apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

If you don't want just leather, but actual cow hide, you can sometimes find a whole cow worth for not much money in the South, and I'd bet that you could find it online somewhere. My dad got it for like $40 or so, and re-upholstered like a half-dozen ladder-back dining chairs in it.

I have a question

I purchased these floating shelves from West Elm:

http://ww2.westelm.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=schp0%7Ct4%7Cwshelf%2Fschp1%7Ct4%7Cwshelf%2Fshpcslewal%7Crshop%2Fshpcslewal%7Crshop%2Fshpcsle%7Crshop&pkey=xsrd1n0%7C8%7C1%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Cshelf&gids=p187&cmsrc=sch

But for the love of God, I cannot seem to get them mounted so they stick out straight from the wall and don't tip forward. Does anyone know how to do this?

THe shelves have three keyhole openings on the back. They come with three wall anchors and screws. I drilled the holes, inserted the anchors, screwed in the screws and slipped the shelf onto the screws (this was not easy to do). At first the shelves slanted forward slightly but they seemd okay. I put some items on them and the next morning, the anchors on one shelf pulled out of the wall slightly and everything on the shelf came crashing down (breaking the glass in a $50 picture frame and damaging the surface of the furniture below it. I am very frustrated!

I tried to redo the whole thing with different anchors that I bought from home depot, but the result was even slantier!

The other shelf seems to be holding up okay, so I don't know what I did right in that case. Is there some kind of trick to this I don't know about!

Got my AT hat in the mail yesterday! Thanks Jill & Maxwell! :)

Amber, so glad. Enjoy and wear with pride! It's the real thing: perfect for shading the eyes when rolling paint on the wall, perfect for moving the sofa and keeping dust from settling on the eyelids, perfect for washing dishes and creating just the right anti-static defense against unwanted soap bubbles. We designed it that way. :-)

We moved things around last night to get a couple of photos and between fooling with the camera and the computer it was getting so late that I sent them out without all the info. Kate and Andy's dining room is in Durham, NC. I will give further information when I see them posted. I spend so much time reading several of the design bloggs I wanted to participate more, AT feels like alot of friends I have't met but are a nice part of my day. Kate(NC)

On a different note.... big thumbs down to Ikea Online Shopping. Since many people on this site had recommended the very long curtains at Ikea, I thought I'd skip the crowds and order the Solgull linen curtains online.
I ordered online on January 8, and the confirmation email said that Ikea would send me a final total w/shipping within a few days. Odd, but whatever. Today I got an email from Ikea stating that they could not process my order, please call the 800 number. After a 20 minute wait, I finally spoke with a customer service rep, who processed my order (she was very nice), BUT the shipping on ONE pair of lightweight linen curtains was $17 for regular UPS 10-day ground - something that clearly does not weigh more than 2 pounds! Apparently their shipping rates start at $15.
At any rate, I cancelled my online order and will brave the Ikea crowds this weekend. Wish me luck!

hello AT community ... long time reader, new to posting.

i'm beginning to set the ball in motion for a move to nyc. i'm of the "extreme planning" school of thought and am trying to gather as much info as possible.

here's my main question: is it possible, with patience, to find a decent 1 bedroom in lower manhattan with a $1800 to $2000 rental budget?

keep in mind, that as an avid AT reader, i have a certain level of pickiness over my personal space :)

does anyone have any broker recommendations? success stories? wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee stories?

i was also wondering if anyone's ever calculated their daily "walking around" costs. just curious as to what i'm getting myself into.

thanks all in advance.

Shipping/Handling versus Schlepping Oneself must always be decided by calculating The Human Cost.

If a trip to IKEA seems like a fun adventure, then enjoy the adventure, because it's almost like getting a discount! But if you consider the crowds, or the possibility of crowds to be onerous, then that can seem like a much higher surcharge, instead.

I kind of like the little bus they have from Port Authority out there, but that really is like an all-day project.

I think the whole Ikea concept starts to fall apart when you want delivery--I wanted a basket that I had gotten one of, and it was the same thing. I waited. You might want to just pay more and get better drapes!

Can I get a color consultation?

