So, we have established that how you feel about where you live is pretty important. And my cousin had started in the right place when she recognized her frustrations and tried to put a positive spin on it. In one of her recent e-mails to me she had said:
“Currently, I am pretending that we actually live in NYC or another city where space is at a premium, and so our small two-bedroom [apartment] is actually a lucky find.”
Being able to see the opportunities that your space is presenting you with will never be a possibility if you are stuck in a negative frame of mind. SO, I will wait here while you go find your rose-colored glasses, dust them off, and put them on…..
Go on. You can do it. Maybe a few visuals will help.
Just to help you remember, here is what the room looked like before:
I know it is hard to orient oneself from these pictures, so I will do my best to describe to you how we changed the space.
Previously, due to the odd shape of the room, the bed had been placed alongside the wall, and the dormer alcove was essentially a dead space at the foot of the bed. It really didn’t seem like there was any other option. One person had to climb over the other to get in and out of bed (which can be fun from time to time, especially in the first few years of marriage…but it does eventually get old) and there was no room for nightstands or lamps of any kind.
We simply turned the bed ninety degrees, the unused space became the perfect place for a nightstand, and then there was room on the other side for another one!
Creative reuse of existing items in the apartment kept costs down. One nightstand was an end table in the next room, and the other was the small media stand also from the living room. We switched it with a long, low dresser that there was no longer room for in the bedroom with the bed in its new spot. Two problems solved!
In addition, we dug through my cousin’s linens and found a white duvet and orange sheets that matched the decorative pillows she wanted to use. The flat sheet used as a throw across the bottom of the bed adds the additional punch of color needed.
1950’s vintage family artwork that had been hanging in the kitchen had the colors in it we wanted to pull together, and added so much to the wall above the bed.
Yes, you are right. We did have to buy a few things. We marched off to HomeGoods to find matching bedside lamps (symmetry creates balance and a restful feeling) and other bedding items that would round out what we had.
total purchases for space:
Milk Glass Lamps (2) $59/each
Silver Lamp (not shown) $39
Decorative Shams (2) $12.99/each
Decorative Sham (1) $12.99/each
Total Price: $186.00
What possibilities could you be overlooking in your space?
