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Thursday, December 17, 2009

my crib

Many of you have wanted to see what the inside of our apartment looks like. I thought I'd post a picture for you. Here you go:



OK. That's not our apartment. It's the lobby in our apartment building. But I bet I got some reactions out of a few of you.

Let's go on up to our apartment. Which, by the way, I figured out is smaller than a double wide trailer. Yes, it's glamorous living here in the city. I'm in a double-wide trailer in the sky with a family of six. There is room for only the essentials. Someone sent us a lovely boquet of flowers a while back and when I picked them up from the doorman, Jackson gasped, "WHERE are we going to put THOSE?" The reality that we are living in a small space is not lost on anyone here, people.

Going up. 31 please.



Here's what you see as soon as you walk thru our doors.



This is our living/dining room. My favorite thing in this room is the clear dining room chairs. We had the table with us in Colorado, but the heavy black chairs made the apartment feel so crowded. The clear ones give much more visual space. It's an illusion.





The original dining room is on the far right. We had to convert it to Lily's room. AND WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR OUR SUPER TO INSTALL THE DOORS. Did you know putting a 6 year old to bed while the rest of the family chills in the living room is not an easy task? And I won't even go into what happens when we have to send her to her room for disciplinary matters. Let's just say, the whole "there is an invisible wall here that you can't go past" statement isn't holding much water.

Here's Lily's room:




Here's our little kitchen.




And let's go down the hall to the boys room. (Disclaimer: I did not make up their beds, because who am I kidding? They are never made up and some things just don't matter to me right now.)



This is probably the biggest challenge of living in a small apartment. All three boys are sharing this room. We have 3 individual desks on the left side. Each has their own designated area. They've been good sports so far about all this. One of them even said "It's like being at camp." By the way, did you know you can use the retouch tool in Iphoto to digitally vacuum the carpet? Just a helpful hint I thought I'd share with you.

You need to check out this triple high bunk bed though:



I'm so impressed with my husband. He chopped up 2 ikea beds and made this. The bottom bed is really a trundle that rolls out. However, Jackson likes sleeping underneath the middle bunk rather than roll it out. He said it's cozy under there. Personally, I think he's afraid of being stepped on by the 2 older brothers that are sleeping above him.

Here's the master bedroom.




I really like the way our bedroom turned out. It's light and airy and quite relaxing. And I love the views.

So there you go. That's it. There are no more rooms. Except for the 2 bathrooms and who really wants to see a picture of a shower and a toilet?

56 comments:

Kellee said...

It looks adorable, Michelle! I really like your room! I wanna see Lily's room too! :)

Michelle said...

Oops! I forgot to insert her room. I just updated it Kellee! Thanks for pointing that out:-)

Marci said...

Where was Rod during the triple high bunk building at TM? Is that legal - he should check with NY state law on triple high's before you get to excited :) Looks great and I see your couch is spacious enough for a single visitor.

Lisa H said...

Looks like you've done some nice things with the space you have. And that lobby picture is really pretty! :)

jody Landers said...

i think it's totally cozy. And the thought of having ONLY what you need sounds so appealing right now.
Great job making it a beautiful family space.

Blessings.

Anonymous said...

You had me on that first photo, LOL First off, you could make a card board box look out of this world! Secondly, as for Lily's bedroom door issue, at least she can't lock herself inside anymore,bawhahahaha! Just a thought!

Love it and so happy for you guys! I'd never be able to look out the window, I hate heights!

Teresa said...

I really like it! It is cozy and I would just hang out in that lobby on a regular basis because it's so darn pretty!

Thanks for the tour!

Christina Lowery said...

I so want to be you when I grow up Michelle! Your apartment is stunning - right out of a catalog!

Adrienne said...

I love it! And, I love the Upper East Side. Who am I kidding, I love Manhattan...the whole thing! Looks like you guys are having a blast and I'm so happy to see that. Excited for what God's doing.

Tina said...

Michelle, love what you have done with your double wide! Thanks for keeping us posted on your adventure, it has been fun to follow your adventure.

Gayla said...

gorgeous!

Heidi Jo Comes said...

it's divine. love grows best in little places, don't ya know:0)

Katie Morris said...

It's fabulous! And, you could make a cardboard box look great. My favorites are all of the space illusions...clear chairs (where'd ya get those?), mirrors, light colors. Great job. And, I think I would get distracted from cooking with that incredible view! Worth it though! Thanks for the tour and the personal view of the Plaza as well! Great pictures.

Karenkool said...

I love your amazing decorating skills. You need to help me out!!! I have plenty of house space but do a terrible job of having a place for everything and everything in it's place (although it's usually not my FAULT).

You got me good on the first photo! HAHAHAH!

CRICKET said...

Beautiful and cozy! I love reading about small spaces, this is a neat blog:
http://smallplacestyle.blogspot.com/

michelle said...

I LOL after the lobby pic. It may be small but it is beautiful...shows your excellence in everything you do.

Can't wait to see you on Sun!

wesleyandbeth said...

