How a Search Turned Into a Redesign

Right now we live in the same 1-bedroom apartment (as featured here) we moved into after we got married. Our lease runs up at the end of May and we talked about moving out to a 2-bedroom so we could have a study. Matt & I have been sharing a desk for the past year a half and that makes life quite interesting when we're both graduate students. Since I am a full-time PhD student, my husband has been gracious enough to let me have most of the desk, but on the weekends I would let him 'borrow' it for his part-time Masters work. 

It had been working OK for the most part, but we decided it was time for a change. So with some of the free time this past week, Matt & I went apartment searching. We stayed in the same area where we live now and our most important criteria included a having a study/2nd bedroom, covered parking, and a semi-decent kitchen (hey, I have a lot of kitchen stuff!). All of the places we looked at fit some of those criteria. The complex with the nicest management had a tiny kitchen and our dining room table wouldn't have fit well either. The complex that fit our size criteria had a somewhat sketchy management AND was slightly over-budget.

Sound like an episode of House Hunters to anyone? 

Anyway, after we looked at the last apartment, we discussed all the different options and realized that, shockingly, nothing was perfect. As the evening goes on, we end up having a conversation that goes like this:
Matt: I have a kind of crazy idea.
Jessica: What is that?
Matt: Why don't we move the chair and bookcase to the bedroom and then use that space to put a desk for me in the living room.
Jessica: Hmm... actually, that isn't that crazy.

The next morning we moved the furniture as suggested, realized there would indeed be enough room in the living room for a desk identical to mine, and then drove to IKEA. We bought the same desk, drove home, put it together, and absolutely fell in love with the result.

In the bedroom we have a nice little reading nook now. We will probably add a reading lamp later.

Say Hi to lego man!

And now for the living room pictures. Honestly I think it looks better than it did before (look at the link at the top of this post for reference). 

We're wanting to put something up on the wall next to the
diploma frames, just not sure what that would be yet.

Yay! Matt has his own desk now! 

Ignore the messy coffee table...

So there you have it! We are definitely happy with our redesign and I'm not sure Matt would have had his idea if it wasn't for going to look at other apartments. Hopefully we won't have to move for at least another year! 

What do you think? Ever had a similar experience happen to you?