Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Single-Girl Style: A Place for My Stuff

welcome to my home
So, awhile back I promised a tour of my humble digs. Funny how time gets away from you (and yet this summer seems to have slipped through my fingers like silt). Among other things, it became clear that all of my storage is so full of stuff that stuff is piling up out in the open. Which prompted me to pull out all the stored stuff and start selling it off. That left Chez Moi in a quite a bit of upheaval. But recently I had to squirrel everything away again for company. So here are the (crappy iPhone) pics I managed to take before hauling everything back out. (And, yes, this is what passes for neat in my life.) 


south facing windows but some clouds decided to pass just when i was taking pics and the shadows took over
First, it's a studio apartment in Brooklyn, NYC. By city standards this place is a large studio. There is enough room for a bed and a sofa. The kitchen is separate and big enough for a table and chairs (AKA EIK - eat-in kitchen). And the hallway is long enough to make you feel like you've gone somewhere when you head to the bathroom. 

My last place was a cube with the kitchen and bathroom off of one wall, back-to-back with eachother. People felt uncomfortable with the bathroom right off the studio. Then I moved here, and it took a while to get the sense of what was possible - lots of education from Apartment Therapy - before I started buying some furniture. Biggest upgrade was swapping a futon for a full-size bed and sleeper sofa for guests. Other New Yorkers tell me it feels like a 1BR.

moths ate my awesome wool curtains - if you know where to get replacements PLEASE let me know (orig. the company store)
just decided to put that bolster cover over the seat cushion the other day - love it
In the beginning, I knew pink was going to be big here. This weekend I actually tried to tone it down. The turquoise striped fabric on the sofa only has a slim pink stripe in it. It was swapped for a very pink stripe. I really wanted to build things off of this fabric

my bed is on the left, it can't be seen until you step into the room - but it is very much out in the open. i'd like to do more with that wall behind that blue carved door

I actually prefer the bed in the corner. It offers a lot of possibilities: the bed is not viewable from the front door, it can be used like a daybed during the day (not so big on sitting on my sofa), it is as far as possible from the LR, and it can still view the television. (Actually, the tv is angled toward the bed instead of the sofa.)

more evidence of too much stuff: so much is under the bed the box of sheets can't fit (also it is overstuffed)
still trying to decide what to put on this wall other than a mirror which i fear having fall on me in the night
no storage space left for winter bedding - quilts at the ready!
The hallway is actually two parts: a short hallway with the clothes closet/storage unit and this small 8 foot room that I use as an office. It seemed like a good idea to remove one activity from the room I sleep in.


My media wall has all the outlets on it. It is also hollow and shared with another apartment. Generally, the tenant on the other side keeps their media on it as well. I think currently someone is keeping their bed there which is a weird choice since they have an end unit and don't share the other wall. Right now, I keep my bookshelves, etc here which sort of keeps a better flow from the front door. I need more shelves. There actually is room to get one more stacked on top of each with about an inch to spare under the ceiling. But I never catch them on sale anymore.

i neatened this up so don't criticize, but i am trying to divest of old magazines. also, thinking about finally hanging all that artwork stacked next to the shelf on the left there...
And then just cause I love the color combos so much, one more shot of the chair I never sit in. Still thinking to stuff the seat cushion with down to soften it up. But down is very, very warm...


I skipped the other rooms, but this is what counts. It has the most (but not all) Color + Texture + Pattern. Feel free to have a look at the evolution on my "home sweet" set on Flickr. 

Hope you enjoyed the peak!

4 comments:

Peggy said...

Hi! Thanks for sharing your home. I really enjoyed seeing it. Though there's too much stuff for me (you know I'm obsessive about simplicity) I still find it so cozy. I could see myself sitting there enjoying some tea with you as we discuss colors. I adore your Bohemian/Moroccan influences and am totally in love with the colors and patterns you've chosen for your pillows. Of course I'd like to see some huge pops of hot pink and turquoise. :)

belledame said...

thanks for the compliments, peg! there's even too much stuff for me, although i can never approach your level of austerity. my colors just have to vie for attention as best they can. it really is nice to sit on the sofa and have tea or read. the sell-off has been going decently but most of those items had been stored away.

Laureline said...

Such a nice place! I love how you translated your "principles" in your own place. Love all of the stuff too - my own place, though MUCH larger (180 m2 house) is in the same state :) I guess it's the way we are, no matter how many cupboards we have!

belledame said...

thank you. i'm currently trying to get rid of some things. seriously. it's a bit too much now.