Hey everyone,
So I just got a new job and it's a good one that's going to allow me to "upgrade" my life. In the plans are moving out of my sweat-lodge of an apartment (that some of you may remember from my thread on ineffective swamp coolers.)
I found a really cool new set of environmentally conscious lofts downtown, but I've never lived in a studio and/or loft before, and think it might be a bit of a change from my moderately-sized one-bedroom that I live in now. I get a choice between two different units, one of which is substantially bigger for $100 more. I think I could make that work financially, while still meeting my savings goals, but whichever one I choose, I'll still be moving into a smaller place then I am now.
I have a small desk and my computer, large tv (that's not mountable, unfortunately), a bed (which will go up on the loft), and some assorted small furniture that need to fit into an interesting space. I currently watch my tv from my bed, so I'll probably have to get a small couch to fit too. Currently, I'm having trouble picturing where my desk and computer will fit with regards to the tv/couch combo. In addition, the units don't have closets so I will have to find a wardrobe and fit that somewhere as well.
So basically, I have to make this (apologies for the clutter):
Fit into a space similar to that seen in the artist's rendering shown near
the bottom of this page
I figure I'm going to have to simplify a lot of my current living habits, which I'm excited about. Aside from the essential pieces of furniture, I don't need a whole lot to live in, and am wondering if anyone else has any experience living in a loft, moving from a moderate sized space to a moderately small sized place, or simplifying their living arrangements in general.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
Posts
They cast a shadow like a sundial in the morning light. It was half past 10.
Secondly look at what you can store above you, ie hang, your bike (note the single!)
Thirdly, what trilly said, sticking shit under the bed saves a bunch of space.
Look at replacing your Computer with a laptop, or your tv with a media server/computer with a tuner card.
Satans..... hints.....
There should be plenty of stuff you can throw out.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/bedroom/10997/
storage storage everywhere
Find it, make it, use it. Keep neat and tidy because otherwise life is going to suck extra hard.
I have a queen sized bed, dresser, night stand, table, crib, chair, and ottoman in my 200 something sqft studio with enough room for a ton of toddler toys and space to run around. I had to make some "sacrifices". I have a standing desk thats actually a 12'' deep shelf and my table is smaller than usual.
SHELVES
STORAGE
Thanks for the info on IKEA. We have one nearby in Sacramento, but I don't have a truck, so options are somewhat limited. Are those wardrobe combinations easily transported in the trunk of a car? Possibly sticking out the rear somewhat? Actually, I could borrow a Prius, which has more back space with the seats put down. Alternatively, I could probably find a moderately nice one on Craigslist, or something.
The plant is actually pretty small, but the framing makes it look larger than it is. Not too worried about my plants.
I think I will be ruthless with all my extraneous things, like old videogames and clothes I wear, but the flow of the apartment with my current furniture is what has me worried. I might have to go with the larger place just to give myself the most options, as the small units are really quite small (300-400 ft²)
Thanks for the help so far, I'm definitely interested in hearing what everyone has to say.
HGTV has a show called Small Space Big Style that showcases living in tiny areas. Might want to look into that show, it usually has a lot of the same ideas done in different ways.
But yea, think vertical, think very vertical. You can go all the way to the ceiling. Use it.
I don't think you'll need to get rid of anything, to be honest.
You don't have a lot of stuff, either.
Don't be afraid to throw out old furniture that isn't going to work as well in your new place, especially if it's Wal-mart/Target/Ikea stuff. It's better to get rid of furniture that's taking up a lot of space and not adding a whole lot than to keep it around clogging stuff up. Last time I moved one of the pieces of furniture got broken and it actually turned out to be a relief that I didn't have to find a place for it. Don't be that person moving stuff you're gonna throw out later
Sure, their stuff might look snappy, but if it's hollow and filled with cardboard, is it really a good quality table?
I've read that about Ikea (in this month's Atlantic), which is why I'd prefer to buy a second hand piece locally, but I will definitely try to find a more substantial piece if I do end up going there.
Ikea is not something I will use to decorate my entire place with. A few pieces, yes. But I'd never do a whole place in Ikea
A computer desk? Not so much.
An entertainment centre? Even worse.
Most of their shit is built from partical board or hollow wood reinforced by cardboard. Here is a picture where a guy cut into a shelf, and you can see the cardboard.
