apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Here's a question -

How do we respond to friends who bring gifts - an extra plant, a lamp , some object to display when we are trying hard enough to fight clutter ?

Hi Wende of SF,

Wonder if you could help me track down a SF area photographer who takes quirky photos of fruits and vegetables (i.e. cabbage on top of a grater and at the bottom are little brusse sprouts; slice open a lemon and out comes a golden egg yolk, etc.).

I vaguely remember that the photos were called "Incredible Edibles" but I can't seem to be able to find who the photographer is.

I'd love to order some prints. Do you by any chance know of this photographer's work?

Thanks.

There was a long thread about that a while ago, with opinions being evenly split between thanking the person nicely while planning just to get rid of it later, and politely explaining why you can't accept the gift. I do think there was pretty much a consensus, though, that you don't need to hang onto those things.

Good Morning ATer's:
Spring has has sprung and I am ready to tackle the challenge of making over my sunporch. I am thinking I want to go with something that has a Hawaiian vibe. Not a theme room or anything, but just the feeling of something relaxing with punches of color. I am having a hard time differentiating Hawaiian from tropical (i.e. carribean). I definitely can tell the difference. It's just that I don't know what will give the room that Hawaiian look. I still want the room to look contemporary though. Does anyone have any ideas on color schemes or cool accessories that would be must haves. The room is 20' x 10" and I have some unfinished wood Ivar storage units that I want to paint,a beech dining table and an upholstered love seat that I would like to slipcover. Please help! I know I can count on you guys.

Gekko -- The photographer is Ed Pardee.

Tracking him down may be more challenging. His heyday was in the mid-1980s (yes, those effects are done without Photoshop!), and he's not currently in the phonebook here.

I'm sure this isn't helpful, gekko, but here's an ebay listing for a Ed Pardee puzzle:

http://tinyurl.com/onyjy

Does anyone here have an update on their Rastobator experience? I'm thinking about doing it and would love to know how it's working for others.

Anne -

I just used the rasterbator this week to try to add some 'pop' to my wall in my bedroom - I used a simple (and very black) graphic - i tried to cut down all the pages to make it a field of black with the white image (inspired by the gap poser above the bed in one of the smallest coolest entries) - my result?

Eh. Sure, it looks cool but the paper isn't connecting perfectly, it buckles here and there, and I definitely don't love it. I like the mass of the image, but I think the way to go is to print (in reverse) on iron transfer paper, have a very large and flat surface to work with, and have a long attention span - then iron it onto canvas. I don't like the paper look. However - with frames, it might be different (I didn't use frames as I was just experimenting.)

Hi All,

I've had my eye on the Sapien book shelves at DWR ( http://dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=5281 ) for a while now, but keep spending money on clothes....and I really need 2 but don't have the budget. Hold Everything is closing stores and they have a knock off version for 40% off of $150. (2 for less than the price of the original) I'm curious if anybody has had any experience with either.

I would have actually entered the contest had it not been for the 6 boxes of books stacked in the corner of my living room.

Thanx in advance!

Hey purechris

For some reason I don't care for this method of storing books. I know it's popular right now, but I prefer traditional shelving. this looks too much like just a big stack of books - it seems cluttered to me.

What I don't get about the Sapien and its imitators is: don't the books get out of line on occasion--say, if you bump into it. Know what I mean? I can see the books shifting around however it happens so that they were out of line. This is what stopped me from thinking about ever getting them. Because unless I had a huge area around each of them (unlikely in my apartment), I'd be bumping into the books and it would drive me crazy.

purechris -
I saw the hold everything version of the Sapien bookshelves at a Pottery Barn outlet last weekend and was very unimpressed. I thought they looked cheap (especially the white color) - they are quite glossy, which I hadn't expected from seeing them in the catalog. Also, they did not seem as sturdy as the DWR version. Hope this helps.

okay since this is an open thread, i wanted to vent about something i've read a few times on AT, more recently i think last week. This whole "carbs and proteins" furniture thing... nothing in my apartment would really classify as a protein - i have a loveseat from ikea, a rug from west elm, an old but cute dresser from some estate sale that i bought at apartment 48 - are you getting the idea? all of my friends think my apartment is great and i get lots of compliments, but when i read about how a $2500 sofa from pottery barn is considered a carb, it makes me feel really inadequate since i can't even afford one!

does carb = crap??

thanks for the input!

