05 August 2008

boxes & later

I don't really have before and after pix of the inside of my new flat...because I never saw it "before" and I don't know if I'll ever make it to "after". But, I do have pix of "boxes" and "later" (which I just took for you today).

(I hate it when a television epi starts exactly the way the epi before it ended, so that was a JOKE!)

You enter the house and come into the kitchen. The entry is very tight. My desk wouldn't fit. You creep around a giant standing closet, hugging the wall, and come into the kitchen.

<-Here is the box- (and stupidity-) filled kitchen
and there it is later -->
(less stupid but far from brilliant). The person who designed it made it sound good on paper...but didn't make it very functional.


Can you see the edge of the round table in the boxed picture? It took up soooo much room! It extended further than the tumble dryer and went all the way to the 'fridge. That made it impossible to get into the cabinet below and really difficult to get around the kitchen.

Here, on the right, is more evidence of stupidity. The opened cabinets in the picture on the right aren't really cabinets. Instead, they are a water heater, a drying rack, a dishwasher and a washing machine. And those cabinets on the far right? Really difficult to open.


That's a clothes drying rack opened to try to show you how small the kitchen is. (With the stupid table it couldn't fit.) The kitchen photographs much larger than it is because I can stand in the living room to take the pictures. Still, with that round table taken down, it's much better. (Behind the door is the downstairs shower room and sauna that is now storage.)



This was and is the living room. The couch was crammed under the window with the tv in the corner. The table took up most of the room. There was an armchair under the stairs.

I undecorated and re-arranged furniture, putting the table under the window and the couch and chair grouped around the fireplace. I moved the tv and my computer to this area and added a rug. The dresser, which was in my bedroom in my last flat, now holds dvd's and a few videos--movies in the top drawer, tv in the middle, children's in the bottom. I couldn't really do anything with the landlord's china cabinet, though I was tempted to fill it with books. Instead, my books are in the baskets by the window...and the blue tubs under the stairs...and the boxes in the sauna. The cheap, yellow fabric of the couch and chair are encased in my slipcovers and new pillow cases from IKE@. My pb striped pillows always make me happy.

This is my favorite room in the house.



This is the room at the top of the stairs. It is meant to be the computer room. I tried to use it that way. But, there are no windows in this room. It was just too depressing to spend as much time up there as I spend on the computer. So, now it's the kitten's room. Eventually it could be a guest room (the taupe-slipcovered couch pulls out into a bed...though not a comfy one) or just more storage. Again, this room is s-m-a-l-l. I don't know why they didn't make two good-sized bedrooms with windows and a nice, large bathroom out of this top floor instead of putting in useless rooms and miniscule bathrooms.



This is my bedroom. It's a nice, large room. The wardrobe is ridiculous. I cannot even touch the hanging bar when I stand on my tiptoes.




At the end of the stairs, there was another couch. ANOTHER couch. There are four couches and two big armchairs in this place. I moved this one into the shower in the downstairs bath. I put my laundry stuff in its place--the rolling hamper and ironing board. Now, I've swapped that and moved the laundry things to my room and suitcases to this space. The catbox is behind the door. There is no room for it in my (now) polka-dotted bathroom that is the size of an airplane bathroom with a tub stuck on the side. Seriously. The only thing you can't see in the picture is the sink.

And this darling room (ha!) is the one for d2b. Yep. This could be why I got so upset. But, we moved the armchair to the useless computer room and then I moved the couch and covered it with the duvet cover from my last flat's guest room. Not knowing if I'll be here when she/they come home or if I'll be moving to another flat, I didn't buy a bed. (In the other flat, the second bedroom has a bed. Shocker.) And, since I don't know if "d" is singular or plural yet, I don't know if I need a twin bed or bunkbeds. Either way, it will go where the couch is in the boxed picture. That spot now is filled with orphanage donations...which I can deliver when my car is fixed. (Some are for Christmas. 'Most every time I go to the store, I pick something up either for the girls in 3.10 or for Christmas presents.) But, you can see that the tote bag from France is hanging on the doorknob, Noah's ark is on the wall, the doll's cradle is filled with friends (no dolls until I know what d2b looks like...), and the closet is organized.


