reclaiming space
We have lived in this apartment for almost two years now and just renewed our lease (with a transfer clause) for a third year. By this point, our decor has happily moved past "one step above dorm room," especially in the living room. The bedroom is another matter completely. The furniture is a random collection of cheap mixed with cast-offs. Our bedding is in decent shape, but it's random sheet sets and a boring bedspread. We've been looking for a duvet cover, but to no avail.
Most of the problem lies in that we don't know what we want. We can't choose the duvet cover to match anything because there is nothing to match it with! In an attempt to someday rectify the situation, I asked the Hubby if he would be willing (not happy, just willing) to look at some examples and try to figure out a basic idea of how we want to decorate. It's not for specific items by any means, but a feel, some colors, and a little concept will help inform our future purchases, even if they are piecemeal. It should be interesting to see where it goes.
This came up because of our trip to IKEA on Saturday, where we somehow always end up during the peak hours of the mid-afternoon on weekends. There we were, navigating the throngs of moseying shoppers. The actual target purchase? A picture frame. But since we were there already, we may as well look at spice storage, a washable welcome mat, some small picture frames.... and such. Whew. What was supposed to be a 30-45 minute trip took almost an hour and a half.
The spice rack endeavor worked out well, though! Our kitchen has a lot of cupboards, but they are fairly shallow and have shelves of odd heights that don't always help maximize storage. We're also thin on drawers. Our additional space there is a baker's rack which was, until yesterday, piled high with overflow items. I really wish I had a before photo. But now?
Our spice collection is decent and had over-flowed the confines of its previous storage space. The small jars still need a better system, but I think I need to reorganize a few cupboards anyway. Check out all those pretty jars of yum!
Maybe I will have a "home" week and take pictures of some other projects. Need sunlight for it. Stay tuned!
Most of the problem lies in that we don't know what we want. We can't choose the duvet cover to match anything because there is nothing to match it with! In an attempt to someday rectify the situation, I asked the Hubby if he would be willing (not happy, just willing) to look at some examples and try to figure out a basic idea of how we want to decorate. It's not for specific items by any means, but a feel, some colors, and a little concept will help inform our future purchases, even if they are piecemeal. It should be interesting to see where it goes.
This came up because of our trip to IKEA on Saturday, where we somehow always end up during the peak hours of the mid-afternoon on weekends. There we were, navigating the throngs of moseying shoppers. The actual target purchase? A picture frame. But since we were there already, we may as well look at spice storage, a washable welcome mat, some small picture frames.... and such. Whew. What was supposed to be a 30-45 minute trip took almost an hour and a half.
The spice rack endeavor worked out well, though! Our kitchen has a lot of cupboards, but they are fairly shallow and have shelves of odd heights that don't always help maximize storage. We're also thin on drawers. Our additional space there is a baker's rack which was, until yesterday, piled high with overflow items. I really wish I had a before photo. But now?
Our spice collection is decent and had over-flowed the confines of its previous storage space. The small jars still need a better system, but I think I need to reorganize a few cupboards anyway. Check out all those pretty jars of yum!
Maybe I will have a "home" week and take pictures of some other projects. Need sunlight for it. Stay tuned!