onenewmexican's Profile

I love it! Earlier on this site there was a series of "small nursery" postings for a 10 x 12 room and I just laughed. Our nursery space is the exact same size as yours and everything fits! Good luck with the next phase of your life!

Oh, also we refinished our cabinets using the rustoleum kit "cabinet transformations". It takes a while but is totally worth it. I think the kit was around $300 but you really would never be able to tell that the color was added, they just look like that's the way they were made.

I don't know how it would work out every day, it would depend on how much effort you want to put into it. Here's another option I love, although I have no idea where you get them, how much they cost, or what their quality is like. I've been fascinated for a while since I also live in a house that has pretty small rooms. http://www.flyingbeds.com/14.SmartBeds/SmartBeds.FlyingBeds.htm

I'd put an area rug in the dining room. I don't know if they have self adhesive tile there, but that could work for the entry, they have nicer stuff now that can be grouted. I would paint the kitchen tiles white to minimize the different finishes in the room and consider adding a narrow bar/counter along the empty side if there is space. (even if it's just a shelf at bar height to put a few colorful bowls or baskets on) it could mask the pipes and break up the space, but it looks narrow, so it'll depend on how narrow the space is. Also hang bright curtains to hide the half window that is blocked by the cabinets and recenter focus on the window that shows. (not too long, you don't want them to catch on fire...the Steve looks pretty close). I have to say I'd use curtains again in the bathroom, at least to cover up the water tank. Other than that I'd probably leave it alone. Adding some bathroom mats and some storage furniture will probably make it more bearable. Egypt has such beautiful textiles, I'd really use them throughout the house to brighten it up. Really once you have more furniture it'll begin to feel homey.

@p1 Yes, my husband often takes time off when family visits. They only get to come 1-2 times per year for a week or two. I suppose if they came more often he wouldn't be able to take time off, but since his mom doesn't drive at all, and his brother avoids driving as much as possible, the logistics of getting people to and fro would be annoying anyway I LIKE being able to host the family. If you have family that comes from afar, and you have a separate space to put them, why would you waste the time, cost, and closeness in having someone stay elsewhere? And to your question about being deprived, yes I really do think a visit is different when you stay with family versus when you rent a place.

Perhaps people who don't have international families can't understand, but it really would be unthinkable to ask someone flying in from another country to pay for their own lodgings. If they choose to do so for their own comfort (as I do when I travel there) that's their choice. Am I depriving my husband of time with his family in Germany? Yes (and he doesn't like it) but 5 people in a 650 sf Eastern block apartment drives me (not my MIL) crazy.

I suppose if they truly drove me crazy here I could pay for a place for them, but not everyone can foot that bill. If my in laws pay $2000 for a trip, I'm going to be grateful they visited at all.

The lowest I ever paid for rent was $550 in Albuquerque, and it wasn't the cheapest available but it had a yard, a community pool and jacuzzis, and all utilities included. The most expensive rent I've ever paid was in the South End of Boston. We paid $3200 for a 2 level, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 deck apartment with washer/dryer in the house. Oh, and it had a working fireplace. It was way, way too expensive for us, but a wonderful experience for a year!

Albuquerque. I don't live there anymore, but I do miss it. The city is zoned for just about anything (including goats, what other city lets you have goats in your back yard?). Houses are extremely affordable. People from places with more water think it's difficult to grow things there, but it's not really. You do have to use good water practices, but it's in Zone 6, which is the exact same zone that I'm in now in Boston. It has 4 seasons, lots of outdoors, but nice city things too.

Boston is getting more urban homestead friendly, and places like Somerville are a little more affordable, but the cost of living is pretty high around here. A friend of mine who make around 30K a year lives in Boston with a roommate and has a beautiful balcony garden. Another friend lives in Dorchester and has a large house and yard (but I think it's likely that she makes over 50K). Technically chickens are not allowed in Somerville, Dorchester, or Boston proper, but some people just ignore the rules and do it anyway. I haven't been brave enough yet (my yard is pretty visible) but I do have a pretty nice garden.