apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Major problem with those pull-out cutting boards (my parents have one in their 50s-era house) is that you can't access the drawers--and they may jut out into your walking path.

Does anyone here in NYC have a good recommendation for someone to custom cut a piece of glass for me?

I want to put it on the small counter/sill in the cut-out between my kitchen and living room.

My local framer cuts glass but wants almost $150 to do it! That just seems crazy to me, it's not that big (about 2 1/2 feet).

Has anyone else had something like this done?

I had a piece of window glass cut, around 4' x 14" at Park Slope Glass on Fifth Ave in Brooklyn, near Flatbush Ave, and it was under $30.
I brought my measurements, and they handed me a piece of glass with a newspaper on it to carry it home. $150 would have been the cost for them to install it too!

so, maybe you want a window place instead of a picture frame place. ask at your local hardware store.

Guido is so right on this. Don't use a framer. Their prices are out of line for this. While I don't know of anywhere at this point, I would suggest checking out the source Guido mentions. Even if You had to taxi your way there, you'd save!

Try an internet search for glass cutters, etc. By mid-day, someone will have more suggestions for you. Good luck and when you find someone, share the info.

Not sure how handy you are Marie but the DIY process seems fairly straightforward if you have the right tool.
http://wiki.ehow.com/Cut-Glass

I was waiting for a new open thread to post this:

Remember the debates about vessel sinks, granite counters etc and how faddish they may or may not be? Well the Wall St Journal's real estate section had an arcticle about just such a topic here:
http://www.realestatejournal.com/homegarden/20060103-beatty.html

The two things I would say are that
1) The rectangular vessel sinks we had in our renovated bathroom did not exhibit any splash back whereas the undermounted, more traditional shape we have now do. This is more to to with design of the faucets and the shape of the interior rather than being between vessel vs trad

2) I echo the warning about honed stones. This is the kind of stone that you do have to seal. You will never have problems with polished granite in terms of staining or needing to seal so it is a shame that this may be a fad. The sheer utility of polished granite cannot be beaten for a counter surface because, as I have said before, you can set anything down on it and need never be concerned that it will get damaged by heat, stains, etc.
We have honed Pietro Cardosa in our kitchen now and it is a nightmare to keep free from stains even with the best sealant applied repeatedly.

re: glass
I think the best resource for finding sources is still the good ol' Yellow Pages ("Glass and Mirror", I think).

thx jaimie pup!
more on counter tops folks...
I'm thinking about my kitchen sink top. The cheapie laminate one we started with is long due to be replaced. I have a rather narrow butcher block counter, good old and not going anywhere. Next to it is the sink....undecided between getting an Ikea butcher block sink top, or going for the granite (or other stone)

guido, jmarieb and p(too) are all right. Go to someone who specializes in glass and mirrors. It cost me $90 total to have a 48"x60" mirror cut to specs and installed on my bathroom wall. This price included labor for 2 visits (1 for measurement, 1 for 2-person installation job) and all the hardware and materials used to secure the piece. (I'm in L.A. so I can't help you with a local resource, but my tip should provide you with a pricing reference.)

Interesting link, jamie pup. Kind of reinforces my impulse to renovate/decorate for myself and my taste--and not the next potential buyer's. My reasoning being: if I like it, someone else is bound to.

Don't mean to change the subject, but I am a newcomer and noticed a posting for a "Pi Pan" yesterday. However, when I revisted today to check it out more thoughly, it doesn't seem to be here, nor does it show on a site search.... Any help?

Thanks

NM Guy, you might want to do a search for pie - that clay pie pan was on this site, and on AT Kitchen more recently.

question for the day:
what design era will replace mid-century/danish modern as the new fetish decor style? will we follow a timeline and begin to fetishize the eighties (much like what has been happening in fashion), or will we start to take a look even further back?

NM guy,

It was from "What on Earth Catalog"

http://www2.whatonearthcatalog.com/whatonearth/Item_The-Pi-Dish_VC4603_ps_srm.html

Purchased it as a Christmas gift.

Hess Pie Plates - December 20th on AT

p(too) on the mark again. I tend to do tons of internet searches for things and forget about the yellow pages. There's a fabulous glass place in Peekskill, NY - not good for you - and they can't be found on the internet. The Book tells all.

