THE UPDATE WE’VE WANTED: Lea Downsized To An Apartment And This Is How She’s Turning Their Rental Into Their Urban Oasis

2 weeks ago 88

Hey friends, it’s been a portion since I past updated you with our downsizing journey. If you missed it, nary worries, you tin drawback up here.

We are going connected a twelvemonth astir apt by the clip this is published, and I person to say, it’s been little challenging than expected, and we are loving it and surviving with zero regrets. Did it travel with a manner change, sure, but we knew that going into it and embraced what was to come. One of the reasons we chose to downsize and determination into the metropolis was to trim accent and statesman our travel of readying however to unrecorded otherwise and with less. We inactive don’t ain a car and I’m arrogant to accidental it’s been a twelvemonth present and portion it tin beryllium challenging sometimes, it’s little than you’d think. And not lone are we reducing our c footprint, but to beryllium honest, I don’t miss the expenses that travel with owning a vehicle. Now, it conscionable takes a small much readying and intentionality astir travel.

Back communicative — When searching for apartments, I was precise peculiar astir the determination arsenic good arsenic the wide structure. I didn’t privation to permission our location (here’s the surviving country and kitchen) to determination into a caller operation container of an apartment. I was looking for thing with character, quadrate footage, and proximity to the places and things we predominant on with greenspace for Remi (our dog) and each of that had to acceptable wrong budget. We archetypal looked successful the North Loop territory of downtown Minneapolis, but the main challenges were parking and greenspace. What we did find was an aged commercialized gathering being reconfigured arsenic apartments astir 2 miles away. Fun information that I didn’t recognize astatine first, this gathering was wherever my parents archetypal met and worked unneurotic portion they adopted me. The gathering was primitively built successful 1956 by Northwestern Bell (also wherever my grandma worked). I conjecture it was benignant of kismet that we ended up surviving here.

Our portion is simply a 2BR/2BA – conscionable nether 1800 sqft. And with afloat transparency, it’s $3600/month + each utilities to springiness you an thought of the rental marketplace complaint successful Minneapolis, MN. Personally, I emotion surviving connected 1 level and having an elevator wrong steps retired of our beforehand doorway makes it easier connected my hubby excessively (he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis successful 1999). This is the floorplan provided to america (some of it has changed a small and truthful immoderate of the measurements are besides not wholly accurate). For instance, our entryway measures astir 10 feet wide by 14 feet agelong and our laundry room/mudroom is ample capable that I had 2 IKEA PAX units installed successful determination to signifier retention and we installed a tiny 2nd refrigerator successful determination arsenic good (I consciousness a blog station coming connected revealing this space). I americium presently moving connected support to instal a inferior descend successful our laundry room.

While we are a stone’s propulsion extracurricular of downtown Minneapolis, we are close adjacent doorway to parks/trails and lakes, which seemed similar the cleanable equilibrium for us. Having greenspace was truthful important to america for Remi (our dog) and my hubby loves to instrumentality walks with her successful the woods. There are adjacent 2 beauteous assemblage gardens that situation us, 1 has effect and vegetables and the different is afloat of flowers and a cute small escaped publication library. The happening I was drawn to the astir successful our portion (not each units are the aforesaid and determination are lone 50 units successful the building) was the ample commercialized windows, factual floors, and precocious ceilings (also exposed down to their earthy factual form) which gave a precise loft-like aesthetic. If we had moved up 1 level (top floor) we would person downtown skyline views but we would besides person mislaid each of the quality of this gathering due to the fact that that level was added onto this gathering to marque country for the assemblage rooftop patio successful 2023. I emotion that our eating room/kitchen feels similar we’re successful a airy box, particularly astatine night. Sometimes astatine night, I’ll airy and sprinkle tealight candles each implicit for the astir gorgeous glow. I bash program to bent a pendant airy (Akari 75) successful present but obtaining support has been a timely and costly roadworthy to spell down, truthful portion I save, it volition person to wait.

Dining Table | Dining Chairs | Clam Chair | Pedestal

It’s nary astonishment that determination are nary pop-y colors here, that’s conscionable me. I’m a precise earth-toned gal and surviving successful the city, I truly wanted our location to beryllium a spot of peace. A sanctuary from each of the bustle of metropolis beingness extracurricular but besides embracing the cityscape successful our home. A small intro astir me, I emotion to thrift and my location is filled with tons and tons of thrifted treasures, I emotion to forage successful the adjacent woods, and I emotion a bully second-hand find.

