apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

;-) thank you. ;-)

Since lighting is one of the topics for this week, I'll mention something I did that has worked out nicely.

The switch for the light fixture over the dining table in my place is smack-dab in the middle of a wall that is the perfect place for a china hutch. Even if I chose not to place furniture there, it would be unsightly. Every other light switch here is located conveniently next to the door into the room (here in Massachusetts, by the way, this means that bathroom light switches are located outside the bathroom door).

I replaced the dining-room switch with a remote-control dimmer switch. This is easy to do, although remote-control switches are not inexpensive. This one uses infrared, so it ought not to work when the receiver (the wall switch) is not in line of sight from the remote. But it does, because the infrared beam bounces off the ceiling.

I noticed that "outside the door" light switch thing in bathrooms in New York, too (Kingston and Red Hook). What's up with that?

Outside-the-door bathroom light switches: I think the original idea was to ensure that you wouldn't touch the switch while also in contact with water in the tub or sink.

I don't believe it's required by code here, or not any longer. This building is about 20 years old, and while the switch for the main bathroom (ceiling) light is outside the door, the switch for the lights over the mirror is directly above the sink.

In England, the switch for a bathroom light is typically mounted on the ceiling, with a pull cord.

lady j - your apt's aesthetic really reminds me of mine. i think it's really pretty as well, but i'm biased towards this style.

Been a bit delinquent the past couple of weeks, dealing more with my mother’s health than with my apartment’s.

To catch up:

First off, happy birthday, Maxwell. Belated, but heartfelt none the less.

However, while I appreciate having my apartment singled out, the comment about so much style so much stuff is a bit ambiguous.

Third, I think it was Zooza and MG who were discussing ways to hide computers, printers, and stuff. Not my particular design problem, but my solution might be a solution for your equipment as well.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7340332@N05/

And as along as I’m sending people back to my flickr page, I put up a couple of additional picture of hanging textiles for Rasil. Another idea is stuffing the shoe pockets of an over the door bag with small textiles or even vintage or ethnic shoes.

As for my own stuff, I’ve decided to get rid of the white taborets and move the dining table further away from the windows. I think it works. I’ve also cleared off the deco Kang table.

I’ve been looking for a jewel tone chair to replace the big white one. A black and white pattern might also be an idea. So far, though, all I’ve seen I’ve like – and a lukewarm like at that – is a wing chair at ABC which I think comes up a bit high. Since it’s back would face the entrance, I’m afraid of a monolith/sore thumb effect. Any thoughts?

Now that I’m back in town full time, I’m going to tackle hanging and rehanging various masks, mirrors, and pictures. After which I’ll tackle the stacks of books.

And now a note about bathrooms. In the book, Maxwell mentions some non-toxic cleaning products, including those from Caldrea.

It happens that I had been given a bottle of Caldrea counter cleanser, and today I used it for the first time.

I can't speak about effectiveness, because the counter was fairly clean to start. I can say that the scent - "Green Tea Patchouli" - is pleasant, but if you want your mother to believe that the bathroom is clean, something else might be more persuasive.

OK in MA, I love Method cleaning products beacuse they all smell slightly unusual but definitely clean and not chemical-y. Green tea patchouli sounds kind of interesting...

Lady J -- love that green rug!

My "Cure" has been sort of in limbo (a better name would be Moving in Stages, Slowly but Surely) ... I worked so hard to get stuff out of the old apartment that I was pretty much worn out by the time I was done that stage of the moving process.

I've done some unpacking and settling, but have quite a way to go. Something that Wende said about attempting the Fall Cure too soon after moving and finding she/they hadn't lived in the apartment long enough to know where they wanted pictures hung resonated with me, and I decided to take my time about such things.

Actually, I'm not even sleeping in the apartment yet! Since I moved out of the old place, I've been sleeping at my parent's apartment, upstairs in the same building as my new apartment (I moved into the same building to make care-giving easier). The major reasons at first were that the new carpet was off-gassing and bothering my allergies, and there weren't any curtain rods so I couldn't put up drapes, so there's no privacy. The carpet's okay now, but the friend who's to help me put up the curtain rods is a very busy person, and the windows remain curtainless. Then, my mother became ill, so it's been better for me to be at their place, anyway (she's doing much better now).

