Home Is Where The Heart (and TV) Is

I used to live one building over in my condo community, and the place was lovely! It had a built-in bookcase, plush white carpet, a deliciously blue bathroom, and little touches that I by no means took for granted: quality cabinets, new appliances, a nice ceiling fan.

Sadly, the owner decided to sell, and I found a unit in the next building over to move into. The structure was identical, but all of those lovely tid-bits that I loved so much didn't come with this unit. The carpet is old, the paint is blah, the cabinets are crap, it lacks a ceiling fan and a bookcase wasn't built into the wall here.

Here's the kicker: I pay MORE for this downgraded home! But, I love the property and the area, and so I choose to live (slightly grumpily) in compromise.

Over the last few months, I decided to pull my big girl pants up (as they say) and make some changes to my environment. Why wallow when I can revamp?! I bought a new dining set that is unique and fits my work from home needs. I also invested in two awesome bookcases, which cleared room in my walk-in closet that my boxes of books were taking up. I upgraded my TV and replaced some hardware, and now I don't dread spending time at home anymore :)


*All new items were bought on sale! Use holidays to make big purchases and your wallet will thank you!

It's tough in So Cal because the money you pay into rent doesn't grant you a lot of space, so you have to get creative. Do you have any fun space-saving tips and tricks? How were you able to revamp an unpleasant living space? I'd love to know!