Out with the Old, In with the New
Here are some pictures of our old apartment in California. Please, do not be scared at the level of disorganization/craziness/lack of design. I share my frank photos with you because we're down like that.
Living room. Here is what you see right when you entered our apartment:
Ugly, ugly coffee table and couches/chairs, which we gave away to my friend Jenn (heh). The credenza on the right is new, from West Elm. It was purchased during a moment of pregnancy induced hysteria, which I do not regret.
Here's a front-facing shot of the credenza and our giant bookcase, which I now HATE but which I convinced Kris to buy because I told him we'd "have it FOREVER" (um, oops). That statement was made during a moment of pregnancy induced hysteria, which I do in fact regret. Why did I want a bookcase with antiquey looking scroll things? Your guess is as good as mine.
Ditto on the antiquey, scrolly-looking file cabinet:
We got rid of our $100 IKEA table and four chairs (gotta love IKEA). Is it wrong to aspire to a level of design where pullup bars over your door frame are not the central focus of the room? They mock me.
If you were to rotate the above picture to see the left wall, this is what you would see:
Notice how Kris does work, while I document the fact that he does work, without actually doing work myself. You may also wonder why the stroller is in the middle of the room, and why there is a single pink Ugg boot on top of a box. We also ponder these things at length.
The kitchen. We have two rules about the kitchen. 1. We don't talk about how ugly the kitchen is. 2. We don't talk about how ugly the kitchen is.
The bathroom and my two $300 mahogany hampers. You guessed it. Also purchased during a WTF pregnancy moment.
Our bedroom is my favorite. It's where the magic happens.
I think it would be perfect with a platform bed. Kris drew the picture behind the bed (click to enlarge) of the two of us kissing, and gave it to me right before he proposed. Unfortunately, when his 96-year old grandma saw it, she didn't quite get what the picture was. She looked at it quizzically, then asked in Chinese: "Monkey?"
Here is the right-side bedroom wall:
I got the dresser from Crate and Barrel, and the crib for free! The picture of the owl and pussycat are from Etsy, and the branches are left over from our wedding. In lieu of a guest book, we asked folks to write messages on slips of paper and then hang the paper from the branches (this is something done in lots of Japanese shrines and temples).
Diaper area:
The wall shelves are from West Elm, and the changing pad is mounted on another Crate & Barrel dresser. The armoire on the right is also from West Elm, and the diaper trash can is from Simple Human (I LOVE Simple Human). I bought the little tree from a nursery boutique in Hayes Valley.
Ugly closet plus hot hubby and cute baby = not so bad photo, right?
Ah, so many memories of our cute little apartment. Now, it's onward with new design for our new place. I need to buy new couches/seating for the living area, and a new dining set. Those are the new priorities! So far I'm leaning toward the Bantam sofa from Design within Reach but CANNOT commit to a color. I'm also shopping "indestructible yet design-worthy" dining tables and chairs. Any suggestions?
Living room. Here is what you see right when you entered our apartment:
Ugly, ugly coffee table and couches/chairs, which we gave away to my friend Jenn (heh). The credenza on the right is new, from West Elm. It was purchased during a moment of pregnancy induced hysteria, which I do not regret.
Here's a front-facing shot of the credenza and our giant bookcase, which I now HATE but which I convinced Kris to buy because I told him we'd "have it FOREVER" (um, oops). That statement was made during a moment of pregnancy induced hysteria, which I do in fact regret. Why did I want a bookcase with antiquey looking scroll things? Your guess is as good as mine.
Ditto on the antiquey, scrolly-looking file cabinet:
We got rid of our $100 IKEA table and four chairs (gotta love IKEA). Is it wrong to aspire to a level of design where pullup bars over your door frame are not the central focus of the room? They mock me.
If you were to rotate the above picture to see the left wall, this is what you would see:
Notice how Kris does work, while I document the fact that he does work, without actually doing work myself. You may also wonder why the stroller is in the middle of the room, and why there is a single pink Ugg boot on top of a box. We also ponder these things at length.
The kitchen. We have two rules about the kitchen. 1. We don't talk about how ugly the kitchen is. 2. We don't talk about how ugly the kitchen is.
The bathroom and my two $300 mahogany hampers. You guessed it. Also purchased during a WTF pregnancy moment.
Our bedroom is my favorite. It's where the magic happens.
I think it would be perfect with a platform bed. Kris drew the picture behind the bed (click to enlarge) of the two of us kissing, and gave it to me right before he proposed. Unfortunately, when his 96-year old grandma saw it, she didn't quite get what the picture was. She looked at it quizzically, then asked in Chinese: "Monkey?"
Here is the right-side bedroom wall:
I got the dresser from Crate and Barrel, and the crib for free! The picture of the owl and pussycat are from Etsy, and the branches are left over from our wedding. In lieu of a guest book, we asked folks to write messages on slips of paper and then hang the paper from the branches (this is something done in lots of Japanese shrines and temples).
Diaper area:
The wall shelves are from West Elm, and the changing pad is mounted on another Crate & Barrel dresser. The armoire on the right is also from West Elm, and the diaper trash can is from Simple Human (I LOVE Simple Human). I bought the little tree from a nursery boutique in Hayes Valley.
Ugly closet plus hot hubby and cute baby = not so bad photo, right?
Ah, so many memories of our cute little apartment. Now, it's onward with new design for our new place. I need to buy new couches/seating for the living area, and a new dining set. Those are the new priorities! So far I'm leaning toward the Bantam sofa from Design within Reach but CANNOT commit to a color. I'm also shopping "indestructible yet design-worthy" dining tables and chairs. Any suggestions?
I miss your place (and you!)!
Colorwise, on the sofa, I like the idea of a dark khaki to go with your dark wood... but I'd go first and foremost with what won't show stains. But, more importantly -- is it comfortable?
ps, come back!
Posted by
Nicole |
June 16, 2009 at 4:18 PM