apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

morning everyone
anyone out there successfully made your own lampshades? i would love to hear how...

Ooh, you just reminded me about the elephant lamp we discussed here:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/120205/good-questions/good-questions-sweet-elephant-replacement-005277

I wonder if Dana/Aquarabbit ever got a new one made.

DC Dave,
I just wanted to send kudos out to you for your apartment (esp now that I've seen the bashing over on Mike's art contest posting!). So proud you're a fellow DC resident! :) I'm SO jealous of your view. My view out my living room window is of my neighbor's living room window. Only advice I'd give is to match your pillows to your art better...har har.

bsavarese

What exactly are you trying to make? With the price of lamp shades i'd start with one from target or ikea and canibalize it for the frame, or just glue the fabric over top.

if you're trying to stretch something over the frame (like leather or suede) then you'd need to prepare the material because it the frames are not strong enough to support the stretching in place.

hey minh,
i had been thinking exactly the same thing. and honestly, i'd rather just not muss with making a shade at all - i'm just always so disappointed by shade fabrics (save galbraith & paul, but those are a bit out of my reach).
martha (yes, that martha) always seems to be making her own with such ease, i was sure i could do it myself!

So I'm obsessed with Home To Go on HGTV and a few weeks ago, they showed an apartment where they tiled a piece of ply and hung it behind the sink for a backsplash that's removable. I rent and have no tile whatsoever on my kitchen backsplash and it's so hard to clean a wall with just flat paint on it.

I was thinking about doing the project and went to Home Depot to look for cheap simple tiles. The gentleman working in the tile section insisted that what I was trying to do wouldn't work. Am I really silly for wanting to try it or is there an obvious reason why he was so vehemently against it that I'm not seeing? In my head it'd work. What am I missing?

Priya, what was he saying was going to happen? I'm no expert, but I don't see what is so different from that versus hanging a heavier-than-normal picture.

I just got back from a business trip to Toronto to find an Apartment Therapy hat and a really nice note from Maxwell & Jill. Thanks guys! It really made my week. I'm proud to be part of the Apartment Therapy Group :)

Hey Priya,

I'm thinking the reason he said it wouldn't work is because if you use standard-issue plywood in an area that is prone to moisture, the plywood can easily bend/expand, causing your tile to crack. The way around this I'd think is to use a grout than can tolerate the expansion, smaller tiles that won't crack so easily (think mosaic) and maybe a sturdier backerboard (what about blueboard instead of tile?)

I saw the same episode. You can certainly adhere tiles to wood, the only difficult part would be getting measurements correct and getting the piece to sit properly (how to adhere to the wall?). There was another H2G episode where they used stainless steel-ish paper (that's not a really a fair description) as a backsplash and it looked great. I've also seen this product on I Want That.

Christine: He kept saying that the edges would show and that wasn't good. I tried to get him to clarify and explained that I'd just use square tiles and tile to the edge of the board but he kept saying it wouldn't work. Do I need a lip on the edges? Like a frame to contain grout seepage?

(Does grout seep? I have never tiled anything so I suppose I don't know what I'm getting myself into but that's part of the fun.)

Does anyone have ideas on how to hang this sucker without it falling? They didn't really go into detail how they did it on the show. I was thinking about tiling on a lighter material... The home depot shows tile samples on cardboard. Can I tile on thick foamcore or will the grout disintegrate it?

Joey: That makes sense... Thanks! Why couldn't the guy at HD just say that?

Brandon: Taking accurate measurements was my worry as well. I'll look into that paper. Sounds really interesting.

The other option is to plexi the wall a la a Kitchen Smackdown contestant (Orange Crush). Definitely going to research options a bit more this weekend now I know I'm not crazy in thinking this won't work. You all rock.

Aside from the backboard warping I still don't see why Priya's Home to Go tile backsplash couldn't work. I'd considered doing it myself if I ever get thru my list of other "projects" that I never get to. Just think of it as a large horizontal mosaic artwork. Appropriate for the current art contest. I would think some type of "frame" lip or edging would help though. If it is large though the weight will be a problem and you'll probably need to find wall studs to screw it into.

to the Home Depot guy, bah humbug!

I have a sourcing question.
A reverse of "it's at Ikea"
This is at Ikea already, but I want different dimensions.

Who else does roll front cabinets?
Click my name for the 'kea link.

thanks folks -- and thanks again yesterday for all the excellent tile source ideas.

Whatever happened to "you can do it. we can help."

ha!