I just love it! There is something that is so appealing about squeezing into a small space. You've made it so beautiful and cozy!!

Tiffany said...

I seriously LOVE what you have done with the place... I can't help but smile thinking about all of you guys squeezing in there but you've done such an awesome job. I really love it... and I'm one of those people you "got" with that first picture - nice job!

shannon said...

I really like it Michelle. Way to go! I especially like your "Keep Calm" picture, I've seen those, and love them. I think it's especially pertinent in such a small space, right? I'm glad you are all enjoying your new adventure. Thanks for sharing.

RachelNoah627 said...

Finally!! Thank you for sharing! I do LOVE how the sun seems to shine in everywhere.

Laura said...

I saw your post on apartment therapy. We like you are a house of 6 living in 1200 square feet but we're in Oregon. One thing I love is that cleaning is so fast, even deep cleaning can be done in about an hour. Love. It. Even though sometimes I'd like a little more room and privacy. We don't have area carpets yet so you can hear the tv in every room of the house! We're working on that one. I hope Santa is listening!

I'd LOVE your views and your doorman! :-)
http://6lalas.blogspot.com/

karey m. said...

just spent the loveliest minutes scrolling through your posts.

i think i've found my newest fave. well done!

and now. going to kirtsy this if no one else has! xoxo. karey m.

Danica said...

Love your place, love your blog. I'll be checking in on it from now on.

Meg said...

Welcome to NYC! You've done a fabulous job of creating a home. I hope you and your brood enjoy living here. Maybe the blizzard that's supposed to come our way tomorrow will make it feel a little more like Colorado to you guys.

Anonymous said...

Love this blog! Question: where is lily's dresser from? i love it!

Cat Sitter in the City said...

Welcome to NYC! I love what you've done with your apartment. It looks like a real home, although I didn't notice any pets. I think you have room for a cat and/or a dog. :)

Unknown said...

One more of you say we can always live king size in small space ? and great style too- Bravo.

Mo said...

I found your blog through Apartment Therapy and am really enjoying it. I can't imagine trading the beauty of Colorado for NY! But that's how life goes sometimes.

I grew up in a family of four, and your apartment looks huge to me. I can't imagine what the old house was like. I've never had a bedroom the size of your daughter's in my life!

I checked out the Charity:Water site also and was very impressed with their work. Unfortunately I've been unemployed for what seems like forever, but as soon as I'm working again I would like to contribute.

Good luck to you all!

Sandra said...

I just found your blog and absolutely love it!! My son and dil are in NYC while he is in grad school at NYU. They live in the East Village. Not quite like living where you do! I love your apartment. I'm trying to catch up on your posts. Did you tell at some point what took you to the city from CO?? xoxo

Erin said...

I too just found your blog and want to tell you what a joy it was perusing all your entries.

I'm an Atlantan (suburbs) and have always dreamed of living in "New York Big City." Thank you for allowing us to live vicariously through you and your beautiful family.

God Bless!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your lovely stories about my hometown. It's wonderful to read about people who appreciate what it's like here, and don't compare it to wherever they used to live. And btw, the 5 second rule does apply to food dropped on the ground in NYC, you just have to have been born here to have the necessary immunity.

Velvet and Linen said...

Beautiful job Michelle.
Are you sure it's only 1,500 sq ft?
It looks so much bigger. I think it's because you kept it so nice and open.
The neutral colors look so pretty.
Thank you for the tour!

xo
Brooke

Ann said...

Lovely, lovely, Michelle. You have such beautiful style. I knew you'd make it live large there. I'm so glad you're blogging, again, I missed your posts during your move.

Kim said...

Very nice Michelle, but it kinda looks like there's room for Gunner. Seriously though, it always cracks me up how he gets up next to you and then just backs right in. It's as if he's trying to be as close and take up as little room as possible.

Anonymous said...

Hi Michelle,
I found your site on ApartmentTherapy.com. I'm a native NYer and I think your blog is a hoot! I guess when you have lived in one place it seems "normal", but your stories prove that NY if far from "normal"! I hope you and your family have a great experience here.

Anonymous said...

Growing up my sisters and I had triple bunk beds! My dad made them and the beds were neat but the room wasn't nearly as nice as your boys' room. Very little natural light and a bit smaller. Just enough space for the bed, two dressers (the third was in the closet) and about three feet of clutter on the floor. We made do though. :) Lovely apartment!

Lacy said...

I love it! It's so nice! can't imagine what it's like going from a big house to an apt again.

editor said...

loving your blog! thanks for sharing pics of your lovely apartment! keep blogging!

Anonymous said...

very nice! love the bunk beds. you should post it to ikea hacker! http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/search/label/craft

Lys said...

Wonderful blog and I love what you have done with the apt. Quite the transition moving from Colorado to NYC. Lily, from reading some of the other posts, is a future fashionista - she'll do well in NYC.

Jennifer said...

Found you through Apartment Therapy and proceeded to read your entire blog. I love your writing style - spare, a little cheeky, ultimately amused by life.

