Loving Small Living

I'm loving living in my studio! As you can see, it has evolved in the few months since I've moved in. I've made few changes in the layout except for adding a funky, rustic shelf that effectively separates the kitchen and provides an entry into the apartment. I've hung a coat hook beside the door and voila! I no longer walk straight into the kitchen (a Feng Shui no no) and better yet, I do not see the kitchen from my bed. I also stitched up some unbleached (white) burlap curtains for the areas which need them. I love their rustic simplicity and the way they filter the light. I have divided the space (650sq ft) into two, distinct spaces - kitchen/studio - which includes an easel for painting, my office and a small library besides the cooking and eating area, and relaxing/sleeping room. Mainly I've concentrated on really organizing my storage options so that the space is totally multi-functional. I've had a couple of dinner parties here for up to eight people - the drop leaf green table pulls out for more seating and extra chairs are pulled into service from the balcony. Right now the plants are sharing the space for the winter and they too, seem to have adjusted to new surroundings quite well! Thank you for all your comments! I'll try to post more often now that I'm back in a groove. Have a lovely weekend.

Hidden In Paris

For all of you who are fans of Corine Gantz's fabulous blog, Hidden In France, go to Amazon.com (click on post title to get there quickly) and order her debut novel, Hidden In Paris immediately! The story is a mad romp through contemporary Paris, where our heroine, Annie, an American ex-pat, suddenly finds herself sans husband and in the possession of a grand, albeit crumbling house in the heart of the sixteenth arrondissement; the widowed mother of two small boys. What's a (thirty-something) girl to do in a situation like this? A bright idea turns lucrative when Annie decides to open her home to a few strangers against her children's and best friend, the sophisticated and very Parisian Lucas' wishes. What ensues is for you dear reader, to discover but rest assured there is everything Paris has to offer between these pages, including great food, wine and men! Corine has written a fabulous first novel and no doubt she's already scribbling away at the draft of her next, or at the very least, tossing a few ideas around in that creative head of hers! This book is pure fun with a dollop of wisdom thrown in for good measure. I loved it and so will you!

Finito!

Done! Made a few pillow covers with textiles I had on hand - determined to use what I have and not acquire more - and rearranged a bit. I think I'm done! I have gone mad with prints, texture and layering here. I think it works because of the amount of white present in soft furnishings, painted wood and objects - including shells. I love bringing nature indoors. I've hung a few mirrors but more for Feng Shui reasons than as decorative tricks - there's no getting away from the fact that this is only one room! Rather than fight that, I've embraced it and by leaving the sweep of space between the bed area and living room, I've created a great open feeling.

Finding Space Within Space

The challenge with downsizing from a two bedroom house to a studio is zoning space for all the activities that take place in a home. Storage too is a problem. In a one-room studio, especially, a lot of storage is going to be on display and everything really needs to be organized to the max. I didn't have enough closet space for instance, so I carved out a 'closet' in the bathroom by hanging two rods, one for clothes and one for a curtain, in an empty area behind the sink. I put a small dresser beneath the clothes rod and voila! Closet! The other closet is to the right of the bathroom door, concealed behind a burgundy velvet curtain I happened to have saved from an earlier abode. Not only does it fit perfectly, it matches the burgundy kitchen tiles! Rather than fight the light grey of the bathroom tiles, I painted the walls (and the wall behind my bed) the same shade and added blue and cream in the way of fabric,along with a couple of painted wood pieces to give it more of a feeling of a room. It has a romantic, shabby chic atmosphere now. I decided right away to leave the main space open rather than use a divider in the bedroom area. I much prefer the feeling of open floor space and think screens, though often beautiful, a bit old school. I think the pale grey on the wall behind the bed works nicely to seperate it from the other areas where whatever adobe was present among the wood, I painted white. Instead of 'decorating' the space, I placed furniture, objects and art in a very relaxed manner, which gives the space a very cool, bohemian feel. The light here is gorgeous and waking up in the trees is lovely. More shots above of the bathroom/dressing room. Tomorrow I'll post my review of Hidden In Paris!

Downsized

I've been gone because I've been making some big changes to my life. Biggest change was a big move to a smaller space! For a number of reasons, not least of which, the urge to travel more, I decided I no longer needed the amount of space I called home for the past five years. Deciding a smaller footprint was a more conscious decision, I divested myself of about half of my possessions (children, yard sales and giveaways) and rented a 650 square foot, rustic studio loft at the top of a building which houses only two other apartments, quite near to where I lived previously. I have a small space beneath the stairs where I'm creating a little container garden, and another on my balcony which looks at Taos Mountain. I divided the space in two with a big ficus tree; kitchen/dining/office library on one side, living on the other with an abbreviated sleeping alcove created with an antique sari and double bed made up like a daybed. It works! Tomorrow I'll show you some pics of the bathroom/dressing room but I'm on major writing deadlines at the moment so today I'll be brief but back tomorrow with a review of Corinne from Hidden In France's great novel, Hidden In Paris and more on downsizing and loving living in a smaller space! Above are few shots of the new love, living and dreaming abode!