apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

And first words of apologies to steady readers who can tell that we're not getting to all our posting as regularly today or yesterday. Two words- it's busy!! xo MGR

we're sure you're swamped... I just have to say I look forward eagerly to "Scavenger" every day... and we've been deprived lately... The search for a decent sofa continues... Going to Craigslist on my own...

As the weather warms up, what are people doing with their bedding? It's already getting too toasty for the duvet, but I'm not sure what else to put on the bed. Also, the wall behind my bed is orange, and I always have difficulty finding bedding bright enough to balance with it.

I keep the duvet folded down across the bottom of the bed in case I need it (as was the case this morning), and also for "effect", and use a lightweight egyptian cotton blanket I got at target two years ago, which is bright white (as is the rest of the bed). It's a little hard to maintain, but very soothing and restful. So, sheet and lightweight blanket.

We have a woven cotton blanket on top of the sheet, but also a bedspread. The bedspread is useful as a second blanket if it is a little colder, but also looks nicer when the bed is made than the blanket. As for your wall, have you thought about a chocolate color for your bed? Or is that too Halloween-y? On the other hand bright pink and orange seem to be all the rage these days. The Isaac Mizrahi collection at Target might have something.

Hi Anna! I have an orange wall too! My bedroom was one of the "good questions" on the site. I am have bought two sets of blankets. One has orange and pink and the other is a bright white with navy. Both look really nice in the room and brighten it up in a really nice way!

I have a question for the ladies.

If you walked into a guy's apartment and he had a bunch of Star Wars toys, what would your reaction be? Secret horror? Thinking it's sort of cute and charming? Somewhere in between?

My friend's brother is perpetually dateless and my friend thinks it's the guy's Star Wars stuff, which in fairness is kept neat and organized. The guy in question has a great job and is a smart & nice guy, but not much interest from the women.

I should add that on the apartment building buzzer directory, where everyone's name is listed next to a buzzer button, he has written with a labelmaker "Skywalker" LOL

There are girls out there who like Star Wars, right? What do you think?

--Rob

I should mention that the Star Wars guy is 35 -- maybe that makes it stranger than if he were 22.

Can I make a light saber joke, PLEASE?!?!

How should one deal with making over the office? Unlike home, paint and new furniture are not really options. What can I do to give the man's sterile space the biggest change? Rug? Lamps instead of overhead lights? Help!

Rob, tell your friend to put the Star Wars stuff away. It's fine to be a collector, but at his age it should not be a decorative element. My husband has seen all of the films. I have never seen a single one. Yet somehow we manage to live in harmony.

Rob-- So does he lure them back to the Milennium Falcon, and THEN they run out screaming, never to return? I say, let him revel in his bachelor ways until some lucky lady snags him, and THEN makes him throw his beloved, VALUABLE collection away.

But, um, maybe lose the Skywalker label?

Seeing all the movies over a 30 year span isn't quite the same thing. There are fans and then there are "the fans".

I will have to admit "republic commando" was really really good.

I guess I would try to turn him on to something else. Small moves...like getting him to change the name on the door buzzer and then progressing from thier. Maybe he fancies something just out of his reach (besides a steady).

IE a mozrati...then you point out how much his collection must be worth


For offices
Pictures ussally help, a lamp may be nice however
it realy comes down to what you do....A lawyer may get away with less that say someone who never has clients visit them in the office. Being the work place a level of proffesinalism has to be maintained.

Emily-- I am a big believer in personalizing an office space any and all ways that are non-intrusive to co-workers, and that are as much in keeping with the office's overall design direction (if any!) as possible. Lamps, rugs, art, plants... all fair game (and all currently represented in my own office space).

Anna-- Aside from Michele's and Carla's great notes about crisp white and navy, and the Mizrahi stuff, I think you are searching for linens to hold their own against your orange wall at exactly the right season.... Garnet Hill, LinenSource and Pottery Barn Bed and Bath catalogues are all awash in brights right now. Maybe also check out some of the funky Tropical stuff on Horchow.

Patrick,
The Star Wars guy rarely gets a woman into the Star Wars museum (his apartment) at all, so in a sense I guess his problems lie elsewhere.
He once danced with Natalie Portman (for real) when they were both students at Harvard (or one of those ivy league schools) and I suspect this may have ruined him for all other women! haha

That would do it!

