How to love the apartment we're in
September 27, 2015 3:25 PM Subscribe
Hubby and I live in the Bay Area in a rent-controlled apartment. We have come to terms that remaining in this apartment is the best deal we are willing to commit to. We've been in this apartment for almost 4 years and have always treated this as a "temporary" residence given where we are in our careers/lives. With the INSANE housing boom, it is hard to justify moving out to a 2 bedroom apartment or to buy a home here.
What are the most impactful ways to begin LOVING our apartment NOW?
Key facts:
- 1 bedroom, NARROW living room & kitchen & bathroom, with 2 cats ;) No deck/patio/backyard
- We probably can't paint the walls or make major alternations in the apartment
- Recent improvements that have been that were WONDERFUL: buying a bedframe/new mattress, buying a pantry to improve our lack of kitchen storage, new dining room table that is not crappy IKEA
- In progress: hubby is decluttering
- Our lifestyle -- we are homebodies, so our home is the primary focal point of our lives
- Our furniture is mostly IKEA, we have great kitchen appliances (love cooking!), and we generally don't receive guests.
- Budget -- willing to spend ~$200 a month to start to improve -- any guidance on who to time these improvements are very very welcome
- We are both interior design n00bs. We don't want to impress anyone else, we just want to freshen up and love where we live so we can stop searching for other apartments/houses that are much more expensive than where we are now
Key facts:
- 1 bedroom, NARROW living room & kitchen & bathroom, with 2 cats ;) No deck/patio/backyard
- We probably can't paint the walls or make major alternations in the apartment
- Recent improvements that have been that were WONDERFUL: buying a bedframe/new mattress, buying a pantry to improve our lack of kitchen storage, new dining room table that is not crappy IKEA
- In progress: hubby is decluttering
- Our lifestyle -- we are homebodies, so our home is the primary focal point of our lives
- Our furniture is mostly IKEA, we have great kitchen appliances (love cooking!), and we generally don't receive guests.
- Budget -- willing to spend ~$200 a month to start to improve -- any guidance on who to time these improvements are very very welcome
- We are both interior design n00bs. We don't want to impress anyone else, we just want to freshen up and love where we live so we can stop searching for other apartments/houses that are much more expensive than where we are now
Use a chunk of that improvement money to hire a cleaning service to come in regularly so you can just LIVE in your home and upkeep doesn't have to be a constant item on your to-do list.
posted by phunniemee at 3:33 PM on September 27, 2015 [20 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 3:33 PM on September 27, 2015 [20 favorites]
Best answer: Buy some art. Upgrade your couch and any other living room furniture that you don't love.
posted by wotsac at 3:34 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by wotsac at 3:34 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Decluttering is a really good place to start. Maybe try simplifying the color palette in your space, so that everything is within the same color family, for a further decluttered feeling. I personally did my house in tans and greens to try to mimic a spa that I loved, in order to keep a soothing, sort of mellow feeling. Ymmv on the energy you want, especially in your living room.
Storage is important, but again, to keep a decluttered feeling, storage with doors (not glass doors) and simple, clean lines. Accessories are where you go for impact, not your big pieces.
Get really good lighting. Something that mimics natural light. Maybe get a couple of dimmer switches. No lighting that is super harsh and bright. No dim or dark corners, make every ounce of space usable by having good lighting.
posted by vignettist at 3:36 PM on September 27, 2015 [7 favorites]
Storage is important, but again, to keep a decluttered feeling, storage with doors (not glass doors) and simple, clean lines. Accessories are where you go for impact, not your big pieces.
Get really good lighting. Something that mimics natural light. Maybe get a couple of dimmer switches. No lighting that is super harsh and bright. No dim or dark corners, make every ounce of space usable by having good lighting.
posted by vignettist at 3:36 PM on September 27, 2015 [7 favorites]
You almost certainly can paint; you just need to be willing to repaint back to neutral when you leave.
Get an amazing couch, especially if like to watch tv or hang out in the living room reading together, etc. Keep decluttering like crazy.
posted by ktkt at 3:37 PM on September 27, 2015 [11 favorites]
Get an amazing couch, especially if like to watch tv or hang out in the living room reading together, etc. Keep decluttering like crazy.
posted by ktkt at 3:37 PM on September 27, 2015 [11 favorites]
Check your lease about what they say you're restricted in doing.
posted by rhizome at 3:40 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by rhizome at 3:40 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I live in a long narrow apartment and realized I should do same, as I am never leaving. I would figure out which room most needs improvement and plan from there.
Find out if you can paint, if it's some reasonably light and neutral color. Ask other LT residents if this matters to management first. Then you can do research what colors look great with existing furniture and make you feel good. Look at rooms on the net and save pics of styles and color combos you like. Pinterest and google images are great for this. Ideas, color combos and themes should emerge from there. This is especially important in rooms with natural light.