I lived in Manhattan for six years (including two at 72nd and 3rd). Loved every minute, but chafed against the space issues. I'm so impressed with how you set up your family's new home.

Anonymous said...

Your home is so pretty and functional! May I ask where you purchased your couch? I have been looking for a similar one everywhere! Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Great blog...my husband and I are moving to San Francisco to a 527 sq foot studio. Basically one room with a kitchen and a bath. We are excited and your story (even though you have children) provides an interesting place to check out and compare.

Laura said...

A friend just sent me your link....and I am obsessed with you. Don't be scared. I don't stalk.
BUT...
I moved to L.A. from NYC almost 10 years ago. Lived in a one bedroom on Carmine in the West Village. Before that, in a railroad apt on the upper East side.
We moved to L.A. for more space...then I had three more kids.
So now, we too, are 6 in the city, in a small living space. Just with better weather. And I bake and decorate cakes and cupcakes out of my tiny kitchen.

I have to say, your apt is more than lovely, and looks like you have everything you need. Really, really beautiful.
look forward to reading more...

Elizabeth said...

I'm new to your blog through Apartment Therapy and know that I'll look forward to adding it to my blog list that is really getting out of hand! I love your sense of humor and the NYC posts are making me miss my old life there...

Carol said...

Love your writing style, Michelle. What a great experience for you and your family. I look forward to reading more of your adventures. Wonderful job with designing and decorating your new home. It looks so warm and inviting!

Just Mom said...

Very nice, Michelle! I can't believe you just moved in there and have it decorated already. I've still got boxes in storage that I should probably look through -- and we moved to our current house three years ago.

I love the clear dining room chairs. :-D

Sickitten said...

I just found this blog by accident. Love it and all of your children are gorgeous. I envy you.

yello.cape.cod said...

I also found your blog through AT and we are also a family of 6 in around 1200 sq ft. I have been complaining that there is not enough room in a house this size for all the kids' toys and things. I think your house shows me that they just have too much stuff. Where is their toy storage? I have been thinking about a triple bunk bed...it's my only alternative to moving the girls to the larger bedroom on three twin beds. Currently my son sleeps on the couch and it is becoming a problem that he doesn't have a room of his own. I think I will show this post to my husband. Hopefully it will get some mad scientist juices flowing.

Traveling Mama said...

Looks like I am one of many who has found you through your tour over at AT. The caption stuck out because I'm a mom of three and we are in the process of moving from Morocco to Denmark. We are going from small house to tiny apartment, so it is really fun to see what a beautiful home you have made with such little space! I'm looking forward to checking out your blog some more! Best wishes from Morocco!

Sohailah said...

Okay - FIFTY comments?!? Man oh man!!!! Must say - it is absolutely wonderful. You REALLY have the knack!
i did NOT fall for the lobby - simply because that's sos your sense of humor - which cracks me up...

Anonymous said...

We are a family of five soon to be six. And we have this hairbrained idea to move from our nearly 4,000 sq ft house in the suburbs of Seattle to London, where we'll be lucky to afford a 1,200 ft flat.

So, I'll be reading with intense fascination.

I would love to read more about how your husband made the boys triple bunk. We'll have 3 boys and one girl as well!

Michelle said...

HI everyone!
Thanks so much for your lovely comments:-)
A couple of you asked questions and I'm going to post the answers here:

Chairs are from Ikea. But I've also seen them at CB2

Sofa is the Axis sectional from Crate and Barrel. It's microfiber and virtually indestructible.

The kids don't have toy storage because of their ages- except for Lily and she has her own closet in her room. The 3 boys each have their own desk/ computer in the room with their own small storage space in their closet.

The triple high bunk bed is actually 2 Ikea beds that my husband chopped up and reconfigured. One of them is the loft bed and the other is a regular twin bed. I'll explain exactly how he did it in a future post if anyone is interested.

Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!

Shannon said...

Hi Michelle!

I was so excited to see this post in your blog. My husband, my 14 month old and myself have been waiting for the "right time" to make the move to NYC from NJ. We have waited and kind of dragged our feet, nervous that our next child might be of the opposite sex as our first born- where would put them if that happened? Your blog has totally inspired me to re-think our plans! I love your style of making the place feel (and look!) so open and bright. I am planning on following your adventures, since I hopefully will be making the move soon. One question I do have for you is schools....what is your take on the schools on the area? Were there any dreaded "waiting lists" or slots that you had to stake out? Are you kids in the traditional schools or charter schools (totally not stalking- as a teacher, myself, I really want to make the right decision for my daughter)?

Michelle said...

I am getting random comments and emails telling me how cruel I am to put the 3 boys is a room together while my husband and I take the larger room.

Not sure why everyone thinks the master is so much bigger. They are the same size, people. But I appreciate your concern.

Anonymous said...

I love your blog Michelle. We are four and a puppy in a 1100 sq foot house. The four includes my mother-in-law. One bathroom! I just have to say, even if you did give yourself the bigger room, how is that cruel? You guys pay the rent!

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