apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

DC! Welcome to the first Cure of 2009. I'm siked to help you tackle your problems and see your progress!

Leah ATDC

This is my second cure. I did Spring last year for my bedroom. It was the best thing I ever did. I am doing our office this year, but may switch to my spare bedroom. THe office may not take eight weeks....but the spare may take longer...hmmm.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjburke/sets/72157615341275285/

Is it wrong that I want to clean up before I even take my before pictures??? My place is a total mess because I unexpectedly needed to take in a roommate for financial reasons and thus lost my guest room/office. I had to move the furniture from that room (i.e., an enormous sofa bed) into my living room, which doesn't look half bad, actually, but then I had to move the huge armchair that was in the living room into my bedroom along with a small secretary desk and some other random small furniture. So I have one seriously overstuffed room, full of things I can't/don't want to get rid of since one day I hope to be in a financial situation in which I don't need a roommate.

Until then, I'm going to try to do a sort of unusual "cure" that will focus on organizing desk/work stuff (work from home) without spending a lot of money since I hope the roommate situation won't last longer than a year or two. For the other rooms, I started a serious deep cleaning of the kitchen a few days ago, before I even decided to do the cure, and the Living Room is up next.

So is it appropriate to throw our "gift" items into the universe by posting them here in our little forum? Craig's List sometimes skeeves me out, but I can freecycle instead.

But if anyone wants a like-new Series 2 Tivo DVR (no service plan included), just let me know!

This will be my first OFFICIAL cure and I am very excited! I followed the Fall Cure and it inspired me to get started, but I still have some finishing up to do. Some things won't make it off the "wish list", like a new or new-to-me sofa, but hopefully there will be lots of good feed back from my fellow AT Curees!

Leah,

There is a lady at Eastern Market (on Sunday I believe) who makes these wonderful entry way things to mount on your wall. They have old DC photos, a little tray for mail or cell phone and a couple of small hooks for keys. They were so creative and would be great to cover during the Cure. Please check her out!! You might even see on of her pieces in my entryway!

jen64- you've made incredible progress in just a week! What color are you thinking for your hutch/bookshelf?


alliedeecee- taking "before" pictures before you tidy up will make you all the prouder at the end of the 8 weeks when it's time for the "after" photos. Go for it!

We too have a transitional temporary space that is about to change purposes once we take in a new long term house guest this summer. Until then we are trying, like you, to make the most of a semi-temporary space. Can't wait to track your progress. We'll compare notes as we go.

short giraffe- welcome! this is my first official time too, so we'll be in it together :) Thanks for the tip about Eastern Market. I'm always on the look out for interesting organizers and it's been way too long since I've visited Eastern Market.

allideecee. Freecycle, what a great idea. Also, please take "before" pictures...you'll be so proud in the end.

Leah, I'm planning on painting the doors and interior of the bookshelf white. It will tie in with the other white shelves in the office. I am planning on switching out the photo album binders too. Thinking about this:

http://www.seejanework.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=23&idproduct=3332

Kind of pricey at $17 each, but would look great lined up on any shelving.

shortgiraffe, I'm still waiting for a new headboard from my wishlist from last Spring's cure. My bed is sad without one!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjburke/2446628102/in/set-72157604069588155/

Hi everyone! I'm excited and scared to be joining in this spring. I'm really not sure where to start.

ScorpioJ - don't be scared! The worst thing that can happen is nothing :) Go around your place, and without touching a thing, take pics of areas you think need improvement. Once they're caught on film, you're on your way!

Ahh, the spring cure. This will be a good reason for me to finally do some of the things I haven't done yet because I'm being lazy... Hopefully this year I'll take more pictures as well.

OK OK, I'll take pictures tomorrow, I swear. I spent the day out in the boonies shopping for garden supplies because it was so springy out, and because I am considering my patio to be one of the "rooms" undergoing therapy. I've always used a gardener before, so this should be interesting.

Jen64 - Freecycle is great. When I lived in NY I left a set of dishes for someone to pick up with my doorman. When I got home that day, the person wrote me a long note thanking me for the dishes and had left a bunch of flowers for me with the doorman. =)

Your office looks great - I'm harboring some serious jealousy over your Dad's desk set! Maybe instead of buying a bunch of new photo albums, you could put them into uniform storage boxes, and then at least you've put the money into something you can always use (esp. if one day you decide to scan your photos). The Container Store has great nylon ones with a folding metal frame. I've got a similar color scheme to yours, and I'm considering buying these http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=/qid=/ref=br_1_3/180-9734337-4499318?ie=UTF8&node=14183021&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=14183021&rank=price&asin=B001AX0QA0&rh=&page=4 from Target, but I'm not sure they'd be big enough for your purposes.

