apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

any suggestions for a good man with a van service? i'm trying to move a sofa and loveseat from midtown manhattan to fort greene brooklyn. also how much should this cost? i searched the archives/services section but seems like mostly only moving services are listed (only one van service, the emergency guy which seems a bit pricey). thx.

This is kind of out of left field, but I came across this book (not yet published) that I thought might of interest to some of you:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300112130/ref=wl_it_dp/002-5634649-9372048?%5Fencoding=UTF8&colid=3E37WTFMD8DIR&coliid=I285IH1Y49K9D4&v=glance&n=283155

"At what point did the British develop their mania for interiors, wallpaper, furniture, and decoration? Why have the middle classes developed so passionate an attachment to the contents of their homes?...Household Gods chronicles a hundred years of British interiors, focusing on class, choice, shopping, and possessions...Over the course of the Victorian era, consumerism shed the taint of sin to become the preeminent means of expressing individuality... from husbands fretting about mantelpieces to women appropriating home decoration as a feminist cause. It uncovers a society of consumers whose identities have become entwined with the things they put in their houses.

riz

i have a great recommendation for you.

call dan (d-movers) at 917-496-0877.

he is extremely reasonable and flexible, and doesn't charge any hidden fees. for a job like yours, he would probably just quote you a flat price.

such a move would probably cost about 100...maybe a bit more if walk-ups are involved.

please tell him that barbara (chelsea to soho) referred you. good luck.

if dan doesn't work for you, then check craigslist - there are always a bunch of renegade movers listed under "man with a van", etc.

In response to the question at the beginning of the thread, I've found that my on-going (who knows how many weeks now) cure has ground to a near halt because of the heat, except for Saturday mornings, when enough coolish air has circulated through the apartment to make working in my storage room bearable -- in my continuing quest to cure my apartment I've done really a lot in de-cluttering, but still have a way to go in the storage "room" (and I use the term room loosely). It's the hottest area in the apartment, so can only be cured on cool mornings, or I'd be cured (like meat) while working! Is anyone else out there still doing the cure? I couldn't wait for the next official online one, so I'm muddling along on my own, with the book.

riz,

here's one guy I used this past weekend. He charged me $45 from Canal to East Harlem. I only had one item (a floor mirror).

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/fur/190273091.html

From midtown to bklyn might probably cost ya @ 85-90.

Let us know how things work out.

hi all. i'd like to know everyone's opinions about the ikea klippan couch (specifically with the new two-tone covers). i used to always hate them, and thought they were "too" ikea, but i need a new, small, inexpensive couch, and at least in the catalog, i'm loving the new look... curious about those who have the couch (is it even comfortable? can people sleep on it?) and those who have looked at it. muchas gracias!

i'm also losing steam in the heat... though now that it's cooled down a bit, i need to pick up my momentum. i did a mini container store run yesterday for a recycling bin, cord organizers, etc. and i also have a ton of bottle labels to take off for my top o' the cupboards project.

a question: last weekend i was wandering Williamsburg (alliteration alert!) and i found the cutest little furniture/decor shop on North 6th st. it's a couple doors down from Future Perfect. They had really cute, fun, and not terribly expensive stuff (also not stuff i'd seen at every other similar shop). i can't remember the name of it for the life of me. but i think it started with an M and had 2 syllables. i'm pretty sure it's not a chain, but you never know. anybody know what i'm talking about here? they had what i'm pretty sure is my dream couch.

ali -- having seen them in person, i'm not a huge fan. first off, they're TINY. i doubt they're longer than 60 inches long and 20 inches deep, so most people wouldn't be able to sleep on one. the floor models in the stores always look saggy and ratty, too, which i think is a good indicator -- if they can't take the abuse of the occasional browser test driving them for a few months, how will they really do in your living room?

Why is my palm tree dying?

This really makes me very sad. I have this huge (over 10 feet tall) palm tree that I bought from one of the indoor plant shops in Chelsea about 2 months ago… and now it seems to be in distress. Some of its leaves have developed dried brown spots on them while a few others seem to be drying out from the tip up. This morning I lopped of a three whole stems that had dried out. I don’t know what’s wrong. I water the big guy once a week (when the top soil feels dry) and mist the leaves everyday. I even fertilized with miracle grow.

Help!

How can I buy fabric that is "to the trade" only, if I'm not in the trade? Do I call a designer and ask them to buy it for me & then pay them a middleman fee? It would not be a big purchase - only to cover a headboard - so I have my doubts that a professional would be interested in such a small job. Thanks in advance for any insights!

Um, "occasional browser"?

Do you have any idea how much traffic Ikeas get? Not even one a good weekend would my sofa see so much action!!