I've gone back and forth about them and "this method of storing books" but have very little space (My last apartment had built in book cases) I like them, but they also remind me of the CD storage units that I don't like....Christine, I don't think they would get knocked around much as they will be in the corner.

....but they do look kind of cheap, I think I'll pass until I can get the DWR ones, or find an alternative.

supershopper--
Some traditional Hawaiian quilts, in sort of a quadrant-hibiscus design, used for pillows or even framed as wallart, could give you the island vibe without going "Design on a Dime" tiki-volcano-kitsch.

The quilts are generally one bright clear color against a white field, and look very graphic, very fresh... so use a few quilt-inspired throw pillows against a white denim slipcovered rattan sofa or chair...

Could also provide a great and simple pattern motif for some easy stencilling.

I have to agree with squixan...I found that analogy to just plain not work. First off, an atkins diet or other mostly-protein diet is not healthy. A balance is healthy. And, in the words of the South beach diet--there are "good" carbs and "good" proteins and "bad" carbs and "bad" proteins--not that I'd completely agree with that either. And, honestly, if I didn't have at least *some* Ikea stuff or stuff from cheaper outlets, I wouldn't have anything. I'm finally at the stage of my life where I can stop, think, shop around, and save up for things that are quality. But, I DO have to save up and decide what it is that I want to spend a little more on. It's what is holding me back from running out to Ikea tomorrow and getting new bookcases because I don't really like the ones I have. I'm spending some time--I may end up going there and getting some at the big I, but for now, I'm living with mine. I loved that Atlas system in one of the Smallest Coolest Entry (Lucy's love...), but there's really no way I can afford that without selling a kidney. I'm still paying off my sofa--from Storehouse--which ran me about $1400 when all was said and done. In this carb-protein definition, I'd consider it protein...but not sure where it would fit in the greater AT pantheon. I don't plan on getting rid of it anytime soon, which is why I didn't buy some of the cheaper things I saw...

P2 - where would one find these Hawaiian quilts?

Squixan -- I hear ya. I almost posted on that thread, but a couple of other people said whatever I'd say, only better, so I didn't.

Had Target and IKEA existed where I lived when I was a broke grad student, I would have gone hogwild and had a much nicer-looking apartment. I'm not sure how that would have been bad for me.

Waiting to buy "quality" furniture isn't necessarily an option if you want to store your stuff, entertain, and have somewhere to sleep NOW.

I'm a little underwhelmed with the answer to *everything* being edit-edit-edit. In 1991, I edited my book supply to the absolute minimum of books I needed to finish grad school, keeping only books that I couldn't get at any of three or four local academic libraries. I still needed significant shelf space. Sometimes, there is a fundamental amount of stuff that is necessary to pursuing career or personal goals. Given a choice between leaving it in moving boxes or putting it on an IKEA shelf, I'd go IKEA.

thanks, christine! i like the stuff i have for now, and its good to aspire to better things, but its nice to know im not alone in the world of furniture nutrition.

as long as the intent of the message is not expensive = style, because i'm sure some people out there do think that way...

Is something up with the AT site? It's loading kind of funny this hour. Maybe it's just my janky work computer. Hmmm.

in re book storage: I like a combination of the options ... traditional shelves and [I'm holding out for the]Sapien. Books are my main decorative element even after continuous editing and weeding. The contest post from Grant in Hollywood shows the Sapien in place. Made me want them more

purechris,

we had a long discussion on those bookshelves a few months back. The hold-everything one's got the least love. No one had any input on the CB2 ones, though their website quotes a much lower weight limit per shelf then DWR so we had doubts.

I've seen the DWR ones in person (oddly, they aren't at all the studios) and it's pretty sturdy. With books piled on them I don't think books would shift--but then I'm not sure why you would be bumping into them!

Some people don't like em, but i think it solves the problem of having vertical space but not enough horizontal space for a full bookcase. With the right books you also get a nice injection of color in a vertical stripe.

The cheapest i've ever seen the DWR ones is 10% (which is rare), don't forget you have to pay for shipping too.

