apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Help! My girlfriend and I spent all weekend fixing up an old dresser. We added a two layers of primer and two layers of latex paint and now the drawers are extremly hard to pull out... What do we do?!

riz, how about waxing the sliding parts of the drawers with a candle? Or, if you really built up the paint too much, you might have to sand it down.
Is it super super dry?

Did you paint the sides of the drawers as well as the front of the dresser? You really don't have to and probably shouldn't have unless the finish there was totally trashed. Give the finish time to cure and harden -- probably another day or two of dry weather -- and then follow Guido's advice.

Hey Riz,

I agree with Mary and Guido. Let it harden for a couple more days. Then, try waxing it or sanding it lightly. Actually, it's probably better to sand the inside of the frame instead of the drawers. It's less noticible that way. If you used a glossier paint, sand the entire area so it's uniform.

Any suggestions from world travelers on design must-sees in Milan or Vienna? Or mustn't-miss restaurants?

Any suggestions from world travelers on design must-sees in Hong Kong? Or mustn't-miss restaurants?

wende, for MILANO in no special order

The Pirelli Tower by Gio Ponti
Stazione Centrale
Armani superstore on Via Manzoni
Lobby of the 4 Seasons Hotel on Via GESU
Walk down Via DURINI - for all the big names in Italian furniture
Ristorante Bagguta
Nobu cafe in the Armani store
IL Cafe in La Rinascente Dept Store w/Glass atrium that overlooks the DUOMO

When are you going? I/m sure to think of alot more

Oooh, ooh! Thank you, Luigi!

We are leaving on Saturday... I kind of zoned out on planning, so it's a good thing I really do pack for all occasions by just shoving my Grown-up Garanimals in a backpack.

Hey everyone thanks for the suggestions. the dresser was originally just plain wood and we wanted it to make it one solid color, turquoise. We painted the sides of the drawers so it wouldn't look funny when you pulled them out.

Maybe I guess we could try sanding down the inner frame since it won't be visible? How exactly does one wax a drawer? Should we just rub a candle against the sides of the drawer?

Another paint question
My kitchen cabinets are homemade painted wood & I repainted them about a month ago. I let them dry for about 2 weeks (more because I'm lazy than anything else) before putting the dishes back, but they still stick. The counter is painted wood too and things are sticking to it as well. Any advise on getting things not to stick? It was Ralph Lauren paint.
Thanks much,

I am looking for an interesting way to display my name for the postman on my front door. I live in a 2 family flat and my bro lives upstairs - I would like to put a name plate on his door, too because soon we will have the same last name.

I heartily concur with everything that Luigi said, because I made that particular trip to Milan with him!! Definitely go to Bagutta for dinner, at least once!

To his list, I would also add:

10 Corso Como
Navigli district

also, there is an amazing home goods store just around the corner from 10 Corso Como where Luigi and I spent about 5 hours picking out Signoria di Firenze sheets that were about 50% cheaper than in the States (beware that the european fitted sheets are somewhat larger than their american counterparts)

Rasil, you've prompted me to post. I miss Hong Kong!! Design-wise, most striking of course are the huge, breath-taking skyscrapers. Have a meal or drinks at the Penninusla or at Cafe on the Peak for skyline views, and great food.

Hong Kong is known these days for its upscale shopping - lots of the same high end brand names you get in all the big cities. For something more interesting (but no less pricey), check out Shanghai Tang in Central. Gorgeous chinese influenced clothing, fun pop-art home accessories.

For lots of fun, affordable eating options check out SoHo (here it's SOuth of HOllywood Road), in between Central and the Mid-Levels. Take the time to wander around; there are quite a few quirky homeware shops and art galleries, though they are often tucked away in the little alleys and can be hard to find. Also look out for a shop called G.O.D. in the same area (or in the Harbor City Mall) - more chinese influenced, but very cool apartment goods.

Come evening, head to the adjoining Lan Kwai Fong - the heart of Hong Kong's bar scene. In the area, Yung Kee Restaurant is a Hong Kong classic, serving acclaimed, authentic Cantonese food.