I love learning things out of my ordinary realm - the Pi Dish as mentioned by DC Dave. Very interesting. Someone was using their creative brain.

bsavarese -- About a year ago, I read somewhere (maybe even here? before I knew what "here" was?) that designer 1980s furniture was due to become fetishized next.

Black sheets are coming back, and the I've Got Color contest had an entry or two that looked very 1980s.

My taste was apparently fundamentally shaped by the late John Dickinson, so it all just washes past me.

bsavarese - i vote for 20's deco. tjord boonje-very "flowers of the field", yes? there seem to be so many designers and artists that are exploring nature and natural motifs. i see the 80's thing as more of a fad rather than a style movement. and anyhow, 80's fashion embraced the thriftshop flapper look too - think spangly dresses and felt toques. you know, stuff found in a granparent's steamer trunk.

it's a really interesting question - thanks for asking it! i look forward to what other people have to say....

bsavarese. My money is on Hollywood Regency. I'm already seeing signs of this trend trickling down to mass-retailers. BUT, I think it would be cool if the NEXT THING was a late-'60s/early-'70s gloss/luxe redux--referencing Verner Panton, Pierre Cardin, Halston and the movies "Barberlla", "Modesty Blaise", "Danger: Diabolik" and "Logan's Run". But, hell, that's probably just me...

I think Danish modern (with more organic forms) is already nipping at the Eames-heels...

That's interesting about granite countertops. My good friend in SF (who spent a TON of money on renovating her enormous house and her kitchen and is quite a cook/foodie) despises her granite countertops. She told me to never get them.

As for mirror/glass...we just got a mirror cut at a place in Jackson Heights, Queens. $15. I'll ask my husband if he remembers the name of the place.

Speaking of Hollywood Regency, the way-cool Regency-inspired grid-back chair at West Elm formerly available only in red and black is out in a wicked-cool (and very H-R) parrot-green version in their brand-spankin' new catalog.

Engineered stone! Engineered stone! Save the quarries! ;)

Anyone know of any other companies that make sliding plexy panels like www.raydoor.com? I love the raydoor stuff, but I just got a quote back from them for doors for my renovation and it's more than my car was. I might bite the bullet and do it, but I want to make sure I've compared everywhere first.

Hey Fiona,
The key to granite is whether it is honed or polished. Do you happen to know which they have and what they don't like about it?

Great WSJ article!
I hate vessel sinks, glass-front cabinets and obvious technology, so I hope all of that article's predictions come true. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't like to splash all over, I don't want to look at my Froot Loops, and I have a cr*ppy old TV. :)

P(too) quoth: "Speaking of Hollywood Regency..."

Awright, that's it! As soon as monsoon season ends, I'm taking the 1920s Regency Revival dining chairs down to my parents' big patio in the Valley, and there will be spraypainting the likes of which has never been seen. Possibly even green...

Yep ptoo, engineered stone is what the WSJ is saying is taking off.

Max, it will be a lot cheaper to get them made by metal fabricators such as the many on lower Bowery in Chinatown (if you are in NYC).
See these three threads for custom plexi doors with off the shelve tracks from companies like Hafele:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/051005/house-tours/house-tour-josh-and-adeles-brooklyn-aerie-002760
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/100505/house-tours/the-inside-out-dale-and-adams-discovery-004242
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/050505/house-tours/the-inside-out-into-the-bathroom-002715

Hmmm...I can't picture 80's furniture (and I lived through the decade-although I didn't care about furniture at all then.) Nothing definitive turned up in an e-search. Anybody?

Patrick (the other one) - Perhaps WE took my advice from my comment suggesting the green. Yeah right wishfull thinking!

I also took a peak at the new stuff on line and there is this bar/storage cabinet with a chrome base (in the picture with the new green chair) that is really nice.

I like WE- but as we all know MDF does not last forever!

My new apartment has granite countertops that I am sure were very very expensive (previous owners did a veery $$ Waterworks-y renovation). I hate them! The look is okay, but so loud! Unloading the dishwasher has never been so loud. Moving a pot or pan isn't that bad, but every plate and cup is a cold thud.

I'd give it up for a nice thick butcher block. Chuck Williams and Julia Child can't both be wrong on this one.

