Redecorate or Relocate?
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I wish it was as easy to redecorate my apartment as it has been to redecorate my livejournal page.
I've been in this place for fifteen years and it still looks pretty much the same as it did on the day I moved in. Sure, a couple of area rugs, a new chair, and assorted knick-knacks, but the walls remain the same institutional off-white. Trouble is, this place is so small, it's impossible to move stuff out of the way in order to do any painting. Maybe I should just screw in a couple of coloured light bulbs to give the illusion of fresh paint. Or I could just move.
I've looked at a few places over the past few years, but with the exception of one amazing apartment (which I applied for but didn't get because somebody beat me to the punch), I haven't found anywhere else that I would love to call home. I live in less than 500 square feet, and have about 700 square feet of furniture. This makes vacuuming really easy, as there's hardly any floor showing. However, having more than two guests means that the fire marshalls could close me down for overcrowding!
Summer makes things a lot better, because I spend most of my time out on the front patio. Of course, I've managed to clutter that with deck chairs, a patio table and umbrella, flower pots, garden boxes and trellises, so there's not as much room out there as there could be. And Luke, the black cat from next door, pretty much considers the patio and the most comfortable deck chair to be his private domain. So again, having much company results in jostled elbows, spilled drinks and an angry and vengeful cat.
But it's home and I love it. People come from all over the world to gaze at the view that I pretty much take for granted. And anything that happens in Vancouver happens outside my front door. The Gay Pride Parade marches, dances, throbs and gyrates right past my patio. I have prime seating for the annual fireworks (four nights in July and August). Marathon runners in their skimpy shorts and tank tops entertain me several times a year. Even the Hare Krishna parade chants its way past my door.
So I guess I'll stay put. However, I sure wish that redecorating was as easy as a few mouse clicks. What do you bet that it won't be long before walls are constructed with computer-controlled led's and touch-pads, totally eliminating the need for paint altogether? I wonder if anyone's patented this idea yet?