apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

On a blank wall in my new place, I'd like to put up 4-5 floating shelves (a la West Elm, Crate & Barrel, etc.) of various lengths, placed in random positions on the wall. Does anyone know how much weight these shelves can handle? Will they handle an assortment of some the following: paperback books, vases, framed photos, maybe a small plant (like a bonsai tree)? I don't know if this makes a difference, but they'll be mounted into metal studs.

Thanks!

Leah: You might want to call customer service and ask about the specific shelf you are considering. We did that, and it seemed that different brands had different levels of strength. Probably depends on the mounting system that each uses.

Off-topic - does anyone know any contractors/builders who have experience in converting 2-flats to single family homes? Thanks!

Hey Leah,

A little advice on the West Elm floating shelves. I have the basic shelves, and although I was told up to 20lbs could be held, I can tell you right now that getting them to stay put with just three lightweight framed pieces of artwork and a small framed snapshot was a problem. If you want to get the chunky model (or even the basic) make sure to check out the status of your sheetrock. Mine was fairly thick so they're still (barely) standing, but my poor friend who bought the set of 3 chunky shelves can't even get hers to stay on the wall empty, and this is with toggle bolts meant to hold up to 100lbs. The mounting system is shoddy and unstable unless you happen to have studs in the right place, so I'd go with another stores model. Hope this helps!

Thanks Laura!

Another random question: I need to hire people to unload a POD. Can anyone recommend off-duty movers, delivery people, strong men, etc. to unload the POD?

Thanks in advance!

Any suggestions for a "temporary" backsplash? I've read the thread http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/appliances-small/pottery-barn-stainless-steel-backsplash-003312 but I was wondering if there are any other solutions. I just want to cover the area behind the cooktop and, since I rent, something removable (and easy-to-clean) would be good...
Thanks!
Ana

ana - what about a sheet of plexi-glass? maybe in a funky color (if that works with your kitchen). or, if you get two sheets of plexi, you could sandwich some cool patterned paper between them. (i guess you wouldn't really HAVE to have two sheets -- you could just adhere the paper behind one layer of plexi.)

good luck!

Hello all,
I have a sourcing question: In the current Dwell issue ("Eco-Friendly"), there is a Rug Company ad in the early pages (I believe a few pages after the table of contents). In the ad, there is a very cool end/side table that looks quite similar to the Rolly table currently being sold at DWR and Umbra but the legs are set more on an angle. Can anyone source this table? (Sorry, I don't have a link to the print ad!)

Matt

Hello all, I'm back in NYC from Chicago. As Kathryn and Julian said, Lakeview and Lincoln Park are great. Thanks so much for your comments. I am definitely going to look into buying in those areas. It seems like my husband would be starting the job (in River North) very soon. I got my hands on a few different maps and it was interesting to see how the whole city is laid out.

Right now we live in Williamsburg and hate it, so "where we live now" was probably not the best indicator for us. We love Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill in Brooklyn, but we like the West Village in Manhattan for its proximity to work and play, though could never afford a big enough place. For us, it's basically about trees, parks, great old houses, and convenience.

I did spend some time in the suburbs and it was definitely not for us. My husband and I took a bus tour through Hyde Park all the way up to Wrigleyville. When we headed back down, the tour guide referred to Lakeview as having a large gay community and Lincoln Park as the land of yuppies and DINKS. We said, "Let us off!" We strolled around for a while, had lunch at Mickey's, and then checked out Clark Bar for some beers and met some really friendly people. We were very glad to see plain old bars up there since there were none to be had in Gold Coast or West Loop. (I feel like I'm referring to these areas in an extremely touristy way, so please correct me!)

The next two days, while my husband was touring the company facilities and interviewing, I drove up and down almost every northern street to get a sense of the area. The shopping and restaurants in Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park, and Bucktown are great! Magnificent Mile reminded me of 57th Street in Manhattan, but cleaner. I'm glad that the high end shopping is there because it's a good indicator of the level of dress and style to be had by Chicagoans. I was ecstatic/relieved to see the more boutique-y places further north. I bought a Cynthia Rowley dress on sale. Nothing stays on the rack long enough to go on sale here in NY!

I was given one real estate agent recommendation from a shopkeeper. Any others would be great. We would probably live in a furnished rental for a couple of months. It seemed like there were a lot of storage companies by the river. Any advice on which to choose?

I'm still trying to figure out what exactly a Trixie is; I've heard various explanations.

Thanks again!

As for the floating shelves, I have the LACK ones from IKEA, and they are problematic as well. I recommend going into at least one stud. I have had great success with the Elfa drywall mounts from Container Store (the red ones). You just have to keep driving the screw until it wont twist anymore. They can give you a demo in the store.

Hi Jennie,
Glad to hear you had a good time exploring Chicago neighborhoods!
It sounds like you are drawn more to the neighborhoods close to the lake. I would recommend my old landlord, Tom Eley, if you're looking for a rental. His website is www.echalmers.com. Not sure if he has any furnished apartments available, but he's a great guy and a great landlord.

Here's a definition of what a Trixie is (from the web, but it's accurate): A Lincoln Park Trixie has been described as "the prototype of the blond, late-twenties woman with a ponytail who works in PR or marketing, drives a black Jetta, gets manicures and no-foam skim lattes." The location (Lincoln Park) refers to one of the more fashionable and expensive neighborhoods in Chicago.

Unrelated, but I like NYC's rent poll! Let's do it here!

Jennie,

I would also recommend the realtor I used. She lives in Old Town and is especially familiar with Lincoln Pk, etc.

Her name is Mary Ann and her number is 312-953-8215.

It took me almost a year to find a place I loved and she was extremely patient and helpful throughout the entire process.

Good luck!

let's talk FLOR rug tiles!

Has anyone used these? I am thinking of using the "Housepet" textured ones in the entryway to my apartment. I have a garden apartment and when you step in the front door, there is a room a lil bigger than a closet then there is the main door to the unit. It has concrete floors painted a gray color. I want to cut and install FLOR tiles in here to make the floor, well, less ugly....can they be adhered to concrete such as this?

Also, I was thinking of making a small rug for the bedroom out of 4 of the tiles....The bedroom floors are white tile...will it work with these as well....

ALSO: I RENT...so are these FLOR tiles going to be able to be removed upon moving out w/o damaging the floors? (really only concerned with the bedroom tile floors...as im sure i would just leave the entryway tiles in place upon moving out, as the concrete floor under is chipped and very unattractive.)

Thanks!!

V

Thanks for the referrals. I am getting a list of all these names together!

I don't have any experience with FLOR tiles myself. My husband's office had them and he said they came up a lot. But also seemed to think that they were never "stuck" down, just placed there. I was under the impression they had sticky stuff on the bottom. I would think putting them off tile would just be a matter of using goo-gone or something. I saw some (knockoffs?) at CB2 the other day, maybe you can ask the girls there. They seem to have absolutely nothing to do!

veronica - i used flor in two areas of my house and LOVE the stuff. BUT, i have only installed the carpet tiles over wood floors and ugly linoleum (not regular tile or concrete).

i created a flor "rug" in my previous home office and, upon moving out, removed the carpet tiles without any problem/damage. i then reinstalled them on my current wood floors. again, no issues, but i did have to go get extra round stickies. (i asked the friendly dwr salesguy if he could sell me some, and he just gave me a bunch for free.) i think if you put enough tape/adhesion in place, they'll work out fine on your surfaces.

oh, and the carpet tiles are really easy to cut down to size.