housing choices, HELP!

[bmccasland]

Since starting out on my own again - I've had:

800 sq ft 1 bedroom apartment (2)

1500 sq ft 3 bedroom house, but I only used two of the bedrooms, while living there I took possession of the lovely bedroom suit that belonged to my grandparents (4 poster double bed, chest of drawers, dresser, vanity & bench, plus a cedar chest, and a quilt rack). House was on a fish hatchery, nice and quiet.

1160 sq ft, 3 bedroom/1.5 bath house - started aquiring lawn care stuff

960 sq ft, 2 bedroom/1 bath house - traded the push mower for gas. I should mention I felt cramped the entire time I lived there - not enough space for my sewing room creativity.

When it comes to pack-ratting I admit to two faults - books and fabric. Thanks to Hurricane Katrina, some of the stuff I've been hauling around is now in a dump in Louisiana - they were in boxes on the floor of my garage, which flooded, then the moisture wicked up, and then molded. Yucky. Does wonderful things to your psyche to see your childhood toys covered in mold.

What I'm trying to say is, I haven't lived in large homes, or when I did, I didn't even occupy all the space. But given the opportunity to spread out I can. If I had floor-to-ceiling bookcases, I wouldn't need as much floor space!
And I would, one day, like to have a sewing room again. I had that in my California house, it was wonderful. (the 3 bed/1.5 bath place).