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pillow recommendations?

i bought some martha stewart down pillows about a year ago, i wake up each morning with feathers jabbing my face. not to mention that they lost all their perkiness in about 5 minutes. i think replacements are in order.

I've got my eye on the Big Sur table from C&B, but I'm clueless as to what chairs to put with it. Can it be paired with dark wood chairs? Like the coffee-stained Holz chair from DWR? Do you have any recommendations for chairs less than $150/piece?

I love the chunky rustic, yet streamlined look of the table, but the color of it is throwing me off.

table:
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=881&f=6529

chairs:
http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=6812

Rasil, I am so happy you asked that question! I have been on a hunt for the perfect pillow for about six months. My quest has brought me everywhere from bb& beyond to Brookstone and I still cannot find a pillow that i like! The tempurpedic pillows give me a severe headache for some reason and that always seems to be the pillow that everyone recommends. Thanks for asking it and good luck with your search!

Pillows--have you checked out The Company Store?

I like the Laura Ashley pillows at BBB ... so far, they've held up and remain comfortable. I think they have a three-year guarantee (I can't remember, but it's at least that.)

does anyone have any views on down vs. polyester fiber? somehow i feel down is "better", though this is not feel in the literal sense, since down squashes easily and pokes the fabric easily.

i have no concept of what to look for in pillow descriptions.

Down vs. polyester is really a personal decision; I prefer down, my kids prefer polyester. It also depends on the kind of pillow cover you use (how resistant it is to things poking through it) and the blend of down and feathers. I've bought very cheap "down" pillows at Wal-Mart and have had to double-pillowcase them so they're not so crunchy (I only use them as extra pillows now). My favorite one is a very old one, rescued from my grandfather's family's house, and cleaned and re-stuffed by a specialty service. It was probably outrageously expensive; I don't know, since my mother had it done many years ago. But it's really soft and holds its shape when I need it to.

re: pillows
check out Cuddledown. They have pillows with memory foam center wrapped in down. Very comfortable and cozy with neck support

overstock.com sells "Circle of Down" pillows which are actually pillows from:

http://www.pacificcoast.com/

they also do hotel pillows for marriott (i believe).

i don't know if there is any difference btw the overstock version and the retail version - but I bought 4-pillows via overstock and have been very happy. (and i just looked at overstock and they are for sale right now).

A 100% down pillow is really soft. If you are a side sleeper, you're better off buying pillows with a low down/high feather mixture. I agree with Joan that you should check out Company Store's website. They offer different grades of multiple pillows rated, I think, as good, better, best (which translates to money, more money, most money). But their pillow are worth every cent.

I'm at the Apple store playing w/the new MacBooks. Awesome!

I bought down pillows about two and a half years ago from a local manufacturer (who does not seem to have an internet presence). In the way of small manufacturers (though they have a fair number of hotel contracts), they shared LOTS of opinions with me. FWIW:

1. Down should not poke through the ticking fabric. If it does, the manufacturer has used the wrong fabric. This is very common - the reason I first contacted the local guys (Canadian Duvet Company) was because the down was poking through on my Wamsutta pillows. They recovered them for me - no problems since. Rasil, you could have your pillows recovered.

2. Down pillows can be made to different levels of firmness, though they all lose this as time goes on. I bought the firmest ones I could, and they are now at the perfect (for me) level of squishiness and firmness. Down does not lose its loft - it keeps bouncing back into shape virtually forever.

3. You can get pillows made from foam or feathers with down wrapped around. These are less expensive, though they do tend to feel more like their core material as time wears on. These are what the hotels tend to buy, they said.

4. My pillows were something like $80 each, but also one of the best purchases I have made. That's Canadian dollars, but today there's not much difference between the Canadian and US dollars. In any case, the company doesn't seem to sell online.

These folks also manufactured sheets, and had a great deal to say about the myth of thread count - they blame Martha Stewart for confusing everyone. Apparently, sheet softness has more to do with the thread itself and the weave style than the thread count. I didn't pay attention to all the details (I wasn't buying sheets) - but the jist of it seemed to be that thread count can be very misleading.

Seek out your local experts! You'll learn more about down than you ever wanted to know!

Wallpaper - anyone know anyone in nyc who can hang wallpaper affordably (i have a really small space, but i don't trust myself) and do a GOOD job?

Jennifer,

This might give you an idea of what dark chairs with the Big Sur table look like:

http://sanfrancisco.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/051206/scavenger/scavenger-crate-barrel-large-big-sur-dining-table-photos-reduced-price-for-1200-008867

Not that they're the chairs I'd choose. . .

thanks to everyone, i read original blues' encyclopediac posting and i looked at the company store site, and while i'm still not sure what it is i should be buying, i do feel quite sleepy. ;-p

The comfort level of a pillow depends on a lot of personal factors--I like something with a slightly firmer/higher loft because I sleep on my side and if I don't have a higher pillow, my neck gets sore. I got one at Ikea that I'm really happy with. I believe it's a feather/down mix and was about $30. I'm so pleased with it, I'm thinking of buying another. I've had down ones before (and not cheap ones either!) that flatten substantially.

heh, heh - sorry about that. Apparently the company's passion for their work was contagious. ;)

Aren't you glad I had tuned out by the time they got around to thread counts?

Thank you so much for covering this event, it's exciting!