I did some furniture rearranging to maximize use of natural light (for me and my cats) and cozy up the bedroom and both rooms are much more pleasant for it. I added bookcases and storage to the areas of the LR away from the windows and grouped the hang out area closer and facing the windows. Added lamps and lessened use of overhead lighting. It actually feels larger and more open this way, even though I am using less living space.
One other major thing I did was address the hatred I had for my bathroom. Ugly pink marble on the bottom half of the walls and floor that made the white paint looks sort of peachy. The tiles themselves looked like they had bad varicose veins. I looked at tons of pics of pink bathrooms, and combos with pink marble. I looked at tons of medicine cabinets, since I had a dinky shallow one and no other room for storage. I painted it a deep metallic gunmetal grey (because it turned the ugly peach into a prettier lavender tinged color- and it's easy to find grey everything!) and bought a huge Ikea Godmorgon mirrored cabinet (and it is amazing!) with the matching light fixture. Added a simple sturdy towel rack that pretty much hides one wall of marble with tiles, and a small rug to cover most of the pink floor. Changed the shower fixture to an amazing one that feels like a spa shower. I see very little pink now, and enjoy my time instead of wincing at the ugly unfunctional cheesiness of it all.
posted by TenaciousB at 3:48 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
Find out if you can paint, if it's some reasonably light and neutral color. Ask other LT residents if this matters to management first. Then you can do research what colors look great with existing furniture and make you feel good. Look at rooms on the net and save pics of styles and color combos you like. Pinterest and google images are great for this. Ideas, color combos and themes should emerge from there. This is especially important in rooms with natural light.
I did some furniture rearranging to maximize use of natural light (for me and my cats) and cozy up the bedroom and both rooms are much more pleasant for it. I added bookcases and storage to the areas of the LR away from the windows and grouped the hang out area closer and facing the windows. Added lamps and lessened use of overhead lighting. It actually feels larger and more open this way, even though I am using less living space.
One other major thing I did was address the hatred I had for my bathroom. Ugly pink marble on the bottom half of the walls and floor that made the white paint looks sort of peachy. The tiles themselves looked like they had bad varicose veins. I looked at tons of pics of pink bathrooms, and combos with pink marble. I looked at tons of medicine cabinets, since I had a dinky shallow one and no other room for storage. I painted it a deep metallic gunmetal grey (because it turned the ugly peach into a prettier lavender tinged color- and it's easy to find grey everything!) and bought a huge Ikea Godmorgon mirrored cabinet (and it is amazing!) with the matching light fixture. Added a simple sturdy towel rack that pretty much hides one wall of marble with tiles, and a small rug to cover most of the pink floor. Changed the shower fixture to an amazing one that feels like a spa shower. I see very little pink now, and enjoy my time instead of wincing at the ugly unfunctional cheesiness of it all.
posted by TenaciousB at 3:48 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I have never believed in the whole "don't invest money in a rental! Don't do anything the landlord should do! Don't do anything you can't take with you!" thing. It's where you live, it's important, and it is doubly worth it when you are making a long-term commitment to a place. Rent controlled in SF? I would nest the ever loving fuck out of that place.
In rentals, I have: a) had floors refinished b) replaced entire kitchens c) had a custom desk/bookcase/dining table built d) refinished walls and painted. I regretted none of that at the time. I live in a house we bought now, but looking back I still have ZERO regrets.
Do you want to share some photos?
posted by DarlingBri at 3:54 PM on September 27, 2015 [16 favorites]
In rentals, I have: a) had floors refinished b) replaced entire kitchens c) had a custom desk/bookcase/dining table built d) refinished walls and painted. I regretted none of that at the time. I live in a house we bought now, but looking back I still have ZERO regrets.
Do you want to share some photos?
posted by DarlingBri at 3:54 PM on September 27, 2015 [16 favorites]
Also: how narrow is narrow? Our entire house is 12 feet wide. It's small (obviously) but it's not cramped because we've got a good floor plan and correctly sized furniture selected to do double-duty when needed.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:00 PM on September 27, 2015
posted by DarlingBri at 4:00 PM on September 27, 2015
Best answer: I'm in a similar situation. Rents in my city(Seattle, ugh) have spiraled out of control and i have a place that only gets token rent increases.
Game changers so far:
* Getting a comfortable couch that just looks decent, instead of a meh-to-uncomfortable small one i thought looked cool and also thought would make the room feel "more open" since it was shallow and smaller. The much larger comfortable couch is just so much nicer and reinvigorated my love for the entire apartment. I've also gotten compliments on it, and thumbs-ups from friends who had sat on the old couch who tried out the new one.
