"Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." --William Morris

This weekend, we went to the Maker Faire, or as I was calling it all day, the Science Fair for Grown-Ups.

One of the most eye-opening displays for me was Jay Shafer's 100-square-foot house. The designer was there to answer questions and give "tours" (actually, he sat on the desk and pointed things out, as there really wasn't any room for more than one or two people to be moving around in the house at once).

What I found most interesting is how much room there is in even the most minimalist space to express one's personal priorities and taste. In just 100 square feet, Shafer still found room for a front porch, a home office with shelves full of books, and a half-dozen wineglasses for visiting friends.

And while I doubt many couples with kids will be moving into Shafer's proposed community of tiny houses, I am still feeling pretty foolish for occasionally complaining that we're cramped in my palatial-by-comparison 1300-square-foot house. Now I am feeling inspired to purge our unnecessary stuff and move more fully into the space we do have. First item on my decluttering to-do list: My closet, specifically the treacherous mountain of shoes that I might need the help of an oxygen tank to scale.