Moving from a ~600 sq ft, 1 bedroom apartment to ~1000 sq ft, 2 bedroom apartment in 2016 was a game changer. Not only did we get a 2nd bedroom and more square footage, but we also gained access to a storage unit/communal space that became Keizo's at home bike shop, a yard with a friendly dog, and great next door neighbors. We lived less than a mile from a trail, about a mile from the Takoma Metro station and a few blocks from bus routes, a grocery co-op, bakery, Korean restaurant, and small business center.
I'm not sure we would have stayed put for 6 years without the pandemic, but during the very crazy early days and aftermath, all of the amenities above, (plus rent control) made staying put very appealing. Let's go for a tour, shall we?
Patio
We lived on the ground floor of a 2-story building with direct access from the front yard. We used the patio a lot, especially in the summer to eat meals outdoors. It was also home to our compost bucket, which got picked up every week with the trash and recycling. The photos below show it decorated for fall, plus how the door looked for a 4th of July and the 2021 holiday season. I loved how the big holly leaves turned out and kept all of the materials to use again somewhere else.
Main Room
Entering the front door brought you into the main room (floor plan included at the end). The main room was L-shaped, and we decided early on to cut off the leg of L near the kitchen with tall bookshelves that fit nearly perfectly under a soffit. When we had just 2 bikes, they lived back there, along with other sports equipment, coats, shopping bags, etc. so we deemed this area the "garage."
We divided the rest of the main room into our living and eating/dining areas. Pre-pandemic, the dining table was centered in the space and we had people over pretty regularly. A favorite memory was hosting 11 adults + 1 toddler for Friendsgiving in 2018 - a record for the number of people in our apartment at one time! During the pandemic, the dining table and chairs got pushed aside to make room for yoga mats.
For Christmas, we set up the tree in both corners, but for the past two years, the tree replaced the big pink chair on the living room side, where we could see it from the couch. Much cozier I think!
The view coming in the front door. Since the door was in between two windows on the front wall, we didn't have much of a 'drop zone.' The cabinet in the background of the photo above was always a mess of mail, sunglasses, phones, etc.
The dining area all dressed up for Halloween! We bought the dining set at the
Habitat for Humanity ReStore shortly after we moved in (along with some other odds and ends, including our first bike rack for the car for a cool $250), and we donated it back again with the move. It was a great set, with two leaves and 6 chairs, but rather bulky and passing it along to new owners helped us fit everything we wanted to move into 2 storage containers instead of 3.
The living room side. The black shelves we used to divide up the main space are visible on the far left above. It was a pretty cozy set up; good for two people who like each other, but not a lot of guests.
Kitchen
The weekend we moved in, I wasn't sure I'd ever feel at home in a kitchen where the top and bottom cabinets didn't match. Thankfully, I got used to it pretty quickly, and definitely appreciated all of the storage.
The galley-style kitchen was cozy. When people came over or my parents stayed with us, they often asked if they could help, but the best thing was for them to stay out of the kitchen! Keizo and I frequently bumped into each other when we cooked together, but the compact size also meant it was possible to stretch across and grab the right utensil while simultaneously stirring or pouring something else. 😋
I wish we had painted the back wall a fun color or tried wallpapering the fridge, but oh well. The photo below is of the right hand side of the kitchen; on the left was more cabinets and counters where we had the microwave, coffeemaker, and cutting board, plus the fridge on the back left.
Hall / Bathroom
If this was an in-person tour and we left the kitchen and turned to our right in the main room we would now be looking down the hall to the bedrooms and bathroom, just like the photo on the left below. The hall stayed pretty bare all 6 years we lived there, and apart from a seasonal shower curtain switch or two, so did the bathroom. I didn't care for the pedestal sink - zero storage and it was hard to get a vacuum or mop around the base so it mostly just trapped dust. On the plus side, a small bathroom doesn't take very long to clean!
Closets
This 2 bedroom apartment had 5 closets, not including a white Ikea number we got for the "garage." This worked out really well for our different organizational methods. I had a closet for my clothes, Keizo had a closet for his clothes, and then we had a coat closet, a bathroom/cleaning supply closet, and linen/art supply closet. Four of the closets had mirrored doors, which I definitely thought about covering early on, but like those kitchen cabinets, I got used to them and they helped bring more light in.
Main Bedroom
The main bedroom where we slept was only room in the apartment with two exterior walls. With one of the walls east-facing, there was a lot of light in the morning (pro). With the other wall facing north, it was definitely the coldest room in the winter (con).
The bed divided the room into his- and her- sides. Keizo's side, with the white dressers is visible in the middle photo, and my side, with the brown dresser is shown on the right. The hanging jewelry was the main decor on my side - definitely Pinterest inspired. I tend to wear the same 2-3 necklaces now, so I kind of doubt this will be recreated in our next space.
2nd Bedroom / Home Office
I don't seem to have any photos of this space! It was the last room that we 'finished' after moving in; in fact, it was mostly boxes until just before my family came for their first visit. For the first few years, it was used mostly as a guest room / laundry hanging spot / occasional reading room, but in March 2020 it became my home office and I spent many hours within its walls.
As a home office, it got more plants and an adjustable sit/stand desk. I am very grateful to have had the separate space to make working from home as pleasant as possible. The window faced east, so it had great natural light in the morning, and it was probably the warmest room in the winter (unless the oven was on in the kitchen).
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And there you have it! Boyd Avenue was a wonderful place to call home for six years. I got a little misty eyed as our moving/storage containers were picked up and driven away. That feeling was replaced by exhaustion though as we triaged what was left (lots of donations!), cleaned, and packed the car for our trip west. But that is a different topic for another time. 😊
