An Introduction

Whether you are living at home, moving into a new apartment, or just bought a house (or you are just curious!), I hope to share with you some ways in which I have transformed a generic, bland rented space into a place Max and I now call home. This includes all the logistical aspects of renting a place (sorry, I can't comment on what it is like to own a home... yet), as well as the aesthetic tastes I have developed and layout/decoration tips I have collected. There will be greater emphasis on the former, as home decor was never a priority for me for the first six years out of college. My various job held during those years kept me on my toes, and any free time I had, I spent with Max or friends, or catching up on sleep. Since I graduated college, I have had six addresses. My first "home" after college was a room I rented in someone else's house. It was the most budget-friendly option, but also ended up being a major nightmare (more about this and the challenges I faced with an unreasonable landlady another time!). My second place was another room-in-a-shared-home situation---this time, I was extra cautious. My third place was a 1-month sublet as I was moving between jobs and states. My fourth apartment was a true apartment, one that Max and I called home for two years. No more renting a shared room for me; the liberty that came with that was empowering. At the same time, however, it was more expensive, so being financially responsible was essential. My fifth home was another true apartment---this one was definitely an upgrade from all the others. Max and I "splurged" on this place, as we felt it was important to feel good coming home after a long day of work. As young professionals, we were finally ready to have a larger bathroom, a cleaner kitchen with newer appliances, and a place that was not just practical but felt special. This fifth apartment even had its own in-unit washer and dryer (!!!). I cannot tell you how thrilled we both were about these luxury items. Max never learned to do his own laundry until he started living with me, and having our own units made doing laundry less of a burden and more of a joy (goodbye quarters! and waiting for others to claim their laundry! and walking between buildings in the bitter cold! and misplacing single socks that never reappear!). I can go on and on about this apartment; we genuinely loved living there, but there were some surprises too... No place is ever perfect, but this home was pretty close (except that we did not own it). That takes me to our sixth and current home in New York City. All I can say about this place is, wait for my future blog posts, for there will be plenty of content to cover!

Thank you for reading!

-Catherine