basement) to a table big enough to actually seat larger groups.
In time, we began to pick up local habits and traditions, too. Many of our neighbors in Canada decorate for different holidays, so we started joining in.
And of course, seasonal decor needs a place to be stored when it’s not in use — and since we now had a full basement, I didn’t feel super limited with what I could buy.
A lot of neighbors also had an extra stand-alone freezer in their homes. It seemed ridiculous for our family of three to also get one … until my first Costco run.
I caved when I realized I needed a place for all those bulk-sized boxes of frozen food. In our bigger home, large grocery hauls began feeling normal.
Courtesy of Alona Vasylieva
Gradually, I felt a shift in my identity: I was no longer the strict minimalist I used to be.
In Kyiv, whenever my husband wanted a new kitchen gadget or a giant toy truck for our son, I was firm about saying no. We simply didn’t have room for “extra.” I took pride in keeping our home completely clutter-free.
But between the extra space and North American convenience, I’d completely changed my minimalist rules. Now, saying “yes” to big additions — like the bulky food dehydrator I’d been eyeing for drying fruits and vegetables, or the roomy couch we’d dreamed of for years — felt easy.
I didn’t need to worry about where something would be stored or if it’d take up too much space: We finally had the room to bring those dreams home.
Ultimately, my family and I have thrived with more room to breathe
Courtesy of Alona Vasylieva
Over time, I realized this shift was much deeper than just being able to shop more and store more stuff. In a bigger space, our family had room to breathe and grow.
In Kyiv, our whole routine and my minimalist mindset felt shaped by how tight everything felt, but here, the extra room opened up a whole new chapter.
I’ve become more outgoing, more relaxed, and genuinely excited to gather people together. Our home has turned into a place for hosting friends, cooking weekend dinners, and laughing over backyard barbecues.
Living small was a beautiful, intimate part of my life that I will always hold close to my heart. It taught me intentionality and gratitude.
However, creating space to thrive, host, and watch my family grow has completely transformed my definition of home — now, going back to 500 square feet no longer feels like an option.
