In Progress
Basement Makeover, Part 3: Functioning, but far from finished
We’ve made a little progress on the basement makeover, and even though it’s far from finished – I totally love where we’re going with it.
After much thought. . .
Ok, that’s a lie.
On a whim, I brought my computer down to the desk area, thinking it would help me stay focused – by separating blogging/social media from my sewing studio space. So far, so good.
It’s actually been really refreshing to blog and compute in a space that’s separated from the pressure of my piles of fabric. Before I was feeling rather guilty whenever using my computer, because I could literally see the sewing I had (or wanted) to do.
So yes, now I have an office AND a sewing studio. Two spaces to call my own. Believe me, I am super grateful for this luxury of space. And also totally cognizant of the fact that it will cease to exist when the day comes that we have kids. So I’m making the most of every inch now, while I can.
We’ve got the layout essentially decided . . . now we just have to make it pretty.
See the makeshift wine crate bookshelf combo against the stairwell wall? This is only temporary. There will be a bookshelf along the whole angled wall, but not this one. I just have to rustle up the supplies to make it happen.
I know that red is going to be our accent color, so I was stoked to score this small red & white lamp at Goodwill (complete with working efficiency bulb!) for $9. And the Ikea armchair? Well, my poorly dyed cover got replaced with a pretty dark gray one. I love Ikea’s slipcovers.
Like I said, it’s far from finished. But the little touches like this cozy armchair corner are making me so glad we decided to rethink the function and layout of the space. It feels so much cozier divided into the two sections – TV room and crafting/puzzle/computer space. Remember how it was just a few weeks ago?
As for what really matters . . . there’s plenty of space for the menagerie to supervise my blogging. ;) The stairs have proven especially useful for the cats, who use them for to supervise my typing from all levels.
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Lining Up the Ducks with Google Docs
Does this ever happen to you? It’s a lovely day, and you stand up from your desk and walk through your house to grab a cup of tea. And out of the blue, you start to notice these little things that need to be done – paint touchups in the hall, that chair you’ve been “meaning to” recover for a year now, that frame that needs a new photo . . . and all of a sudden you’re surrounded by a million overdue tasks.
It definitely happens to me, and when it does, I find myself feeling frustrated by the place that is supposed to be my cozy home.
That’s not a good feeling to have, so I thought it was high time I did something to get our ducks in a row. The only problem? I can never keep track of everything we need to buy or do, so often some lower priority items are purchased / less important taks are done, before we do the more important ones.
The solution? Enter my favorite online tool, the always-useful spreadsheet:
It’s a little tough to read because it’s so small, but when I put the chart together I wasn’t really designing it to be legible when posted as an image on the blog. :)
I’ve basically got four charts listing the fun and the not-so-fun tasks. I’m thinking that in order to do a fun task (such as buying a dining table) I need to check off a not-so-fun free task or two.
To Buy & Make: This lists everything we’d like to build or buy, the expected cost (if known) and a number to help prioritize. The prioritization is super important, since everything on this list costs money.
Free Projects: Also known as “those pesky tasks we keep putting off.” These jobs won’t cost a thing, either because they’re free or we already have the supplies on hand, but they’re maybe not the most glamorous or fun – hence the procrastination.
Craiglist – Items to Sell: I think the name speaks for itself, but the thing I’d like to point out is that every item we sell means more money is on hand to put towards the items “To Buy.”
Guest Room Tasks: This list was an afterthought, put there just so I can keep track of the order in which I need to do the projects for the guest room makeover. I suppose I need to create a similar list for the TV room makeover, because that’s still in progress as well.
The chart is stored in our private Google Docs folder, where Ryan and I can both see it and add to it. But I’ll also print a version to keep on our fridge, as a reminder and a literal checklist.
How do you keep track of all the tasks you want to and need to do around the house?
Guest Room, Part 2: Real-time progress
Having eaten my way through not one, but three, Thanksgiving meals over the weekend, I desperately needed to do a little physical labor on Sunday. What better project to start on the beautiful 72-degree day (!?!) than the refinishing of the antique twin beds that are destined for our guest room? 
