Monday, April 26, 2010

Re-decorating Therapy

It seems that, this spring, my life plan has hit a snag.  I had been expecting to get my permanent contract this year - no luck and I had hoped to be shopping for a house by now.  Due to the lack of contract and because Fiance and I are committed to paying off his sizable amount of debt - we have decided to put off buying a house for 6 months to a year.  This has led me to being more than a little snarky and depressed.  I realize that I am being this way and that I am taking it out on Fiance because, since a large reason behind the delay is his debt, I am blaming him and starting to feel resentful.  As I said, I realize that I am being unfair even while making yet another biting comment but I can't seem to stop.  Has anyone else ever found themselves acting one way, despite knowing exactly why you are behaving this way and that it is wrong? 

In order to combat this tendency, and to make myself a little happier around my apartment, I have decided to re-decorate.  There have been a number of things that I have been putting off with thoughts of "I will do that when we get a house".  So I have decided to take care of all of those things, such as, replacing the scratched kitchen table and the "beat to a snot" bedroom set (I'm talking missing drawers resulting in gaping holes!), buying a painting for the rather large and rather empty living room wall and moving the constantly messy (and cheaply built) computer desk into the guest room.  I realize that most of this will take some of the money that I had tucked away for a downpayment but I really feel that it will allow me to be happier in the space that we have now, instead of constantly thinking about where I would rather be.  Any ideas on cheap ways to improve apartment living?

4 comments:

Danni said...

I know exactly how you feel. My dear man has a large chunk of debt that we're working to pay off before we even consider buying a house too and I do, on occasion, get very snarky about it even though I know I shouldn't.

When that happens, I clean the apartment top to bottom, rearrange furniture, get a new houseplant or two to cheer the place up, switch out the photos I have hanging, throw out a whole bunch of crap from the closets and craft. Since we just moved into a new apartment a month ago, I took the opportunity to paint a large wall and nook that we have in our spare room (which is currently my craft/computer area). I know I'll have to paint it back before we move again, but that one wall makes it feel so much more like home to me...

Sydnii said...

I've found most of my furniture in thrift stores/second hand shops. No, they're not always sparkly and new, but touching them up with new fabric or paint can make them sparkly. Or instead of buying all new furniture (for your living room, say) buy a few accent pillows or a rug, and it can completely change the atmosphere.

Zabet said...

Thanks Syndii. I was thinking the exact same thing. I am sticking with the chocolate brown furniture in the living room and changing up the curtains, rug, throwpillows and artwork. AND I'm taking the curtains and rug that were in the living room (they are blue) and moving them into the bedroom - no waste!

Rhi said...

I just have to say how much I love these ideas.

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