#aptdeco

This refresh was a matter of getting down to the things we really value in our lives. Being that our move — the ultimate palate cleanser — didn't work out but our needs had nevertheless changed, I set out to overhaul our current 350 square foot apartment. 

In 2009, Nathan and I came back from living in China with just suitcases of clothing. We stayed with my parents and then in a sublet where we bought a new bed and a used nightstand. We moved those things to our current apartment and have been here ever since. It's a small space, so I wouldn't say we ever went overboard with stuff, most of it used to begin with. My parents happened to be moving at the same time we were and we helpfully inherited their castoff furniture. But as I continue to work from home and Nathan sometimes does as well, we needed practical workspaces that weren't the dining table. I undertook this project back in April and just last week wrapped up. With little fanfare and even less dusting, here are the results. 

The Hallway

Somehow our tiny apartment has a rather generous hallway which functions like a foyer would. I took down a gallery wall and only kept the pieces we really wanted to keep, including a portrait of my great-great grandmother, Bertha. The end is Nathan's little area because the hall closet is his. I added another set of hooks and installed a snowboard hanger (never used and given to us by a friend) because where else would that thing go? The umbrella stand was bought at a flea market around the time we first moved in.

The Office/Living Area

A big media cabinet went out and the the television moved to the wall. I bartered Nathan's IT skills with friend who does woodworking for custom shelves and standing desks made from scrap wood. Here are the standing mats I bought. I got the filing cabinet on Craigslist quite a while ago. The shelves hold books, souvenirs, and some practical office items. 

Rather than take up room on the shelves, I stacked most of our books in this weird little space in the living room wall. This left more room for other items like this flower pot I bought from friend and local ceramicist, Jonathan Castro. The old camera belonged to my great-grandfather. 

The only new pieces below are the chair (I sold my old one on AptDeco), the stool and mirror (off of Craigslist), and the blanket (a souvenir from Nathan's trip to New Mexico). I wish the chair were second hand but I got a little excited and ordered it off of Gilt, where Nathan works and we get credits. 

The Bedroom

Our bedroom has always been quite stripped down. Until recently, the bed was (stupidly) turned the other way and taking up almost all of the floor space. I could sit on the end of the bed and pull things from the closet. While the lazy convenience of this was pleasurable, there wasn't much room to move around, get dressed, etc. Incidentally, do not try to move a bed alone while your significant other is cross country and your phone is across the apartment. I hastily chose to move the bed after we made the decision to stay and coming off of the harrowing ordeal of trying to find a new apartment. Although I had the frustrated strength of a thousand apartment-hunting New Yorkers, I was nearly crushed by the weight of the mattress and wondered if anyone would ever find me mangled by our Luxury Plush Pillowtop before Nathan returned home. 

The curtains are new and 100% linen from West Elm. I looked for second hand curtains, but with sizes being so specific, I didn't have any luck. I even went to this couple's apartment to look at some, which were not the length advertised and were still installed on the wall. These curtains were originally meant to go in the living room, but they ended up being a better fit in the bedroom. 

The blanket is a thrifted Army issue and the duvet cover is turned inside out, making it white rather than off-white and black. The shelf above the door was made by the same bartering friend. The boxes are Container Store, cardboard and recyclable. Everything else is old — light fixture (IKEA), drawers in the closet (Container Store). Luckily, we have storage spaces above our closets. Those plus under the bed hold seasonal clothing and other storage-level items. 

My closet extends a bit now into this vanity area. Thrifted containers hold jewelry, the exception being the white candy dish that was my great-grandmother's. I found the mirror on, you guessed it, Craigslist. The pipe and pocket watch belonged to Nathan's grandfather. Coins and matchbooks from our travels fill a small glass container. 

The Bathroom

Not much to see here. Shower doors that are never really clean, but eucalyptus in the stall makes it better. I upcycle glass containers to hold beauty stuff like toners and masks. More plants. A bamboo shower mat is an addition I highly recommend. Or maybe one of these American made teak ones. 

