FB and her bf are moving into a studio... I'm thinking M and I might want to do the same thing. He was opposed to the idea (he said, and I quote "remember how you wanted to kill me when we were living in one room at my parents' house?"), but I think he'll come around. The example he brought up isn't relevant anyway - part of the reason I was so unhappy was because we were living with his parents! They're nice people and all, but I felt like an intruder; I didn't feel comfortable using their kitchen, and I HATED being asked everytime I left where I was going. (My mom used to do the same thing, but whereas I felt compelled to always be polite with M's parents, to her I felt fine saying "stop asking me" or "none of your business." :p)
Our current set-up is this (over 1400 sq.ft):
Master Bedroom
-king bed
-my 3 desks side-by-side (1 computer, 2 monitors, 1 printer)
-my bookshelf
-2 dressers
-standing lamp
2nd Bedroom
-M's corner desk (1 computer, 3 monitors)
-desk on which tv sits
-recliner chair
-elliptical machine
-standing lamp
Living room
-2 couches
-Exercise Bike
-60" tv and stand
-desk
-dining room table
We used to have both our computers in the master bedroom (out of necessity because my relative was staying in our 2nd bedroom). I kind of miss not having him next to me. Now I have to yell to him when I want to share something... and eventually I just wander into the 2nd bedroom and spend hours in there until it's time for bed. I love talking to him, we have lots of spirited debates (which sometimes make me angry, I have to admit... even though we ultimately agree on everything we argue about! I have more of a temper than he does). He needs more "alone time" than I do, I think... I have plenty of time to myself nowadays. But I figure I can always go to the gym, or spend some time reading... I think we can make it work! Also - it would only be for a year. We'd like to buy a place in June 2010.
I'm going to try to sell everything in the living room... maybe keep one couch and the exercise bike. Is it possible for the following things to fit into a studio?
-king size bed
-2 55" desks (for me)
-1 100" corner desk (for M)
-1 55" desk for tv
-2 computer chairs
-1 recliner
-1 exercise bike
-1 couch
-2 dressers
-1 bookshelf
Maybe I'm asking too much...? Has anyone else out there lived in a studio with another person? What are your thoughts?
1 day ago
9 comments:
Depends how large the studio is and how its laid out. I live in a 480 sf place and it fits a desk, couch (3 person), queen bed, coffee table, tv w/stand. Also has a little walk in closet, so most of my extra stuff goes in there. I cant really fit anything else in here and still have room to breathe. Also, I can sit on my bed and stir a pot on the stove.
It can be done though. Check out Apartment therapy for inspiration. They have a great "smallest, coolest" contest they run every year.
I also think it depends. A studio can be hard just because there's no space for privacy, AT ALL. Sometimes you just want more than 5 feet between you and your partner, even if you love them.
I still think you can downgrade to a 1-bedroom for $1,100 to $1,200 (if my general idea of your location is correct), and live in a nice but older building with a lot more room. Depending on the area, you might not save that much on a studio anyway.
Best of luck whatever you decide!
You might want to get a layout of the studio and make paper mock ups. A lot of times, these rooms are configured in a strange way that you can't put certain furniture in the way you anticipated. Good luck!
I would kill Senor Dog if we lived in a studio. He, however, would be blissfully unaware.
It sounds like you have way too much stuff for a studio, at least the small cheap kind.
Do you actually use that exercise equipment?
I hear that, about being only in ONE ROOM all the time
But we'll have a kitchen, a bathroom and a little closet space I can go and hide out if I feel sick of seeing his face
Plus, he's gone all day and I'm at home. I miss him when he's gone.
I have lived in a studio with Mr M and no, that much furniture would not have fit in my relatively large studio. I had a queen sized bed which fit fine, but a king would have been impossible. I had one really tiny desk, a smallish couch etc. It was fine for awhile but we did have to rent a storage room as well to keep extra stuff. It might work if you're willing to put stuff in storage/pay for storage space. I didn't mind the lack of privacy, I wouldn't do it with just a roomate, but with your significant other it's not a problem.
I live alone and don't think I could do a studio, so I couldn't possibly imagine doing it with two people - whether you love them or not. I think it may be in the best interest of your sanity and your relationship to downgrade your apartment to a one bedroom to save money. But, going from a two bedroom to a studio, especially with the stuff you have, would be difficult. Speaking of, why in the world do you guys have so much stuff? Do you really need two monitors, etc.?
Kristy @ MYC
www.masteryourcard.com/blog
@Dog: We use the exercise bike every other day, but the elliptical machine is catching dust. It's so... squeaky! I'm going to try to sell it, but if I can't get enough, it's going to my mom.
@Kristy: You don't know what you're missing re: multiple monitors. I'm serious. Great for multitasking. And my bf is a programmer/artist/modeler. He has 3 screens at work, 3 screens at home - all of which he uses in one way or another (i.e. reference photo on one screen, 3d studio max on another...). As far as the other stuff goes - how is it too much? Keep in mind that the company he works for is owned by an electronics giant... We get discounts on all our tech. And we do love our tech. :)
@everyone: Thanks for your comments! You're right - a studio will be a stretch, unless we find something really amazing in terms of location/price/size. We'll see what I can sell in the next couple of weeks too. I wouldn't mind getting rid of a lot of the furniture... Then I can redecorate when we buy a place. ;)
I think it would be really hard to live in a studio with someone else. If you get mad, there's nowhere to go! It's all one room, unless you want to sit in the bathroom.
Then again, 1400 sq. ft. sounds palatial - Chad and I are crammed into a 650 sq ft. one-bedroom!
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