What to do when you’re apartment is a miserable mess but you’re a Beautiful Girl

Hello my name is Jen, I am taking over Ed’s blog for today.

One month’s time ago, I invited edouard and Travis over for an evening of decadence and planning. I explained my ideas about a new apartment design and layout to them. They were supportive of the majority of my plans but pointed out some flaws that would impede on the general flow and light allowance throughout the apartment. At first I resisted. I felt they were merely trying to Queer Eye for the straight girl me. But after some deep contemplation at a later time, I realized that some of the suggestions satisfied my goals of clarity and minimization in ways that I had not considered.

Skip ahead one month’s time. Again we are gathered for a night of decadence and planning but also to celebrate the new and improved apartment. The place is clean and welcoming and I receive luxurious facial beauty treatments (and beer) for all of my hard work.

Four years ago I moved into this apartment in the fastest and most disorderly manner. I had moved an art studio’s worth of materials in addition to the belongings of an entire house into a one bedroom apartment with no time to properly cull through my possessions.

The kitchen needed minor improvements to keep things organized.

The top row shows my flat before and under are some photos taken today.

Something I adamantly fought @edouard on, was the second room divider (which we see in the top images) where I intended to make a new rack for my paintings. It’s not that I was dead set on it but he gave me a suggestion to simply build off my existing rack next to the kitchen counter which opened my eyes to the crucial role natural light plays in the lives of us artists. Travis rewarded me for this Christmas miracle by treating me with lazer treatments. What a doll!

My room has always been a sacred space to me. It just needed a good cleaning and some girl time in the closet. Luckily my friend Crystal was stranded by the hurricane winds and showed up on my door step on the evening when I finally chose to deal with it.

This is the before picture in the early stages of transition. To clean anything, you pretty much need to rip it all apart and start fresh. I had been dreaming of having a sewing station in this apartment literally for 4 years, and this space was the only location it could work.

The sewing and sculpture area has been birthed and I am so excited to make things!

Some things (left) stayed the same and other areas were rebuilt and updated.

This closet was a game changer and I am actually relieved that there are no before images of how crazy it had become.

I get by with a little help from my friends.

And pets.