As soon as I'm able to actually LIVE here, I'm sure I'll get things looking more settled. In the meantime, I like this place so much better than the old place. My furniture seems more at home here. The chairs I bought last spring never looked quite right in the old place, but I like them here. I'm really enjoying my office space -- oh, it's just plain GOOD all around.

I took some pictures (they didn't turn out too great, but oh well...) so that you'd know I have furniture, and you'd be able to see where I'm going with the place. I've put a few questions here and there in the pics -- all input gratefully received. They're at my Flickr (link in my profile).

Now, about bathroom week. I haven't actually had a chance to try to tackle the stain on the bathroom floor yet. Life keeps intervening in my carefully laid plans! Lisa from VA suggested Bon Ami, and I've been looking high and low for it. I'm sure it used to be available in this part of Canada when I was a kid, but now all I can find is Bon Ami window cleaner, which isn't exactly what I'm looking for. Guess it's baking soda and a lot of scrubbing. And a rug.

On the lightswitch-outside-the-bathroom discussion, I've had an apartment like that here in Saskatchewan, too. I could live with the lightswitch outside the bathroom, but the entryway lightswitch was right next to it -- about 8 feet from the entry door. That was a pain when I'd come in late at night. (especially if I stubbed my toe on the bookcase that I had in the hallway just beyond the lightswitches...)

Cleaning products -- another vote for Method. I love the scent of the Pink Grapefruit (and I usually don't like scents of any sort because of my allergies).

I've gone on and on too long, but I've had a lot stored up! There have been times when I've wanted to chime in with a comment, but I keep forgetting my password! Silly me. Anyway, people are doing great things! I'm impressed!

I used to have a bottle of (chemically-laden, no doubt) toilet cleanser that had a mint scent rather than flowers or lemons. It amused me greatly that I had a minty-fresh toity everytime I cleaned.

Well, I finally did get my bedroom painted. My dad came up on the weekend and we got it done.

I had all of the wood cut for my new shelves that will flank the living room French doors. I was inspired by the fireplace shelves in the new Blueprint magazine makeover.

I still have to paint the dining table, but I did choose a color.

My dad hung the pictures that I wanted high up on the wall. Now I have to fill in the rest of the space with the others.

I also assembled my desk which looks incredible in the new painted space.

Finally, some progress.

weeee! VALIDATION!

this is such a great change. i used to have nightmares about company popping in when i was little.

I'm flagging, but ploughing on. I'm going away this weekend to visit friends, because I need a break (and to get away from my building site kitchen). But... progress is still being made. Lisa and Anne will be pleased to hear that I have started painting the kitchen walls white. I plan to get the basecoat finished within the week, although it will be a bit of a patchy job as the electrician still needs to do a bit more work which will need plastering. But I will post pics as soon as a large enough expanse of blue has been covered, just so you can sleep at night again! ;-)

There's no way I'm going to finish by the end of the eight weeks - I need another two at least on top of that as I've got to go away on a long research trip at the end of week 8 - but I'm so eager to finish. I'm averaging two new bruises a day and physically tired beyond belief, so I just want to get it done.

One thing that has cheered me up is buying Cheryl Mendelson's 'Home Comforts' book. In my spare time, I'm dreaming up routines to keep my finished home clean and tidy and organised. I think I'm obsessed...

Zooza,
i'll be also finishing well after the 8 weeks ( hopefully around 10th of may ), you'll not be alone ;))

jonathanb -- thanks!

Zooza -- thanks for you nice comment on flickr

rasil -- you're welcome

You guys are right--the artwork is going up. Guess that means I have to frame some of the stragglers, too. My walls are plaster, so I have to decide where I want everything and then call my maintenance man to come hang them.

This being bathroom week makes me feel less guilty about being so behind in my Cure, since it's the only room in my house that is close to "cured". I'd like a new mat and maybe some shelves, but it looks pretty decent otherwise. It actually scared me when I moved in because it's small enough to use the toilet, brush your teeth and get a foot into the tub all at once. But now two people use it at the same time and haven't throttled each other yet.

I'm totally going to borrow my boyfriend's work digital camera so I can finally put up some pictures of my very cool but very lacking apartment. I have no idea what to do with my dining room!