Also, some of their stuff is better than others.
See if you can find a liquidation place near you. There are warehouse-style furniture stores that basically sell off slightly damaged goods or repossessed furniture. I got a solid oak entertainment centre and coffee table from one of these places, both in pretty much perfect condition. We were never able to find the same models online to compare how much it would have cost new, but from similar stuff we found it looked like we saved about $1000.
Yeah, you can save quite a bit by looking around for furniture and checking out warehouse sales and liquidation places. We bought a china cabinet/display shelf thingy for $400 at a warehouse sale and later came across the exact same one brand new for $1300.
You should also check out the house & home magazines at your local bookstore - a lot of them have entire issues devoted to living in smaller spaces. You can find a lot of neat storage and layout ideas there.
http://www.stacksandstacks.com/dual-wall-bike-rack-with-adjustable-shelves/?groupId=9037&categoryId=1271&AID=9926704&PID=2187177&SID=1246904424z4a0wpgox29ysitai0s65c
It's all about finding the right method to utilize space. Discreet racks, shelves... You can get a ceiling mount for that plant of yours as well.
And I crammed most of the stuff I got from IKEA into one trip in my 1990 Honda Civic. You don't need a truck.
there is an RC willy in roseville and i think a place that sells furniture that is used to stage new homes etc in sac somewhere, i never found it
For quality I think it depends a lot of what you buy. Some of their stuff is real wood the whole way through (trust me, I cut a piece off of my desk to thread wires through). It isn't hard to figure out what is cheap and what is better by looking at the price tags.
All of the stuff comes in flat boxes. so it is easy to fit into or on top of cars.
There are four bikes.
*adds nothing constructive to this thread*
</end waste of your time.>
It's already there.
Um... did you bother to look at the picture in the link?
If you were really obsessive about having your bikes out of the way (mine usually leans against my bed, so I can sleep close at night :winky:) you could do something awesome like this:
http://lifehacker.com/5211899/build-a-minimal-diy-bike-rack
But if I were you I would throw away some things that aren't one of the most useful things you could own.
Well you can only ride one bike at once. Since space is at a premium, he could stand to sell 3 bikes.
They cast a shadow like a sundial in the morning light. It was half past 10.
and my desk is actually pretty nice, it's just a big ol' slab of frosted glass sitting on two metal stands that look like sawhorses.
This might be an obvious tip, but going vertical when possible is a good idea. 1 tall bookshelf instead of 2 squat shelves, vertical bike rack (or hanging!), entertainment center that lets you stack your equipment, etc.
I'm turning in the application tomorrow morning, and should be able to put the deposit down later this week. I'll definitely be looking into vertical options and multi-purpose furniture, but it's good to know that you guys think I should be able to fit most everything pretty easily.
edit: Though I would like to say that the artist's rendition of the loft looks pretty sweet. You even have alcoves and stuff for the bikes.
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Have you seen the place in person? The artist's rendition is great.. but let's face it.. it's an artist's rendition.
Going by that though, you've got a lot of space for what you have right now. You can split up the main floor area to have both a couch/tv and your desk/computer.
Your bikes could easily be hung on the walls in the hallway coming from the front door.
I just realized, is there a kitchen at all? Do you have one where you are now? I'm not familiar with "big city living," so I'm not sure if that's a dumb question.
Glad you all think that a couch will fit alright with my desk. That was one of my primary concerns.
I found a couple of Ikea wardrobes for sale locally, and bought them for an amazing price, but I'm starting to get worried about them. They're the Aneboda wardrobes, and previously I thought I'd be able to install a drawer or two into the bottom of them, hanging the clothes above. There are plenty of holes in the sides, but looking on Ikea's website, I can't find drawers that go into the Aneboda. The Komplement drawers could work, but I haven't found any mention of putting them into an Aneboda wardrobe from my googling the last 20 minutes or so. Is it possible? Ikea's three hours away, and I'm planning on making a trip there in the next two weekends to get matching drawers and maybe a new desk, but don't want to drive out there for nothing.
Thanks again for the continued support. I'll keep you guys updated on the move in, because the place is going to be amazing!
http://haberae.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/Salon_7.136162407.jpg
Also, judging by the artist render, you have plenty of options to hang your bike. If anything, you need get some nicer looking furniture.