If you're going to tile on plywood, I would choose an exterior grade of plywood. It's made to withstand more moisture and should work out find. My boyfriend and I just tiled our bedroom floor on exterior grade plywood and it looks great!

find = fine

it's early. Haven't had my coffee yet!

That's the problem with these design shows. They show you all these great ideas and make it look super easy but neglect to show you EXACTLY how it's done. Then you run into logistical problems when attempting it at home.

Yeah! what NT said! "you can do it, we can help (discourage you)".

I used a full length mirror (those cheap ones you get at any hardware store) for my backsplash. Just leaned it up against the wall so I can take it down and clean it. And it really opens up the tiny kitchen.

Priya-
There are several kinds of aluminum moldings that are made for a variety of kinds of purposes, I think that if you used something with an L-shaped profile, it would cover a piece of the front edge and the side edge; if you use something flat in the same width as the thickness of the board (say, 3/4" or 1") then your tiles can go all the way to the edge.

If you use the L-shaped kind, then perhaps you install it onto the side in just the opposite way, where, let's say the 1/4" thick tiles go flush against the front edge of the 3/4" wood and then the 1" side of the L-shaped aluminum molding is flush with that. Then, drill holes the other plane of the "L" and attach that to wall if you like.

OR... what about having a piece of wood kind of holding this whole thing flush against the wall at the TOP of it, and having that piece of wood screwed up into the underside of the back of the cabinets above it? Hmm? Think about that!

My point is that, YES, you can do this thing.

how silly.
I am sure the silly silly home depot man was caught up in contracter-construction world. YES, if you were doing new construction or a pricey renovation this would be a bad idea, but for a rental that you are bound to live in for less then 10 years, no problem.
I worked for a designer and did mosaics for her, which we did on plywood and sold for mucho mucho money.... and they were all fine. ALSO unless you are planning on also taking showers on your kitchen counter, I can not imagine that your backspash will get that wet. Not more wet then say a mosaic table which 99% of the time is done on... PLYWOOD!
Spend the extra couple of bucks and get a plywood that is rigid, thick and interior grade and, from someone who has done a bit of this, make sure you think about your grout color when you pick your tile and grout. It will make a big difference.
And all that stuff that Curtis said about edging is right on. wood edging would be nice because you could screw through that instead of the tile..... OR if you don't have upper cabinets you could use some brackets or something.

Silly Silly Silly.

hey jamiepup... thanks for asking about the elephant lamp! I unfortunately haven't had much time to invest in the project, since I've been swamped getting ready for my art show (sold four paintings last night! yay!) and my impending trip to nyc (yay!), but I'm looking forward to trying to make my own. I will let you know what happens!

I also have lampshades questions... what are the "rules" about lampshade-to-lamp dimensions/shape/balance? I got this really cool off-white ceramic lamp at target for five bucks... but it didn't come with a shade. I'm a little stumped about what kind of shade will go best. It's essentially a flattened round shape, with a cut out round hole off to one side, and the base is about 12" tall, and maybe 4" deep. Sounds like I should take a photo.. it's really hard to explain!

Question - wasn't there a link on here some time back for a source that makes slipcovers that work on IKEA sofas? I have one of the BEDDINGE sofa-bed things and don't like the IKEA cover options (and am currently too lazy to haul out the sewing machine).

Where are all the west coast art entries? This is a great contest.. I love the purchased-art vs I-made-my-own-art unintentional smackdown.

Libby
a packet of upholstery pins and a long length of fabric work really well for non-sewing covers. You can make it really fitted through tuck'n'pin and still take it off for laundry occasionally.
I have a summer cover that is a low key sari (they come in set lengths that are very very long and fit an average sofa)

aquarabbit and wende sf - love the work, and you picked a really cute piece. Put it up quick - you'll be a shoe-in for west coast competition!

Need to think about putting in floors.

Want wood. Can someone give me a few options here. Want something that is durable and is not crazy expensive. I went to the showroom, but they have just too many options. What are the 3 or 4 woods that I should be considering? I think I want something that is dark or that I can stain a dark color. Thanks

Wende -- it was so nice to meet you last night, and I'm so happy that you got the piece you love! It's such a huge compliment to see someone so happy with something that you love so much.

I had a great night last night, couldn't have asked for a better 1st show. I admit that I am still in my pj's right now at the ripe hour of noon thirty...

libby- i think it was on design sponge and i am sure it was a european maybe swedish company

oh my freaking god. you are all the best. Thanks for thsi info! (and for the assurance that I'm not trying to achieve the impossible.)

before and after pics to come! :D

Thu,

I really suggest you look at putting in a pre-finished floor, they can do more layers in the factory and you end up with a more durable product.

