My Tiny Apartment Wishlist

I created this blog primarily as a way to keep track of things I plan to do or have done, and as a way to remember. So often I'll have a great idea and later on it sort of just trickles away and I'm stuck with no inspiration to solve a previously existing problem. In the process of this makeover, I've discovered so many nifty gadgets or beautiful items that are perfect for my apartment (ranging from home decor to furniture), so I wanted to both remember them and share with you if you're also looking for inspiration.

BJURSTA  Wall-mounted, drop-leaf table

$49.99 - IKEA

With thanks to my lovely friend Janet, this was thrust to the top of my wishlist immediately. I had been looking for something exactly like this to solve the fact that I don't have a desk. Since we don't have a lot of space for a new piece of furniture (and to be honest my laptop would only spend 50% of its time there anyway), this is PEFECT. It even turns into a small shelf when the leaf is dropped. The price is really reasonable, although I'm peeved that when I first found it 3 days ago, it was $10 cheaper. Dammit.

"Lampersand"

$89.99 - ModCloth

Isn't it beautiful? It's a splurge, I know, but I just love everything about how it looks! This won't be mine for a while, but once I get my pipe & plank shelves together, this will look perfect.

Folding Dish Drainer

$16.49 - Amazon

Our dish drainer is really quite awful. Cheap, flimsy, white plastic (though I'd be lying to say it's still white by now); it's big, clunky, and this weird red film has started to develop on the tray. It's so gross I can't even bring myself to clean it. About a year ago I saw a neat double-tiered one at a bath warehouse, but then I realized the better solution - folding! The problem becomes virtually non-existent. It looks small but the layer on the bottom and the points to hold cups and glasses actually makes it very useful.

I've actually already ordered this, but it won't ship for 3 weeks. Worse than that is I forgot to buy a draining mat to go with it.

CD/DVD Wallets

$18.99 + shipping - eBay

Why, right? If you remember, I mentioned my problem with DVD storage. There's been a recent brainwave, but it does require bringing back this out-of-date storage system. More on that later.

Tea Kettle

$10.98 $36.01* + shipping - eBay

In addition to being cute as a button, a traditional kettle (instead of the electric one I've had since my freshman year of college) is going to take up less counter room. Yes, it will consume one burner on my electric stove, but it's a non-issue; I rarely cook with more than one burner and when I do, it's for one. Easy.

I swear to god if anyone goes and bids on this I'll find your IP and ping you off the internet. Dibs.
*[Edited to Add: changed the price because SOME people had to go and bid on it, so it ended up costing me quite a bit more. But, I'm brilliant. Want to know why it was $36.01? Because I watched a lot of Price is Right in my day and my 1 cent rule on eBay FINALLY paid off because the previous bidder had $36. Bam]

LACK Shelves

$19.99 - IKEA

Nothing exciting here. Something to contain the many trinkets we have collected on top of our bookshelf so that we may one day actually see surfaces in our apartment. Cheap, and matches my furniture. Now accepting applications for help putting them up.

Coat Hooks with Shelf

I love this particular shelf from Etsy, but to get one that looks like this it's $90 plus shipping which brings it to almost double that. I really like reclaimed wood, but it's so hard for me to justify the price for what is essentially still used wood. Still on the lookout for something that would fit, but I need to replace my coat hooks and a shelf for small items is never unwelcome in a tiny apartment. Closest I've found is this on Amazon, but it comes in a bit too long.

GRUNDTAL Rail

$8.99 - IKEA

Big empty space on the kitchen wall + need for storage = hanging pots and pans from a kitchen rail.