Turquoise--
Yes! You DO get credit for that idea!
They are also featuring a fresh aqua color (tho sadly, not on the chairs) they call Ocean which is sweet, and especially speaks to me given my recent return from Ft. Lauderdale.

Wish they made that chair in the Ocean color. And a more coral version of the red...

but ps, re: WE:

No, mdf does not last forever. Luckily West Elm does not sell at "forever" prices.

COMPLETELY NOT DESIGN RELATED
(time to roll eyes and think "we can always count on anne to post something that's not design related!")
My hometown has played in the news twice in the last 2 days; one happy and one sad.
Happy - WVU beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and it was the best game ever!
Sad - Only surviving miner taken to a hospital in my hometown of Morgantown, WV. I hope he makes it.

Back to our regularly scheduled remarks.....

I have said it before and I'll say it again but what is wrong with MDF?
I love MDF. It is easy to cut, gives a very smooth finish, is dense and very strong. The only downsides I can thing of are the very fine particles of dust created when you saw through it, the weight, and the extra care that you must take when screwing into it to ensure the screws hold. Now particle board is another matter entirely.

Do people know what MDF is? Do they use the term MDF when they really mean particle board?

When vessel sinks first appeared on the design front I thought they were so cool. But I agree that putting one into a new reno is going to date the place. I prefer the under the counter sinks.

I love that chair at WE. I've had my eye on it since it first appeared. But I agree with P2 that more up to date colors would make it even more appealing. IMHO the green should be a brighter one and not pea green.

There's a glass/mirror place on 10th Ave. at 45th St. and they would cut glass. I have to walk past there today to go to the library to get my reserved copy of MIDDLESEX (recommended by many here) so I'll get the phone # and post it.

I agree with JP and wondered the same thing. I like MDF. It's particle board that sucks and is used by IKEA and probably WE more than MDF. MDF is very strong.

Jamie, thanks for the links. My concern is that I need to cover a LOT of space with these panels (minimum 26' in two sets of three). They need to be really smooth and hold up, because they are the focal point of the apartment.

I think WE heard me from a couple months back here on AT. The overlapping squares headboard now comes in white. Very J. Adler. SOLD ! Was thinking of painting the dark stain one.

But Dave, isn't that the bed that others here complained about, saying it was made so poorly? I like that bed, too, but after hearing complaints about it and the company I decided to not lust after it.

Anne - Have not seen it in person since it is not available in the stores- Was going to purchase only the headboard. Anyone out there have any experience with this headboard or similar? I know it is only $200, but still want to make an informed decision. Regretfully it will not get alot of hard use and is just more for aesthetics.

p(too) -- i'm with you on saving the quarries, but you can be environmentally sensitive by at least picking a stone that has been quarried nearby, saving all the greenhouse gasses burned as part of the shipping. (ok, i'm going with soapstone in my kitchen and am trying to justify it, but there's a quarry right here in virginia!)

Pixie:
THIS is 80's furniture.

http://www.curbed.com/archives/2005/12/27/on_the_market_nursery_school_chic_in_tribeca.php

Hi Jamie pup!

My friend has some sort of issue with the countertop not being easy to clean.
She really hates it. Her long-term boyfriend is one of those people who will not buy something unless he thinks it's top-of-the-line (like to the point where it's a bit extreme), so I have no idea what went wrong in this case.

The kitchen is gorgeous, but I guess nothing's ever perfect.

me-you mean the armchairs with the curly arms? This doesn't even look familiar to me from the 80's - how could I have missed a whole decade of furniture?

JP, I think people believe MDF *is* particle board, though it's not. In the dollhouse world, there's huge hostility toward MDF because people expect it to act like particle board -- I finally took scraps and did little science experiments to prove that MDF does not warp, chip, flake apart, etc.

I suspect a lot of people also don't realize that putting a veneer of nice wood over a cheaper core goes back much, much further than the current MDF phase. A lot of "real wood" furniture was always veneer over something else.

DC Dave--
Sorry to hear no anticipated "heavy use" of the bed. ;) But who knows.. the swank headboard may be just the lure.. er, TICKET to new "usage trneds" in '06. The optimist always looks at the bed as half full. ;)

I think the West Elm bed at issue was a MUCH earlier platform style. Can't imagine why a headboard-only would be any issue, especially at that price and ESPECIALLY since it is exactly what you were envisioning.