* Getting a few cool pieces of "statement" furniture to dress up each room. I got a vintage morris chair to accompany the couch, a cool 70s bench for the foot of the bed, a quirky dining room table(it's like a home made version of one of those tiled bistro tables but wood instead of metal)
* Narrow room? Ditch the big coffee table! Get a slim one! When we moved here we got a skinny coffee table and a really skinny/shallow tv stand. It opened up the entire room. I also have a desk for my computer that's just... generally petite. Both very shallow and not very wide but long enough that it "looks" slim. I even got a smaller keyboard to make it nice to use.
* Decluttering really DID make a huge difference when it reached the declare mission accomplished stage. I notice this every time i start to re-clutter, since i'm great at that, and then clean up.
* Cool stuff for the walls! I slacked on this one for a long time. Paintings, masks, animal skulls, whatever. It made a big difference in it feeling like "home with a style" instead of "generic living unit" when i did that.
* Similar to that one, i replaced the light over the dining table(it's a dine-in kitchen, so the kitchen light) with a chandelier. The chandelier was a gift, but they're around $50 on amazon. I did it with no wiring modifications, simply a light socket to outlet adapter and a big screw-in hook.
* Also playing off of that one... lamps. Lamps lamps lamps. Every room looks better lit with a lamp than with a ceiling fixture, especially when it's completely dark outside. It just feels way more home-y in a way that's hard to describe. I hit thrift stores repeatedly for many months finding cool/quirky lamps i really liked
* Plants. I don't know what to add here, but i have a couple plants and every time i go to a place where they have more plants i'm like "wow, it looks so nice here, ohhh.. plants!". Also little plant stands, don't just jam them on a windowsill or something.
* i can't explain why this works, but narrow bookshelves make a room look bigger than wide ones. Wide ones are dominating and almost cluttery. Narrow tall ones are some kind of brain trick because you think bookshelf = big or something.
* Beef up the bathroom in general. I got a shower head i liked, rugs i liked, a laundry basket i liked(if that's where yours lives), and re-arranged everything. I even cycled through a few choices of lightbulbs for lighting that made it less "operating room that grossly shows every speck of dirty" To "warm and welcoming". Buying a high quality not-plastic shower curtain made the entire freaking room look nicer.
* Honestly i agree with darlingbri. I've replaced say, ugly light fixtures before... But that's sort of 201 level or above since my dad is essentially a GC, and i have experience doing everything from electrical to drywall. If there is hideously ugly stuff like say, a disgusting cheapo poorly mounted bathroom mirror/cabinet i wouldn't feel the least bit bad replacing it even though "omg you cant take it with you!"
* Work around dumb design issues! For example my place has one tiny closet. Seriously, for a 1 bedroom apartment, one closet the size of a fridge. So we needed a clothes rack. In the middle of a bedroom this would normally look non-great, but a wardrobe was a non-starter because of the floorplan... so we just filled it with all of our coolest looking clothes. Every single person whose come to my house and looked in the room has something to say about some item of clothing. Then they compliment the room. And i mean, i also think it looks great but it seems like it's not just me. Creative solutions to dumb design flaws put you ahead here.
You almost certainly can paint; you just need to be willing to repaint back to neutral when you leave.
This isn't always true. My landlord uses some "proprietary blend of paint" and anyone who paints anything at all, even if they paint it back to what seems like the same color, gets charged for a full repaint out of their deposit at exorbitant rates for the "special paint".
I've seen this, -what is to me a scam-, before
posted by emptythought at 4:03 PM on September 27, 2015 [10 favorites]
Game changers so far:
* Getting a comfortable couch that just looks decent, instead of a meh-to-uncomfortable small one i thought looked cool and also thought would make the room feel "more open" since it was shallow and smaller. The much larger comfortable couch is just so much nicer and reinvigorated my love for the entire apartment. I've also gotten compliments on it, and thumbs-ups from friends who had sat on the old couch who tried out the new one.
* Getting a few cool pieces of "statement" furniture to dress up each room. I got a vintage morris chair to accompany the couch, a cool 70s bench for the foot of the bed, a quirky dining room table(it's like a home made version of one of those tiled bistro tables but wood instead of metal)
* Narrow room? Ditch the big coffee table! Get a slim one! When we moved here we got a skinny coffee table and a really skinny/shallow tv stand. It opened up the entire room. I also have a desk for my computer that's just... generally petite. Both very shallow and not very wide but long enough that it "looks" slim. I even got a smaller keyboard to make it nice to use.
* Decluttering really DID make a huge difference when it reached the declare mission accomplished stage. I notice this every time i start to re-clutter, since i'm great at that, and then clean up.
* Cool stuff for the walls! I slacked on this one for a long time. Paintings, masks, animal skulls, whatever. It made a big difference in it feeling like "home with a style" instead of "generic living unit" when i did that.
