I moved into my new apartment at the end of October, and I think I’m finally ready to show it off on the blog! The new apartment has so much space, which is something I haven’t had in a long, long time. I spend a lot of time scrolling Wayfair and thinking about how to make each corner of my home as “me” as possible. So, let’s take a tour, shall we?
ENTRY
Welcome to my home! My brother recently visited and said, “I wasn’t sure if I had the right apartment… until I saw the doormat.” Muahahaha.
Right as you step inside, there is a small alcove. On the right, I have a place for hanging up keys, my purse, and other odds and ends. I also have a mirror and my taller friends would probably laugh at how low it is on the wall.
On the left is a closet and this is where I house cleaning supplies, my valet trash can, and suitcases. I also keep a plastic bag filled with other plastic bags! (Once it’s filled up, I take it to Publix to recycle.)
A QUICK TOUR
Here’s the quick version of the tour: once you have stepped inside, you’ll see my dining room and living room in front of you. There’s a door at the far end of the living room that leads to the patio. To your right, there’s my kitchen and a small hallway. As you walk down the hallway, you’ll pass my office on the left. Then, you’ll reach the end of the hallway and can either turn left (my bedroom) or right (my bathroom).
But you guys don’t want the quick tour, right? Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of each room!
DINING ROOM
My dining room is so spacious, and I have no idea what to do with it. I would like to replace the table at some point, although I don’t have an exact reason why other than aesthetics. I’d like to get some sort of corner shelving unit or maybe a hutch to replace the small cube shelf. I don’t know what to put on the walls. I like the map where it is, but I’m not sure about the other wall. Maybe a large clock? The dining room is a work in progress, is what I’m saying!
LIVING ROOM
My living room is ginormous. It makes my large sectional look tiny! I also recently got rid of my small coffee table, and I want to replace it with a really comfy and big ottoman. I still love my cube bookshelf as a TV stand, and my rainbow shelf of my Book of the Month hardcovers. When I moved in, I wasn’t sure where to place the sectional. Should it be against the wall, near the window? Should it be centered with my TV stand? I decided on the second option, but then that leaves a weird little space between the couch and the wall. And that’s why I asked for a litter box enclosure for Christmas! I really like this enclosure, but this area still feels a bit lackluster. I’m thinking that a tall fake plant could be a good addition.
PATIO
I love my screened-in patio! The patio at my old place was not screened in, so I always had to worry about bugs or Eloise slipping through the slats. One of my 2026 goals is to decorate my patio because I moved in with nothing. I got the zero-gravity chair for Christmas and recently added this rug (although I don’t love it). I’m thinking of adding a small bistro set and maybe some lounging options for the cats.
OFFICE
My office gives me heart-eyes. I have wanted a space like this for so long, and sometimes I have to pinch myself that I made it happen. It’s part-office, part-book nook. One corner has my reading chair and my obnoxiously fluffy rug. My bookshelves line the only full wall of this room (I seriously don’t understand how this is a room that someone would live in, especially because the doors are made of glass!), and eventually, I want to get another 8-cube bookshelf to replace the 4-cube one. I’d also like to get some sort of corner cabinet or desk or shelf where I can put my laptop, printer, shredder, and other tech-y things. (I keep the laptop off to the side because it’s plugged into my power bank, so I need it for my monitors to work, but I don’t use it unless I’m not working from my desk. I also have to keep the laptop on an inclined riser because otherwise, Eloise would sleep on top of the warm keyboard all day long.)
The walk-in closet lining the other side of the room is also my favorite. I keep all of my Christmas bins on the right side of the closet, and then I’m still trying to figure out what to do with the left side. Right now, it has a small file organizer, my “junk bin” where I throw things I don’t have time to put away nicely, my yoga bag, my stack of air filters that I bought in bulk, and other odds and ends.
KITCHEN
Another room, another happy sigh. I adore my kitchen. It’s so much bigger than my old one, which was galley-style, and I felt like I could barely move around in it. I love my full-sized pantry and the immense amount of counter space, and all of the different drawers and cabinets. There are so many empty shelves in those cabinets because I only have so many dishes as a single gal! But it’s nice that I can organize everything in a more spacious way.
BEDROOM
Oh, my bedroom makes me so happy! It’s the first time I’ve had a non-carpeted bedroom so I bought the pink area rug before I moved in, and I think it really ties the room together. There is so much more I could do with this bedroom, and I’m still deciding how I want to utilize all the extra space. The little corner near the window (where I have a cat bed and my smaller bedside table) could use something—I think a bench would work really well here. I’ve also thought about making it more of a cat jungle gym area with a cat tower, window perch, etc. So many possibilities!
I closed the walk-in closet for the pictures, but the door is open all the time since I have a litter box in the corner. I love this closet and all the great shelving options. There are so many empty shelves because I’m not used to having so much space! How should I use this long shelf in the middle? I guess I could use it for organizational bins, maybe?
BATHROOM
I love my bathroom! It’s so much bigger than my other bathroom, with way more storage. When I toured the apartment originally, I imagined Eloise sitting on that ledge next to the toilet while I was taking my baths, and sure enough, she loves this little ledge.
