Dungeon Days - Before and After

Noone can ever call me "high maintenance" after reading this forthcoming post.

Oh my goodness these "before" pictures give me a stomach ache and provoke me to question my sanity around this time last year. When I decided not to purchase my apartment in DC, I was in a bind and needed to move out right away. I, yes ME, an interior designer became a basement dweller in Virginia for 8 months. While the living conditions were sub-par, I admit I did have some good times in the "log cabin" with the 3 boys (friends) that lived upstairs. Please take a gander at what I saw when my friend Blake invited me to move downstairs into the Dunge:

As if the thought of living below ground in NOVA with 3 boys was not daunting enough, I turned the corner to find THIS: I didn't know this color of blue even EXISTED outside of smurf cartoons!

And next, the kitchen: gorgeous.

This my friends is what you call a design damsel in DISTRESS. First things first: Hire someone ASAP to clean clean clean!!! Second, think about what in the world you are doing and consider backing out. Third, remember that you have zero time to do anything and really don't have a choice. After all, the rent has not been as cheap since college days in Tuscaloosa. Fourth: no choice, you're moving in, go buy buckets of paint. Paint entire dunge apartment in two days (this is not too challenging since dunge ceiling height is only 7 feet). Awesome. Things are better already. Indluge in tylenol pm at night in order to forget where you lay your head and remember the cheap rent! Buy flowers often, burn candles always, and make plans in the district every single night.