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Hello to everyone, hope you all had a wonderful Holiday weekend! I'm realizing that the day is quickly approaching when photographer, Janis Nicolay will be in town to shoot our apartment & I'm so PSYCHED to show you what I've done with it so far! Of course like many of you, I find myself making a little inspiration folder on my desktop & putting all the images that INSPIRE me throughout my decorating quest! Below are some images that are currently inspiring me!
For those of you who don't know, we downsized from this 3,000 sq. ft house in Las Vegas to a 1000 sq. ft apartment in New York City. Yup, BIG difference.
In the process, I HAD TO SELL most of my furniture because where the heck would I put it!?! I had 3 bedrooms & four bathrooms in our other home, which means, every bathroom had it's own accessories & every room had its own furniture.
So, I had to choose which items would come with us & basically sell everything else off. When it came down to it, we condensed it all to ONE bedroom + office & one bathroom.
In the process, I HAD TO SELL most of my furniture because where the heck would I put it!?! I had 3 bedrooms & four bathrooms in our other home, which means, every bathroom had it's own accessories & every room had its own furniture.
So, I had to choose which items would come with us & basically sell everything else off. When it came down to it, we condensed it all to ONE bedroom + office & one bathroom.
Top two images are of Claudia's lovely place via peep my style
(images above adore magazine)
I'll tell you one thing, this one bathroom thing.... my guy absolutely HATES it!!! Well, then again so do I. But we're in Manhattan & coming across an extra bathroom comes at a price, a much HIGHER price. Some of you may already know this....
For now, we'll make due with what we have & just be grateful we have a roof over our heads, and not a bad one at that! Can't wait to show you!
(images below the coveteur)
(image below style at home)
Have you given up your LARGE suburban space for a smaller place in the city?!? What do you hate & love about the change??
Can't wait to see you new apartment, without a doubt, I am sure it is decorated beautifully :)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see it either!!
ReplyDeleteThe first 2 pics are my place! Thanks so much for putting them on your blog xx claudia
ReplyDeletelovely inspiration :)
ReplyDeletehave a nice day :)
henriette
All are inspirational photos and thanks for sharing it with us. Regarding your question YES I already gave up big space for a smaller one. Great points is that smaller is an easy maintenance space.But like you I need to get rid of some of my thingsto accomodate smaller space. What I miss having a big house is that everything has it's space. I find it hard to adjust most especially in my own closet and kitchen where I have a large volume of things.I know somehow you deal the same but as I saw in you,you are blessed with talents in doing interior design and beacause of that you always serve as an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteHey Jen! the photos are awesome as usual. I hope you manage the bathroom thing,I know how annoying it is. Cheers
ReplyDeleteWow! That is a BIG change. I'm guessing your dog's bathroom has changed quite a bit too? :)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the pictures of your new appartment.You are so stylish. I am moving in about 1 year, going to live together with my boyfriend in his (very smal but bigger then mine)apartment. Try to make it a little more feminine already hihi. No i have this very hard decisions to make, what will i bring with me and what will i sell.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Maria
We have, but it wasn't as dramatic for us. We have only ever had on bathroom and bedroom; it's just tough to give up storage space. After few months and some more purging, I've discovered that the space is just fine!
ReplyDeletePlease share photos of your new NYC place! That is a big downsize...but I am sure your place is still amazing!
ReplyDeletejoliejouel.blogspot.com
Love the inspiration shots Jen.
ReplyDeleteI downsized from a 595 sq. ft. apartment that I had all to myself...to rooming with a friend in her 2 bedroom apartment. The size of the apartment is bigger, but squeezing an apartment's worth of furnishings into the one extra bedroom that I now call home...now that was tough.
The Good: I love having another person in the house. It's so much fun sharing an apartment with a good friend...lots of spontaneous good times ;)
Also, I love the challenge of working with a small space; and, I liked that I could start over and decorate the new space (as small as it is)!
The Not-so-Good: Being the creative, design-focussed gal that I am, I've found it difficult only having one space to try out new design ideas. I would love to be able to experiment more, but the room can only handle so many different ideas!! LOL.
