Name: Curtis
Location: Upper West Side
Amount Spent: $1,500
The Blogcast Interview:
Slideshow:
The Pitch:
When I forwarded the internet listing to my dad, while trying to figure out whether I could stand another studio apartment, he pointed out how huge the square footage of the apartment, and how the step-down living room reminded him of the recent Biography channel piece about Loretta Young gliding down a staircase in a mink coat on the TV show she used to have. So, we nicknamed the place Loretta, while deciding among other choices, and Loretta ended up winning my heart.
At my closing, my broker gave me the signed photograph of Loretta Young, and the bathrobe she wears in the picture made her a natural choice for the bathroom.
I fell in love with the original-equipment peach-and-black tiles in this apartment, and those flowers on its original medicine cabinet are what "sealed the deal" when I saw this one particular pattern in the 1941 Montgomery Ward wallpaper sample book that I bought on eBay. I altered the color slightly toward orange, so it would work with the tile, and I altered the background to work with the ivory floor tile.
But I did have to take down the totally terrible blue-grey wallpaper that made the peach tiles look actually very orange; and then I had the walls skim-coated.
I wanted more storage, so I ordered the corner, mirrored medicine cabinet. I wanted the hamper to be more like it once had been, but its original color was an impossible-to-match peach, and I knew that I would want (and still want to, eventually) to "re-glaze" the tub and sink the same color they are, so they'll look newer and fresher. So, I decided to have the Long Island City MAACO place paint it black, because I knew it would be limo-like, which I thought made sense for "Loretta".
Guests often gasp. Curtis
Recommended Sources:
Gracious Home:
*mirrored waste can - $75 (may not be visible in
photos)
*repair department guys who fixed the hinge on my original-equipment medicine cabinet - $25 or so
Crate and Barrel Outlet:
*White Marramekko "Kivet" shower curtain (they were already discontinued, so I bought out all they had) (Can't remember, but about $30 each?)
Rejuvenation Lighting:
Worked on the phone (800 #) with this genius guy named Chris there, guiding me through their website. I was trying to make the light sconce sort of go with the dining room chandelier, so they matched up the little holder things, but since I wanted to acknowledge the faceted knobs on the tub, so he suggested the bottom have of this mid-drop piece of from a different era of chandelier they make; I'm glad I trusted him -- I love it. (About $375 or so.)
IKEA -
The tiny little vintage candy store jar that holds my tooth powder. (three for $5 or so)
FISHS EDDY -
The tear-drop-shaped water decanter that holds my mouthwash. ABout $18 (That was a while ago; I doubt if they still have them)
BASCO, INC (via Eigen Plumbing Supply) - I did a web search of Corner Mirrored Medicine Cabinet and came up with exactly what I wanted, but Basco, Inc. wouldn't sell it directly to me; they gave me the number of Carl from Eigen Plumbing Supply in Chelsea.
A VERY industrial looking warehouse place on 17th St.
(Can't remember what it cost, but I think around $275)
eBay -
Bought the 1941 Montgomery Ward wallpaper sample book on eBay, and then I found the perfect pattern, and photocopied it onto cardstock, and cut my own stencils, and I cheated the fire engine red toward a slightly orangey red and the background white toward the ivory floor tile color so it would work with my tiles.
JANOVIC -
All the Benjamim Moore Pearl finished paints that I used for the "wallpaper" look, and the aluminum paint and the heat resistant black paint which I mixed together to create an old iron look for my pipe. Also bought my White "Brilliant" finish Fine Paints of Europe ceilng paint from them. Couldn't have spent less much than $200 on paint.
SMITH & NOBLE -
OK, I didn't buy the blinds; the people before me did, but I can see on them that that's where they came from, and they're perfect.
PRUDENTIAL DOUGLAS ELLIMAN -
Don't know whether this is appropriate to list, but anyway ... that's where my completely wonderful broker named Robin Gutterman works, without whom I wouldn't have found this apartment -- plus she gave me the framed photo of Loretta Young, because that's what we nicknamed the apartment after I showed my dad the internet listing he said, "That step-down to the living room looks like Loretta Young should sweep down it in her mink coat." He'd recently seen her on the Biography channel, I think.
Plumbing, Electrical & More on Amsterdam and 98th - The new faucet for the sink and the new U-shaped shower curtain rod and that thingy that supports it from the ceiling. The guy who works there named Juan installed both on his own time. (Altogether less than
$250)
Bed, Bath & Beyond -
Black Towels and Dark Red hand towels and Shower Caddy
- Probably bought enough towels that it probably added up to about $300 or so.
Bath Hardware Designs -
A web store that I got the Montery 6-1/2" Diameter Poished Chrome Towel Ring from (I just found the receipt that says it was $33.90, including shipping)
LANDS END:
The white terry cloth bathrobe that hangs on the door, imitating the one that Loretta Young wears in the photo.
SIMON'S HARDWARE:
The Hook on the back of the door, which echos the "wallpaper" pattern; although the very weirdly-and-necessarily long door stop that protects the newly-painted hamper from the doorknob. (Must have blown at least $80 altogether.)
When I tried to view the slide show, I got a bunch of the "before" pix twice-- was it loaded incorrectly, or am I the problem?
I got the repeated photos, too.
Nevertheless, I love this bathroom.
Somehow my comment got appended to "Wednesday Light." This bathroom is really beautiful...
Curious to see if the Deco continues into the rest of yoru pad.
Congrats!
I have almost the exact same bathroom! Same medicine cabinet, same hamper, same tiles - except mine are black and green. I think we must live in the same building. Are you on Beverley Road in Brooklyn, by any chance? Pls email me... I'm so curious. :)
Curtis--
Thanks for introducing is to Loretta Loo.