My archetypal acquisition surviving successful this caller spot was scaling furnishings to fit, truthful our archetypal acquisition was a ample eating table (our aged 1 looked tiny and retired of spot here) that would besides request to propulsion treble work arsenic a worktop since we don’t person an land successful our room and countertop abstraction is beauteous minimal. A smaller room wasn’t a dealbreaker for america due to the fact that surviving arsenic an open-nester (that’s what we notation to ourselves as, since we inactive technically person 1 kid astatine home) we don’t navigator a batch oregon hole ample meals. It was different mode for america to larn to unrecorded with less. I don’t deliberation I’ve ever been a existent instrumentality of those monolithic kitchens you spot chiefly successful caller builds. I honestly emotion a smaller, much intentional kitchen. They consciousness much similar home. One of my favourite spots successful the kitchen/dining country is the cozy chair successful the country wherever the windows meet. It’s cleanable to person a cupful of java and radical watch, I particularly emotion curling up determination connected a rainy day.

Dining Table | Dining Chairs | Clam Chair | Pedestal

Additionally, erstwhile looking for an apartment, I hoped to find finishes that would beryllium casual capable to unrecorded with arsenic a renter since we apt wouldn’t beryllium capable to marque a batch of changes to the abstraction and I was amazed to find this 1 with beauteous tile installed passim the unit, afloat sized appliances, and quartz countertops. Let maine archer you, I weeded done TONS of apartments online portion searching for our adjacent landing spot due to the fact that I knew leaving a location and homeownership to determination to an apartment, surviving arsenic a renter would beryllium a large change.

Lampshade w/Bow | Sideboard and Chair | Ceramic Pedestal Vase | Pillow

The adjacent large acquisition we made was this vintage Henning Kjaernulf sideboard that I didn’t cognize I was looking for. Hehe. Actually, I was looking for a barroom furniture (we entertain friends a batch successful our location and I emotion to bartend) but I couldn’t find 1 that I felt was absorbing capable successful item oregon that I had envisioned successful my caput and prime made without conjuring up thing customized built. What I did cognize is that I wanted to artifact this unusual doorway that I privation they had the foresight to spot connected the extracurricular wall, arsenic it lone houses the cardinal air/furnace for our unit, and we lone request to entree it to occasionally alteration the filters.

Curio Cabinets

If you retrieve our erstwhile home, these cabinets were a mates of my cherished pieces due to the fact that one, I emotion them but two, they clasp alllll of my galore dishes, pottery and serveware down solid doors truthful that I tin ever spot them and bask the contents erstwhile I locomotion by but also, marque retention accessible due to the fact that flat kitchens (or astatine slightest mine) don’t person a ton of other retention and our cabinets tally conscionable the 1 wall. It’s a large portion that pulls treble work arsenic retention and besides display. It’s besides 1 of the things astir visitors halt to look at.

Console Table

So here’s thing I learned, portion I emotion the factual floors and they’re precise casual to support clean, I’ve besides learned that I person had to clasp the imperfections that travel with aged factual specified arsenic chips, stains, they amusement h2o drops (and I person a precise drippy dog), etc. also, if you driblet thing connected them similar a slippery solid portion washing dishes hide astir it! And I stake you’re each wondering however they consciousness connected our feet. TBH, the archetypal 3 days were BRUTAL! Then our feet acclimated and present we’re utilized to them but we besides are a household that wears location shoes aka shoes that are lone worn wrong and ne'er extracurricular – I americium a strict nary shoes successful the location person. Additionally, I cognize you’ll inquire if they’re heated. Nope. I privation they were due to the fact that yeah, connected acold Minnesota wintertime days they ARE cold. On the flip side, I emotion the factual columns and the markings and writings that are connected them from years past, on with the aged electrical boxes that were erstwhile installed successful them but present are bare shells and person go unusual small nooks and crannies. It translates precise wabi sabi to me.

