We did it!

We got married :)

So happy :)

Tiny bedrooms!

If no one buys/takes over the unit we've been paying for at LBT, we may very well just live in it ourselves for a few months or so.

Last night, my broker sent me some photos of the amenities as they are right now, while the towers aren't 100% finished yet.The unit we're paying for is only 30sqm, and it comes with dividers, giving us two bedrooms. Two bedrooms?? In a 30sqm area? Yes. It's gonna be a little on the tiny side.

Even if we're considering breaking down the dividers of one room to slightly enlarge the other, and allowing more daylight to enter the living room, the room that I will fondly call the "masters' bedroom" will still be small.

Here's what it will look like upon turnover:

Cute?

Marc and I don't really have a lot of stuff, but I'm pretty sure we'll be a little cramped in there. Ok, fine, maybe I'll be the one taking up most of the space, but I would really want him to have some breathing space too.

I'd like to think that I can make do with whatever's given me, so I think we can make this work. Also, Marc isn't the complaining type haha. And so started my scouring of the internet for tiny bedroom inspirations...

Here are two of my favorites:

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With the right designing, a tiny space can look bigger than it really is!
I love how this bedroom looks classic, but not cluttered. The bed looks small, but luckily, we love cuddling, and getting a bed similar to this won't be so bad.

What I can pick up from this photo:
1. Keep things simple
2. Simple doesn't mean having to give up all the luxuries
3. Neutral colors can go a long way, but strong accents help keep things interesting


And here's the other inspiration:

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Awesome use of a tiny space! It looks pleasing to the eye too. I can't get enough of those storage spaces under each stair step and under the couch!

We may not be able to fit this into the tiny bedroom, but we can still learn from this:

1. Think out of the box
2. Be creative with the space above our heads
3. Everything has to have its use!

Anyway, back to looking through more photos for inspiration.

-Edwina


P.S. Any takers? :)

Thinking about the future...

This is most likely what I'd be coming home to every night...

Or this...

Or this...

I'm in!!!

The calm before the storm (of change!)

Wow, we've been so quiet over here...

I'd like to think that we're in that "calm before the storm" part, and that soon, we will be getting into the phase we've been waiting for-- the big jump, the big change, the new start.

We've had a few leads, a few sparks of hope, but none have caught fire yet. Meanwhile, we're still hoping, visualizing, thanking the Universe that someone buys the unit we're selling in LBT.

I guess this waiting has made us a little less inspired to blog here, but really, I can't wait!

Anyone interested in buying a concrete box of air? It's a 12th-floor-corner unit in New Manila! lol. Come help us realize our dreams :)

I'm kinda serious though, lemme know if you're interested! XD


P.S. You can view our Sulit.ph ad here. -Marc :)

Small space living: Multi-purpose bed/alcove

I recently re-watched the first season of Girls with a couple of friends. It was fun watching all the painfully awkward/real scenes, and the second time around let me notice some details in the show.

One scene that I didn't need to watch again to remember though, was the scene at Charlie's apartment. When I first saw his tiny flat, I was amazed by how well put-together it looked, despite the limited space. And it didn't even feel like he had to sacrifice a lot of other comforts just to keep it habitable.

photo from here.

This scene made me consider using this bed/alcove as inspiration for our future nest. There's just something about how this particular design maximized the area for practical use, it made me want this exact space.

And yet, I realized that having a bed in an alcove isn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world... Just watch the last scene in the apartment and you'll know why. HAHA just kidding. I mean, this is a good model to keep in mind if we do end up with a tiny space, but really, I'm not 100% keen on it yet because I like flopping onto the bed after a long day at work. Wouldn't wanna risk banging my head or something just to have my Nestea moment*. ;-)


*I was hoping to link to that old 90s Nestea commercial where a girl let herself fall down onto her picnic blanket and it turned into a swimming pool. Awesome. hahaha

Colorful vs White (Marc's take)

I swear, I meant to finish this way earlier, and it's already almost 1 week since I started writing my reponse to Edwina's post. Time to get crackin'!

Not that I know how to do interiors, but my mom (who designs interiors for a living) has had the walls of my room re-painted so many times that I kind of have an idea of what works for me. That being said, it's not like my mind is closed to new ideas either.

Aaaanyway, so colorful vs white walls. Which do I prefer?

I'd go with some kind of off-white. This sounds like a cop-out, I know. But let me explain:

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Here's a room with pristine white walls. It just looks so... sterile. A different color for the curtains and the couch may improve things and actually project some kind of mood.

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Isn't this a lot better? The off-white just makes the whole scene feel a little warmer and look easier on the eyes. While this photo could have been taken/edited through a vintage filter or something, off-white walls will still have the same effect, essentially absorbing some of the glare and bringing out those warmer tones.

So how about color?

Well, the reason why I'm not a fan of colored walls is that you have to build around that particular color scheme. In the end, I think it'd kinda dictate and limit my choices when it comes to other facets of the room.

I'd feel wrong playing on my cherry red Fender in this room. (Source)

Granted, the photo above is a great example of how to work with an apple green color scheme. I just don't want the hassle.

(Source)

I like how the walls are just neutral space and let everything else in view just pop out. From the books on the shelf, to the frames on the wall, to that pretty wooden chair. Every item in the room is free to just be itself.

