Trading Spaces: The Brooklyn Edition

One of my favorite things about living in the loft has been improving the space. For the first time, I have personal and communal space that I can ameliorate semi-permanently or permanently. The loft is a place where anyone who comes in has the right to change it and make it part of their own. People write on the walls when they feel like it, turn the kitchen into a jam session recording studio when they feel like it, build lofts or tree houses or skateboarding ramps when they feel like it...

So far, my favorite parts of the loft to modify have been the walls. I've painted the bedroom of a roommate blue/black/grey, the bedroom of another roommate white, my own bedroom blue and white, and the entryway to the loft bright, bright orange. I've also spent a lot of time writing on the walls, and last night I made the wall behind the sink an enormous canvas for an illustration. I've always felt a bit like a guest in my dorm room, knowing decorations will have to come down in due time and any major painting or modifications will have to be changed back. Likewise, in my family's new house, which is toured by visitors on a semi-regular basis, my creative impulses could never be made manifest as permanent installments. Even my bedroom is limited to my mother's tasteful interior decoration, since I was off at school during the move. In the loft, though, I feel an enhanced sense of ownership despite my short stay: knowing the art, thoughts, and paint I add to it will far outlast my stay makes me feel like a part of the space itself.