When I realized how gorgeous the weather was on Sunday – I’m talking shorts and a t-shirt, people – I grabbed the first bed frame and headed outside. Setting it down on a tarp (to protect me and the frame from the damp ground), and strapping on a 3M particulate respirator mask, I proceeded to sand down the old, totally crusty varnish. Read the rest of this entry »
Guest Room Mood Board, Take 1: How [not] to Mix Patterns
Now that I’ve got guest rooms on the brain, I’ve been going crazy with Pinterest. Ok, who am I kidding – I’m always dying over the Pinterest boards! :) But this time it really came in handy for research!
With walls, four poster beds, and rental-friendly wallpaper checked off the list, the next step in creating the guest room plan is to settle on some duvet covers and then fun textiles to use throughout the room. I may just sew two duvet covers for the twin beds, but I took a peek at what West Elm and Crate and Barrel had to offer. This Spring Floral duvet cover, on clearance now at West Elm, caught my eye:
The darkest blue tone would tie in with the wallpaper, and the other blues and greens would mix things up – just what I want. But when I imagined the duvet covers on the beds, in the room, I realized that the combo may have too much pattern and color all colliding in that small space.
So how do you test out a *very rough* design plan? Make a mood board, of course! Read the rest of this entry »
Basement Makeover, Part 2: Life Re-arranged
Let’s see if I can write a “short” blog post, for once. :) Ryan and I have now moved the rest of our existing furniture into place in the basement.
I’m really pleased with how the couch area turned out. Ryan’s mentioned that he would like to add a small love seat or arm chair so that we can have friends over to watch movies with us. That’s a good point. I can’t envision his best friend and bff’s wife squeezing in together on a couch with me and Ryan. That would just be awkward.
I think we should add curtains to the two walls in the above photo. They will block the light if we want to watch TV during the day, and they will create a sense that this corner is separate from the rest of the space. I’ve talked about using curtains to better define spaces before.
My favorite bonus with this space? By moving it so that it is in the far corner, the couch area is now directly outside the doors that lead into the guest room. I feel as though this will provide guests with a feeling that they not only have a guest room to sleep in, but a small lounge room right outside their bedroom doors.
The TV and media cabinet work perfectly against the back wall. In fact, the TV literally tops off right where the window well begins.
The two white Ikea work tables I had already fit in a perfect “L” behind the couch. Bonus that we discovered: having the high table behind the couch makes it super easy for you to set down your mug of hot cocoa when curled up on the couch watching a Hitchcock flick. It requires less effort than leaning over to the coffee table. :)
The shorter of the two Ikea tables still needs 2 legs, which I’ll snag this weekend. I’ll also get new covers for the two Ikea chairs shown above ; the brown RIT dye I used to fix the dingy white covers last year has faded after many, many washings.
The green rug is in place simply because we had it. But Green is not part of our color plan for the space, so expect that to change.
This is all coming along so well! I still am totally amazed at how simply moving the furniture around created such a different, more organized and decorated feeling in the simple space. Now I can’t wait to nail down the color palette and start DECORATING!
New to the blog? Find Part 1 of the basement makeover here.
Maxing Out the Closet {Melissa’s 350 Sq Ft Apt}
Today I present to you:
“Boston’s Most Maxed-Out Closet”
There’s nothing fancy or glamorous about this post; it’s all about practicality. Because sometimes, making your life fit into a borrowed abode means having to get down and dirty with some seriously functional organization tricks, on nearly-nonexistent budgets.
Yes, most of Melissa’s life may well be packed into her new [one and only] closet. In case you need a reminder, she’s renting a 350 sq ft studio apartment in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, and I spent the bulk of last week helping her get packed, move in, and then unpack – in an attempt to fit her life into those 350 square feet of rented space. You can see the “before” shots of her cavernous dwelling here, and a totally dorky and slightly mortifying video here.
As for today – I’d like to show you just how we made the most of her closet.
Aside from two weird and almost non-functional dressers built into the sloped wall of the kitchen and the bathroom, the only storage options in the studio were the wide closet and the triangular loft area above said closet.
After 2 or 3 days of sorting through boxes and boxes, I climbed a ladder and filled the nook with items that Melissa may need to use occasionally, but certainly doesn’t need to have readily available. This included:
- Camping and backpacking equipment
- Diving gear
- Extra pillows
- Blankets and winter bedding
- Cider brewing supplies
- A cooler
- A folding metal patio table (she has no patio)**
- Toaster oven (no room to use it in the kitchen) **
**These are a few items stowed away that I would not recommend storing. She plans to live here for 2 years, then set off to travel the world – so they may not be needed even 2 years from now. However, it’s her stuff so of course she has to make these decisions.