Star Wars... I dunno. When I first went back to my ex-boyfriend's place, he had Star Wars sheets, and I thought "Well, he isn't a player..." It was very much a "boy" room, and I was fine with it. Then again, he wasn't 35. I'd rather see Star Wars toys than multiple video game systems, copious amounts of porn, sports memorabila or that bar from the bachelor pad in the apartment contest.

I have two opinions on this one. First, by the time he actually gets a girl back to his place, it's probably too late for her to run screaming. It's far more important that he be able to carry on a good conversation, not look like a dork and generally be an interesting guy. I don't think I've ever met someone at their house and seen the place before I got to know them. Your social circle may be different.

Second, there's a thin line between a healthy obession with one of our most profitable cultural icons and having a bunch of crap strewn around the place. I think the Skywalker doorbuzzer is a cute inside joke, but lots of [let's face it they're] dolls is pretty dorky. If he has stuff that's actually valuable, as opposed to those things you can pick up at Toys R Us, he should frame them with care and be proud of them. There's something sweet about saving a few toys from when you were a kid, but having unopened boxes of toys just like the ones you had as a kid is can verge on creepy. Ask him how he'd feel if he went to a girl's house and she had beanie babies or pokémon figurines...

Hey Rob, Could you let your friend know I have a groovy commemorative pepsi can from the Star Wars Episode 1 movie? My dad worked for Pepsi for 35 years and when they were sponsoring the movie, somehow he got hold of this commemorative can with Star Wars art... It's in a sexy plexiglass display case with a plaque. I want to sell it on ebay but if your buddy is interested, I'll be happy to have a buyer.

Sorry I'm being so mercenary when you want to find him a date, but it sounds like an opportunity. Let me know!

Anna/Michele, hooray for orange walls behind the bed. That makes three of us on this thread! The platform bed I have is a medium-hued golden oak. So I looked for bedding colors that would "ground" and balance out all the warm orange tones--basically simple white sheets with an embroidered mauve stripe on the top sheet and pillow case, navy colored plush cotton blanket(um, "faux-cashmere"?). And a deep brown faux sable throw at the foot of the bed--yeah, I know faux fur is kind of played, but it's sure swank-looking! [Note to patrick(the other one)... have I achieved "gay kitsch" yet?] I think that darker colors like navy and brown give your bed some significant weight and presence against the orange wall.

Office decor--My group moved into a semi-private area recently and we put down some Flor carpet squares and bought some lamps. Having our own task lights enabled us to turn off the overhead florescents in our area and makes us feel more focussed and restful. It's also seemed to get us a lot of positive feedback from our colleagues and even some of the poobahs.

Orange bedroom wall--I'm number four for this thread. For spring we generally have a salmon bottom sheet, white top sheets, and some pale blue and white cotton quilts that are warm and cool at the same time, if you know what I mean.

Star Trek is not the problem, although it may be a symptom.

Another possible source for bright sheets is (don't laugh!) PB Teen. But looks like their sheets only go up to Queen.

Uh, oh... did somebody just mix up Star Trek and Star Wars?! A SERIOUS offense!!! ;)

OMGWTF Shannon... Star Trek is absolutely nothing like Star Wars!!! I'm never talking to you again.

In one fatal swoop Shannon has (albeit unintentional) offended millions, MILLIONS....tisk tisk

You would never catch me offending millions at a time.

Dozens...sure all the time,
hundreds, on a good day.
Millions....never.

Regarding Star Wars toys. A lot depends on where the stuff is displayed. If he has them in a separate home office/den, fine. If they're encroaching on his living room or bedroom, I can see that being a warning bell for visiting dates. I work in comics and some of my best guy pals have TONS of these things. Boxes and piles of every model of every toy from every movie. It's beyond ridiculous, BUT it's okay because they keep them confined to mainly their home offices. To each his own. As long as a potential girlfriend doesn't have to look at your Wookie toothbrush holder or Amidala talking alarm clock, toys shouldn't be a deal-breaker. Hey I've got a Wonder Woman action figure on the shelf staring at me as I type, so no harsh judgements here.

