house tour

To show you what a huge contrast this place is from the last place we lived in Bishkek (or any place, really, because plain white walls were a rare find in Bishkek).
To show you what you could possibly rent for 760 Euros a month in Gent(brugge, technically just outside of Ghent).
To have proof, forever and ever, that at one point the whole house was clean.
To remind me that I should decorate a bit more; some of the walls look a bit scarce.

Let’s start from the top floor.

Our bedroom has two skylights, which makes the room gorgeous and bright on days when the sun is actually out. I should spend more time up here, but I always forget to drag my computer up there, and if Darwin’s around then we’re pretty much limited to the bottom floor anyway. I still won’t dare take him up those stairs.

Darwin’s room faces west and gets so much light during the day. His shelves are from Ikea and came with the house; the legs are essentially nailed in place, so I flipped the shelves upside-down so they’d be Darwin-sized and more stable. He sleeps on a floor bed. My sister-in-law helps to run a Montessori school in Denver, so naturally her influence over the years has translated to bits and pieces of Montessori-inspired things here and there.

Our guest bedroom/craft room. Those doors lead to a mini-terrace that I’ll show off in another post.

The living room, dining room and kitchen are stacked next to each other on the ground floor. We live in a rowhouse so it’s fairly skinny and long. Our furniture is a mix of vintage pieces that came with the house, Ikea pieces that we bought, and a few things we shipped either from the US or Bishkek (like the rugs). And, of course, some DIY projects.

Womp womp, what a bare wall! We have two canvas paintings that we need to stretch onto frames. My next DIY project, perhaps?

Hands down, this piece of furniture receives the most compliments. It’s a vintage piece, it came with the place. I’m not in love with it; I think I would’ve picked a bolder accent color to paint it.

(There’s really no need to show pictures of the bathroom, it has a skylight, which is wonderful, but it also has the washing machine and is constantly blocked by mountains of laundry. Also, I’ve already shared what the kitchen looks like in this post.)

What do I love most about our house? How white and bright everything is. It feels modern and fresh. I don’t know that if given the chance, I’d have the guts to paint so many surfaces white. White, painted wood floors are one of those Pinterest decorating dreams, but living in this rental gives me the opportunity to see if it’s something I could live with. I have to admit, it’s pretty swell. Once the weather warms up just a bit more, I have a feeling I’ll love the terrace a whole bunch too.

What do you love most about your current living situation?