For eco-cleaners, I like Method, too. I've noticed that 7th Generation dishwashing powder (and liquid) are doo doo. And my Mrs. Meyers laundry detergent isn't really making the cut, either. I have used method laundry stuff and liked it. Although, if you have a stacked washer dryer, getting the fabric softener out of the squeeze bottle and into the washer can be a bit of a mess.

elizabeth in AL,
I'm so sorry for your losses. You can really get blindsided by things that happened a long time ago, and that can be so strange and seem so insurmountable.

I've been there, too. My dad died recently, and it was difficult for me to deal with some of his stuff. None of the pictures I had held happy memories, but some objects do. So, those are the things that go on display. I went through a group grief class and learned that displaying some objects is a very healthy and necessary part of healing. It's part of creating a ritual that helps you find happiness and peace.

And I've heard of folks who have had quilts made of special clothing and such. My sister and I want to do this.

And living with the one you love can be the absolute most difficult thing you've ever done. Doesn't mean it's bad. It's just really hard. I'm beginning to realize my mom's "don't live with him before you're married advice" had less to do with being prudish and more to do with being realistic. She's a smart lady.

Geez. It seems like every post I write is 10,000 pages long. Can you guys tell I'm just dying to get back to work?

For those of you with fabrics you're emotionally attached to, maybe this would be a nice way to make them part of your home. I'm sure all you crafty people could DIY it but I can't and I was surprised that the prices on here are so reasonable (well, compared to what I was expecting).

http://www.wildzipper.com/index.htm

Woo hoo! A guy just came and fixed my toilet - the flushing mechanism had been leaking below and spouting water above. New mechanism looks very snazzy, and also like it conserves water - the tank fills up less.

Now all I have to do is clean up the mold that's collected all over the inside of the ceramic tank.

Okay, over an hour has passed since my happy posting about my toilet... that would be over an hour that I've spent trying to fix the job the maintenance guy just did! To no avail. The flush handle is way too loose in the metal casing that holds it into the tank. Every time you reach to flush it, it's so loose that it feels broken. The guy told me about this before he left, assuring me that I shouldn't think it actually is broken - it just wobbles so much that it seems so.

SO.... here's the newest existential crisis brought about by this Cure. I am not normally a perfectionist, but do I really have to live with this sort of imperfection?! It was just fixed, and I'm grateful for that, but can nothing be fixed *completely*, so that it fits and works at the same time???

What should I do? Spend the energy trying to find a replacement part at a plumber's, or just live with it. And explain to my guests that they don't need to keep jiggling the handle, everything works though it seems that it doesn't?

Am I going crazy? It seems like this is another pitfall of apartment curing. Is the importance of every little thing getting out of proportion, or am I just starting to realize that I fall well below normal standards, and that I have every right to insist that everything both works and looks good? Like zooza said above, I think I'm getting obsessed.

Anne (in Reno),

Thanks very much for the quilting link. I've looked at her site and emailed her to see if she can use things like dress pants and work shirts. I would just love to have one of these made for me and one as a surprise for my sister.

On another sentimental note: if any of you every have flowers--especially roses--from a wedding, funeral, christening, other important event and are of the persuasion to either use, want to have or want to give a Rosary, I have an address for a convent of nuns that make your flowers into beads and then string them together as a Rosary with a silver Crucifix. Their work is lovely. If anyone wants their address, I can dig it out.

Thanks again for the link!

Sea, I'll bet after a day or so you'll get used to your toilet handle. You might even really start to like how much give it has in it. Maybe it's so loose it even makes a nice clinky metallic sound when you push it. And your guests will get used to it, too. They'll even subconsciously think of jiggly handles with affection because they'll be reminded of your house. I say no worries as long as it's functioning properly.

Sea, in general, replacing a toilet flush handle isn't difficult, unless the toilet is pre-World War II.

My apartment had one where the handle wobbled and made a grating noise every time it was operated. Eventually the lift arm inside the tank broke. I bought a $4 "universal replacement" flush handle at a home store and installed it. Unlike the old one, it fit perfectly, with no wobbling or noise. The toilet also flushed better; I don't think the old one was lifting the flapper properly.

It did require cutting the lift arm to length, but I have a mini-hacksaw (this is just a small handle for a standard hacksaw blade). The universal ones are longer than needed for most installations.

Generally, the fit is adjusted with a plastic nut on the inside of the tank. You unscrew this nut to remove the handle and arm, and then slide the whole assembly out. The new one is inserted carefully from the outside, and the nut then slipped over it and tightened until the fit is good.

