apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

You got me to laugh (yes, the "within reach" is an old joke, but it has staying power), and by the end of the entry, I understand what kind of problem the product solves.

1. "It's rare when" should be "It's rare that"
2. A link to Cubits at the end would have been nice
3. The dreaded "it's" rears *its* ugly head in the last sentence! Maxwell never does that and I love him for it. Sigh.

Nice job though, Aaron. Like the post.

I've had it with the "Within Reach" jokes. That joke was kind of a little bit funny the first time I ever heard, and then it was never funny again. I can't express how happy I would be if everybody at AT could just agree that joke isn't funny anymore and let it die. DWR has items at many different price points. The "Within Reach" part refers to the fact that the items they sell are usually ready to ship which means you don't have to wait weeks or months for your pieces to arrive. There are much better things to poke fun at... like Mel Gibson.

That said, good luck Aaron. I like this blog entry - the item is described nicely and shown in situ.

ding ding ding...winner! good writing, clear and easy to understand, unpretentious, has a narrative structure. also--good subject, good photos and info.

I'm lacking a PhD in English, but I read the first sentence as correct.

Good job Aaron, I liked the post.

Thanks for providing more than one picture. Kitchen is the overriding current project (for me) and galley kitchen solution images are so appreciated!!

That's what I am so grateful to AT for: problem-solving small spaces. Even if there isn't a problem.

;-)

Succinct, clear, informative.

I've been obsessed over this system before and then reneged after I saw it in person, not liking it's inescapable plasticness (plus I was looking for transparency and it isn't). But this application has made me look admiringly at Cubitec again.

Thanks.

Hey, I really like this one! Most importantly, I now want to go buy this shelving for my kitchen.

Wow, I hope I never apply for a job around these people. Sheesh!

Hey Aaron - Thanks for the post! I've been curious where that shelving doodad is from ever since I saw it in a smallest/coolest entry last year. I think it was in the drool-worthy Venice Beach loft? In her space, it really popped.

Cheers!

Yes there were some minor grammar issues but the quality content is what made me smile. Thanks for providing a sample post that actually says something and offers a fetching idea for solving a problem!

Good luck, Aaron!

i liked it too! i didn't even notice it was a guest blog until i got to the comments. excellent work, and good product recommendation.

I liked the piece too.

Regarding the product - I think the CUBITEC model has doors that you can add on. I'm a big fan of (clear or opaque) doors on all storage pieces.

I considered this product as I was looking for a dining room sideboard. I decided they were too plast-ICKY for me and that perhaps I had reached a phase where plastic furniture just had no appeal to me.

or as an alternative you might want to check out the livinbox modular cube. my girlfriend and i really liked the look of the cubitec, but didn't want to spend that much. haven't seen the cubitec in person, so i can't make a direct comparison, but they worked out pretty well in her apartment.

oh, let's make fun of Mel Gibson! Can we do that?

I agree with Jamie, I didn't even realize that this was a guest post until I reached the bottom. I think that's the best complement a potential AT-blogger can receive.

It's nice to read a post on these... They're neat!

I'm planning on getting a set of white cubits with lime green doors (from the cubits kids set) to use as a media center. They're deep enough for all of the video game consoles a nerd like me has while still being relatively small and attractive.

This post is well-written and offers a good, design friendly solution for a tight space. Thanks, Aaron!

I bought a bunch of the Ladoro shelves when they went on clearance at DWR. Love them and wish I could get more. I emailed the maker in italy and they can ship . . . not sure of the cost for this though.

Loved that the Ladoro version had more depth and you could mix and match square and rectangle shelves!

Always interested in modular furniture that even I can lift.

I wonder if Mags works at DWR.

I've always called it Design Not Quite Within Reach.

:D

I also didn't realize that this was a guest blogger submission. But man, I hate those shelves. I agree that the size makes them useful esp. in NYC apts but like other posters, they just look cheap and plasticy to me. And I remember being shocked at the $200 price tag.

And I hate the it's/its thing too. But I'm driven crazy all day long just by the signs on the street.

Missing is a mention/discussion of assembling these things -- which, in my experience, is a real pain in the derriere! We got ours for free, and would never do them again!

. . . and beyond the errant "it's"; yes, this post does feel at home on AT!

re: assembly....

also check the little "careful planning" disclaimer on the dwr website regarding changing the configuration once it's completed.