Just took down wallpaper and now will paint my prewar Harlem bathroom. The bathroom is tiled with nice porcelain subway tiles that have mellowed into a yellow-y beige. The plaster under the wallpaper is a yellow color and looks nice (I usually don't like yellow), but too yellow and brings out the yellow in the tile, making everything in there -- including me -- look a little yellow. So I want to tone down the yellow in the tiles. How? I was thinking of painting it a bone color.

There is a window, but not good light. Ceilings are 10ft. THANKS!

re: here's my main question: is it possible, with patience, to find a decent 1 bedroom in lower manhattan with a $1800 to $2000 rental budget?

My thoughts: depends on where in lower Manhattan (east vill, yes, west vill, no), not likely with a broker (maybe a studio), and try Craigslist first.

kate (ao)
yes, it is possible to find an apt for your budget (and even under!) as long as you do not mind living in a SMALL space
my boyfriend and i share a 1 bedroom in the lower east side and it is well under your stated dollar amounts, but, in total, it miiiiight measure to be around 350 sq ft
we have adapted well to the small space, its kind of like living on a boat, you have to have lots and lots of stow-age (as opposed to storage ;-)
as for walking around costs, there's many factors to that, including where you live and where you work
i walk to and from work everyday, so that saves me at least $20/week that other people dependant on the MTA have to spend
also, factor in at least $4 for caffeine, $20-$40/day for food (more if you plan to eat out a lot or if you live in a 'hood with pricey grocery stores/bodegas)
then, if you take mta, you have to think about magazines, books, entertaiment (read ipod) costs
ummm.. then there's decorating, gym membership, bills, etc, etc, etc
but! if you're moving from someplace where you currently have a car, think about all the money getting rid of that contraption frees up!
no more monthly car payments! no insurance! no gas!!
woowoo!
either way, if you're planning a move to nyc, come visit, hang around, walk in the 'hoods you're interested in, talk to people, talk to people, talk to people!
many of us seem nasty and grumpy, but once you get us blabbing about why we live here, and more specifically, why we chose the neighborhoods we're in, you'd be hardpressed to get us to shut up :-)
good luck on your decision (its a good, and EXCITING one to make!!!)

IKEA really trips over itself to not be helpful when you shop online. I also had to call when I thought my order [two 18" PAX wardrobes] was pretty obvious. The delivery was more than the wardrobes in the first place, so I cancelled on the spot. It would have been cheaper to get the home delivery service at the store. Eventually I bribed a friend with a car, and we went out to Jersey on a weekday.

Question to you all about recovering dining room chair seats. I previously recovered my seats in a chintz-like fabric, and while I still kind of like it, it has a kind of french country feel to it that is not like my style at all. I was thinking of redoing them in a leather to get a sleeker look. I've never worked with leather--would it be difficult to do something like this...difficult meaning, beyond pull and staple? Also, having never bought leather, is it easy to come by? Expensive? Any guidance would be appreciated!

kate

I definitely think it's possible to find what you're looking for, but it will take some looking around. There are a lot of no-fee apartments out there so don't waste money on a brokers fee.

Not exactly sure what you mean by "walking around costs" - can you be more specific?

As far as general expenses in addition to rent:

I get the monthly metrocard - what is it now $76 per month, I think? If you join the transitcheck program though work you get that taken out pre-tax which will save you some money.

I generally buy groceries from fresh direct because I live in the financial district where there are very few supermarkets - I probably spend about about $400-500 per month (but I have pretty expensive taste and I cook a lot). In addition, I spend about $60 per week on lunches, because I'm too lazy and disorganized to make lunch.

My cable is about $80 per month - four premium channels (but with internet service it would be about $120). I only have a cell phone - no landline - which costs about $45 per month

When I had Con Ed, it probably ranged between $50 and $90 but in my new building, it is much less because they built using energy saving principles.

Entertainment and dining out costs are highly personal. I like to go to the theater which is expensive, but there are ways to save money by using discount ticket websites and ordering subscriptions. I probably spend $1000 on theater per year. Dining out - maybe $200 per month on average.

I make coffee at home every morning and put up with the office swill for the most part - although occasionally I break down and by a grande skim latte.

Hair and nails - varies greatly - I've been going to the same russian hair salon for years and they are very good and inexpensive - i'd say I spend no more than $1000 per year on this stuff (highlights, cut, blow-dry, manicure, pedicure)

My apartment insurance is $300 per year (state farm)

Clothing - again highly personal so I won't even try to estimate that for you.