It has a deep tub, a great big closet that I have organized to my heart’s delight, and a long countertop with drawers. I haven’t had bathroom drawers since 2016! Maybe I’ll do another post all about the ways I have organized this apartment because it’s been a dream.
There is a set of double doors in the bathroom that leads to a small laundry room. Considering my last washer/dryer was this teeny-tiny stackable shoved into the corner of my kitchen, I am in love with this laundry room. First, I have a full-sized washer and dryer (it’s at least double the size of my older washer!), and second, there is tons of space for hanging clothes and keeping laundry items organized. The laundry basket is where I throw all my washcloths and reusable wipes that I use for my skincare routine.
And that’s my home! I am in love with this space, if you couldn’t tell. I love all of the natural light, all of the space, and, of course, having my own office to work from. While I don’t enjoy living on a third floor again (no elevator), it is nice to not have any neighbors above me! The girls seem happy here, too, and Eloise loves doing zoomies up and down the hallway. I feel so lucky I get to call this place home.
When was the last time you moved?
Stephany!!! Your new place is fabulous!!!! So much light, so much storage – and a CATIO!!!!! I love your style and I am in awe of how organized and neat you are. What a great space!
Thank you, friend! I am so, so happy here.
This is such a lovely home!! All the pictures give me motivation to keep working on decluttering/organizing our house. I love how much space you have, the screened in patio, and that you have a dedicated office. Congrats on making this happen for yourself!
Thank you! Organization is my love language and it’s been great to finally have so much SPACE to be as organized as I want to be!
What a great tour!!! I absolutely loved seeing your apartment, Stephany. Every room is beautiful. You have a great decorating style, and it’s so YOU, and so kitty-friendly. What lucky kitties! The organization in your bathroom closet made me gasp out loud! I love your throw rugs, your furniture, your wall art, your decorations, and all the brightly colored books. The screened-in patio is wonderful. This truly is a dream home for you! Thank you for sharing it.
It truly does feel like a dream home for me! Only thing better is if it wasn’t on a third floor, sigh. Lugging groceries up the stairs SUCKS.
My whole home aesthetic is books and cats at this point!
First time commenter, I think.
All the closet space is marvelous! I would love to have a big storage closet in the bathroom and a pantry. My kitchen is small which I thought was fine when I moved in, I didn’t have many small appliances or serving dishes at the time so I expected to have extra room but have since hit capacity.
Is that a phone jack in the bathroom?!?
OMG, I never even noticed that phone jack until you pointed it out! And I think it is!! It reminds me of the hotel my mom and I stayed at in London that had the room phone NEXT TO THE TOILET. What in the world?!!?
It’s been a DREAM to have so much closet space!
Yer darn tootin’ we didn’t come here for the quick tour! I loved seeing all of the deets on your new home.
My fav part of the new crib for you: the dedicated office.
My fav part of the new crib for the cats: duh, the screened in porch
You and I both know this, but for the benefit of anyone who didn’t get to visit your old apartment, it was cute but it was SO SMALL. Yay for more space!
I really need to get that catio decorated for them! We don’t use it a ton right now, but I’d love to change that.
SO MUCH LIGHT!!! It looks so warm and cozy and happy— love it.
Thank you! All of the natural light makes me so happy. My last apartment was so dark!
I love this space for you! It’s so great already, and so much potential. I for one would love for you to write more about organizing the space.
I last moved in 2018, but that was moving in with my mother, and while she was very open to making room for my things, there of course were plenty of her things here, so it wasn’t like having the blank space of an all-new place. I am a little jealous of you, but mostly happy for you, I promise!
I will happily write more about how I’ve organized my home!
I know I will one day be doing the same – moving in with my mother. Hopefully we both get a few decades before we have to start thinking of that, but I totally understand where you’re coming from!
The idea of empty shelves in a kitchen is dumbfounding to me. Even when I was a single lady, I had enough food, dishes, and pots to fill up my kitchen! Good for you.
We last moved in June 2017 when we moved into our house. Wow. Almost nine years. That seems crazy.
I counted, and I have FORTY SHELVES in my kitchen. There is no way I could fill 40 shelves, and I don’t even think I would want to! That’s too much stuff, especially since it’s just me and I don’t even particularly LIKE cooking, lololol.
You’re coming up on your 10-year anniversary with your house next year! That’s a milestone!
Holy crap, it’s all so beautiful! The light! The pink rug! The rainbow books! The neatness! I am so jealous. My daughter is loving having her own apartment for the first time – it’s not as fancy as yours but she has it organized and decorated beautifully. Moving into a brand new, bigger space must be absolutely heavenly. At this point I feel like I want to empty everything out of my house and then only put back in what I want to keep. It’s an insurmountable task. Well done!
Thank you! I’m so thankful for it. My first-ever apartment on my own was a 575-square-foot postage stamp, but I loooooved having my own space. I hope your daughter enjoys her own place!
