Creating a Positive Space

Before my wonderful husband moved into our little unit, there were times when I would be home by myself all day. With no one to talk to face to face, loneliness crept into my life. I had two things that helped me conquer this feeling. God and art. God as my friend, father, rock and security and art as my hobby. I could spend hours or days on various pieces of art which helped me keep my mind off of any down feelings that tried to take over. My aim was to make each piece of art positive, knowing that it would be displayed in our home, to reflect on and see each day. Creating a positive environment is so important. Here are a few examples of my work ...

What is something you do that lets you forget about reality for a while?

Living in a Unit - TIP 4 - One Dish Wanders

Today, Mr J and I were blessed to have our dear friends over for lunch. Our first official hosting since being married. We played games that left us laughing uncontrollably and finished with a game of bocce in the sun. Prior to all our mind boggling fun, we ate. Mr J and I thought that a one dish wander would be ideal. I took charge of mains - shepherds pie. Mr J took charge of dessert - apple crumble. Yum.

Why are one dish wanders so great for a tiny unit?

Benefit number one. When guests arrive that you have been waiting all day to catch up with, the last thing you want to do is cook, instead make the meal in advance and then all you have to do is wait for it to heat up and in the meantime you can sit down and relax.

Benefit number two. After serving the meal, having one big dish to put in the kitchen sink looks much neater than three frying pans, two wooden spoons, an oven tray and some chopping boards. Advance cooking has allowed you to do all these dishes prior to your dinner party. This is particularly relevant for small units as everyone can see your kitchen sink - no where to hide that mess!

I dare you to impress your guests with a dish. What would your one dish specialty be?

Living in a Unit - TIP 3 - Surviving Hot Weather

Surviving the hot weather anywhere can be a challenge, let alone in a small apartment. Although Mr J and I have an air conditioner that cools the living room in less than thirty seconds, it somehow does not push itself past our five metre hallway to the bedroom. Sleeping at night becomes extremely uncomfortable, even with our ceiling fan rocking the roof at high speed. Therefore we are onto our fourth night sleeping over in the lounge. We are still trying to conquer the temperature of our bedroom - if anyone has any tips please comment below!

Over six months of owning this little unit I may not be able to adjust the bedroom temperature but I have realised a few things that make all the difference during the hot months. 

#1 Take a cold shower - This sounds straight forward and sometimes exactly what I feel like when the temperature has hit over forty degrees celcius but as soon as the cold water hits my head, I almost jump through the ceiling and get greeted by goosebumps all over. Before I know it I have reached my hand back to the tap to turn the heat up. Hot showers on a hot day have consequences when living in a small unit though as the entire home takes on the climate of the bathroom. Before you know it, it is hot and steamy everywhere. Taking a hot shower is wonderful but then having to suffer the humidity for the next hour is not. Brave the goosebumps and take a cool shower. 

#2 Less oven - Similar to the a hot shower, the oven can influence the entire unit temperature also. Although a hot apple crumble with ice-cream may have been a craving all day, I have had to result in eating ice-cream by itself as I wouldn't be able to manage the 180 degree celcius of the oven oozing out and hitting my face. Let the oven be your heater on the cooler days but put it to sleep on the hot ones. 

#3 The pedestal fan is you friend - As noisy and as unattractive as it is, the $20 pedestal fan in our living room is our friend. I used to think that having an air conditioner meant there was no need for a fan in the same room. Wrong. Putting the fan on is sometimes all I need (saving electricity!) or when the air conditioner is a must, the fan helps bring down that temperature a little more therefore we are able to have the air conditioner on a slightly higher temperature (also saving electricity!). Not to mention, it is portable! Invest in one of these and see how it makes your day more pleasant. 

What gets you through those stinking hot days? I would love to know. 

See other tips for living in a unit here

Living in a Unit - Tip 2 - Blank Walls

We all have those walls that are blank. Walls that just beg for attention and scream for love. Why not add a personal touch to the place you call home in a form of artwork! Sounds easy right? It's actually not, especially if you live in a small space, it is quite tricky when all your walls and angles are strange. Finding the perfect shape frame is near impossible and then finding the motivation can be harder than climbing Mt Everest. I was in that boat until I came along this idea (pictured above) - nothing more than a long piece of string and some pegs. A piece of string which allows me to hang our best memories and rotate them day to day. I also see a future for some of my most loved postcards and prints here too. Something unique but something me.

What fills your walls?

Living in a Unit - Tip 1 - Storage Furniture

Fitting a kitchen, dining area, living space, bedroom, laundry, toilet and bathroom inside a 60 metre square three bedroom unit is a challenge in itself, let alone adding a person (soon to be two!) plus a house full of their clothes, shoes, dvd's, books, appliances and art. Mr J and I accepted this challenge when we purchased this cosy space in June 2013.

So, I hear you asking how do you give everything a home and keep things tidy? The answer is every piece of furniture must have storage! Last night, a beautiful pine television cabinet was delivered to our unit from a friend who is moving homes. The cabinet has helped my sanity as I no longer have to pull out one dvd from my bookcase to also have five other dvd's, six novels and a recipe book fall on top of me too. Instead, my dvd's get their own home and no matter how messy it can get behind those doors, the mess is hidden (for now).

Don't get me wrong, the unit has days when it looks like a wild pig has visited, doing laps and backflips leaving the place in a 'pig sty' but knowing that everything has a home and that an hour of tidying allows me to feel comfortable when guests come over makes things so much better.

Any storage is good storage.

See other posts about our unit here.

Shopping for the Home

What does a women do when she can't decide whether to buy cutlery or placemats with a voucher received as an engagement present? She ponders the decision at the cafe across the road of course! The chai latte defintely helped me reach a decision to go with the 60% off cutlery set. Bargain. 

Have you ever hit that stage in life when shopping for the home becomes more exciting than shopping for yourself? I have. Maybe it is because I fear those dream jeans will hug my hips too tight or the dress that looks divine on the rack will let me down once I put it on. Whatever the reason, if I was to choose to stop at a home decor store or the fashion store - I would choose home decor right away. Here are some of the things I have spotted and added to my wish list:

1. Proppmat Chopping Board 2. Strandmon Wing Chair in Svanby Grey 3. Kvarnvik boxes with lids 4. Print by Sevenly 5. Alarm Clock 6. Claro Candles (not shipping internationally yet though) 7. Pegasaurus magnet 8. Scout Soap Dish

What is your favourite piece of home decor at the moment? I would love to hear from you in a comment below! 

An Introduction to the Unit

Mr J and I purchased the unit while we were engaged. It is small - only sixty metres square. One bedroom, one room with living/dining/kitchen, one room for bathroom/toilet/laundry plus a small shed, undercover carport and a small garden. It is all we need. Moving one bedroom worth of gear from my parent's home to the unit wasn't too hard, but the challenge is avoiding clutter and finding homes for new purchases and gifts. Day by day I'm learning new 'unit-living' tricks, as well common 'moving-out-of home' things. Throughout my adventure of unit ownership and married life (in seventeen sleeps!) I hope I can help other's living the same life, as well as be excited to receive advice from anyone been there or doing the same.

Here's to cozy places we call our home!