A walk into anyone's home (or room) is an honest way to get a sense of the kind of person he or she is. There are people who splurge on homes that are way out of their leagues, so the outside is flashy and all, but the interior feels empty. Then there are the memory hoarders who plaster walls on walls on walls with photos taken from who knows when. And of course, the collegiate-bound freshmen who binge on buying room accessories for their campus dorms, only to find no room to put it all in a closet room shared with two other students.
In much the same way, a look back at an idol's dorm speaks to the take-off of his or her career - how far he's come, how much she's grown in popularity. Once they debut, idols move into dormitories set up by their management companies. And from there, it's anybody's game. Depending on the success of the group, idols invest in real estate of their own or move into better living quarters as a group.
Let's look back at some of the changes in idol living situations from the humbler time of their debut to where they are now:
A Pink
The lovely ladies of A Pink seem to have moved into a spacier dorm, wherein they don't have to use cardboard boxes as shelves for extra storage (note top left picture). It also looks like more than two people can stand in the kitchen in their new apartment without feeling mild claustrophobia.
B1A4
There's something simultaneously cute and worrisome looking at the picture of all five boys gathered in front of a television screen (note top left picture). Thankfully, it looks like the boys moved to a dorm fit to house all of them comfortably. The new rooms on the right look much less cluttered, and much cleaner.
INFINITE
Talk about a Cinderella transformation - from rags to a jaw-dropping, OMG. INFINITE's previous house looks like it withstood some kind of world-ending apocalypse. And to go from that to the luxurious apartment… with a dining set… and even a coffee table… There are no words. They deserve it.
Girls' Generation
When they first debuted, all nine girls of Girls' Generation shared one apartment and shared four rooms amongst themselves. And with the type of career they've had, it's hardly a surprise to see where they live now. Though they do have a communal dorm, most of the members have purchased real estate of their own in posh, gated Seoul neighborhoods, no less.
B2ST
I'm not sure whether it's the polka-dotted sheets, the absence of walking space in the closet, or the three bunk-beds placed side-by-side in one room that makes me more anxious. The poor members stuck in the bottom bunks look like they're caged. Thankfully, it seems that's no longer the case, as members like Junhyung and Yoseob have moved out of the dorm and purchased their own places (hopefully, with beds of their own).
SISTAR
Special Mention
*The conditions of these idols' debut housing situations were revealed. However, their current residences were only mentioned by their management companies, but were never revealed.*
Crayon Pop
The five members of Crayon Pop shared a tiny dorm with no real bedrooms before they sparked the "Bar Bar Bar" craze all over the country. To make do, they would use the living room to sleep - lined up like sardines packed into a can. Thankfully, their management company revealed that the girls have moved into a luxurious apartment that have bedrooms with beds in them. Yaaasss.
SECRET
Long hailed as the Basement Idols, the ladies of SECRET have since moved on. The video is self-explanatory, as these ladies literally climbed down the stairs of the apartment complex to get to their dorm. This basement abode has one bathroom, one bedroom (where, again, the girls sleep lined up as sardines), and we have here what appears to be a kitchen, though I can't be sure. The refrigerator is there, and so is the sink... but there's nothing about this room that reminds me of a kitchen.
Naturally, these idols have to start somewhere. And more often than not, that somewhere happens to be in less-than-ideal living situations. But with the kind of fame that we so often see idols achieve in K-pop, there's always the prospect of change.
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