I'm actually looking for an orangy-tangerine duvet cover or bedspread - not too expensive but not too cheap either. Looking for coordinating sheets too (the walls are a soft green/blue/gray (Behr's Reflecting Pool). Anyone have any suggestions - the one link the site posted yesterday - Nancy Kolte's - had some nice colors but I was trying to avoid stripes - room's not quite the right space for stripes. And no flowers - the boyfriend nixed flowers.

First impressions...I grew up in the country, so was amazed when I first saw a show called Seinfeld. I couldn't believe there was a place where people could be called 'Man Hands' and 'Loud Talker'. In a small town, you get to know people despite their quirks. But after moving to NYC, I finally understood that the show was about how people here have such fast, busy lives. You can't help but put people in categories in order to make sense of it all. So as much as I hate to say that the Star Wars items should be more discreet, it might be a good idea. On the other hand, he might just meet up with his soulmate - a woman who has Princess Leah written on her buzzer (but wasn't she his sister?). If Star Wars is so important, he should maybe seek out a significant other at conventions, or in line for the upcoming movie, etc;

OR he could take his collecting to another level. I recently went to a man's house who collects Cycladic art. These Cycladic figurines could easily be called 'ancient action figures'. Except they are worth millions apiece. He has them displayed in a vertical case with nice lighting. Very mature and tasteful. It is possible that having them in a display case, in a more fun area of the house, might be the key. I would love to see them in a poster-sized glass-front case on the wall of my kitchen. It would be great! But having them in your entrance or above your bed would make strong statement-too strong for someone trying to ease people into knowing you. By the way, is Star Wars memorabilia worth a lot of money now?

Re Star Wars
Personally seeing stuff like that is a bit of a turn-on. I like my men passionate and nerdy! Wow, I think I just outted myself.

Hmmm.... Star Wars... I think the other posters are correct, neatness counts and if the stuff is all in the apt, its not an issue on the first meeting. You say he has a great job and is smart and nice, but I think there's other issues there that we don't know about -- maybe shyness near women, bad grooming, bad conversationalist (only talks about Star Wars?), etc. How's his self-esteem? Body language? Hair like Napoleon Dynamite?
Somehow I dont think the SW is the deal killer here.

One the one hand, I say, "yeah, lose the Skywalker label." On the other, I say, don't invite her to your apartment until she already likes you so much that the Skywalker thing is cute/adorable instead of weird.

(It's a total girl thing. Once we decide we like you, it takes a *lot* to change our minds. Most of us, anyway.)

If the toys are tastefully displayed, don't take over the space, and aren't like in the tub or next to the bed (or in different configurations all the time), it's probably cool.

But I'm a recent convert to the school of "she's gotta like you for who you are," so if he's got to hide the skywalker label (which obviously makes him really happy) to get the girl, maybe he needs a different girl.

I loathe science fiction. But I can't deny that Star Wars is cool. And if this guy's 35, well, I think that's kind of cool.

I mean, as opposed to a 23-year old who wasn't alive when Star Wars came out.

Bonnie - have you checked dwellshop.com? they have orange duvets there is one with white pattern on orange or orange pattern on white. see it here - www.dwellshop.com/productinfo.aspx?categoryid=1&productid=223&pagenumber=1

my walls are also that color. it's Everyday Blue from Martha Stewart. my duvet is a white coverlet from Target... it's super soft and is quilted in a small grid. (The Premier Home Collection - www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_9/601-3210327-7666533?%5Fencoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000084V3J) i have accents (pillows, vases, fresh flowers) in a deep fushchia. i love how it pops against the blue. (and next year when i move and want a different color for my next apartment, i won't have to buy new bedding.)

Isaac Mizrahi has a fuschia coverlet that I'd totally use if i was more commited to my wall paint. it's here - www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/601-3210327-7666533?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B00069CY86

Thanks for the info - i love the dwellshop one - we've got an orange couch in our living room (from Design within reach) and our apartment is so small that the living room and bedroom are nearly within arms reach of each other, so i'm trying to create this "triangle" for the eye of oranges and golds throughout the apartment - hopefully to widen the space a little. I love my bedroom color - i used a monochrome theme for the whole apartment - Sage Grey for the living room and then blued that into Stone Fence for the wall facing the living room and entering the bedroom to introduce the blue elements of the bedroom color. Threw in some fuscia, ice blues, oranges and gorgeous whites - i'm so in love with it - but i need a real bright bedroom cover.
Thanks again!!