IMHO the only reason to put down an unfinished floor is if you need to match/join an existing floor.

On the question of which floor, you really need to visit some showrooms (or other peoples homes) to get an idea of what you like, it's difficult to make that assesment online. I've noticed the pendulum has swung from lighter color floors back to dark (like ebonized wood). I think this is a good thing because dark floors can work in a Mod setting as well as a more traditional setting.

I imagine you'll be looking at oak or maple. If you can afford it there are a number of exotic woods that also look great and unique.

west elm

just an FYI, i was at west elm this afternoon and they have some nice things (well at least at mine!) on clearance. a few of their window panels; linen, $10, silk $20, velvet $30 (ooh liberaci!). I also found some sheets on sale, the only difference i could tell was the piping was black vs this years brown, i think a full set was $30 (originally $120).

as well as some other accessors--i got a teapot for $6, shower curtain for $10, 4 place teaset for $13, four place coffee mugs for $10. This was at the DC (well tysons) store. So I'm sure it will vary for other folks.

sorry for the enthusiasm, our west elm is new so it's nice to just walk in and find 1 or 2 things you like on sale!

I was at West Elm in Chelsea and they also have a bunch of stuff on sale. Also, if something runs out, ask them to check the inventory. I wanted to buy these big cushions, but they only had one of the color I wanted. I figured the rest were sold out but the sales person mentioned there were more in the back, so I got two.

BTW, Minh, the batteries in my camera died last night, so the pics of my wine racks will have to wait for a day or two. After some consideration, however, i'm not crazy about the way I have them mounted, so I am going to reconsider the positioning. I will post pics when I'm done.

Okay. I wanted to try to do a copper table-type project a la MicroPalace Amy. Well, I found the copper where she said she got hers (they are closed on weekends until March, so there goes that idea). I called Home Depot and my local neighborhood ("Best of New York 2002") hardware store, and no one has rawhide mallets.

a) where do I buy a rawhide mallet?
b) if I did want to solder my corners as MP Amy suggested, where's the best place to borrow/rent a soldering iron? Home Depot rental desk had (ahem) never heard of one. (Right...)

Please advise.

sarajane,

not sure how big the gaps are that you need to solder, but you can buy solder irons for less then $20.

i've been out of the AT loop for a bunch of months, but i'm back and want to enter the art contest (on the west coast)... but is it too late? i sent maxwell an email but never heard back... does anyone know?

thanks!

Priya,

for the backsplash instead of tiles you can you use plexiglass too. cut to the size of your wall and screw in. There are several colours of plexiglass out there or you can put some prints inside the colourless plexiglass and have an ever changing backsplash.

Thu,

Oak, Walnut, Maple, Beech and Birch. I think those are your choices

hi sarajane

rawhide mallet: try grainger.com, mscdirect.com, mcmaster.com, or a jewelry supply store, a good roof supply store might as well.

i use msc, they ship same day with no extra charge.

I think I may have inadvertently discovered the key to overcoming the annoying number system, which times out if you wait too long to post your message.

I think if you type the numbers in first, they will be accepted the first time even if you take a long time to finish writing the post.

I'm going to try it right now to see if it works. If it doesn't work, you'll never know because I won't be posting this message if I'm wrong. mwahahahahah.

It worked!

Aqua, congratulations on a successful show. I'm envious of the lucky buyers. But I won't despair, I see an aquarabbit in my future.

p.s. I've submitted pictures several times and they kept getting bounced. I think some got through so I'm hoping they'll be up soon.

ali, welcome back
send alex an email...they extended the west coast entry deadline (who knows how long - they had tech problems)

alex lists an alt email to send your stuff to at the la at site =
you link in the bar at the upper left

Lordy, Anne! The mirror is a great idea for a backsplash! What could be easier? Thank you. Thank you.
Peggy

Thu,
An architect told me to use second grade hickory for the look of an exotic African wood. He was right on. And on the money. Huge savings, interesting pattern, and never fails to elicit comments.

Apropos to Priya, here's an ancient history question: does anyone know (or even remember?) the loveseat in Holly Golightly's apt in Breakfast at Tiffany's? Was it really, as rumored at the time, a cut away bathtub?

Ali, I'd go ahead and submit your entry. I sent mine in last Friday to Maxwell and it hasn't been posted on the site yet. So I'm guessing that there is a backlog and they need to catch up. I wonder why they don't just put all the entries up as they come in. ummmm.

