Our new apartment - before shots

I can't believe I'm actually posting these photos on the internet. I must be crazy...and if not, at the very least, you'll think I am! Our new apartment is bigger and cheaper than our previous apartment (a pretty mean feat in the current HK property market), which is why I agreed to move into this cesspool of grossness. The reasons for this downgrade will later be revealed....in the meantime, I will share with you the DIY project I've been whining about for the last month or so, and reveal what kind of evil nastiness a few coats of paint can cover up!

These two view is from the entrance, looking through the living room into the dining/kitchen. As you can see its a very long rectangular living space, not as open as I would prefer. It has no real redeeming features architecturally speaking, and the ceilings are too low for my liking. The vinyl wallpaper is (or was) incredibly ugly, along with the light fittings which are beyond ugly, and the massive black speakers which draw your eye upwards to them... and its full of very very ugly furniture which I assure you is not mine.

The Living room, looking back towards the front door and the second bedroom. The apartment is actually in a mezzanine above an old shop, hence the step up to the front bedroom (and the low ceilings).

Opposite end of the living space, in the dining room, from our bedroom doorway looking back into the living room. Don't you just love that penguin shaped plastic bin? When we asked them to take all the furniture out they kindly left that for us (they were originally hoping to lease it fully furnished, but I said they'd have to pay me to live in it in that condition...)

Dining/Kitchen (kitchen part of which is a bit old and too small, but will have to do) looking back towards the bedroom and bathroom. Note the lovely grey tiles. And more ugly wallpaper....bleurghh...

This is the front bedroom...full of someone else's crap. Nothing nice about this at all!

The more I look at these 'before' photos the more I wonder why I decided to live here at all...but stay tuned til later today for the 'after' shots (that is, if you ever choose the read the blog of a crazy woman again) after which I will hear your audible "WOW's"all the way over here in Hong Kong ;)

*UPDATE* The pics will be up next week once I've moved and found my camera's USB cord. So please, hang in there. I know it's ugly, but trust me, the after shots are better. In the meantime, talk amongst yourselves...