I’ve been waiting to write this post for about… five years? So just a warning: it’ll be a meaty one. We finally moved into a great apartment! And look, I loved our old basement apartment as much as one could love a basement apartment (this song seriously helped a lot), but we needed more windows/light. And an oven. And a doorbell. And a bathtub. And a reason to get up in the morning. And somehow we managed to find this great place that we’re pretty over the moon about. Everything is finally set up and I’m honestly so happy with how it all looks. I got a bunch of little things that I've always wanted to have in my home, so if you have any interest in seeing the place, then this is the post for you, baby.
Here’s the kitchen!
KITCHEN DETAILS
Aprons should be hung in the kitchen because if you see it, you’ll use it - I’ve only recently learned this fact (I found this apron at an antique store years ago). The fruit bowl is from Anthropologie (it isn’t available anymore, but they do have other nice ones) as well as the recipe box beside it. I’ve only started to use the recipe box, and I only put recipes in there that I use constantly so I don’t have to have my laptop in the kitchen when cooking. I’m not in love with that table runner (from Marshalls) but it was the only summery one I found, so I got it. Yes, I like to have seasonal table runners, it’s a condition I have. And the huge clock hanging above is something I got online years ago because everyone should have at least one big clock. It always reminds me of Benjamin Button. Also, the rum cocktails dish towel was a gift from my parents from some island. I think I put it up in hopes to make those drinks some day.
Nathan got this sign in Texas and it makes us very happy. Self explanatory.
The watering can is the can that literally every woman in my life owns because she has good taste (from Ikea) and the plant is an orchid from Home Depot. The window ledges in this place might be my favorite part. On one side of the place, they all look out to the courtyard of our building which endlessly reminds me of Rear Window (which maybe doesn’t seem that impressive but I loved Alfred Hitchcock so much growing up, so this is big for me).
The utensil holder is from Crate & Barrel (only $10!) and I only own four cookbooks (two are Chrissy Teigen ones, one is the Bob’s Burgers one and the last one isn’t really a cookbook but a guide about what ingredients work well together called The Flavor Thesaurus), but doesn’t it make sense to keep them in the kitchen? I’m on the hunt for more really good cookbooks and warmly welcome any suggestions. I keep my garlic in that yellow butter dish (from Anthropologie, bought years ago) and the spice ledge is from Bed Bath & Beyond.
Not shown is a casserole dish from Amazon that I absolutely love and is the exact same one that my mom has. Also, we got this storage container to keep Baby Dog’s food in atop the fridge. As well as this pots and pans organizer rack for inside the cupboard. And lastly, these new sink strainers that have zero jagged edges.
Here’s the washroom!
WASHROOM DETAILS
The floor mats are from Bed Bath & Beyond. The Aqua Notes hanging on the wall inside the shower is from Amazon (it allows you to write notes/thoughts while you’re in there) and the curtain is from The Container Store. Pretty basic stuff here.
Again, I love this so much. Got it a few years ago from Springfield Stitches.
Onto the hallways & closets!
HALLWAY & CLOSET DETAILS
I love this hallway runner carpet so much, it blows my mind that I found it on Amazon. It’s so pretty, I want to die. The mirror was $20 from Ikea and I like it so much that I’ll eventually buy the larger version of it as well. Now… the shoe rack is something I don’t love, but Nathan likes it there so it was a compromise (it was originally hiding within the closet). The gorgeous shoe tray that I bought and loved is now in the closet for boots, etc. but really… I’m over it. Can you tell? His main reason for hating the shoe tray: “Are we serving the shoes??”
This bin from The Container Store is on a shelf in the front hallway closet and it’s been kind of a dream of mine to actually have. Never again will we have bags of clothes/other shit lounging around on the floors to get rid of now that we have this allocated bin! Honestly it’s small things like this that make me feel like I’d be a monster as a parent. Self-acceptance though, yeah?
The gold hooks are from Ikea. The mail/key rack that I love love love is from Bed Bath & Beyond. Can it hold incoming or outgoing mail? Up to you! (Not in my house, though. Only outgoing.)
This is the storage closet! Labels were made from my laminator machine that I’ve had since I was 15, duh. The dry cleaned winter coats stay in here when it’s not winter. We’re all following the policy of dry cleaning our winter coats come spring, AREN’T WE?
