A Simple Way Of Living

The economic crisis has really made a lot of things harder and there's not much we can do about our country's financial woes. Real estate has been hit hard. Getting a house lately has somehow become almost impractical. Homes are getting ridiculously expensive. But it doesn't mean we can't make a home out of all this financial turmoil.

As a newly wed couple, way back in April of 2006, I remember my husband and I went to a process that is very much common to married couples who just started... and that is hunting for a place to live.

Looking for the Right Place

Looking for a place to live was so hard and tiring for us especially since we had a limited budget. There were lots and lots of houses. There were many spacious and beautiful ones we liked, but the bottom-line was always that it was more than we could afford. That's why my husband and I ended up in a very simple and small apartment.

The apartment has a small living room and a narrow hall towards the back that opens into a single room to the right. The kitchen is across from it. The kitchen is tiny with only enough space to fit a refrigerator and a 2-burner gas range. The sink faced the wall and on top of it is a small wooden cupboard. Our bedroom is about three times as big as the kitchen. Further down the hall, which is really just next to the bedroom considering the size of the apartment, is the bathroom. The apartment walls were initially painted white and were bare when we moved in.

Get Only the Things You Need

Living in a small and simple apartment has taught us a lot. First, the space in the apartment didn't give us the luxury to put in a lot of things we wanted. So most of the stuff we have are the things that we really need.

We need to find the right furniture that would fit in nicely, literally. We can't have oversized furniture. Accessories and decors, like pictures and wall paintings, we kept to a bare minimum. This prevented the living room from looking over decorated and cluttered. Over-decoration always makes a room smaller than it usually is and a cluttered space prevents free movement. We chose light-colored furniture to make the space look roomier. For the kitchen, we chose only small appliances in a neutral color.

Soft, Light Colors Works Best

Choosing the right color for the apartment was also something we had to consider. White was too bland. A more cheery look was what we had in mind. We initially considered light, pastel colors. This apartment was going to be our home after all and we wanted it to be comfortable for us and welcoming to others. We ended up with a soft yellow paint for our living room and kitchen walls and choose bright and glossy floor tiles to reflect light and make the room look larger. We applied wallpaper in our bedroom with thin stripes to make the ceiling seem higher.

We made sure that although we only have a small space in our apartment, we have a place for everything. We always put everything in its proper place and kept the place spic and span. A cleaner home means a cleaner mind.

It's been several years now and we still live in the same small and simple apartment we call home. We certainly learned a lot. For all of you who are also hunting for a house or decorating one, I hope these simple tips helped.