apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I'm glad this was posted - I just started to think about what I've completed in the cure a few hours ago. I will be going through my photos (and probably taking some more!) on Saturday and will post links then :)

ok, so what I have done thus far is: clean cabinets, paint dining room and bathroom (twice) and buy a new sofa. I also sold 2 sofas on craigslist and have more selling in the works starting with a yard sale as soon as the rain stops. I'm sorta jumping around the cure and doing some stuff in the wrong order. Now, I see why they are in the order they are (oops).
I am pretty worn out, but planning on getting a new dining room set, some throw pillows and working on some more painting and finishing up my bedroom this week-end. oh, gimme strength!



http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephcurrence/2459434474/in/set-72157603562258023/

My outbox total was 535 lbs.

307 lbs of that were donations of good, re-usable stuff. (And it doesn't include the dresser I left by the curb--which someone actually took!)

That sums up the Spring Cure 2008 for me!

I'm mostly done, but need plenty of strength for the home stretch!

What I've done so far: repainted the entire apartment, replaced all the doorknobs, replaced all switchplate covers, replaced my old toggle lighswitches with rocket switches, sold my old dining table and chairs, sold my old entertainment unit, bought new table and chairs, and bought a new entertainment unit. In the process, I completely cleaned out the stuff from the old entertainment unit (5 bags of garbage from it). I bought new planters and succulents for a windowsill and donated a LOT of stuff.

Now I'm onto clearing out my closet, returning unworn items, donating old items, filing old bills, organizing my bookcases, and clearing out old food from the pantry and freezer.

The biggest upcoming project is my terrace! I am transforming it from a dull space to a bright, colorful and cheerful terrace. I just took the "before" pictures and can't wait to send you the "after" pictures! I hope to be done with The Cure by next month...wish me luck!

I'm very happy with what we've done so far. There is more left to be done (as always), but so far, we:

1. Got a new bed (mattress and bed frame) which has greatly improved our sleep, and the feeling of our bedroom.
2. Put up curtains in the bedroom which completely changes the feel of the room.
3. Donated a TON of crap we didn't need.
4. Reorganized our entire bathroom top to bottom, making it a joy to open the medicine cabinet!
5. Painted our front hallway a beautiful green, and got a new mirror for above the landing strip (hanging it this weekend).
6. Got a filing cabinet and other storage furniture for the office / guest bedroom, so that we can FINALLY file our papers.
7. Probably going to paint the master bathroom this weekend! Other rooms will require hiring someone to paint as the ceilings are very high.

Pictures here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amandabutler/sets/72157604665462584/

Okay, our Cure got mightily derailed this week as we had to move our fridge AND completely empty the deep and dreaded coat closet for some needed electrical work. Nonetheless, we did enjoy some Spring Cure accomplishments:

1) With no small assistance from AT and its contributors, we have now ordered almost everything for our bathroom remodel. Yay! The bathroom should be completed by August.

2) I refurbished, rewired and installed two overhead lights. This is unfamiliar terrain for me, so I am proud.

3) We've donated many, many carloads worth of ex-belongings.

4) I now have a very well organized clothing closet which has me wearing things that I forgot I owned.

5) Lots of lovely bouquets and many other small improvements.

It's party time. We're having a few friends over for cocktails and apps tonight.

Pics are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98704941@N00/sets/72157601955717111

i want to know where those amazing curtains are from!

closertotheocean - if I remember correctly they are two Dwell Tablecloths from target!

wig3000 - great photos, great place. I like your taste in things.

Thanks, Pixie! Your timing is perfect.

I really have a lot of work to do, but it's no big deal. I have freecycled a lot and do have an outbox. I organized my files, cleaned out the fridge, bought some houseplants and planted seeds for my balcony garden, reorganized my bedroom, bought a lot of picture frames, installed a bulletin board, cleaned the bathroom thoroughly, framed and hung a poster, got rid of paper clutter, unsubed from most catalogues and newsletters, and organized my linen and broom closets.

Mostly I have done a lot of research on what things I'd like to have, and what I'd like to do. I do have a list for each room of things that need fixing and such. I plan to clean the kitchen tomorrow.

I've been held back by not having a lot of energy, physical or mental and just not being able to afford to do a whole lot with my space. It will get done eventually though.

I re did my sons room, I did a deep clean of my house, I put up all our new summer curtains- and bought new curtains for my bedroom. I finished the kitchen backsplash project, finished the bar/heat duct project, bought and installed a new kitchen cart, put up new shelves in the mudroom, and apparently made an outbox the size of some peoples apartments (if the comments on flickr are to be believed) .

This had been great- having this done really frees us up for the summer jobs we have lined up- like re doing our bathroom and working on the front yard landscape.

I did the final painting around the closet organizer hardware today. I still need to wash all the organizer stuff and then put it all back in once the paint has dried, later in the week. And then move everything back into the closet.

I'm amazed at the amount of stuff that people get done during these Cures compared to me. I guess I'm rather lazy.