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with Eileen Gray knockoffs. I've been looking for a small table that would look good holding a vase of flowers and keys and papers when not in use, and could fold out for a dinner. The best table I've found is the Jean Badovici -- aka Jean T. -- aka folding -- table, designed by Eileen Gray. I believe official versions are made by ClassiCon.

http://www.classicon.com/en/eileen_gray/jean.htm

Knockoffs in white do not have the nice red edge, and the hinges do not appear to be flush:
http://www.bauhaus2yourhouse.com/eileen-gray-square-folding-table.html

Official versions are about 3K, knockoffs are $800-900.

riz -
Whatever you do, do NOT get "Sculptor with a Van". First off, he's got the van, but he's VERY old and bitter and basically doesn't help you actually carry anything.

The whole point in trying to use him was because I thought he MIGHT care enough to try to be delicate with my Baroquen Television (NOT "broken"), and when I expressed concern about the fact that he wasn't being all that careful, he theatened to walk off the job on the spot. He is poison.

Nisha, it sounds like some sort of nutrient deficiency -- although hard to know for sure just from the description. This site (link at my name) describes some of the common palm tree problems and suggests solutions. Hope this helps.

Sarah--

Many design centers have designer days, or designer referrals for exactly the services you need. Are you in a city with a Design Center (where all the to-the-trade showrooms are)?

Yes, I am in NYC. Actually used to live in the garment district, which, I assume, is where I'll need to go. If you have a specific rec, I'd appreciate it or I'll just do a little searching with this lead. Thanks so much!

Actually, just found the website for NYDC on Lex and they have exactly what you were describing. Interior Options has a 1-hr consultation service where non-trade people can work with them to buy a limited # of to-the-trade items. Sounds like what I need.

sarah--
The garment district is a different kind of "to the trade" (but a great resource!)

I assumed you meant showrooms like Scalamandre or Lee Jofa... places for upholstery and other interior fabrics. If you did mean that too, check the D&D Building or any of the other showroom buildings to see about designer referrals like I mentioned.

Also, I think our own "anne" would help gain showroom access or assist in a purchase for a reasonable fee or percentage of purchase (apologies, anne, if not something you'd consider!!). She has great taste and lots of professional fabric experience.

my point is this -- in every other furniture store i've ever been in, couches tend to look like something you'd want to have in your home. i mean, it's a store display, you're trying to sell a product. the klippan on display at ikea looks like something you'd put out on garbage day. i've never seen a display model of ANYTHING look that brutalized. and i worked retail for many years.

doesn't bode well for the quality of the couch itself. i was tempted in the direction of klippan myself until i saw it on display in the store.

thanks op, i've never actually looked at it, so good to know. anyone have any other suggestions for small, not expensive, cute couches? i might just get a futon even though i hate them. or just floor pillows and a rug and get an air mattress for guests. what do all of you in small apartments do for guests? thanks!!

Make them hotel reservations.
Or get VERY friendly with them.

guests! argh! dealing with some right now- somewhat oblivious 19 yr olds. Driving me insane!

my advice- don't buy anything furniture-wise for the sake of possibly having guests. They need to make do with what you have to offer. Air mattresses are great- I wish I'd have bought 2 twin sizes instead of one full, tho.

op--
Do you know of any small-scale, budget-friendly sofas that might pass the test of time better than Ikea?

sw--
I'm actually just finishing up a junk-room-to meditation/guest room conversion for a client-friend of mine, so the issue of how to *accommodate* guests but not design *for* them is an interesting, top-of-mind issue for me right now.

Ali,
I don't get that many guests. I'd considered a sofa bed and ended up getting a large regular sofa--long enough for me to sprawl out on and deep enough. So, it's big enough that IF someone comes, I can sleep on the sofa and they can use my bed, or vice versa. This rarely happens, so it hasn't been a big deal.

I'm with Oppoponax on the floor models...many of the sofas look like trash at Ikea, and especially the Klippan.

patrick
it is an interesting dilema. I was referring more to the comment by ali about getting a futon but hating them. I wish I had a spare room for guests- accomodating them would be a no-brainer, the designing of it all would be, sigh, fun.

;-)

For years, visiting my parents meant sleeping on an air mattress on the sewing-room floor. It wasn't as incredibly great as the ads claim, but it was comfier than some less expensive futons and many a bed at the Super 8. And it sure folds up small when you don't need it.

My vote is for Aerobeds. Comfortable and really cheap at Overstock.com, easy to use and then stick in a closet when your guests are gone.

http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=CATLIST&PRO_SUB_CAT=710&PRO_SSUB_CAT=2020&cid=68151&kid=2000034601&fp=f

I'm soooo not a futon fan, so that never even enters into the decision.