Finally, if you're in Causeway Bay, near Windsor House, stop by Franc Franc, a wonderful, carefully edited japanese homeware store with tons of quirky, beautifully made goods, designed for small apartment living.

If there's anything you want to know, just post, and I'll do my best to answer.

Wende: I have a very, very good friend (musician) who lives in Vienna. I will check in with him and get back to you ASAP. He's marrying a woman raised in Vienna. Surely they must know something.

hobsonjobson, thanks! is there a floating restaurant you recommend? ocean park worthwhile -- i really want to try a glass bottomed boats. could you suggest a reasonably priced hotel? what's the name of that gigantic buddhist temple (it's up a hill or something and the statues are super huge)? what's the best place for linens (bedsheets, curtains)? could you suggest a nice teahouse (i mean with real tea, not bubble tea)? is the end of may too rainy for fun?

i have about a million more questions -- briefly my fantasies are about sitting in boats and poking around chinoiserie, rather than neon glitz and high end brand names.

I second Franc Franc -- I went to one in Tokyo, and it was a lot of fun to poke around.

There is a Shanghai Tang in NYC -- does it sell housewares, too?

Hey Janice, you probably used latex paint, right? I did that once on a bookcase, then put a vase on top, and it stuck. It's just the way latex paint is, kind of rubbery. Oil paint wouldn't be sticky.

Wende-

don't forget going to see La Scala in Milan. And if you can get a reservation- go to the the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie to see Da Vinci's Last Supper (Il Cenacolo). For food, ask the locals for a good restaraunt and try the regional specialties - the Minestrone soup is different everywhere but fantastic, and try other northern Italian dishes such as tagliatelle, risotto and gnocchi pesto. For shopping in Milan you can't go wrong in the Golden Quadrangle and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. There are outlets (Prada, D&G, Etro, Moschino- think it was mostly fashion but there may have been some designs stores) in Serravale about an hour south of Milan by car.

you may want to check out this article in from the NYTimes. Have fun!

http://travel2.nytimes.com/fodors/top/features/travel/destinations/europe/italy/milan/fdrs_feat_103_3.html?n=Top%2FFeatures%2FTravel%2FDestinations%2FEurope%2FItaly%2FMilan

Wende-

In Milan:
Peck's is a fantastic gourmet shop that's definitely worth visiting.

I've never been to this, but Viktor and Rolf have an "upside down" boutique that I'd love to see:
http://www.dexigner.com/architecture/news-g4461.html

Hi Rasil!
Let me try and go through your questions:
1. Floating restaurants are basically a tourist trap, but if you must, then Jumbo Palace in Aberdeen is very popular

2. Ocean Park is very popular with the Mainland tourists and kids, (though less so now that Disneyland has opened) but if you're outside that demographic, I don't know that it's worth a visit. It's basically amusement park rides with performing seals and dolphins - though the cable car ride is stunning. Does it have glass bottomed boats? Honestly, I'm not sure what you'd be able to see through them - Hong Kong's waters are notoriously polluted.

3. That's a hard one. I'm not sure what your budget is, but outside of the typical 5-star chains, maybe look at Bishop Lei international House, the YWCA (here, definitely more glossy hotel than flophouse) or St. John's Ambulance Service Apartments. The last two are conveniently located on McDonnell Road (I can't vouch for the quality of other Y's).

4. Po Lin Monestary on Lantau island. It's at least a half day trip, home the largest brass Buddha in Asia, I think. If you're into hiking, the surrounding area has some wonderful trails, and it's a nice way to see a side of Hong Kong that most tourists don't.

5. If you're looking for something with a local touch but western sensibility, I'd check out G.O.D. Inside Outside, the Banyan Tree, and Altfield, all in Princes Building, Central, sometimes have nice things, too.

6. As far as rains go, I'm don't remember when exactly the typhoons begin, though I think it was more in June than May. To really see a lot of Hong Kong involves walking around outdoors, so if you are unlucky enough to be stuck with heavy rain, it could put a damper on the trip.

