Settling In

We are really settling into our new place.  It is funny because our old place really was pretty cool.  It was a 1920's double house - meaning it shared one wall kind of like a 3 floored duplex.  It was also an altbau "old building"  It was a single family home, three floors and was unique to anything you would find in Seattle.  It felt German.  It felt like we were living in

Old house - just the right side

 a retro place with a retro kitchen which we wouldn't probably choose to do but was cool.  A lot of the important things (heat, bathrooms, kitchen appliances, plumbing) had all been redone but a lot of the house was original... meaning nearly 100 years old.  The floors, in particular, always bothered me.  They were old and squeaky and never felt very clean.
We embraced that house though and loved living there but the furnishings were always a bit lacking.  Our bed was super DUPER uncomfortable.  Really not much better than a futon and as low to the ground as a futon.  The dining table was long, not really big but definitely functional.  The dining room chairs were highly uncomfortable.  The living room had one of the smallest, stiffest and most uncomfortable couches I have ever seen.  Marty always joked that the only thing it was good for was a two person tea party. The rug was one of those sisal rugs that would shed on everything as if we had a shedding dog and the rug was so rough it seemed more fitted for outside.  In addition to these likely cheap Ikea pieces there were many, probably over 100 year, antique wardrobes and desks and enormous bookcases enclosed in glass.  Needless to say, it was fine and it served its purpose but none of it was cozy or comfortable or "US." But we figured, why waste money on something new.  We are only here a short time so we will just suck it up and deal. 
Even though moving really sucked.  Big time!  In the end, as is most things in life, it worked out better for us in the end.  Our new place is cozy.  We have nicer furniture.  One of our two couches is SUPER comfortable and the other is definitely more comfortable than our tiny tea couch.  Our bed is a regular bed at a regular bed height and much much more comfortable.  We have some artwork on the walls - some of which was from our recent trip to Barcelona.  It is not a unique building in any way but it is light and bright and was built in this decade... or maybe the previous but definitely within the past 20 years.

Barcelona artwork

We don't have a yard at this place but we do have 2 large terraces and right behind the building is an open "yard" that belongs to the building complete with a small sand pit.  It has been too cold for Benjamin to test it out but I bet come Spring and if we get a shovel or two and some buckets he will love digging out there.

Needless to say, we have been loving our new place.  My new kitchen is easily 4 times the size of the old one.  It is also open to the rest of the house which makes it so much more enjoyable to cook from here. 

 The kids each have a desk which they love to draw or read at and we have a whirlpool tub and a sauna in our bathroom. So fancy.  Benjamin and I mostly enjoy the sauna.   Here's to "movin' on up"