Latest news with #NeverTooSmall
The Age
05-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Age
The small Sydney homes that are growing a big audience worldwide
The loft's wooden wall also operates as bookshelves, or somewhere to sit, read, and dangle your legs over the side. Mitch Lippmann, a chef now working in Copenhagen for the Noma group, said he was passionate about hosting and home-making. He wanted to create a space where 'you could have people over, and have a generous space to cook and eat'. Mitch acknowledged he was in a privileged position to have his father's help, and had bought 'the property with the fact that my father was an architect in mind'. The project cost $100,000, and was made more affordable because his dad did the design at no cost. Ed Lippmann said most of the project was 'just joinery'. The wall surrounding the stainless-steel galley kitchen is filled with floor-to-ceiling modern cabinetry. Never Too Small was started in 2017 by Colin Chee, a Melbourne videographer who lives in a tiny apartment. After he bought it, he started asking architects for ideas on how to improve his home. Never Too Small has 3 million subscribers on YouTube, and has published more than 500 videos on tiny apartments around the world. Chee said urban and city design had a big impact on small living. For people living small, he said the city was an extension of the home, the supermarket the pantry, and the local park the backyard. Many of the more popular videos are about Japanese projects, where living small had always been part of the culture, he said. Chee said he tries to vary the mix of apartments. The Lippmann apartment was chosen because it was in an old warehouse with such high ceilings, 3.6 metres. Loading Chee said the difference between living in a small home versus a large one was that you can do anything in a bigger space. 'For small living, it is all about personalisation, trying to make a small space fit the owner's needs. It's like a dress that fits you perfectly.' Interest in small homes was growing. In Australia, Chee said it was driven by household data showing 26 per cent of Australians are living by themselves, a trend expected to continue. If a home is never too small, what is too big? Chee said the YouTube channel focuses on projects smaller than 60 sq m. The magazine features larger projects.
Sydney Morning Herald
05-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Sydney Morning Herald
The small Sydney homes that are growing a big audience worldwide
The loft's wooden wall also operates as bookshelves, or somewhere to sit, read, and dangle your legs over the side. Mitch Lippmann, a chef now working in Copenhagen for the Noma group, said he was passionate about hosting and home-making. He wanted to create a space where 'you could have people over, and have a generous space to cook and eat'. Mitch acknowledged he was in a privileged position to have his father's help, and had bought 'the property with the fact that my father was an architect in mind'. The project cost $100,000, and was made more affordable because his dad did the design at no cost. Ed Lippmann said most of the project was 'just joinery'. The wall surrounding the stainless-steel galley kitchen is filled with floor-to-ceiling modern cabinetry. Never Too Small was started in 2017 by Colin Chee, a Melbourne videographer who lives in a tiny apartment. After he bought it, he started asking architects for ideas on how to improve his home. Never Too Small has 3 million subscribers on YouTube, and has published more than 500 videos on tiny apartments around the world. Chee said urban and city design had a big impact on small living. For people living small, he said the city was an extension of the home, the supermarket the pantry, and the local park the backyard. Many of the more popular videos are about Japanese projects, where living small had always been part of the culture, he said. Chee said he tries to vary the mix of apartments. The Lippmann apartment was chosen because it was in an old warehouse with such high ceilings, 3.6 metres. Loading Chee said the difference between living in a small home versus a large one was that you can do anything in a bigger space. 'For small living, it is all about personalisation, trying to make a small space fit the owner's needs. It's like a dress that fits you perfectly.' Interest in small homes was growing. In Australia, Chee said it was driven by household data showing 26 per cent of Australians are living by themselves, a trend expected to continue. If a home is never too small, what is too big? Chee said the YouTube channel focuses on projects smaller than 60 sq m. The magazine features larger projects.
