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I wanted to share some after pictures of our tiny apartment today. It’s funny because I’ve spent years wanting to paint my rented apartment and now that I finally have the chance I painted it white! Ha! It feels so clean and fresh. The apartment was in a terrible mess when we got it. The previous tenant had a dog that ate up the carpet and the doors and I think that they figured they weren’t going to get their deposit back they left everything pretty dirty.
So the first thing we did was deep clean the whole apartment. The claw foot tub was cracked and rusting so we hired someone to professionally reseal the bathtub. It took one day and it’s good as new now, I love it! We also noticed the refrigerator was broken so we ordered a new one from a little family owned appliance store in the neighborhood. They delivered it the next day! Next we hired a guy to refinish the floors. We decided to go with a dark walnut stain on the floor and am really happy with the color. Finally, we decided the apartment needed a fresh coat of paint. I got some quotes from some professional painters but they seemed high. Paul’s parents were in town to help us so we figured we could just paint it ourselves. Worst decision ever! I forget how hard it is to paint! By day 5 all of those painting quotes seemed like a steal! For such a small apartment it took forever to paint. (ps: fyi the landlord covered everything except the paint job.)
We have some kitchen updates we are going to have done in the next month but I have to say I love the apartment. It is small but it is totally livable. It gets amazing light and we love our new neighborhood! I may change my mind in a few weeks but right now I love it!
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I’m working with Method this year on their new campaign and I’m happy to share another video today (see the others here and here.) One of the first things I did when I knew we were going to have to deep clean our new apartment was head to Target and pick up my favorite Method products. I even picked up some of their concentrated laundry detergent which is AMAZING. (I am not getting paid to say that, promise.) It works so well. It makes my clothes smell good and only takes up a tiny bit of space in my cupboard. Check out their new video below, I love this new campaign so much! (ps: they are running a contest right now, go check it out and vote!)
Stephanie Wright
May 17, 2012
Your apartment looks awesome! A year in Paris, France would be a dream come true!
Sunshine Monica
May 17, 2012
I love it! When you first said something about the square footage and damage, I was shocked that it was an option. But I’m glad you have a better eye to see the beauty in the mess. It looks great!
Sarah O
May 17, 2012
Looks great for such a small space! And I love that you are promoting the new method commercials….the main person there with the beard actually went to my high school – so crazy!
Claire
May 17, 2012
What beautiful floors!
Anna
May 17, 2012
my husband, son, and i used to live in a 400 sq ft house. luckily, it had a backyard and small basement for storage and the laundry. however, we had pets too. yikes! we since moved, but we rent the house out. we stained the floors the same color as you all and went light on the walls, too. sometimes i miss living in that old house. your apartment looks wonderful. happy moving! xo!
jill
May 17, 2012
I love white walls, and in a small space it’s smart with keeping it open. Before you fill up the fridge you should change how the hinge swings so it will be more efficient and open towards the kitchen. It is pretty simple to do with a few tools.
Elizabeth
May 17, 2012
Looks like a space where you can do a lot!
Cheers, Elizabeth
meg
May 17, 2012
ha!
i skipped ahead and looked at the pictures before reading… at first glance, i thought you had some cool, new, grass/carpet/tile/mystery finish in your bathroom. LOVE! it’s totally unique.
thanks for sharing. those dark floors are SO pretty too.
Kathryn
May 17, 2012
I’m glad you clarified the bathroom floors, they looked like astroturf in the pictures 🙂 Looks great, how nice that you were able to make it more your own.
Janssen
May 17, 2012
This is gorgeous! You have such a good eye.
Hyde
May 17, 2012
I love love love the method laundry detergent, it’s my favorite! I usually buy 2 at a time b/c I have the space (and I don’t have a lot of space)
FreeRange Pamela
May 17, 2012
Love the floors and the light. I feel you on the painting. I only had to a paint 425 square feet studio and it took FOREVER — especially including the time when we procrastinated before starting!
Marie-laure
May 17, 2012
Paris apartment is like a bit like New York, full of suprise but at the end you finaly appropriate the space. You did good because frenchies are not that reactive usely.
Sara @ Zahara Dessert
May 17, 2012
Your apartment looks amazing and so full of light.
I always find it unsettling when Americans redecorate rented apartments. In Australia where I live, it is a very big NO NO to change anything in your rental apartment yourself…especially paint.
I can’t wait to see what you do with the pace.
METHOD – please come to Australia. We desperately need cleaning products like this!
Victoria
May 17, 2012
Great paint job. I find painting such hard work and yet I’m reluctant to pay those high painting fees too. I’ll just have to get on with it like you’ve done. The green marble floor actually looks like grass in this photo! We are thinking of getting our ‘cherry wood’ floors which I dislike stained dark like yours Lovely bright apartment. Looks great.
amanda
May 17, 2012
Your new place looks amazing Jordan! You have such great taste. 🙂
canvasofculture
May 17, 2012
Looks so fresh and clean! and i absolutely love the black and white tile pattern… really adds a lot!
Sarah Robertson
May 17, 2012
I love your new place! It looks bigger than 450 sq. feet, which is aweseome! Totally livable.
robync
May 17, 2012
I love it! It makes me want to pack up and move into a tiny apartment in the city with my family! I love how clean and fresh it all looks! Where will you be putting your boys?
http://knownitwasyou.blogspot.com/
Genevieve
May 17, 2012
Congratulations on finally getting a great SF apartment, Jordan (I saw all your tweets on SF housing woes… I feel you. Housing in the East Bay is also ridiculous). I absolutely adore the dark walnut floors and the checkerboard kitchen floors!
