Challenges of Apartment Living

Renting a New York City apartment has it's ups & downs.  I LOVE living in Manhattan - but renting has 'DECORATING limitations'. It's been strange not being able to do major DIY projects or paint a wall or two - without the thought of having to paint it back when we move. Sometimes the apartment starts to feel stagnant, and new decor is a must! Know what I mean?

What I miss about owning a home is having the freedom to change up your space on a whim!  So, what is one to do?? Well, we can either do very small changes or just go online & live through others. I do however find myself changing things out with accessories & new art....and you??

Do you live in an apartment?? Do you find yourself facing the same challenges?? What have you done to keep things fresh in your home??

images via:

architectural digest / francis sultana / elle decor/ shoot factory 

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Renting: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Hi Made By Girl readers! This is Alison - a graphic designer living & working in Raleigh, NC. I have a blog called Alison Citron & a stationery shop but I also love Interiors! Today I'm here to share my rental experience with you! 

The GOOD
 

Living in an apartment means limited space - which means you are forced to curate your belongings. This means that you need to get rid of the clutter that can drag you and your space down, and you end up surrounded by the stuff you really like and use. You also aren't tied down to the space - if your needs change, you can just move, easy as that. 
 

The BAD

You are living in close quarters with other people. As an example: we can hear our neighbors talking sometimes, which of course makes us aware that other people may be listening in to us. 


Sometimes our upstairs neighbor walking around has woken us up - and even worse, we have heard neighbors’, ahem, ‘intimate’ activities, which is obviously NOT ideal.

The UGLY

If your neighbors aren’t responsible for their space, you can be the one who ends up dealing with the consequences. Where I live, some people own their individual units in the complex. My upstairs neighbor owns his unit, and hadn’t kept up with maintenance. 


One day we had water coming through our bathroom ceiling. We ended up having a big hole in the ceiling for a month before they finally took care of it, and we could see upstairs through it! It really gave us a whole new appreciation for privacy (and taking care of our space).

Are you renting??

If you'd like to share, the good, the bad, the ugly of living in a rental here on MadeByGirl blog, email me your submission with 3-4 pictures of your apartment! Pls use the same format as above!

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Renting: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The GOOD

Renting certainly has its perks, including calling the landlord to fix broken appliances, and no strings attached freedom to move to a new apartment at the end of the lease.  Renting also gives you an opportunity to declutter with each move.  From a design perspective, moving to a new apartment gives you the opportunity to start over! With craigslist and ebay, you can sell your rugs and lamps and go in an entirely new design direction.  Even if you keep everything, your stuff will look different in each apartment which is very cool.  


Many rental apartments are large, white boxes so you get to exercise your design muscle to make the rental apartment a home.  I would never make structural changes to a rental apartment, but paint is an easy and harmless solution.  Just paint over when you leave.  Renting is a fantastic option if you find yourself living in a less than permanent location.  


My husband and I are from the North Carolina and Alabama, and there is a good chance we could leave NY one day.  Renting allows us to pick up and leave when the time feels right without worrying about selling or carrying an apartment in another state.  

The BAD


Finding a balance between doing enough to make your apartment feel like home and resisting the urge to do more can be incredibly difficult.  I would love to own a home, cultivate a design plan and obsess over the state of every corner.  Pinterest does not help the situation.  When you rent you have to really evaluate your design choices or you could end up spending lots of money between moves.  


You have to decide whether or not to hang a TV if you only plan to stay a year.  You have to decide if you want to buy a 5x7 area rug to use now even though you would likely replace it with an 8x10 rug in a larger space in the future (I sold my watermelon colored madeline weinrib rug on ebay last year and have not replaced the rug for this reason).  You have to decide on your bedding.  Decide if you want neutrals that could work in your current bedroom and a color scheme you select for your future bedroom, or if you want to go bold (I like white bedding.  Brought in colorful accessories and painted the walls).