I recently moved from Harlem down to the wall street area. Moving costs were about $1000 and so far I've spent about $6500 furnishing my "one bedroom with home office" apartment (including rugs, entertainment unit, sofabed, organizational items for closets, shelving, new bedding, accessories such as cusions, throws, picture frames, professional framing, artwork, hardware and tools for mounting stuff). I expect to spend another $1000 before I'm done.

kate (another one) -
From right where you are you can go onto the New York Times website's Real Estate section and constantly do searches. I think that for rentals there may be less elaborate virtual tours, if any, so you're likely to pay a little more for a place that's going to let you see what it looks like. But look at it a lot now, and also look at the various sites of the companies, as well.

Let me tell you that walking around money really depends a lot on how you are, and how you act there is probably different from how you act here.

A couple of things about the walking-around money thing is... if you're moving to Manhattan, do NOT try to have a car, because you don't need; having one is a hindrance unless you're just determined to. It's like $76 for an unlimited ride MetroCard gets you on all subways and busses without having to remember whether you have a transfer or not.

People eat out here more than other places, so there are a million restaurants vying for your business, so seriously, they tend not to cost that much more here (for what you get) than in a poor Southern state.

You should always have enough money with you to take a cab, just in case, but unless you're made of money, don't get in the habit of taking them or they'll bleed you dry.

If I was starting out here again, I think I would promise myself to see at least one Broadway show a month, just because me I love them, and because that's one of the wonderful things about the city. There are deals, but sometimes you just want to spring for really really good seats.

That's all I should put in one little schpiel for now, but (although I know you're not here yet) welcome to the city and I hope all goes well. I wish that I had AT (and a computer) when I, as an humble immigrant, defected the Confederacy for artistic freedom and political asylum in 1986.

hi christine
i am actually in the process of doing exactly what you're thinking of doing. here are my thoughts:

leather is a bit tough to find around here in central VA- although might not be in NY. i am using a fab ultrasuede that i got on the cheap at joann fabrics. it will look just as fab as leather on my svedese-like chairs.
stapling leather and/or suede/ultrasuede is not tough, but i am having tough time finding staples for my pneumatic stapler. the staple gun is a bear and i can't seem to manage it while pulling the fabric.

what did you use when you recovered in chintz - a staple gun? did you need short staples like i do? would love to hear your first process.

I moved to the city for college and have never owned a car. You simply don't need one if you live here. If you absolutely insist on owning one, it's gonna cost you. My bf's cousin pays something like $400 a month for a garage. If you really want a car, either rent one when you need it or try zipcar. It's basically a car timeshare...

I would spend some time walking around your target neighborhoods before you move in. That cute apartment on Ave A will be really noisy at midnight on Friday. You might like living near Wall Street until you discover everyone flees after work.

I try to keep lunch and dinner below $10 a meal for me. You can get much better food here for the same price you'd pay outside the city. I can't believe how much chain restaurants like Appleby's cost! That sticker shock must be what everyone else feels like when they get here. Also, there's a big difference in price between a deli or bodega and a grocery store. Any place that makes most of its money off coffee and a salad bar is not a place to buy milk, eggs or beer unless you are in a hurry.

you guys are seriously the bomb.

i've been trolling the ny times real estate section and craigslists obsessively for weeks now, and i have seen apartments within my price range ... but i don't know if it's disreputable brokers yanking my chain by putting up fake, non-available apartments, or if i'm looking at something in an area dangerous for a single female, or miles away from the subway, etc.

as far as walking around costs, you all hit the nail on the head exactly. and thank you for being specific about your bills ... a lot of them are comparable to the midwest, i.e. cable, phone, etc.

thank you all; i really appreciate the feedback, and it's nice to know that i'm not (totally) living in a fantasy world with my 1800/month rental budget cap.

bsavarese,
I'm in DC and I don't think it's that much easier here to find fabric. I originally used a staple gun, but I have no idea what kind of staples I used because I did them at my parents' house. They were one of my first home decorating projects, and so I really didn't know what I was doing, which turned out OK because it was relatively easy. The chairs are part of a dinette set that was my grandfather's wife's and is very mid century modern, so I love it. The chintz is a stripe and not that bad (at least it's not floral!), but I'm a little tired of it.

