It was 1978, I was 21 years old, my husband, 23, and we were newlyweds, having just been married a few weeks before. We had just moved into "married student housing" on the campus where we were attending school. I had one year left in undergrad and he had one year left in law school. These little one bedroom apartments were very much in demand and there was often a long waiting list. Rent was $105 a month and included all utilities except phone...WOW!
This pic was taken shortly after we moved in and LOOK, I see a tablescape! (LOL) Of course, I'd never heard the word tablescape when this was taken. Do I at least get points for using place mats? Apartments in married student housing were tiny and this was the only dining area...just large enough for a table and chairs. And there it is, the requisite pitcher of sweet tea. You know us Southerners...we gotta have our sweet tea. :)
I placed a big yellow "S" on the wall in the kitchen. Remember the huge "M" on the wall in Mary's kitchen in the Mary Tyler Moore show? Yep, I wanted to be just like Mary! :-) Note the macrame plant hanger made by yours truly...macrame was big back then...that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
This is the only shot I have of the bedroom. The comforter was in earth tone colors...rust, brown, gold...very popular for that time period
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Since we were poor college students, with only part time jobs, all our furniture was handed down to us from various family members. The black chair had belonged to my sister...the matching sofa is in the room, but not visible in this pic. The table you see beside the chair was bought unfinished and my DH stained and polyurethaned it so we would have an end table.
We were so proud of the old record cabinet you see with the ship model sitting on top...it was the first piece of furniture we bought ourselves. That's an Atari game tucked inside of the cabinet. :-) Some of you are smiling and some of you are saying, Atari what?
Didn't everyone have a macrame lion on their wall in the 70's? :-) You can't see it very well, but below the lion was a huge floor standing television we bought used that summer. I can't remember what we paid, but it was too much. Everybody looked a sickly shade of green on that television, but it was better than nothing. :-) The books just visible on the book shelf, weren't decorating books in those days. Back then, our shelves were mostly filled with our textbooks: English, Psychology and Art for me, Law books for him.
I saved the best pic for last! :-) I think this photo, more than any other, is the perfect example of that first college apartment. We desperately needed bookshelves for my DH's stereo and some other "stuff." We happened upon some discarded bricks somewhere, so DH bought some boards, stained them and...ta-da...bookshelves.
The lower shelf is filled with college annuals and more text books. The bust is of my DH...he sat for me while I sculpted him in an art class, along with the sitting figure on the top shelf. The little wooden airplane was a gift from a friend. I took flying lessons during my sophomore year and after I soloed, my friend's father carved the airplane for me as a gift. Such sweet memories.
We only lived in this little apartment for a year...until graduation. But it was a very good year, and one I'll never forget. These were humble beginnings, a now treasured "before." I marvel at the fact we even thought to take pictures. That tells me we must have been proud of this little nest...our own little haven from the outside world. We had each other, a place to lay our weary heads, sweet tea and food to eat, books to read and a television with little green people to watch. I mean really, when you think about it, what else do you need? :-) Do you remember your first nest? Was it furnished as humbly as ours? :-)
Looking forward to seeing all your Before and Afters for this Met Monday!
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