But, after painting the closet, I'm planning other painting projects, such as the bathroom. Also, the coffee table, 3 nesting tables, and maybe a wooden chair (all of these dirt cheap from yard sales and thrift stores). I've been wanting to do the furniture for a while and haven't been able to figure out how to protect the newly painted items from the curious cat. After this closet project, I've figured out a way - take apart the bed and tip up the mattress, which I had to do for the hot water heater removal and installation by the plumbers. Not a big deal at all. Then, keep the bedroom door closed till the furniture dries. I'll try it out first on the coffee table and see how it goes. Now, what color...

in the last week and a half i sold knick-knacks and other random stuff from my outbox on ebay and amazon and earned about $250!!!!

still have a bunch of books and cds on amazon waiting for buyers.. if they sell, i'll get another $200 or so!

yippeee!

I need some strength, I was away again for a long weekend. I still have to tackle my bedroom, by next weekend I will hopefully finish everything and post some more photos.

One great thing about this cure is that I feel more disciplined to keep my apartment organized. I came home to a clean living room, un-packed right away and found some time tonight to cook a great meal of pasta with Shrimp an Broccoli. The cure is a way of living for me, and I plan to continue with the cure, doing maintained every Fall and Spring.

I really enjoyed this cure! I was able to set realistic goals (for once!) and get some much needed cleaning and organization done. I cleaned my entire apartment, including mopping the floors and washing down everything in the kitchen and bathroom. I made a promise to myself to try to keep my kitchen counters clear and have been working with my boyfriend to use and maintain our landing strip. I organized my coat closet and completely redid my linen closet. I re-organized all of my books. I lost a lot of steam when it came to the bedroom (due to a ton of other stress) and will have to pick up there at a later date. I plan on going through all of my clothing and closets in the bedroom sometime in June, after I have surgery. Another thing I'm proud of doing is planning for the next cure! I've decided to focus on my living room and really make it into a room I love. I might do it myself over the summer or wait until the actual cure in the fall. To kick things off for that I bought an amazing vintage Paul McCobb coffee table that I had been drooling over for months. Definitely a protein peice. I feel like its one of my first "adult" furniture choices :)

I tried to compile some "after" shots here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suziegoombs/sets/72157604401378795/

I always get so bummed out when the cure ends! I've had a really great time checking in on everyone's progress and reading posts. I will probably continue to post pictures to the cure flickr group :)

I just did my post cure wrap up (pictures and all) on my blog- the story of my stuff and was pleased to realized that I re did my house, cleaned it from top to bottom really and bought some new stuff- and I only spent 176.00.

I've posted some Before & After pics of my major Cure accomplishments. I still need to hang curtains and art in my bedroom, but I hope to be done this weekend. It was great to track everyone's Cure- I love seeing what other folks do with their spaces...

Everyone has done such a great job!

Well, I can't really consider myself done, but I've done so much in the last 8 weeks. Kitchen, front closet, landing strip and bathroom are done and fabulous. The living room is on its way to completion, but I still need to incorporate my office/craft space properly and I need to put up shelves before I can do that.

The bedroom still needs a ton of work which I will try to get done this week. I still haven't found a dresser! I have lots of art & photos to frame and hang - I am in love with Command Picture Hanging Strips!

Even if I don't complete every little task set for myself this week, I consider this Cure to be a success for me. I've lived in this apartment for 5 years, and I've never really gotten past a half-assed attempt at organization and decorating. Taking pictures and really looking at my place has gotten me over the hump of feeling overwhelmed and not knowing what to do.

OK, gotta go deal with the bedroom now! Photos soon, hopefully.

Three major accomplishments during this Cure:

1. Getting rid of stuff. Even though I don't think that we have tons of clutter, stuff does accumulate, so it's nice to go through our whole apartment once a year to edit.

2. Figured out the soft/hard balance. This made such a difference. I removed a rug from the dining area and a throw pillow from the couch. In addition, my big booksheves now only have hard items, which makes them look so much more streamlined.

3. Identified the finishes:
Metal: silver
Wood: dark
Accent color: Aquamarine
Character: Pieces from our travels
Now the room feels so much more unified.

Thanks, AT!

Today, my new fridge arrived and the old one was removed. Next week will be my marathon kitchen renovation which means I am not necessarily a cure drop-out, I just should have signed up for the kitchen cure instead! My biggest accomplishment within the regular Cure timetable is that I started using my kitchen and learning to cook.

Hooray! I finally got my pics loaded. Here is the finished guest room in all it's glory :-) Thanks to AT and everyone for all of your help and suggestions! We love it!

http://lilkidthings.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilkidthings/2471296359/in/set-72157603952996189/

I got so much done during the cure. My apartment went from being in shambles & tastelessly thrown together to MUCH less chaotic & a lot more pure. I'm not totally there yet, but I will be.

-completely re-did the bedroom including paint, new furniture, hanging shelves, nice sheets, a small rug, new window treatment, a cleaner desk & total atmosphere.
-hung shelves & improved storage all over
-gave away & am still planning on giving away bags & bags of belongings that i have been procrastinating about for so long
-put forth a lot of effort to buy the furniture i had been planning on, every week

i still have plans to execute, like painting and buying some more expensive pieces, but im at a really good starting point where i feel comfortable having people over.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/very_lame/sets/72157604087053481/

My bathroom remodel is in full swing this week. I've been staying with friends since Monday and tomorrow I leave town for a bit. I've been blogging the progress:
http://j-fer-rose.blogspot.com/