It’s like a TARDIS!

We knew we’d have a lot less space in the new place. It’s why we put a lot into storage and donated or threw out a whole lot more.

There’s the strange moment when you first see an empty space that it feels even smaller than you imagined. Your heart drops and you have no idea how on earth anything is going to fit.

Each little part of the apartment seems dreadful, because it’s not what you had. You start picking apart its flaws because it’s the only way to cope. The American Dream says that each new home should be bigger and nicer than the last one! Why, then, are you moving backwards?


Like most things, It Got Better. Once our furniture was actually unpacked, there was still plenty of room to move. Perspective becomes key – the main room is only a couple of feet shorter than envisioned, but the bigger issue is that what we thought was a wall is a large sliding door and we can’t put our t.v. or couch in front of it. There’s a couple feet less between the kitchen table and the couch area – not enough space left to do anything practical with (originally the sewing machine was supposed to go there), but just enough to feel wasted if we’re not using it.

There are no towel racks or hooks, and no toilet paper holder. There are some things we expected to buy, but a portable TP rack was not one of them. Why can't they mount a TP holder like every other place? (So yes, these are the things that feel annoyingly overwhelming the first day. Still no idea where to put the towels two weeks later.) And we're not used to having a staircase take up so much space.

But the reality remains that once a room has furniture in it, it looks so much bigger than when it’s empty – magical! It turns out that there’s tons of space in the basement (if it weren’t for winter temps, it would be tempting to turn a corner of the basement into a study or crafts area), and while the kitchen is tiny and cramped compared to what we’re used to, it actually has a fair amount of storage space to absorb our stuff. (Counter space, OTOH, remains a challenge.)

The only room that feels too small is the second bedroom/study. Whereas every other room grew larger when we unpacked into it (like a TARDIS!), the study seems to have shrunk in on itself. It’s a really good thing we only brought one desk and not both of ours. There wouldn’t be anywhere to put a second desk.


Because it’s just the two of us, it works. We’ve adapted to the new space. And while there are still things that annoy me because they’re inefficient uses of space (for instance, the area near the basement door has to remain dead space which is SUCH a waste), at the end of the day we have a livable apartment that's more than adequate for our needs, with plenty of storage in the basement. I’ve made the kitchen work for me. We have plenty of space, including the ability for me to watch tv or go to sleep while Arthur can be working in his study undisturbed.

It really is incredible how something feels so small and then just everything still fits. Amazing.

But what’s getting to me is that this is “family housing”. Where on earth do the tenants with kids – who is most everyone else – fit things? That’s where the unnecessary dead spaces become problematic. Because by definition, at least one of the occupants of each unit is a student. And needs study space. You could fit a kid in here, but you’d have to sacrifice the study space.

There are tons of wonderful play areas steps away from each unit. So in the warmer weather, kids can play outside. But in the winter, how do you squeeze in your kids, play space for them, and a study area? If it’s warm enough, you could slap a rug down in the basement and make it a playroom.

I guess we’re spoiled. Used to lots of space. Plenty of families cram into much less all the time. And, as Arthur points out, many of the students in this complex are coming from overseas so they’re not bringing much. We, OTOH, brought a large chunk of our possessions. Because there’s not an ocean in the way and this way it feels like home.


(The first thing I started unpacking was the kitchen so that we could move in and out of it despite the boxes - it was 80% done within two hours of the movers leaving. The movers were, again, wonderful and professional and efficient. Arthur's only complaint is that there are a couple of boxes in the basement with the labels facing the wrong way. He figures if that's the only imperfection, we're darned lucky :)


Tonight we sleep in our own bed, in our own magically large bedroom :)