Should you monogram the cheap euro shams to make your bedroom look more complete, or just replace them in the future? Do you want to buy a headboard or bed now or wait?  I am holding off buying a headboard/bed because my only option in NY would be a headboard (need space under the bed for storage, would never ever do a footboard in a NY apartment-no room), and I might rather have a full blown bed in the future.   


 So the solution I've found is to use paint for cheap but high impact fixes (painted bedside tables and kitchen table/chairs) rather than buying something now that might need to be replaced in 2 years.  And if you must buy something new, try to buy something that could work in a future space.  We recently bought a new sofa-clean lines, gray linen upholstery-should work anywhere.
   

The UGLY


Rent tends to increase.  Not so grand entrance: I am dying to have a front door (with an amazing antique knocker) that I can decorate with plants, trees and pumpkins according to the season.  My cable box is sitting on a shelf in the living room.  Cords are everywhere, and I draped a canvas drop cloth over the shelf to try to disguise them.  It's pretty hideous but more economical than having the wires hidden in the wall or buying a temporary piece of furniture.  I started blogging recently .   




 Best, Coby Kutcher from Orange Cashmere blog! 

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Renting: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Hello there! I'm Erin owner of Clementine + Olive as well as blogger! This week I'm here sharing my view on renting.


The GOOD

I live in an up and coming historic community so choosing a home was fairly easy because the historic part means that most homes in my area have incredible easy to decorate architecture like wainscoting and old world detail that you won’t find in a big city with out a big price tag. The up and coming part means that I get everything for an affordable price tag with out loss of culture and forced in to apartment living. Win-win. So why buy right now.

My landlord is probably the most easy going in town. Allowing me to up date the vanity to painting the front door. After putting my year in I realized I might just stay here a little while so I decided to conceal some big eyesores.

The BAD

Being a previous home owner knowing my funds beautifying a home that isn’t mine or paying rental money I’ll never see in my pocket again kind of bites a familiar bullet that makes me long for a home I can rip out the counter tops for some carerra marble.


Also another issue that comes with renting besides the obvious “decorating around” theory is buying furniture and moving issue. You are always left with furniture that doesn’t fit your space size well or compliment the era of the home. 

The UGLY

A major issue you always, see renting is the choice between settling for carpet vs. hardwood especially when you have dust allergies that can rule you life. I may have gotten everything I wanted out of my home but, vacuuming twice a day and professionally cleaning these nappy carpets every 4 months is a royal pain especially since I have twin babies which means a dozen coffee stains with in a month. 


The kitchen isn’t the worst of the worse but, it’s plain oak cabinets with vinyl flooring and although, I know my creative energy is hinged by it every time I walk through there. I know, there is absolutely nothing I can do about it and must let-it-go and be thankful of such a rad home for such a steal that offers my little family everything I could need.

 
 
If you'd like to share, the good, the bad, the ugly of living in a rental, email me your submission with 3-4 pictures of your apartment & an intro! Pls use the same format as above! 

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Renting: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Hello All! Whitney here from Whitney Kaye Styles sharing my thoughts on apartment living.

THE GOOD

 
Temporary living is great when you are living a life that is changing every few months or couple of years. It's nice to save money on a one bedroom apartment for just you and your spouse and then move to a two bedroom when you feel the need for extra space for an office or your first child. With your career still developing you could be looking at relocating for summer internships or a new job and being able to pick up and move when and wherever is a nice option. It is also a nice way to test out neighborhoods. The decision between city living or suburbs isn't so stressful when renting allows you a type of "trial period" to acclimate to your surroundings and see what you like. 

This temporary living also works in favor of finding your own style. With changing lives comes changing needs and comforts and it is so easy to change out pillows, reupholster chairs, paint furniture or swap out accessories in different colors when everything you own is portable. Most people would probably say their style is constantly evolving and being able to change a room in a weekend or with a few small projects is easy and non-committal. Big projects like painting walls or building a wall here or there isn't an option when the walls aren't yours. 