* Similar to that one, i replaced the light over the dining table(it's a dine-in kitchen, so the kitchen light) with a chandelier. The chandelier was a gift, but they're around $50 on amazon. I did it with no wiring modifications, simply a light socket to outlet adapter and a big screw-in hook.
* Also playing off of that one... lamps. Lamps lamps lamps. Every room looks better lit with a lamp than with a ceiling fixture, especially when it's completely dark outside. It just feels way more home-y in a way that's hard to describe. I hit thrift stores repeatedly for many months finding cool/quirky lamps i really liked
* Plants. I don't know what to add here, but i have a couple plants and every time i go to a place where they have more plants i'm like "wow, it looks so nice here, ohhh.. plants!". Also little plant stands, don't just jam them on a windowsill or something.
* i can't explain why this works, but narrow bookshelves make a room look bigger than wide ones. Wide ones are dominating and almost cluttery. Narrow tall ones are some kind of brain trick because you think bookshelf = big or something.
* Beef up the bathroom in general. I got a shower head i liked, rugs i liked, a laundry basket i liked(if that's where yours lives), and re-arranged everything. I even cycled through a few choices of lightbulbs for lighting that made it less "operating room that grossly shows every speck of dirty" To "warm and welcoming". Buying a high quality not-plastic shower curtain made the entire freaking room look nicer.
* Honestly i agree with darlingbri. I've replaced say, ugly light fixtures before... But that's sort of 201 level or above since my dad is essentially a GC, and i have experience doing everything from electrical to drywall. If there is hideously ugly stuff like say, a disgusting cheapo poorly mounted bathroom mirror/cabinet i wouldn't feel the least bit bad replacing it even though "omg you cant take it with you!"
* Work around dumb design issues! For example my place has one tiny closet. Seriously, for a 1 bedroom apartment, one closet the size of a fridge. So we needed a clothes rack. In the middle of a bedroom this would normally look non-great, but a wardrobe was a non-starter because of the floorplan... so we just filled it with all of our coolest looking clothes. Every single person whose come to my house and looked in the room has something to say about some item of clothing. Then they compliment the room. And i mean, i also think it looks great but it seems like it's not just me. Creative solutions to dumb design flaws put you ahead here.
You almost certainly can paint; you just need to be willing to repaint back to neutral when you leave.
This isn't always true. My landlord uses some "proprietary blend of paint" and anyone who paints anything at all, even if they paint it back to what seems like the same color, gets charged for a full repaint out of their deposit at exorbitant rates for the "special paint".
I've seen this, -what is to me a scam-, before
posted by emptythought at 4:03 PM on September 27, 2015 [10 favorites]
Best answer: For us, the biggest impacts came from improving lighting in the closets, pantry, cupboards etc. It costs surprisingly little to get an electrician to wire up a switch to light up a closet and the day to day impact is HUGE. If you are worried about your landlord having a problem with it, Ikea sells solutions that you could set up and take with you.
Every time I've improved the lighting in a closet, pantry or cupboard I've immediately regretted not having done it sooner.
posted by fingersandtoes at 4:12 PM on September 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
Every time I've improved the lighting in a closet, pantry or cupboard I've immediately regretted not having done it sooner.
posted by fingersandtoes at 4:12 PM on September 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: So, first thing, do you know what your interior design style is? I personally prefer a really modern look, but a bright one with a lot of art. Other people I know love Victorian style, etc. Look at rooms, figure out what you like. Now, once you've got that decided on (or you already have, which great!), this is where you start thinking about how that will work in your space. Look for key pieces you can get that will help make your space look the way you want it to.
I also tell EVERYONE that the key to a home feeling lived in is art. If you can't afford art, you can frame almost anything that you enjoy and put it on the wall until you CAN afford/find the art you really want.
Consider the impact of rugs, art, furniture and the idea of working to maximize what you have. I recently turned my bedroom sideways, and it suddenly went from feeling dark and cramped to open and inviting. Test different layouts until you find the one you like. Consider the size of your furniture and how you like to relax and entertain. My living room is designed for having friends over because that's what I like to do.
I've 100% painted places that are no paint allowed, and just said "well, there goes my deposit."
posted by Nimmie Amee at 4:14 PM on September 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
I also tell EVERYONE that the key to a home feeling lived in is art. If you can't afford art, you can frame almost anything that you enjoy and put it on the wall until you CAN afford/find the art you really want.
Consider the impact of rugs, art, furniture and the idea of working to maximize what you have. I recently turned my bedroom sideways, and it suddenly went from feeling dark and cramped to open and inviting. Test different layouts until you find the one you like. Consider the size of your furniture and how you like to relax and entertain. My living room is designed for having friends over because that's what I like to do.
