Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Small, Cool








I must say, I'm a sucker for small spaces. It hasn't always been that way. I used to think small = dorm room style, but I credit Apartment Therapy's annual Small, Cool Contest and their book Apartment Therapy Presents: Real Homes, Real People, Hundreds of Design Solutions (long title!) with convincing me that small can equal cool...real cool in fact. I can honestly say that I might not have moved into my current apartment if I hadn't been exposed to such awesome small spaces. I mean, really, my family members looked at me like I was crazy when they saw my empty apartment before I moved in. I had already signed the lease, so they tried to keep the negativity to a minimum, but I could tell they thought I was nuts, but I knew I could make it work. And make it work I did. I love my little box! : )

That said, living in a tiny room is not easy (especially if you're lazy like me). You really have to stay on top of what you're bringing into the space and where those things will live. I haven't been doing this lately and it shows. If you're wondering why there haven't been any photos lately that go beyond my window, it's because the rest of my apartment looks like a bomb exploded! I'm not even kidding.

Enter Apartment Therapy's latest offering Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces, which, as the name suggests, focuses on the small and cool. This book is exactly what I needed to remind me why I love tiny living so much. It's all about the coziness and the ingenuity required to make it work. I'm inspired to tackle the disaster area. Now, if only I could peel my bum off the couch...

3 comments:

modest-goddess said...

I love AT, mostly for their house tours and Small Cool contest. I live in the mid-west so I have the option of living in larger spaces but the trade off is usually a longer commute and less architectural character.

I made a big mistake the last time I relocated, I got greedy and rented a larger apartment than I needed. Now I have more rooms to clean, a higher utility bill, and I went on a spending spree to fill up the empty space.

My favorite apartment ever was a 430 sq ft 1 bedroom in a well managed older building. My furniture fit perfectly, low utility bills, easier to clean, wood floors, and centrally located in the city. I cried when I had to move for a job.

Secora said...

Good luck with the clean up and possible make over. Make sure you take lotsa pics for us to see. Again, good luck.

Donica Christina said...

I'm moving into my first apartment and not so big space in August and have wondered how to make it so it's not like the dorm I've been living in for 7 years! Thank you for sharing - I think I may pick it up!