I’m heading back to help Melissa finish decorating sometime in August, at which point I’ll be bringing a custom-sewn curtain that will hide the stuff crammed into the loft area.
With the least-commonly-used items stowed out of reach, I set about organizing the closet. Because we needed to make the most of all 6 or 7 feet of it, a few different layouts were attempted. The resulting, final layout is not glamorous if you’re a clothes lover, becuase the closet is holding a lot more than just clothes – but it’s really an incredibly practical layout (I think) that worked out surprisingly well. Almost like fate. :)
We were able to use the rattan bins (from a bookshelf that did not fit in the apartment) for divided storage at the top of the closet. By setting them on their sides, we created cubbies that Melissa can easily grab items from, and easily put items back into. They contain things like purses, workout clothes, hats, and spare sheets.
Camera Phone pic. Pardon the blur.
In the bottom left-most section of the closet we were able to stow away the big metal filing cabinet. Above it, Melissa’s dresses hung perfectly on a small hanging bar.
In front of the filing cabinet is a rolling basket cart (Elfa from the Container Store) that stores all of her desk items – pens, paperclips, surge strips, etc. It just barely rolls out of its spot for easy access. Pretty sweet fit, considering that it doesn’t require any other closet items to be moved in order for it to roll on outta there! Next in line are two black plastic storage towers – also on wheels – that hold socks and all the other stuff you’d normally store in a dresser. Melissa’s printer sits atop the black towers, easily within reach whenever she needs to print something. To the right of the black plastic drawers is Melissa’s bedside table – it didn’t fit out in the open, but she wanted to hold onto it since it matches her bed. No problemo! It just adds a bit more drawer storage to the closet. And to the right of all this, even though you can’t see it, there are two large duffle bags holding all the winter clothes, making for an easy closet switcheroo come Fall.
Obviously, the hanging bar is holding clothes. But before we hung those clothes, we sorted through all of them and Melissa set aside everything she no longer loved, or that was too worn out, in a donation pile. She did an awesome job, must have cut almost 1/3 of her clothes. Remember – when it comes to storing clothes, quality rules over quantity. If you have something but never wear it – ask yourself why, and if the answer is “it doesn’t fit well” or “I just never want to wear it” or “I bought it 5 yrs ago and just need to lose 5 pounds” – DITCH IT! Life is too short to take up space in your life storing and/or wearing clothes that don’t make you feel utterly fabulous.
Now for the hanging shoe organizers (which Melissa adopted from me last year. Random fact.) These hanging cubbies really came in handy, helping me max out Melissa’s closet. Sure, two of them hold her shoes. But the third white cubby holds her bath towels, washcloths, dish towels, rags, and placemats – and they’re all a perfect fit!
Finally, the big blue sweater organizer turned out to be the perfect size for more file folders – the folders that she uses regularly to stash receipts and such. It also is holding other office items, and her box of photography equipment.
Is this closet glamorous? Nope, not in the least.
But is it functional? Absolutely.
It’s storing way more than just clothes and shoes – and I’m pretty darn sure we squeezed every possible inch of storage out of this space.
So remember – if you’re faced with a storage shortage in your rental apartment, don’t forget to think outside the box to max out the closets that you do have.
Melissa’s 350 Sq Foot Studio {Before the Rental Remedy}
Last week I was up in Massachusetts, squeezing in some very important best friend time while also working on my most challenging rental decorating/organizing task to date.
When I found out that Melissa had only a few days between jobs to move across the state of MA, I knew I had to go help. You see, not only is she a surgery resident (which means she is always exhausted and has zero time on her hands), I also know a bit about her moving style (last-minute packing) – as we’ve been friends since we were stuck together as college roommates in our freshman year.
Melissa doesn’t seem to love moving. But I do. From the packing to the unpacking to solving the organizational and furniture layout challenges, I love it all. So knowing that Melissa’s moves usually end up with her throwing things into garbage bags as the truck pulls up to her stoop, I headed to Mass to stage a moving intervention. I really wanted to do as much as I could to help her get settled before she dove into a new, high-stress position at a new hospital.