I've 100% painted places that are no paint allowed, and just said "well, there goes my deposit."
posted by Nimmie Amee at 4:14 PM on September 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Put up curtains. That changes the whole character of the room right away, especially if you have blinds there now. (I'd just put the curtains over the blinds- no need to remove the blinds.)
posted by Monday at 4:15 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Monday at 4:15 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: My friend, you need Apartment Therapy. Suffice to say that the subject of how to optimize your less-than-ideal rental apartment is a common theme.
posted by Sublimity at 4:43 PM on September 27, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by Sublimity at 4:43 PM on September 27, 2015 [9 favorites]
This might be beyond what you want to do, but if it were me, I'd deep clean all the floors, carpets, walls, blinds, etc so you start chipping away at all the years of wear and tear.
posted by Hermione Granger at 4:44 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Hermione Granger at 4:44 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
You should definitely check with your landlord about painting - you may be surprised! Offer to pay to have it repainted when you leave, or ask if you can just paint an accent wall in each room instead of every wall. It will make a huge difference!
posted by joan_holloway at 4:58 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by joan_holloway at 4:58 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I'd start by spending a month writing down a list of things that annoy you about the apartment. Sticky door? Squeaky hinges? Can't lie down on the couch to watch TV? Write it all down and then make a master plan for how to address it. Fixing an annoyance that is minor but bugs you every. single. time. is really a big plus.
I'd check your lease and then go ahead and paint, honestly, unless there's some clause about painting being grounds for immediate eviction. If you guys are truly going to be in the apartment for years and years, losing a month's rent by forfeiting the deposit is a relatively small price to pay for having a place that makes you happy for years. I mean, I probably wouldn't do a fancy Venetian plaster thing, but the "don't make improvements in a rental" conventional wisdom really goes out the window for rent controlled places in hot housing markets. And in fact it's usually the only way you CAN get stuff taken care of, since often landlords are unwilling to invest anything in the place other than what's required to keep it up to code.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 5:04 PM on September 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
I'd check your lease and then go ahead and paint, honestly, unless there's some clause about painting being grounds for immediate eviction. If you guys are truly going to be in the apartment for years and years, losing a month's rent by forfeiting the deposit is a relatively small price to pay for having a place that makes you happy for years. I mean, I probably wouldn't do a fancy Venetian plaster thing, but the "don't make improvements in a rental" conventional wisdom really goes out the window for rent controlled places in hot housing markets. And in fact it's usually the only way you CAN get stuff taken care of, since often landlords are unwilling to invest anything in the place other than what's required to keep it up to code.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 5:04 PM on September 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
A regular cleaning service is so, so worth it. Whether it's a regular person you find via friends or fellow tenants, or a more anonymous cleaner via something like Handy. I'm not in your exact circumstances but it ups the enjoyment factor of my home by a lot.
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:07 PM on September 27, 2015
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:07 PM on September 27, 2015
Best answer: I was going to also mention lighting. Lamps at the right strength, in the right places, makes a really big difference.
If you have any friends who are even slightly good at this stuff, you could invite them over, ply them with liquor and ask what they would do. Sometimes just getting a fresh perspective can be helpful.
If there's anything you have a block about - say, getting art up on walls, or painting furniture or getting curtains, consider using task rabbit or an appropriate professional. I find that I put off some things for way too long thinking I'll get to them eventually.
posted by vunder at 5:12 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you have any friends who are even slightly good at this stuff, you could invite them over, ply them with liquor and ask what they would do. Sometimes just getting a fresh perspective can be helpful.
If there's anything you have a block about - say, getting art up on walls, or painting furniture or getting curtains, consider using task rabbit or an appropriate professional. I find that I put off some things for way too long thinking I'll get to them eventually.
posted by vunder at 5:12 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
You said no to paint, but reconsider - it can make a huge difference. If you really won't go there, consider some really interesting textiles for the walls. Also get fresh flowers delivered weekly and like others suggested, a cleaning service.
posted by Toddles at 5:13 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Toddles at 5:13 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
emptythought: "This isn't always true. My landlord uses some "proprietary blend of paint" and anyone who paints anything at all, even if they paint it back to what seems like the same color, gets charged for a full repaint out of their deposit at exorbitant rates for the "special paint".
"
Even if that is the case the maximum liability is probably the deposit amount. Stay in the place for a couple years and the cost per month is very low even if one loses the entire deposit.
Also I don't know the specifics in SF but here if you stay in a place for several years the landlord can't charge for painting regardless of the paint condition at move out. Paint is considered a wear item and repainting when a long term tenant moves out is considered to be something that would have to be done anyways.
posted by Mitheral at 5:14 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
"
Even if that is the case the maximum liability is probably the deposit amount. Stay in the place for a couple years and the cost per month is very low even if one loses the entire deposit.