I love the look of these Sapien(-type) shelves, so I vote yes in whatever price range you can afford. But agree with Minh that the DWR ones seem to pass more AT reader ests. Except for lowest price. :)

Rachel, thanks for the update on Rastebator. I'm glad I didn't go that route after reading what you think of it. I did some painting this past weekend and took down a large framed print. I decided not to put it back so I have a wall that needs something. Rastebator was on my list of things to check into before I make my final decision. Now it's off my list.

I'd be bumping into them, because I don't know where I could put them in my small space where I wouldn't. I suppose if you had a corner to stick them in you'd be fine or a large space to walk through...I have my bookcases in the area of my living room where I pass through from my door to go to the kitchen and rest of my apartment. I just know that without having the actual presence of a bookcase, with all the books hanging out, I'd misjudge and bump into my books...but that's me. I bump into things ALL the time in my apartment...maybe I need to "edit" by getting rid of my furniture and just sticking some pillows on the floor. :)

If you have the current issue of House Beautiful check out page 46. Is that Egg painting to die for?!! When I google the artist I only find his botanicals and not anything similar to the egg. Drat!

Hey Guys, In one of yesterday's small/cool submissions, the carriage house, the submittee had made some furniture out of bent birch. Do you know of any websites that would show me how that is done, bending birch that is. Just want to learn a bit.
Thanks,

purechris,
I have the Sapien bookshelves from DWR (both sizes) and I love them! They are very sturdy! I've used them strictly for my cookbooks on a small sidewall in my dining room. All my other books are in traditional bookshelves that line one wall of my living room. It's a nice way to separate out a genre. And it's a nice change of pace to show books stacked vertically. Since the DWR ones are dark they disappear - especially if you have them full up!

Even though a balance is ideal, our culture is WAY over-balanced on the carb side (both in food and material possesions).

I think the point is not buying useless crap just because it's trendy? That includes expensive stuff, too. If it serves some purpose- maybe you need a short burst of energy for a track meet, maybe you need a short-term solution for your books- these are exceptions to the rule. Am I getting this right? I don't know if I completely get the analogy.

anna, i totally hear you - i am definitely guilty of EATING more carbs than any person should. but that is a whole other thread.

what if you cant afford a holly hunt sofa (protein) but your crate and barrel knock off looks just like it? why is THAT a carb? because it costs less? is a sofa from crate and barrel really going to fall apart that fast that its considered a carb? thats the impression i get with maxwell's analogy. know what i mean?

But if an Ikea sofa is all you can afford at the time, and you need a sofa, how is that a "carb"? I guess I'm with Enrique on this carb analogy a little. I mean, I get it, but it does have some holes.

I think quality, need, and affordability all weigh in to the definition, and that the definition varies by person, by life phase.

Although I'm not the best to weigh in, maybe, since I was the odd man out, buying a Tizio light in college with my coatcheck tips... for an apartment I didn't even own yet!

i am with you, P2. and i just wanted to say that i feel like an ass because until about 20 minutes ago, i could access the comments from the post from 3/20, which, as wende said, articulate my points much better than i could.

thanks for being patient everyone! i think i just needed a little affirmation.

also, i have to just say, P2 you sound like the nicest person, honestly. you always have something postive to say and i appreciate that especially considering how snarky people can get on this site!

i meant to say i COULDNT access the comments. sorry.

The carb analogy may just be cute but flawed.

Mediterranean diet for long life: 60% carbs, 30% fat, 10% protein
http://www.medicinalfoodnews.com/vol02/issue2/longlife

Okinawa diet for long life: lots of water, unprocessed carbs, little protein
http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=19496

Bare minimum diet for long life: mostly veggies, little or no protein
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-10-23-bare-minimum-diet_x.htm

I have no idea what the credibility of these sites is -- but it seems there's hardly a consensus that a high-protein diet is essential to health or happiness.

Question-
The room in my house that I use as my bedroom is actually a garage that was closed in and carpeted. The carpet that was installed in there is crappy, plus the door to the backyard is in that room, so my boston terrier (and me, and my boyfriend) always track in dirt onto the white-ish carpet.

I have a feeling what's under the carpet is PROBABLY concrete. I am thinking about just ripping it up, painting it, and bringing in some rugs.