Holly

Hiya, does anyone know if I can stain my floors without sanding them? I can't move my stuff out to refinish them, and I don't want to have sawdust covering everthing I own forever, also I don't want them perfect-perfect, would prefer them sort of beat-up looking anyway. But will the stain not take over old poly? Any help is appreciated!

Hi Jennifer,
I think the color of those dwr chairs would be fine (any of those colors, in fact, red would be great), but you probably want something taller with that table.

I highly recommend Latex pillows, My husband and I are both side sleepers and we were going through pillows faster than underwear, Some were too hard, some to soft, some were flatter than an envelope after a week.
Finally we went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and got a $15 Laura Ashley firm pillow for underneath and a $30 latex pillow for on top and haven't bought replacements after 3 years.

http://www.bucky.com

Then there are also buckwheat hull pillows. I have one of these, too. I actually use it in conjunction with my down/feather pillows.

Sleeping arrangements are so complex!

I just had to post this - I just met Alta Tingle who owns The Gardener on 4th St. in Berkeley! I love that woman for her store and her design sensibility. I probably embarrassed myself but when I saw her at ICFF I went right up to her and gushed. She couldn't have been kinder or more humbled by the compliments. She and Alice Waters are the women I admire most on the west coast so I was thrilled to talk to her.

Hi anne,

Was too busy to even go to ICFF. See anything that really knocked your socks off ? Going to any of the parties tonite ?

I didn't think much of last year's ICFF but not so this year. I didn't have time to go thru the whole thing but I was impressed with what I saw. At every turn there's another "wow". For sparkle factor alone is the Swarovski crystal space! If anyone CAN make it there SHOULD make it there. So much to see.

So many parties tonight but I have a really early morning tomorrow with a client so I passed.

Last year's didn't do anything for me either. That's why I didn't make the effort to go this year. I'm gonna swing by Boffi before I head home. hope the meeting goes well. Anytime you're in Soho, swing by. Love for you too see the stuff in person.

Hannah -
Don't you dare try to stain over poly. I have no idea what KIND of mess you will wind up with but rest assured it would be a mess.
If you don't think you can move everything out, do one room at a time. You'd be surprised how much stuff I crammed in my galley kitchen to get my floors done. And the saw dust isn't the worst thing in the world. Tarp everything. It's not nearly as bad as drywall dust.
As for wanting something less than perfect, if your floors are soft wood they will scratch and dent anyway. Otherwise, a good floor guy could probably suggest some sort of distressing technique.

I don't remember the name of the people or which AT site, but someone was looking for a "sexy lamp" that would make enough light. They had the Heywood-Wakefield furniture and the Razzle Dazzle wall paint. How about this lamp:

http://store.affordablelamps.com/ls-2625-bge.html

I'm wondering if that color would be complementary to the furniture? It has a three way switch, and takes up to 150 watts, so you can land a small plane, or have subtle room lighting, depending on the kind of bulb you choose.

it's light enough to contrast with the "manly pink" walls, but not so much that it draws attention away from the furniture.

For those of you tracking the long and bloody saga of the renovation, I chose the stools one will sit on when removing his/her shoes in the entryway (let's not spawn that debate again - suffice it to say that most of you have filthy homes). I ordered the PRINCE AHA stools from HiveModern in white (originally suggested by the long lost New Tenant)

http://hivemodern.com/products/?view=sub_product&sid=389

Let's see if the wife sends them back. I did not discuss it with her first. I have decided this whole thing is now a dictatorship.

Andree - thanks for the curtain suggestions. They don't quite work because the french doors to my balcony have windows ABOVE the doors - so I need long and beautiful drapes

While I am peddling for advice, here's another one. We bought the BO CONCEPT bed, except that we opted for the all-walnut version (so the headboard is walnut, not fabric). The question is this: what kind of reading lights can we put on the side tables? I have seen very sleek arm-type lamps on beds before but cannot find them. we each need our own reading lights because i stay up all night reading and she slumbers
http://www.boconcept.us/default.aspx?id=55596&ImageID=287

Pillows!
nobody said anything about allergies! down/feather pillows are not so hot for allergies and breathing problems. even if you are not really 'allergic' to dust, but only 'sensitive' then a synthetic pillow would probably be best. Plus, they are easier to wash, which you should do every so often anyways. Did you try IKEA for pillows? Or even LL Bean? LL Bean has great faux-down comforters that feel like the real thing but you can throw in the wash and won't make your allergies worse.

Jonathan, you might try the Venus Gooseneck Table Lamp from Bellacor (#37144) on www. bellacor.com. as reading lights on your side tables. They have a nice, simple, sleek look. The shades are made of a silver mesh, which looks very modern. The flexible gooseneck will let you direct light towards reader and away from sleeper. And they are a really good price--in fact, I think they are still on sale right now for around $60 each.

angelune - I figured Rasil would have mentioned allergies if that were an issue.

angelune,

it's not the down most people are allergic to, it's the dust (and dust mites) that is in the pillows. If you run them in the dryer under the no heat-air only cylcle it goes a long way to reducing allergic reaction.

You can also get dust-mite-proof pillow covers that are very effective (and washable, and not crinkly) for whatever kind of pillow you prefer.

I love the Holz chair at DWR, but the lip that goes around the edge is uncomfortable for a bigger person (i.e. my husband). Any suggestions for a relatively inexpensive wooden modern chair (no chrome legs)? Classic Thonet chair also deemed too uncomfortable.
FYI, Jennifer w/the Big Sur table, I was planning to pair the Holz chair in white w/that table before my husband nixed the idea.