Looking forward to seeing your new space Jen and Janis' photographs!
I am currently moving out of my parents 5 bedroom/ 2 bath house, and into my own apartment with my soon-to-be husband. My biggest concern is how I am going to fit all of my clothes (and shoes) into a one bedroom apartment! I am excited about having my own space!
ReplyDeleteI can NOT wait to see what you have done! And I love all of those inspiration pics, what wonderful spaces. I hope you have a blessed Easter!
ReplyDeleteYes, we did too! We downsized to 700 sq. ft. when we moved back up here. We purged everything we hadn't used in years, including old furniture and other items that kept coming with us on every move because we could potentially use it in the future, and donated it all. It was kind of hard to adjust in the beginning but overtime we didn't notice it anymore that we gave up storage.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see your new space!
I am currently in the process of looking for a new apartment to move into once I move out of the NYU dorms... its going to be quite a downsize! Thanks for the inspiration, I've been thinking about creative ways to maximize a new, smaller space, and I love the photos you chose--very helpful, I love the pops of color!
ReplyDeletexx
sarabelleblog.blogspot.com
I understand this all to well. My bf and I went from a 1,200 sq. ft. place in Indiana to a 600 sq. ft place in Boston. It calls for some serious creativity when it comes to maximizing our storage space! xoxo, morgan
ReplyDeleteAUDRINAJULIA: So true! maintenance is a super easy in a smaller space, plus i dont have to call a handyman - as our apt has maintenance service, thank God! I too liked having a space for pretty much everything, like my hamper would fit nicely into my laundry room, whereas here, i dont even have laundry in my apt, only n the building, and the hamper has to fir somewhere in a closet..
ReplyDeleteWENDY SEFCICK: what's changed about he bathroom is that now she doesn't have grass to go on. It's interesting though, like a lot of dogs, she's adapted to the bathroom thing quite well,its the noise and the commotion of the city that's been a challenge for her.
ReplyDeleteCLAUDIA: Oh...cool! I love your place, especially the vintage looking cross!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a feat to get rid of so much, but I am sure it was fun! Downsizing can sometimes be a good thing! Can't wait to see your decorated space!
ReplyDeletehttp://lindseyyoung.net
I am moving out of my 2500 sq ft home into a 1000 sq ft townhouse this month, and can't wait to see how you style your place, so I can get some inspiration as to where to start! It is just stuff... right?
ReplyDeleteWow, 3,000 to 1,000. That's a huge sacrifice! I've been really tossing the idea around of moving to a big city but I just can't get over the space I'll be loosing. I know I'll gain much more in culture, satisfaction, and a short trip to Central Park but man oh man. Can't wait to see your place! : )
ReplyDeleteVonae Deyshawn
www.myvirtueplace.com
JESSICA: Yup, good way to put it, it IS just stuff. If you focus to much on all the things you have, it will drive you nuts. I def sacrificed space and so on to be closer to my family and in a city rich in culture...
ReplyDeleteVonae: Yup, BIG sacrifice ha!
ReplyDeleteWow, this interior is just gorgeous! I love the colours you've chosen! x
ReplyDeleteKate {Something Fabulous}
http://thesomethingfabulous.blogspot.com
Can't wait to see your new NYC pad!
ReplyDeleteI'm a native New Yorker so am used to the lack of space. It's almost a fun challenge trying to organize everything in a way it fits.
xx
Joanna
Huge difference in downsizing but you do what's best for you. Change is good and I know you can work it out. Plus, I can't wait to see your apartment.
ReplyDeleteI cant wait to see your place jen! I was wondering...the 4th pic of the couch from adore magazine...would you have any idea where I can get those beautiful multi color pillows?? I have been searching high and low and those are the perfect colors for my bedroom!
ReplyDeleteI'm beyond excited to see your new space. The shoes image is incredible.
ReplyDeleteI live in the city - so space is at a premium, but I have to say that tight spaces make the most interesting challenges. Lovely inspiration, and there's nothing 'ungrand' about it!