THE BAD
You do have very close neighbors who you sometimes feel might actually live in your apartment with you. You have the American Idol wanna be belting Kelly Clarkson every morning at 7am just on the other side of your bedroom wall, the pot smokers across the hall and the upstairs neighbors who are doing who knows what and sending the foulest smells through the air vent into your apartment which requires layers of paper and tape over your air vent.

Let us not forget that having common areas to share isn't always an added perk. Having to wash your clothes in the ten washers and dryers that are shared with the ninety nine other tenants doesn't always make you feel like you got your clothes the cleanest or many times you doubt the quality of the appliances. And the study downstairs where anyone can hold social gatherings. That furniture has been down there for 30+ years, and it smells like it, and who knows if any of those couches, tables or chairs have even been cleaned or wiped down in their lifetime.

THE UGLY
For me it is the literal "uglies" of fixtures and finishes. Cleanliness always wins out over looks, which means I will pass on the old dirty charm and take the newly renovated apartment. Let's clarify, newly renovated on a graduate student budget means low pile navy office carpet, disabled support handles on every wall of the bathroom, creamish-brown bathroom tiles and random columns smack dab in the middle of the kitchen. You know your apartment was renovated to withstand many different tenants for many years to come, but you wish that someone would have gotten one more opinion before deciding to forgo the bottom cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom limiting your storage space and leaving you with ugly dust collecting areas.

Make sure you know what you will and will not compromise on. With renting, you can almost never get your perfect apartment, but having a good idea of what you can and can not live without will most often leave you with a satisfying renting experience.

If you'd like to share, the good, the bad, the ugly of living in a rental, email me your submission with 3-4 pictures of your apartment! Pls use the same format as above! 

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Renting: The Good, The Bad, the Ugly

Hello Made By Girl readers! I'm Myrna and I write a blog called For the Love of Black.  At this time I'm living in a rental basement suite & now I'm here to share my experience!

The GOOD 
 
I have rented A LOT in my life as well owned a few homes so I think I know the pros & cons pretty good by now!! One of the best things about renting is not having to come up with money for the repair man every time an appliance breaks down or save for a new roof & so on. It's all taken care of!! I also love the ease of knowing I can pick up and move fairly easy if I'm renting on a month to month basis. This tends to keep me more organized. I don't accumulate much stuff or things I don't need, since I don't have an attic or basement to store things in for years and years!!

The BAD


Having to be quiet!! It's so hard not to turn up that favorite song on the radio or that movie you've been dying to watch. Even walking or doing laundry or banging pots and pans has to be done quietly!!  Also hearing the people who live above, below or either side of you can be drag especially, you know.... (AHEM) okay, I wont go there!!!!

The UGLY

 
The UGLY is when I have to if I can paint my place and then be told NO!! It's the way I put my stamp on my place and make it feel like home. I've found that the majority of times I do ask, and then other times  I just paint....because it's easier to ask for forgiveness then permission, right?? Ha! And besides, I just paint it back before I move :) Also, flooring or other fixtures can be a pain to live with.


There's pros & cons to renting. However, as of right now, I'm happy to rent. Decorating and making the space your own as well as surrounding yourself with the people you love is really what it's all about!

If you'd like to share, the good, the bad, the ugly of living in a rental, email me your submission with 3-4 pictures of your apartment! Pls use the same format as above! 

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Renting: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Hi everyone! This is Taylor from Taylor Morgan, here to share with you my experience with renting. 
 

The GOOD
 

The biggest plus to renting is not having the responsibility of fixing things when they break or go wrong. I love being able to pick up my phone, make a simple phone call and have someone come to fix everything that day without a bill to pay! Stress free! There is an excitement to being able to live in lots of fun places as well. I have lived in LA, Austin, and now NYC and have loved every where I have rented (NYC being the favorite though!). And in NYC more people rent than own so it's just kind of the norm. I love it.