Meg--
Ooooh soapstone! Okay, so I may need to ammend my engineered-stone stance to provide a (gorgeous!) soapstone loophole...

When I think of 80s furniture I think first of black lacquer, then of Memphis, especially as pictured in the movie "Ruthless People" with Bette Midler and Danny DeVito.

Wikipedia has useful descriptions of MDF v. particle board:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-density_fibreboard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particleboard

margaret, you mean like this:
http://www.movieactors.com/characters/freezes2/RuthlessDevito2.jpeg

Boy am I glad I took time from work to look at AT. First, I had no idea that particle board and MDF were different. Muy educational. Second, the discussion of glass and mirror has inspired me to get a custom-cut mirror for my dining room instead of looking for the non-existent cheap yet perfect mirror. Third, when I think of 80s furniture, I also think black lacquer...or actually, lacquer in general with gold accents. Puffy black or white leather sofas. Seeing as I was in childhood at the time and my parents had 70s stuff, I think most of my impressions, though, come from TV

I love the look of soapstone, but was perfectly happy to have my Formica countertops done to look like it. I loves me some Formica; it's inexpensive and makes you not have to completely marry your countertops in case you someday decide that you've grown apart.

Almost laughed my spinach salad out of my nose while readon P2's "The optimist always looks at the bed as half full" line. I never pray, but I AM praying that I never forget that line.

Memphis stuff and work by Memphis pioneer Sotsass already showing up at "antique" shows. Oy. (not because it shouldn't but because I remember it "new". Oy.)

And aside from Ruthless People as a style-capsule, Beetlejuice took a truly hilarious take on the design extremes of the period.

Like any time period, there are the extremes (Memphis) and the mass-produced (black lacquer). When I think of mass-produced 80s style, I always think of The Love Boat. But it does blur with 70s in the memory...

And I'm praying I can wipe the image of spinach salad thru the nose out of my mind!

P2 - welcome to my world! Only I remember when mid century modern was new!

In thinking back to the 80s I'm glad I shunned the black lacquer built-ins and went the way of country/cottage interiors instead. Of course, now I'm stuck with a great but "not my style anymore" pine sideboard with large turned legs.

Pixie

yes! I was trying to find a picture. That house was hilarious.

anne, you're not the only one. I find a lot of mid-c cheap'n trashy because it was in my world when I was growing up and I thought it was trashy then too. The stuff I like is the stuff I didn't see around my hood.

On the granite counters: I hate them with a passion and so does the partner. We're both serious cooks. We rented a house with granite counters and swore never to place them in a kitchen we designed. They are very cold and uncomfortable to work on, things break if you drop them on the counter, and every noise is magnified. Plus, the shiny look is just mugly in my never very humble opinion. We're trying to muster up the nerve to do a diy re-do on our 70's nightmare kitchen and it's going to be cheap butcher block from IKEA or laminate all the way. There are some gorgeous laminates out there now.

regards,
trillium

I guess I was still in hippie-land in the 80's and never noticed any of the furniture.

mdf good for wood veneer.
medium density fiberboard, you can pick it up in many thickness 1/4, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 1" . it does not warp, and a lot of extremely good quality furniture is made of it. veneer on mdf is ideal, the surface is dead flat, and will not move with temp or moisture change like solid wood(which cracks).
particle board is more of a structure material. if i use it its for the underside, like a kick base for what the kitchen cabinets get attached to on the floor. or the underside of a table to build up mass.

Marie - the place on 10th Ave and 47th St. is called All In One and it cuts glass. Their # is 212-765-9145

Having graduated from high school in the mid 80's I cringe at the idea that this time period could be making a comeback. It may have something to do with already living through it once. Retro is much more interesting if it is "new" to the decorator.

80's makes me think of families I babysat for who dolled up their homes in either

1. "dusty mauve and blue" with those lousy "home is where the heart is" geese with the bows round their necks

2. Miami Vice "contemporary"

Yikes - does this mean those big creepy laquer-look waterbed frames will come back too?