More thoughts on moving to NYC:
1. Whereever you live now, lock yourself and all your worldly goods in your bedroom, and stay there for a week. That is what living in NYC is like for many people (i.e. a studio apartment).
2. Be prepared for outrageous broker fees and security deposits -- usually the deal is, you pay the broker 1 month's rent, then 1 month's rent for the security deposit, and then your first month's rent. So for an $1800/mo apartment, you need at least $5400 -- plus credit-check fees, installation for cable and phone, etc. Plan on at least $6k.

Kate (another one)

Ditto what others have already said here. Good advice. Curtis mentioned the NY Times real estate section. When there look at The Hunt. It tells a story every weekend about someone's hunt for the right apt. You'll learn a lot from just reading a few of those.

But I would say "yes" you can get an apt. for 1800-2000/mo. It may not be the easiest thing you've done but if persistant it'll happen.

I think walking around certain 'hoods to get the feel for them is really key. Walk around them at night, during the day, at all times. That way you'll know the type of people who live there, the traffic, the restaurants, the grocery shopping, etc.... And don't limit yourself to just downtown. There are a million and one neighborhoods here and you may find that the perfect apt. is in a 'hood you never expected to live in. Keep an open mind - that is the most important thing. There's a lot of compromise in living here but the pay off is tenfold.

Ann is right - once you get our attention you can't get rid of us. We love to brag about our city. Getting our attention is the hard part.

Kate (another one)

I moved to NYC in October. I initially tried to find apartments without a broker, but I was very specific with what I wanted (a 1 bedroom in the West Village) and the market was so competitive I ended up going with a few brokers. Some advice:

- almost ALL the apartments on the brokers' individual websites are already gone. The market is super-quick and but they have to put something up to show people.

- some of the apartments on Craigslist / NY times are already gone. HOWEVER, if you look obsessively, you will know when an apartment comes up new. Even though you go with a broker, you will probably have to do this yourself -> they may not alert you ASAP.

- When you look on Craigs list and it says "no broker fee" this is a lie. There is always a broker fee. (I think I contacted at least 10 of these and ALL had broker fee). The only way to get no broker fee is to look under "by owner". But these are few & far between.

- if you see an apartment that's been on for a long time, there may still be hope since some landlords stack applications (ie, just keep accepting lots and lots and then decide after a few weeks).

- you can always try to negotiate on the brokers fee. Doesn't hurt.

Good luck. If you want to try to do it without a broker then you could ring property management companies - I think there may be books out there that list them. Perhaps it will be easier for you if you are not too picky about the location. Good luck!

One other thing - don't discount a short-term rental or a sublet. You won't be locked into a place you find you hate and it'll give you some breathing time to get to know the area better. And you won't have to pony up thousands of $$ as a 1st and last month's rent and security deposit.

This isn't going to help Kate but for those of you who already live here... There a tons of new buildings going up all over the city. By law, every new structure has to set aside a certain percentage of apts. for low income tenants and those apts. are scattered throughout the building, not just the lowest, darkest corners.

It's worth getting the names and addresses/phone # of the rental offices and then applying for such an apt. I may take a long time to get one but in the long run you'll end up with a great apt. with low, low rent. I live in one and my rent is lower than most cell phone bills (utilities included).

Oops, might be a bit late for kate (another one) but here's my (and some others in a link) 2 cents:

It is difficult to find the best value apartments by going no fee. NYC is different to the rest of the country in that the majority (at least in Manhattan) of rentals are done through brokers for which you will pay a fee of around 15% of the total annual rent. The no fee apartments tend to be in the more expensive luxury doorman buildings so any fee you save by going this route will be erased by the higher rent you will pay.

$1800 no fee will get you a 400sqft ish studio in one of those luxury doorman buildings

$1800 with a broker fee will get you a larger 1BR

There are cheaper no fee apts but these go very quickly and you have to be as obsessive as Jessica suggests above to get them. In fact Jessica gives the best advice (no offense to anyone else) on what it will take to find a rental.

He other thing you need to know is that the larger management companies and some smaller landlords require that your annual gross salary is between 40X and 45X the monthly rent. So for a $1800 per month apt you need to be making $72K. Not all LL’s require this but many do.