The full length mirror covers my backsplash wall almost exactly; side to side and top to bottom (just fits under the cabinets). It may be tacky but it looks good, easy to clean and CHEAP.

I just got back from Target (on Atlantic Ave.). I spent a lot of time looking at their global bizaar and T. O'Brien stuff. I have to say that the only thing I like of O'Brien were the towels (and they're on sale right now). I thought the furniture and the lamps looked pretty cheap. Boy, they sure photograph well.

I loved a lot of the pieces in their global bizaar section and could totally do a room out of what's there. Beautiful pillows, nice end tables and they have this great room divider.
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_3/601-7487924-2331331?%5Fencoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000B59VSQ

I only bought small grocery items, khakis, candles and a bamboo rug. But if I had a car and just one more room instead of my little studio, I'd have stocked up.

Peggy: I own the movie... it is indeed a cut-away clawfoot bathtub. tré chic, miss golightly!

ebrown -- thanks for your note! I'm sorry you couldn't make it to the show last night, but I am hoping there will be others! I am still in a group show at Local Patron on Valencia in the Mission.. they've just extended their lease, so I should have pieces there through March. Mostly really tiiiny pieces, it's a pretty small shop! There is a reception tonight (8-10 I think), and all the artists will be there.

should us west coasters re-send out art entries? I'm not sure if they didn't get through, or if maybe they just didn't like my bad bad photos...? :)

aquarabbit - I thought the same thing. Maybe my photos are so bad they aren't going to even show them. I submitted mine last Friday and have yet to see them on AT. I think they're just backlogged but that's just a guess.

I must learn to be more patient!

To paraphrase -
Lord, give me patience, but not yet.

Guido:
Would you post something with pictures to demonstrate your slipcover method?

Racewithme:
This may seem like a stupid question to you, but where on earth does one buy plexiglass and how is it cut? Is it pricey?

Guido:

Were you asking about the kitchen cabinets that are sometimes referred to as "garages" because the fronts roll up in a similar way? I am also wondering if there are any other size options out there -- I would love to use one for a closet! Any ideas?

jennifer,
I never heard it called that (I've never heard them called anything) but it makes sense. It's like the rolldown gates inside stores. They are a space saver (although the roll up resides at the top of the cabinet. I'm still hoping someone here will see them someplace other than Ikea. They have one very tall size in the store, and another smaller one online, but there's no back to the unit and it's not quite right for me...

Terry,
I can't face such a photo project right now!
click my name for a link of something similar, but with ugly florals. Also, I don't wrap the seat cushions individually. One long fabric for the top, one long fabric fro the seat. And I think they are using a different kind of pin -- its not a T, but an elongated squared off U with some wiggles to make the fabric catch.

I saw it on a tv show a few years back. I have a traditional sofa. Take a sheet and lay it over your sofa and start tucking -- you'll get what I mean. For the real thing, you need fabric that's at least 45" wide (more wide=more better, and it depends on the dimensions of your sofa)

The upholstery pins make it all stay in place, and you pin it behind, on seams, in cracks where you don't see them, etc. Watch the Flckr bar later on Saturday - maybe I'll post a pin pic!

Terry
"tidy pins" posted on the Flckr bar . . . there's other kinds of tacks and things made for this purpose, but these have worked for me . . .

hi jennifer and guido

roll down garage/ 'tambour'

have seen wood unfinished and paintable used for decorative wall paneling; by applying a canvas back it could run on a track. this company also had aluminum and plastic tambour in 8' lengths. the catalog had a variety of track pieces for custom application. don't recall where i saw this. . . does this sound familiar to anyone?

ooo, very helpful sarah!
looks like they are used in RVs alot . . .

http://www.nationalproducts.com/

Tambour--very exciting. I'll have to file that back in my head for anytime I have a kitchen project in the future.

Okay, this isn't a design problem, but it is an apartment problem. I've been having issues with my downstairs neighbor, a chain smoker. Needless to say, the smoke ends up creating a bar-like atmosphere especially in the hallway, my closets, and the kitchen. Kicker is, it's a non-smoking bldg and the landlord is insistent he'll go through eviction if he needs to. Being the nicey nice person I am, I've been "working with her" which has basically meant me putting up with her. She's going to give me a filter for my furnace and it's really at the point where I'm fed up. Any insight on this? Today, she pulled up that she doesn't call him when I get up for work in the morning and wake her up by walking. I DO have carpets down (even though it's not in the lease) and walk barefoot because I have been there, but it's an old building with creaky floors. Anyway, I had to get that off my chest...and hopefully people have some good advice out there for me! I don't want to be a nightmare neighbor, but I feel like I've given an inch and she's taken a mile!

