I’ve been in my apartment now for almost two and a half years. By Manhattan standards, I totally lucked out. My studio has floor to ceiling windows, newly renovated hidden cabinets, and modern appliances, including a full size fridge and a gas range – two things that made my broker laugh in my face when I told him my budget and said that they were non-negotiable.
But after the year two milestone hit, I started to get antsy. The things that I found so charming during year one were beginning to be overshadowed by all the unforeseen annoyances that come hand in hand with Manhattan rentals. Like the fact that the building heat gets cranked so high, in winter I can only survive the indoor climate if in a T-shirt and shorts. And the fact that I live above a Mexican restaurant that sells $4 margaritas, which leads to a lot of tequila-fueled lovers quarrels happening outside my window at 1am on a Tuesday.
And don’t even get me started on the sleeping loft…
This spring I’ve been overcome by a very New York-y state of ennui and paralysis. I know I’m not going to find anything better for my budget and the thought of moving makes me want to break out into hives. So all that’s left to do is make the best of what I have.
But with a small studio space, there aren’t a whole lot of furniture rearrangements that would make sense to a sane person. Unless you’re really really bored and the idea of having your living room in a 4-foot crawl space and your bed next to your stove sounds like an adventure. And then there’s my chi to consider. How am I supposed to find some sense of feng shui-ed out calm amidst all this small space restriction?
Well, I’m lucky to have some friends coming to my rescue for next week’s edition of Wellness Wednesday. I have the amazing blogger, author and lifestyle expert Jordan Reid of Ramshackle Glam joining me. I had the pleasure of visiting Jordan’s apartment before she moved to a gorgeous house in the suburbs and I know she’s a total Macgyver when it comes to designing an awesome home with limited resources. Then I have Dana Claudat, author of Feng Shui 101 and the blog The Tao of Dana to tell us all about quick fixes to make sure that our space is really speaking to our spirit.
RSVP here and mark your calendar! As an added plus, you’ll be getting a tour of my apartment. Spoiler alert: you can see most of it in the background during every WW chat.
xo
Phoebe
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