I’m not making my big move to a two-bedroom apartment like I’d hoped. Financially, it just makes more sense to stay put for at least another year even though I was so excited about my move and being in a bigger space. I was making so many plans for that second bedroom/office! Alas.
So now I have to think about this space I have and how to make it better suited for my needs. There are many things I love about this apartment: for a one-bedroom, it is very spacious and there’s even a little nook in the living room that I’m able to use as a pseudo-office. I have tons of closet space. And I’m on the top floor so I never have to worry about upstairs neighbors. One idea I’m considering is adding some personality to the walls with Peel and Stick Wall Murals.
But there are a handful of changes I’m looking to make to this apartment over the next few months. Let’s talk about it!
Adding a cozy book nook to my bedroom
In my bedroom, I have a dresser (that also functions as my bedside table) and bed on one wall and then on the wall opposite, I have a small four-cube organizer and my spin bike. I want to redo this corner of my bedroom to turn it into a cozy book nook. I want to buy a ladder bookshelf that I’ll use to house all of my favorite books and add a cozy chair with ottoman so I can curl up and read a book. Maybe add a table and a lamp, too? Some bookish artwork?
This would mean finding a new place for my cube organizer (I’m thinking of moving it in between the two 8-cube organizers that are currently in my dining room and hold the majority of my book collection) and my spin bike. Honestly, I haven’t felt very inspired to use my spin bike lately and I think I’m going to just put it on my patio with a cover. I don’t want to sell it, just in case I realize in a few months that I want to get back to spinning, but I don’t have anywhere else in my apartment where it can live. I’d also move that big map to another wall of my bedroom.
Reorganizing my kitchen
I was really looking forward to having a bigger kitchen with a pantry. My kitchen is pretty darn small as it is, and I’m trying my best to make things work. I do have a pantry in this kitchen, but it is very narrow. The door measures under 12 inches! It’s difficult to store too much in there because I have to reach in sideways to get anything. What I want to do is add two floating shelves on the back wall where I can store laundry supplies on one shelf and cat food on the second shelf. I could also get Lynchburg kitchen remodeling by Kitchen Crafters of VA. I also found this kitchen renovator in Okotoks who will help us renovate it. (As you can see from the below picture, my stackable washer/dryer is tucked into the corner of the kitchen, so having my detergent within easy reach would be beneficial.)
I also want to get a back-of-the-door organizer for the pantry door, but it has to be small enough to fit. I’d really like something like this, but that’s about 5 inches too wide for the door. Argh.
I’m still at a loss of how to actually use this pantry. Maybe just to store items I use infrequently? I keep the majority of my food stuffs in the cabinet above my sink, which works out fine. It’s just sometimes hard to reach those taller shelves because I’m so short. Ugh.
Redoing my gallery wall
I love my gallery wall so much! It brings me great joy to look at. But it needs a refresh. There are a handful of prints I want to take down because they were meant to be placeholders until I found prints I liked better. And there are some framed photos that I’d like to replace. I have a big vision for this wall, but it wouldn’t be an expensive change to make. I already have some prints I can frame and add, and TJ Maxx/HomeGoods are my go-to for cheap, cute prints.
Ordering art photos of Dutch and the girls
Let’s stay on the topic of decor/art. For a really long time, I have wanted to get cute portraits done of Dutch and the girls, all in the same style. I have favorited a handful of Etsy shops that provide this service, and I just need to get it done. I recently added a nordic wall art to my collection and I love it. It always seemed like a very expensive project, but I think if I get a digital download instead of a framed portrait, it can be fairly affordable. Also, you can shop wallpaper for childrens at the Wallpaper Store, which could add a charming touch to their rooms.
Revamping my work-from-home setup
Oh, I was so excited to move my desk into its own office. It was going to be so nice to have a dedicated space to work, a space I could close up when I was finished with work for the day or the weekend. Alas, I have at least another year of my work space being part of my living space. But there are things I can do to make it better!