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The extraordinary fee homeowners are being charged in brand new Melbourne apartment block built on 'Stolen Land'
An Aussie apartment developer has introduced a 'pay the rent' scheme that includes a contribution to First Nations organisations as part of the owners' fees. Not-for-profit development group Nightingale Housing has competed 21 projects across Australia, with most of them concentrated in Victoria. Some of the apartments, like the ones at the Preston development in north-east Melbourne, are as small as 27 square metres. Completed last year, the 'teilhaus' apartments were billed as being a 'fraction of the carbon and a fraction of the cost' of a typical one-bedroom dwelling, and sold via priority ballot to means tested first home buyers for $280,000 each. Nightingale Housing co-founder Jeremy McLeod said the building was powered off 100 per cent renewables and had 'no operational carbon attached to it'. Mr McLeod also explained why owners paid an annual fee to First Nations groups. 'Nightingale has a pay the rent scheme, which means that every resident in this building pays rent annually to the traditional owners, in acknowledgment that this country was stolen, that these lands were never ceded, and that there's no treaty with the traditional owners,' he told Never Too Small. In a statement, the developer clarified how the scheme worked. 'Nightingale households each pay $100 to First Nations Organisations or Land Councils through their annual Owners Corporation fees' it said. 'In 2024, our residents and commercial tenants donated almost $50,000 to the Traditional Owners of the land on which they live and benefit from. 'It's a way to compensate First Nations Australians for the resources that are drawn from their land. 'We encourage you all to consider donating to one of the many First Nations owned Organisations as a way to acknowledge that the land we live on was never ceded.' Nightingale's scheme is similar to a campaign organised by the Pay the Rent Grassroots Collective, a charity which encourages non-Indigenous Australians to regularly donate a portion of their income. Supporters of the campaign include feminist author Clementine Ford and high-profile Greens senator and activist Lidia Thorpe. 'We need to stop paying lip service to decolonisation and start paying the rent to the first nations people,' Ms Ford said previously. Ms Thorpe said: 'Pay the rent from grassroots for grassroots. No strings attached to government agenda. It assists sovereign grassroots fight the many campaigns and struggles we face everyday.' But conservative commentator Prue MacSween dismissed Nightingale's scheme as a 'marketing exercise'. 'There clearly are some people residing in this country - probably all the YES voters in the failed referendum - who love the idea and have bought into the concept,' Ms MacSween told Daily Mail Australia. 'No one has forced them to purchase a property under this scheme, and they probably wear it as a badge of honour, sleeping soundly in their community of like-minded self-righteous neighbours. Good luck to them.' 'What I find most objectionable is this property developer's claim that it builds on 'stolen land'. 'The fact that they have come up with this schtick is a ploy that sets them apart. It is a marketing exercise that probably works well for the anonymous people who formed the Company, which is of course, is hoping to claim charitable status.' Nightingale has a further three projects under construction in the Melbourne suburbs of Brunswick, Coburg and Coburg North, according to its website. The company's sole development in NSW, called Nightingale Marrickville, was designed just for renters with studio apartments as small as 22 square metres. The project was made possible through a partnership with Fresh Hope Communities, the benevolent arm of Churches of Christ in NSW and ACT, which owns the land. Under the deal it was able to offer rent well below market value - $395 to $440 per week. In October the developer called in restructuring firm Rodgers Reidy to help it broker a deal with creditors. Debts included $410,000 owed to the Australian Taxation office. The restructure came as six directors and the chief executive left the company late last year. This statement comes from the Pay The Rent organisation, which outlines why they believe non-Indigenous landowners should contribute financially as a form of giving back for living on land that was taken from First Nations peoples without consent or treaty. Australia is founded on land that was stolen from Indigenous people. The wealth that has been generated by that theft is disproportionately distributed. All people who live here today, or who have lived here in the past, have not benefited equally from the continuing dispossession of Indigenous people. Indeed, many are deliberately and profoundly marginalised from power and the spoils of colonialism. However, some uncomfortable facts remain: Every day, people consume food grown on Indigenous land or harvested from Indigenous seas; they drink water that flows across or under Indigenous day, people who are not Indigenous to this land take shelter in homes built upon it; they socialise, gather, and make family and community day, business is conducted on this land for the benefit of non-Indigenous day, land belonging to Indigenous people is traded for profit. This land was never empty; the sovereignty of First Nations people was never ceded. Despite centuries of attempted genocide that continues to this day, Indigenous people have managed to hold onto and nurture culture and connections with country. At the same time, Indigenous health and wellbeing have been devastated; Aboriginal people are significantly more likely to be incarcerated, over-policed, to die in custody, for children to be separated from their family, and are more likely to die prematurely from preventable illnesses or to die by suicide. While governments and individuals have said Sorry to the Stolen Generations, they have taken no meaningful action towards making right, nor towards preventing further harm. Paying the Rent is a step towards acknowledging these facts. It is part of a process that all non-Indigenous people – individually and collectively – need to enter into if we are to move towards justice, truth, equality and liberation for First Nations people.