-kellen

J - sadly, I don't work at DWR. I'm a low-paid social worker and I absolutely hate it. It's ridiculously stressful, the salary is a joke and my clients never seem to improve. At least if I were selling furniture, I might actually feel like I am helping people have a better life. Hmm, maybe it's time to switch fields.

I didn't notice it was a guest post until I got to "teeny-tiny."

Great idea to have the photographs of the units in use and the stock photos of the different-sized units. Also like the way the post ends in a question, inviting people to respond.

Jumping on the copyediting bandwagon:

- As pointed out, "It's rare when..." is not what you mean. It suggests something taking place. Even "that" is clumsy. How about something like "Unlike most furniture carried by Design Within Reach, the Cubitec shelves are affordable...".
- "DWR": Jargon, spell out first use.
- "...but the Cubitec shelves..." is a nonrestrictive clause; therefore, it should be offset by a comma.
- "continually-shifting": No hyphen in compounds that include an adverb that ends in "ly."
- "it's been": A little iffy. Many copy editors frown upon contracting "it" and "has."
- "...and I like that..." is also a nonrestrictive clause and should offset by a comma.
- "6 cubes": Because you spelled out "two," you should spell out "6."
- "it's newer": Should be "its" because it's not a contraction.
- "10"": Spell out as "10 inches."

I think the writing is fine, but I think the person who copyedited the post could have done a better job. I'm assuming, of course, the post was copyedited.

I think the shelves are fine, too, but in a kitchen I'd prefer something with a work-surface top.

Where can we critique samples of your writing Jeffery? Shouldn't there be a space between your name and initial, followed by a period?

Someone copyedits a blog?

Don't think so.

Blogs are meant to be more informal and spontaneous than writing published in traditional formats such as print.

Its/it's is a real mistake. Following or not following a particular stylesheet is a matter of preference.

Of the three, Aaron wins with me. What I expect from an excellent blog (and get, invariably, from this one) is:
-a light tone for a light topic
-a conversation starter (e.g. a direct question)
-something that is more than an ad for a store or a product and shows some personal connection

What I do not expect from a blog is perfect spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Readable prose is important, but I don't need AT to be the vanguard of the usage elite. I don't think any of us can claim that Aaron's meaning was obscured in any way or that he didn't have a nice tone.

Get a grip JeffreyK...good post and good job Aaron. Hope you get the gig!

First time posting here on AT even though I have been obsessed with it for months. Anyway, we have the Cubitec in the clear color and I love it. We live in a studio and needed something light (in look and feel) and this is it. If fact, just bought more recently and it helps demarcate the space we have. Re: putting it together, it is a bit of a pain, but after I did it wrong the first time, and had to undo everything, ugh, I got it and it is pretty easy - just have to read the directions.

Come on people...this is Apartment Therapy, not Grammar Therapy. The nitpicking is a bit absurd and it's wasting my time.

Uhh JefferyK? You are wrong, "it's newer" is correct and "its newer" is incorrect, because It's is a contraction for "it is" or "it has"
Its is a possessive pronoun meaning, more or less, of it or belonging to it. Aaron meant to say - it is (or it's) newer.

(Mary, read the last sentence again and you'll see that JefferyK was right.)

If you write for money, your writing should be as flawless as possible. I don't buy the "it's just a blog" argument. Mistakes happen, yes, but this blog has always exuded professionalism and intelligence. It should continue to do so.

can't stay out of grammar discussion

Mary, you are wrong -- sentence reads "its newer cousin" -- clearly the possessive, not a contraction for "it is."

Maxwell and Jill,

I think you need to have an editor contest, because, clearly, being an editor is what people *really* aspire to be.

My first job was an editor, and I don't care about the grammar as much as the people posting long lists of corrections. Go figure. I realized (from being in my current job) that everyone fancies themselves a copywriter, but I didn't realize that everyone also fancies themselves a copy editor.

I actually enjoyed both the guest posts I saw. Fun to get a new take on things once in a while.

PS - No one correct my posts, please. My skills and spelling have plummeted since my days as an editor.