Also I don't know the specifics in SF but here if you stay in a place for several years the landlord can't charge for painting regardless of the paint condition at move out. Paint is considered a wear item and repainting when a long term tenant moves out is considered to be something that would have to be done anyways.
posted by Mitheral at 5:14 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
I recently realized the same thing. There is no way I can ever afford to buy here, so now I'm trying to make the most of what I've got.
My landlord is quite restrictive about what can be done or not, and I have resolved to focus on the quality I want, and then live with not getting my deposit back when I am pensioned and will move to the country. However, he was here the other day because of a problem, and I could tell he was quite impressed with my improvements, so I am planning to get him here for a meeting when that problem is solved and I have cleaned up after it, so we can make a appendix to the contract.
That said: the first thing you need to do is to find out what you like. I know a lot of people who have used pinterest for that. Then find out what realistically can be done in your apartment with your economy. Then make a time-line for when you do what.
Apart from decluttering, you should also think about cupboards for everything you have. An extra cupboard may seem big, but if you can get some stuff out of sight, it will improve your quality of life.
IKEA has a space-planning tool on their website. You can use it to get some ideas of the whole even though you eventually don't use their stuff.
And lighting! Very important in deep narrow spaces.
posted by mumimor at 5:15 PM on September 27, 2015
My landlord is quite restrictive about what can be done or not, and I have resolved to focus on the quality I want, and then live with not getting my deposit back when I am pensioned and will move to the country. However, he was here the other day because of a problem, and I could tell he was quite impressed with my improvements, so I am planning to get him here for a meeting when that problem is solved and I have cleaned up after it, so we can make a appendix to the contract.
That said: the first thing you need to do is to find out what you like. I know a lot of people who have used pinterest for that. Then find out what realistically can be done in your apartment with your economy. Then make a time-line for when you do what.
Apart from decluttering, you should also think about cupboards for everything you have. An extra cupboard may seem big, but if you can get some stuff out of sight, it will improve your quality of life.
IKEA has a space-planning tool on their website. You can use it to get some ideas of the whole even though you eventually don't use their stuff.
And lighting! Very important in deep narrow spaces.
posted by mumimor at 5:15 PM on September 27, 2015
You might also want to sit down and puzzle out what would make it possible for you to actually do some entertaining in your place and use that as a roadmap for making changes. It sounds like you would entertain more if you could make it work.
One other thing: When faced with a similar dilemma about 8 years ago, we decided to buy a little place in the country, since we knew we'd never be fully happy in our city apartment. It's one of the best things I've ever done and improved the quality of my life tenfold almost instantly. I have a friend who lives in San Francisco who has an inexpensive weekend place out between Valley Springs and Lodi--it's the same idea. I don't know if that is a possibility for you, but it's one way to make your city life more palatable.
posted by yellowcandy at 5:34 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
One other thing: When faced with a similar dilemma about 8 years ago, we decided to buy a little place in the country, since we knew we'd never be fully happy in our city apartment. It's one of the best things I've ever done and improved the quality of my life tenfold almost instantly. I have a friend who lives in San Francisco who has an inexpensive weekend place out between Valley Springs and Lodi--it's the same idea. I don't know if that is a possibility for you, but it's one way to make your city life more palatable.
posted by yellowcandy at 5:34 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
Two words: Removable Wallpaper!
There are other brands that are cheaper. And you don't have to do the whole room, just one wall, lie in your narrow living room.
posted by It's a Parasox at 5:48 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
There are other brands that are cheaper. And you don't have to do the whole room, just one wall, lie in your narrow living room.
posted by It's a Parasox at 5:48 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
In a very similar situation. :)
I have:
Built additional shelving in the closets and kitchen (I asked the landlord and built shelves that matched the existing ones very well so they can stay when we leave, in the closets at least. The kitchen ones we will likely take down and patch the holes.)
Bought really cool vintage light fixtures to replace the existing ugly ceiling lights (the old ones are stored on a high shelf and we'll replace them when we move out, taking the cool ones we bought with us.)
Deep cleaned the bathroom grout with ZEP grout cleaner. Looks much better.
Installed dimmer switches on several of the ceiling lights.
Added nylon tape to the bottom of the built-in wooden drawers so they slide nicely.
Hung up art.
We will likely paint the walls in 1-2 rooms next.
posted by amaire at 5:58 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
I have:
Built additional shelving in the closets and kitchen (I asked the landlord and built shelves that matched the existing ones very well so they can stay when we leave, in the closets at least. The kitchen ones we will likely take down and patch the holes.)
Bought really cool vintage light fixtures to replace the existing ugly ceiling lights (the old ones are stored on a high shelf and we'll replace them when we move out, taking the cool ones we bought with us.)