Now if I could just get my butt downstairs to take out all the garden stuff I'd be in good shape. I've been trying to convince myself that my car (prius) is basically a greenhouse and that they're fine in there, but that's a pretty lame rationalization!

alliedeecee-The storage box is a great idea...it takes me such a long time to commit to a choice. Unfortunately I don't think I will be able to scan. These albums are from the 1980-1990's, I tried to pry some out but they are stuck to the adhesive under the plastic film.

I do like your storage choice, but it is too small for me. I could go the cheaper route and buy bookbinding tape and just cover the outer facing spines.

I went to some local garden centers this week too. I've got a deck and yard that are screaming for some ornamental grasses. Nothing in stock yet. boo. Is this a sad deck or what?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjburke/3083304662/in/set-72157610374650689/

I want it to look like this:
http://www.dominomag.com/galleries/2008/06/carina_schott_06

or anything from the www.justterraces.com residential website!

I'd like to add the deck as part of the Spring cure too. I got a giant planter on the side, and the perimeter of the deck needs attention too.

this is the rest of the yard:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjburke/2328113592/

Can't wait for Spring!! I am going to start priming the bookcase on Friday. I wonder if there is any low VOC primer out there? I use Benjamin Moore Aura paint, nice coverage, low fumes.

My whole comment just disappeared =( Basically just said your backyard is gorgeous Jen, and that the ornamental grasses usually aren't available for another month or so. Also, there was some apologizing for my complete slobbiness in my "before" photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36536513@N03/sets/72157615654603484/

allie- your space looks great...I think maybe you just need to declutter? Love your Angela Adams fabric on the chair...I have the rug. You're so lucky to have that great outdoor space!

Went to Home Dpepot and got Fresh Aire low VOC paint for my bookcase. They had primer too. I did get some good news...My husband ok'd a new carpet in the office. It was bad luck my dog got locked on one evening...he took it out on the rug...and now we have to replace. Thinking about FLOR tile which we use as area rugs...but it can get pricey. But if you do have an accident, you can just pull it up and put it in the sink! I'll have to check their clearance.

Hi DC!

Good luck on the Spring Cure and keep one another going.

It's great to finally have a place for local voices. Please let us know how it works for you.

jen64- i am in awe of your outdoor space. i live in an apartment so i have but a 5' x 10' space. yours is so breathtaking. i hope that you'll be able to make your patio what you want it to be!

alliedeecee- i love all the mod graphics that you've used in your apartment! especially your dining room chairs! & i too wanted to clean up before taking the first photos of my apartment. i'm still too scared to post them on here, at least you had the guts to do it!!

I have given up (for the time being) on finding a narrow table to fit into my narrow hall/entryway. But I finally found something I like to help organize the space.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31167549@N04/?saved=1

Maybe I'll be inspire to build something myself?!? Ideas anyone? I'm limited to something about 11-12" deep and about 24" long.

UnseenEclipse - Apparently I'm ready for the whole world to see what a slob I've become. I swear to you, I used to be sooo neat. And I managed to spend the entire weekend doing almost nothing cure-wise, although I do have two big garbage bags filled with I don't really know what. I think I need to post pictures of my kitchen just to prove I have the ability to clean!

Jen got me with the Angela Adams fabric - probably one of my favorite things in my apt., and at the time I got it, it wasn't even expensive. I saw matching AA pillows at Neiman Marcus (don't ask, not a store I shop at *ever* but I was kidnapped) and each pillow was $98. Sheesh. I'm also thinking about getting the Flor tiles Jen, as a border around my bed, but can't decide if it would look weird or not. Don't want to fill it in all the way because I have terrible allergies and it would be impossible to vacuum under the bed, so I need it to remain swifferable.

Short Giraffe - Maybe get two of these: http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=114&f=4222&q=urban&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1 and stack them? They're a bit pricey, but at least if you move at some point or get sick of them you could just use them as side tables again. Otherwise I'd just look for some cool shelves.