7. Check out Luk Yu Teahouse in the Central area. It's totally authentic and very popular.

8. If boats are your thing, be sure to take a quick ride on the Star Ferry. You might also want to check out the dolphin tours - a chance to see some of Hong Kong's unique and endangered pink dolphins: http://www.hkdolphinwatch.com/. Other boat journeys could take to the outlying islands and the old fishing villages, or you could travel by hovercraft to Macau for a day.

9. Also check out Chinese Arts and Crafts, a department store of chinoiserie, and perhaps make a visit to Stanley, where you'll find more of the same, though cheaper. Finally, the Jade Market on Kowloon side features stalls selling jade and chinese-style jewelry along with more modern offerings.

10. Finally, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has a good website at www.discoverhongkong.com, that might also help you out. Good luck! Hong Kong's a wonderful city.

Last night at Tarzan (on Broadway) I saw Paige Davis from Trading Spaces 2 rows in front of me, but it was seeing her husband that made me know it had to be her, because I had seen that thing on TLC a couple of years ago about their wedding. Because she looked just the tiniest bit different; maybe different lipstick, or something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Not a very design-y post, I know, but it kind of has to do with Trading Spaces, which is KIND of pertinent, he he he.

By the way, the set were pretty interesting, but the show didn't thrill.

I need to replace the vinyl flooring in my kitchen, can anyone recommend a store to buy the vinyl and an installer in NYC?

Has anyone used Home Depot, my one experience with them was a disaster?

Thanks,

There's a very sweet place on Amsterdam between 89th and 90th called Rose's Carpet. A friend of mine bought carpet for her bedroom and they installed it quickly and expertly and she was very happy with it. They also sell vinyl flooring, but I don't know how they woudld be with that.

thanks so much hobsonjobson, it is very kind of you. i actually meant to ask about Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park rather than Ocean Park. i spent yesterday picking through the discoverhongkong.com site and marveling at its UI design.

Hi,

Often in the designs mags I see this perfect match of color. Specifically I'm using red as an accent color and a few of the pieces (chairs, a vase, painting) have reds that are not exactly the same. For instance, the chairs have a slightly brighter red than the others. From a color and design perspective, I assume this is ok in reality? It seems impossible to have everything in the house match perfectly the exact shade of one color.

I think that when you can it's nice to get those things as dead-on as possible. But seriously, if you're going to have nearly exact matches, but not quite, then it's kind of good to have THREE shades of nearly exact matches, because the middle one of them will kind of end up defining what the color appears to be, overall.

Kind of like in music, sometimes conductors will tune each of 3 clarinetists to just within a hair's breadth of the same pitch with the middle one on exactly perfect pitch and the other just to each side of that to give more depth to it.

Nick--

I'd add that it either needs to be a *very* close match, or an *intentional* difference, so it doesn't look like somebody go the dye lot wrong on one part of your color scheme. But I've seen stunning monochromatic schemes where the same color of (red/blue/green) was never even duplicated in the room, yet the end result was a room of "one color."

Having said that, I think a closer match will yield a more sedate end result, whereas variation on the colors can yield something funkier.

And look at a rose... tons of variation within the all-red petals.

My house is mostly monochromatic red-on-red, so here's my advice. It doesn't matter if your colors are a little off, as long as they are on the same side of the family or far across the room from each other. I don't mix burgundy with tomato when I can help it, and some red look cheap or faded against my main bright shiny red. When you're shopping, bring a paint chip that represents your main color and make sure that everything works with that. If you're doing several pieces of large furniture, don't do the same color unless they do match exactly or work together really well.

You do want contrast in your room, so in my room I have red walls with a cream sofa and red pillows. Use neutrals to water down a bright color and bring pieces in one at a time -- my house could easily go dragon lady if I carried the color too far. Many of the little things in my house have the same bright red, but more of them are black or white or wooden to offset it.

Does anyone have any info on this place??
http://www.funkysofa.com/index.html