#1) Anyone see a reason why I shouldn't do this?
#2) How do I find out what's under it, just find a remote corner and start pulling on the carpet?
#3) What kind of paint do you use for concrete?

Thanks in advance.

that mediterranean diet sounds fantastic!

Purechris- Just wanted to second that vote on the DWR Sapien bookshelves. I have them as well in both sizes and am quite pleased. I like to keep all of the books I read and this is a much more compact way to store them than traditional book shelves. I will say the tall one was much taller than I expected, and would have ordered two short and saved myself $50 if I had know. The bases are quite heavy so you cannot shift the bookshelves by bumping into them, but you can knock the books around if you do not have the space in between the shelves completely filled. I don't know if they would work so well for heavy text books, especially on the higher up shelves. I have the larger and heavier books at the bottom and then go lighter and smaller as I go up. Hope that helps.

Amber, Glidden makes porch and floor paint that works for concrete. Also, you can get concrete stain. If you're painting, you'll probably want to put down a layer of kilz first. It seals the surface from stains and such.

Love the sapien bookshelves.

Books ARE NOT clutter. Art is not clutter.

Books are art, so they are double-not clutter.

Amber, just grab a corner and pull!

It's possible that you'll have to do some patching and degreasing of the concrete, but there are DIY instructions online in various places.

I've seen two instances where carpet was pulled up and the bare concrete painted or etched and sealed. Both looked fabulous, and I know one was a DIY job. (Slab-on-grade construction is normal for newer houses in the Central Valley out here, so it's usually concrete under the carpets.)

Will it get cold in the garage?

Thanks for the tips, Rachel & Wende.

Anne, that room is always a few degrees colder than the rest of the house anyway. I suspect this probably has to do with the fact that it sits straight on the foundation while the rest of the house is elevated above a crawlspace (although this is a reason I've totally made up in my head). I suspect it also has to do with carpet on top of concrete (it feels like there's barely a carpet pad under there).

About the Sapien bookshelves:

I'm curious about the comments that I've read in DWR's advertising (seconded by some people here) that the Sapiens offer a more efficient way to store books. Do they really? Suppose you have, say, a 69" high Sapien filled with books, the tallest of which is 12". Then a set of 6 12"X12" cubes stacked vertically can serve as a traditional bookshelf with the same storage capacity and the same footprint. The height will be 3" greater, of course, but that's hardly a huge difference. (And, if it matters, you can probably get away with the top two shelves each being 10" high.)

Also, I'd have concerns about the books getting out of place easily since the bottom books of each substack look as though they'd be hard to replace.

Having said this, though, let me add that I did recently stumble across one advantage of horizontally stored books. I rearranged my cookbooks in horizontal piles, and suddenly I found that I was noticing all sorts of books that I'd half-forgotten I had. It took me a while to realize that the titles of books now stood out more on their spines because, being horizontal, they were easier to read.

DD,

While i think you're right in your calculations, i think the sapien style bookcase would add more visual interest then 6 12x12 blocks stacked on top of each other!

I think the Sapien's efficiency comes partially from the ability to store large-spined books that otherwise would not fit, standing up, in a normal bookcase.

Patrick (the other one): That's a good point about ultra-tall books.

Minh: I agree with the visual interest point. But ...

... I'd worry that bookcases like the Sapien are too visually distracting. I see the point of Ron Arad's Bookworm (I must, since I have one) as a dramatic flourish in a room. The Sapien to me lacks that element of drama. It seems more a distraction to the eye.

All these "cutesy" bookcases -- the Bookworm, the Sapien, etc. -- don't really address the storage problem when you want to store, say, several thousand books. (Note to some of you: They are all by Danielle Steele.) A single, unobtrusive system seems best here, rather than a number of visually interesting bookcases scattered around.

My solution was to use aluminum tension poles from Rakks, with aluminum support brackets that slide into grooves on the poles and point toward the wall. Pale grey wooden shelves sit on the supports. The entire structure -- it occupies an 18-ft wall -- is extraordinarily wobbly when put together. Once books are put on the shelves, the system stabilizes against the wall.