Hi everyone! I'm ridiculously excited (and nervous!) to actually commit to doing this. Is anyone else working with a studio apartment space? I'm currently in shock over how much "stuff" I have... (stuff: (noun) general description for objects that have no actual purpose in life and cannot be identified as to their value or origin).

Oh also, is anyone cleaning/decluttering/designing that also has a small child in their life? I have a baby sister who draws pictures, makes cards, gives me knick knacks and pays attention to where they are when she visits. Telling her that her drawings are not part of my vision for my apartment is not an option. I was thinking of maybe creating a shadow box that would kinda be hers with her latest school picture, drawing, homemade xmas ornament, etc that I could update everytime I get something new?

Luuci--welcome! The shadow box idea is great. We have 2 young artists whoa re always creating something new, so we attached a string horizontally to the wall and clipped on 5 clothes pins as a place where they can hang their art. They have to take something down before hanging something new up. It's similar to the top right pic in this post http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/organizing/10-uses-for-clothespins-070939

jen64- If removing the pics from the sleeves will ruin them, what about covering the photo binders in fabric? Not necessarily all the same fabric, but maybe in a similar color scheme.

This is my first cure - mostly, I need to deep clean, dejunk, and get some motivation to finish my place. I'm pretty good about keeping it in shape, but I need a little spring push. So far, just knowing that I need to do this is helping.

First cure. Working on my studio apartment. Unemployed so I have the time but not the money. But I am here all day looking for work so it is driving me crazy. De-cluttering is the rule. I just have to figure out uploading pictures.

I started one week late and I am working this weekend. Debating whether to try to catch up and combine week 1 and 2 .... Also afraid to take before pictures before cleaning up.
I know I will be prouder in the end, but I am embarassed. My sister who lives close to me is also doing the cure, and she is super stressed we took the quizzes and discussed our homes and now she feels just like Maxwell warned, overwhelmed and saying she hates her home. Okay here we go.

Welcome to all new curees! Please join us by filling out the submission from here, http://cure.apartmenttherapy.com/2009/spring/main/signup, and uploading pics here http://cure.apartmenttherapy.com/2009/spring/main/form

Good luck!
Leah

I am redoing with apartment with my sister and it's very helpful to have someone to find THE CURE with -- makes it much more manageable.

I am one week behind, but I am getting a lot of great ideas from things I chose for my style tray. She suggested I store my outbox on my balcony. I am concerned about what to do with small items I no longer want.

Should I throw them away, or snap photos and try to sell on craigslist? I do want to recycle small household items (mugs, cooking utensils, etc), but I don't want to go through the trouble of posting.

If anyone in the DC area knows an organization I can donate these items to, please let me know!

First cure for me. My apartment doesn't need a deep cleaning, but I'm using the motivation to spring clean and to redo my dining area and master bedroom. Comparing the before and after is fun!

Mila_ru,

I would really hesitate to sell them on CL. In my experience, people are such flakes, especially on smaller items. They say they will show up, but don't or don't bring the money they say they will.

I would suggest a couple of things: 1) use Freecycle. It's amazing what people will use and they're very eager to pick it up. 2) donate to a thrift store you shop at or are familiar with. A lot of them help really good causes. 3) Maybe a women's or homeless shelter?

Malena- Don't worry about starting late...better late than never. As I've said before, please take "before" pictures". We all have "befores" so don't feel bad.

I am taking a break right now...just finished priming my bookcase. The office that I organized at the beginning of this cure, now has the contents of the bookcase strewn on the floor now! I'll post pictures in a bit. I think I'll let the shelf dry for a day or two. I had to put multiple coats to cover the 1970 paneling.

Side note...our pipe burst in our hallway bathroom which the kids use. Now we have a unscheduled reno to start as well. Waiting for quotes for electricians and plumbers now. Luckily, Restoration Hardware had a sale on bathroom washstands. 60% off!

Leah- oops forgot to reply. I was thinking about covering the albums in fabric...let's see if I have enough time after I'm done painting.

Good thing is that I can shop for two knobs from Anthropologie for the bottom doors and not break the bank there!

ugh. I'm tired.

