The new apartment is really not feeling like a home at all yet, which is why I haven’t shared any photos. I like DUMBO and of course I love Brooklyn, but I have to admit to feeling pretty detached from the apartment itself. The building itself is from the late 1800s (that’s it on the right in the photo, and yes, it’s on the movie poster for Once Upon a Time in America, and yes, apparently it’s also used in the exterior shots of someone’s loft on Gossip Girl), but the interior is completely new. The entire building—formerly a cardboard factory—was totally renovated and converted into apartments last year.
With the exception of my college dorm room and a Brooklyn townhouse we rented briefly before moving upstate, I’ve never lived in a post-War structure. It’s very strange for me to not have the quirks and faults of an old home to fall back on. I’m someone who relies heavily on restriction and limitation in order to come up with solutions to problems, which is really the reason why it’s been so easy (conceptually, at least) to make the house feel like home. I’m used to depending on 120+ years of history to give my surroundings warmth and meaning and a sense of permanence.
I wasn’t prepared for how it would feel to suddenly be in a white box with absolutely no history, no mistakes, no damage. It’s funny how differently something like a plain pine board used as a shelf reads in an old house versus a new one—the meaning is totally different.
But really…I need to stop complaining. I know this. I have to just start doing what needs to be done in order to make this apartment not feel like a hotel room.
TODAY AND TOMORROW:
✚ Assemble dressers for closet storage
✚ Spray-paint dresser knobs (too windy!)
✚ Spray-paint sofa legs
✚ Put two coats of matte poly on the desk top
✚ HANG STUFF ON THE WALLS (some done, more to go…)
✚ Assemble sideboard; organize contents
✚ Figure out what needs to happen for closet storage
✚ Mount swing-arm lamp in bedroom
✚ Buy drawer organizers for kitchen
✚ CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN
✚ Think of ways to minimize the harsh bathroom lighting
✚ Deep-clean the triangle rug and make the dogs promise to not pee on it anymore (bribery may be required)
That’s not so bad. Once this is all done, maybe I’ll feel like I can take a few photos. I hope so.