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“Whether it’s incessant emails, texts, or social media updates, our overly packed schedules or the many hundreds of things we own, life can be overwhelming. I believe we intuitively desire simpler lives filled with high-quality experiences, relationships, and possessions.” — Graham Hill, resident

What we love about this quote is how Hill, whose 350-square-foot abode in New York appears on our cover, addresses over-saturation. We tend to think of micro-dwelling as a reaction against a housing market that, nearly a decade after the mortgage crisis, still says bigger is better. (The median-size American single-family home was larger than ever last year, at 2,467 square feet.) But rather, it’s a movement to streamline our existences, both materially and spiritually. Cleaning out unwanted detritus gives us control over our environment, and space to think at a time when we are bombarded by notifications, entertainment, and news.

An affinity for solving puzzles may be a good predictor of being happy in a smaller home. A strong imagination is also key. As one of the homeowners in the issue points out: “We had to have a good fantasy to imagine a livable apartment, with the state that we found it in.” The tighter the footprint, the more flexibility—in budget, patience, and humor, among other things—you will need.

“When a client says, ‘I’ve filled all my wardrobes and still have space left over,’ that means the mission is accomplished,” says Roberto Di Stefano, the designer of that same apartment. We especially like the small niche shelving that was squeezed into the tiniest of corners and used as a bookshelf. The designer adds: “We put accents on focus points; we didn’t want the light completely spread out.” As in many of the projects in this issue, walls were knocked down to open up the space, but not without using other elements, like lighting, to give structure to the interior.