Finally, here is a link to some good advice from a well respected broker (I know – the irony) broker on the CL housing forum about the process, paperwork needed etc. The price ranges she uses are a little dated but it’s still good advice
http://forums.newyork.craigslist.org/?ID=10188644

anne, there is no law stipulating that new developments have to have apts set aside for low income residents. There are tax abatement and low interest bond programs that developers can choose to apply for that require them to provide low income housing as a percentage of the total number of units. But that does not mean that every developer will go for that - the cost/benefit may not be worth it to them.

More info with more links on this 80/20 program here
http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/faq/affordable.html#20

New Tenant, my advcice for attaching that kind of floating shelving (and many other types) here:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/100605/open-threads/open-thread-62-002842

Look for my first post in that thread.
Basically you need to hit the studs and I explain a way of doing that without needing to align the holes in your shelving hardware to the studs.

YES! When you first get here, a sublet! Find yourself and actor who's going out to do summer stock! Or a flight attendant who's almost never there! Yes! In fact, that might be a good kind of roommate, if you end up going that way.

Personally, I had roommates when I first got here, and I finally was able to free myself of that need, but it wasn't easy.

But yeah, if your first place is just a sublet, you'll be here and be able to do all your surveillance on the ground, which is the best way. Hang out in all different neighborhoods; get invitations to apartments all over the city, and get a sense of all the different kinds of apartments there are: tenements, brownstones, pre-war co-ops, mid-century Deco buildings, white-brick late-'50's-early'60's buildings, and brand new condos.

Get a sense of what's important to you -- ONLY the literal space? Or the feeling that the space gives you? The charm of old decorative moldings? The (sometimes false) assurance that with newer construction the pipes won't leak? Historical architecture on the facade but total gut renovation in Harlem?

Seriously, SCOUR the archives of this site for the various contests "Smallest, Coolest Apartment"; "My Bathroom Rocks"; "I've Got Color"; "My Kitchen Cooks" to get a really good sense of those various things, because sometimes people indicate things about the building itself.

For instance, Patrick's winning apartment in the Smallest Coolest is mid-Century; the bathroom winner is from the 1800's (I think); mine is 1937 (I didn't win, but you can still find mine) in the "I've Got Color" one. Some of those things will give you an idea of which kinds of layouts there are to be had, and some might be typical of their neighborhoods, etc.

christine
i would say check out G Street Fabrics. the one i know of is in the old ikea building at potomac mills. i bet you can find something in leather/suede/ultrasuede there. also, i am sure you have a joann around there somewhere.
keep us posted!

Jamie Pup, thanks for the link and setting me straight. I thought new developers were bound by law but I see that's not the case. Anyway, it's good to do some of the "footwork" to get into one of these places.

Speaking as a city dweller on the other coast... two things to look at very closely when choosing a neighborhood:

1. How do you intend to eat? Compared to the Midwest, supermarkets are fewer, smaller, and more expensive in relation to popping into the local ethnic hole-in-the-wall for take-out. Are the local ethnic restaurants serving cuisines you're willing to eat regularly? Are their health department violations within your comfort zone? Look closely at the nearest corner stores: do they carry the items you see as essentials? Are you comfortable with the level of hygiene there? (You can tell I live in a "transitional" neighborhood for the sake of a larger apt, cheaper rent, and closeness to stuff, can't you?)

2. Check out the walking routes to the nearest mass transit at night. I opted for visible street people and police presence over quiet with lurkable trees, but there are shortcuts I don't take after sunset. You need to be realistic about what you can deal with.

Both of these items are arguments for trying a sublet first. I would not have considered my neighborhood "safe" if a trusted friend hadn't lived here for almost a decade and survived unmugged. When you move to a totally different environment, it's initially really difficult to "read" the landscape accurately.

Jamie Pup

Whoa! Cutting out a piece of drywall and attaching a piece of wood? even if I had the ability to do that, the management office of my fantsy pants building would have my head. I'm not even supposed to put anchors in the wall (shhhhhh).

I called up West Elm to complain and the customer service guy told me to use Molly bolts instead of the pathetic piece of plastic they supply with the shelves. I didn't know what a Molly bolt was so I googled it. It turns out I already HAVE them in the tool set that my dad left in my apartment. I just didn't know how they worked. Now that I've read the instructions, I'm ready to go home and try them - will keep you posted.

