apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Hello! Finally dipping into the 60s at night really gives me the energy I need to work on my home projects. Now AT will help with the motivation!

I look forward to a great 8 weeks with you all.

I started following AT mid Spring Cure and resolved to do the Fall Cure, thinking it would start at the very beginning of October. Alas! Now my two week trip to visit my sister in Europe at the end of Nov and beginning of Dec is going to throw everything off! So I'll be finishing behind everyone. Oh well, half my friends won't be back from extended trips for the End of Cure Party until after New Years, anyway.

Happy Curing, everyone!

Hi there!
I'm soooo ready to start. Got my really messy before pictures up at http://www.flickr.com/photos/autzve/sets/72157622566410272/
Is there going to be a group pool to work with?

Hello!

I'm excited about this cure. I'm looking forward to blessing my home and creating a space that nutures me. Fall is my favorite time of the year. It's a nostalgic time for me. It reminds me of hayrides, apple cider, and fresh cinnamon donuts from the fair I grew up with in Mass. I'm looking to recapiture some of that feeling here in Florida.

Love the "before" pics...inspired to put some up myself.

I love AT-don't even have an apartment...or live up North...still love the important work they do and the design..Thank you!

I started my cure this past summer...Little by little, you can see more on my blog:
http://cieladesign.blogspot.com/

Next up...the study. Wallpaper or paint?

Hi all. This is my first time and my apartment is in desperate need of a CURE. If I can find the adapter for my digital camera then I will post pictures. I guess that will be part of the cure. I've gotta' get the book tomorrow too! I'm excited, motivated and inspired to make a change!

I'll be here. The master bedroom is in a desperate state. I'll post pictures soon.

My design inspiration: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11155129@N02/galleries/72157622581229738/

Hi Everyone. I am in DC and am very excited about doing this Cure. I have tried to do it two other times (with only partial success), but completely on my own, so I am thinking that the third time with more support will be a charm. My main issues are organizational etc. and I basically want to create a more cozy, inviting and elegant home. I am looking forward to seeing everyone's progress!

Hi again. I envision a comfortable home where guests feel welcome and part of the family. I will have to find some pix for inspiration. I wonder if this is specific enough. Any thoughts from others?

I am reading Maxwell's book for the first time and it's SO telling that I can't believe I've never heard of it before. It will be an 8-week journey for sure.

hi all,

i'm excited to do the cure this time around. i've always been a lurker in the corners -- i've read the book, looked at other people's pictures, but have never had the chance to jump in myself. here i come...

i'd like to do the overall cure -- pull my home together, add a little more personality, and part with the items that just don't go. i'll post some pictures soon.

I'm excited. Want to do the whole house... but we're lacking funds and we rarely agree on what to do (I'm warm, my husband is uber cool), so I'll just start with our living room. One reason we are lacking funds is because we ordered a sectional for the room two weeks ago (before I knew about the 8 week Cure!). I hope we didn't just buy the "wrong" thing, but I'm happy to have already committed to a foundation, and I look forward to building around that during this 8 weeks. If we can't execute everything at least we can plan it. Pictures of "the sad state of before" coming soon.

Hi Everyone. I am doing the deep cleaning/organizational part of the Cure. I have set up a flickr page to show my progress.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30027351@N03/?donelayout=1


Thanks and good luck to everyone!

Hello,

Back again to show the blah "before". I'm looking forwarded to amping "the feeling". I cannot wait to call it cozy. I love all of your inspirations. The everyday hurry of my life has lead me to be "blah" and I'm going allow the creativity to flow this time and let it feel good.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fernandezclan/sets/72157622466798419/

good luck to all you too

Sooo not motivated to clean. I'd rather tackle it room by room, so my goal this week is to make my list of repairs.

New sofa is arriving on Saturday (so excited!) and I'm adopting an unloved plant from work.
Have a feeling that this weekend will be productive : )

I went a little overboard with pictures and comments on them: http://www.flickr.com/photos/3piph/sets/72157622574527318/

Please take a look and give me feedback. I'm so overwhelmed by everything I want to do!

I'm not exactly sure what I want to do either. I just moved into this apartment this summer, so I still have a few boxes I need to tackle. And I know I need some stuff on the walls.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32592990@N02/sets/72157622604501002/

I have started my repair worksheet. I feared there would be 40 or maybe even 80 things on it, but I think there will be more like 20. None of them are easy, though, or I would have already fixed them.

I have removed my item (actually a pile books and household stuff I'd already set aside but not yet gotten rid of).

I've finished my vacuuming and bought a new mop.

