apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I could do an hour on my opinion of this strike but this is a design forum and so I won't impose that on anyone, however, I must say that Madison Avenue near St. Patrick's was beautiful this morning without the usual street stuff to deter from all we have to offer as a great place to be. That said,

I would like to thank whoever suggested I look into the bedding at Bed Bath & Beyond - Hotel Collection (or whatever its called) - 600 thread count - Full set for $99. Wow! Georgeous and a great night's sleep. And I can't really do $300 for sheets so these are fabulous. So thanks, and thanks to Maxwell for re-posting bedding info. Now I'm going for a new comforter, then I have to paint the room, Do some silky pillows, and so it goes.....

I hope we all keep a good attitude today. Sorry about the sinus infection. Try saline nose spray..

We're planning to drive Thursday from NC to family on Roosevelt Island, should we come? Will it be hard to get there? Will we be sitting hours in traffic jams?

I just unwrapped my Chritmas present to myself, the amazing and delightful Perfection Salad. "Did we ever live in a world in which women spent their time stuffing marshmallows with raisins?"

The city looks beautiful today! So peaceful - no noise from busses and trains. But so sorry to all the people this is affecting. A good day to enjoy our furniture at home?!

Any good letters to the editor??? Lets discuss some design :-)

maxwell, have you tried a neti pot? that saves me from allergies and sinus infections. it's a little weird at first but i've found it helps a lot. i think there are some similar OTC systems as well now.

jmarieb, enjoy your sheets! i have had that set for over a year now and really like the way they wash and feel. they've held up well.

nyc is beautiful today , it makes me proud to live here.

One word for sinus infection: wasabi

Kate -- you shouldn't have any problems getting into the city as long as you avoid the morning (til 11:00am) when 4 passengers are required to enter Manhattan. Since you are coming from the south, I would recommend crossing through Staten Island and up through Brooklyn and Queens, avoiding Manhattan completely.

I believe the Tramway from Rooselvlt Island is still operating during the strike.

As long as we're on the sinus infection topic...
I actually have suffered from these my whole life - have sinuses that are prone to infection. Many years ago I had an allergist who suggested that I rinse my nose 2x a day with a saline solution. I found this rather effective. Now there is another doctor from my hometown who makes kits to do this - they are called Neilmed. The effect is similar to the neti pot but with more flush, I like to think. I use this daily and have been quite satisfied.

Then again, this is mostly preventative - for when you feel infection approaching. I would also recommend decongestants at the same time to help dry out the sinuses. Once I have an infection, however, I find that antibiotics are the only way to get rid of them.

Sorry to ramble on about this but I have spent so much time with bad sinuses, I like to help those in need.

here's the neilmed info:
http://neilmed.com/

WOW these are super cool if your looking for a last minute gift.

Just had to share....


http://ww1.westelm.com/cat/pip.cfm?template=8grid&pkey=cslenew&gids=a015&cid=slenew&area=shp

I use Neilmed also and I buy the little one use packets of "Ayr" at the drugstore rather than mix my own solution. After I quit smoking I was bothered by the worst post-nasal drip for months (so bad I would gag) and rinsing for two weeks once a day with Neilmed is the only thing that resolved the problem. Plus I get a sick satisfaction of seeing what gets rinsed out in the morning (night crust etc.) Sorry to be so gross!

Well, last night was an exercise in frustration! I received my boxes of furniture from West Elm. I ordered the Geometric Console and rolling storage:

http://ww1.westelm.com/cat/pip.cfm?template=8grid&pkey=cslecar&gids=f091&cid=slecar&area=shp

http://ww1.westelm.com/cat/pip.cfm?template=8grid&pkey=cslecar&gids=f082&cid=slecar&area=shp

I must have spent 8 hours trying to put the console together (With NY1's coverage of the transit strike playing in the background). first of all, the instructions were incoherent. The parts were not marked in any way, so that I had to guess which piece of the the furniture was being referred to in the diagram. Then, when it was time to put the top on, it just would not go on. I tried for two hours, screwing it in, unscrewing it, taking it off, putting it back on. Then I discovered that the reason it didn't fit was because there were bolts embedded into all of the holes that were blocking the pieces from joining together. Apparently, this had been assembled at some point and then disassembled improperly. I had to dig all the bolts out (which took forever!) and then reassemble it. I was ready to pull my hair out!

