As most of you probably know, co-habitating often calls for compromise.  For months I’ve been living with a huge, mass-produced canvas decorating my living room, silently wondering why my style-savvy boyfriend would hang such a thing. Well, I finally brought it up, and I’ve completely changed my mind.  What caused my 180? 

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Name: Chika Eustace & Jared Randall + 8 month old Lisle Randall
Location: Ballard, Seattle, Washington
Size: 850 square feet (living) + 500 square feet (basement studio) 
Years lived in: 5 years; owned (co-owned)

On the left side of a cozy little duplex in Ballard (the tour of the other half is coming up next week), Chika Eustace and her husband Jared Randall live with their son Lisle in a colorful and creative space. The duplex (sweetly referred to as "The Dupe") is co-owned by Chika and Jared, along with Chika's business partner Jean and her fiance, Dylan. Chika and Jean own R&L Goods, a textiles and accessories company, and the two couples have found a serene and productive way to combine work and life.

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As I've been sorting through my storage bins and attempting to pack a box a day in anticipation of my move, I've been weeding out a lot of stuff — but what to do with all the things that no longer fit or suit me? Do I sell them to help fund my move, or donate them for the greater good?

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Last week I posted about a site which simulated the ambient sounds of working from a coffee shop. But maybe a coffee shop isn't your cup of beans? How about the relaxing lull of the San Diego shoreline, the spray of a park fountain, the pitter-pat of rain, or even the gleeful sounds of children playing?

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Moving can be an exciting time for new opportunities and a change of scenery. If you're thinking of relocating, it's important to consider not only the best cities to live in, but also the ones to (possibly?) avoid. According to Forbes, the following 20 cities are the most miserable in America. Would you - or do you - live in one of them? More

In the tv series The Big Bang Theory, physicist Dr. Sheldon Cooper is very precise about where he sits. When asked why he chose his particular spot on the couch, he explains:

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When it comes to making neighborly requests — be it for for noise, trash, aesthetics, smells — it really depends on what kind of person you're dealing with. Also, the kind of person you are. Are you a good neighbor? I have a tendency to be pretty forgiving when it comes to noises during the day. Living in an apartment building, it's common sense that as long as a neighbor is making noise during normal daily hours for something that isn't needless (construction, cleaning, music at a reasonable volume), live and let live. When it comes to nighttime noise, or harmful components such as smoking — that's when it makes sense to raise a complaint. More

Taking the time to choose the right roommate could be the difference between a friend for life that you looking forward to seeing at the end of the day (or someone that keeps their distance and causes no trouble), and horror stories you will tell at dinner parties for years to come.

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There's rarely anything about my life that's hip (as evidenced by my use of "hip"). But the rise in sibling roommate situations has The New York Times calling it a growing trend. My brother recently moved into my apartment, so looks like I'm not alone in bunking up with kin.

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I've always said that if I won the lottery I'd still want to live in a small space. Sure, I'd upgrade from my 500-square-foot apartment to a craftsman-style house with a porch and an eat-in kitchen (I mean, I'm not crazy), but the last thing I'd want is a Real Housewives-size mansion, or worse, a Downton Abbey.
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