apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

GREAT job! The room looks warm and inviting.

Having a staging area is absolutely critical in doing a major revamp of your lifestyle; a little temporary mess in one corner of the hall is a small price to pay for the progress you've made. One of our toughest challenges in moving from a 2-BR apartment with garage to a studio w/o garage was that we could not move everything at once if we wanted to be able to turn around in the new apartment. We had to move six boxes at a time, unpack those, then go back for the next six boxes. If you don't have that kind of flexibility in your schedule, a move-down is like one of those puzzles where you have one empty space to move all the little pieces as you shift them into the right order.

most of the time I felt like I was going through a bad breakup

That is exactly what you were going through so that's all right. You were breaking up with stuff. Books you probably won't read are not doing their part to maintain the relationship anyway.

It looks amazing. Good job and keep up the hard work!

rebecca,

i'm so proud of you, the change is amazing and surprising.

ah, the joys of the outbox...

I gave away some 200 books during the 2006 AT Spring Cure, and I've never once missed them. I was at my local library this weekend and saw some of the books I donated on the Buy a Book cart and was filled with warm fuzzy feelings (and better yet, absolutely NO desire to repurchase them). The money raised goes to fund library programs and I gained valuable shelf space so everyone wins. I've actually be eyeing my shelves recently thinking it might be time for another purge.

On the other side of the equation, I was lucky enough to find a free 9 drawer dresser on CL that makes the perfect buffet to store my linens and to help me separate my living room from my library area. At the time, I couldn't afford to purchase a similar sized item, so this was like a gift from the gods.

yay outbox!

Rebecca, I feel your struggle. I moved to NYC from the midwest many years ago. The things from my old 1600 sq. ft. place certainly didn't fit into my new 390 sq. ft. apartment. After many (too many) years, I finally accepted that I needed to let go. I gave a bunch of my old stuff to a cousin in college. He got a lot more use out of it than my storage space did. And it saved him a bunch of money. Plus, he ended up with a much nicer living environment, which made him feel like he had a home of his own. He said his room became his dorm's regular hang out, mainly because he was the only one with furniture (and rugs for warmth). He made a lot of great friends in his dorm that way.

What progress! You must feel so satisfied - your room looks yummy.

I think the colors you have in there right now are just fine.

Great job! A calm bedroom is essential to one's sanity... I like the "outbox" idea. I realize that although I didn't call it that I guess I have been using the technique myself for a couple of years! I stage the stuff that usually goes to someplace starting with "G": the Garage, Grandma's house, the Goodwill, the little Girl next door, or the Garbage (although that usually just GOES) etc. in an otherwise unused open area near the landing in my upstairs condo. The stuff isn't out of sight so can't become permanent clutter/mess in a corner somewhere but it isn't really in the way so waits patiently until I move it on out - which I feel compelled to do after a few days of walking by it, occasionally repatriating a few items etc.

Love the room! I'm an organizing fanatic and love to see people getting rid of their mess. Good job!
(make sure you don't start filling your room with stuff again...it's so easy for that to happen) :)

It looks great. I'm really enjoying your fun posts.

I'll read anything on decluttering.

Great work, Rebecca. Going through all of your belongings is emotionally exhausting, and you are an inspiration to many. Thanks for sharing your progress.

I love the outbox, too. It has worked so well for me, I created an inbox for my own accumulation problem. Keep a list of all the things you want to buy. Don't buy them right away. If an item survives on the inbox list for a month or so while my rational mind crosses out emotional purchases, it's time to shop for that item.

I have been doing this for over a year now, and it has saved me a lot of money. If you can do all your sorting before you buy, you won't need an outbox anymore!

I want to offer a standing ovation!

When you sat in the middle of your bedroom, surrounded by boxes and stuff, I truly felt your pain. I've been trying to declutter, too. There are times when it seems overwhelming. It's like we need a twelve step program.

Hello. My name is Aldyth and I am a packrat.

Snicker.

You've done good, girlfriend!

I hate seeing tab curtains hung below the frame of a window wth thos little gaps below the rod.....and I tyhink the white curt and duvet are too stark in this lovely warm room-the color of the brick/paint/ floors is cohesive and warm but the white jumps too much....sorry

Waaaheeeyy!!!! Go Girl!

Your room looks beautiful! I thought it was finished!!

Cant wait to see whats next...

Way to go!

My stuff stories:
I gave away a file cabinet and a kmart dresser (as well as some other stuff, like magazines) on freecycle. I got a special thrill from the excited people who wanted my crap...it was good to know it was going to someone who would like and use it. Similarly, when I've sold things, like my old loveseat, the guy was so psyched to be getting it for $30 (I didn't tell him I got it for free beside a dumpster!). I like matching up my old stuff with people who actually want it.

And, on the flip side, I got my current microwave from freecycle. It was awesome to get something I actually needed for free!

Wow. Great job.

I thought the wall colors were part of your "after." They look great as is, unless you want to put your own personal stamp on the place.

Oh REBECCA -

How great this looks! When you posted pictures the past few weeks, I was afraid to look - it seemed so impossible. But it looks fantastic now, like an entire home in your room. Congratulations!

I actually like the the colours in your walls and window frames... but only under the bright light of the lamp; the rust colour of the walls becomes a very friendly shade of orange, while the yellow window frames go from "quiet canary" to "loud canary". Orange and yellow shouldn't work together like this, but they totally do. I think it's the white bits in the room that keeps them under control.

If I were you I'd think about painting those walls orange. It'd look like Happiness Central.

And if anyone has any "Great Outbox Karma" stories about things they've given away or received - I'd love to hear them! The best way to get excited about giving away my things is to begin to imagine the happy homes where they may one day end up, right?

I did a major declutter of my possessions that included carting off electronics and their accessories, old cameras, and things that needed special handling ..... like LPs. I'd replaced much of my music with CDs. After giving away as many of my box set operas as possible, I still had several boxes to move along.

I drove all the above to the fantastic drive-through recycling center (for unusual objects!) in Houston. A team descended on my car, took everything away in their work-gloved hands, and only the LPs were left. The recycling team member looking at the boxes said, "Wow. I'd give these a home." I was thrilled. All that music, collected and listened to for decades by me, would have a new listener and not be melted down.

My inspiration to pare down my apartment's contents was handling my mother's estate after her death. I learned to prioritize objects by meaning to me and future usefulness (to me or someone else). I went through her townhouse completely in four and a half days. The final task was delivering eleven boxes of books to the nearby library. I kept a few books I recalled from childhood (Charlotte's Web, illustrated fairy tales with images that lingered with me for years). I'd called the library staff in advance, and they were prepared with wheeled carts and dollies for my donation. When they began opening the boxes, one of the staff members began to cry, "We never get children's books and that's what we need. Parents are always asking for more."

So books that had been decor for decades would probably get read again. That's why it's worth moving them along.

Looks great! I gave advice last week but now it looks like I should take some of yours since you're surpassed what "progress" I thought I had made :)

love love LOVE your rug!

Is it a trick of the camera, or is that trim yellow??

Nicely done!

Hi Rebecca:

My friend showed me this website and had total identification with your "room" project.

I am just in the beginning stages and have many of the same dilemnas of throwing out books, clothes, and papers!

I feel like I am living in a storage unit!

I think you did a great job with the Outbox. I am definitely going to try that.

I am very inspired with all your hard work and dedication and hope that I will be able to follow in your footsteps!