I called West Elm today to complain and they said they could either replace the unit or give me a 25% discount. Faced with the option of disassembling this piece, returning it and then having assemble another one, I took the discount! The unit actually looks really great and the customer service rep was really nice and gracious (a rare experience these days). So a happy ending.

New Tenant - nice pieces. But it sounds more like a 3D jigsaw puzzle! I hate putting furniture together. I did it with a couple of IKEA pieces and never again. Unfortunately, more furniture companies now expect the customer to do it themselves. It didn't used to be that way, did it? Maybe this is the payoff for the new generation of cheap but good looking furniture. When our parents bought furniture the delivery men showed up with a completely assembled piece.

Eric - since this is an open thread you're welcome to start any design topic you want.

sinus infections are horrible! (I deeply empathize.)

FWIW, I offer my home remedy. It's a neti-pot modification.

At your local drug store, buy a blue bulb syringe--the kind used to suck mucus out of a baby's nose and ears. If you can find it, buy sterile saline solution, too. Otherwise, you can make your own with filtered/boiled water and salt (1 mugful of water: 1/2 tblsp. salt is about the ratio). Microwave the solution 20 secs. Standing over the sink, use the bulb syringe to squirt solution into your sinuses.

Gross, I realize, but it's cheap, simple, and non-chemical. Get well soon!

It's weird Anne - there is no rhyme or reason to this whole furniture thing. They charge exhorbitant prices for shipping and handling, but everything comes disassembled anyway - why do I need to pay a $50 "surcharge" plus $100 s&h for a flat box to be delivered to my apt??? I think if you buy from the West Elm store (as opposed to the website) you can pay them an extra fee to assemble it. Unfortunately, the pieces I was buying were only available from the on-line store and they don't offer that service. Well, anyway, I am the least handy person in the world, so I got a huge sense of accomplishment from putting this piece together. I know I still have to assemble the rolling storage units, so we'll see how I feel after that!

NT - Have you seen that TV commercial where a woman comes in and drops her keys onto a shelving unit that immediately collapses!? Fingers crossed that never happens to you!

hmmmmm . . . now I know where you get your name :P

Nuh huh. These posts are not for the faint of heart. 'Gotta have a sense of humor.

I once spent 6 hours putting together a chinese chest. It was worth it. Considering the price, the beauty.

Actually, that furniture commercial Anne mentions is pretty funny. I wonder how many "takes" it took....

OK Eric,

I'll start the ball rolling with some design questions. Contractors willing and able, I'll be moving to my newly-purchased studio in Forest Hills at either the end of February or the beginning of March. All of the walls will be painted Benjamin Moore Iced Cube Silver. My ideas for furniture are a denim blue apartment sofa, to echo the cool feel from the walls, with a similar style chair in brick red, for contrast. The accents (pillows, etc.) will be these colors combined with gold. First, do you think this is too bold for such a small space? (The living space, which is separated from the bedroom by a wall that's 2/3 the width of the entire apartment, is only about 110 SF) Second, how can I create a warmer feeling in the bedroom area, keeping in mind the all-over wall color, without making it feel like it doesn't belong with the rest of the apartment? Any comments/suggestions will be much appreciated.

I was kidding - gotta have a sense of humor ;)

Stefan - you could use yellow/gold as the main color in the bedroom with blue/red accents (reverse of the living room).

I rode my bike up the path along the East River and was wondering why I don't do it every day. It was beautiful and not so crowded that I couldn't sing like a fool while pedaling. Though my song may change in a couple days...