Ana
May 17, 2012
When I first glanced at the picture of the bathroom, it looked like the bathtub was floating in the ocean. I kinda like the green marble!
Martha Frances
May 17, 2012
I love seeing the evolution of this space! My husband, daughter and I moved into a tiny apt the day before our son was born, thinking we’d live there until we bought a home after moving cross country. It was really a flat in an old Victorian that had been updated with a new bath, windows and some other great features. The kitchen was NOT updated. We loved it and stayed for two years even while many of my friends were buying bigger and newer homes with laundry rooms and other things I was really jealous of. Ultimately it showed us we wanted a small home and we bought a 1500 sq foot ranch last year that is perfect. I am so excited to see you settle in!
Luna
May 17, 2012
The dark stained floors look better (than light) because it offsets the black and white tiled kitchen floor! The white walls are much better too….. white is always best, I say. You know, I felt the same way about Painting quotes, but to think of painting more than 1 coat on each wall + surface? No thanks. At least you’ll appreciate your walls more 🙂
design elements
May 17, 2012
looks wonderful! love white walls and dark floors
Jennifer F. - American Mom in Bordeaux
May 17, 2012
I’m impressed with your vision of the place – it looks lovely. I know for me it’s so hard to vision the end result when it comes to decorating. The white is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing – it inspires those of us who are design challenged.
Mary-My Life in Scotland
May 18, 2012
LOVE the apartment! I love dark hardwood floors and white paint. Everything really looks fresh and pops. For something so small, it is really nice. I wish I could pain my place! I’d paint it stark white too. I hate beige. Everything looks dirty.
Johanna
May 18, 2012
Beautiful apartment! I especially love the claw foot bathtub, I’ve always wanted one but never found an apartment with a bathroom big enough for a dream bathtub like this! And I love love the kitchen floor!
Martha Frances
May 18, 2012
Found this amazing pin board and thought of decorating a small kitchen – very inspiring 🙂
http://pinterest.com/vickiah/in-the-kitchen/
Fiona
May 18, 2012
Love it! The white is so fresh & bright – everything looks so clean. Sounds like you’ve got a decent landlord too – well done !!
mom in mendon
May 18, 2012
It looks great! Can’t wait to see it with stuff.
Viv
May 18, 2012
Claw footed bath!!! Love! Also the floors! Yay! Love your new apartment, Jordan! 🙂
Hannah @ Sparrow + Spark!
May 18, 2012
Looks awesome! Chuckling at it being described as tiny! Looks pretty spacious to me!
Barbara
May 18, 2012
Looks awesome! Which color of white paint did you use? We’re about to paint and I want white, but am overwhelmed by all the white options!
Nicola
May 18, 2012
Can you believe you got all that professional work done in a week? Wouldn’t have been like that in Paris right 😉 I like the marble – it’s a reminder of Paris. Where we don’t have marble in our French house our landlords have painted fake marble!
Maria
May 18, 2012
It looks beautiful!
I don’t know how the law is in California, but I know in all the other states I’ve lived in (Indiana, North Carolina, Maryland), it is required by law that your landlord repaint everything and clean the carpets of the entire apartment (or any other kind of rental) before you move in. You may want to check on this to see if you can get reimbursed for the painting, too.
sarah
May 18, 2012
The apartment looks great – very sunny! Can’t wait for a post when you have it furnished…
Michelle
May 18, 2012
Those wood floors look GORGEOUS! Love the dark walnut. Such a cute place. Can’t wait to see how you decorate it.
Raquel
May 18, 2012
Floors look great! Any chance you’d be willing to share your info on the refinisher – we live in SF and our floors are looking pretty sad these days.
Here’s to small spaces!
KELLY
May 18, 2012
I adore your floors. Can’t wait to see it transform more!
Julianna B
May 18, 2012
Your new apartment looks awesome! Congratulations!
Margaret
May 18, 2012
Also, would you mind sharing who in SF redid your bathtub?
sure, email me!
Kate
May 18, 2012
The green marble floor in the bathroom looks like malachite…I just love it! Im excited to see how you style the bathroom to work with it 🙂
Kate
http://www.theforgetfulwife.com
Aja Lake [the gold hat.]
May 18, 2012
adorable apartment, jordan! i love the green marble floors:)
xx,
Aja Lake
the gold hat.
Jessica at 11 Gray
May 18, 2012
I love the floors and you have really made me want to paint my walls white.
Morgan
May 19, 2012
I LOVE it! We’re getting ready to paint and I’d love to know what paint you used. It looks perfect!
Laurel
May 19, 2012
A pink bathmat would look great on that floor! Your apartment looks amazing, I’m totally jealous. 🙂
Desi
May 19, 2012
Welcome back. I know what living in a small space is all about, but when it’s beautiful it makes it that much easier.
Love the floors.
Kacie
May 21, 2012
It’s so funny, your new place looks so french! =)
Kacie
http://acollectionofpassions.com/
Lisa
May 22, 2012
I am nominating you for the “versitile blogger award”…So now, please post about 15 blogs that you love!
Lisa http://SMMARTideas.blogspot.com
Jill
May 30, 2012
GORGEOUS in every way. Where are the boys going to sleep? Is the closet big enough to make it into a tiny room?