You’re never gonna say that right in your head again, are you?
I’ve ventured into a home-having odyssey of space optimization and organization. These are some of my strengths, after all. It wasn’t my intention to move so quickly (I figured I had another year or two of saving to do), but strike while the iron’s hot, they say! You see a good, stylish, well-maintained place that checks all your boxes and you just gotta get it!
Since I already love the interior design of the place, all that’s left is to make it my own — and how better to do that than with cartoon posters and all of my random stuff put everywhere?? Not to mention the swift coverage of cat fur… Tina owned this place quite quickly.
So much of the designers’ own aesthetic matched my own, so I bought what décor they were willing to part with. But how do I truly own my home? Well, a few things were key…
1. Changing the Curtains
The existing curtains matched well, but they weren’t better than my own — the combination of wispy and blackout curtains in the living room also creates a peaceful cast of cerulean blue, which I’m a big fan of.
Something about this one small change altered my view of the living area entirely. So then of course I had to start updating as many other things as I could with my ideas. And thus I started inching toward boho maximalism…
2. Faux Plants Everywhere
The place was already plant-iful when I first saw it, but not everything remained when the previous owners shipped out. I began draping my faux plants all over the place — for now. Eventually some of it will be replaced with (cat-safe!) living plants that hopefully bring a fresh air to the place. I’ve seen people have great layouts with plants bridging and framing entire rooms, and I simply must follow suit. It’s going to take a while, but I’m quite motivated!
I had done this to some extent in my apartment, but with the idea that I will eventually move (and perhaps sooner than later, with “inflation” going on), I didn’t want to invest that much effort into something that would have to not only be undone, but be stored and moved as well. It all works out, because the local home stores have very affordable fake plantage!
3. Replacing Generic Artwork
I have enough original artist prints, posters, and other types of art to hang on my wall without having to keep all the generic frames that came with the place. I did keep a few things that matched my aesthetic, however — many moons, macrame, and animal skulls, in particular. (One of my frequented tattoo shops also has a similar aesthetic!)
In addition to prints I have from friends, conventions, and the like, I also have my own work — not that I want to put my own stuff up everywhere, but my first painting of Tina was a must. She owns the place, after all.
4. Cat Stuff All Over
Tina’s stuff is everywhere, as it should be. A cat needs to be comfortable in a new space, and she took it over right away. Not only old things, scent-soakers as Jackson Galaxy calls them, but new things as well, draped in fur-miliar fixings.
I did discover, however, that I need more scratching surfaces. She’s taken a liking to the texture of a new-to-her pull-out couch and still loves scratching my old furniture. I can’t blame her, but she gets distracted easily…
Anyway, now that I have more than one room, I was also forced to organize Tina Turner’s toys more efficiently. I’m pretty happy with the outcome. Which brings me to the last major thing I want to talk about…
5. Organize Everything
The place is, overall, not very big — a few hundred square feet larger than the apartment, and definitely not recommended for anyone with a family of any notable size. But it’s just right for me! This size does means that, as with my apartment, I am utilizing just about 100% of the space right away, and needed to purchase things to accommodate organization as much as possible. No pantry, a very small kitchen, and no mudroom space means thin rolling carts and over-door shelves abound!
If you couldn’t tell, I love doing this. I only had to read a bit of Marie Kondo to know that I love space efficiency almost as much as she does, so the project to maximize and organize my things began almost immediately after closing.
A lack of kitchen storage in particular meant that I quickly had to learn how to Tetris my things onto the space available — and what’s important to keep. Luckily, I already have most of what I’ll ever need in the kitchen!
But Wait, There’s More!
All this to say, there’re still the little things. My home wasn’t exactly flipped, but its interior has been very renovated from its original form — quite different than the surrounding area, and evidence of this abounds. There’s a not insignificant amount of paint splatter in various inconvenient places, and other spots where paint needs to be touched up or redone. I had to install blinds and curtains and curtain hangers in places, and I had to clean crevices that had never been touched.
All-in-all, however, a move-in-ready space suited my needs — especially the need to get out of a dramatically exclusionary rental market in Middle Tennessee. I’d intended to become a homeowner since my big life shift at the end of 2018, and I’m glad I was able to make it work! It’s all worth it for nice views, relative safety, and affordability!
(By the by, I don’t recommend moving to this state at the moment — for a lot of obvious reasons, but also the less-obvious, such as our absolutely wrecked infrastructure. Driving here is NOT fun! And I could not have done what I did here if I did not work from home full-time. Consider affecting local government if you’re thinking of making this place a permanent home, at least!)