Me and Melissa. Boston. Summer of 2009.
We spent about 2 totally whirlwind days packing her up and loading her life into a little Penske truck. (Always go with Penske, even though it’s pricier than U-Haul. Just trust me on this one.)
When we arrived in Boston, I was blown away by Beacon Hill, M’s new stomping grounds. It was gorgeous, with narrow, tree-lined streets sandwiched between rows of pretty old brick and iron town homes. And then the move literally took my breath away . . . as we had to climb three narrow flights of steps to get to her actual apartment, the top floor (essentially the attic) of an old row house. The view was great, but -
I just kept thinking over and over “Thank God Melissa hired movers.”
**Insert huge shout-out to our two guys (names forthcoming) from Pony Express Movers. They arrived in the afternoon, already having done several moves that day. They didn’t know they were going to have to carry everything up those three horrible flights of stairs, but did so with totally awesome, friendly, positive attitudes, and were super careful, even though they were literally drenched with sweat after carrying just one load. And if you need to hire movers in Boston, check this company out. They fit us in at the last minute, and were willing to provide just the labor for the move-in once we arrived with a truck full of stuff.**
The movers carried the heavy and awkward stuff, and Melissa and I took care of the little things. It was still a pain in the ass . . . and the thighs, and the calves, and the . . . well, you get the point. There’s a reason I fit into my vintage summer dress for the first time ever.
When the last box had been piled into the new space, we were both a bit surprised to find out just how tiny M’s new studio was. So we squeezed amongst the boxes and measured it out. 350 square feet, if you counted the bathroom and the kitchen and the closet. Not sure how up you are on square footage, but that’s a freakin’ tiny space.
Here’s what the space looked like before our invasion:
(Pardon the crummy resolution. I didn’t have my camera so I had to use my phone.)
I tried to make a floor plan and got fed up, so bear with me.
You enter on the third floor and go up a flight of steps.
See the doorway and the cutout in the wall? The steps are on the other side of that.
Standing at the top of the steps, and looking at the front of the space, you see this:
That’s the living space. Living room, bedroom, office, etc.
No, really. . . .
Look a little more to the right and you’ll see a nice little bookshelf tucked under the eaves. To the right of the shelf is the sole closet.
Now we are looking towards the back of the space.
After the closet (blue/gray doors) there is a kitchen nook.
This kitchen is also tucked under the eaves.
However, Melissa – who loves to cook – informed me that this was actually a better, bigger kitchen than any other studio she looked at.
The bathroom was by far the most absurd space.
Fortunately Melissa is short.
See that thing against her head? That’s the sloped ceiling.
No, really.
A few hours later, here’s what it looked like with all M’s stuff piled into it.
TOTAL. DISASTER.
We barely had any room to move! I felt like we were on an episode of Hoarders.
You know those games where you have 9 blocks in 10 spaces, and you have to organize them , but to do so you have to slide 8 blocks around just to make the 9th go where you want? And then repeat a million times until each block has been shuffled into place?
That’s what it felt like to sort Melissa’s place out. A ton of moving furniture and boxes around to one side of the space, setting one thing up, then moving everything back to the other side of the space. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat.
But that didn’t stop me from making a totally ridiculous and embarrasingly dorky video. Apparently it’s in “3gp” and needs to be converted before I can share it, so I’ll be back with that later.
In the mean time, I want to know what you’re thinking! What’s the smallest space you’ve ever lived in? Or do you think Melissa is crazy to move into a space so small?
Coloring Within the [Closet] Lines
We may be short on blog posts here at the borrowed abode, but it’s only because we’ve been working so hard on projects! Yesterday came to a close around 2 am for both me and Ryan, when we finally tumbled into “bed” on the living room floor. Yeah, you read that right.
We were both busy with drills, pliers, chisels, spackle, and paint. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you may have heard some grumblings as to why.
But for now I’ll spare you the sordid details, and give you a peek at Ryan’s project:
Update: In the comments, Ryan asks:
The color for my closet came out lighter than the burnt orange I was going for, but I think I like it.
So is it awesome, too awesome, or do I need a darker shade of awesome?
As well as mine:
That’s all you get to see right now, because that’s all we’ve done. You’d never believe me if I told you just how long it took. Hope to see you tomorrow with pics of the finished product(s).