Also, when I complained to west elm about the damage caused by the falling picture frame, they said they could give me a $30 certificate - better than nothing. They also said that if I can't get the shelves up, they will pick them up and refund my money. I have had really good luck with their customer service so far, so I will keep buying stuff from them despite this recent problem.

Oh I forgot to mention

I found another thread on this site about these shelves. Someone said that putting tissue paper in the keyholes will help reduce some of the slanting and wobbling. Will try that too.

Just realized that the housingnyc link I provided has a link to an apartment hunting guide above it
http://www.housingnyc.com/html/guide/resources.html

I wouldn't be so pessimistic about finding a no fee apartment. Sure it's really hard, but not impossible. Here are some resources I found after a few seconds of googling. And of course, there's craigslist as many have pointed out.


http://www.theinsider.com/nyc/save/015NoFeeApts.htm

http://www.ny.com/realestate/links.html

http://manhattan.about.com/od/findanapartment/a/nofeelistserv.htm

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ire/ocha/links.html#nofees

Woah, Curtis, a whole cow! That's crazy talk! Interesting though..I never even thought you could buy a cow hide like that.

Trouble with craigslist is that the no fee listings are crowded out by the bait and switch listings. Craig himself has said on many occassions to the press that his biggest problem in running CL is the behaviour of NYC brokers who post on CL.

Finding a cheap, non luxury doorman, no fee apt is doable but it will take a lot of legwork and you have to factor in how much of your own time is worth because it is that much more difficult.

New Tenant, how did you find your no fee apt? Was it one of the newer rental conversions? Would you say you got a deal or are you paying luxury rent? I'm not getting at you, I'm trying to help equip Kate as much as possible and I think the more info we can give the better.

BTW, molly bolts should work fine as long as you're not storing weights on that shelf!

I posted this before, after seeing it on I Want That. It seems ideal for hanging anything, no matter how heavy.
http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.574674/sc.2/.f

Has anyone seen that crazy green ironing board, shaped like a man, that was on a AT a few months ago for sale yet?

When i decided to move, I decided that I would limit my search initially to no fee apartments and then switch to fee apartments only if necessary. I found most of the places through craigs list and never had a problem with bait and switch. I looked at about a dozen apartments, most of which were being rented out directly by individual owners. I ultimately did go for a no fee luxury apartment so I am paying a pretty high rent ($2790) for a one bedroom apartment with home office (which I use as a dining room). There was one large broker that offered no fee apartments that I did meet with but I ended up not seeing any of their apartments because the next day I found my apartment and fell in love. I can't remember the name of the broker but it was one of the big ones in the city.

What about

what about what? I don't know. Can't remember what I was going to say - bad editing and proofreading job on my part, sorry.

NT,

while i'm shocked by what people in DC are willing to pay, thanks for reminding me NYC is a whole different league. Now I know how folks from back home feel when I tell them what rents are like here!

About those shelves, I have the ikea ones and if you don't get at least 2 screws into studs there will be some sagging. I could only get 1 into a stud and used the metal molly bolts (which require a big 3/8 inch hole!), i still have a little sag, but it's not too bad, it looks worse from the side. With those WE shelves it should work but i'd avoid anything heavy for the first few weeks (and clear out anything underneath!).

Thanks Minh!

I know my rent sounds outrageous to most people, but remember I am in a super duper fancy schmancy new building in one of the most expensive Manhattan neighborhoods. Having lived way way under my means in crappy neighborhoods for the past seven years, I was ready for some lux living. My next move will almost certainly be into the wilds of NJ to live with my boyfriend (in two years when my lease is up), so I am enjoying a last fling with my beloved city.

You can definitely find lower rents in other parts of the city - and particularly if you move out to one of the other boroughs.

Hi... can people still submit pictures of artwork displayed in their home? Granted, I live in a studio and I'm a student (space + budget), but I really like what I've done with the art I have been able to acquire.

Say yes?

P2 seems conspicuous by his absence at the moment. I hope he didn't meet a bad end! Could his computer be not working? Or is he being a medical missionary to the Congo?

no kidding. I was thinking P2 would help me with what color I should use in my bathroom (hell-o?)

Stacy
what about blue?

