life in a tiny apartment.

Tip #111: When it comes to furnishing, emulate Goldilocks.

If there’s one thing that internet publishing isn’t terribly good at showing, it’s slow growth.

We’re used to seeing befores and afters, but in these portrayals of people’s homes the transformation is rapid—a quick swipe of the fingers and voila, you see a space rendered beautiful in seconds. The in-between parts of apartment furnishing and decorating are harder to showcase. There’s only rare cataloguing of the awkward adolescent phase when the nose—or couch—doesn’t quite fit into the rest of your face—er, room. Mostly, this is okay. But it’s a good thing to remember that even if the photos are few, most spaces go through an awkward stage. When it comes to filling a tiny space—or any space—with things that you love, the process is less Cinderella pre-midnight and more Goldilocks and the Three Bears. You’ve got to give things a try and rule out what doesn’t feel quite right until you settle on something that does.

In my case, I’ve found that holding off on purchasing something new until I find the just-right thing makes for a more beautiful space and far less regret. Here’s an example:

Since moving into our new apartment, I’ve been using our former dinner table as my work desk. Transformed into a desk it’s a wonder that we ever used the tiny 2×3 foot table as a dining table, but that’s the magic of tiny apartment living—everything that once seemed impossible is proven otherwise. Without a dedicated desk chair, I’ve been using one of our four dining chairs to work in—dragging a chair from our new table over to my desk while I work, and dragging it back to the table when I’m all finished.

And for the past six months, I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for the perfect desk chair.

I’ve made weekly visits to the thrift shop around the corner. I’ve scanned the windows of antique shops and inspected piles of discarded furniture on the street. Finally, last week, James brought home a set of two stools. Vestiges from biology labs of years past, the stools were destined for the dumpster but they’re just the right thing for our space. Originally sold as adjustable stools, the two have long-since been stuck in place and one is stuck at just exactly the right height for my taller-than-typical desk. Patience, rewarded.

What about you? What’s a favorite thing you’ve found after a long search?

More on works-in-progress, HERE.
Tiny apartment survival tips #1-110, right HERE.