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I have been trying to post these “after” photos of Donatello and my living room forever. You know how it is- even though we love our space, it’s never quite perfect enough to post photos. I admit, I took these photos for Airbnb! I always planned to take some more, but now it will never happen. We are currently in the middle of a renovation and the apartment you see here no longer exists! It has been completely gutted and is a dusty mess right now. The “before” photos are here. So why don’t we start the tour?
Indoor living room
The majority of our furniture has been handed down or gifted to us (sofa, microwave, blanket). Some small trinkets Donatello and I collected on our travels when we used to work on a cruise ship. The painting on the wall is by Donatello’s brother, a very talented artist.
You can see the kitchen through the corridor, while our mini-bathroom and micro-bedroom can also be accessed through that doorway.
Above is our very limited media area. Again, the wooden chest and DVD player were hand me downs, while Donatello and I purchased the painting together in Hoi An, Vietnam while on the cruise ship.
The bookshelves above are from Meinhilde’s and my shared room when we were children. Donatello and I found our dining table at Aberfoyle’s Antique Market just outside of Toronto. We loved it because it is made from sturdy wood and has two leafs that allow us to expand it to seat eight people. This was really important to us because we love entertaining our friends and family and needed a convertible table. Our living room is multipurpose and works as our study, dining room, and den all at the same time and the table was a key piece of the multi-use puzzle.
Outdoor living room extension
We are very lucky to have a large deck as part of our small apartment. It acts as a second living room in the summer where we have another dining table and our hand-me-down barbecue. I commissioned Meinhilde to plant my garden boxes, which act as a mini herb garden. Mint was the winner in terms of hardiness (it actually survived the Canadian winter and came back the following summer), but we also have some chives, basil, and dill. It’s such a treat to have some fresh herbs in the middle of the city on the second floor of a house!
Toronto’s summers are green and lush and this photo is the perfect reminder. Donatello and I love to have our breakfast and dinner on the deck, even with my mom calling over to us from her second floor deck across the street (heehee).
Great use of the space! Love the painting too!