Deep cleaned the bathroom grout with ZEP grout cleaner. Looks much better.
Installed dimmer switches on several of the ceiling lights.
Added nylon tape to the bottom of the built-in wooden drawers so they slide nicely.
Hung up art.
We will likely paint the walls in 1-2 rooms next.
posted by amaire at 5:58 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: This is a really small thing, but one thing I've found that improves my enjoyment of my (also tiny) apartment immensely is regularly buying fresh flowers. I usually buy the cheap ones at the grocery store and occasionally splurge on farmer's market beauties, and either way it instantly makes me feel happy when I see them!
posted by rainbowbrite at 6:11 PM on September 27, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by rainbowbrite at 6:11 PM on September 27, 2015 [6 favorites]
Best answer: I have a long narrow home and I have put up mirror 2400Lx600H panels along the longer walls at bench height to create the sense of width. It looks amazing. I bought glass mirror, but you can buy acrylic sheets of mirror that, if you are careful not to scratch them with anything, are cheaper, lightweight and easy to adhere and remove. I write on it, stick things on it occasionally and just use a window squidgee to clean it, or a duster.
Another thing which I've gotten so much value out of in terms of wall art is to drill in several sheets of carpeted pin up board [the drill holes can be filled and repaired when you leave, and use it to put up loads of post cards, small posters, maps, labels, photos etc. [I got the panels in black because it makes the artwork pop.] I can even attach lightweight canvases if I attach a few extra velcro dots.
posted by honey-barbara at 6:19 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Another thing which I've gotten so much value out of in terms of wall art is to drill in several sheets of carpeted pin up board [the drill holes can be filled and repaired when you leave, and use it to put up loads of post cards, small posters, maps, labels, photos etc. [I got the panels in black because it makes the artwork pop.] I can even attach lightweight canvases if I attach a few extra velcro dots.
posted by honey-barbara at 6:19 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
If you can get fabric big enough, you can staple it in place over your wall as if it were wallpaper. The staple holes are up high or down low, and very small, and fabric can be a nice alternative to painting. You can nail through it if you need to hang a picture.
"The Movable Nest" by Tom Schneider is a valuable resource for home decor for renters, though the pricing info is a little outdated now.
posted by blnkfrnk at 6:28 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
"The Movable Nest" by Tom Schneider is a valuable resource for home decor for renters, though the pricing info is a little outdated now.
posted by blnkfrnk at 6:28 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
If you're dead set against painting, washing your walls and trim can really help. BUT:
You should seriously think about the pros and cons of painting, because new paint can make a huge difference. If your landlord told you it wasn't allowed, it was probably to prevent someone from doing a crappy paint job that would create problems later, or from painting in a color that would need to be painted over after the tenant leaves.
The type of paint job that would cause problems later on:
Paint drips on hardwood floors or carpeting.
Bad prep resulting in the new coat of paint not adhering properly.
Cheap paint doesn't really harden -- this is true of most low-end latex and acrylic paints.
Heavy brush marks that are hard to sand out.
If you moved, your best deal would set you back more in a year than the cost of a decent paint job now and another when you leave. If you know someone who knows how to paint, they can teach you. I live in San Francisco and have done a lot of painting; if you MeMail me, I'll come over and give you pointers myself! I suggest contacting the Tenants' Union. They may tell you that the landlord can't charge you for repainting if you've lived there a certain amount of time, because old paint is normal wear and tear.
posted by wryly at 6:31 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
You should seriously think about the pros and cons of painting, because new paint can make a huge difference. If your landlord told you it wasn't allowed, it was probably to prevent someone from doing a crappy paint job that would create problems later, or from painting in a color that would need to be painted over after the tenant leaves.
The type of paint job that would cause problems later on:
Paint drips on hardwood floors or carpeting.
Bad prep resulting in the new coat of paint not adhering properly.
Cheap paint doesn't really harden -- this is true of most low-end latex and acrylic paints.
Heavy brush marks that are hard to sand out.
If you moved, your best deal would set you back more in a year than the cost of a decent paint job now and another when you leave. If you know someone who knows how to paint, they can teach you. I live in San Francisco and have done a lot of painting; if you MeMail me, I'll come over and give you pointers myself! I suggest contacting the Tenants' Union. They may tell you that the landlord can't charge you for repainting if you've lived there a certain amount of time, because old paint is normal wear and tear.
posted by wryly at 6:31 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
My friend, you need Apartment Therapy.
