condo – before & progress

Post holiday decorating always leaves me a bit blue. Yes, January is about new beginnings and renewal (not to mention broken diet/gym/yoga/spin you name it resolutions), but is it so bad to say that January may be my least favorite month? #sorrynotsorry

I digress.

Our condo is a continual work in progress and with the holidays long gone, our space is feeling a bit empty. I’m really embracing the minimalist, industrial, Scandinavian look – literally. Empty corners, bare walls, white space, a makeshift media center Costco card table, which a friend dubbed as “industrial” – hey, I’ll take it.

It’s still missing some texture, layers and accents, but I’m trying to enjoy the process. And save money along the way – decorating, home improvement projects, and the likes can sure empty your pockets.

When we first moved in, our condo looked like this. Please excuse the poor quality pictures, view at your own risk! 🙂

{BEFORE} The pictures speak for themselves, but our lovely 600 sq. ft condo came equipped with all the fancy fixins’ –

• hospital green walls
• cobalt blue pendant lights
• track lighting
• seashell-esque wall scones
• wiry oatmeal carpet
• vinyl tile floor

kitchen

hall/entry

main room

main room

bathroom

bathroom

vinyl floor

{PROGRESS} keep in mind it’s still in the early early stages, but at least the green is gone!

Here are a few of the changes we’ve made so far –

• white white white – helps to maximize the space and provides a blank canvas to showcase my eclectic palette
• Edison pendant lights – the clear frame allows the eye to move seamlessly across the space, which is important in small spaces
• bu-bye weird seashell sconces, helloo lovely modern lighting
• brand spankin’ new toilet
• new laminate floors in a gray weathered finish – a nice contrast to my gray-toned white paint. I carried it on throughout the entire space to avoid breaking up the already small space.
• new baseboards and door casings – good moulding adds architectural interest and a finished, updated look

hallway/entry

pendant lights

main room

main area

dining room

main area

hallway/entry

makeshift bar

dresser

{TO DO}

• replace track lighting (yuck)
• new dining room light
• paint – baseboards, casings, fireplace, french doors, closet…(ok I lied, our closet is still that dreadful green)
• new appliances $$$ – break my piggy bank this is on hold, but I can dream of my stackable Samsung washer/dryer
• patio – deck resurfaced/stained, a good cleaning, seating area
• redo configuration of laundry room and organize
• laminate overlays for kitchen and bathroom
• replace countertops
• finish bathroom

I tire just contemplating the endless to-do’s, but it’s good to remember to take your time and enjoy the process. Don’t buy things you don’t absolutely love or else you wind up spending more in the long run. I firmly believe in regularly editing different areas of your living space. Step back and curate the details along the way – is the seating configured in a way that encourages conversation? Are both shelves absolutely necessary or redundant? Do you still love that piece of furniture you’ve had since college and is it functional in your present lifestyle?

Hopefully this will motivate me to knock off a few of those tasks within the upcoming weeks…okay, months. Until then, I hope I can provide you some encouragement based on real life living/redesigning/decorating. It’s not always pretty or HGTV perfect, but always remember to enjoy the process.

More pictures to come!