The greatest part about renting in NYC compared to other cities I've lived in is that they let you do more to your apartment (as long as you keep it nice) because they know most people are renters but still want to feel at home. Our building is great with letting you paint & such so I don't feel to restricted even though I am a renter. I painted stripes and mounted our t.v. so I'm a happy camper!

The BAD

Space. There isn't a lot of it in an apartment. Especially an apartment in NYC. Husband and I live in a 500 square foot studio apartment in downtown Manhattan. I was really skeptical about a studio at first, but surprisingly I don't feel to cramped. Our apartment seems to be the perfect size for the two of us. The depressing part is that we pay more in rent for our 500 square foot apartment than most of our friends' house mortgages in other states. But then I remember I just said friend's in other states and I actually feel bad for them that they don't also live in NYC. So it evens out.

The UGLY

Neighbors that are to close for comfort. The smaller the apartments are, the closer your neighbors are. I don't actually hear my neighbors to often but I feel like they must hear us. I feel like we are loud but who knows?! It's more the smells that get to me. Like when they are cooking something that I think stinks or even worse, smoking something that really stinks! Be considerate people. We live so close we obviously have to share the same air! Biggest pet peeve.


Overall though, I feel like renting appeals more to me at this stage in my life. I am not ready to commit to one place, it scares me more than committing to marriage to tell you the truth. Makes me feel to tied down. Although I'm sure I won't find it scary to commit to when we are buying our dream penthouse in the city one day. Until then, I am a happy renter!

Check out this VIDEO we made.  It's our cheesy version of MTV cribs.

If you'd like to share, the good, the bad, the ugly of living in a rental, email me your submission with 3-4 pictures of your apartment!

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Renting: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Hello! I'm Anna from A Newfound Treasure Blog, and today, I'm sharing my current rental experience on Jen's fabulous blog.

Not too long ago, we happily moved from Florida to South Carolina, but we had difficulty trying to sell our home. This forced us to find renters for our FL home, as well as, search for a SC rental to move into. Now, we're on both ends of renting, which has caused me to be extra mindful of our landlord's property while still trying to create a home reflective of who we are. South Carolina is where we want to be, so we can suck it up to be in our "happy place," right?

The GOOD

Renting allows you to be flexible. Last minute moves or job changes, that perhaps cause you to move from one end of the country to the other, can (hopefully) be less stressful. (ie. Vegas to NYC) ;-) You can have a "no strings attached" approach to where you are, which can be freeing in and of itself. A rental is the perfect option for an ultra spontaneous person that could up and move at the drop of a hat.

It is also great if you're moving to an unfamiliar place, because you can really shop around for your perfect part of town without committing to an area right off the bat. The great thing about our rental is that we have an abundance of space, being that we're in a house, not an apartment. 

Also, when things need to be fixed, it doesn't come at our expense -- major perk! All of those little things add up, and it's so nice to know that if something goes wrong, our landlords are just a call away.

The BAD

There are plenty of things that aren't ideal when living in a rental. Most of what the house is probably isn't your first choice. Wall colors and light fixtures can sometimes be total eyesores, but you must remind yourself that the time and money investment to change out chandeliers and repaint the walls aren't always worth it.

Instead of focusing on the actual home, try to incorporate art, fabric, and furniture that draw your eye away from the things you dislike the most about your home. I chose to use bright colored furniture and fabric that hopefully distract you from noticing the pukey-beige walls that coat the entire downstairs of our home.

The UGLY

Gracious, I have a list of things that I would do differently if we owned this home. Why the tacky carpets? I wish more than anything that linoleum wasn't a word in my vocabulary, but it is all over this place. The kitchen, the bathrooms, the laundry room… it's hideous. Rugs have been a lifesaver for me. 

With 2 little boys running around, rugs are essential in preserving the carpet. More importantly, rugs do a great job of grounding a space while hiding that ugly carpet or linoleum!

 
If you'd like to share, the good, the bad, the ugly of living in a rental, email me your submission with 3-4 pictures of your apartment! Pls use the same format as above! 

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