I’m going to pretend to be a design blogger for a moment (minus the well-staged dslr photos–I don’t have a wide-angle lens that can capture full rooms anyway). Now that I’m well into month three at the new apartment, I’m more than settled in (with the exception of hanging artwork) yet have only posted pics here and there on Instagram and Facebook. The world needs to know what’s up in one tidy spot.
This was the original living room, as advertised on the seller’s blog.
The interim September 2014 version with some of my stuff.
And now. I am going to have to take real photos at some point because the wall color doesn’t translate well. It’s much more green than it appears here (it is called Beau Green, not Blue) and every other time I’ve shot it. I’d like a new TV stand/credenza, ideally wood and vintage to balance out all the bright colors and Ikea. I would also love a room divider along these lines.
I’ve managed to keep a cat alive for 11 years, but all of my plants (two bought, two gifted) are dying. It took me 42 years to become a plant-owner and I’m clearly not a natural. The walls are definitley shiny–using rolled-on high-gloss paint to mimic sprayed lacquer was a gamble–but it could probably use a third coat. Maybe in the future.
Seller’s dining area.
My rendition. Frankly, I would prefer the table more toward the center of the room but I was working with the established wiring/placement for lighting and centered the table accordingly. Also, I should have moved that horrible plastic smoke alarm from the wall before having it painted. It makes me mad every time I look at it. Moving it to the hallway and painting the blank spot is low on my to-do list, but it’s there.
As you can see, there’s a decent amount of space left in this room–the table could totally come out and over a foot no problem. At one point there was a wall separating the dining and living areas (and if I’m correct, the living side was the bedroom) which I would love to have even though the open style is more contemporary. I’ve seen listings in this complex with this exact same exact floorplan that have the wall, use just the dining space as a living area and sell the apartment as a two bedroom for more money. It’s something to think about but a dining area is more useful to me than a second bedroom.
This is the entryway that was being used as a coat and shoe area, but it was too shallow for that. I can also see based on that previously mentioned listing for the apt that’s been less altered than mine, that this was originally the entrance to a hallway that went to the bedroom and dressing room. On the other side, it’s now a walk-in closest.
I hadn’t originally intended to paint anything minty green, but I loved this wallpaper, Grow House Grow’s “Ode to the Unhasty,” so much that I ended up matching the walls. I still need to hang the mirror. It came from Target with one of the hinges ripped out of the back, which I guess I’ll duct tape. I’m scared to start putting holes in the walls. Having panels made for the french doors in a fabric like this, (facing the bedroom–I’ll keep this side neutral, probably) is part of my round two agenda.
The former bedroom. This door is new and hollow with a modern handle unlike the rest of the doors in the apartment. If I were more anal, I would make it look more period appropriate. It’s not high on my list.
The new bedroom with stark white, Snow White, technically, walls instead of buttercream, a jade green ceiling, and the same window treatments. It’s interesting that they are both green, which is my theme. But I would like curtains that go to the floor. The artwork in the corner needs to be hung still, but I don’t know where, and once again I’m cautious about making holes until I’m 100% sure. The ceiling fan is a bit of an oddity, but it’s growing on me. Air conditioners are not allowed in front facing windows, hence the fan. This could prove problematic come summer when I’m trying to sleep. Strangely, the the street noise doesn’t bother me at all (I was asked by residents at my housewarming party). This was originally the living room and I’m pretty sure many others still use it as such.
I never use a desk and do all of my work and writing on a laptop while sitting on the couch, but like to carve out an office area anyway. I still have quite a few books not in my posession and they will fill the shelves.
This is ostensibly a hallway and was originially the dressing room. I used the same green, Ocean Spray, as in the entryway. The closed door is where that entryway hallway would’ve popped-out. Apparently, up until two owners ago (they now live across the hall) there were original built-ins (you can still see marks on the ground) against the wall. I feel like this is wasted space (it’s nearly five feet wide at the edges and four in the middle). It might be useful to wall off the section to the right of bathroom door and create a closest of some sort instead of using open shelves and having everything exposed (out of the photo I have folded chairs, a small table and the litter box against the wall).
It’s telling that the bathroom wasn’t shown on the blog listing (it was on the realtor’s site–that’s what’s above) because pink bathrooms (this is really more peachy, which might even be worse to pink-haters?) are a divisive subject. One of the main reasons why this apartment appealed to me was that only one room needed updating (the kitchen) because I much prefer a 1950s redo (this wasn’t even the original bathroom, I was told, which makes sense in retrospect because it’s not very 1919) over a 1990s version. Then again, some apartments I saw with horrible bathrooms cost considerably less but I’m intimidated by renovating and am dreading dealing with contractors in the future if I get around to dealing with my kitchen.
It’s weird enough having the toilet in front of a nearly ground floor window, but that curtain is barely even a sheet, is starting to get holes, and has a few paint streaks from my walls. I don’t know what to put there and hate blinds (I don’t know if it’s a NYC thing or life thing, but I can’t keep up with window cleaning becuase of the constant blackening dirt and blinds are grime magnets). There is no reason to ever really have the curtain open in this room. Maybe roman shades? I’d like a fabric like this, but slightly less orange.
I haven’t done anything radical, just had the white walls painted black and replaced the plastic toilet seat with a wooden one. It’s a shame that there’s so much wasted hallway space because even if I was ambitious enough to move walls, the bathroom doesn’t need to be longer but wider. Because of the room’s smallness, it’s hard to take photos that show the full space. I bought a light fixture for the ceiling, but after removing the old one it became apparent that the wiring was dangerous and will need a professional electrician.
The kitchen is just the kitchen. And bizarrely, it’s the room I obsessed about the most before moving in. I know exactly which appliances and finishes I want. Execution is another story. I actually had fantasies of renovating the kitchen before Thanksgiving. Then I thought right after the new year. Now I’m realizing I don’t have the savings I thought I did and keep racking up credit card debt even though my monthly expenses are lower, which feels like eating better and still getting fatter (something that would totally happen to me). I may just have to learn to live with mauve Formica for another year.
This is the only wall that a dishwasher could be installed on if I were actually allowed to have a dishwasher. There’s no place for it to go without completely gutting and moving all of the cabinets, which was never my plan. The smallest dishwasher is 18″ wide and that end cabinet next to the sink is 17″. The refrigerator, which is a midgety 5′ tall, really shouldn’t be there. Other apartments have it back next to the stove.
There’s somone hiding in the cupboard.
I’ve always known green was my favorite color, but didn’t even consciously realize three of the five paints (the others being white and black) I chose were green.