We found love in a hopeless place

[impersona]

Hey ya'll!  I've been a bit spare lately cause shit be CRAZY around here.  First off - thank you to everyone who left nice notes in the last entry!  I haven't gotten to respond to all of them but I very much appreciated them.

In the same week I got a new title, I also snagged a new apartment!  A studio apartment in walking distance to work, and just two blocks away from the Ebay campus.  Good stuff :D 

http://s1123.photobucket.com/albums/l542/impersona/Elysia/

Actually, very importantly, within walking distance there is:

(a) Whole Foods
(b) Trader Joe's
(c) Barnes and Noble
(d) Noah's Bagels (the only decent bagel chain in the area)
(e) KNITTING SHOP
(f) Panera Bread
(g) Frye's Electronics
(h) Game Stop
(i) my gym
(j) Hooters

Well, while all of that is within walking distance, it's going to be more comfortable in the long run if I get a bicycle.  So I'll get on that in March or whenever, this month is going to be bananas with the move and with the VACATION TO EAST COAST for the latter half of it.  

SO I AM SOLICITING INFORMATION FROM YA'LL in three questions:

(1) What are some important supplies to have when you immediately move into a new place?   I have basic cleaning supplies already, but what else would you recommend?

(2) Given the shape of the room, do you have any recommendations as to how to place room dividers?  I have a double-sized bed that I would want to section off with screens and/or bookcases, I'm just wondering where would be the best place.  So far I'm thinking of putting the bed against the kitchen-wall length-wise, to minimize the chance of hearing noise from the neighbors to the left and from the courtyard.  

(3) ANY RAD FURNITURE RECOMMENDATIONS?

K found this - http://www.target.com/p/Exotic-Retreat-Bookcase-Room-Divider/-/A-10145279#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink ; RAD BOOKSHELF

I like this case as well: http://www.target.com/p/Dolce-4-Shelf-Folding-Bookcase-Dark-Walnut/-/A-608712#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink

And then there is a daybed from West Elm I reaaaaaaaaaaally like: http://www.westelm.com/products/window-daybed-g093/?pkey=e|daybed|8|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-  

I'm thinking of keeping the furniture dark brown/black for the living space, and for colors I want to go for are black, white, gold, and red, with the intention to put a lot of prints in there for interest.  I don't need to get furniture immediately (mostly cause I won't be around that much till March), so there is time to stew and think over possibilities.  Also, I'm way excited to design the patio and kitchen, as I've never had either of those before XD 
 

Comments

[industrialfairytale]

Things you need for new apartment:
1) Think about things you frequently use that are actually your housemates'. Kitchen utensils are a big one - if you don't have a set of silverware, you'll want it.

2) Do basic cleaning supplies include:
a) a broom/dust pan
b) a mop/swiffer/whatever for tile
c) a vacuum

3) A step stool/ladder. Seriously, you'll start putting things away and go "well shit I can't reach that shelf" or "damn it the light bulb just burned out".

4) Tools for putting together shit you by at ikea ;-D - I recommend at least the basics, phillips and flat head screwdriver, pair of pliers, and a hammer. If you're very good, I might even let you borrow my awesome "every alan wrench size ever made" tool ;-)

I'm a fan of the Billy shelving units at Ikea - nice tall bookshelves with doors, or shorter ones, and corner ones as well. Ikea is really good for mix and match units to fill a space. But I would go to craigslist for the kitchen and patio furniture! NEVER underestimate the power of craigslist - especially in the bay area.

[impersona]

1) That's pretty much going to be all of the kitchen supplies - frying pans and oven mitts and all of that. The place doesn't have a microwave, so I need to pick up one of those (that's probably something I can grab easily off of Craigslist).

2) YOU ARE CORRECT, I will need a tinybrush/dust pan, swiffer mop, and a vacuum. I was actually like UGHN VACUUMS ARE SO EXPENSIVE, but they actually aren't as pricy as I thought.

3) Got that one, tiny!person needs her stool to reach her books XD

4) EXCELLENT IDEA. I think I saved the alan wrenches from the Ikea furniture I have, but if I didn't I'll let you know!

I WILL PROWL CRAIGSLIST TOO. The nice thing is that spring cleaning season is coming up, and I can spend my Saturday mornings wandering around those too. And there is a Goodwill very close by with an extended home goods section. I've also kept my eye on the local Marshall's XD

THANK YOU :D

[charis]

I am a horrible suggester of furniture because almost all of mine was inherited one way or another and there's no cheap(er) stores close by, but Craigslist can yield awesome stuff sometimes. Furniture-y things aside ...

