Living Room Before & After #3

Living Room Before & After #2

Living Room Before & After #1

The Gift of Flower Power

In honor of my first week of classes, I stopped at the Harvest Food Co-op and bought myself some fresh flowers! According to Apartment Liberation Theory (as I am now calling it), flowers set a standard for attention to detail that will inspire each day the return home.

Yay for nurturing my home and taking care of it. Even if there's still a pile of junk in the hallway...

Week One: Creating A Vision

Heart
I'm still working on a vision for my bedroom, but swapping my desk and bed was a huge start. I also removed my big green carpet and replaced it with a beautiful woven rug., which is more appropriate to the small space and brings together some of the colors. I may want to find a smaller rug yet, but the room is starting to feel cozier. I realized that I'm sort of going for an eclectic cottage vibe -- so that I can imagine myself in some sylvan retreat.

Bones
I started a clipboard to hold my list of repairs. So far, one of the most annoying items is the wooden floorboard around the radiators and in some doorways. They are chipped, degraged, or black. In one case, a folded pizza box is used to hold the radiator in place. I need to do some research on wood repair. I'm also inclined to refinish our wooden floors this summer.

My most exciting accomplishment this week was to mop and vaccum all the common floors in the apartmet, including the entryway. It took three hours, but there were parts of the apartment hadn't been fully cleaned since we moved in. The whole house smells like Murphy's oil now.

Breath
I put a clock and a pair of candle holders out on the curb. It's not much, but they were taking up space and I have no intention of using them. I'm considering replacing my laser printer (in photo), since it's so huge -- but I will have to research replacements before kicking it to the curb.

Head
Having moved my room around, I am now able to observe the space from the Southeast window. I'm reconsidering my hallway and behind-the-door storage, both of which are visible from the corner. I also need to relocate my paper files to the basement.

The Interview

Favorites
actresses: parker posey, judy dench
actors: bill murray, vince vaughn
artists: klee, rauschenberg, mondrian
writer: gloria naylor
music: gutherie, be good tanyas
restaurant: del rio
automobile: my toyota, old school jaguars
TV show: buffy the vampire slayer, law and order
clothing: my hat, red shirt, good pair of jeans

Describe your styles (3 words)
1. colorful
2. eclectic
3. simple

Where have you lived?
Born: traverse city, mi
Grew up: ann arbor
As an adult: santa cruz, santa barbara, somerville

Whom would you consider a role model?
my folks

What 2 adjectives describe qualities that you admire in this person?
capable
generous

What is the problem with your apartment (3 words)?
1. storage
2. clutter
3. flow

If you apt could speak, what would it say is the problem?
"Too much baggage."

What one thing would you like to do or do more of in your apt?
Study.

Eight weeks from now, how would you like your friends to describe your home (3 words?)
1. Creative
2. Clever
3. Functional

Apartment Therapy: A Cry for Help

I'm admitting my apartment to therapy. Consider it a 12-step intervention based on my home's recent cry for help. Actually, it's an eight-step cure based on a book called Apartment Therapy, introduced to me by my friend, Jenny.

I'll post some photos here, but you can also track the apartment's progress (or lack thereof) on my Flickr site.