The Kitchen

The kitchen is small but sufficient. There are a surprising number of cabinets in the space and these keep everything out of sight. The Hario kettle it took me so long to choose and my great-grandmother's cast iron skillet stay on the stove. The mortar and pestle are off of Etsy. I found the marble slab at Housing Works last week. See that grey table under the bar tray? That's the nightstand we bought for our sublet when we first moved to New York! 

That's it. Everything else was already here and now shines on it's own. Anything that's left is special and adds value to our lives — aesthetically, emotionally, or practically. 

Like grass growing, paint drying slow.

Getting rid of things takes time if you don't just dump it all at the nearest charity shop, something I don't recommend. It's far better to get your items back into circulation with other people who need them, rather than move them through the thrift store stream. Thrift stores are not hurting for junk, so don't be concerned about that. They have more clothes and shoes and books and coffee mugs than they know what to do with. Going this route took time and made my apartment refresh slower than I would have liked. But what I lacked in speed, I made up for in money and peace of mind about where most of my stuff ended up. Here's why it took 6 months. 

I held out for money

To make money and pass things I didn't want off to those who did, I turned to Krrb, AptDeco, and Craigslist. I sold this green chair on AptDeco and a bunch of random home decor like frames on Krrb. I also bought a stool and mirrors on Craigslist for cheaper than they would have been new. 

Unique items like some Star Wars drinking glasses did well on eBay. I sold clothing on Tradesy. ThredUp, and Threadflip offer the same services — you can take your pick. I took books to Strand Bookstore to sell or to book swaps among friends. DVDs were sold at Westsider.

I waited for quality items

I struggle with this more with regards to free stuff than to things I buy. Just because something is free, doesn't mean I should take it. However, if something is quality and needed, like this cast iron skillet that was my great-grandmother's, snap it up. It takes me forever to decide what to buy when I need something though. I read reviews and deliberated several weeks before I picked out this Hario kettle. The bamboo shower mat below remains one of my top purchases because it reduces water and energy use required by fabric mats that end of dirty frustratingly quickly. I've had it for several years and all it needs is a quick rinse off in the shower every once in a while. 

The home office I desperately wanted needed to fit in an awkward alcove in the living room. Being a custom job, I bartered Nathan's IT skills with a friend who does master woodwork. It definitely took longer than getting an elfa system from Container Store, but was entirely worth the wait. 

I made do

This set up of console table + storage bins has gone through several transformations over the years. Decorative table to desk to vanity and storage, it has moved from the living room to the bedroom. The storage bins are bamboo and have always done double duty as laundry storage and extra seating, something that's key in a tiny apartment.

My duvet cover is off-white and black and after painting everything white, the off-white looked rather dingy. Luckily, the inside was white, so I just turned it inside out. The linen curtains I bought made the living room feel claustrophobic, but work perfectly in the bedroom with all three layered together. I decided not to do anything about the mismatched blinds in the living room for now. I simply put the off-white one all the way up during the day. 

Thrift stores were a last resort

I put small and useful items like picture mats in the lobby of my building. We have a little anonymous exchange via the mantle there. Other unwanted things were offered up to friends or taken to swaps, like the one the Ethical Writers are having this weekend. Yerdle gave me the chance to give away items to people all over the country. A retired luggage set will be re-gifted to my young cousin at Christmas; Nathan's old Nintendo DS will go to our nephew. Unwanted electronics went to a recycling center. Even the drop cloth I used while painting is going to my friend Christina to live on as a photo backdrop.

Whatever didn't sell after a generous amount of time went to the thrift store as a last resort. I like to take home decor items to a neighborhood church basement shop that doesn't seem to be overloaded with stuff. Or Housing Works, whose mission can't be argued with. 