Seconding like woah the basic toolkit recommendation. Light bulbs are one of those things that I never thought about until they burned out, so I'd add those to 'basic supplies' (and lamps, obvs, if the place does not have installed lighting). Batteries ditto, especially 9v because OH GOD the smoke alarm beeping at you at oh-dark-thirty is the worst ever. Toilet paper? XD

Basic kitchen gear. IDK exactly what your cooking tendencies are, but two pots (one smaller, one big enough for things like soup or pasta), a frying pan, a baking dish and a baking sheet will go pretty damned far. If you've a Ross near you (IDK how widespread they are) or similar discount chain, it's a good source for decent-quality kitchen things. If you cook with any regularity, indulge in one good kitchen knife; it's totally worth a dozen crappy ones. Also, tupperware (or whatever the generic term is) if you don't have some already, for serious, because living alone there are always things to put in tupperware if you cook.
Tea kettle. But that might just be me. XD And a dish-draining rack. And at least one trash can because always having to reach for a bag gets old reeeeeeeeeeeeally quickly. XD

As far as positioning the bed, have you checked out where the light hits at what time? I know that can be a huge factor for some people/places. But away from noise sources is always good. The only possible thing I can think to consider with kitchen proximity would be smell and maybe the noise from the appliances, since some fridges get really loud, but those tend to be issues for more sensitive folks.

Once you figure out where you want the furniture, figure out how many outlets you're going to want to put power strips into before you cover them. The flat-plug varietal are great for low profile but still not really possible to install after you've got that bookshelf just so (nope, never done that XD).

Oh, and IDK how safe that neighbourhood is, but if they're not already there, window locks and/or sturdy dowels in case you don't want to 100% close the windows. <_<

Looks like a pretty good floorplan for a studio, though, even with that odd little wraparound bit. Hope it works out well for you! ♥

[impersona]

Okay, the kitchen gear was vexing me cause I wasn't sure of how many pots and pans I would need XD LOL and thanks for the advice about the knife - I was just going to get a knife set from IKEA XD XD I hadn't thought of tupperware either, but I'll definitely need that since I do cook a lot, but I don't tend to eat all of it in one go. Dish-draining rack and trash can are both good calls too.

Yeah, that occurred to me that I wasn't sure how loud the fridge was. But I do have a fairly loud mini-fridge that I sleep through, so I think that will be okay. And the light is a great point - the sun will be stronger in the evening in the morning, but it would still be a good idea to position my room dividers so that my sleeping face isn't hit directly.

Fortunately I'm on a second floor :D So while I tend to keep my windows and porch doors locked out of paranoia, I don't think I'm in real danger of being broken into via those routes :D

I like the wraparound, actually XD It makes the place feel like it is a multi-room instead of a studio. And THANK YOU <3 <3 <3

[charis]

Ah, yay for 2nd floor, then! The studio I lived in for a while was 2nd floor, but a terrible design that had our windows right next to the walkway so I had to put window locks on freakin' everything. (One of the worst places I lived in, bleh.)

The wraparound looks like it's one of those things that, depending on the space and the furniture, could be spiffing or could be super-inconvenient. HOPEFULLY IT IS THE FORMER.

I got by for quite a while with a 3qt and a 1qt pot and a frying pan as my only real stovetop dishes. It means you have to wash things out if you want to cook again, but it also gives you time to sort out what exactly you do need. IMO, buying those things individually was better than picking up some set and winding up with things I didn't need. Plus, the 3qt one had a steamer insert that I could use as a colander in a pinch (until I finally remembered to buy one XD ).
Tupperware are my bestest kitchen friend for exactly the same reason. I love to cook, but always too much food ...

I am slightly jealous of your IKEA proximity. The nearest one here is about 1.75 hours away without traffic ... and in the middle of LA.

[industrialfairytale]

OH MY GOD NO no knives from Ikea. ONE good knife is better then a set of mediocre ones.

[randombees]

Extra sheets and blankets! Not only does it make laundry less-time-consuming to be washing one set of sheets all the time, it's good to be prepared for guests. One time I had to put up my brother on a couch with nothing but two random liner-sheets we found in the closet for warmth and I was like, NEVER AGAIN. Because even though he'd only told me he was staying over an hour or two beforehand, I hated being caught off-guard like that. :\