Compartment Visit: J. Michael’s Downtown Dallas Digs

Residents: J. Michael Nuñez, boyfriend Brian Carey, roomie Eddie Ledesma and J. Michaels very sweet chihuahua Romeo.
Location: Cedar Springs Area – Dallas, Texas
Size: 750 square feet
Years lived in: 1+ year

This summer I got the chance to not only take some time to do a downtown Dallas Compartment  Visit, but catch up with one of my UNT classmates (shout-out UNT Comm department!) I took a good majority of my major requirements with J. Michael and I was so excited to get the chance to visit with him again and find where life had taken him. He has a wonderful space in the heart of the Cedar Springs area of Dallas, with a great location and a great view.

Shannon: What is your favorite part of your home?

J. Michael: We have a great roommate who is also a friend. Sometimes it doesn’t work living with friends, but it works great for us. Also, location! We live a block away from our favorite bars which is great because we entertain all the time now, then walk to the bars as a group.

Shannon: If you could change or add anything to your home what would it be?

J Michael: We compromised space for location, so I would definitely love some more space. We had to get creative (adding storage under the beds by using bed risers), but we would still love a bigger place.

Shannon: When did your apartment finally begin to feel like home?

J. Michael: I’m a pretty clean, organized person, so it felt like home after about a week. Also, our condo/complex is like an episode of Melrose Place. It’s small (less than 100 units), and everyone was pretty nice and hospitable.

Shannon: What’s the most interesting (PG rated) event/instance/occurrence that ever happened at your place?

J. Michael: My boyfriend threw me a surprise birthday party last year. We had just left the Rhianna concert (after the stage caught fire, google it!), and he was instant that we hurry home. All I wanted to do was take pictures next to the firetrucks, but we finally headed home. I’m a pretty observant person, but somehow he pulled one over on me. When I walked in, my closest friends were all there to yell Surprise! There is video of me covering my face as I ran to my room in shock.

Shannon: Whats is your favorite detail about your home?

J. Michael: I love that we have the wall space to hang my art throughout the place. Also, my father refinished the black dresser in the entry way. It was an old white dresser that Brian (my boyfriend) had previously owned. We thought of tossing it, but sent it to my father to perform his magic. He sanded it and painted it several times. We went to Lowes and bought the silver knobs to finish it off. I love a good story behind a piece, big or small.

Black Dresser: It was originally white and belonged to Brian. We decided to show it some love and refinished it with some glossy black paint, and shiny knobs and handles. It has a whole new look and a second life!

Large Entry Mirror and Sign: The large mirror in the entry was from a store that Brian owned in Oklahoma. The sign over the mirror, “Aisle 7,” was a sign from the store of the same name. When we are getting ready, we always go to “Aisle 7″ to look over our outfits.

Outdoor Black Bench: The bench was an online purchase from Bellacor.com, and it is actually the first piece we’ve put on our balcony so far.

Leaning Bookshelf, DVD Holder:  Both Ikea finds. I wouldn’t recommend buying all your furnishings from Ikea, but it’s a good place to find different needed pieces that you don’t wanna splurge on.

ABC’s art work: Ikea

Red Theatre Chairs: The red theatre chairs in the living room is a friend favorite. People always want to know where we got them! Brian got them from his high school theatre teacher. They were re-doing the theatre and she called some of her favorite students up to get some seats.

Black Dresser: Yet another Ikea purchase, this time by our roommate Eddie. The dresser is part of the malm series.

“And so the stars twinkled, the light they cast of the way, and he followed, from lives of friends and lovers, to lands of promise and mystery, a soul of pure love and honest laughter, of endless hope and blind faith. So he walked brave and naked into the fray, sure life would progress, one foot in front of the other, he walk, always where the stars lit the way.”

Couch: The couch was a Craigslist find. Couches on Craigslist usually show up and go the same day, so you have to look hard. It isn’t a standout piece, but we love it. With our limited space, it was perfect for us. Plus, the lady who sold it to us was really nice which I felt was a good sign for some reason.

Bedroom Furniture: All my bedroom furniture was given to me as a gift from my parents years ago. It’s all solid wood and will last forever, so I love it. When we eventually buy a house, I would to love sand it all down and repaint it with something bright.

Bedroom Paintings: The paintings in my main bedroom and over the couch were done by me. The three in my bedroom were some of my previous favorites, while the red and black one over the couch was custom made for our place.

Bathroom Art: One of my finds is the art work in my bathroom. Every year, I go to the Fort Worth Main Street Art Festival. In the child’s play area, they display art work from local high schools. I love the idea of encouraging and recognizing the youth. We didn’t have this when I was in high school, but I would have loved it. Anyways, we bought two prints for $10-$12 total and framed them for another $14 bucks. People always ask about them and I pridefully give the story.

Thanks so much for touring this space with me and a special thanks to the men of this home for letting me intrude a little into their life! Feel free to leave J. Michael some love in our comments section. What was your favorite piece or part?

Want your home featured on Compartment Life? Send me an email at info@compartmentlife.com