By Anna Grinzinger, Rockford Property Management Resident
Prior to renting my apartment at The Hendrik, where I’ve now lived for three years, I dreamed of being on my own and making decisions on how to decorate my space. When I first signed the lease for my studio apartment, I went furniture shopping. As I browsed, I kept thinking about small spaces, small furniture and how everything would work together to create my home.
Before moving, I got rid of many things I had owned previously – a dresser, a mirror and some clothes. I remembered living in the dorms in college and opted for smaller “dressers” and drawers (you know, the ones you can buy at Target for $30) as I readied for my new space. I did keep some of the furniture from my previous apartment, including refurbished vintage cabinets, a vintage nightstand and a lovely bookcase.
Then, I went shopping for a couch. I found a beautiful loveseat from Art Van Furniture. As I was paying for it, my mom asked, “Are you sure? It’s small.”
I was eager to move and get things done, so I replied, “Yes, this is good!” Flash forward to when I had moved and lived at The Hendrik for a few months. I was super happy with my new apartment, but my TV was way too small. It was a tiny, 24-inch Insignia brand that I had used in college. It worked well for the dorms, but not so much for my apartment. Still, I was hesitant to get anything larger because I knew I would have to move my couch, potentially making the kitchen space smaller. So, I decided to go to Best Buy with my dad to look for something new. I ended up with a 42-inch Samsung that I adore, and it turns out that the larger TV didn’t impact the kitchen space at all.
After about two years, despite how much I loved my apartment, it still did not quite feel like home. I then began to realize the source of the problem – my loveseat. It was a good piece of furniture, but I had learned (just like my mom originally said) that it was way too small. I could barely fit on it myself, let alone two people. I couldn’t lounge and relax.
Ultimately, I traded the loveseat out for a sectional from Pottery Barn. It fit perfectly in my space when it arrived, making the room bigger! Now, I can comfortably have more than one person over at a time, and I don’t detest staying home all day on the couch. I also replaced my bedframe with something more streamlined and got a larger nightstand and a smaller lamp. I have more storage than ever before, and my apartment finally feels like a home.