Right now, I have a standing desk and although I rarely use the standing function these days (I need to get better about that), I do like having the option. The desk is pretty full, though, as I have two big monitors, a laptop on a stand, a wireless keyboard, a wireless mouse/mousepad, journals to jot down meeting notes and to-do lists, a tiny calendar, a lamp, a fake plant, and other odds and ends. Here’s how I’d like to revamp this setup:
- Get a pair of monitor arms so my monitors are OFF the desk completely, freeing up a ton of space to use
- Invest in a different lamp; something cuter that emits a soft glow (the lamp I have is folded up in the back of my desk; I mainly got it to help with lighting on my video calls, but it doesn’t do much)
- Buy a different laptop stand and place my laptop in the middle of my desk (my laptop screen is so small that I rarely use it, but I do need it to be well-placed for video calls; I have to move the laptop every time I have a video call, and that’s just very annoying to deal with). I also bought a new Lenovo laptop using a coupon discount. Den Lenovo Gutschein findet man hier, which should help you save some money on your purchase.
- Remove everything that’s on the wall next to my desk and place a big whiteboard there instead where I can make lists
- Improve the cord situation below my desk. It’s a mess, and I have looked into everything to make it tidy – cable boxes, clip organizers, cable ties, you name it.
A new area rug for my living room
I’ve only had my current area rug for… maybe two years? I honestly can’t remember when I bought it, but hasn’t been long. I bought an 8×10 area rug, which I thought would be big enough for my sectional, but unfortunately, it’s not. I want the legs of my sectional to sit on the entire area rug, but its width is about an inch or two short. It fits fine length-wise, but it could be a bit bigger that way, too. I was going to get a new area rug when I moved, but now I’ll get one before I move. I have a handful of options saved and I’m just waiting to find a good price to buy!
So, perhaps, I have some lofty goals for this little apartment of mine. When it comes down to it, many of these changes won’t be very expensive but will add a whole lot of satisfaction and functionality to my space. And that’s the point of our homes, right? To be a safe place for us to land, cozy spaces where we can be ourselves and get away from the world. Since I spend 90% of my time here, it makes sense to make it as perfect as it can possibly be for me.
What’s one easy but super satisfying change you want to make to your home?
Well it’s a bummer that you are not getting your dedicated office but it sounds like the right decision for right now and you are making the best of it!
For your kitchen, it seems like there are narrower hanging shelves, like this one: https://a.co/d/6bdPBsm I don’t know what the inside of your pantry looks like, but maybe the rolling “drawer” organizers could also be helpful? (like this: https://a.co/d/dXruJz7)
As for your WFH set up, I wonder if getting a webcam would make more sense? Then you could put your laptop completely out of the way. This one is only $20 and would give you so much more space on your desk! https://a.co/d/4pdG0VY
Oh, those narrow hanging shelves are PERFECT! Adding them to my cart. That’s just what I’m looking for.
I have to have my laptop on my desk because it’s my operating system – the two monitors plug into a docking station that is connected to my laptop. So it can’t go away, which is why I’m trying to figure out how to incorporate it into my desk in a better way.
Oooh, I want a reading nook so badly! Now I’m trying to figure out how to make it happen…we don’t have a lot of extra space in our house but I’m sure there’s a way. Hmm.
You’re also inspiring me with your gallery wall. I have a huge blank wall in the living room that’s just begging to be filled. I guess I always thought it would be complicated and/or expensive, but you make it sound simple.
Even with our new kitchen, it’s still really small. Our cabinets now go all the way up to the ceiling, but I an’t reach the top shelf so I don’t like to use those for things I need all the time. We’re still figuring it out, but I wish we had a pantry.
Anyway, I’m excited for you- I can’t wait to see your apartment after all these upgrades!
The gallery wall was a PROCESS. But I figure it doesn’t have to look perfect and once I have everything up on the wall, I can figure out what I need to add/what I need to adjust/etc. I think the battle is just getting things up there and being okay with it not looking GREAT at first. But it will in time!
Oh, your space is so cute and cozy. I loved this peek into your apartment! It seems like it is very spacious for a one-bedroom, and the thought of the ladder bookshelf, well! Hello Belle!
A small kitchen is a bit of a bummer, particularly the pantry. It feels like it’s hard work to make it a useable space!
I like your gallery wall a lot!
Thank you! That means a lot. It is a very spacious one-bedroom, and I’m really grateful for that!
Oh, I admire your decorating spirit! We had a small pantry in our apartment in Minneapolis and I eventually just bought an IKEA bookshelf that I put in our dining room area that I used for storing a lot of foodstuffs. It seems like you’re more determined than I was to actually make use of the pantry space!