Here are some updated pics of the primed bookcase!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjburke/3393933784/

I'm not quite in DC, but down in Richmond, and I'm having some trouble. I've been able to keep up with the assignments, but when I'm going through things & putting items in my outbox, I seem to be hanging onto everything. I live in a pretty good sized apartment, but my closets are packed to the top of stuff that I barely use. Is there any good way to look at all this stuff & say that since I'm not using it, that I don't need it? I know that right there should be enough, but I guess it's not. Anyone have words of wisdom for me?

unseeneclipse -

This worked for me...if you haven't used it or worn it in 1 yr, let it go! The only exceptions should be formal wear that still fits AND is still in style, some kitchen items (like serving dishes that you use once a year when family comes etc). You won't miss it, I promise :) You'll have more room to actually see, use and appreciate the things that you really need and like. I sold a bunch of stuff on craigslist, priced to move, not priced by sentiment. Once you get all that cash in your pocket and know you can put it towards your cure improvements, you'll feel great! If you can't bear to deal with craigslist, then take it to goodwill or the salvation army and know that it will be put to good use in someone elses home.

You can do it!!!

short giraffe,
Thank you SO much! I'm starting some serious purging today. I'll just slowly but surely make my way through the apartment and get rid of the stuff that's shoved in closets that never gets used. But, thank you again for having faith in me!

unseeneclipse- we're so happy you're joining us, and beginning to pare down your possessions. Once you let go, it's extremely freeing, not to mention rewarding to have extra space where you thought there was none.

I've followed the same basic rules of short giraffe, and they've been a huge help!

Remember that the outbox is not necessarily a donation box/trashcan so be ruthless in putting items in, as you can always take them back out after a week if you start to really miss them. When I'm deciding what to put in the outbox, I put anything that I have even the SLIGHTEST hesitation in keeping (and generally I'm an overthinker, not a quick decision-maker).

Sentimental things are the hardest for me to purge. My mother in law suggested keeping only one letter/card from the people who are important in your life and any that you go back and read regularly (honestly not very many), then say good bye to ALL of the rest!

jen64- Yikes about the pipes! how's the reno coming along? When we moved in about 7 months ago, we were working on the kitchen and bath and things like painting the rest of the house when a similar thing happened. Long story short, we ended up replacing ALL of the pipes in the house, then realized that we had to tear open the walls again and replace all of the drains...not fun.

I'm totally impressed that you haven't let that get in the way of your office redo. The hutch is looking great!

Leah

Unseeneclipse, you were right. CL did not work, it seems people cannot keep up with the number of posts for furniture. Also, people responded to my ad and when they emailed me back, they couldnt even remember the post or the item I was selling.

I finally made an appointment for someone through CL to look at my items, and they did not even show up.

I ended up donating a couch and loveseat to a man who really appreciated them and thought they were lovely. Giving them away made me feel good, because I know what I was donating was not junk and that it was going to a good home. The couches were posted both on CL and Freecycle and I preferred the responses I got from Freecycle. It is easier to coordinate visits, pick ups etc because the Freecycle group is made up of people from my neighborhood only.

Also, I dropped off a large music box to Goodwill. I kept it for so long b.c I thought I would feel guilty by tossing it, but after being without it, I realized that holding onto it was such a bigger burden.

I still have a few items in my outbox, a few wall mountable shelves from Ikea plus my books and CDs which I hope to get to this weekend -- will either be sold for very little on CL or posted on Freecycle.

I figured my strategy will be to sell them for a nominal cost on CL and anything that is not sold, will be given away through Freecycle after 5 days.

I still have much to do -- such as my books and media.
It will be time consuming but hopefully that will buy me time to brainstorm on how to complete my living room.

I am still behind and got a little discouraged. Took before pictures and somehow lost them in the upload. However here's my progress, I emptied my outbox last week by dropping off everything at Goodwill. I have filled two boxes of books which are being picked up by someone I found on Craigslist who runs a loaning library in two bank lobbies in Maryland. My landing strip is better, but not finished. I decluttered the cabinet under the sink, which now has space for my tubtrug which I am using as a recycling bin. I have ntoiced that I am recycling much more. CD's next and coat closet.... I am behind on my style tray and feeling very anxious about the retail therapy.

I have to admit falling off the wagon myself, but now the luscious spring weather has made me want to throw open the windows and enjoy a fresh, clutter-free home, so I'm back to work! What about you all, are you still on board?

