This apartment I am moving into is small and old, or to put it in real-estate terms, cozy and authentic. As I have been thinking about decorating it occurs to me that I can work with the apartment's limitations instead of fighting them.
I usually prefer a modern aesthetic. The apartment we're moving to is well over 100 years old. Adding to the antique feel of the place will emphasize its character. Trying to put a veneer of modern design on such an old place would clash with the feel of the place.
When I bring bedding from our current apartment I will bring the quilts we have that look hand-made. They are embroidered with pretty dragonflies. Since it is such a small apartment both beds can be seen from the main room. Using the same quilt on both beds can cut down on visual clutter.
Along the same lines we are looking for a light, neutral tone and will paint the entire apartment the same shade.
For artwork I will only use period pieces. I have a lot of antique sheet music and a set of framed antique postcards.
Even the kitchen utensils will be old-fashioned. I inherited grandma's potato masher from a previous relationship. I will be using older-looking items, not the ergonomic stainless steel jobbies I favor now.
We have some lace curtains from our home exchange honeymoon in the Netherlands. Lace half-curtains for the kitchen window are a big item there. We bought ours in a hardware store. Those will look right at home in our new old apartment and are definitely coming with us.
There is really no point in trying to make the place look modern. It has a claw-foot bathtub in the kitchen, and there is nothing I can do about that sort of detail except embrace it.
My goal will be to decorate and equip the apartment to emphasize the old-time New York City vibe. I think this will give home exchangers even more of an immersion experience. My goal is the opposite of a hotel room -- to give my new place lots of old-fashioned details. I would ideally like my great-great-grandparents to be able to walk into the apartment and feel at home. You know, if they came back to life.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
You can subscribe to this blog to receive each day's post. Just enter your email below :
No comments:
Post a Comment