Boy, it has been a minute. The last few weeks have been absolute mayhem. With the Coronavirus pandemic on the rise, I have been extremely busy with work. From cancelling our big event in Western Canada to supporting our members through their business operations, it feels like I haven't had much of a chance to just slowdown. Which is ironic considering that we are being asked to stay home and in a way, it's the perfect opportunity to hit the pause button. The first two weeks of working from home were overwhelming to say the least. However, we are starting to get into a groove and have gotten a handle on how the virus is affecting our business operations.
The virus is not at all what this blog post is about though! I am moving this week! Woohoo! I wanted to start a kind of series that will roll out over the next couple of months, all relating to apartment living. I have been living in my current apartment for almost TWO YEARS now! I have a hard time believing that it has already been that long. It feels like it wasn't so long ago that I was going through every apartment search website, looking for an apartment that I not only liked, but also fit my budget and ideal location. I was looking for a one bedroom initially, but then got hit with a reality check and realized most one bedrooms that weren't super sketchy were nowhere near my budget. On top of that, at this point I hadn't yet secured a full-time job, so I had to be conservative with my budget. The Ottawa rental market is kind of a joke. Different property management companies have very different prices for similar things, many don't maintain their buildings well, there are a lot of sketchy areas that as a 22 year old woman you don't want to live in, and overall it's just so expensive. I visited four places in person. Now that I'm writing this, I kind of want to go on a side tangent to tell you about these units...
The first place was a high-rise that a friend of mine lived in a few years back. She had a one bedroom in this building and I remember it being quite decent. The one bedroom was above my budget, so I looked at the bachelor. The lobby was really nice and almost luxurious. The first floor was nice and clean. When we went into the hallway of the floor where the unit I was visiting was on, it smelled bad, the walls seemed dirty and the rug was quite gross. We go into the unit and it is mostly empty. The tenants (yes, tenants. A mother and daughter in her early twenties were living in this bachelor together. To each their own I guess!) were inside during the visit, which was totally fine. I scanned the room and then I saw it... The stripper pole. I then saw the tiny kitchen. It was the size of a closet. I think the floor space allowed for the fridge to open but that's about it. The counter space was just what ever ledge there was next to the stove. It was TINY! I asked the sales person if it was a structural pole or a "stripper" pole and she told me she was pretty sure the tenants added it, but of course it would be removed before moving in. That unit was very disappointing. The second bachelor was a little better, but also had a very small kitchen. I'm not super into cooking, but I still needed some sort of counter space. The third place I saw was a one bedroom that I thought fit my budget. It was very basic but not horrible. Then the superintendent told me the price. Since this unit had a balcony, it was way more than what was advertised. So I knew that it wouldn't be worth it for me. The fourth apartment I visited was the one I ended up signing with. The building was clean, the sales person was very nice and accommodating and I immediately loved the unit. When I walked in, I first saw the walk-in closet which immediately struck me, since most apartments I had seen in person and online had very little closet space. Those who know me know I have lots of clothes... The bathroom had a big counter and huge mirror. Another bonus! When we walked further into the unit, I first saw the huge window and the natural light coming in, and then I turned and saw the kitchen area. There was actual counter space! Granted, it's not a ton, but compared to the others it was a lot. The price was right, the location was perfect, and the unit fit my needs. I put down the deposit the next day!
That was a long tangent, I apologize. Back to the actual topic of this blog post, making that small space work! My bachelor is on the large size compared to others on the market, but it is still a bachelor. My bedroom, office, living room and kitchen were now all crammed into one area. It was very overwhelming at first. But with some creativity and time on Pinterest, I figured out how to make it work! And that's what I wanted to share with you today. Limited space can be a little intimidating, but it's not impossible to make work!
1. Making Your Small Kitchen Work
Bachelor kitchens are almost ALWAYS tiny. Your stove is smaller than standard, you have a smaller fridge, no dishwasher usually, a single sink, hardly any counter space, and limited cabinet space. Because that space is so small, it's so important to be strategic. One thing that really helped me maximize my cabinet space has been getting wired shelves to be able to add another tier to organize my plates, bowls and drink ware. Something else that helped with storage was using this little bookcase/shelving unit for extra "pantry" space. It gave me more space to store my teas, snacks, cookbooks, cooking oils, etc. Something else I've really thanked myself for was getting small appliances like a narrow Keurig machine and not buying extra things that aren't super necessary like an Instantpot or counter top mixer. These things take extra space and are things you can live without. Sticking to the basics and making those things work helped with not overcrowding my space with things I would rarely use.