Large media cabinets have had their day. I tried to sell this one without luck. It was given to me by my parents several years ago and had served us well, but was taking up space I wanted for a home office. I tried to give it away without success. Thrift stores didn't want it. No one in my building wanted it despite my informative fliers. I contemplated turning it into shelves and a desk, but the wood wasn't right for that. After much hand-wringing and time, it eventually went to the curb and I still feel some guilt about that. 

I've learned to be more resourceful and patient. I used to run down to HomeGoods every time I needed a glass container, but now I keep a list on my phone for thrift store shopping and wait for serendipity to hit. Just the other day I stopped in to Housing Works and found a marble slab for the kitchen, something I'd been on the lookout for over all these months. It functions as a cutting board, pastry board, photo backdrop, and a cover up for my ugly countertop. Quadruple win. 

Putting so much work into getting rid of things has also made me more discerning about bringing new items in. I have to ask, Does it add value to my life? Will it last? Do I need it? Slow can be annoying, but it can also be better.

This is a continuing series with AptDeco. The first installment of this series was an introduction to second hand furniture. Now we are moving on to selling your own.

Think about all the details you receive when you buy a new piece of furniture: description, materials, dimensions, care. When you sell your second hand furniture, provide buyers with that same information. In addition, special care should be taken to fully document wear and damage. It's more convenient for the seller to have this information at the ready, rather than having to email back and forth. Follow these guidelines and you'll be on your way to selling your second hand furniture with ease.

TAKE A CLEAR PHOTO IN GOOD LIGHT

Buyers are often making the decision to purchase online so photos are crucial. Even if you're using your camera phone, you can use as much light as possible and take clear photos. AptDeco guides you to take photos of all angles and damage, a good method to follow when photographing any item.

PRICE APPROPRIATELY

This is possibly the most difficult step — to correctly estimate the devaluation and condition to a fair dollar amount. I recently found this cool furniture calculator which has been most helpful as I sell off second hand furniture. Keep in mind that most furniture loses 30-40% of its original value after purchase (before it's revalued as vintage or antique). Unfortunately, there's no lack of second hand furniture out there. Unless you possess a rare piece, you have a lot of competition and should price appropriately. Take a look at similar items on sites like AptDeco and Craigslist to get a better sense of prices in your area. In NYC, I find that items located in Manhattan are almost always more expensive, so I often search the other boroughs for better deals. If you want to price competitively, you might have to take into account the lower prices in your area. 

TELL ITS STORY

Brands us this sales tactic all the time, so why shouldn't you? Give buyers a way to connect with your item. If the piece has been in your family for years, tell the story of its service in your home. If it's something you bought but never used, tell that story too because we can all relate. I like that AptDeco urges you to say why you are getting rid of the piece because it adds another layer to your story. Maybe you're moving to be closer to family, or for a new job. Maybe you're refreshing your home after a failed attempt to move. All of these details add up to make the experience of buying second hand furniture online more human.

Inspect all parts carefully

It's imperative that you look at your piece with fresh eyes when you inspect it for damage and wear. That spot from the red wine your friend spilt at your birthday party — you've become accustomed to it, but it's brand new to the buyer and they deserve to know about it before their purchase. Inspect your second hand furniture in bright light and document any issues.

Be honest about damage

Look carefully at the fabric and document any tears, pulls, stains, or other damage in photos. If the fabric is beyond repair but the piece has good bones, price it accordingly and remind buyers that it can be reupholstered. Inspect the other materials and note any wear, scratches, missing paint, chips, etc. If you feel confident to do so, you can polish wood to put it in its best condition before purchase. Try one of these natural recipes for polish.

MEASURE & LIST THE SIZE ACCURATELY

Measure every piece you sell and list the length, height, and width clearly and accurately. This is a very important step as buyers are often making decisions from a photo online; they must know if the item will fit their space. If you don't include measurements, you're going to miss a sale or will have to field more emails than is necessary. 

