la casa

pictures, from top to bottom:

the dining-room: As you can see, the emphasis is on fabrics - heavy fabrics. Draperies, tablecloths, slipcovers and persian rugs along with the heavy wooden furniture make this bedroom-turned-dining-room feel like a miniature version of where Queen Elizabeth II must take her meals.

the view from the living-room window: The street is a side street with a mix of apartment buildings, corner stores, and private university buildings. Traffic noise is not a problem despite being less than two blocks from Santiago's main street.

the view from my bedroom window: This view faces west, and despite being an interior courtyard, I get lots of natural light during the day. One can usually hear conversations or music from other apartments, although this can easily be drowned out by closing the window.

my bedroom: Not the most masculine room, I have to admit. I don't know if you can see the fabric pom-pom fringe on the pink curtains. Under the floral duvet is a sheet set which is much more masculine.

the living-room: Ceramic figurines, velvet upholstery, fake flowers, and a gas fireplace (the only source of heat in the apartment) are part of the theme in this room. Too bad the oil paintings aren't really visible. A friend of Nora's painted them for her, and they really are quite good.

yours truly, preparing to light the calefont: The calefont is a much more economical alternative to a hot-water heater. In order to use it, you must turn a dial and then light a match. The lit match is then placed in the hole, lighting the pilot. Only when the pilot is lit will you have hot water, as the calefont heats water only as it is needed. When you are finished, you simply turn to dial to the "off" position, and the pilot goes out. The system is a bit finicky, however: when taking a shower, about three minutes after the water is turned on, it suddenly goes cold again. One must simply redirect the shower head (from which ice-cold water is now flowing) and wait 30 seconds before the water suddenly turns scalding hot. Needless to say, there is no worry here about falling asleep in the shower.

the kitchen: In New York City real estate, the term "pullman kitchen" signifies something slightly different than the layout of this kitchen, but I like the term so much that I will use it anyway. The name comes from the likeness of the layout to a Pullman train car. There are two counters on either side of a narrow corridor. The gas stove features a fold-down cover which provides extra counter space when the stove is not in use.

Hurry to your nearest Century 21 office now! This offer won't last long!