OH MY GOD I LOVE IT! It’s beautiful! It’s so YOU. It just screams Stephany (lol what if it actually screamed Stephany, that would be wild) from every corner. I love it so much, it’s so beautiful, it’s so well decorated, it’s so organized. Your bathroom shelves, that’s like shelving pornography for me. IT IS SO ORGANIZED. And having empty shelves – amazing. You can take your time and fill them or not at your leisure. Eeeee I cannot even choose my favourite room because they all look amazing!!! Oh Stephany (STEPHANNNYYYYYY (that’s the apartment literally screaming) (sorry, did I make it weird) (again)) I am SO happy for you! It’s just perfect.
Nicole, your comments always make my day! Whenever I see a comment from you, I know it’s going to put a smile on my face! How crazy would it be if, every time I walked into the apartment, I heard STEPHANYYYY screaming from every corner?!
Being able to organize with SO MUCH SPACE is truly my love language. I am IN HEAVEN.
Wow, the new place looks great. I mean, first of all, it is huge! How many SF is it? Secondly, you have done a great job decorating it! I would not worry too much about the living room gaps; it will all come together. I do like houseplants though and feel that they can help make a home look more put together without filling all the spaces with furniture. It took me about 3 months to buy a couch after I moved in, and about 2 years to put up artwork! Also I had a lot of projects where when I first moved in I was all gung ho and then later realized that I did not really care that much after all. Anyway, it looks great; there is so much light and space and the extra little things like the office and screen porch must make you so happy.
Thank you! It’s around 950 square feet, which is about 300 more square feet than my old place. Insane!
I’m trying to be patient with filling up all the empty corners/bare walls, and figure out exactly what I want there. It will come to me!
Everything about this apartment is perfect! A home office! Isn’t it so nice to be able to shut the door to it at the end of the day.
So much light!
So much space!
It is truly gorgeous and your decorating taste is incredible. It looks so homey and cozy and light and bright and spacious and perfect!!!!! I also love the rounded doorways. We have a few of those in our house and I think it’s such a fun, whimsical design feature. It makes me think of fairy houses or castles 🙂
I’m so happy for you. I remember when we FINALLY moved out of our little apartment (with two kiddos in tow, no less) and just being AMAZED at having space.
I didn’t know how much I was going to love the rounded doorways until I moved in, but I love them so much! You don’t expect such a fun pop of whimsy in an apartment, that’s for sure.
All of the natural light makes me SO DAMN HAPPY.
I love it!!! I love how book and cat-centered your place is. And all the light, so much space, and the closets! I’m envious. Oh, and you know I love the book nook. ALSO- you have a patio for the cats! Well, for yourself as well… but the cats must be loving it. I know the move was a hassle but you REALLY upgraded your life! The last time I moved was… almost 23 years ago! We’ve been in this house a long time.
Wow, 23 years ago! Almost a quarter of a century. You should celebrate that!
Books and cats are my home decor aesthetic, that’s for sure. Lila is still apprehensive about the patio, but Eloise is in heaven!
Omg it’s so BIG! All those wide-open spaces and sunbeams. Congrats on the new spot.
KATE!!!!!!!!!!! YOU’RE BACK TO BLOGGING?????? I couldn’t subscribe to your Substack fast enough!! I was *just* thinking about your blog the other day and realizing how much I missed it. <3 <3 <3
And thank you! I am BEYOND thrilled with my new space!
The post I have been waiting for! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!
Your place is so beautiful and so you (and so big like you said YAY!!!!)! I love all the light and touches of color!
The screened in patio is ELITE! I am excited to see how you add to it and make it yours.
That bathroom ledge is perfect for kitties! 🥹🥹🥹
Odd question, but you mentioned recycling your plastic bags. We use ours to clean the litter boxes. What do you put the girls’ litter box presents for you in?
I have Litter Genie for the litter box presents. I have one near each litter box!
All of the natural light makes me SO happy, and it makes me happier when I see the girls stretched out in a patch of sunlight. It’s so adorable!
I love your new place! You look like you are so settled in! I do not know how someone would actually live in the room your office is in. It seems like it should be marketed as a den, not a bedroom. The glass door in particular screams den or office to me! Who wants a glass door on their bedroom!
I’m envious of all of the storage! That is the benefit of a new build or newer remodeled space (I assume this is a newer build or has been remodeled recently? It looks so fresh and clean, too!
The last time we moved was November 2019. I cannot envision us moving again anytime soon. I love our house; Phil does not (because our lot is on a hill which is not something we can change. Ha.). But he doesn’t hate it enough to want to move again.
I’m going to HAVE to assume that second bedroom is used more as a den/office than an actual bedroom. Anyone who got that as a bedroom definitely got the short end of the stick!
All of the storage options make me soooo deliriously happy. I’m living my best organized life!
I love this so, so much, Stephany. You have made your house (or, well, apartment) a true home. You clearly know what you are doing with decorating and settling in – I need to take some lessons from you, my friend. I love how neat and tidy and cozy everything is – there is space for everything, and everything has its place. In short, #goals. Now, can you please come to WI and help a friend out? 😉 (STILL nothing on the walls. I haven’t even put out photos or other decorations on the shelves, save for… 2 gnomes, a random rooster, and a small vase. Don’t ask. LOL.)