NOTE AGE & USAGE

Again, be honest. To qualify as vintage, it must be least 30 years old; more than 100 years old qualifies it as an antique. Note the age of the furniture and where you acquired it, if possible. When I sold a chair on AptDeco, I mentioned that it was rarely used and was covered with a throw most of the time, and therefore it showed little wear. Finally, please note if you have pets or are a smoker. 

Whether you are selling second hand furniture online or in person, these guidelines will make the process smoother for both you and the buyer. 

This series is in collaboration with AptDeco. In the future, we'll discuss how to buy and how to fix second hand furniture. Read the first installment here. 

Allow me to tell you a tale of real estate, loss, and redemption. As you may or may not know, I was recently apartment hunting because our lease expired at the end of February. There wasn't anything wrong, per say, with our current apartment on the Upper West Side. It was just that the rent was going up and well, it's 350 square feet. I work from home and sometimes Nathan does too, so I was dreaming of a workspace that isn't our dining table. This is also the longest we've ever lived in one apartment and maybe I was itching for a change; what I got was a rash.

Being me, I started the process early and organized. I was trolling StreetEasy and Padmapper and all the other DIY rental sites back in January. I dutifully window-shopped until February and then started making appointments to see places in some areas I thought would be cheaper, but still convenient. If you've never searched for an apartment in NYC, it's going to be hard to imagine. You have to take into account the distance from the subway (no car); the nearest subways (commute time and convenience); and walking distance to restaurants, drugstores, and grocery stores. I prioritize convenience with regards to groceries and trains, so I was looking for an area with those qualities. I first looked on the Upper West Side, in Harlem, and in Hell's Kitchen.

The very first apartment I viewed was on 59th Street near the Roosevelt Island tram. When I texted the realtor, he told me the keys were at the barber shop next door, meaning he wasn't even going to show up (red flag). When I arrived at the barber shop, a guy was just coming back with the keys. He had a disgusted look on his face and said, "It's pretty rough." Obviously, a red flag. But it was my first viewing and I was intrigued, so I took a peek. The sight was bad enough, but the smell was the real problem — it had the urine-soaked stench of a rest stop men's room. I immediately turned around and ran.

Eventually, I turned my sights on the Upper East Side. Just a crosstown bus away from where we are now and similarly convenient, I thought it would be a good option. It's relatively cheaper than the Upper West, but I would likely give up an elevator and a dishwasher for the privilege. It was at this point I started realizing the true costs of moving: a broker's fee, deposits, application fees, movers, and a million other miscellaneous costs. In Manhattan, broker's fees are generally 15-20% of annual rent. Brooklyn gets the cut-rate discount of 12%. Even after this realization, I persevered and viewed more than a dozen walk-ups on the Upper East.

After all the looking, one stuck in my mind. It was in a well-cared-for building (the landlord lives there) and was a more open and spacious layout than our current apartment. It was in a fifth floor walk up and, as I had predicted, didn't have a dishwasher. It did have a claw foot tub and more natural light. I brought Nathan to see it and we were sold. We put in an application and gave the required cash (red flag) to begin the application process. The application process, by the way, includes giving a complete stranger your bank account numbers, Social Security Numbers, tax returns, and photo ID. You're basically trusting them not to steal your identity or toss all that information in the garbage where it can be stolen by someone else. What happens to all of those papers (because, yes, in 2015 it still needs to be a hard copy)?! But I digress. We applied, Nathan went out of town, and I was summoned to an interview with the landlord. That's when things went south.