All of Baby Dog’s personal stuff is in that first bin (toothpaste/toothbrush/treats/bags/medicine/leash) and the second bin (that’s supposed to store shoes I think?) is from The Container Store and I use it to hold her new pee pads. Opening it each day to take out a new pee pad fulfills me in a way that I didn’t know I needed.
Shelf dividers (from Bed Bath & Beyond) because I come from privilege?
Other things not shown: a clear plastic box from The Container Store with the label of Cord City because every household has a comical amount of wires & cables that no one knows what to do with, but might come in handy some day. Another box from The Container Store that holds the tool box and any other loose tools and nails. I also bought these binder rings to hang/store individual purses in my closet.
Onto the bedroom!
BEDROOM DETAILS
This night stand from Target is so lovely and comes fully assembled, which is madness. It reminds me only slightly of Mad Men, which I think is a good thing.
These prints came from Etsy (and they come in every size imaginable) and I’ve wanted moon prints for years and years. I think it has to do with having those glow in the dark stars & planets on my ceiling when I was a kid (which I think every kid should have, I feel like it makes you dream big… like you know, for laminating machines, etc.).
This is a pretty decent photo of what most of the room looks like. Might be my favourite room. I hung the hats on the wall like that with nails because I feel like seeing them all the time will encourage me to wear them more. The small print above them is from when Marla & I went to Costa Rica years ago, still love it. The hamper that you can barely see in the right corner is beauuuuuutiful (from Bed Bath & Beyond) and I want everyone to have it (and with coupons it was $10!).
The wire basket is supposed to be used to hold bathroom accessories, but it works amazingly as my Cards & Stationary holder that houses any upcoming cards I need as well as my address book. Above that hangs my letter from Queen Elizabeth as well as a print that Harmeet gave me years ago that I love dearly (it’s a page from a book about two rabbits who travel across Canada together, I think). And not to get too corny, but the roses alongside are the first flowers that Nathan gave me years ago.
Had this dresser for years (it came from a furniture store on Steinway) and here you can see that gorgeous hamper better. Who knew that a hamper could prompt such desire in a person? Not me! Well, maybe me. A beautiful photo of Ma hangs above it.
My desk! Got it years ago from somewhere on Steinway, too. The small photos on it are of Camden as a baby and Jasmine. There’s a beagle coaster. Baby Dog’s paw print stamp. Alarm clock from Ikea. The glass jar is filled with notes from over the years that have things I don’t want to forget written inside (funny stories, kind things that have happened, generally just things that have made me happy).
The view of the fire escape! I’ve wanted a New York fire escape for a trillion years and that dream has come true. I wanted to get a small bird house for the fire escape since my desk looks out onto it, but decided against it because I read a story about a woman who did that and the falling seeds from the bird house attracted rats on the ground. So that idea was quickly abandoned. I refuse to have any more rat issues in my lifetime.
This shelf is from Amazon and it’s pretty easy to put together, even without instructions. The daisies are from the Union Square Greenmarket. The iPod dock is from Best Buy (bought about 20 years ago so there’s no link) that I still use often (I think I’m the last person on earth who happily uses her iPod). The candlesticks are from Ikea that have been discontinued. And there’s a Vincent Van Gogh doll down there that has a detachable ear.
Not shown: 1. Me, excitedly sleeping. 2. Nathan’s closet because that would be weird of me to show you. I’m not a maniac.
And lastly, the living room!
LIVING ROOM DETAILS
Nova Scotia flag. Nathan’s desk. Chair from Ikea. Simpsons painting from my mom. Moose from FAO Schwartz.
Sunflowers from Union Square Greenmarket.
Dahlias from Union Square Greenmarket. Both those plant pots are from Ikea.
This basket used to hold winter hats & gloves, now we use it to hold any of Baby Dog’s friends that she’s not playing with.
I love this coffee table from Target. It weighs a ton and was pretty easy to put together. The flowers are ageratums from the market as well.
This clock from Amazon doesn’t make any ticking sounds and it’s lovely. Just bought a second one in a different colour for the bedroom.
Not shown: Nathan’s whole desk area because of, ya know, privacy. (But basically all you’re missing is a Hulk Hogan statue, a rooster painting and various artifacts celebrating his many successes.)
And that’s the place! Too much information? Possibly. But here you are reading about it, so maybe this is partially your fault for silently encouraging me. If I didn’t think people cared about this kind of stuff, then I wouldn’t have wanted to write about it? Wait, that’s a lie. In any case, thanks for giving a shit!