apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I've somehow accumulated roughly $300 worth of store credit at Bed, Bath and Beyond and some more at Linens and Things. I don't normally shop at either place. What would you buy?

Does anyone have some recommendations on putting in wood flooring. I have a nasty old carpet that MUST come out and I know there is a wood subfloor underneath but it is in terrible condition and in some cases it is heavily damaged. it's a rental but I've been here for years and plan to be for years to come so it's worth it to make an investment but not one that is insanely expensive. I need advice about what type of wood and where to go for installation. I'm thinking about checking out the Home Depot contractors - is that a terrible idea?

Also, it will be almost impossible to get all my furniture out of the room so is it possible to do this where you move all the furniture to one side of the room, lay flooring and then switch?

Thanks!

Uh... well what do you want for your apartment? $300 could get you a completely new bedding set (duvet, pillows, comforter and all), some good kitchen ware if you're a foodie, nice curtains to change the look of your room (with $ to spare), a bathroom makeover in the form of new towels/accesories/shower curtain... anything really!

Can anyone give an out-of-towner advice on getting to and general info on the Conran Shop and ABC home?

I've heard great things about these places on this site and would love to visit them this weekend.

I'll be staying in Soho and would be taking public trans.

art -

Some parts of SoHo are near the N, R, Q, W lines so take one of them up to the 14th Street Union Square stop and walk up Broadway (it's at the northwest corner of the park) a few blocks and ABC Carpet/Home is on the east side of Broadway, whereas the west side of Broadway is JUST their carpets. Some carpets are on the top floor of that main one as well.

Then you might as well walk up Broadway a few more blocks since there are a few other design stores, like one of the numerous branches of DWR, etc., and there's also a fairly huge Restoration Hardware on your way up to 23rd Street, where you can get right back on that same train line and take it to 59th Street, where Bloomingdale's is and walk wayyyyyy east on 59th Street and Conran's is just under the south side of the 59th Street bridge. Actually what's directly under the bridge is a huge, glam grocery store, but Conran's is practically under it, too.

That entire neighborhood surrounding Bloomingdales, by the way, is full of antique stores and various interior decorating places, some of which are to-the-trade only.

Thanks Curtis!

I shall email your directions to myself for reference.

How about the Chelsea and Essex Markets?

Art, while you're visiting ABC (and don't forget the actual rug/carpet store is across the street), stop in at Fishs Eddy. It's across from ABC, and I think a block north on Broadway. It used to be only old ceramic stock from railroads, hotels, etc, but they're now designing their own lines of dishes and ceramic accessories. It's a fun little shop.

I haven't been to the Chelsea Market in years - never wandering around in that neighborhood - but it's worth a stop if you have the time.

Glurf, you can get an insanely expensive, fabulous trash can, and spend the rest on items to spruce up your bathroom, or a bedding set. Or you can spend it on kitchen appliances, etc.

Noahnoah, check out Home Depot. But I'd guess they'll want the room emptied out.

Those are great places to visit, Art, Conrans and the grocery. The vaulted ceiling in that grocery is gorgeous. The Food market in Chelsea is where they film the food channel, but I don't have cable. There is a seafood shop where you can eat great chowder for relatively cheap. It is fun and there are galleries in Chelsea that I like to wander through when in NY. I love that vintage toy store Alphaville and around the corner near there is coffee shop with a huge carved wood lion that was my favorite "discovery" last visit. I think the name has the word "hungry" in it? Anybody know that wonderful lion?

Don't forget the regular art museums, I like best the American Folk Art Museum. Now I feel homesick to visit NY.

Thanks all for the suggestions and help!

So much to pack into a weekend!

glurf -
Nice pots and pans, high thread count sheets, thick towels, etc. are both good bets at either place. Bed Bath and Beyond also has a large pharmacy type section, so you could stock up on shampoo, etc, if you can't find anything else you like...although probably not $300 worth!

noahnoah -
Have you looked at Ikea's flooring options? I don't have any experience with them, but they have a variety of "click and lock" wood and wood-like laminate floors that you can lay yourself, over anything except really thick carpet. It looks fairly easy to do, and fairly inexpensive (although I really don't have a good reference point for this).

