apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I'm looking for an 8-inch widespread sink-mounted lavatory faucet that won't bankrupt me. Unfortunately, my taste tends to be expensive and the only things I've found (and I did look on eBay and online discounters) that I like cost way too much:

http://www.newportbrass.com/catalog/view-series.cfm?Series=1620&menu=series

http://www.annsacks.com/onlinecatalog/collection.jsp?cat=272204&coll=439504

Anyone know of a good supplier? I feel like I've looked everywhere.

I like faucet.com. Slightly more $ than other discounters, but much more reliable / friendly.

http://www.faucet.com/decor/search.pl?N=103 214 55 3000351 4294966655

If $200-250 won't bankrupt you, I think you can find some nice things. Look for a ceramic valve for durability.

Did anyone see the cover of today's Red Eye?

Something about small spaces being the new cool thing in Chicago.

I saw that, Art. Called it the "next big thing!" Pun most likely intended, being the Red Eye.

I've never hired movers before, but could someone tell me the approximate cost of moving a 1-bedroom apartment's worth of stuff 10 blocks? Some large furniture (desk, sofa, bed, two dressers, bookcase). I'm trying to decide to move or not and this is one factor.

hey first5times, it's not so much a matter of the distance when it's an innercity move but more a matter of stairs (& how many flights) vs elevators.

for example, my 4th floor 1bdrm walk-up was moved into a 2 bdrm first floor apartment for $400

my current 1 bdrm 17th floor, huge freight elevator into a 2 bdrm first floor has been quoted at $300 (but also up to $500 from the people I obviously didn't go with).

Hardwooding our whole first floor. The kitchen connects to the living room. Should we do hardwood in the kitchen too or a different material to break up the space?
This may be an old question but how does hardwood do in a kitchen, wouldn't the water, affect it?

@amandadom - if water gets under the wood or if there is standing water for a long period of time, then yeah, water will be a problem. If you clean up any spills in a timely fashion, then don't worry about it.

remember- 'easy care' is for those who don't

first5times, ditto what julie mack said. I moved from a 4th floor studio (freight elevator) to a larger unit 5 miles away on the second floor (stairs only). It was quoted at $275, not including tips for the movers.

My recommendations would be: if you hire movers take their first time in the day. Some places will overbook their movers and if you're scheduled for later in the day they may not come until WAY later (this happened to me, it was very stressful). Also, ask how many movers will be there. Finally ask your friends for recommendations of moving companies - I believe some have been mentioned on this site in the past.

I have hardwood in the kitchen, and it's kind of a hassle. I'm constantly wiping up every drop of water because I'm a bit obsessive about keeping the floor in good shape. I'm planning to get a rug to put by the sink because that's where most of the spillage comes from.

In a related issue, does anyone know how to get scratches out of a wood floor? Is it doable? I have beautiful cherry hardwood, but it scratches very easily.

I bought a wax wood "pen", you fill in the scratches with it and wipe and it is supposed to fill them. It doesn't. I think I got it at a place like Linens n' Things or Bed Bath & Beyond, might have even been Home Depot. They come in a variety of wood shades/colors, but don't work well at all.

Kitchen and bath industry article on stainless steel in the kitchen. Is it a fad? What will replace it in the future?
http://www.kbbonline.com/kbb/news_trends/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003722855

If you can avoid wood flooring in the kitchen, that's the smartest thing to do. If aesthetically it won't look right, just be sure it's properly sealed (but, you'll still have to keep an eye on splashes and spills).

Movers charge about $80/hr with minimums. I think the last few times I had movers it was about $400 for one bedroom. Totally worth it!