Malena- it's easy to get discouraged, but it sounds like you're making great progress. Emptying the outbox is one of the hardest parts for me, and you've done it!

Don't stress about the retail therapy, think of it as a treat. But before you think of it at all, spend some time on the style tray. It's the best way to get a clear vision of your tastes. I always thought I loved deep, warm, rich colors on my walls until I began keeping an inspiration file of magazine clippings. I realized that 99% of them were rooms with cool colored walls. I also began to see my "style" take place before my eyes as I noticed that nearly all the rooms I clipped pictured of had rustic, natural elements to them.

Once you've discerned your basic style preferences the retail therapy part will come rather naturally, and it will be fun!

mila_ru- sorry to hear about your negative CL experiences, but great that you found a good home for your furniture. Sounds like you're making incredible progress all around.

Hello! So I'm behind and finding it very hard to keep up. Like I had the kitchen going great, but I kinda have to keep it up (duh) which gets hard as I'm trying to do everything else! Oh well, it's getting there! I'm excited though :)

I have a question: Who does one call to remove doors/closet doors? I live in a teen-inesy studio and I realized if I could take down a few doors (my entrance is a tiny little hallway with the front door, bathroom door, 2 accordian closet doors and another closet door) it would open up the space so much. But um, how do I go about making it happen?

Hi everyone. I am working on my second outbox, now looking at clothes and other items that are around the house. I bought two "proteins" from R&B a nice dining room table and a dresser. I am still behind but committed to finish. I must say the kitchen week was the easiest for me and thinning out my books. I am having trouble tackling the bathroom. I also decided to re-do my landing strip which looks good now, but since my proteins took my budget, I am thinking of using my landing table as computer desk and using an gifted wood bookcase in the landing strip. I would like to paint it but am having trouble visualizing the colors. Leah, thanks, the style tray helps. I thought I wanted to do white, black, grey with red accents but all my pictures are cooler, yellows, greys and browns. A little stuck thinking about all the red items I had accumulated. Also, I have an open floor plan, kitchen, LR, DR, so does that mean the same color scheme (cool vs. warm) should apply to the entire open area?
Good luck everyone!

Man, I finally tackled some of the work I needed to do in my bedroom. It's so much better now. I had been dreading and putting it off for weeks since it involved massive amounts of cleaning and decluttering, vacuuming (i hate my vacuum cleaner... it'll random shut off half way through a room and won't turn on again for 15-20 minutes...) and then moving a bunch of stuff around. Took a few hours last evening, but it was very much so worth it. (Pics soon hopefully)

Now if I can just finish up my kitchen, put away my dvds, and get unlazy enough to rearrange my living room...

Hello everyone. This post is slightly different from other Cure-themed postings...but my husband and I were mid-Cure in Richmond (VA) when we made the decision to relocate to DC this summer (I'm going to grad school in the fall).

Since part of having a great space involves picking the right apartment and community in the first place, are there any suggestions out there for budget-friendly DC neighborhoods for a young couple and our little dog? English basements seem to be more cost-effective, but they also seem like they could be dark and dreary, and not particularly safe. I'll be going to GW in the evenings, and my husband will be working from home, so commute time is less of a concern, but we need enough workspace for both of us.

Thank you for any input you can offer - and good luck with your Cures!

alyssa a,

Depends what your "budget" is and how many rooms you need. I live on Capitol Hill and find it has a nice community feel, is quiet and metro accessible. My recommendation is to drive or metro to your neighborhood of interest, then WALK around. There are A LOT of English basements or small apartment complexes (mine only has 12 units) that don't necessarily advertise in the papers. There are even quite a few duplex type buildings on the Hill. If you really need to use a paper, I recommend the Washington City Paper (www.washingtoncitypaper.com).

Good Luck and Welcome to DC!

short giraffe

Thanks, short giraffe! So far we have been checking craigslist a lot, but it's very helpful knowing that many good listings may not be advertised online or in the paper...it sounds like walking around and looking for less-advertised places may yield better results. Also, we've noticed an alarming number of fraudulent apartment listings on craigslist - what a shame.

I love the Capitol Hill and Eastern Market areas, and it doesn't sound like you are advising against English basements...so perhaps that is a reasonable option. I realize "budget" is subjective, but coming from Richmond to DC, we realize it will be an adjustment, so we're trying to be conservative without setting ourselves up for misery! Thanks again for your insight!