P2 is out of town for a couple of weeks. I'm sure he misses us as much as we miss him :P

By the way, MNIStacy, I think that a bone color would look nice, or perhaps a putty green. If you want to see what I did with the bathroom I used to have with that kind of tiles, click on my name. Of course, you're NOT going to want to do what I did, because it was kind of tricky and time-consuming.

has anyone seen this yet...
http://buildagreenbakery.com/

Curtis: Your bathroom is an inspiration. LOVE that you use a carafe for your mouthwash.

silly question
are AT people shoes on or shoes off? i'm a shoes always off at the door kinda gal. does anyone have a solution for how to ask guests to remove their shoes. i can't/won't stand by the door, but i don't want my white bathroom rug, or creamy bedroom carpet to get trashed. am i completely horrible? do i just have to deal and hire a steam cleaner the morning after my dinner party.
any suggestions, sedatives i know. . .

sarah,

to handle this problem i conspiciously leave a pile of shoes by the door!

Though i try not to sweat it too much as most people are considerate enough to take them off if they've trod through mud before getting to you (or it's wet outside).

And there's nothing wrong with asking people to do it or leaving a note (make it cute, like on an etch-a-sketch or magna-doodle). You can also assign a person at the party to tell people to take their shoes off, don't you watch Seinfeld?

When we lived in Minnesota, everyone was SHOES OFF because no white carpet stood a chance in winter otherwise. The trick seemed to be to get the shoes off the first few guests -- stand over those! -- and then later arrivals, seeing all the different sizes of shoes piled in the foyer, would figure it out.

Barring that, I'd suggest a really good doormat to get most of the muck off the shoes.

L. Sarah: Most folks here take shoes off before entering someone's home so don't feel bad! At our house we have a little shoe cupboard and a small box for guest's shoes right next to the door. Maybe a basket/box temporarily by the door when you have parties (with a couple of pairs of shoes strategically placed inside)?

A week after I had my carpet installed I was in the kitchen one evening washing the dinner dishes. My door was left ajar so the kitties could sit out in the hall. All of a sudden I looked up and there's a woman standing at the kitchen entrance (you have to walk thru the apt. to get to the kitchen) wet boots and coat. She was looking for the neighbor's apt. and decided to trudge thru mine. She realized only then that she wasn't in the right apt. and trudged back out. A WEEK AFTER MY CARPET WAS INSTALLED!! AAARRRGGGGHHHHH - what an idiot!

I have a doormat right inside the front door. I take my shoes off and if it's bad weather outside I ask my guests to do the same. If it's nice out I just remind them to use the doormat before entering.

In Korea (and I imagine other shoe-offing cultures), the entry area is a little sunken down, with a cabinet for shoes, so that people can take their shoes off and step up onto the clean, clean floor of the apartment. This is even in new, ultramodern, luxury buildings. I love it.

My house is shoes optional. I have a bench with storage from IKEA in my entryway and I take them off there. Usually guests at a party figure out the coat pile and shoe pile pretty quickly if there's one right in front of them...

Kate, I had a seamless and perfect experience with my broker, that I'd like to recommend to you. She was completely honorable every step of the way, including some sticky situations. I recommend her strongly. Call Siobhan McCarthy at 917 678 9790. She works for Caldwell Banker Hunt something. I was a total virgin about NY real estate and she took excellent care of me. Good luck!! Tell her Susan from the UWS referred you and she'll take better care of you. ;-)

Yes, the bench thing works. In upstate NY (snow forever)you just casually gesture toward the bench and say,"Oh,you can just sit there to take off your shoes". It works w/o sounding dictatorial.

I live in Asia, home of the shoes-off culture. Yet there are plenty of expatriots who are reluctant/refuse to take off their shoes (some say they don't like feel of bare feet on hardwood floors, others turn down offer of slippers, etc).

Pile of shoes at door usually reminds everyone of shoes-off preference, but I've also had guests who will continue to stand in foyer awkwardly with shoes on until I finally break down and say, "Oh, don't worry about the shoes" (I know, it's a wimpy thing to say when I actually prefer that they take their shoes off)

Well, I lost my shyness about asking people to take their shoes off a couple of years ago when my neighbor came over and within a few seconds of sitting down I was awash in the overpowering smell of dog sh** . . . on her shoes. Which she didn't notice. And I had to point out. Compared to that, asking people just to take them off in the first place is easy.

