“Perhaps we have had it so easy that we don’t always consider our genuine needs”: Finnish residents’ perceptions of the “ideal home” and sufficient living space

To address growing energy demand in housing, sustainability proponents have proposed sufficiency as a complementary approach to energy efficiency. Sufficiency aims to avoid overconsumption of energy and material resources while ensuring that everyone has access to the energy services they need. The size of living space is the most significant factor influencing energy consumption in housing. Researchers have recognized changes in spatial norms and social structures as the main drivers for expanding living space in affluent countries with high living standards. In Finland, some estimates suggest that the average floor space per person should be halved to reach the sufficient threshold. This article aims to shed light on Finnish residents’ perspectives on “the ideal home” and sufficient living space. The research questions are: (1) Which elements guide Finnish residents’ perception of the ideal home? and (2) How could residents’ perceptions of “the ideal home” be geared toward sufficiency? To explore the views of Finnish householders, semi-structured interviews (n = 39) were conducted in early 2023. The study found that respondents construct their perceptions of “the ideal home” in terms of home size from several interrelated elements: spatial norms, changing needs and aspirations across different life situations, and the functionality and practicality of living space. Downsizing requires changes in dominant lifestyles and housing practices that could be achieved by providing appropriately sized and adaptable homes and support for changing floor plans, as well as by promoting sufficiency politics and policies that support alternative spatial norms of compactness, collectivism, and moderation.