Learning to Love the Space You Are In

If you live in a place like we do, housing is expensive and options are limited. And right now, a lot of us are spending most of our time at home. We are lucky enough to rent a space in my parent's home. We have our own yard and entrance and a decent sized one-bedroom apartment. While it is spacious enough for 2 (plus our kitten cat), the place is dated. While it would be easy enough to sink a bunch of money into a renovation we try to walk the line between making things functional while saving as much as we can for our future forever home.
Over the years I have developed a few ideas that have made us really happy and comfortable where we are.

• Think about what activities you spend the most time on and focus your money there. For us, we spend a lot of time watching TV. It's something we enjoy together and so we spent some money on a nice tv and a neutral TV unit that can travel with us when we move. We also bought a nice sectional couch (from Costco) that will last us a long time but is also adjustable and could be adapted to fit any space. 
• Spend energy organizing what you have and donate what you don't need. I know, easier said than done. Focus on one area at a time (books, clothes, kitchen, and misc. stuff). For me, it was toiletries and cosmetics. I purged what I had in the closet that wasn't needed. Then, I put it all in a box and over time was able to empty the bottles and recycle them. Some local shelters will accept toiletries so make sure to check that before you throw them out.
• Beatify the things you have that you don't love. Because we have very little space there is just a lot of STUFF that we want to keep but looks messy (things like board games, workout equipment and paperwork. I didn't want to get rid of our shelving unit (or pay for a new one) so I spent some time figuring out what I wanted out of the space. For about $40 I was able to repurpose the unit and was really happy with the results.

Before

After



• Keep the place clean and tidy. Spending the extra time to make your bed in the morning will really make a difference. Over time you will take pride in your space and be happier overall. You may not have control over the flooring or layout but you have control over the contents and the way you keep it organized. 
• Add the comforts of a forever home, in a portable way. If there are things you know you want in a forever home, find a way to have them in your current home. For me, it was trees. So, last year we purchased 3 trees (pomegranate, lemon and mandarin) and we planted them in large containers. This way, when we are ready to find something permanent we already have established trees and in the mean time we can enjoy their fruits! We also have some jasmine plants that I have had in the last two apartments I've been in. 

Take some time to reflect on what's important to you in your space. 

Enjoy!
Sincerely, Samantha