I need a color consultant at Orbit Now! Help!

I saw on some Martha Stewart show once that she had a basket of slippers by the door. I think that's a great way to encourage people--along with the mat with removed shoes. It's one thing to be shoeless in someone's house (which could be especially bad if someone came in pantyhose or bare feet) another to be comfy in slippers. Ikea used to have cheap terry ones that would fit the bill. Personally, I'm one of those people who feel compelled to take my shoes off inside...

Shoes off at my place? Kind of depends on the guest. I don't really want all of them to get that kind of comfortable, quite frankly. I have no big problem taking my shoes off elsewhere, though.

For parties, perhaps a mention on the invitation might help guests plan their wardrobe? They might be a tad more conscious about whether they have a hole in their sock as their getting dressed instead of embarassed all evening. Or they might make kind of a festive choice of a stripe just for giggles?

I'm not sure I could EVER build the kind of anxiety into my life that a white carpet would give me. I think it would have to be a bedroom that had to be accessed through an enormous, luxious bathroom where one simply decided to take a shower and a bath every single time one entered that bedroom. I mean, I just think that would kind of at least give the poor carpet a fighting chance.

Priya-
Thanks! Yeah, I kind of like fleshing out the idea of making the sink look like a "vanity" like Loretta Young photo kinda suggests. I took the labels off the liquid soap and the hair gel. I KNOW what's in them, right? And it looks a little more elegant without the labels.

Wow, I'm in sticker shock. Living in Seattle, I pay 630$ a month for a very cute 1920's studio apartment with hardwood floors and high cielings. It's also in a good neighborhood (2 blocks from the park/lake, 5 minutes from downtown) and allows my dog. I even have my own garden space right outside my doorstep. As cool as I think it would be to live in New York for a few years, I won't be doing that anytime soon on my current budget! Maybe when I finish school...

Oh, and by the way, shoes OFF for sure.

Curtis: Never thought about taking off the labels. So smart. I buy toiletries based on the packaging. Wow I just admitted serious geekery. Your method wold save me money as I'm sure I'm paying for fancy packaging and not for actual toiletry.

thanks all, i won't be so shy about the shoes off policy. everyone had some really good ideas.

Oy Caitlin, you pain us. I'm not even in NYC, but that pains me. Actually, I have a good deal on my 1br in DC for $1000...but it isn't quite as glorious as your place sounds!

Priya -
Please don't get me wrong. I bought those things mainly for the packaging -- for the opalescent peach-colored bottle that the hand soap came in; and for the peachy-pink color of the gel itself and the SHAPE of the clear bottle.

I just rip the little labels off, because they're that clear plastic kind that CAN be ripped off. The only problem is that when guests come, they sometimes feel compelled to ask what's what, so they don't wash their hands with hair gel.

But I just keep using that particular container and dump the ones into it, instead of constantly yanking the labels off. the new ones.

Curtis: Aha! Genius! Thanks for the tip!

Anyone have any must-see sights in Dublin? We're going today on a whim (I was very excited by last week's H&H article about Irish design) Thank you.

Ugh, New Tenant, the three key-hole system is BOGUS. I have some adorable shelves I got a T.J. Maxx that can't hold a dime perched on top because the stupid things lean forward and things slide right off. I'd recommend going to a hardware store and getting those cute little brackets with the teeth (someone here is bound to know what those are called) and mount those on the back yourself for a more secure mounting.

Hey Natalucci
I posted this in the new thread, but I'll put it here as well. I bought some Molly screws yesterday and reinstalled the shelves with three of those. I also stuffed the holes with tissue to minimize wiggling. It worked pretty well. The shelves are almost straight - there is some slanting but not too much. I think this is a good solution to the problem.

NT

Which building do you live in Wall Street Area.. I work there..
Hoa is it living in that area. I was thinking of moving there but wasn't sure how the evenings/ weekends would be there. Somehow I cannot relate to this area as residential.

I was looking for a map of NYC and then a book, and found your site by accident. Rarely do I ever have such a pleasant accident. I have been going all over the internet trying to find rental info in NYC . You guys are the best!!!
Do any of you know which hospital is the best one in Manhattan? One other thing, can anyone suggest a good place for a vegetarian to grab a meal in NYC? Thanks!!!