ReplyDeleteElena at ideainteriors.blogspot.com
I feel your pain ! we have just gone from two bath, four bed, two living with sep office to three bed one bath no office ... back into a house which when there were two of us we fitted ... now there are four and we just have to get squishy ! best le
ReplyDeleteCan't imagine where all of your shoes will go! I think getting rid of things feels great though. Did it in summer, just looked at/held things and decided whether or not they energised me... Love that first bedroom image. look forward to seeing your new pad.
ReplyDeleteRight there with you. We're about to downsize from a 3000+ sq/ft home in Brasilia to a 1500+/- apartment in Rio.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually looking forward to selling most of our stuff, and starting with a clean slate.
Can't wait to see your place - I know it'll give me food for thought!
Dying to see how you set up your new apartment! I'm downsizing from a two-bedroom with a roommate to a studio alone on the Upper East Side, and I'm so nervous about how I'm going to fit everything I own in there. On the other hand, my parents' house is close enough where I could use the extra storage space...
ReplyDeletehello.. yes, we too have given up lots of space. we initially had a house, yard, pool, the works, then moved into a 1250 sq. ft townhome, then last year into 150 sq. ft vintage airstream touring the country and now are settling into a 528 sq ft new home that we've been rebuilding top to bottom.. i *love* that it's easy to maintain a small space, and am not a fan of sharing a closet (; great post! xo, tiffany
ReplyDeleteLOVE all of it! especially love the first bedroom and the closets of course ;)
ReplyDeleteI can't relate to the apartment living because we are in a house in Miami, but I can relate to the downsize and have felt like I live in an apartment. We went from 5,300sf down to 2,000sf and then did a massive remodel and garage addition which gave us 500 extra master en suite but took away ALL storage. It's not an easy thing to downsize what ever tyoe of living space it is;) I have enjoyed all your "the good, bad, and ugly features. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteXOXO,
Whitney
YES...well, we were already in the city, but had a nice 2B/2B, two-level apartment and decided to go to a 2/1 with a much smaller footprint to save money for our upcoming wedding. it was definitely an adjustment especially with 2 cats. the first thing we did was go through EVERYthing..every nook and cranny, every drawer and either donated, recycled or trashed about 25 trash bags full of stuff. it's crazy how it piles up. it was actually a really refreshing experience and it felt great to purge so many things that accumulated, but didn't mean much to us. it also forced us to only keep things we love and use. we're used to it now, but i tell ya, i wouldn't mind my own bathroom back ;)
ReplyDeleteYes and no!
ReplyDeleteWe live in the burbs during the work/school week and the we head into the city to our condo for the week ends. It really is the best of both worlds. I love the condo for the energy, restaurants and lack of clutter. This experience has shown me that I really love small spaces. Sometimes less is more!
my family and I moved to a rural community about 35 mins from our old house..we lost quite a bit of sf and definitely bathroom and closet space. we now share 1 bathroom between myself, my hubs and our THREE girls. To top it off its an itty bitty bathroom. So...its been a purging process but its amazing how good it feels to downsize! I just wish we werent in a rural area and I could find better vintage and funky finds like I did in the cities we have lived in.
ReplyDeleteEventually I will submit photos of our house to you. We built shelves in the kitchen across a nook that was useless and some other things. Small space is actually really refreshing when it comes to maintaining and cleaning, especially with 3 girls, a dog, husband and busy photography business. Also, our cost of living is insanely cheap...big benefit. Plus LOTS more family time since we arent all spread out at home!
I miss my space at times, especially my office for when I just want to listen to music, uninterrupted but I will take the security and grateful feeling of my husband having an amazing job and that we have a great place to live with great neighbors!
Hey that's my sofa! (The one with the flamestitch pillows) Thanks for posting, Jen.
ReplyDeleteI totally relate. I just left my 1400SF loft and am currently squatting in about 150SF. Tough indeed. Thank goodness for storage!
Downsizing is always very difficult because there are going to be many of our belongings which will either need to be disposed off or stored away in a storage facility. That is why it is important to carefully plan out the moving out process by first organizing all of our possessions to filter out what we need away from the junk that can be disposed off. After which we will only be moving what are necessary and not everything.
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