Rob - maybe you should introduce kimberly to your star wars friend!!

HELP!

Throwing small brunch tomorrow, but need plastic party cups. The kind I have in mind are clear, do not bend, and do NOT resemble "keg cups", but my local supermarkets don't have them.

Where can I find them?

I was thinking you might be able to get those types of cups at Kmart, Walgreens, or Target. Sometimes Jack's Dollar Store sometimes has them as well.
Have a great brunch!

I'm surprised you can't find them. If none of Carla's resources pan out, you could also try party stores...

Anna, About duvet storage. I use a bolster-sized linen pillow case that I got at ABC a couple of years ago. I just roll up my duvet and put it in there and it becomes another pillow on my bed.

Re-- Sheets that hold their own against orange.
Just saw some Kate Spade sheets this weekend that would do nicely (although they would break the "no stripes" rule...)
View at the Spade site, but I saw them at Macy's...
www.katespade.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1979496&cp=1855195.1863860.1986333

Those are very cute sheets - we decided on the Dwell bedding - just really like the color and design. Now working on curtains for the living room...curtains are always so difficult for me - I've got sage gray walls, an orange couch and white wood furniture (or will once it all shows up!) in the living room - the couch has silverishy-grey piping (its the twilight sofa from DWR) and most of my accent metals are brushed nickel/stainless steel. So i was thinking these www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=105973&COL=40&RN=128 in either the silver or the cactus green - its a double rod and there are silvery white sheers underneath - plus the windows are right above the couch - which i didn't want to detract from, as its a central piece to the whole house. Not sure if these colors "work" though. And I can't spend too much money because i have cats...and well...cats and curtains...

Question for all of you obviously creative people- I am in the process of moving into a very cool, very small apartment with my boyfriend. We've both got lots of great stuff but it seems that certain something is missing - that sense of being welcome and at home. I could use tons of advice and I'm wondering if it's possible to post pics or email them to anyone interested and get any feedback from y'all. A lot of you regular readers really know your stuff and have a real knack for design.

Apreciate it, and thanks!

Wren--
Until we can see pics, my advice for you in your new space (congrats!!), in no particular order-- Lighting is amazingly critical to creating any kind of feeling. Buy only what you LOVE. Buy the best you can afford. Spend the most money on your biggest pieces. Don't rule out any source for an interior solution (off-the-shelf, catalog, chain, discount store, flea market, Craigs list, Ebay...). Let your environment inspire you. Above all, have fun. The life and love and being at home comes from YOU, and instills the space.

Anna - Definitely check out Garnett Hill quilts. They are lighter then a duvet and come in lots of zingy colors.

The Company Store (catalog) is also full of light-weight, high color bedding options these days.

Gee patrick (the other one), that last bit of advice to Wren sounded like you were channeling Christopher Lowell ;)

Wren -

The other thing you must do is have a look at all of the apartments in the Smallest Coolest Apartment Contest. The one that says it's Patrick's is the very Patrick you're seeing post on here. Have a look at his, so you can see what he's talking about. His is sensational, and yet you can tell he's a real person.

Also look at the other ones, because many of them are wonderful in various ways, and since they're actual apartments and you might relate to some of the solutions they've come up with. But also read the posts about each one, because you'll see what space and color and clutter issues some of those people confess to dealing with, and how other people see them.

I think the contest is fantastic, and as I've said elsewhere, I would love to be able to buy an interactive DVD or something that contained all the entries along with the posts that go along with them.

Lose the Star Wars stuff immediately. Go to any book store and take a gander at the guys who buy those books - adolescent (irrespective of age) sexually insecure males. That could be the reason the gals are running.

Good day. I believe that this is an appropriate place to post this question. I have always rented directly from a management company, and have never dealt with renting from an owner directly. I viewed a condo today that I found on craigslist. The pictures and description failed to reflect that it is still undergoing some renovation (attaching doors, painting). This touched my antenna, but I did like the place overall so inquired about application procedures etc. The owner had no type of paperwork like a lease, (she said she could find it somewhere) but that in order to secure the place I would have to leave the first and security payments. I was not comfortable with that, I dont think money should change hands even in check form, without receiving a lease or some sort of documentation about what I am providing payment for. So, the apartment will likely go to someone else as she noted several other people were coming by that evening. Im wondering, was I right to feel uncertain or is this normal for direct ownder rentals? Thanks.

