My attempts to explain how I live in 200 square feet go something like this: “I’m by no means a minimalist, but everything has a place.” And with only one closet, that has meant creating those places myself. A recurring theme of this substack has been showing you the places I put things: my couch, my armoire, my fireplace, etc. But wait, there’s more! As I near the end of the year in which I promised to write about my apartment every other week, I’ve found that there are still three pieces of furniture I haven’t talked about. You may wonder how that could possibly be true, how I could possibly have the space. Perhaps I don’t have the space. Perhaps these pieces make the apartment look crowded. The perpetual bruise on my thigh from bumping into my coffee table is evidence of that. But, all three pieces are special to me, and I guarantee you the apartment would be much more cluttered without them. They are the places where I keep the everything.
The entryway seems like the logical place to start. My stepmom gave me the two nesting tables when I was moving into my first post-grad apartment, but they were missing the glass. I remember feeling very grown up when I found a place that would cut new glass for me. Underneath the tables, I have a basket where I keep my grocery bags, extra totes, and umbrellas. On top of the tables, I have a catchall tray, a fake string of pearls plant, a stack of Vogue magazines, and a vintage tissue box filled with facemasks. My masks needed a place, so I made a place for them. Or, more accurately, I bought a place for them on Etsy. I also make use of the vertical space above the tables with a hook for hanging my most-used bags. No foyer, no mudroom, no problem. With two tables and about four square feet, I created an organized dumping ground for my keys, wallet, sunglasses, mail, and all the other daily essentials I’ve already mentioned.
Next up, the nook leading to my bathroom was the first part of the apartment to come together, and it’s still one of my favorite vignettes in the space--though it’s difficult to photograph. It was so satisfying to find that the cabinet, which I’d originally bought in Philly to use as a nightstand, fit the space perfectly. It’s the place where I store towels, medicine, and all the extra toiletries girls manage to collect. And, unlike the shelf by the kitchen, it doesn’t block the entrance to my bathroom. The pair of dress-form sketches, also purchased when I was living in Philly, seemed destined to go above the cabinet. I love how they, along with my perfume and jewelry box, create the feeling of a “dressing area.”
Finally, my coffee table has a drawer filled with craft supplies and stationery. This was another bequest from my stepmom for my first apartment, and it comes with a matching tray that’s currently under my bed. The table is slightly too tall to be a coffee table--as evidenced by the previously mentioned bruises--and it probably made more sense when I used it as a bar cart with the tray. But I needed a coffee table, and the spacious drawer more than makes up for its awkward height. Where else would I keep the all-important byproducts of my pandemic-era embroidery obsession and my sporadic watercolor hobby?
When I was moving into the studio, I didn’t have particular places in mind to put the nesting tables, the cabinet, or the coffee table. I assumed I’d wind up selling or stooping at least one of them, but besides their sentimental value, they’d all been useful to me in past apartments. I brought them along and hoped for the best. When my old coffee table didn’t fit the space, I was glad to have an alternative. And though I was worried the height would bother me, I got used to it. Silver lining: it’s better suited for eating dinner in front of the tv. There are no caveats with the nesting table or the cabinet. Thanks to them, I eked out two more “zones”--an entryway and a dressing area--in 200 square feet. Studio living means paring back, but perhaps more importantly it means finding the things that will help you hide your other things.
this week’s read
Not a review or recommendation—just what I’m reading right now.
It is fun to read your articles on space living. Most of your pieces have a backstory, and have been loved in other spaces. Our family kept furniture which became beneficial for our children. The joke was, we could always furnish a small house or apartment if we needed. It looks like the mission has been accomplished and the pieces have new stories to tell. Have a wonderful Holiday Season. Much Love, Cat