If you read a certain one of my posts a while back, you will have read that I live with my boyfriend in a crackden. (disclaimer: not an actual crackden, just a shitty bedsit). And now that I’m quarantined in this little space, I just can’t stop writing about it…
If you read the original post, you’ll also know the reason we live here is that it’s cheap, it’s extremely central, and it’s right by the sea. But mostly: cheap. There’s cracks in the walls, a disgusting rug and a Liverpool flag for a curtain. The walls are thin, the neighbours are weird, and all our furniture is falling apart. No literally: the futon, wardrobe, bed frame as well as the mattress are all completely fucked. In addition to this, the room is tiny, so it’s inevitable that two people living in a one person home can cause mess. This is before even mentioning my boyfriend runs a business out the flat.
Despite my complaints, I should mention that the Crackden it isn’t as bad as some houses I have seen (all 3 of my student houses). It’s a bit grim, but hey- we’re in our early 20s, and no one has nice homes in their 20s- am I right people? (I am not).
Anyway, we decided it was high time we revamp the Crackden and stop living in complete squalor. A little DIY SOS job to make our parents proud: create a nice space that reflects us. Also we watched a lot of that Tiny House Nation show on Netflix so it’s definitely possible to make a small space liveable.
Being Impulsive
It started when we realised we were not really happy the way the Crackden was. For me, it didn’t feel like my home: I had just moved into a Liverpool FC shrine. For him, he hated my mess. We talked about it a few times and nothing came of it… Until one night, I was home alone and ordered £100 worth of Urban Outfitters homeware. In this big ol’ haul I ordered the following items:
And there’s more:
Now this tactic of impulsively buying things does not work for everyone, in fact many boyfriends would be annoyed when their girlfriend redecorates with lots of pink items, but luckily, mine was into the home improvements. Especially as our new duvet set wasn’t covered in curry stains.
From this, Rory was inspired to organise his businessy bits into drawers, and we moved some furniture around. I then bought some nice art from my favourite gallery, and we arranged it next to the bed along with some other framed posters. The Crackden finally felt like our home.
Making Improvements together
Through living with Rory, I have learnt many many many lessons… I have learnt that I can be messy… I have learnt that some people put their ketchup in the cupboard… And most of all, I have learnt the big C word… no not that one; Compromise. I decided to accept the framed Gerrard shirt… I even accepted the flag as a curtain, and Rory in time will learn to accept my mess. Relationships consist of compromises.
Looking forward to the future
If I’m honest, this whole situation has been somewhat of a charade. The bedding is nice, but it doesn’t solve the underlying issue that the bed is broken as is my spine, due to the dips in the mattress. Plus the £15 wardrobe is made of fabric, is disgusting and one of the poles has now snapped. I am also due to snap any minute now. The Crackden remains a crackden, with rosy decoration to cover the cracks. Quite literally when it comes to framed art nailed over the cracks in the wall. These problems will continue until we have enough money to fix the issues… And are out of quarantine (I see an upcoming Ikea trip…)
And as much as the Crackden is a bit less of a shithole now, we are not going to be living in a bedsit for the rest of our lives. This will be a memory one day: our first flat together, with a tea towel pinned to the wall and a bin bag tied to the cupboard. But in order to save money for the important stuff (gigs and holidays), this is our home for now, whether that be months or years. At least it is a bedsit with some character. A cute crackden if you will.
This post, like the flat, has been a mess from start to finish, so thanks for sticking to the end.
Click here to read my last blog post about working in a supermarket during the lockdown, or here to read about my Aus travels. Or here if you’re bored of me.
Thank you for reading!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Amber's Diary 