2. Making Your "Bedroom" Space Work
A bachelor apartment melds all your spaces into one, which makes it hard to make your sleeping area an oasis. A bed also takes so much space and it can be discouraging to see that one piece of furniture eat up so much of your limited space. I think it is so important to make your bed area an oasis as much as possible so that at the end of the day, you can you back to this cozy area to rest and relax. I wrote about living on your own for the first time where I shared a picture of my bed decor and honestly, I am in love with it. For a while I was calling it my cloud. Something about my cloud is that I did not want anyone sitting on it when they came over, which is why it was so important for me to have a distinct living room area (which I will talk about next). My bed area was my space that I really wanted to keep to myself. On top of that, spending all of your time on your bed is actually proven to be really bad for your sleep. For example, studying in bed makes you subconsciously associate the comfort of your bed to the stress of studying, which impacts how you sleep. Another tip for your bed area is to take advantage of the space under your bed with storage containers. I keep my off-season clothes under my bed, which optimizes my closet space. Finally, try as much as possible to avoid sticking your bed in a corner. It is so hard to make a bed that way and I feel that it gets you frustrated and that frustration ties back to a small space and makes you resentful of it. Maybe a stretch, but I definitely feel that way about having to throw myself across a bed to tuck in the sheets in the space between the mattress and the wall.
3. Making Your Living Area Work
As mentioned above, having a distinct living area is something that was really important to me. I chose to have a couch over a dining table since I love lounging and reading in comfort, and also don't mind eating on the couch and coffee table. Having that distinction makes the space feel more versatile. One thing I will say is that having people over for dinner is difficult, because not everyone enjoys eating on the couch. Also, taco nights are impossible! I am very much looking forward to hosting people with my new dining area. This being said, I still have no regrets about choosing to have a couch. One thing I especially love about my couch is that the sectional section of it (strongly recommend a sectional by the way) lifts up and has hidden storage. I store my air mattress and extra blankets in it since I rarely use them, but still needed to find a space for it. Multi-use furniture is so handy in a small space!
4. Making Your Closet Space Work
As I mentioned, I got quite lucky with the closet space that came with my apartment. However, this closet was used for my clothes, jackets, shoes, purses and other miscellaneous items. I must say, the closet was definitely one of the things I struggled to keep tidy the most. One thing I really liked that I did in my closet was using a hanging shoe organizer to be able to store them in a vertical matter. I was able to fit a lot of my flat shoes in there! Something else I would recommend is using your suitcase to store other travel bags and duffel bags that you don't use very often. Instead of taking up half a shelf space, they will just take the space of your biggest bag. I also put my laundry basket in the corner of my closet to avoid having that messy looking basket in my main area. Unfortunately, I'm not the most help in this department. For the new place, I am definitely going to be going deep into Pinterest to find organizational hacks for my new closet. Stay tuned!
5. Making Your Bathroom Work
My bathroom is so tiny and dated! It definitely has to be my least favourite part of the entire space. As mentioned, the big counter and mirror did catch my eye and has to be the only good thing about that bathroom. The door comes and inch away of hitting the toilet when it opens and it is just a very tight space. Two people brushing their teeth in it means a lot of elbows knocking into the other person. My biggest tip is to make use of the under the sink space that is available if you can. I had drawer unit from Walmart that is made of plastic which is easy to clean and kept all of my toiletries, as well as another fabric one that used to be my brothers. Without these drawers, this bathroom had absolutely no storage. I can't say it was the cutest thing, but it was practical!
6. Extra Tips To Make It Work
I had some extra tips that didn't necessarily fit into any specific areas, so I created this extra section for advice. Firstly, you do not need to hang onto things just for the sake of it. If you never use it and it doesn't hold any value to you (or as Marie Kondo would say, "if it doesn't bring you joy"), throw it away. Hanging onto things that you don't actually use is such a waste of space! Make each space count by only keeping what you need. This is something I am still trying to master myself, but I am taking this next move as an opportunity to let go of old things that don't serve me anymore. Another tip is to work with height. Avoid getting wide furniture that take up lots of square footage. For example, I have the shelving in the kitchen I mentioned early for extra food storage, a tall bookcase as opposed to a wide and low one, and a dresser that stands five drawers tall, as much as I wanted the wide and low MALM one from Ikea. Height helps optimize room that would otherwise be unused. My third tip is so make your space as homey as possible. Just because it is small, it doesn't mean it can't reflect who you are. Sometimes, we may not like being in a small space, but if we work to personalize it, you might just be able to make it feel like home. Finally, my last tip and perhaps my most important one, is to keep your space tidy! Tidy up every day if that's what it takes. It doesn't take much to make a small space messy. The smallest mess can really make the entire place look like a disaster, because it is pretty much impossible to escape it. So, make your bed every morning and clean as you go. A clean space feels much bigger than a cluttered one!
This next chapter I am entering is with my boyfriend Alex. We found a newly renovated two bedroom in the East end of Ottawa, which is much closer to my work and away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. It will be both of our first times living with a significant other, so we both know that it will be a huge adjustment. Despite spending every night together, having one space that is shared will certainly feel significantly different. You can definitely expect some content about what its like moving in with your boyfriend in the upcoming months! I have a bunch of ideas for content relating back to my move and new place. I can't wait to make this our home and to start this new adventure. Stay tuned for more apartment content coming very soon!
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P.s.I really wanted to include pictures in this article, but with the move so close, most of my things are packed and the rest of my apartment is a total mess! I hope I was able to paint a mental picture. For additional apartment inspiration, I am a huge believer in the magic of Pinterest. Happy pining!