So I may be living in a 340 square foot box, but it’s actually pretty spacious for a single guy with low standards. In fact, if you’re willing to put a positive spin on it, I actually lucked out and found myself a seven-room studio apartment!
Now when I say that my apartment has six rooms, I’m not really even cheating and counting the bathroom or the kitchen. And although my bathroom is quite cramped, my kitchen is sized to be an eat-in kitchen, which makes it pretty spacious. I seriously considered putting my bed in the kitchen before I finally decided to buy a loft bed frame. But on a more practical note, what having a eat-in kitchen that you don’t eat in means is that you’re basically just short on counter space all the time. At least I’ve got a nice fridge and a generous freezer. And if you’ve ever lived with me, you know I can fill up a freezer.
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| This camera is sitting across the hallway from the bathroom, and this is the widest shot I could get. It’s that cramped. |
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| 55 sq. ft. of floor space, 5.5 sq. ft. of counter space |
So that brings us to the main portion of the apartment. It’s a studio, but it’s very well equipped for being built 103 years ago. Let’s begin the tour!
The Entry Hallway, or as I like to call it, The Chart Room
It seems like a big hallway would just be eating up my already scarce square footage, but it’s actually a pretty nice thing to have. It’s a pretty nice place to put up all of my wall art (which for me is mostly maps), but the thing I appreciate most about my hallway is that it gives me some good separation from the common hallway. The doors don’t seal particularly well – I can see my ceiling from the hallway through the gap above the door – and my hallway keeps my bed about 10-15’ from anything that’s happening out there. This is compared to my neighbor to the north (we’ll refer to him as “Canada”), who because of the layout of his apartment has to lay his head right next to his front door.
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| Fun Fact: I am required by my lease to keep at least 80% of my hardwood floors covered by carpets. |
The Dressing Nook
At the end of my hallway is a weird nook where the hallway suddenly doubles in width. I can only imagine what it looks like in Mexico’s apartment (in keeping with the neighbor analogy). Anyway, it’s as good of a place as any to keep my dresser. Opposite the nook is my surprisingly large closet, which is even more impressive to me considering just how little closet space I got by with during college since all my closets wound up being full of pipes. There’s even enough space in my closet to store my spare dining room table chairs, and they double as a nice place to put my shoes on in the morning.
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| Coat Rack, Mirror, Ticket Stubs, Hallway, Map, BELLY BUTTON! |
One of the many pieces of furniture that I picked up from family members was my grandmother’s very nice solid wood dining room table. It didn’t sell on Craigslist, so she decided to give it to me as payment for listing all of her furniture items on Craigslist. That’s the Circle of Used Furniture, right there. Anyway, my dining room’s got a table and a TV, and that’s really all I need. Plus, the table is pretty big and it even has a leaf that I can add, so if any five of you want to come visit I do have the capability to host you all simultaneously. It just might be hard for us all to watch TV.
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| Although this photo is staged, I do routinely eat applesauce straight from the jar. What are you going to do about it? |
I also have a very nice desk in my apartment. Solid wood and everything! And… a tablecloth. Okay, you figured me out – it’s just the dining room table. But the thing’s big enough that it all works out. All of the computer stuff clears off of the desk and can be stored on the adjacent table along with the external monitor and my printer in seconds flat for hosting purposes. (hint, hint) I also get to stare up at my Wall O’ Memorabilia when I get tired of watching prairie dogs ride around on a Roomba.
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| Tory was nice enough to let me win at Fantasy Football this week, by the way. |
Home to my fold-out queen-size sleeper sofa, yet another failed Craigslist sale item. Although I can testify that the top is good for sleeping too, if a bit short. The poster is something my college dorm's RA's earned in a trivia contest (so naturally I'm the one who has it now), and the rug is where I do Wii Fit to keep from getting Way Fat.
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| Seriously, my morning routine has gotten to be this: wake up, bathroom, check email, nap for 15-20 minutes on the couch, Wii Fit, shower, work. |
In addition to the couch, I have 9 chairs in my apartment including this recliner, a hand-me-down from Richmond Brad. In conjunction with my surround sound speakers, having a comfy chair really makes my old dorm TV seem like a lot more of a cinematic experience. Well, that and sitting 5’ from the screen helps to make the thing seem a lot bigger. Add an air conditioner, a FDR blanket, and a space heater and you’re good through all seasons.
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| You can really see the disappointment on Tom Brady’s face after throwing a red-zone INT at home for the first time ever from 5’ away. |
My bedroom back in Richmond isn’t much smaller than the main room here at my apartment. I’ve really only got 12’3” by 12’9” of contiguous space, and honestly when I first tried to come up with a good furniture layout I was afraid that it’d really feel like I was living in a bedroom. But I’ve put the bedroom last on this list because it really is the last place I feel like I am when I get home from work. Office, living room, dining room, all of those seem obvious – but by putting my bed 7’ up in the air I really do forget about it until it comes to be time to go to bed. And while at its most basic your home really is just where you lay your head at night, you really don’t need much in the way of furnishings to make a bedroom comfortable. It’s not like you’re going to be conscious long enough to appreciate it that much. A clock, a fan, a pillow, and that’s really about it.
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| 10’ ceilings are AWESOME. So is having 3 nice, large windows... Except when you're trying to sleep in. |
Tune in next time when I'll give you a preview of election season in DC. You'll be surprised to hear some of the weird things they have us vote on, and also to find out why people who go to Purdue University have more of a say over the DC budget than I do.