Someone was looking for this light fixture the other day. In looking in the new Shades of Light catalog I saw it.

http://shadesoflight.com/index.php?stocknumber=FM9917%20%20%20%20BLACK&deptid=3&parentid=0&page=8&itemsperpage=12

Hope this helps.

Hey wende - look at Restoration Hardware online. We were talking about pink bathrooms and RH is doing pink with choc. brown. You'll like it.

Libby -
If I have to channel Carry Nation, the abolitionist who carried a Bible and an ax and terrorized saloons, I will simply not stand for that dang dusty mauve and Williamsburg blue with those damn geese again. I mean, seriously. That's why I get something of an anxiety attack when I leave Manhattan; too many people have failed to forsake that look. The Miama Vice thing may work if I can be heavily sedated, though.

Pink and Chocolate Brown - Winona Ryder's dotted Swiss frock in Age of Innocence. I LOVED that, and have loved the combo ever since.

I LOVE this desk lamp!
http://shadesoflight.com/index.php?stocknumber=DS9912&deptid=5&parentid=0&page=1&itemsperpage=12

Ya know, I suggested chocolate brown to someone with a pink bathroom and she was horrified. Glad to see that RH has vindicated me.

oh my god, we had those geese! i will not live through it again

Whoa! So RH is! That does look good... now I'm almost hoping for a pink bathroom when the housing market here collapses.

I'm dreaming of a pink bathroom
Just like what grandma used to have
May your tile be shiny and thick...
And may all your bath fixtures be pink!

anne--
Some of us still like large turned legs, but depends on which way the legs are turned. Wait, we still talking about furniture?!? Oh, nevermind.

Now I have an image of Curtis in Winona Ryder's dotted swiss frock. Channeling Carrie Nation and spweing spinach. Pretty! ;)

Any fans of HGTV's "The City Gardner" take note I just saw this on the HGTV website. Matt James is going to film some episodes in America. Too bad I don't even have a terrace or anything resembling a place for a garden! But here are the details if someone is interested:

"Do you have a small, urban yard in need of a transformation?

If you want a piece of outdoor paradise, this could be your opportunity! The host of The City Gardener, Matt James, is coming to America in 2006 to create 26 unique, exciting outdoor spaces.

Starting in April, James will be going coast to coast making gardening dreams a reality. All you need is a week to spare, a lot of energy, some creative ideas and a small-sized garden desperate for a makeover and by midsummer, you could be the envy of your neighbors.

If you have a backyard that makes you blush and want to do something about it, why not get in touch with the team? For more information, send an e-mail to thecitygardener@twofour.co.uk."

Wow - thanks jimkk! I just sent an email to him. Fingers crossed.

P2 - yeah, Curtis sure knows how to paint a pretty mental picture.

i hate to change the subject, but i'm looking for an affordable, modern gate leg dining table. anyone have any ideas? i looked at ikea and they have two - one looks really bulky and the other one doesn't stand up if the leaves are down! i'm loosing my mind. i swear.

and wende - that's the best little rhyme ever! you should be a rapper!!

Seema--
Perhaps too formal, but how about Martha's Memrie's Gateleg Table form her Lily Pond collection.

Click my name for the link.

form = from

how's the quality of Martha's stuff. the prices are low-ish. makes me wonder

There's no pleasing you people. ;)

just a quick note on the granite countertops...over the holidays and two dinner parties later we found something that causes some serious damage to granite; citrus. the lemons and limes we were cutting (on cutting boards) got juice onto the counters, we did not clean it up immediately, and a couple of hours later during clean-up we found white blotchy spots and a hazy fog on the countertops that will not come off! thank god it's a rental!

christina, thank god you're not my tenant!

er, ANYWAY
anyone have those cheap Ikea butcher block countertops, and can tell me how they wear?

there's alot of citrus in my hardcookin' kitchen, and if it's good enuf for Chuck and Julia...
(thanks julie)

or have I come back to the open thread a hundred hours too late?

guido, i promise, i'm a GREAT tenant. i usually leave the place in better shape than it is when i move in--the first call i made was to the rental office. of course, i can't exactly say that i was entirely truthful in that call...but they are well aware of the problem. i guess it makes up for the long laundry list of outstanding items that have yet to be fixed.

one more quick thing i wanted to add to my above post. in the research that we did post-citrus-spill we learned that there are many different types and grades of granite and that some are coated, sealed, etc. it's possible that this spill may have damaged just the sealant? we're keeping our fingers crossed that is the problem and will let you know if we hear anything else or come up with a way to fix the problem.