Ha! Regarding the quilting thing: I have in my possession a quilt made by my sister in 1974 that has a square for each of my mom's kids ( families) that was a gift to my mom for Christmas of that year. "My" square was embroidered by my sister since I was 3 years old at the time. The whole quilt is pieces of clothing and misc. fabric that was around at the time, my mom's house-coat, my 'play blanket', my sister's psychedelic plaid dress, etc. The border and backing is BRIGHT ORANGE. Right now it is on my daughter's bed..she loves it. It is pretty grotesque style-wise but the history is undeniable!

OK in MA, Thanks for the info - sounds like it's a job that's totally doable for me (I've already become an expert at toilet handle assembly and disassembly today!).

Nicole R, in the meantime, I am taking your advice - and so far, it's working. The jiggly metallic noise of the handle is starting to sound kind of cute - !

On another note, has anyone had to deal with the stale, strong, smell of cigarettes coming through the venting system, from someone else's apartment? When the maintenance guy was here today, investigating the peeling ceiling and moldiness, he noticed that my bathroom vent had been stopped up with black foam. He punched holes through it to get my bathroom ventilated - which is a good thing - but now I have this overpowering stench of stale cigarette smoke throughout my apartment. Anyone else dealt with this?

Thanks to the people who commented on my pics... I'm really looking forward to the day when the apartment is properly moved in to, and things are looking serene and gracious (the feelings I'm looking for as I decorate the new place).

In the office, the color scheme of which has had me stymied because of the strange color of my super comfortable office chair, I've decided to take Lisa in VA's advice and ignore the chair. I'll come up with a color scheme and then attempt a slip cover for the chair. It's great to have someone else's take on things -- that piece of advice, and Anne (in Reno)'s talking about soft greens and blues, has really freed me from the Tyranny of the Chair. Thanks!

Zooza, I looked at your style tray, and I just love that table! Wish I could do something like it (dratted allergies...)

More comments are welcome!!

haven't been commenting much lately, but am now officially on "week two" of week five. =) so much paper to sort through. but i must say, tossing utility bills has gotten rid of so much clutter! i feel like i'm actually starting to make some progress. luckily, my bathroom is in decent shape. just need to replace the hunter green toilet seat and have the super fix a small leak. then, i think i'll be in good shape.

sea,
i'm totally getting where you're coming from. every improvement i make seems to underline a challenge in another area as if it's some kinda crazy old fashioned scale that will only be balanced momentarily. i'm trying to zen that this is all a process, like life, that's never really done, just 90% there (even if it seems like it's done, let a little time go by and your tastes change or something wears out & has to be replaced or or or) and that is all good. similar to therapy -- are you ever really finished? my apt keeps evolving to keep up with me. I change, my apt changes and my apt changes, i change. that's what i'm telling myself. either that or you need to move over in perfectionist boat and make room for me!

i will definitely not be "done" in 8 weeks though i am aiming for the major things to be done for may 17 since that's when i've agreed to host my book club

So, I go away for a couple days and this is what happens? I wondered why my Flickr increased by 100 view. I think I'll need an extra couple of weeks to finish too, but I'm determined to transform this place.

Thanks for the comments on the rug, folks.

Zooza: I don't know if you'll see this before you head off for your weekend of relaxation, but I figure you'll see it sometime... Another book you might find interesting, if you're looking for routines to keep your place looking wonderful is "House Works" by Cynthia Townley. I've found it to be great, I think it would be a lighter version of what you're reading (judging from the reviews on amazon of the one you're reading). It's kind of like Flylady without the syrupy language. She has a website as well, www.organizedhome.com Anyway, possibly something that would interest you. Have a great weekend off, and come back relaxed and rarin' to go! Your place is going to look wonderful!

I think I needed a break from my hectic schedule..I'm planning to do some major make over with my house and intend to go for a trip for a while...I'd like to visit those lovely scenery in time...
For now, i have to prepare the things I need for the make over and of course my car for the trip...I've checked out all my auto parts and luckily they were all in excellent condition except for my GMC brake booster which needs some replacement..
But anyway, i find this post very interesting and worthwhile...It gives me new and better things to do...

Thanks a lot..I'll just visit from time to time for some updates...=)