Super important: subscribers won’t be able to see the video through email… please click the title. I promise… there are sexy auditory goodies involved.

Oh, the uphill climb. That “ugh” when you open the door. The overwhelming urge to just ignore everything and eat Chinese takeout while staring at the television and wondering why your peripheral vision is so damned… acute.

Welcome to Rental Hell.

If you’re new here, I created the Rock Your Rental contest for my fellow renters who are currently living in a state of aesthetic purgatory. I’m showing one lucky winner how to transform their space without a) blowing the budget and b) making the landlord hyperventilate. Join us for the ride!

In the last post, we discussed Mr. & Mrs. B’s specific situation. To say I have my work cut out for me would be putting it mildly. Issues include a lack of space, a lack of privacy, and oh, the fact that this entrepreneurial couple are literally living out of their bedroom. Click the link to refresh your memory on their current state of aesthetic affairs.

And to all of that, I say, “no problem”.

Truly.

As is common for temporary digs, inhabitants generally tend to think, “well, I’m only here for such-and-such a time, so why bother?”. But the truth is, IT DOES MATTER. Your living environment absolutely matters. What you see every day affects your sense of well-being. If your space works, you can work. If your space feels organized and calm, YOU feel organized and calm. The state of your space = the state of your inner sense of being, so for crying out loud, why let a monthly rental cheque dictate how well you live? Don’t you deserve a space that’s the best it can be?

Exactly.

In Mr. & Mrs. B’s case, a lack of storage means that every available surface is covered with life’s detritus. Tissues, medications, books-on-the-go, clothes from yesterday, today, and possibly tomorrow. Office equipment related to the burgeoning business. Keepsakes from a life well lived, and all manner of everyday “stuff” that threatens to gobble up the couple in their sleep. In other words, serious storage is in order.

So, let’s break it down. We need:

• storage for clothing (both his and hers and out-of-season wear)
• storage for keepsakes that doesn’t involve clear plastic bins (face it: they’re beyond fugly and only work to create MORE stressful visual clutter)
• storage for seldom-used office supplies and accessories
• space for two to work in tandem or separately as the need dictates
• light control that offers privacy at night while drenching the space in light during the day while cutting down on screen glare
• most importantly, a space that doesn’t scream “we’re temporarily living our whole lives in here”

Right. So we’ve addressed all the technical bits. Now let’s talk about the intangible stuff. You know, the bits that make all the difference, but are seldom talked about in design circles. Specifically: how do you want the space to make you feel?

Ah. Good question. Why is it so few of us actually ask ourselves this make-it-or-break question? I mean, we’re talking cash here. Time. Major effort. Shouldn’t that criterion be the first damned question on your list?!

Well, here’s how Mr. & Mrs. B want to feel.

Sexy. Sophisticated. Polished, even when their lives have been unraveled and tendrils are hanging in every possible direction. Accomplished. Focused. Alive.

Kind of something like this.

Stay tuned while I begin the spec’ing process. We’ll begin addressing each item specifically as we build the design around their specific needs and aesthetic preferences. And, of course, how they want to feel.