small space

  • life in a tiny apartment.

    Tip #138: Keep a drop cloth hanging around. There were five times in the past month when I’ve wanted to ball up our canvas drop cloth and leave it curbside in hopes of never seeing it…

    April 25, 2016 20 Comments
  • life in a tiny apartment.

    Tip #137: Organize Your Linen Closet/Bag/BoxA few weeks ago I took a photo of my mostly empty closet shelves and posted it to Instagram with the caption that empty shelves and baskets look prettier…

    March 31, 2016 50 Comments
  • indoor gardening with little guys.

    Yesterday I posted a photograph of our plecanthrus going gang-busters, and a few of you asked about how our plants have fared with a toddler in the house. The short answer is that while Faye…

    March 3, 2016 8 Comments
  • life in a tiny apartment.

    Tip #136: Size your traditions to fit your space.I’ve written before about my philosophy on holiday decorating: Simple and spare and requiring only a shoe box’s worth of space in the closet for storage in the…

    December 9, 2015 45 Comments
  • berry branches in a tiny apartment | reading my tea leaves

    life in a tiny apartment.

    Tip #135: Berries make the room.That’s how the expression goes, doesn’t it?The snowflake lights are strung up and turned on over Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Too early for Christmas some people might say, but I…

    November 18, 2015 17 Comments
  • block tower reading my tea leaves

    baby proof: soundproofing.

    Last weekend we spent Sunday stapling acoustic foam panels onto our floor. Viewed in a certain light, the panels themselves are quite lovely: All of those undulating curves, the soft gray, the touch of texture. Of…

    November 2, 2015 51 Comments
  • life in a tiny apartment.

    Tip #134: If it’s not your cup of tea, get rid of it.I do not like licorice tea. After offering cups of licorice tea to nearly everyone I’ve invited into my home in the past…

    October 28, 2015 30 Comments
  • house guests tiny apartment reading my tea leaves

    life in a tiny apartment.

    Tip #133: Preparing for Overnight GuestsA few years ago I wrote a post about giving yourself permission to say no when it comes to hosting overnight guests. Then I wrote about making an exception for…

    October 19, 2015 7 Comments
  • how to live with a husband in a tiny apartment

    life in a tiny apartment.

    Tip # 132: Love the one you’re with.It’s come to my attention that some of you are curious about whether James also enjoys keeping his underwear in neat piles according to color. Or whether he too…

    October 13, 2015 15 Comments
  • life in a tiny apartment.

    Tip #131: Organize your spices, not your cabinet.A perfectly organized spice cabinet is a thing to aspire to. But in a tiny apartment rental the likelihood that there’s a cabinet that’s just right for…

    September 23, 2015 19 Comments