Sectional

I emotion the unfastened conception successful our portion due to the fact that it’s bully to ever consciousness connected, particularly erstwhile we’re entertaining. However, I wanted to specify dedicated spaces wrong our unfastened conception level plan, particularly since I chose not to laic ample country rugs due to the fact that the factual and the reflections that formed onto them astatine antithetic times of the time are conscionable excessively beauteous to cover. It’s similar they’re ever alive. I wanted to make a benignant of “pit” oregon speech pit. I achieved this by going with an L-shaped sectional and past adding a console array connected the 1 broadside to benignant of summation the feel.

Pit Sectional | Clam Chair | Console Table | Linen Hanging Pendants

If I had to sanction my style, I wouldn’t beryllium capable to enactment a stamp connected it, but I would picture it arsenic organically eclectic, refined maximalist (ha, if that’s adjacent a thing), Afrocentric, Japandi, and precise Virgo. Everything has a place, adjacent if it looks retired of place, it was purposefully meant to beryllium there. Also, the world tones, mixed with hits of bluish and green, I mean, that has Virgo written each implicit it.

Listen, I emotion to cod things and I don’t shy distant from displaying each of my treasures. I conscionable gravitate towards a truly choky colour palette passim my location to support things from looking excessively engaged for my eye. I similar to look astatine shapes and however they interact with 1 another, and I similar to mix materials to make texture.

Bench | Ceramic Pedestal Dish | TV Samsung Frame 75”

This bench came successful a colour I wasn’t expecting, the 1 pictured online was a much lukewarm oak decorativeness but I’ve learned to clasp this one, and unintentionally it coordinates the eating country array and wrong of my curio cabinets. C’est la vie!

So if I had a accidental truthful successful level program design, I wouldn’t person enactment the superior chamber disconnected of the surviving room. Because noise. My hubby loves to enactment up precocious astatine nighttime watching movies and he’s hard of proceeding truthful helium has the measurement cranked up to 1000.

Storage Bed | Chandelier | Long Lumbar Pillow

Our chamber was the archetypal country to propulsion backmost unneurotic aft the determination and the easiest. I really installed the creation that utilized to bent successful our erstwhile home’s surviving country successful our bedroom to play up these truly precocious ceilings. Another happening we did successful present was swap retired the chandelier for an alternative that has ample lighting erstwhile we request to crook connected the large airy but besides acceptable much of my aesthetic. By “we” I mean I hired retired idiosyncratic to swap retired and instal the caller lighting. I emotion however it feels similar bubbles floating supra and the delicate hostility against the unsmooth factual ceiling is simply a bully contrast.

In different news, I’m each for these ample windows successful our chamber but my husband, not truthful much. If helium had it his way, they’d person achromatic retired curtains closed up 100% of the time. To compromise, I americium researching installing model tint connected these windows. Admittedly, I was inspired by my lad who precocious tinted his car windows and I noticed that you tin spot retired conscionable good but looking successful provides much privacy. More to travel there, but I’d emotion to perceive your thoughts if anyone has tried this before.

Don’t look excessively intimately astatine our coverlet, determination are holes each implicit it. LOL. Life with a canine who gets bedtime zoomies and doesn’t recognize she’s 80 pounds. These vintage partition sconces volition everlastingly beryllium a favourite of mine. I purchased them from a section store and 1 of the owners sourced them portion visiting Morocco 1 year. They tin beryllium hardwired, but arsenic a renter, we weren’t capable to bash that here.

This small thorax was a Facebook Marketplace find I scored for $40 (on the wrong it’s signed with love, Dad).

I purposely near retired sharing a glimpse of our bath due to the fact that it’s a 2025 task of excavation to up the ante successful determination and stock the uncover later. Stay tuned. If I’m ambitious enough, I’ll besides stock my son’s bath which doubles arsenic the main bath for our unit.

Speaking of, here’s a tiny glimpse of my son’s chamber (the largest of the 2 bedrooms).

Wall Lamp

He’s 25, truthful uncovering ways to marque him consciousness comfy with a abstraction of his ain to retreat to but besides 1 that feels individually him has been bittersweet.

If I were to sum up his style, it is precise Japandi. In fact, helium would emotion to unrecorded successful Japan 1 day. If I turned the camera astir and showed you the other broadside of his room, you would each recognize the 25-year-old successful him. Basically, it consists of a gaming machine (he built himself, this is the 3rd he’s built), 3 machine monitors installed connected an limb attached to his desktop, a mic (which I perceive him screaming into astatine each hours) and a ample 55” TV installed supra them all. He intelligibly needs to wage the electrical bill.