Patrick was mentioned in the latest RISD newsletter-

• Never a minimalist at heart, Patrick Hamilton ’86 GD came up with comfortable alternatives when moving into a petite New York apartment. His solutions have inspired cable audiences this month on HGTV’s series Small Space, Big Style. You can catch a replay of the episode on January 1 at 3pm ET/PT and find still photos of his home on the HGTV website.
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_small_space/article/0,1793,HGTV_3382_4288668,00.html

Oh wow - I saw that episode! I didn't realize it was AT Patrick. What a cute place. I really like it. Which Patrick is it?? Sorry for being retarded if this is a stupid question.

New Tenant, I assembled the larger WE rolling storage unit a few months ago with the help of a friend. (The larger unit is pretty unweildy so I definitely recommend an extra pair of hands.) The instructions were accurate and it took us about an hour. It looks nice but watch out for the finish -- even things like baskets seem prone to scratch it down to raw wood.

NT: It's Patrick [the other one]. You can see his apartment here:

http://apartmenttherapy.com/ny/041805/smallest-coolest-apartment-contest/apartment-13-patricks-cosmourban-studio-rental--002580

NT - I got my name because at the party last week guido asked if I was the nice anne or the mean anne. I figured I was safe in saying I was the mean one just in case.

rr - wasn't it freezing on your bike this morning?! The last transit strike was during nice weather. This sucks for people like me who are weenies in cold weather.

Hey cdm

I noticed that in the store - that it was pretty scratched up. Even the "new" console I got had a few very fine scratches on it. However, I have the caramel finish, and it's not quite as noticeable as on the chocolate finish. Plus, I was able to mask them with brown magic marker - blended right in.

mean one - that's pretty funny - I don't think you're mean - even though you just voodoo'd my furniture.

Sorry, I didn't mean to voodoo the furniture. I was just reminded of that TV ad when you talked about how hard it was to deal with putting together your furniture. I DID say 'fingers crossed'!

And you're right - I'm NOT mean.

I once put a filing cabinet together. Followed the instructions closely. And the thing wouldn't go together as it should have. The parts didn't quite fit. I agree 1000000% about S&H costs!

The commute today was harrowing. I had 4 things to do today, appointments and freelance work scattered throughout the city from Chelsea to the UWS. Walked over nine miles, mostly in 22 degree weather (wind chill 8 degrees). Am exhausted. Ate nothing 'cause no time. Cab driver tried to charge me $40 to go 30 blocks. That was a no.

Bright spot--no one else showed up to the audition except for me, and it was a pretty important one. Unfroze lips with Starbucks tea, sang my song, scored mucho showing up points.

After audition, I exhaled and "Silver Bells" started to loop in my head, and strike-related lyrics, too. Police shouting, cabbies gouging, needing new pair o' shoes, in the air there's a feeling of frostbite...

So, Guido and Anne (the mean one).... does that mean I am the "nice" one??

Assuming that my presumption is correct, I would be (in theory) quite flattered.

:)

Anne the 1st - I don't know. There is also an 'ann' so it's a toss up. But I'd go with 'the nice one' until there's a showdown.

Um, can we vote on that?

KIDDING. Anne (tmo) is lovely.

See, it's true - all the good ones are married or gay!

Thank you, P2!

Hey, kids -- Curtis here from my dad's glacially slow dial-up internet connection in the Deep South.

I went with my sister on an errand yesterday in a nearby Mississippi town and next door to where she had to go, there was a little home accessories shop called Millane's, so that's me that sent those little photos to the flickr thing on the right.

I probably won't post all that often in this next week of being here, but I wanted to bop by and say hi. I'm really hoping that you will all coax the MTA and TWU into playing nice, because I do not want them to have to hear me get shrill when I get back. Do not make me bump their heads together.

I saw some great mid-C stuff on a 1955 movie I tuned into last night called "The Big Knife" starring an amazing Jack Palance. Based on a Clifford Odets play. Couldn't turn it off.

Hi Curtis!

morning commute was beautiful yesterday, walking over the bridge. the commute home, pretty scary and utterly exhausting at times.

another day.....