I still want to take "before" pictures, re-pot a plant (instead of bringing in flowers), sit 10 minutes in an unfamiliar part of my house (I finally thought of a part of my house I haven't been in for a while--I really do use most of my house), and try making my own powder laundry detergent. And figure out something I could fix.

How are y'all doing with week one?

Here is before! Yikes!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/93575111@N00/sets/72157622607638388/

Last year I didn't make it through (travel, knowing I was moving in the spring) - hopefully this year will be better! I still have several weekends booked, but I plan to be in this apartment for at least another year and a half, so time to fix!!

Hi Everyone-

I just finished my week one's tasks a little bit ago. I am feeling great about the changes I am seeing. It was really amazing to me how long it took me to clean all of my floors, because I had to move so many things out of the way to actually get to the floor. Then afterwards, I didn't want to just replace my piles of junk over my newly cleaned floor, so I did a lot of purging. Yeah!!! Anyway, it basically took forever, and made me realize that I must have a ton of trapped chi or energy or feng shui in my apartment with so much stuff (especially little piles of paper) being stored on the floor. This was a really helpful exercise to help me start to let go of some of the clutter.

I also got rid of a coffee table that has felt very dark and heavy next to the rest of my furniture, and that feels great.
Here's to a great Week #2!!!

Good luck everyone!!!

Okay- finally got my before pictures up. I'd be grateful for any and all suggestions and comments :-)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11155129@N02/sets/72157622503139151/
oops- sorry I forgot the link

Hiya! Any other Oklahomans out there?

Getting over the flu, so a bit late on the inspiration board post... anyhow here it is. Comments welcome, of course.

I've loved looking at your inspiration pics! Excited to get started!! Before pics coming soon...

Hi Everyone-

I just barely finished my week 2 tasks before going to bed last night. The kitchen looks great and I am actually enjoying cramming my outbox full of stuff. I am loving the flowers in my apartment also.

I'll post pictures soon of my progress.

Pictures of bedroom progress...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11155129@N02/sets/72157622564673187/
Comments, ideas and suggestions welcomed and needed.

How are things going for you all out there? I am feeling great about my progress but am a little scared about the next few weeks. My bedroom (though not happening for a few more weeks) is a huge organizational nightmare and it almost seems impossible to do it all in one week. Curing a few rooms also makes me so much more aware of all of the junk that I hold on to in other spaces. My landing strip is much improved. I bought some coat hooks and deep cleaned everything. It already feels so much better to walk into my apartment. I will update with pictures ASAP.

Entering week 4 with a real sense of accomplishment! A free weekend allowed me ample time to tackle the bedroom. It was a swamp. But I kept at it, and actually enjoyed the uninterrupted time to sort through each pile and each problem spot, pulling out more stuff and sending it to the outbox. The last hurdle in the bedroom is that it's currently storing tow boxes of framed photos. We have way less wall space in this apartment than in our last, so we've got to get rid of some. That needs to be a more focused project, and I didn't want to get distracted from completing the bedroom cleaning, so it's on hold for another day. Otherwise, the bedroom looks great, and before bed last night, my husband thanked me, and said the whole house feels so much calmer these days. :-) Music to my ears!

Bedroom before and after pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43707206@N05/sets/72157622720906812/

My bedroom is what I really need to work on and since we aren't "there" yet in the cure I tell myself I can let it go for now and it just keeps getting worse! So I think I'll have to to a little work there this week/weekend just to keep my sanity.

Finally pulling moving boxes out of the garage and getting them put away where they belong. Got to actually enjoy the living room a couple of days ago with a cup of chai and book. Heaven!

Hello-

I am officially done with the Cure! I have posted photos of my progress here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30027351@N03/?donelayout=1

I think I could safely say that I got rid of about half of all of my belongings. I had a great party here on Friday. I made most of the food well in advance, following recipes from the book "Food For Friends" by Fran Warde. It has a work plan for each menu which shows you all of the recipes that can be made the night before, or the morning of or even a couple of days in advance. I am typically a very last minute person, and it was amazing to me how much easier and enjoyable it was to not rush through the preparation.

This Cure has been a lot harder than I imagined it would be, and I am still feeling like I would like to go back and get rid of more things. I have learned a lot about myself and my habits, and especially how I get weighted down by all kinds of possessions which don't really serve any purpose for me anymore. For example, I had a bag full of cassettes, probably about 50, that I never listen to, from high school and college. It felt great to throw out the whole bag!

Anyway, I will definitely do this again in the Spring. Good luck to you all!