This week, we found out that Genie is moving to Boston this summer! She wants to minimize the amount of stuff she lugs across the country, so the move means no new furniture aside from the pieces she's already bought for her budget makeover. We'll have to do more with less. So far some decluttering, rearranging, and a couple new pieces have made a big difference. Click below for more pictures.
The new dinette set (shown in the top photo) goes really well in the alcove. We put the old chairs in basement storage, centered the desk, and decluttered the space.
Two bookshelves and the sofa used to be crammed along the west wall, which made this side of the apartment seem heavy and cluttered. We rearranged some furniture, leaving one bookshelf and opening up the exposed brick which faces the kitchen. Traffic flow now moves more easily through this area.
Before, the living room furniture was oriented to face the TV. By moving the sofa to the south wall and turning the swivel chair to face both the sofa and television, we created a conversation area. We went bold with accent colors in this room. We added the 2nd-hand orange lamp (which Nicole cleaned inside and out) and the brightly colored throw. We found the orange mats in another part of the apartment and used them on the coffee table to coordinate with the lamp.
We moved the second set of bookshelves into the room with the dinette set to provide storage for books and a few office supplies. We wanted to replace these shelves with a credenza that would hold some supplies behind closed doors, but the shelves will stay now until the summer.
Amount spent so far: $90
• Dinette Set, $45 at Jubilee Furniture
• Orange Lamp, $30 at Jubilee Furniture
• Desk Chair (not shown), $5 at Jubilee Furniture
• Vintage Throw, $10 at GoodWill
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Looks good!
view victorious1's profile
i just want to have breakfast there and read a good book...it makes my apartment look fat.
view Sonia's profile
I'm so glad to see the actual price tags at Jubilee. I've been meaning to go, but was wondering about the prices. Talk about affordable!
view selena's profile
Where'd all the books go? The new shelves are lovely, but I don't understand the aesthetic of empty or half-empty shelves. Minimalism is about not having anything unnecessary. Shelves that you don't actually use as shelves are just (dare I say it?) clutter.
view Lisa Hunter's profile
hi lisa, i'm the guy sitting in the big chair above. we threw all the books away because books are nothing but clutter!
just kidding, but i think you're confused. both book shelves are still there: the one with all the books is against the exposed brick wall and the IKEA shelf is on the wall near the dinning room and office.
genie, i don't care if you're moving, get some more stuff!
view steves's profile
The space looks so well-organized now! I've been thinking about setting up my front room the same way--couch sitting against one wall and the TV and a chair at either end of the couch for the same reasons.
I think I have that same book shelf from Target (the skinnier of the two). The aesthetics of the part where the top and bottom join drives me batty if I think about it too much (which I don't tend to do).
view OneWallKitchen's profile
Doesn't it figure that everything comes together in time to move? You've really made the place more aesthetically pleasing.
view Aldyth's profile
Yay for preparing for cross-country moving!
I'm looking at 1800miles from Des Moines, IA to Portland, OR!
Never even got settled into this place in Des Moines!
I just don't want to look at the cost of moving my stuff to PDX from DSM.
view bramasoleiowa's profile
Interesting, character space.
Can't wait to see the 'after' photos.
view paulmuscat's profile
All of your Jubilee stuff looks great, but that lamp is awesome. I know I've said this, but I should have bought it. I think I would also swap out the shade to a more funky one. Anyway, looks very cool in your place.
view studiosmith's profile