Anyone have any advice on how to make curtains with large (1.5 inch) grommets? I'm constantly hearing how easy this is on home improvement shows, but initial research shows that it requires expensive ($350+) equipment. Help!

I take offense to the notion that anyone buying Star Wars books must be a sexually inept adolescent male. Perhaps its because I'm LA based, and not from NYC, but out here there are many guys like me that work in the entertainment industry, collect comics, Star Wars toys, etc... and manage to date a lot of very attractive intelligent women. I've met more than one would-be supermodel who finds a bit of a nerdy side a turn-on. (See the movie "Free Enterprise" for reference.)

No pun intended, but more than one Maxim/Stuff model has been impressed by my limited edition prop replica lightsaber.
If the fact that I date women who would pose for Maxim/Stuff or FHM makes me "adolescent"... well, I can live with that!

ART MAKING SPACE in a small apartment???
This is my first post to AT and I'm not even sure if I'm posting in the right place but I'm thinking this could be the one place with the answers I'm looking for. Anyone out there trying to have an art studio area in their tiny apartment and - if yes - how do you do it?! There has to be a way to be able to make art, have stuff fairly near at hand, maintain some sort of order, and be able to live in the same place. I would love thoughts, suggestions - and better yet - photos of people's home art studio areas. Thanks!

OK - I'm thinking I must have posted my question about finding space in a small home for an art-making-area to the wrong list or something. To those of you who are more familiar with this site, is there somewhere else I should ask my question or....? Thanks!

Stainless work tables

Does anyone know a source for stainless work tables that are 30" high? All the industrial supply places are selling them at 36". I'd like to use something like the linked one as a dining table.

The shelf is adjustable and I'd raise it to nearly the top. I've tried contacting manufacturers but haven't heard back yet.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

I found out the answer to my own question. Advance Tabco makes custom heights on their tables, and they gave me the name of Roger & Sons on the Bowery. $195 for a 60" x 30" x 30"h table with delivery in a couple days.

Not exactly a design question, but my fresh air-loving kittens are clawing holes in our window screens (the only thing that stands between them and falling out our 18th floor apartment windows). Is there any way to protect the window screens from their claws this summer, like some kind of expandable, protective screen that fits over the existing screen?

Laurie-

Maybe this is an option? http://www.improvementscatalog.com/Parent.asp?product=148794x&dept%5Fid=15000&subdept%5Fid=15110

Chris--

For large (or small) grommets--try finding a local awning maker/supplier. I've had luck in the past; a local awning guy did them for me for less than $5 a grommet. Another option might be a local sail-making company, if your area has one. Good luck!

In the summer I love light layering. I have the sheets you sleep with but I use other flat sheets in different designs and coordinating colors. Whatever you like. With the duvet folded on bottom these extra sheets can be folded down at night also to keep them fresh. During the day pull them up part way each one different. With extra pillow cases you can make extra pillows. Very inexpensive way to change often. I love bargain shopping.

Any suggestions on soundproofing apartment walls? My bedroom faces that of my neighbor, I can hear them making whoppee in the evening.

Help!

NYC Apartment Dweller

Hi, Not a New Yorker, but living in a smallish city space in DC nonetheless (though probably palatial in comparison to NYC)...and here's my question: guests! I had my parents staying with me for a weekend and I slept on the pitiful air mattress I've been using for guests. I simply cannot have anyone else ever sleep on this if I want to keep my friends! I wasn't aware exactly how uncomfortable it was. Any advice? I did a search here, but didn't come up with anything. I will be buying a sofa soon, but don't really want a sofa bed, as I've found they're typically heavier and not super comfortable either. Maybe I could get a long enough sofa that people could sleep on that? I've also thought of getting a swedish style folding cot or just a twin mattress/futon mattress that I stick under or behind my bed when not in use. Thanks!

Oh...and c, about the giving money without a lease? NOT a good idea!!! condo being rented or not, I'd shy away from anything without paper and signatures attached. Even if it's just a simple 1-page lease or something.

thanks so much for reminding me about nancy koltes! i had been looking for the duvet cover featured in flor-- an awesome carpet solution by the way, and found it on her site! thanks so much!