Also, I do not know what the right solution is for multiple monitors. It’s SO hard because you want them to be at eye level, but they take up all the space on an actual desk and the laptop has to be in the right place for calls. *sigh* I would love to see what your set up looks like once you have implemented all your solutions!
I considered adding a shelf somewhere to accommodate extra foodstuffs, but then what am I supposed to do with my bookshelves? HA. It’s a trade-off. I think I have discovered a better way to use my pantry that I’m looking forward to implementing!
I will definitely do follow-up posts as I make these changes!
I want to see your cozy book nook when you are done!
We have a similar over the door hanger on our pantry and we use it for spices.
Could you put bins in your slim pantry, so that you pull out the bins to get what you want? We put bins in a cupboard, not because it was narrow, but because it was so high, and while we did lose some space to the bins, the shelves are much more functional now. Or do you have anything skinny you can store there? Cookie sheets? Cutting boards?
Well, we need to get window treatments for our living room, but that seems HUGE, not small. I guess the small change i want to make is to label all the spices in the spice racks so we can see what they are from looking at the lids.
I will absolutely share before-and-afters of my space when I implement these changes. I am most excited for the cozy book nook!
Your idea for bins is a great one! I don’t know why I never thought of that. I think that will make things feel much more organized in my kitchen AND will be a functional way to use my pantry. Genius!
New window treatments will be so nice! And I love the look of labeled spice jars. I’ve always wanted to do something like that, but it feels like such a big chore, haha.
Oh no, you’re going to ban your spin bike? I am so sad ( j/k, sorta. I understand that you have to prioritize and if the bike is currently not being used, it has to be stored away… it’s just the center of my living room right now and I wouldn’t want it anywhere else, unless if I had a second bedroom – haha).
I like your approach to your current apartment situation. Since you’re not moving, it totally makes sense to make your current living space more suited to your needs. I should think about this for our own place… I just wish Jon was more open to rearranging stuff. He doesn’t deal well with change LOL
I considered moving the bike to a corner of my living room near my patio door; then it would allow me to use my TV for spin workouts rather than my laptop balanced on my bed, haha. So that’s an option! I’m just not feeling the spinning these days, so I want to see if I get the urge to spin after a few months of the bike tucked away on my patio.
It’s a bummer that you can’t move to a new place but also kind of nice to avoid the cost of the move and the hassle! I have a pretty decent office set up but my laptop is on a pile of textbooks so it is level with my large monitor. It works well enough for the 2 days I am at home!
We have a laundry list of things to change about our house. The biggest thing is getting a new fence at some point. But it will be so expensive and not a super fun thing so we are kind of putting it off for now.
I am feeling less and less sad that I’m staying put for another year – it would be nice to have my own office, but it’s also going to be nice to save $500+ in rent every month!
Ooh, a new fence will be a satisfying purchase when it happens! Maybe not fun, but it will be satisfying.
I get you on the office…I’ve worked from home since 2006, and my office is in my bedroom. I really dislike that, but our living room is tiny and so is our dining room, so I live with it. I like your ideas to improve the space you have, since you aren’t moving. We tried to move to a bigger place in 2007, because of the work from home situation, but couldn’t make it work for financial reasons. Sigh.
Ugh, my desk was in my bedroom in my previous apartment and I *had* to move to a bigger apartment during the pandemic because I couldn’t handle it, lol. I needed my bedroom to be my bedroom!
I swear I had an actual comment but then my heart exploded when I saw our magnet on the fridge <3 <3 <3 and I am just over here feeling all the love!
I can't wait to see the updates! You always have such great taste!
AWWW! I love seeing that magnet every day! It brings me great joy. <3
Stephany, I am so envious of your decorating abilities and sense of style! You’ve really made your apartment feel like home. I… have not. And I’ve been in this one a lot longer than you’ve been in yours! I guess I’m less willing to spend the time to make it ‘mine’, when I really should have, long ago. (I have gotten rid of a lot that I didn’t need/want, starting with a chair that I hated… progress, right? ;>)
I’m glad to see there is some crowdsourcing of solutions in this thread. You know the right people to ask! (I am not one of them, ha!)