The book AT wrote (8-step home cure) is actually pretty useful. I checked it out from SFPL. The website's great, but might seem a little overwhelming if you're not already into design. The book is straightforward and easy to follow.
posted by three_red_balloons at 7:39 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
The book AT wrote (8-step home cure) is actually pretty useful. I checked it out from SFPL. The website's great, but might seem a little overwhelming if you're not already into design. The book is straightforward and easy to follow.
posted by three_red_balloons at 7:39 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
With some of that money, you could get a storage locker and move all the stuff you don't use every day (e.g., camping gear) somewhere else.
posted by salvia at 8:14 PM on September 27, 2015
posted by salvia at 8:14 PM on September 27, 2015
You said you have a small budget, but here's an alternate idea to spending that money: declutter. A lot of people have stuff and chotchkes they don't need, extra bits of furniture that doesn't serve much of a purpose but takes up space, purchases that seemed like a good idea at the time but ended up turning into clutter, clothes you don't wear any more or bought but never will wear, unused tubes of stuff in the bathroom that probably won't get used again, hobby stuff you've grown out of, and general stuff laying around that doesn't need to be due to disorganization.
Space is a great way to make your home look and feel comfortable. I'm not saying that's your problem and solution, but an idea that can help. You can sell or donate the stuff you part ways with.
posted by atinna at 8:58 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Space is a great way to make your home look and feel comfortable. I'm not saying that's your problem and solution, but an idea that can help. You can sell or donate the stuff you part ways with.
posted by atinna at 8:58 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I loved the idea up thread to write down everything that annoys you figure out fixing up a bit at a time. I think like your pantry allowing yourself to spend on things that fix problems with the space will go a long way.
The things we've done or friends have done to make apartments nicer without painting (none of us are allowed by landlords)
- nice curtains - if you can put up a rod, you can leave the apartment blinds underneath, and they can provide a lot of color/ texture without painting
- nice bedding, rugs
- improving lighting, as noted good lamps are nicer that overheads most of the time
- plants if compatible with your cats
- nicely framed, arranged art on the walls
posted by oneear at 9:01 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
The things we've done or friends have done to make apartments nicer without painting (none of us are allowed by landlords)
- nice curtains - if you can put up a rod, you can leave the apartment blinds underneath, and they can provide a lot of color/ texture without painting
- nice bedding, rugs
- improving lighting, as noted good lamps are nicer that overheads most of the time
- plants if compatible with your cats
- nicely framed, arranged art on the walls
posted by oneear at 9:01 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't know if this applies to you, but I'm thinking of asking my mgmt company if I can add an icemaker to the refrigerator in my apartment at my own expense.
posted by bendy at 9:02 PM on September 27, 2015
posted by bendy at 9:02 PM on September 27, 2015
I live in a one-bedroom condo that I thought would be temporary as well. Since I wanted to be able to host guests from out of town, and possibly out of country, I kept my eyes open until I found a double-sized loft bed. I wanted to add my own picture, but since it looks like you need to use links instead of photos, I searched an interesting website that gives ideas on how you can incorporate one into your space. For myself, I only have the bedroom to work with, and my queen-sized bed fits great underneath the loft. I've thought about getting rid of my queen and just using the loft for myself - to have more office space, but I have a large bedroom, and I find that the loft actually seems to define a separate "room" for my bed, and the rest of the room is my office. DON'T fall into the murphy bed trap. You still have to move everything out of the way for the bed to be of use. With a loft, you can leave everything in place.
posted by itsflyable at 9:39 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by itsflyable at 9:39 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Start saving money every month in a house fund. who knows when or how you'll use it, but it will help with that feeling of Renting sucks because of not building equity.
posted by theora55 at 7:00 AM on September 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 7:00 AM on September 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
- If you're planning on staying long term, I would paint anyway. It can make an enormous difference. Once you move out, you may lose your deposit but it's worth it to love your apartment. Or you can paint it back.
- Change door handles/fixtures on cabinets.
- Slowly replace all your furniture with secondhand pieces. It made a huge difference to how I felt about my home.
- Put up pictures.
posted by shesbenevolent at 11:23 AM on September 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
- Change door handles/fixtures on cabinets.
- Slowly replace all your furniture with secondhand pieces. It made a huge difference to how I felt about my home.
- Put up pictures.
posted by shesbenevolent at 11:23 AM on September 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Wish I had repaired or replaced the doorknobs in our old SF apartment. None of them worked, so you would have to use a latch in the bathroom to keep the door closed, and our bedroom door never fully closed, etc. It's a small thing that impacts you 100 times a day.
posted by equipoise at 10:12 PM on September 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by equipoise at 10:12 PM on September 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
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Can you paint? Paint, to me, is the best way to make a space mine. I love lots of color that's all very "me." I also hang up a ton of pictures, because I like a cluttered, busy-looking wall, but that may not be your style.
Also, scent can play a huge part in your home. If you have scents you love, get candles or infusers or whatever that smells like that and use them. Coming home to a place that smells like your home is a wonderful thing.
posted by xingcat at 3:31 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]