A lesson in humility.
We keep reminding ourselves that this is simply the house that got us to Colorado, but that doesn't keep us from sort of hating it. I know. I am being really a big baby about this, after all, how can I complain when so so many people don't even have homes?
I guess it's just hard when your kids keep saying things like "I hate this house" and "I miss our old house" and "I like our old house better" and "I hate sharing a room with Sam."
Especially hard when I want to say "me too!" to every single one of those things...well, except the sharing a room with Sam thing. Though, if I DID share a room with him, I would hate it too. He kicks the wall in his sleep. He yodels as he drifts off to sweet slumber. He gets up 18 times before finally calming down. Poor Ethan.
And oddly, though I really loved our house in Illinois, I don't miss it. When I think about missing a house, I think about the very first house we ever bought (random, right?) because in my mind...THAT was the one that got away. The one that should've been our long-term house.
So. I'm looking for thoughts on how to make a rental homey. When you can't paint. When you can't put anchors in the wall. When you really don't have TIME to waste on a rental. My sweet friend Jeanne keeps reminding me to view this as a blessing. After all, I'm pretty much released from the pressure of having to turn my house into a cozy little nook in my corner of the world...since, ya know, we're moving in less than a year.
Again.
(I added those black squares so you'd have an idea that I'm putting two other frames right there... at the time of this photo, they weren't up yet.)
Still, I don't want to hate it.
Issues. It's too small. I have no office. No scrapbooking/painting space. The picture below is IT. Adam's recording equipment is in the middle of the living room. Am I just kinda out of luck here? We need more storage...(especially for paper type things, contracts, books, reference materials, etc. We're nerdy up in here, so I need spots for all my geek paraphernalia!
Things I like about the house...the landlord is super detailed and everything was really clean and in good condition. This has a downside since there've been workers skulking about the house since the day we moved in. Fixing, painting, landscaping. It's like invasion of the workmen, no joke. It's a little unnerving to be working on my laptop and see a face suddenly reflected in the monitor from the painter in the window behind me.
I'm not sure how to slipcover that sofa and ottoman. I've had it since college and it's been slipcovered before, but it never looked good. It really needs something, it's sea foam green for pete's sakes. I actually think it might look cute if I had the right accessories. I'm guessing recording equipment isn't a good complement no matter how you cut it.
I especially love the pumpkin colored counter tops. So perfect for fall.
And the random wall in the middle of the lower level. I've considered painting these white frames (blue?) just to add some color, since, ya know, I can't paint the walls.
Anybody ever lived in a rental? Have any ideas? Ways to make it more "yours" when it's just so NOT? Would love to hear your thoughts!
