apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I don’t see any difference!

I love the way you decluttered the bay window area. The space looks very inviting now. Good Job.

SO nice! great improvements.

Looks good. I've been rearranging my apartment slowly. My roommate is moving out, so now I have more space. It's interesting how different a space can look when you just get creative with your own things.

I can't get over that window area and the view out that window. It's so beautiful.

Good re-use of furniture; hate that squirrel on the wall, though.

That a big change for just rearranging some things - the DJ shelf is especially nice.

Also, love the squirrel! Not usually a big fan of taxidermy, but that is hilarious!

Glad to know I'm not the only one traveling sort of spur-of-the-moment!

I love the rearranged bay window, it's lovely.

haha that squirrel on the wall is creepy

I think I might be in the minority here, but I don't love the changes to the window. The view was beautiful and now it's all covered up and all I can see is that rug. Also, if I swapped homes with someone and found a stuffed squirrel climbing up their wall I would NOT Be happy.

I guess you just have to hope that the people coming aren't outdoorsy types. :)

I love the result but I am going to object to calling it 'redecorating'.

GREAT idea to remove some dividers and make the top shelf of the bookcase one line & nix the 3rd piece (dj table)... vast improvement there... I cant stand when people just have a line of like furniture against a wall like that...

so jealous of that bay window! very cute rearrange there as well

the squirrel cracks me up, but if I faced it when I was going to sleep I don't think it would be there very long!

Awesome. I was about to comment that both the "before" and "after" looked the same, but now I see the subtlety and brilliant reorganization. This is inspiring - I've been procrastinating rearranging my own small space because I envisioned a huge Craigslist searching/furniture buying experience. Now I feel like I can make things happen without that much hassle. Sometimes it's all about baby steps!

In the first window shot, I do like the contrast of the red chair against the leaves outside.

Elizabeth
http://emblemorstain.blogspot.com

I like it, but those sheers should definitely go - never block a nice view.

sometimes these things cant be captured well in pictures, but i recently deep cleaned my bedroom, moved a bookshelf and storage chest 90 degrees (they were in a corner, just moved them to the other wall in the same corner), and decluttered the bookshelf, and it was amazing the difference it gave the room. Rotated in some different bed linens and it felt like a whole new room.

It took me a second to catch onto the differences in the picture too, but after considering it the after looks much more polished to me. The curtains do block the view a bit but for a ground level unit most people would want a bit of privacy.

Looks nice, but I have to agree with midmodfan that the sheers need to go. The view is lovely and shouldn't be covered up.

Some good changes, but some don't make sense to me, such as blocking the windows with curtains; placing the chairs so you can't see out the windows when sitting in them (I'd have placed them facing each other), putting the speakers too high up in the room and not on either side of the TV (anyone who really cares about audio would run their TV's sound through their speakers and have the speakers placed at ear-level on either side of the TV); and getting rid of that cool DJ table.

lovely example of how a little thought can change the feel of a space. it certainly didn't look bad before, but looks much more pulled together now. love the new rug-- the graphic pattern defines the space much better. I actually like the sheers: they draw the eye up and make the space feel luxurious, (not to mention they add a bit of privacy, especially a plus when a stranger will be using the space and might be uncomfortable otherwise). they can be pulled aside to expose more of that lovely view, (I'm jealous), when desired.

oh, and the squirrel really freaks me out. I have an issue with squirrels.

of course there are curtains. there's a bed in that room! you can see the top of fence in the yard. this is ground level. the swappee might like a modicum of privacy while living there.

I like the top before pic better... I think you should put the orange chair back where it was and move the credenza over to the "reading nook" corner... otherwise, it still looks way too cluttered. Also, clear off the top of the expedit.

And get rid of the creepy squirrel! Taxidermy does not equal good design....

Nice work! Great consolidation on the bookshelf wall.

I'm so jealous of your nasturtiums!!!

Great Ikea modification.

You might like to ask the person you will be swapping with how they feel about taxidermy, and maybe put those guys in storage...

Maybe the curtains will be appreciated since you will be offering shelter from prying eyes and excessive sunbeams -- I think I'd be more concerned about privacy in a strange country than my own familiar turf.

I really like this post. This is exactly the kind of redecorating most of us can use. I love the use of the Expedit. I can't wait to see the rest.

{But I must say that squirrel scares the begeezus out of me. I agree with some of the other comments...maybe you should put him far far away for the sake of your guests.}

And friends, why are we acting like we have never seen curtains on windows before?

They can be pulled to the side to showcase the view, they are sheer so natural light still comes in, and they provide much needed privacy...

Torgny- those speakers are meant solely for the turntables and dj setup. Before hasty responses about "anyone who really cares about audio" maybe a read-up on kelley's interests would be beneficial to see that they are actually fulfilling a client's needs with smarter space solutions. Good job sticking to the program.

If i could stop some people and their worlds from revolving around the tv... Sigh.

Great bonus with the reading nook!

I love the sheers in the bay window - it was a nice view but they are nice for some privacy. No one spends their day staring out their windows anyways - I'm being honest here. And the set up there looks much more clean now - do miss the other rug though. Cool reading area though.

I hope some of the new changes were included in the kitchen and bathroom since they must be hiding somewhere. You really ought to take down the squirrel since it's very creepy and I doubt most will appreciate it...it's not like you can't put it back when you're back home.

While I like the idea of re-purposing what you have & de-cluttering, I'm not a fan of the bay windown makeover - it looks so symmetrical (static) and busy, and the orange Eames is a great color partner to the green lushness.

Blame the carpet, but even so the off-center element is important.

I find the orange chair DISTRACTING in front of the window. The new set-up is really nice......it draws your eye right to the windows when you walk in the room, making the room seem larger and airy.

Great job!

Nice job, and I love how you give the step-by-step!

One question: you said you moved all the books into the credenza... what was in there before, and where did it go?

I need someone to do this in my house!

damnitpc - I admit I made assumptions. While I noticed that the speakers were part of a DJ set up, I assumed the TV in the photos was not just for show. I also assumed that Kelley did not use the speakers solely while standing at her DJ shelf, perhaps also using them for background music. Oh, and I assumed that Kelley cares more about audio than your average person, given her DJ equipment and large record collection and given what I know about my friends who are also DJs.

If my assumptions were correct, then Kelley might appeciate the improved audio she would get while watching TV and listening to music if she places the speakers on either side of her TV at a sitting ear level rather than at a standing ear level (especially as her DJ station has headphones). In my view, that would be a "smarter" use of what Kelley has as it maximizes the usability and performance of not only her speakers, but also her music and her TV.

But I don't know Kelley. Perhaps I misunderstood her use of the items in the photos. You--obviously from your comments about how she uses her things--know her personally and I will bow to your superior knowledge.