Wednesday, October 3, 2012

New Studio Apartment

So, I'm off to a new apartment AGAIN. Let's see... this past place didn't make the blog because I was too busy to care about posting anything and I only lived there for 6 months. Before that was the apartment with dirty roommates in Pilsen, where I lived for about 8-9 months. Before that, my last place in Hyde Park (1 year), the brownstone with basement bedroom (1 year), my first post-college apartment  with a tiny purple bedroom (1 year), my college apartment (2 years), dorm II, and dorm I. Add in the mix a variety of non-Chicago or temporary living situations, but that's a lot of moving, y'all. Anyway, I signed up for 16 months in order to get a discount & no security deposit. And for the first time ever I'm living on my own!
 I went over to the new place and took some pictures while the previous tenant was packing up. She wasn't home but I totally judged her (kidding. not really).
The main selling point of this place, besides the ALL MINE aspect, is the window. I know it doesn't look like much in this terrible photo, but it faces south over some lower buildings and trees and notably nothing that seems like it will be remotely annoying (flashing police light and alley people were the major offenders, as was the loogie-haucking showering man about 5 feet away from my bedroom window in the most recent apartment). There is a lovely view from the 5th floor and tons and tons of sunlight. Seriously, this is all I've ever wanted. (It really is! Small: check, light: check, quirk: check, see kitchen, radiator: check, also, heat included BONUS POINTS, laundry: on site, check, cheap: check!)
The kitchen is literally in a closet. There is zero counter-space, but don't worry! I am making plans for various IKEA-related storage solutions (like a hanging dish rack) and I got one of those rolling kitchen storage / countertop bar things from my old apartment for free, so I can put that where that sad excuse for a futon sofa is right now. And the fridge will go in the obvious nook where it belongs and the closet doors will go back on the closet where the fridge is now. My sewing machine table and piles of related sewing crap will go in that closet where I can close the door on them.
The red wall and questionable scroll-y painting thing will need to go, to be replaced by "cocaine white" if I have anything to say about it. I have already made this request to the property manager but there appears to be a slight language barrier. I didn't use the word "cocaine" when I spoke to her, if you're wondering. I don't like off-white. Also, there is a bike room in the first floor of the building so I'm not sure why this tenant used crucial studio space for her bike, but whatever.
I probably won't use a rolling clothes rack as this girl did, given my previous failures with such things, but will put my lovely dressers in this walk-in closet / hallway to the bathroom. I think that I'll put my lavender boxes above the first shelf in this and the other closet to extend the vertical storage space, and also because there is no floor space for them.
My own bathroom! I got so excited last time I had my own bathroom and now I have my own WHOLE APARTMENT! Seriously this is all I think about these days. The walls in the bathroom are currently pink and I have requested them to be painted back to white. No pink.

I have not gotten to move in because the apartment does not become empty and painted and clean and available until this weekend. I had to be out of my old place last weekend so I am executing the famous and grueling TWO PHASE MOVE. Yes, it sucks. I hired the pros for Phase 2 because even though some of the most awesome friends ever came out to help in Phase 1 I was still all "never again." But once I get all moved in (and I have big plans -- or small plans, as the case may be -- either way I am blowing up Pinterest at amyinegypt -- that's how I waste my internet time these days) then it will be the most stylish studio the world has ever seen and maybe I will take some after pictures.