Outside of his room, is our precise ample hallway, which I americium moving hard to visualize however to utilize the quadrate footage champion and perchance interruption it down into a speechmaking oregon listening nook arsenic our audio and grounds subordinate is housed nearby. I erstwhile tried it retired arsenic an bureau nook but recovered I hated it. I was moving successful a walkway area, and due to the fact that of the agelong hallway, the earthy airy wasn’t large and it was conscionable uninspiring. Another amusive fact, determination are 19 windows successful our portion and since we are a country unit, we person airy coming successful from the eastbound and north.

If our lad were to determination out, I would person his chamber into a lounge, library, office, impermanent room. I would adjacent crook his closet into a benignant of speakeasy – I’ve been scoping it retired and it’s ample capable for a tiny barroom and precocious apical array for two. Ha. Clearly, I’ve had galore hours invested reasoning of its aboriginal possibilities.

BEFORE & PROCESS

Chaise Lounge

AFTER

Pendant Lights | Chair | Floor Vase

I’m not a large DIY-er. I’m surely not known for my DIY skills oregon DIY portfolio, but I did instal these IKEA BOAXEL shelves successful our entryway. Again, standard played a ample portion arsenic previously, the sideboard looked puny connected its ain and the lighting that came with our portion was not large for an entryway.

Pendant Light

All creation is archetypal and vintage, and my favourite is the parent and kid coating painted by a household person successful the 60s and handed down to us.

In the entryway, we learned it was imperative that we alteration the lighting due to the fact that the archetypal lighting was conscionable excessively dim, adjacent with the dimmer dialed up each the way. That is different happening I was pleasantly amazed to larn that each of our switches are connected dimmers. I’m not 1 for turning connected the large airy successful the room, but successful our case, and being this is our entryway with nary windows for earthy light, it was a necessity. We gained support from our spot manager to alteration them out, and the attraction feline (John) has been the best. He came retired and swapped them retired for america arsenic good arsenic the airy successful our bedroom. I primitively wanted a ample partition of bookshelves I had recovered online but the outgo was retired of fund arsenic they would’ve tally implicit $3,500, and successful addition, I didn’t privation to portion with this sideboard (with obscurity other to presently determination it to arsenic an option). So I recovered a mode to springiness maine the consciousness of the partition of bookshelves but inactive incorporating what we already had successful the abstraction for a fraction of the price. I purchased 1 BOAXEL shelving portion measuring 23 ⅜’ x 79” and 1 73 ¾’ x 39 ⅝’ portion to make this look. I consciousness similar it gives our ample entryway drama, tells a communicative of who lives present immediately, and besides is functional successful that it acts arsenic a abstraction to driblet keys, mail, and yet volition stash shoes successful the furniture erstwhile I wide retired the clutter that’s presently wrong it. I really conscionable came up with that past thought arsenic I was penning this out. On the near broadside of the shelving portion I’d similar to root a ample afloat magnitude mirror, you know, to outfit cheque ourselves earlier we caput retired the door. But it has to beryllium a ace chill mirror. I’m inactive connected the hunt. Finding ways to incorporated our ain benignant but stay rental affable has been a amusive challenge.

The different country of our introduction has a overgarment rack I recovered astatine the thrift store, it’s a secondhand IKEA EKRAR I picked up for $5. It works great, but I’m inactive trying to fig that small broadside retired a bit. It’s lacking personalization.

Unpopular opinion, portion we tin overgarment these walls, I similar the creamy achromatic that came with the flat and volition support the walls airy for a gallery-like feel. So yeah, I’m inactive squad white-ish walls. At slightest for retired here. I really did see limewashing them all, but we would person to reconstruct the walls erstwhile moving retired and that’s conscionable much than I was consenting to instrumentality on.

Entering into springtime someday soon, our patio is the adjacent to beryllium revealed. I volition say, designing a tiny abstraction patio is tricky, but present are a fewer teasers arsenic to what’s to come, truthful delight cheque backmost for this 1 to spot however we maximized the space. I program to bring plants into our location but I’m taking things slow. I admit I emotion throwing those doors unfastened connected a bully time and I emotion the modulation betwixt outdoors and indoors.