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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Explore by Topic

small Space Living & curated Design
zone 5b gardening & outdoor living
hosting & homemaking at home
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Latest on the Blog
Blue decorative line with symmetrical floral elements and a simple house cradled by two hands in the center, evoking a sense of care—perfect for your next Home Post.
Spring Posts

Blue decorative line with symmetrical floral elements and a simple house cradled by two hands in the center, evoking a sense of care—perfect for your next Home Post.

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
Elegant kitchen sink with gold faucets, a white countertop, and decorative soap dispensers. In the background, large windows with sheer curtains let in natural light, and a vase with foliage adds a touch of greenery.

Kitchen Renovation

My White Kitchen
the chair the I reupholstered

New Office/Guest Room

French Country Office
Blue decorative line with symmetrical floral elements and a simple house cradled by two hands in the center, evoking a sense of care—perfect for your next Home Post.

Things I’m Loving for Cozy Spring Decor

Click on the picture above to take you to the link

Blue decorative line with symmetrical floral elements and a simple house cradled by two hands in the center, evoking a sense of care—perfect for your next Home Post.

See My Latest Videos

Visit my YouTube Channel

peek into my life!
Blue decorative line with symmetrical floral elements and a simple house cradled by two hands in the center, evoking a sense of care—perfect for your next Home Post.
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.
Blue decorative line with symmetrical floral elements and a simple house cradled by two hands in the center, evoking a sense of care—perfect for your next Home Post.
About the elderly woman: With long gray hair and glasses, she wears a white knit sweater and hoop earrings, her gentle smile radiates warmth against the plain light gray background.

Meet Me

My name is Lynn. I live in the suburbs of Chicago in a 1,300 sq. ft. home with my Handy husband, Keith.

I’m an open book about my life on my blog. You can find out more about me by visiting my “About Me” page.

about Me
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Lynn’s Recollections & Reflections

I have a series on my blog where I share some very personal parts of my life. It is a work of fiction as it relates to other people, as it is my recollections of my life story. It started out as a journal of sorts for my kids to know more about me and how I grew up. However, it has become bigger than I expected. It has helped women to get out of bad situations and also be a comfort to know they aren’t alone.

START WITH THE FIRST ONE HERE
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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.

Become a Friend of Living Large

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

Blue decorative line with symmetrical floral elements and a simple house cradled by two hands in the center, evoking a sense of care—perfect for your next Home Post.
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.

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Blue decorative line with symmetrical floral elements and a simple house cradled by two hands in the center, evoking a sense of care—perfect for your next Home Post.

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.