Sarah -- thank you!!! I have never gotten this close to what I have been thinking about.

I am definitely going to call them next week. I will post if I learn anything interesting; Guido, if you decide to check them out, will you post what you learn?

Thanks again!

Wow! Has anybody else gotten the new Crate & Barrel Best Buys 2006 mini-catalog in the mail yet? All of the new "assembly required" pieces are so great. Really nice lines and proportions, all in chocolate veneer. Pricing on these pieces is comparable to West Elm, but actually nicer and more "grown-up" feeling. Yeah, it ain't heirloom quality stuff; but you can beat these stylish options for the price-point. Literally, the furnishings in the first 40+ pages of this catalog kick serious ass--on a budget.

Whoever was looking for those little containers of grass: there's scads of them outside of the market on the southeat corner of Second Avenue & 6th Street. Lots of assorted shapes and sizes too.

Apartment Therapy permeates the brain, folks.... in a very good way :)

enrique... I just got that crate & barrel catalog this morning and turned down the corners of a few pages myself. I'm wondering if anyone has tried out that Troy sofa...? I should probably go back and check out the AT sofa guide...!

c&b 2006 best buys catalog

is also browsable at their website. interesting direction too.

Priya,

Back to the backsplash. When I bought my co-op last summar a backsplash was my short term, inexpensive solution to counter the hideous coral formica counter that I will eventually replace.

Rather than tile, I envisioned a beach glass backsplash. At first I tried using fast drying adhesive to attach them to a plastic mesh surface. That was a disaster. Luckily I learn fast.

I switched to hobbyist plywood -- not as thick as building product. But in retrospect I would recommend marine plywood.

In any case, I had a 78-inch stretch and a 24 inch stretch of counter I wanted to put the backspash along. So I created three segments (one 24 inches, and the other two 39 each). I created three "trays" by screwing and gluing wood strips (1/2 by 1/8) all around the edges. I didn't bevel cut them, just overlapped the long pieces over the ends of the short pieces (on the short sides). I used brass screws.

To bed the beach glass (which I bought at craft stores), I used thin-set mortar. The guy at the hardward store (Sid's in Brooklyn) recommended mixing not with water, but with acrylic. This gives the mortarl a little flexibility, and also, I think, helps with the moist environment.

I bought some long, thin tile pieces on sale at Home Depot and glued them over the wooden strips aorund the edges (but I missmeasured, so I need more to finish the job).

I have not attached the backsplash, the pieces just sit on the counter against the wall. Eventually when I redo the kitchen I'll have them incorporated.

Heres a close up:
http://www.mmvn.net/mmvn/coop/coop-Pages/Image33.html

And here's a larger view:
http://www.mmvn.net/mmvn/coop/coop-Pages/Image32.html

Bottom line: you can do it! (but it may be more work than you expect).

About a year ago, on the "What's new" kitchen show program I saw a company that actually made and sold backsplashes that could be hung on the wall and removed and changed at any time. I'm on the hunt for the company name. I thought I bookmarked it. If I find it, I'll get back to you. So, If they can do it why not you? They may be right about the backing. Maybe there is a tile backing that could work and not take the moisture.

I found these ready-to-hang backsplashes...not sure if they're the same you're talking about Chrys.
http://www.broan.com/display/router.asp?docid=330&CategoryID=100235

Mia, that looks so cool!!

Priya,

My husband and I rent as well. I saw a picture of a home on HGTV with a stainless steel backsplash; I really liked it. I went to HD and purchased one roll of roofing flash ($12). We measured the space and cut it exactly to fit. The material dents easily, but if you're careful it will be fine, but you have to wear gloves as the edges are fairly sharp.

Anyway, if you are not completely sold on tiling this is a good option. We had it up in about an hour. I can sen pictures if you're interested in seeing it.

Jillian

\Pyria,
There is usually no problem with a removable Tile backsplash.(on plywood,etc) I have made quit a few of them and NONE of them has warped! Just be sure to use a good tile adhesive, the type you would use in a bathroom! They can be made with any type of tile too! Use your imagination and have fun! Nancy

Sarajane -- The only manufacturer of Rawhide Mallets and Rawhide Hammers I know of is http://www.garlandmfg.com/mallets/mallets.html