Making Room for What Matters Most

Living beautifully in 1300 square feet—through home decor, thoughtful routines, seasonal recipes, garden joy, and stories from the heart

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A watercolor illustration of a blue watering can filled with pink and blue flowers and green leaves, perfect for adding a touch of "Living Large in A Small House" charm, set against a transparent background.
Summer Posts

A basket of bread rolls with flowers, a teapot, a teacup, sliced peaches, grapes, and jam-topped bread grace this charming, vintage-style illustration—perfectly capturing the essence of Living Large in A Small House.

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decorating
entertaining
recipes
Outdoor living & garden spaces
organizing
Seasons
What You'll Find Here: A watercolor illustration of a cozy outdoor tea setup—two wooden chairs, a table with a teapot, pears, and basket, a cup, a rabbit on one chair, a sunhat on the other, and potted flowers nearby.
Podcast

“Two Porches & A Pour”

Two friends separated by 2,000 miles but united by our love of home, garden, and gracious living. Through our blogs and this podcast, we share authentic conversations about decorating, entertaining, and cultivating beauty in everyday life. Join us for heartfelt chats filled with practical tips, real-life stories, and plenty of laughter as we navigate the joys and challenges of making a house a home.

A promotional image with "Co-Hosts" written at the top. Below are two photos labeled "Wendy McMonigle" and "Lynn Vogeler." Wendy, known for her role in "Living Large in A Small House," sports light hair in a light-colored top. Lynn dons long hair, glasses, and a cozy turtleneck sweater.

What You'll Find Here: A charming cottage with large windows and a stone chimney sits in a lush garden of blooming flowers, bordered by a white picket fence. A wheelbarrow rests nearby as a duck and two ducklings stroll across the grass.

My Favorite Projects

side view of the front door, new rug, and pots on my front porch

Our Exterior Renovation

Crazy Before & After
peeking in the door after out small laundry room makeover

Laundry Room Remodel

Laundry Room Reveal
my kitchen after the 30 day cleaning & organizing challenge

Kitchen Renovation

My White Kitchen
the chair the I reupholstered

New Office/Guest Room

French Country Office
What You'll Find Here: A watercolor illustration of a garden scene featuring a straw hat, trowel, potted lavender, wooden planter with green herbs, blue flowers, watering can, and a gnome figurine in a green hat and pants.

Behind the scenes

Hi, I’m Lynn

After stepping away from the corporate world, this blog has become my little corner to share the joy of making a home feel beautiful, functional, and full of heart.

In our 1,300-square-foot house, I’ve been on a mission to prove that small spaces can still live large. Cozy doesn’t mean cramped—it means intentional, inviting, and filled with the kind of details that make you exhale the moment you walk through the door.

My organizing obsession (let’s just call it “enthusiastically type-A”) keeps me busy with systems and storage tricks, while my handy husband is the muscle behind many of my vintage-inspired projects. Together, we’ve turned our empty nest into a place where we love to entertain, garden, and cook from scratch.

Here, you’ll find practical tips, a dash of humor, and professional design know-how—all with the goal of helping you get the most out of every square inch. Because I’ve learned firsthand that living well has nothing to do with square footage, and everything to do with how you fill your home with warmth, style, and purpose.

More about me
An older woman in a summer capsule wardrobe—white shirt, blue overalls, and gardening gloves—stands on grass, digging with a shovel among lush green plants and pink flowers. Trees and a white trellis frame the vibrant outdoor scene.

Watercolor illustration of a delicate floral arrangement featuring yellow, blue, and purple wildflowers with green leaves, painted on a white background.

Things I’m Loving for Summer Decor

Click on the Picture Above to Take You to the Link

A watercolor illustration of a blue watering can filled with pink and blue flowers and green leaves, perfect for adding a touch of "Living Large in A Small House" charm, set against a transparent background.

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And be the first to see affordable decorating ideas, easy recipes, gardening tips and tricks, along with great organizing and entertaining ideas.

A watercolor illustration of two brown boots filled with wildflowers, including blue and pink blossoms, captures the charm of Living Large in A Small House.
A watercolor illustration of two brown boots filled with wildflowers, including blue and pink blossoms, captures the charm of Living Large in A Small House.

Do you know I have a YouTube channel?

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Heck yeah!
What You'll Find Here: Watercolor illustration of a hen with two chicks, a basket of eggs, two milk bottles, fresh vegetables in a woven basket, and delicate floral accents.

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A watercolor illustration of a blue watering can filled with pink and blue flowers and green leaves, perfect for adding a touch of "Living Large in A Small House" charm, set against a transparent background.

Featured

  • Logo for "the spruce" featuring a simple outline of a house in light blue with an open door and neutral Halloween decor elements, followed by the text "the spruce" in a stylized gray font.
  • Black and white logo featuring large "ORC" letters above "ONE ROOM CHALLENGE," capturing the bold spirit of the One Room Challenge event.
  • Black text logo reads "Taste of Home" in a serif font on a white background, evoking the warmth of a Farmhouse cottage.
  • A minimalist green line drawing forms the outline of a house, with the words "re design" in bold black text inside the shape—perfect inspiration for your next Saturday Shopping adventure.
  • The image displays the words "BOLD JOURNEY" in large capital letters—"BOLD" in a bold, dark red font and "JOURNEY" in a smaller black font on a white background—capturing the excitement of a Saturday Shopping adventure.
  • The image features the word "WANDER" in large, bold letters, evoking a sense of recollection. Below it, in smaller text, are the phrases: "LIVE WELL | EAT WELL | TRAVEL WELL." The entire text is set against a plain, light background.
  • Hometalk logo featuring a blue house icon to the left of the word "Hometalk" in black, rounded font—perfect inspiration for sharing cozy recipes like Potato Broccoli and Leek Soup.
  • The word "SIMPLIFY" is written in all uppercase letters, with the letter "I" and "L" replaced by the number "1," on a teal rectangular background—perfect inspiration for anyone looking to make a faux topiary and keep things straightforward.
  • Orange logo with a house-shaped icon containing a white fork and spoon, followed by the word "Foodtalk" in bold orange text—your go-to source for tips like how to use Javy Coffee for Spring Coffee Drinks.
  • Boutique Rugs logo featuring a red geometric pattern beside the words "BoutiqueRugs" in bold black and gray text on a white background, perfect for pairing with stylish Peel and Stick Wallpaper in your home decor.
  • Logo with two interlocking heart outlines on the left, followed by the text "LOVE vs DESIGN" in a modern, clean font—perfect for a brand specializing in stylish Peel and Stick Wallpaper.
  • The image shows the text "CANVASREBEL" in a clean, dark blue sans-serif font on a white background, evoking the spirit of Living Large in A Small House with its minimalist yet bold design.
  • Colonial Candle logo featuring a circular emblem with overlapping "C" letters above the brand name "COLONIAL CANDLE" in uppercase serif font—perfect inspiration for cozy moments, like learning how to use Javy Coffee for Spring Coffee Drinks.