"Dan Russell" writes:
I have thought about growing an orchid for years now but am afraid of utter
failure mostly because of my living space.... I live in a very dry and warm

Not to worry. Your apartment sounds exactly like mine.

I have all my orchids bunched up on a table between two couches, a
wall and a cupboard. I am able to keep a steady 55-65% humidity within
this enclosed space. The rest of the flat is at 40-50%.

You might also want to supplement the daylight with artificial
lighting. A cheap spotlight with an E27 socket, a timer and the
largest compact fluorescent tube (20 watts at least, I have seen 30W)
you can find should give you enough light for an epidendrum or
phalaenopsis-like plant.

Geir