Hey dudes! We have been so insano-brain busy setting this place up. It has exceeded my wildest (well, not really my wildest, there is no TV in the bathroom and my bed doesn’t fly, like in Little Nemo) expectations. I really thought I would miss having old fir floors, a cute little balcony, skeleton keys, a clawfoot tub and HEATED honeycomb tiles in the bathroom… But really as soon as I was presented with a dishwasher, ensuite laundry and a separate room for an office, I changed my tune. So much for romance! 

It has provided us with some unique challenges… For one, moving downstairs is not as easy as it sounds. It means you’ll think you can do everything by yourself, so you won’t call for adequate help in time, and you will spend two twelve hour days walking up and down stairs carrying awkward, heavy objects. Since the landlord (to whom you are the only tenant) will now occupy your old space, you need to make sure you leave it in tip-top shape, so he’ll keep being really nice to you. There’s another twelve hours. Once downstairs, the sloping ceiling and low bulkhead in the bedroom meant I had to be rid of my beloved PAX wardrobe system from IKEA (I really did think I would live upstairs forever - and no one could afford to give me a decent price for it and in the end it couldn’t be moved downstairs without being destroyed) and look for a solution that would fit (IKEA’s STUVA system for babies to the rescue!). We’re still grappling with inadequate storage (especially for two ~creative artistes~ - JK, but we do have a lot of gear and supplies) and how to put up beautiful decorations and meaningful artworks.

Also, would you believe it’s a “basement suite”? Personally, though I’m obviously a bit biased, I think it doesn’t feel like one. Don’t rule them out!

Anyway, enjoy those stupid cellphone pictures. Once we get the office more set up, I will make a blog post proper — I have a lot of handy tips for renters (I’ve now lived in 8 different rentals for a total of 10 years!) and handy tips for shopping IKEA (guess what I used to furnish those 8 different rentals!!!) and elsewhere for rentals while on a budget.