skittles_aptB's Profile

in a quad-plex, post-war era (in other words: cheap construction).

No storage in bath, so I put an over-the-throne unit & attached it to the wall & put chair sliders on the bottom to keep the woodish material off the floor. replaced the shower head with a wand-type & put a small cabinet & shelf up on another wall. Also added a cheapish towel rack, nice but inexpensive. (took the cabinet when I left, but shower-wand & the rest stayed behind.

closets were miniscule, so I put hooks & additional rods up.

Only lived there a year, so the size & shoddy up-keep was bearable.... just.

landlord never was around, so when he saw how I left it, clean & better than move-in, he was very happy & offered to be a reference for future landlords!!

clean the wood & it will probably lighten up a bit.

then cover the seats with a lighter color. not as bright as the rest of your place, but a midtone between the wood & the white. Not plain grey but a color or a grey-white smallish print or plaid.

keep the wood wood-colored, not painted.

my clutter weakness is books!!

especially when you don't have enough bookshelves!!

I think that it is time for another bookcase!!

I wouldn't use it to display my books.

On the bottom shelf, the weight of a book falls on one thin piece of metal & could damage the book.

The top shelf also holds the book at only one place on the bottom... on the corner opposite the spine... not one of the strongest places, especially for a paperback. I could see a book bending, twisting & falling... damage I don't like to see to a book.

The look is great... practicality says "not my books, you don't!"

Better than an electric blanket is an electric mattress pad.. safer, too, because you can't fold the pad while on the bed, so no hot spots.

Best purchase I ever made... apartment can get freezing, but I sleep warm!

Cat likes it, too.

I'm in a small town & I found my loft apt via Craigslist!!

I love it!!

It is in an old building the landlord renovated completely.

The rent is a bit high for the area, but reasonable for me.

and put my loft in an larger city & I'd be paying 3 to 5 times the rent.... seriously.

if you have a cat, there will definitely be some interesting things/toys under the fridge &/or stove.

scattered thoughts in no particular order.

if you like where your laundry basket is, then get two narrow ones, one for either side of the pipe. Yes, they do exist & of course, I can't find a picture right now. You can also put a hamper in the hallway right outside the bathroom door, using one that doesn't 'scream' hamper. The size of the hamper or laundry bags all depend upon how often you can do your laundry.

Shelves or cabinets above the "throne" are a good idea & don't have to be wobbly or unstable. Try mounting a cabinet to the ceiling AND wall. But don't make it a full depth cabinet if it will seem too confining or claustrophobic.

Bring "the eye" up to decor or color higher. Paint the upper walls a medium pale but cheerful color that you like. Think about alternating vertical stripes of matte & gloss paints in the same color or a minute shade different. You may not want a strong contrast in such a small space, but having alternating gloss & matte will give good texture. (you could also pin-stripe or vary the width of the stripes)

Keep the towel racks, but draw the eye up the wall away from them. You might also think using about narrow glass shelves where you could set "pretty" items that you need in the bathroom.

Storage idea: Put a shelf (or small cabinet such as one you might find above a fridge) up above the window to store infrequently needed items. Use the high ceiling space where it won't bother you to see storage... think above the door, too.

Consider a new shower curtain rod, since that one is.... crooked & uneven. Again, you might find one that you can suspend from the ceiling instead of hanging from the wall. The clear shower curtain is great for letting more light in, but what about using an ultra sheer colored one? Yes, it might be hard to find one long enough to surround the tub but you could combine two just using snaps.

When I was young, my dad put a large "physical" map on the wall of my bedroom. It was from Air France & had their flights on it.... but it was great!! It was either glued on or wall papered on. (I wonder what the people did who bought the house after we moved)

When I finally had a place of my own, I bought a National Geographic physical world map & I put it on the wall behind my living room couch. (approx 3.5' by 6')

I always prefer a physical world map since the countries, names & boundaries can change within minutes... although I still have the physical world map up in my loft.. it shows the 'old' China & USSR city names (& others), but no one ever notices!!

"My" cat is gracious enough to allow me on his furniture in his apartment. In exchange, I must feed him, provide clean water in an ever-flowing fountain, clean his litter box & provide catnip & an exercise regimen (play-time).

Pets on the furniture? Depends upon who is considered the pet? the human or the animal?