apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Last night I was in a cab going across 79th Street and I see this man on a little red Vespa and I think to myself "That man has the best posture I have ever seen! Especially on a scooter."

Rolled by and it was our own Maxwell!

I took out my camera phone to get a picture, but the cab kept going and the Vespa did not.

I've had dificulty loading this site for the past 18 hours or so (whether from home, or the office). Has anyone else experienced any problems?

oh, I see the post further down the page...

Does anyone have any specific paint shades of white that they love? My husband & I are about to paint our bedroom and because we have a lot of color throughout the rest of the house we wanted to keep the bedroom a clean, calm white.

I thought there was a previous post on this topic but I searched the archives for "white" and didn't find it. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Hey, wende, thanks for the thought yesterday. The problem is that I'm used to 80s apartments meaning 1880s, not 1980s. However, I now have a patio and a yard, so I guess the tradeoff on ceilings is reasonable. Don't know about the almond appliances, though. That might be a net negative. (Oh, for the Platonic apartment!)

anyway, I think I will try to post some photos over the next couple of weeks. I'm not used to decorating around a piano, and although I'm delighted to be babysitting it over the long haul, it's...

well, it's big and black.

It seems to need some sizeable art above it or something. Wonder how long that'll take.

PhillyMeg -

I think you'll get lots of answers to this one, but I have a budget-conscious fave - Behr's Swiss Coffee. It's got a little raw umber in it, so it has tones of greyish-brown, depending on light. I've used it in a couple of different places now, and I'm pretty pleased with it.

I'm in the market for TV/stereo/component storage. I really wanted the Chicago Media Center by BluDot for DWR (linked to my name), but it's a foot or 2 too long (it's 8 feet long). I have a 27" (maybe 32"?) flat screen (flat front, not plasma) TV, big receiver, DVD player, cable box at least that need to have a home and need to be remote-control-zappable. I also have a few other components that I'd like to keep with these, and a center speaker. Any suggestions?

LJ, if you can't find open storage to fit your needs remember that you can route IR to hidden components easily and cheaply. So if you find a low credenza that has covered storage you love all is not lost.

alright, so i know some contractors are posted on the site, but all that i've spoken to either have a problem with brooklyn, or the fact that i'm in a co-op. so i wonder... is there anyone on here that has had luck with a contractor - in BROOKLYN - that was affordable and talented let alone licensed?!
thanks
g - in the clinton hill coop -

Original Blues-

I tried to post last night...

Yes, I think you should post pictures, sooner rather than later. And also if you can give us a better sense of what your taste is? What looks you like or don't like? That way we can make suggestions that will be helpful to you.

Enrique-
Thanks, I'm working on it!

Max:
That sounds SO cool. Nothing I ever would have thought of. Thank you!!!

LJ, I second what Max says. Google for ir repeater to see what he's talking about. You should expect to pay around $80 for this and the only thing you will see is the discrete receiver that's only about 2" long and 1/4" wide. The rest of the stuff will be in your cabinet.

As for AV storage, I have always liked the bo concept stuff:
http://www.boconcept.us/Entertainment_units-54916.aspx

Hey everyone,

Wondering if anyone can help us out with a fabulous, large, wall mountable mirror. Our place is pretty dark and we are looking for something above the sofa and opposite two windows to help bounce light around. We really like some of the tin ceiling tiled ones we have seen in the past but are hard pressed to find something we like lately. Thinking something in the 5-6 ft long range. Any help would be great. oldegoodthings.com hasn't really panned out for us.

Ant,

I thought that oldegoodthings.com had all the tin ceiling tiled mirrors under the sun? There's another vendor of tin tiled mirrors at the UWS market (at least there was last year). Alternatively, the nicest and cheapest mirror around is the IKEA HOVET.

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15573&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=47032&langId=-1&chosenPartNumber=40081594

The one they show is the one with the clock, but you can chose the drop-down size thingy and select the largest size.

These are great. I have 2.

Thanks, Jamie Pup. This is so exciting...opens up a whole realm of furniture possibilities that I didn't think were available without tossing my big ol' fattie Onkyo receiver and other goodies...

LJ, I actually store all my gear in a 42 space telecom style rack in a "equipment closet". So my theater space has no electronics in it save the projector. All the IR is distributed from a tiny little concealed IR receiver back to what my wife has dubbed "The Man Stack".

I've seen IR distribution systems that use a receiver the size of a small screw head mounted directly into cabinet doors. You'd never notice them without being told. It looks like magic.

Wow...I do have a closet in my new living room. But if I built myself a man-stack, I'd want a plasma. And I guess I'd have to call it a chick-stack, b/c I don't let anybody touch my A/V, much to my boyfriend & father's dismay...

Jessica,

Thanks. We've not made it to one of their brick and mortar stores yet (olde good things), only the website and it's left us still desiring. Those Ikea mirrors are something to consider for sure. Just wondering if we might find something more decorative.

LJ, here is another open back option for you to consider. Door Store Furniture also has a similar one...

I wasn't able to connect to AT either. Not at work. Not at home.
Not in a car. Not in a bar. I could not would not connect. One full day w/out AT. ARGHHHHHHH!

What's up with furniture that looks like it's from Pee Wee's Funhouse?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/fur/176182051.html

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/fur/175730738.html

Is this stuff gonna be hot in 5 years?

Nisha, thanks. I actually found that one this afternoon browsing the Chiasso site in response to an email about their sale. I am now entirely confused...

well the second one looks very 60's/70's.

but the first is extremely peewee's playhouse, you're right. it looks kinda early 90's, actually. and looking at the way clothing trends are going later and later into the eighties for inspiration, yeah, it's likely that at some point that'll carry over into interiors and we'll all be willing to pay thousands for one of these babies.

Ant,

Not sure what style you are looking for or your budget...but here are some links to get the juices flowing:

Room and Board
http://tinyurl.com/s8d3t

West Elm
http://tinyurl.com/rm87h

Bombay Company
http://tinyurl.com/qmdwk

What about something in decorative tin?
http://tinyurl.com/lahhg

Ornate and expensive?
http://tinyurl.com/rvc47

I was also thinking of something in carved wood from India or Zanzibar, but couldn’t find any good pics online.

Olde Good Things recently had mirrors framed out of actual windows from the Flatiron building. They were very cool. Expensive. And HEAVY.

Are you in NYC?

Lori,

Thanks for those links. Not sure how I missed some of those. I am in NYC, east village actually. I think a few of those banded mirror from West Elm might be nice lined up as one long mirror and the price is not prohibitive. We were looking to spend under $600 for something we really like. Those Flatiron building mirrors sound great but I'm not sure I could get them secured properly in the walls of our place. I'm going to show the links you posted to my gf and I'm going to try and schedule a visit to OGT this weekend. I think we just need to go up there and hunt. They used to sell some beautiful, huge tin ceiling mirrors on Houston next to those slightly sketchy guys with all the random furniture and whatnot, but we haven't seen them there in awhile and nothing like that is on their website. Thanks again.