I kinda side with JeffreyK on this one... these "introductory posts" should be stellar, even-- yes-- gramatically speaking. If the job of a blogger is writer/reporter, then, um, shouldn't the writing on "the interview" be pretty damn near perfect? Would you accept a typo on a writer's paper resume?

Just because blogs seem to be open to less rigid rules of grammar and punctuation, do we have to say to hell with it all and just accept "sloppy" the way some people think "rude" is an acceptable tone on the web? I think not (imho).

Having said all that, I think the playing field is completely even, since all three "contestants" have writing errors in their debuts.

(and ps: I think JeffreyK did go a *bit* overboard on his dissection of Aaron's post and delving into issues more of writing style than of actual error)

i love my cubitec shelving! purchased several kits, enough to make a unit 5 cubes wide by 5 cubes high. i ended up with enough pieces left over to build a second unit 2 cubes wide by 4 cubes high with the bottom 2 cubes doubled in depth.

then i moved. the things go together fairly easily, and with gentle prying, they come apart fairly easily too. in my new office, the same number of kits is now configured as 4 separate units each 4 cubes wide and 2 cubes high.

some of the pieces are a more rigid plastic and will shatter or crack during assembly/disassembly. but they provide you with more than enough of all the little pieces.

Actually, I *would* accept a typo on a writer's paper resume. Couple of jobs back, I was reviewing resumes for a marketing writer position, and there was one in pencil, there were ones that were completely incoherent, there were people who turned out to have lied about their qualifications.

A typo and an interesting point of view look so good by comparison to the alternatives.

And yes, darn it, I do seem to have committed some nasty comma splices!

Heat of passion, I tell you. Heat of passion.

I think Aaron and Regina both did a good job. I liked Aaron's question at the end which sparked conversation and ideas about his subject.

I did go overboard, intentionally, and I think the comments about editing for punctuation as opposed to editing for style are right on. I'm usually pretty lenient when it comes to copyediting Internet posts. In fact, I usually don't do it. Personally, I like site-sponsored writing (as opposed to reader posts) to be more accurate grammar- and punctuation-wise than not. Also, I think writers can learn from copyediting feedback, and because a few others had taken the liberty to get out the red pencil, I decided to join in. And I didn't mean to single out this writer for abuse, erm, critique.

I'm not super keen on the idea of having potential bloggers submit writing samples for public critique. I think deciding whether or not someone has the skills and style to write for a site should be determined by the person doing the hiring. To me, it seems like the hiring process here has turned into a popularity contest. Maybe that's appropriate for an Internet site, maybe not.

I'll add that the tone of my comments could have been much worse. I didn't use any of the stock phrases one gets accustomed to hearing in the writing and copyediting fields: "You're wrong," "You don't know what you're doing," "Well, my seventh grade English teacher did it this way, so that's how it's going to be done." ;)!

Back to our regularly scheduled programming . . .

"I'll add that the tone of my comments could have been much worse."

In other words, you haven't been insulting enough while disregarding the content of the post entirely.

"I'm not super keen on the idea of having potential bloggers submit writing samples for public critique."

I think the opposite. The more quality content on AT, the better. The more viewpoints it comes from, while representing the core values and mission of AT, the better.

Let's take the copy editing discussion over to The Slot: http://theslot.blogspot.com/

Yowza. I completely missed that the Baltic Bazaar posting was the other finalist. To me, Regina read exactly like a typical look-at-the-cool-store posting.

Not knowing anything about the finalists other than what they submitted (and there may be important other issues), my rankings would be:

1. Regina
2. Aaron
3. Alice

I will finally shut up now. :-)

Wende, I totally missed that, too, and for that reason alone I would concur with your ranking. ;-)

wende, i think typos and grammatical errors are fine for the comment section, but for a job applicant with access to spell and grammar check, c'mon.
the idea of small hitchen solutions is a good one. i don't care for plastic shelves high or low end for a kitchen and the solution of the dwr shelves didn't look right in that kitchen. what did ring true was that the kitchen was so small that it was impossible to take a good picture of the shelves.

Sheesh, Patrick is ridiculous and the shelves work for the person that bought them. You are not rating the person's taste (though you ripped him a new one on grammar). I personally am so annoyed by your comments I don't want to read AT.

However, I really liked Aaron's post and like the shelves. I have been considering these for a space and am intrigued enough to research more. Kudos Aaron. I hope you get the gig.