If you are spending a Lot of Time in a Place or Want to

What’s the adage?  Fish and house guests smell after three days. It’s one thing if you’re on vacation and have rented a house in Provence. It’s quite another if you’re putting down roots for an indeterminate amount of time.  Or if you need to come and go. I’m a great advocate of renting apartments in Paris or anywhere, rather than staying in hotels. Hotel rooms can become claustrophobic should you need to stay for an extended period. In addition, the price per month adds up, if you factor in the costs of breakfasts, eating every meal out, having your laundry done professionally and always having to order a glass of wine in a bar. There’s something very unromantic about sitting on the bed juggling a wine bottle and having a drink ….unless there’s a purpose. But that’s another story. Since I anticipated my stay in D.C. was going to be longer than usual, I looked at numerous “suite” hotels, corporate rentals and apartments that are available by the week and/or month.  I even rented an apartment for a month last year and was so depressed by its lack of décor, not to mention charm, that I couldn’t wait to hand back the keys. I felt as if the furniture and reproduction paintings were cast-offs from the Holiday Inn, circa 1965.  This apartment cost $155 a day and included nothing except having the pleasure of looking at a brick wall and never seeing the light of day. There’s nothing like the Internet when it comes to apartment searches. Photos taken with cameras with wide angle lenses can make apartments look huge even when they’re little larger than a closet. That close-up, very tight shot, of a corner with a table covered by a charming table cloth with flowers cascading from its middle can be enticing enough to make a tenant sign the lease toute suite. Such are the tricks of the trade — it’s  called propping. This time, I was determined I wasn’t going to be stuck in a cookie-cutter apartment with furniture that comes in “ensembles.”  I looked and looked – and yes – I found a lovely furnished apartment which cost more than $7000 per month. That may be fine when a company is picking up the tab. Or, if you know you’re only staying in a place for a month. I opted for an alternative and don’t regret it in the least. I rented an unfurnished apartment and allocated $2000 as a decorating budget. I figured I could borrow a few things from friends and the apartment would be sparse. If I decorated it in a neutral enough way, I could possibly recoup my furniture investment when I decided to terminate the lease. In the meantime, so many people come to the Nation’s Capital that perhaps I could rent to some friends for an occasional week or two. Oh — one condition: since I was decorating the apartment when I was in France, EVERYTHING had to be ordered via the Internet. I spent one day scouring an Ikea and had an instant apartment. Working off a not-to-scale floor plan (oh, why didn’t it show that ceiling recess?) was a bit of a challenge but happily, not a disaster. My arrival date was on a Friday, the furniture arrived at 8:30 AM Saturday morning, the installers (bless them) followed at 11:30.  The two men who assembled the furniture were worth every dime. Without them, I would still be sitting in the midst of odd pieces of furniture and a million nuts, screws and bolts. Miracles do happen! I spent the night in the apartment that very night. One of the necessary conditions was the apartment have a closet that could be locked so I could stash all of my personal belongings when I’m not in residence.  Ikea has locking units even though the apartment I rented has a small walk-in closet. Whether or not you’re in the US, France or other EU countries, ordering via the Internet is a boon if you’re not in the market for antiques and willing to decorate on the cheap. My stalwarts were Ikea, Overstock.com, SmartBargains.com and a few other web sites where I would look exclusively for sale or close-out items. This is called living on the edge. I’m the first to admit that renting an apartment in Paris isn’t as easy as in the US. But, friends of mine have done it – often with another couple or two. There are so many advantages: they can leave clothes, stash their personal pillows and linens and live with their very own books and CD’s.  There are many business people who are able to snag the same hotel room each time they check-in. But, that’s the exception and not the rule. If you’re planning on spending any time in Paris or another city, consider renting an unfurnished apartment and renting it out from time to time. Yes, it takes planning. But it’s really nice to feel at home when you get off the plane. © Paris New Media, LLC [email protected]