Wow! One day of actually working and I miss this great thread. I was able to view AT until noon and then, voila, work.

A few notes here. P(too) you just have great taste. That's all I can say.

Re: Ikea table leads me to the thought that sometimes Target has better value than Ikea.

Re: the miner who survived - no one responded. Ok, so we're into design but I would like to extend my sadness because again I say, loss sucks.

Re: 80's style: Ok, the truth - I remember the 60's and yeah so stop laughing - I'm not as old as you think (you know that joke about Woodstock "If you remember it, you're weren't there" well that's true, but I clearly hope that certain past design stays "past". Not everything old should be new again. There was a designer mentioned on an old AT post who did the 60's and his stuff was fab but I remember the plastic slipcovers, the marble top coffee table with skinny wooden legs that I was afraid to crawl under and I remember fake things all over, and my mother was a good homemaker so please - don't bring 60's, 70's, or 80's back. A friend of mine had 80's laminate everything and all I could think of was fingerprints and dust.

Re: Granite vs butcher block vs whatever: It's wonderful to keep up with design. I guess that's why we're at AT, but then there is this - what works, works. Butcher block can be cleaned and sterilized. It's warm, and it makes people think you can actually cook. Personally, I love stainless steel but its "loud". But I can't keep changing styles so I just do fill ins and every several years I rethink my environment, otherwise I'd be broke. I do need $$ for my art addiction. This is why I want to move into P(too)'s apartment, because its georgeous and doesn't cling to a specific thing. It's modern but it's homey. We should all be invited to a party there. Anyone second that?

Then there's the environmental issue of laminate vs. wood vs. granite. So, you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't. Laminates spit bad things into the air, wood means fewer trees. What's a girl to do? And soapstone? If you can carve statues out of it, why have it on a countertop?

This has been a good thread. Tons of ideas and really good ones at that.

Wende mentioned veneer. When I first went to art classes for faux finishing I had to learn about the history of all of that furniture. And yes, centuries ago, when hard wood was too expensive or unavailable, craftsmen (there were no craftswomen, you see) used softer and cheaper wood and the art was in the veneer, the way it was layed out and attached. If you look at many antiques you will see this.

Ok, I'm done. There come these bursts of energy after I've actually had to work and I can't help myself. Now I'm off to a glass of Pinot Noir and a necklace I have to make. A dear friend just returned from Mexico and bought me gemstone beads. I can't wait for the shipment.

Someday I'll have the nerve to show photos of my disgusting bathroom.

Guido, speaking of Park Slope, I went to Barnes and Noble there two days in a row after everyone was raving about the new Living Etc. and they don't have it--was it ATers who emptied them? What gives?

i'm getting ready to build bedroom walls and another smaller wall in the entry way of my currently open loft. i'd been planning on putting one row of 6 - 8 inch square glass blocks that would go around the top of each wall, to let in more light and because i like the look. but suddenly, i'm getting cold feet about the blocks and have been encouraged by others to use regular glass because it's a smoother, cleaner line. people (friends) seem to think that glass blocks feel too '70's. now i'm feeling unsure. anyone have any comments? ideas? experience with this. all comments appreciated.
thanks.

guido...i have a fair amount of experience with wood countertops. all wood needs is to be sanded periodically to bring it back to looking its best and oiled on occasion, probably every few months...in the beginning, more frequently. if you do that it will look like new always. first put a thin layer of oil on it, let it sit a bit, for 10 min or so, then sand along the grain. then leave it overnight. it will feel like a baby's behind! i'd go with wood of some sort. Teak may work, since it has a varied color, maybe it will pick up the butcher block color that's nearby. but, it's not cheap!

you could also insert a series in a rectangular shape of some sort of round metal discs with little spikes in them to serve as an integral hot plate thing on the counter. where you get them, i don't know, i know they are supplied with the countertops that i order, but they are screwed into the top. that would allow you to put hot pots down. they'd have to be about 1/4-3/8 above the countertop, be that thickness.

my cousin in denmark swears by cleaning her wood tops, which she's had for 10+ years, with a cut lemon. i don't know what that does to the already oiled finish, i just know that she does it periodically! but, in general, there are only two things you have to be careful of...sitting water and burns. otherwise, i think wood is one of the best materials for countertops because it can always look like new.

i forgot a step. after you sand the top, wipe it off with a dry cloth, then let it sit overnight. and use mineral oil or linseed oil, but natural linseed oil, there are two types, you don't want toxic oils on your countertop.

