Moving On: Goodbye Apartment Living

In my update last week, I mentioned we had sold our apartment. We’d been there for more than 4 years and although I’m excited we’re moving on… I’ll miss it! It was our first home we bought as a couple and I have so many wonderful memories there. If it had a yard… and a laundry room… and a third bedroom… I’d be tempted to stay there forever. But! Not quite.

In the past four years, my tastes have changed and our new place won’t share the same decor… but I still love it. I’d planned to take some detail shots of the touches I love the most, but with two babies (and all their stuff!), I didn’t find time. Plus, I had tons of eager helpers packing for me and before long… those touches were packed away! These photos I took to list the apartment… so they’re pretty sad (So sad that I questioned posting this), but I’ll point out some of the itty bitty details I ‘ll miss.

When we moved in, the walls were dark brown, and a couple were black (I kid you not). The light colour made the space almost double in size. We also changed out all of the lights. Those crackled glass fixtures were on a crazy good deal, so we decked the place out in them. The dining room light was a Winners find- it sat perfectly over the birch painting (again, from Winners!). And probably my favourite is the teeny chandelier in our walk in closet.

 

I love that we took the chance on wallpaper. And how the mirrors (both the black in the bedroom, and glass butterfly mirror in the living room) reflect the paper. The wallpaper is actually the same print, just different colours. Even though it’s different, it ties the small space together. The living room area rug was a natural fiber steal I found when my sister moved for school. It made the 8 hour drive home after dropping her off cramped, but so worth it. The couches for our new place are grey, so I’m sure this will be one of the pieces that will need to find a new home (along with those lamps) but I love the way it felt under my feet and how interesting the texture was without grabbing too much attention.

We had possibly the biggest apartment bedroom in town. Before we moved out, we had the crib in there and there was still plenty of space to walk around. When we had a roomate, we had the large wingback chair and an end table for reading in there. We’re having trouble finding a house with a master big enough for all four of our dressers! This room had a recessed wall behind the door that tucked them away nicely. On top of those dressers (how I’d love to replace those at the new place!), you can see a cluster of picture frames- these held some glamour shots from my wedding with all our perfumes and colognes on a cute tray. I love that this was a landing spot for jewelry without adding clutter.

I love the photo wall we had in our hallway to the bedrooms. I didn’t get a shot of this, but you can kind of see it reflected in the bathroom mirror (pretty sad pic… I know!). I adore photos and love having them in my space to remind me of the people and moments I love the most. At the same time, I didn’t want every wall to be covered. This wall was my solution.

The ensuite lacked storage (check out those dated vanities!) I found this cute vintage dresser at a local thrift shop and it stored everything from hair accessories to nail polish to sunscreen. I’m not sure where (or if!?) it will find a home in our new place. Another thrifty find was the wingback chair we found on Craigslist. I’d bought it to reupholster, but the pattern worked so well in the space, I never bothered.


The living area was my favourite space. It was such a cozy place to spend time. Since we had no usable outdoor space, we brought houseplants in- beside the couch we had a mini jungle with a mix of gray clay pots and vases we collected over time. Other pieces that will travel with us? The glass candlesticks, a gift from my mom… and the antique crate of birch sticks (which later became my magazine storage). I had a few vintage books I stacked on our coffee table/footrest to feature candles. Those will need to find a home at our new place as well.


I found this Instagram post from over a year ago of the magazine crate I love so much.

Our next place is going to be much brighter, with crisp whites and greys and some pops of colour. Maybe chartreuse? It’s time for a change and I can’t wait to try something a little less traditional. Maybe I’ll get an inspiration board up soon!

What was your first place like? What do you miss the most about it?

XO -C