When a Bachelor Pad Begs for a New Look

In 1998 my sisters, and I, sold the family home, the 4 bedroom house I had grown up in, and lived in, since 1969, when I was 9 years old, and my youngest sister was just a year old.

I moved into a tiny 1 bedroom bungalow, and there I lived for four years before moving to a studio apartment in Costa Mesa, then to my current, not quite 1 bedroom in Santa Ana.

In all those years I didn't have enough furniture, or enough money to spend on it, to spruce things up.

I managed on the bare minimun.

 

A bed, a desk, a folding chair, and a dresser with 6 drawers, are what you see looking south, from my front door.

Not much to speak of is it?

Not even any pictures on that wall back there, and I've got tons of photos packed away in photo albums.

Well, there is a photo of my Mom over the Desk, and a copy of the Desiderata, on a beautiful wood plaque, alongside a poem by my baby sister, called Big Brother.

Looking north, toward my front door,  there are my Bookshelves, and the coffee table with my TV and stereo.

As I said.... no furniture to speak of.

While I was taking the photos you see in this post Nikita decided to check out the 2nd floor walkway, taking advatage of one of the few times I leave the front door open for any length of time.

The kitchen area is not very large, but has plenty of shelf space.

There is enough room for a small table and some folding chairs.

Not seen in either image of the kitchen are the cart with my microwave, and my Fridge.

In December a friend took a look at my photos, and promptly told me I could do better, with some planning, and some judicious use of funds to add furniture, artwork, and framed photos, to liven things up, and make the space uniquely my own, and definitely more presentable, and liveable.

After the pep talk, and a look at a few floor plans drawn up on a website, I was beginning to see what she was talking about, and becoming rather enthused at the prosepect of change.

In the 1st month I organized the clutte of my apartment, and packed away a lot of excess in the garage.

In late January I moved furniture around according to one of the floor plans, and saw that even this minimal re-arrainging gave the place a whole new look, and vibe.

I'm not ready to show the place off, not by a long shot.

For one thing I've got new clutter to take care of, need to get another bookshelf, and get a proper entertainment center for the TV and Stereo, and need to start planning for the eye candy that will go on the walls.

The project is under way, so stay tuned, things are just getting interesting. ;-D