Buzz Feed
31-03-2025
- Lifestyle
- Buzz Feed
An Organization Expert Recommends This Basic Storage Hack
We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page. "This was the best Amazon purchase of my life," writes one reviewer. Vacuum-seal bags can help maximize storage in even the tiniest of spaces, especially for bulky items like bedding and seasonal clothing, according to previous coverage. '[They] are great for storing blankets or extra pillows for occasional use when you have visitors, as well as winter jackets during the off-season,' said sustainable organization expert Colin Chee, who is founder and creative director of Australian design company Never Too Small. Whether you don't have a lot of storage space or are gearing up for a trip or a move, vacuum bags let you pack your clothes, coats, linens, and pillows extra tight. Some come with hand pumps and some with electric ones, but all will compress your garments, making them easier to transport and store — and giving you more space in your closet or basement. To help you get a head start, we rounded up the highest-rated vacuum storage bag sets on Amazon. We've included options with a variety of bag counts and sizes so that you can find the one that's best for your storage needs. 1. A set of 10 Spacesaver bags with an electric pump Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 This set of 10 storage bags contains four medium bags, three large bags and three jumbo bags for pillows or comforters. The electric pump makes storage faster and easier, though the port on the bags also works with most vacuums. You can also get these in sets of 4, 6 and 8, and in sizes small, medium, large, and jumbo (all with the pump). Promising review: "This was my best Amazon purchase of my life...I am traveling to Europe and I was able to minimize my pieces of luggage with this purchase and extra supplies fits with no problem!" — Elaina Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $23.99 2. A set of hanging vacuum bags Amazon Rating: 4.1 out of 5 Make the most of your closets with this set of four hanging vacuum storage bags. The longer orientation is perfect for jackets, pants or anything else you need to keep on a hanger. There are other size and count options available from this brand, including ones with or without a pump. Promising review:"This is the best way to I find to organize and store out of season clothing. Love these bags and will purchase another set." — Del Get a set of four from Amazon for $28.89. 3. Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 Store all types of clothing with this pack of 12 vacuum seal bags, containing three small bags, three medium bags, three large bags and three jumbo bags. They're made with a double seal zipper with a slider and triple-sealed valve to help you compress and re-open the bags with ease. Promising review: "Bought these for a ski trip to help pack all of the bulky gear better and they worked great. We sealed them before we left and on the way home and there were no problems either time. Saved so much room!" — FD Get a 12-pack from Amazon for $15.99. 4. A 10-pack of bags that you can compress with just your hands Amazon Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars These 10 storage bags come in a variety of sizes and require nothing but your bodyweight to reduce in size. You'll get three 24-inch, three 20-inch and four slightly narrower options that measure 20 by 14 inches in the package. One enterprising reviewer used them to organize their clothes in a ' dry bag ' while on a dirt-caked ATV trip in Baja, Mexico. Promising review: 'Just buy them, there are plenty of different versions on Amazon, I tried this one, for the price you get great value. Different sized bags accommodate whatever you are packing. I found that slowly sitting on them I a good way to really squish all the air out. I use them when I travel to compress things like my down jacket, gym clothes, and the main reason I purchase was to compress my pillow, so I no longer have to deal with hotel pillows and a crummy nights sleep on the road. I've used them on about 8 trips so far without issue. Key is not to overstuff the bags with things, if you overpack them the seal will burst when you try to push air out. 10/10 would recommend. Also great to toss all you dirty clothes into these bags at the end of a trip to clear space in your bag for anything new you picked up on your trip. I also anticipate using these for backpacking as well.' — Michael Benvenuto Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $14.97+ (available in two styles). 5. A set of 10 large bags with an electric pump Amazon Rating: 4.2 out of 5 If you've got a lot to store, you'll be glad to have this set of 10 large waterproof bags. The pack comes with a useful hand pump that makes compression easy. Promising review: "For the longest time I debated getting one of these things. I'm so glad I did! Saves me a lot of room. The little pump does have a strong suction - no room for air." — Emily Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $25.99 (also available in other pack sizes). 6. A set of 12 small bags with a battery-powered pump Amazon Rating: 4.2 out of 5 Keep smaller goods stashed with this set of 12 compression bags — each roughly the size of a laptop — that can hold four to seven items of clothing each. As they're all the same size, they'll be easy to organize and can also be great for traveling. The battery-run pump helps compress bags quickly and easily and can inflate bags when you've arrived at your destination. Promising review: "These travel bags are a game-changer for maximizing luggage space. They make packing so much easier by compressing bulky items like clothes, blankets, and towels, allowing me to fit everything I need in my suitcase. Plus, the airtight seal keeps my belongings protected from moisture, dirt, and odors. Whether for travel or home storage, these bags are a must-have for anyone looking to save space and stay organized!" — Rudy vierra 7. A set of 30 bags with a hand pump Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 Offering the most bang for your buck, this set of vacuum bags comes with four jumbo, four large, six medium, six small, five carry-on and five pouch sizes totaling 30 bags. The travel bags are "roll" style, meaning you don't need to pump them to compress, and the other bags work with the included hand pump or with most vacuums. Promising review: "I was pleasantly surprised by how massive these XXL Jumbo vacuum seal bags are! I was able to fit an entire king-size duvet inside with room to spare. The quality is fantastic, and the seal holds up perfectly, keeping everything compressed and airtight. These bags have saved me so much space, and they're incredibly easy to use. I highly recommend to anyone looking to store bulky bedding or seasonal clothes" — Christine