Perhaps someone here will know the history of this design. A book I own called "Living with Books" addresses how a number of real people -- if people like Leonard Bernstein can be considered real -- solved their storage problems. The first case study was the New York
apartment of some guy called George Nelson. He used the tension pole method, with channels for the shelving supports. The design was attributed to him. Was he truly the originator? He seems to have used the same idea in designs such as the CSS.

Dave and Wende,

Oh, I could kiss you both!!!!

Wende,
I've been looking for the Incredible Edibles photographer for so long. Finally occurred to me this morning that you might know. : )

Dave,
Thanks a million for the link.

Dave and Wende,

Oh, I could kiss you both!!!

Wende,
I've been looking for that Incredible Edibles photographer for so long. Finally occurred to me this morning that if anyone would know his name, you'd be the one. Thank you!

Dave,
Thanks a million for the link.

sorry for the double post.

Thought the first one hadn't gone through, so retyped it all.

I'm trying to find the name of a furniture designer I saw featured in the New York Times a month or so ago..there was a coffee table featured that he had designed that had a wood base and glass top...the table top was wider on one end..I thought he was based out of Chicago..anyone have a better memory than me? I've tried Google and searching the NY Times archives with no luck.
JW

Design Dabbler--
I agree about the bookworm shelves, but offer an alternative view on book collecting, and why I actually like the Sapien-esque method...

Horror of horrors to the hardcore bibliophiles, but I've not amassed an extensive collection of fiction or t4ext books. But I am a limited collector of collectible (coffee table) books. Right now, the bulk of them (with the exception of the Tom FOrd book.. Tom gets his own ottoman!!) are in a "Mister X" book rack from Ligne Roset (the only thing I could afford from there, and a steal, even by West Elm price standards...!) My limited space prevents me from adding to the collection, but if I did, the Sapien would be a great solution for me. I like how, when filled, it is a piece of sculpture that celebrates the books' design as much as it does store them. And it reminds me of the great totem poles we saw on a family trip to Vancouver way back when...

And I agree that for the true book enthusiast, a mass or wall of books yields the best (visual) result, since it turns into pattern.

Anne,

I've seen some really cute quilts used as roman blinds. You just sew rings in the top and down the inside for hanging.

Just a thought. I realize I'm risking being flamed for suggesting something "cute." :)

Heather,

I'm not about "cute" but love your idea. I just want to know where to get these quilts that P2 was talking about. It would be a nice change for summer.

Julie W:

Is the furniture designer Jason Lewis? He's based here in Chicago.

Click my name for a link to the table I think you are thinking of...

anne--
Sorry! Meant to post a response but got derailed.

Try an eBay search for "Hawaiian quilts" and among some of the, um "livelier" versions, there are the "white plus one" color combos, with simplified shapes, I was refering to.

I'm sure a Google search would serve some up, too.

I THINK I still have a Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest pub that had a whole bunch of Hawaiian-inspired solutions... will see if I can dig it up. It may have additional sources.

anne--
I could totally see a French (blue and white) mattress ticking duvet cover and bedding working for you for summer!

P2, you're right. I'm also looking at bedding from RH which seems to go nicely with the newly painted walls. And the 40% discount can't hurt.

For Hawaiian quilts, search under Google Images or Froogle (go to the Google page for both.)

Patrick (the other one):

I like the totem pole image very much. I lived a number of years in Vancouver (and will be back there this summer).

Do you have a link to a picture of the Mister X? I couldn't find it on the Ligne Roset site.

thanks Janel...that's him! JulieW

Hi Gekko I think! You were trying to track down Ed Pardee the guy in SFO who did the Incredible Edible photo art, right? Well, I've been looking periodically as well since the early 90's. Today I found his card, number, address and placed a call that I hope gets returned by someone who still lives there, if not him. I've got about 20 or so, and need more too. If I find good news, I'll let you know.
Great Sherry

Gekko, I own 6 of Ed Pardee prints. I am also looking to acquire more of the collection. If you find more information about the interesting art please post your discoveries. thanks, Lei

Sherry & Lei... Incredible Edibles last known adress/phone: 146 Everson St., San Francisco,Ca. 94131...(415) 333-5151. This is old info. may not be any use...Good luck!

Incredible Edibles - I'm looking for more Ed Pardee prints for my collection too - Actually I'd love to find him or whoever currently owns the rights and/or negitives and aquire them if available. Anyone have any more current information?