Bed bath and beyond has EVERYTHING... I have a hard time not spending $300 when I go in there.

I know the ikea malm bed is one of the more popular ones on AT. Does anyone know if it works with a regular mattress?

I had a store credit at BB&B and used it to buy all my toiletries for months (okay, I slipped in some candy as well). I am always walking around with store credits in my wallet but the one for BB&B was the easiest one to use up.

Anyone interested in buying my $55 ABC Carpet store credit?

BB&B -- You could get a mean vaccuum cleaner. Or, the crdits go for 95 cents on the dollar on ebay and craigslist.
IKEA MALM -- It does work with a regular mattress. You can adjust the slats up or down so the mattress is flush with the top or sticks out a bit.

noahnoah,
If you think your wood floor is beyond repair I would definitely go for laminate since it can be installed right on top of the existing floor. However, I would discourage using IKEA's flooring. I was not that pleased with, there are many other laminates that are great looking. Definitely check out lumber liquidators I bet you can find a really nice looking floor for close to $2/sq. ft. I'd also discourage the Home Depot istallation, I've found them to be the most expensive for installation on almost every home project I've tackled so far. Don't know your home repair skills but installing laminate flooring really isn't too difficult and I have definitely done a room with the funiture still in it (although it is a huge PITA but it can be done).

I just noticed that the BDDW Captain's Mirror is on sale at The Gardener (as posted last week). $900 for either size! Still not a steal, but they're regularly $1400-$1600, I believe.

kind of a strange question but with everyone here thought i might have some luck.
the last time i was at the city reliquary museum i saw a set of five vials that had soil in them from each of the five boroughs in the gift shop. i would like to get them for my dad for his birthday which is next week wednesday. Unfortunately i am going out of town this weekend and they are only open on saturday/sunday from 12-5pm.

any ideas of where to order and buy?

LOOKING FOR OCEAN ORB: I'm looking for something I thought I saw here recently: a sealed glass orb with living plants and plankton in it- a mini aquatic ecosystem. Can anyone remind me what it's called or where I saw it? I want to give it to my sweetie for his birthday.

Thanks in advance!

glurf, i don't know if it's true but i heard that beth bad & beyond are claiming bankruptcy. better get your 300 bucks worth soon!

videonerdann, i saw that at the sharper image or brookstone, one of those stores...that thing was EXPENSIVE, damn.

ART: enjoy NYC!!!! :)

glurf: just give ME the $300 credit, i'd have no problem making something happen! i'd likely do a new AC or some fans, but then maybe bedding, new pots/pans, drapery stuff, i dunno, I LOVE THAT PLACE :)

glurf - I would buy a new vacuum. I used a bunch of macy's gift cards to get a Dyson and I love it.

vdeonerdann, i have seen something like that at the brooklyn botanic gardens gift shop, you might give them a call

BBB used to give you cash for your credit. I'm not sure they still do that, but they did. They were the only ones who did.

Anyone have any ideas for shades or curtains for tilt and turn windows? They open about 3 inches at the top. If I put up normal curtains, it really impedes the airflow, but a projecting pelmet looks strange (you need about 5 inches for clearance).

Has anyone ever seen blackout shades that fit into these kinds of windows?

THe mini orbs are called ECOSPHEREs and can usually eb found at museum gift shops but are easy to find online too

http://www.inhabitat.com/2005/06/13/ecosphere/

Help!
Two questions.
1. Can the Ikea Expedit desk (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20116071) be attached to the wall rather than the bookcase?
2. Has anyone ever purchased a loft bed from collegebedlofts.com? I'd really like to hear some reviews before I order one.

I'm having a little crisis with my Room and Board Andre sofa. We bought it about a year and a half ago and one of the buttons recently fell apart. We had the repair guy come to fix it, but he took the pieces and said we need a new button. Now we find out that our fabric (Dyson Latte, brown like in the photo) is discontinued, so we are desperate to find a new button or a swatch of this discontinued fabric. Any Andre fans out there with an extra? Grab a swatch long ago that you have stashed in your desk? Please help a girl out. Our options, according to Room and Board, are pretty bleak: using a contrasting color on the buttons or getting some percentage off a new sofa. Eek.

Thanks,
Shannon
shanrob23@hotmail.com