Everything In It's Place

Everything In It's Place

And a place for everything

Some of you might remember my attempt at creating hilarity when I stored my pots and pans in the refrigerator because it was the only place where I had the room. I had just moved into a Studio Apartment in The Lakeside Building on Milwaukee's lower east side. 

A studio apartment, or my snuggery according to my word-of-the-day email, is a fairly large bedroom with an attached galley kitchen and full bath. I eventually rectified the pot and pans problem with a cart that handles most of my cooking utensils. The rest, like the cast iron and my baking utensils, are in the oven. This necessitates taking them out when I want to bake, but that is another story to be told at another time.

I often remark to friends, living in a studio apartment is like living on a boat. Every space has to designed to serve more than one function. I have kneaded bread dough on a wood cutting board in my double-wide stainless steel sink. I have stored box cereals in a shipping box under the bed. My supply of hand sanitizer is under the bathroom sink in their shipping container.

But of all the areas of my apartment, the library table and office chair under the two windows that open onto the courtyard below by far are the most multifunctional area in my abode. 

Categorically the area serves as my writing space, office, art studio, dining table, television and streaming media viewing, communications center, and branch medicine cabinet.

Note here three screens. 

My Ipad on a tripod for Zoom and Facetime calls. Underneath reading glasses and rubber tip pen for use with my Ipad and iPhone. My iPhone is laying on the desk on the left. Out of frame on the left would be my walker, repurposed as a stand for the printer/scanner/copier. Moving to the right is my mini-mac with the monitor, mouse, and keypad. My daily logbook with my computer glasses, and fountain pen. Then we see my television receiver with the Hd antenna and the controller. Hiding between my coffee cup and my water cup is my daily prescription box. I put a kitchen towel on the table while I eat.

 

On the floor are the wastebasket, paper recycling basket, and the shredder. It looks like a desk but really it is the Swiss Army knife version of Desks

In this image. we see my bed. 

When I'm seated at my Swiss Army knife version of a desk The bed is behind me, Thus the bed, during the day, becomes the credenza for the office and the place where I marshall what I need before leaving for outside activity (glasses, keys, books to return to the library, hats, coats, sunglasses, scarves, knapsack, etc.) In this photo you see my art supplies laid out for use later in the day. 

"All I have to do is pivot my chair and the art tools are there."

The slab as an art studio. Note the expresso cup and ever-present water tumbler.

Home sweet home. It might appear to be a lot of sleight of hand to get all of this done but, like many things we do, much of it becomes second nature.