Hi Susiq,

Just wanted to say that mineral oil might be the way to go. Apparently, linseed oil is EXTREMELY flammable. I know someone whose house burned down because her mother put a linseed oil rag in the bathtub and I guess every drop of oil did not get out. It spontaneously combusts. Now I am terrified of it.

I don't think mineral oil is as volatile, but I could be wrong.

Fiona, you're right about that. First off, let me clarify that it is RAW linseed oil, only, that should be used. Secondly, as Fiona notes, get rid of the rags right away! Maybe soak in water and put in a sealable plastic bag and into the trash.

Thanks for the wood counter talk - I use mineral oil (very rarely) on my butcher block counter. It came with some minor scars and burns and looks just great anyway. Rustic!
And (LOL) looks like I really cook. I really do!

I'm just wondering if the Ikea block is going to warp in 10 years like the my cheap laminate sink top did.

Shoshana, I rarely go in that B&N since I blame them for driving out my favorite Booklink (two store community bookchain where they would have ordered Living Etc for me)
I've been looking for it too, without success, at downtown magazine stands...anybody done with their copy?

thanks, ptoo!

I would say if it's screwed down properly, it shouldn't. It will move since wood moves according to the climate...humidity/dryness, but securely fasten it to the cabinets or something and sand and oil it frequently and clean up standing water right away. If it dries out, then it could split. Don't forget, you can't compare your cheap laminate sink top with a wood block! Two different animals.

thanks susiq
I'm trying to compare my (good old) butcher block countertop with the Ikea version, and wondering how that wears. I suppose like anything else there is Good butcherblock and shoddy butcherblock....

I'll post when today's new thread opens up, 'cause I'm wondering about the Ikea restaurant-style kitchen faucets as well . . . .

just read that WSJ article
"farm style" WOO HOO! I'm in!

(thx jamie pup)

Speaking of butcher blocks, that reminds me, my kitchen had a built-in cutting-board thing that was supposed to slide in and out; all the kitchens in my building had that originally. It's kind of like a little drawer thing, only it's just a thin piece of wood with a little knob on it.

Over the years it had been painted over, so, I un-stuck it and I found a cutting board that wasn't the right depth, but it was the right width, and I drilled a hole and screwed in an old-fashioned white ceramic knob and it's great. I almost never use it, but I should re-read all that cleaning-those-things advice above anyway, I guess.

curtis - my mother's kitchen has one of those things! it's really a great space-saver, and i don't know why i don't see more of them around...? it seems like it would be really easy to include in kitchen layouts.

Barbara--
Clear or frosted fixed panels of glass or plexi may give you a cleaner, more contemporary look, but will not insulate (primarily sound) as well as glass block will.

There are also various styles of glass block, some more dated than others, but enough variety so you can pick a look you like and still keep it somewhat fresh.

Seema-
My whole building is studios and 1br's, so the kitchens are not all that huge, which is probably why that little feature was included. But it probably didn't take all that long for them to discover that landlord paintjobs were having them painted over, and that people weren't really using them much. I like mine, though.

Those pull-out cutting boards used to be standard in tract homes with decent-sized kitchens, too. My parents 1972 tract home had one, and so does their 1990-ish mini-mansion. THAT kitchen is bigger than my current decent-sized living room! (And too big for effective cooking, I think.)

Those cutting boards seem to have gone "out" with the rise of the "luxury" kitchen. They're not great quality boards, but it sure is one less thing to store.

seema,

I'm about to place a mid-century Bruno Mathsson gateleg table on Craig's list. It's a beutiful piece in great condition; an unfold in configurations that seat anywhere from 2 to 10. The finish is a stripy redish brown veneer.

We're selling it because we're turning our dining area into a library/study/playroom and maybe to save it from a tricycle wielding 2 1/2 year old.

let me know if your interested by posting here.