I went to the landlord's apartment and could tell that she's a busybody. She asked me to take off my shoes (fair enough), but then said she "suggests" to her tenants that they take of their shoes in their own apartments (red flag). We chatted a while, during which she divulged that she refuses to rent to unmarried couples (red flag! red flag!) which I discovered is actually illegal. Then, towards the end she casually mentioned that she has "a lot of rules and regulations" as part of a rider to the lease agreement. Finally startled out of my concerted effort to make a good impression, I asked for some examples. She listed off things like she no longer allows bikes in the building after someone scuffed the wall, and that she has strict rules about recycling and noise (red flags). I made my goodbye and immediately called the realtor, basically freaking out. I needed to see that rider. It was emailed to me and as I'd expected, it was ridiculous. There were clauses about keeping an insurance policy of $100,000, clauses that made repair costs part of my rent, vague terms about misuse and damage, and terms that required the landlord or an exterminator entry to the apartment for a total of fourteen times per year. Now I don't do anything damaging or illegal in my apartment, but for that behavior I expect privacy and I could tell that this place would not have it. I was assured that tenants are happy there, but I had a bad feeling and I'm not interested in having a controlling landlord on site. Urged by everyone who didn't stand to make money from the deal to not sign, we walked away.

There were some more days of looking, this time in Brooklyn. There was another application, and what felt like an inevitable mental breakdown but I'll spare you that part of the story. Even though we had already told our current leasing company that we were moving out, we finally asked if we could just stay and they agreed. I was utterly relieved, but also a tiny bit bummed that there wouldn't be a big change.

I was happy the stress was over and I had to give in to the economic reality that even if the rent was cheaper, the moving costs would quickly eat up those savings. I thought that moving to a larger space was the right decision, but the fact is I simply wasn't being creative enough. I extol the virtues of living in a small space, but here I was about to forsake my own! After we decided not to move, I looked at our apartment with fresh eyes and determination. I would sell some furniture on AptDeco, further minimize my belongings, and make this tiny space work for us. After all the trouble, I believe this is the best move. 

I happened to see this TED Talk by Graham Hill the other day and it made me even more at peace with the final outcome. 

I'll be documenting the transformation of our tiny space here and, of course, it will be done as ethically and eco-friendly as possible. 

Any suggestions for small space living are welcome!

Buying secondhand furniture is a smart way to save money, find unique pieces, and shop in a more sustainable way. "Secondhand" means pre-owned (aka preloved) and encompasses vintage, antique, and contemporary pieces. To qualify as vintage, the piece must be least 30 years old. More than 100 years old qualifies it as an antique. Buying something that is already in the existing pool of goods saves the energy that would be used to create a new item, and may keep a perfectly good piece from ending up in the landfill. According to this Wall Street Journal article, the cost of furniture has fallen an average of 50% over the past 30 years. Cheap furniture imports drive down prices and create a market full of throw-away furniture. However, buying secondhand means you can buy quality pieces at a fraction of their original cost. When you are considering secondhand furniture, there are several things to keep in mind. 

Know where to go

Knowing the best places to look is the first step to finding your piece. Yard sales, thrift shops, flea markets, estate sales, auctions, consignment stores, and websites like AptDeco are where secondhand deals thrive. Yard sales, flea markets, estate sales, and auctions are limited by time, which may give you the chance to negotiate on price. Don't be afraid to ask for a discount! Thrift shops, consignment stores, and websites are always getting new inventory, so if you don't find what you're looking for just keep going back to see what's new. And don't rule out free stuff found on the curb! Use your best judgment when deciding to take something from the curb into your home. Never take mattresses or upholstered pieces as they may contain bedbugs. 

Be patient & quick

Be patient as you wait for the right piece (and price) to come along. Check your local shops frequently. Make friends with salespeople and vendors and tell them what you are looking for. Leave your contact information and ask them to call you if something you need comes available. Sign up for the AptDeco newsletter to be alerted of special deals and new collections. When serendipity finally finds you, snap your new piece up before someone else does! Be prepared by having a photo of the space and the dimensions you need in hand. 

Get creative 

Unfortunately, you can't always afford the thing that you want and you may never find it for a steal. Sometimes, you have to get creative to solve your problem. When you see an interesting piece, think about how it can be repurposed to fit your needs. A stool can be used as a nightstand, a large vase can be repurposed as an umbrella stand. With some creative thinking, you can end up with the perfect one-of-a-kind solution.