This is what I did all day long, with a mini break to grab bento boxes with BJ and Jeff. All of the kitchen boxes have been unpacked and things are starting to get organized. It’s not completely done yet. We plan on adding another sideboard table, put up a magnetic knife strip, and hang some more art to fill the gaps, but it’s pretty much functional now. I tend to like kitchen spaces where everything is hidden and counters are clear, but we gotta work with what we have and our place is growing on me more and more.

For the kitchen, we got  a lot of organizational things from Ikea, and it has made a huge difference. The sideboard table is sturdy, solid wood and gives us much-needed prep space. The bulletin board holds recipes, keys, and artwork (I found a Chris Ware Thanksgiving print just in time). Above the table, I put up this rail and container. Our move happened pretty quickly, so a lot of the nails were still left on the walls by the previous tenants. It’s actually worked out well, because I can easily hang what we have. I saw a nail on the cabinet near the kitchen sink and the Asker container mounts perfectly. I might get a few more to hold herbs for cooking since there’s a drainage hole at the bottom.

Other small victories: hanging lots of curtains, finally figuring out the weird rack on the pantry door is for lids, getting our first window open (ah! they’re all painted shut), and making a temporary headboard with two chairs. I’ve never used tools as much as I have in the last month and I’ve already learned so much about fixing things up. And it’s actually been fun.* Who would have thought?

Next step: saving up for a dining table, chairs, and fixing the old vent near the stove.

* I did watch a ton of This Old House, Holmes on Homes, and HGTV growing up.

In a similar style, I picked up a rug from the Guild Shop this morning. This is my first time living with some much wall to wall carpet in awhile, so I’ve been looking for some affordable rugs to cover up the not so pretty spots. Things go quickly at the Guild I’ve learned- the one I had my eye on was gone.

Here are some shots of our place right now. It’s going to be a lot of work getting it to where we want, but I’m having fun learning how to fix things up.

The pros:

• it has a lot of character and orginal fixtures
• the park, gardens, zoos, and museums are within walking distance
• we have a designated office space
• BJ could walk to work = we can still share a car
• some of the gaudy fixtures are so bad, they’re awesome
• natural lighting everywhere
• our friends live right below!
• New Orleans style balconies

The cons (many that are fixable):

• lots and lots of painting and spackling
• bad carpet
• longer commute for me
• windows are painted shut
• fluorescent lighting in a few rooms
• smaller kitchen & no hood