apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Wondering if someone could recommend a furniture re-chroming service in New York. Items are a floor lamp and two Bertoia diamond chairs.

Where is everybody today? Maxwell, did you know the Raleigh News and Observer is having their own smallest, coolest contest? They say for an idea of what they are looking for to check out the hot new site ApartmentTherapy.com. They call the contest My Small Space.

Anyone out there today? Fabric question to my AT cyberspace collegues.

I'm having an ottoman made (since the size I need is unusual). What is more durable, leather or vynl (aka leatherette)?

The leater, per card, is UV protected, Water and stain repellent dyed into the leather (whatever that means) and is recommeded for all upholstery.

The leatherette (IZIT Premiere, used for boats) is 100% Polyurethane. But it is NOT shiny and is very soft.

Questions -- what is easier to clean (food /red wine) and wouldn't both be bad with a cat scratch? would both rip?

Thanks. If no response, I'll try again tomorrow.

I vote leather...just because. I imagine both would rip of a kitty got its claws involved, but not sure...

This post was suspiciously quiet...wonder if everyone's off at some party we don't know about!

I'm going to take a chance at posting here, even though this thread has scrolled down quite a bit. General question for everyone: Would you choose a decent studio in a great neighborhood (Soho) or a small two bed/two bath with killer views in a less-great area? (By less-great great I don't mean awful or dangerous, just not as many convenient shops or subway lines)

I'm considering such a move to Chinatown. I've lived in the neighborhood before and realize it means giving up certain convenieces, but it has the potential to improve. I work at home, so the subway thing doesn't have a major impact. The bigger space would mean my own dishwasher & washer/dryer (finally). So... studio in a fab area or space & views in a less-pretty area?

Trish M,

I love Chinatown (except for Canal Street on the weekends). I'd definitely do it, but then, I'm living in Jackson Heights, because I love having a decent-sized apartment and a quirky neighborhood with interesting people.

Soho is great in its own way (I worked there for a couple of years) but is almost as crowded as Chinatown, and to me, lacks the individuality.

But it sounds like you can't really lose either way. Good luck!

If you already know Chinatown and can live there even though the convenience factor is low I'd go with the larger place. I personally like Chinatown and it's pretty easy to get to many cool 'hoods from there. You didn't say where the studio is so it's hard to make a judgement without the info. Just think of all the great produce you can get in Chinatown not to mention the zen/asian look for less. And when you're called for jury duty you can walk to it :)

Anybody have an opinion on metal kitchen cabinets? We're shopping for new cabinets and I'm kind of torn between getting wood and metal-- we've got wood now and they've endured well (two kids and active kitchen life), but I dig those sleek Euro metal doors. How do they hold up?

Trish,
Go for the larger space. And, a dishwasher AND washer/dryer. To me, that is luxury.

Since you work from home, the subway and hassle of commute is not a factor. Plus, you'll need the space for work and Soho is too jam packed, especially on weekends.

Anne- Haha! I actually just got one of those juror forms in the mail, so I expect it won't be long before they call. The studio is in Soho. My particular street is fairly quiet, and every kind of cuisine imaginable is close by. Buying regular groceries is a challenge though. In Chinatown, the opposite is true: there's a giant Pathmark nearby but zip in the way of diverse eating spots. No running out for a quick slice... it would be a journey. There's definitely a grittier atmosphere and noise from a nearby bridge, but the pros still may outweigh the cons.

Fiona- I agree with you about Canal Street: ugh. Prince Street is a big hassle to walk down nowadays too, sadly. If I'm in a hurry I'll walk down Houston St. instead (it's like an express lane!).

Hi rsw,

I think a good repair person could fix rips in either material such that they aren't noticeable.

About cat claws:
I have managed to get good claw "scissors," and I bribe my cat consistently with kitty treats, so she knows if she can endure the manicure she'll be rewarded. Trimming the points of the claws reduces the piercing that can cause serious furniture damage. There are also options like "soft paws."

If you're getting a dark color and not planning on spilling anything oil based, it may not matter which material you use. And leather varies in quality as much as synthetics, so a nice synthetic may look/feel better than a cheaply processed leather. If they seem to have equal qualities, I'd go with leather for a few reasons. To me, leatherette always looks like it's trying to be leather, so you might as well get the good stuff. Plus, I like the smell of leather better than the smell of leatherette. A small thing, but I tend to sit at floor level enough to consider details like that. Of course, if you feel drawn to one over the other, I think you should go with your preference.

Red wine stains: my sweetie spilled red wine on a beige carpet once, and it resulted in a stain-removing contest. He tried using club soda to remove it, I used white wine. They both worked. I think the trick is to catch it as soon as you notice it.

I have not personally used any local chrome platers, but here is the Thomas Registry list for chrome platers in the NYC metro area-

http://www.thomasnet.com/nsearch.html?cov=DN&which=prod&what=Plating%3A+Chromium&navsec=search&heading=61520805

Thanks. Both the leather and "alternative leather" look nice. At this time it's about the color -- I like the leather swatch best, but it's $300 more).

And tHanks for tips about cleaning red wine. My area rug (inexpensive from Home Depot) will be white, so I'll need all the help I can with. And kitty has back claws only. I'll try your tips AJ since right now it's a fight everytime the scissors come out.

Chris, thanks for the response and sharing the list of chrome platers. Cheers,
Brian

Here's an interesting toy:

http://www.google.com/trends?q=%22design+within+reach%22%2C+%22west+elm%22&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all

West Elm seems twice as popular as DWR in NYC, but about the same as DWR in SF and LA.
Wonder what that means.

Well, it is Google after all-- once people find it, they know where it is/bookmark it/etc.

rsw-

oh, the *back* claws. Good luck with that-- I haven't dared! You may need especially good bribery, like a tasty bit tuna.

I say go for the leather, then. Especially if it's aniline dyed. If you're having the ottoman custom made, you expect to have it for a good long time, right? I'm assuming you won't have to go without food or anything. Lattes or steak dinners are ok to sacrifice, basic nutrition is not. $300 is not a small chunk of change in my book, but I would give up several restaurant meals and some bottles of wine for furniture I'd really love.

Last month, I noticed a leather couch on sale at the Crate & Barrel discount loft. It had been a custom order that was refused, and I could see why: the color it claimed to be did not look anything like the swatch. It could have been a mistake or bad dye lot or something, but I now feel a need to double check swatches: does the color change when it's stretched a bit? Do they have another item around that uses the same leather? etc. It was an American Leather supplied couch, BTW... Has anyone had issues with them, or was this a rare incident?

aj,
Never thought about possibility of fabric looking different when stretched. And, where is there a Crate and Barrel discount loft?

RSW,

You would be very pleased if you select the IZIT Leather for your project. It wears like iron, doesn't off-gas or smell. WAY more durable than fine leather...and wine, mustard, etc, NO problem...just water clean-up!

Kevin

Anyone have any good ideas for how to hang a Sky Chair (http://www.skychairs.com/) outside, when you don't have a tree strong enough to hold one? Not a huge fan of the look or price of the typical options (http://www.amazon.com/Outback-Chair-OB-082-Frame-Bronze/dp/B00112G2QM/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1243263820&sr=8-9). Thanks in advance for your ideas!