(This is another new experiment in which we get to chart someone's progress as they give their home The Cure. Welcome to Jennifer and her husband from Brooklyn!)
When I read recently that AT was coming out with
a book on how to get your apartment into shape in eight weeks, it was just the kick in the collective pants my husband and I needed.
We love living and working (yes, both of us) in our 900 square foot 2 bedroom in the Kensington section of Brooklyn. But a year ago we had our son and moved our office out of the second bedroom to give him a nursery, and never really conquered the clutter and chaos that ensued. Add to this a dog, two cats, very little closet space, and a small child who can reach just a little higher every day, and we need some help.
Over the next couple of months, we will pare down, organize and spruce up our home, posting our progress to AT on a weekly basis. Our main goals will be to create a working office space in our bedroom, get rid of a lot of stuff we stored on metro shelves and never looked at again, move some furniture around in the living and dining rooms for better flow, and paint and decorate places that have gone unpainted and undecorated. The one area were staying out of is the kitchen, as we plan to renovate later this year.
Were big fans of thrifting, craigslist and otherwise being creative with limited resources, and well probably go that route most of the time unless we see the need to spring for something really important. We would love feedback and tips from AT as we go along, as well as from all the readers out there. Ive found AT to be a great resource that has helped us get as far as we have in our apartment, and I think this project will help us have a truly finished and liveable home at the end. I hope that we can inspire you to revamp your spaces while you inspire us with your insight and knowledge.
Let us know what you think! Thanks, Jennifer
I love the idea of this new feature, and a brilliant tie-in to the upcoming book debut.
Good luck, Jennifer... we're watching!!!
But in a supportive, non-creepy way. ;)
Fantastic! I'm really looking forward to seeing and supporting this therapeutic endeavor. You can do it!
what you wrote made me realize I think of the readers of AT to be an equal partner to Maxwell et al...not AT as a one thing and the readers as another. funny that.
good luck with the task at hand
This will be fun. A serial makeover.
Thanks, everyone! We're really excited to be doing this.
Good luck with your project JennferJA. I too will be watching your progress. Living in a 500 sf studio has been fun but quite the change for us! I'll be looking for inspiration from your perspiration......
Cooking Cajun
This is fun! Thanks Jennifer for including us all. Good luck, I'm looking forward to next week's post.
As a newbie to AT I'm excited to watch this project unfold. Wishing you and your family loads of luck and fun, Jennifer. Thanks for inviting us and being an inspiration!
This is so cool of you to do "on camera," so to speak!
I so love this idea! Not to put any pressure on you...but how often will you post? Hopefully ofen!
sjv,
The plan right now is to post once a week. I'll probably occasionally post direct questions to AT for advice and feedback, but I don't know if those will appear as separate posts. Thanks!
OK I have to say it, being a red-a-phile: I love your red entryway, and I'd keep that red paint where it is, :)
Hey, this is a great idea! Good luck, Jennifer!
Will be looking forward to reading about your progress.
One thing I definitely advise you to do is replace the bookcase behind your dining table with closed-door storage. While the spines of books can be soothing to look at in a larger space, they really make a smaller one look cluttered. Since I see you're Ikea fans, I would look into some of the wardrobe options they have.
Alternatively, i juryrigged sliding doors on a triple bookcase in my last studio by gluing wooden track to the floor and nailing a top track to the the top of the bookcase, then having plywood panels cut to fit. I don't think this would work with a dog and a toddler however! Good luck and I'll look forward to your future postings,
eeeck
the word is "jerry-rigged"