I live in one of the best zip codes in Manhattan. Tribeca, New York. When people hear Tribeca, they think, beautiful big lofts, high ceilings, artsy etc...Well, that's not what I live in.... At this moment in time. I'm in the process of working may way into a much larger space. It's important to have goals.... Moving is one of them.
I moved into my current space about 8 years ago. It's a one bedroom in a luxury high rise on the Hudson River. Sounds fantastic. And it is in many ways, when you have a lovely view of the River and live on the tenth floor or above. I, however, am on the fifth floor, have a view of Stuyvestant High School and they have a view of my apartment (One of the reasons I get dressed in the bathroom). I also can hear every sound that the city makes, from the garbage trucks taking the trash from the high school to the door men whistling for cabs.
The total square footage of my apartment is 550 square feet. I really don't know how a one bedroom can be created from that space. It defies all gravity, space and geometry. That's good for one person and maybe a small cat (mine weighs in at about 17lbs. Not so small, but we manage. The majority of the square footage is in my living room, so you can imagine the size of my bedroom. It's probably the size of a walk in closet in someone's big loft space, however once we were expecting a child, we had to think fast, and creatively.
We built a Murphy Bed in the bedroom and shelving/book cases for storage (Sophia's toys, clothes, and enormous collection of stuffed animals) and a hidden desk with bi-fold doors. It's truly amazing that that was possible. I'm in total awe of the guy who built this and even more amazed that I can sleep in there. It's fairly impossible to walk in there, once the bed is down. But it's cozy. There is even storage above the bed for blankets, pillows and sheets. Incredible!
We had to change our entire space around to make it child friendly (Sophia is now 2), so we built a small dining table into the wall that folds down, we have bar stools that we use for chairs, or push into the wall where we can also eat at the counter that comes out from the open kitchen. There is not a lot of furniture but what is there, was custom made and functional. We had a console designed to hold DVD's, all my files for business and home, junk draws for everyone's mail and important "stuff", my office supplies etc.
During thus renovation process, I was allowed to really purge the things that I do not need. It's a very helpful and cathartic experience. I love to throw shit out, and my husband, Tony, tends to collect things that eventually turn into a massive tower of papers. He'll even save the envelopes of credit card offers. I just do my best to look the other way. That's why he has two drawers, just for the envelopes from his junk mail.
As much as our space is functional, it is still dysfunctional in the sense that human beings need space so they can breathe and have some alone time for themselves. That is not a realistic possibility in our apartment, unless you go into the bathroom. And Sophia usually likes to join you, no matter what you're doing in there. Taking a dump is no longer sacred and I can't even read a magazine. Ah, the joys of a toddler' infinite curiosity.
Imagine what it would be like to live in 550 square feet with a toddler and both parents freelance, so we are around each other a great percentage of the time. That's a breeding ground for insanity, in my opinion, or divorce. How do we do it? Structure, structure, structure as best as you can.
My suggestions if you have a situation similar to mine:
1) If your child is not of school age, put them in classes like Gymboree, music, swimming etc.
2) Try to arrange some times when you and your partner are not around each other constantly. One of you can take your child to classes or another care giver can. If you both work from home, look into renting community office space.
3) Keep your place organized and clean. It's super easy to have piles of mail, dishes in the sink, pots left on the stove, and unmade beds, but when your space is small it's more noticeable. I find that when my home environment is more messy and disorganized, I feel more mentally clogged and stressed. And no, I don't think it's just in my head. Not to mention, you are leaving a trail of potential accidents for your little one, if you don't put your shit away.
4) Recognize and find the humor in your space because it could be worse. I'm serious. You could be living with relatives in their basement, or worse, in a bigger home, but in a neighborhood that's not safe. You have to weigh your priorities when you have a small child. Safety is huge and so is being somewhere that's child friendly. Where we live, it definitely is.
5) If you have the resources, custom build furniture that can accommodate your space and growing child.
On that note, I look forward to blogging in the near future about my tremendous new home where everyone has their own bedroom and then some!
I moved into my current space about 8 years ago. It's a one bedroom in a luxury high rise on the Hudson River. Sounds fantastic. And it is in many ways, when you have a lovely view of the River and live on the tenth floor or above. I, however, am on the fifth floor, have a view of Stuyvestant High School and they have a view of my apartment (One of the reasons I get dressed in the bathroom). I also can hear every sound that the city makes, from the garbage trucks taking the trash from the high school to the door men whistling for cabs.
The total square footage of my apartment is 550 square feet. I really don't know how a one bedroom can be created from that space. It defies all gravity, space and geometry. That's good for one person and maybe a small cat (mine weighs in at about 17lbs. Not so small, but we manage. The majority of the square footage is in my living room, so you can imagine the size of my bedroom. It's probably the size of a walk in closet in someone's big loft space, however once we were expecting a child, we had to think fast, and creatively.
We built a Murphy Bed in the bedroom and shelving/book cases for storage (Sophia's toys, clothes, and enormous collection of stuffed animals) and a hidden desk with bi-fold doors. It's truly amazing that that was possible. I'm in total awe of the guy who built this and even more amazed that I can sleep in there. It's fairly impossible to walk in there, once the bed is down. But it's cozy. There is even storage above the bed for blankets, pillows and sheets. Incredible!
We had to change our entire space around to make it child friendly (Sophia is now 2), so we built a small dining table into the wall that folds down, we have bar stools that we use for chairs, or push into the wall where we can also eat at the counter that comes out from the open kitchen. There is not a lot of furniture but what is there, was custom made and functional. We had a console designed to hold DVD's, all my files for business and home, junk draws for everyone's mail and important "stuff", my office supplies etc.
During thus renovation process, I was allowed to really purge the things that I do not need. It's a very helpful and cathartic experience. I love to throw shit out, and my husband, Tony, tends to collect things that eventually turn into a massive tower of papers. He'll even save the envelopes of credit card offers. I just do my best to look the other way. That's why he has two drawers, just for the envelopes from his junk mail.
As much as our space is functional, it is still dysfunctional in the sense that human beings need space so they can breathe and have some alone time for themselves. That is not a realistic possibility in our apartment, unless you go into the bathroom. And Sophia usually likes to join you, no matter what you're doing in there. Taking a dump is no longer sacred and I can't even read a magazine. Ah, the joys of a toddler' infinite curiosity.
Imagine what it would be like to live in 550 square feet with a toddler and both parents freelance, so we are around each other a great percentage of the time. That's a breeding ground for insanity, in my opinion, or divorce. How do we do it? Structure, structure, structure as best as you can.
My suggestions if you have a situation similar to mine:
1) If your child is not of school age, put them in classes like Gymboree, music, swimming etc.
2) Try to arrange some times when you and your partner are not around each other constantly. One of you can take your child to classes or another care giver can. If you both work from home, look into renting community office space.
3) Keep your place organized and clean. It's super easy to have piles of mail, dishes in the sink, pots left on the stove, and unmade beds, but when your space is small it's more noticeable. I find that when my home environment is more messy and disorganized, I feel more mentally clogged and stressed. And no, I don't think it's just in my head. Not to mention, you are leaving a trail of potential accidents for your little one, if you don't put your shit away.
4) Recognize and find the humor in your space because it could be worse. I'm serious. You could be living with relatives in their basement, or worse, in a bigger home, but in a neighborhood that's not safe. You have to weigh your priorities when you have a small child. Safety is huge and so is being somewhere that's child friendly. Where we live, it definitely is.
5) If you have the resources, custom build furniture that can accommodate your space and growing child.
On that note, I look forward to blogging in the near future about my tremendous new home where everyone has their own bedroom and then some!