GREAT comment on "people at the party knowing two other people." A brilliant way to put that.
That stencilling is AMAZING. You could soooo do that for a living, if so inclined. Thanks, also and immensely, for not calling it "faux painting".
is = us
um...sorry to pick nits here, but, that interview there is hardly a podcast if it's in flash. how about an mp3? then i actually *would* be able to download it to my ipod...
Incredible job. LOVE the mirror. LOVE the lighting. Is the bathrobe decorative? LOVE it either way.
Amazing job on the faux wallpaper. I'd never have the patience. How long did it take you? Was that unit over the toilet the "corner cabinet" you referred to?
I am amazed at all the work you put into this. I would gasp too!
My son is the "genius" mentioned in the Rejuvenation (Portland, Oregon), paragraph.
He IS creative and very capable.
Call him with your challenges, in DSS dept.
Jo Anne,
That's the best comment I've read in weeks. I wish my mom would go online and hype my work!
Oh, and Curtis, I just love your bathroom--you've inspired me to pattern my walls. Thanks!
I'm not crazy about it being the post-modernist that I am. But I do understand the sort of sentimental values going on here.
that "wallpaper" is amazing- your hard work paid off. one thing that i noticed that always bothers me, and i'm wondering if anyone else cares about this, is the mix of silver and gold (light fixture, faucet, mirror frame, etc). do other people mix metals typically? it irks me.
paul - the rest of the pad does carry through on the period, although it's a tad more specifically "late deco" than the bathroom, in that it's not as geometric; the sconce gives you sort of an idea about the slight warming up of the style that happened.
p(too) - thanks, and one of these days, maybe
carmen - I'm on the Upper West Side.
victoria - i do use that robe, albeit rarely; must admit that I mainly liked it decoratively -- sue me!
jimkk - yup, that's the one.
ali - there's no gold or brass in there at all, but the nickel on the sconce does look a tad warmer than chrome (which wasn't available) would, it's true, and the silver on the picture frame has a brownish patina on it, which I admit looks goldish in the photo. So, it would probably irk you less in person.
Nice job! Really great space. The only thing that bugs me is it seems that the photo is hung too high. Just from what I can see in pic #3, I would bring it down so that the bottom of the frame is closer to the towel ring (without being *right* above it - it should have breathing room) and the very highest I would go would be for the top of the frame to align with the top of the mirror.
But since I'm the only one that mentioned it, maybe that's just me :)
Curtis, your gifts with paint continue to amaze me.
For everybody else, if you're curious and would like to learn about what else he's done, see the following links -
www.flickr.com/photos/artycurtis/
www.apartmenttherapy.com/main/archives/002818.html
Truly outstanding work, and Curtis seems like a super fellow to boot, as evidenced by his paint revision for the buyer of his previous apartment.
Forgive the left coast frame of reference here... but this bathroom reminds me of the guestroom bathrooms at the old Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (before last year's much-hyped renovation). I love the (revisionist) deco-era Hollywood feel you've given it. And as many have already stated, your stencil-work is really amazing. V.v. glam. I wouldn't know whether to have a shave or a martini in this room! Maybe both... why not.
Wonderful job. I have the exact same bathroom --pepto pink and black tiles, even the same medicine cabinet. I had a similar idea - if you can't beat it embellish it! Congrats on a job very well done!
Congrats on a v. cool loo. I must admit I don't luurve it because I dislike wallpaper, and the stencil (I'm in awe of your skill) is visually just another wp to me. Nevertheless, it's well thought-out and definitely captures the era.
Curtis is a really talented Dude and there is a lot of thought and work put into this bathroom but it's a bit too much for my personal taste.
Hey! This bathroom is terific! Top of the LIST*
Kenneth
You've done an incredible job and retell the story very well. Although the style of decoration would personally drive me batty (I like to believe I'm a minimalist at heart), you've done it so well that I can't help but be very impressed. Love the stencils instead of wallpaper. Great job.
To echo others:
It's not my taste, but if it were, I'd hope that my bathroom would turn out as nicely as yours did (and I'm sure my bathroom probably looked something like this when my building was first built - deco, deco, deco).
By the way - I have no idea how your have the patience and steady hand to do all that stenciling. You're a better man than I.
Curtis: As always, you rock! The bathroom is just the beginning of your talent! Great to have such a talent in the building.
Brilliant,witty and done with spontaneous precision. And I know it is all done by hand.
I've seen it up close and it is even more astonishing. One hopes the other rooms will be available for viewing soon.
"Nasty old hamper got stripped, uninstalled, taxicabbed to the Long Island City MAACO auto body place."
Omigod, I missed the photo captions the first time through. That's fabulous! You're talking my language! I think our places both have the same challenge...pre-war NYC and no gorgeous flood of light. Yeah Curtis!
Guido, as in other entrant grrrrrrl guido?
If so, perhaps the same challenge.
But waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay different solutions.
Well, no flood of light, there is a window in there, so I'm not complaining. But basically, I just wanted everything to look as period-friendly as possible in the whole apartment as possible, while still being as functional as I needed it to be.
Yeah, the idea of auto-bodyshop-painting came to me when I saw this other apartment that I tried to buy first that had some original metal 1958 kitchen cabinets, and it occurred to me then that an auto body shop would be the answer to paint them.
I also yanked the original medicine cabinet out of the wall and had the very nice guys at Gracious Home repair it, because the weird way the hinges were made they had cut through themselves and the mirror was sagging down almost an inch and it was hard to open and close and the "shoulders" of the cabinet itself were sticking up at the top. If I was going to use up one of my photos to show that repair, I should explained that better, but I felt like I was being a little to verbose to start with, anyway.