Colorful vs White

This post is an attempt to get my thoughts straight and help me decide on something. (NB: this "dilemma" I will be talking about has not yet been discussed with Marc. heh)

A quick background about myself before I get into this colorful vs. white thing:

I come from a family of 6 siblings. We have always had shared rooms and privacy is a rare commodity in our house... And so is the minimalist aesthetic! Almost all of us tend to hoard, but luckily, our mom reminds us once in a while to destash our closets, clean out our shelves, etc, so we still have some breathing space. Right now, I still live with my mom and 3 of my siblings. Can you imagine the amount of stuff we have in our tiny rented house?

Because we don't own the house we're living in, we can't really make any major changes. We have learned to live with what we have. I think, though, that given the chance, my mom would definitely have changed the flooring, and the wall paint!

Moving out is one of my goals in the near future (in fact, I think Marc and I are sooo ready to take the plunge as soon as we can), but I still can't imagine actually having my own space. A space where I can decide what goes where. How daunting and thrilling at the same time!

Well, I think I've gone too far off track by now. Still here?
I wanted to post a couple of inspiration photos to help me compare the issue between having colorful walls and plain, white walls, and also listing a couple of pros and cons for each:

The Dream Flat

Marc and I are planning on moving in together sometime in the near future. While waiting for things to fall into place (read: the old condo sold and finding the right place at the right time), we want to visualize first what we want.

We know that we may not be able to afford having an actual house right away, so we wanna focus first on what we can achieve right now without breaking our backs. It's not bad to plan ahead, but we've learned our lesson and realize that we also need to live in the now. The point is to finally start living together, within our means and within our boundaries of sanity.

This first entry is all about our dream flat.

Edwina's take

It was a bit hard for me to begin this post because my mind is actually exploding with ideas and a bad case of the "Want!s".

So in order for me to gather my thoughts together and present a relatively comprehensible post, I will use my tried and tested method of making a list of my top 5 wants and needs for my dream flat. But since I set that previous sentence up for a loophole in my own standards, I will present you with a list each for my wants and needs:

Top 5 must-haves in my dream flat:

1. A comfy couch:

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I'm lazy and I like parking my ass on a nice comfy couch. It's better than lying in bed 'cause the latter makes me feel like a useless human being.
The "perfect" couch must be L-shaped (so it can accommodate more butts side by side, or sleeping bodies). The depth must be enough so I can slouch in it. And it has to be in a neutral color so it's easy to clean (also, I hate pink furniture. I just couldn't find a better photo online).

2. A kitchen counter:

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for more convenient cooking. Also, it can serve as extra dining space!

3. A kitchen with good ventilation:
Though I love food, I hate it when the smell of frying gets into the other parts of the house (especially the bedroom). So a kitchen with good ventilation is what I want.

4. An isolated nook from the general living and dining area for the "work station":

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But more cluttered most likely.
Aside from a place for our laptops, we also need space for our work and hobbies. Between us we have guitar amps, guitars, a sewing machine, a box full of yarn, some books, and some crafting/DIY tools.

5. A practical bathroom:

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I'm not too particular about the fixtures in a bathroom. I just want it to have enough space for storage of toiletries and a fair-sized mirror. No bathtubs necessary!


Top 5 Wants:

1. A separate room for the "work stations":
I know it may be hard to find a place with two bedrooms that we can afford, but it'd be nice to really separate work from rest and recreation.

2. A place that is walking distance from a convenience store or a drugstore:
This should normally be a must-have, but my priorities are skewed.

3. Windows, windows, windows!

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4. A guest bathroom:
Space is an issue in small places, so having more than one bathroom is a rare commodity. I'd love it if there was a separate bathroom for guests and visitors.

5. A balcony or at least a communal veranda:

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Who doesn't want this??

Marc's take

This was difficult to write. I mean, I could imagine a lot of things that'd be nice to come home to in a flat. A whole lot. So, to distill that mess of ideas into the "essential" qualities, I tried to think of the things I'd most yearn for if I lived alone in a run-of-the-mill condo with adequate yet average furnishing. Here's what I managed to squeeze out:

Wood flooring.

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It's a bit pricey, I know, but nothing says "cozy" like the feel of wood under one's feet. It's more warm-to-the-touch than, say, linoleum and isn't as difficult to maintain as carpets. Light also bounces off of it nicely.

An extra room.

Side note: That is a sweeeeeet Telecaster bass. Source

It's always nice to have a spare room, to be used for whatever the moment calls for. Normally, it'd be used as storage space I guess. But I can imagine a number of other functions. For example, it can serve as a bedroom in a pinch if, let's say, a relative or a friend needs a place to stay for a while. I can see Edwina turning it into her crafty cave, too, when she accumulates enough stuff. Or maybe a library. We could also turn it into a music room, provided I sound-proof it so Edwina and I don't disturb the neighbors when we plug in or play records with the volume cranked up.

A queen-sized bed.

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The size is just right for both of us. There's enough space to do our own respective things while we're sitting up, but it's limited enough to ensure snuggly sleeping.

A wide window with a view.

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It doesn't have to be anything grand or picturesque, like a view of the park or something. All I want is a view of life happening outside. Something dynamic, like a view of the street.

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A bay window would be perfect. I'd love to have this spot where I can park myself for the afternoon with my laptop, book, or beverage within easy reach. Those are pretty rare though, so I'd settle for arranging to have some kind of seat up next to it, running along the window's length, and basically emulating the feel of a bay window. Additionally, it'd be a great source of natural light during the daytime.

Lighting options.

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Speaking of light, I think it's important to have alternatives to flourescent lighting for those times that call for more than just bland brightness in the room. Well-chosen and strategically-positioned lamps would do well for that.