And that's it! I hope you liked the tour. I think I've done a good job with what I had...and knowing that this temporary home needs to feel more home than temporary.

p.s. This post took forever to compile...though I have no doubt it will not publish as it previewed... so enjoy!

18 comments:

A Room to Grow said...

I've really enjoyed your tours! Inside and out!

Maggie said...

Wow. That kitchen is kind of like squeezing your belongings into a dorm room. Although the disguised cabinets are terribly clever.

Love the way you rearranged your living room. It's cute and much more functional now.

Lauri said...

Love your living room... very cozy

Love all the pretty frocks for D2b

Tami said...

The apartment looks cute! It may be a little small, but it is updated. That's good. LOVE your bedroom! And TWO bathrooms? Two baths are on my list for the new place. ;>)

Tina in CT said...

It looks quite homey and you've done a good job organizing. Just can't understand all the couches and big chairs in a small place. Does the fireplace work? Is it one for wood or gas? If it works, you'll enjoy it during the long winter months.

I can now picture all the pretty smocked dresses from Katya and Natalia once you hook up with my daughter.

Unknown said...

I want you to come organize my closets. From short sleeve to longsleeve - impressive. Clemsongirl (from my blog roll) once got antsy during a play date and made me do this to my closet. It lasted 10 minutes before I managed to screw it up.

kate said...

Yep--those are by size, sleeve lenghth and then color. It makes me feel better. I know--it's a sickness. ;>

My closet is done by garmet (dresses, twinsets, short-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shirts, skirts, trousers) and then by color. But, my wardrobe here is ridiculous. I cannot touch the hanging bar even when I stand on my tiptoes. That's how high it is.

Jim said...

Gosh. After seeing how spacious your last flat was, I am having a difficult time imagining how you got squeezed into this tiny place. But, you've done a great job with it in a short time!

Anonymous said...

great photos!! sorry about the kitchen, but I am honestly really jealous of your bedroom!

You've really transformed it a lot.

Rachael said...

I hope your daughter likes dresses! ;) I can just picture her in her cute colorful smocks and tights.

Looks like made some lemonade out of your lemon of a flat. It does look nice and homey in the pics.

beckyww said...

Wood floors are gorgeous!

sandy said...

Thank you for the tour! I really enjoyed it, and now I have a picture of what a flat looks like in Russia. You've done an amazing job organizing it given it's size. It's nice that you have your own washer and dryer, and even a dishwasher and fireplace! Your bedroom looks lovely, too.

Yes, you did make lemonade!

kate said...

becky--that's what i thought when i saw the realtor photos. they're NOT wood! they're some kind of synthetic but are photographs of wood. i was shocked at how nice they looked in my pix.

junglemama said...

THanks for showing us around. I think it looks great!

Jenni said...

You did an excellent job with what you had. I also really like the wood floors. You completely transformed those rooms!

Cindy said...

Wow...all those boxes were intimidating. I think I would have given up on the spot or at least had a lot to drink before tackling it.

The apartment looks awesome by the way. Great job!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Kate, it's Stacey from NY. I love love love your flat. I have such a passion for Russia. What made you move there? I would really love to chat with you. Please email me.. mockba0204@optonline.net

Annie said...

Well, having seen my friends' apartment in Moscow (and they are educated professionals with three children) I think you have done very well by yourself. Their apartment has three rooms (not bedroom vs living room, or anything - three ROOMS) and a kitchen smaller than yours. And none of it is refurbished at all, except the tiny bathroom they did themselves.

Your apartment looks NICE to me (I should do a photo tour of MY house - that would make everyone count their blessings!) I must say, though, I can't help but wish you had the original parquet floors in a restored form...so much nicer. Love the high ceilings, though. [Do have to admit your last place was more spacious....]