But I'm finding that his spare room for (rare)guests needs to be a bit more than what can typically look like a "hopeful," but empty bedroom. It's been fun, though. I promise Before and Afters once we're done (if I can muster the corwd courage, given the corwds of late!). Painting this weekend!

P2 - the Jasper Studio Sofa from R&B is very nice. I don't know the dimensions of the room you're working on but the Jasper has nice lines and sleeps one. If the room is big enough, 2 of these would be nice opposite each other.

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/prod.do?pfid=238510&grpType=0&crawl=2

it's not IKEA couches in general i don't reccommend. my bed is an IKEA futon/foldabed called Lycksele which has been going strong for 2 years now. i imagine it would be equally fine if i kept it in couch position (and for a long time i did fold it back up every day). other friends have various IKEA futons and fold-outs, all of which have stood a moderate test of time. i also had a couple of IKEA armchairs (blanking on the name at the moment) for a long time which were dandy.

it's really just the klippan i don't like. i don't know if it's the construction/design, the foam they use, or what, but i blame it on the specific model and not IKEA couches as a whole. i'd buy any other IKEA couch in a heartbeat.

Agreed that two twin air mattresses are better than one full size.

I recently noticed that Urban Outfitters has some reasonably priced, attractive, small sofas. I don't know about their quality first-hand.

fwiw - I've had two IKEA loveseats for about four years now and they have lasted much longer than I ever expected. They still look brand new.

thanks for all of the comments about guests/couches/etc. i just moved back to nyc from sf and i already have a bunch of guest visits on the calendar, and i don't want EVERYONE sleeping with me :) i might buy an aerobed for now, since i have no furniture anyway, and just wait and see what i wind up doing with the living area... but i definitely need to get myself to ikea soon, at least to buy an expedit bookcase/room divider. i'll check out the other couches too, but they need to be small. p2- if you ever want to come over and advise let me know!

Nisha -

I have a potted palm tree and the ends of the fronds regularly get brown, as well. I've had the tree less than a year, but so far, I've just been trimming off the brown fronds once they looked bad enough, and new green fronds have been growing at the top, so it's worked out. When the whole thing started looking a bit yellow, I doubled my watering, and it greened up again. Good luck!

I'm trying to find a pic of the living room with shelving against a blue wall (w/striking white vases) a sofa and a red bird chair (love 'em!) in the foreground.

Anyone remember it? Can't find the link.

Ali-

I actually have the Klippan and I have to say, that it's held up pretty well to almost two years of abuse so far. I haven't had any issues with sagging at all. Maybe I've just been lucky. However, it is WAY too small for anyone to sleep on.

For houseguests, I'd suggest the "traveler" or "duo" from apt:

http://www.apt-ny.com/duo/
http://www.apt-ny.com/traveler/

Doing a little venting.....still have yet to get my Domino magazine in the mail. I wish they had rush ups or even postal express delivery for new subscribers y'know. They quickly sent me an invoice in the mail (which I already paid online) but no magazine.

Anywhoo, I finally got a cat....yay, and she's already litter trained, neutered, declawed and up to date on physical exam and vaccinations.

Thanks for the clarification, op, cuz your first post sounded anti-Ikea (to me) in general.

Perhaps the Klippan doesn't stand up to wear and tear because IT IS THE MOST OBSCENELY CHEAP SOFA IKEA SELLS.

The whole "my $12 sofa is showing signs of wear" argument gets kinda old after a while!

ali--
Any time!

City-dwelling Chilanga Mama, is it this one (link at my name)?

p2- i know we emailed eachother a long time ago (back when our emails were accessible on this site) but i can't find it. if you ever do have time and want to help me with my apt (even if i could just send you pics or something), i would be forever grateful, let me know by emailing me at alison (at) curbed (dot) com

thanks!

anyone know anything about the EDO or SENSAY bed? it appeared on a slideshow recently.

Here's a sofa that looks similar to the Klippan and also pretty cheap:
http://www.chiasso.com/store/Item.aspx?DepartmentId=36&ItemId=47334
BLTD just posted it. I have no idea about the quality and comfort. Also, it looks too small to sleep on.

Looking for a cool black counter-height (counter is 36" tall) barstool. Preferably one that costs less than $150. Can anyone recommend a good website?

Cat -

overstock.com has several barstool styles for under $150. I bought a couple of barstools from overstock, in a style no longer available. I wasn't expecting much, in light of the low price, but I was pleasantly surprised!

What do you think about IKEA's Karlanda sofa:

1. it's ok ...

2. hate it ...

3. don't even want to waste my time replying to you ...

4. all ikea is crap, crap, crap

Thanks, heps. Will check that out now!

Cat x

Just wanted to thank AT.
I read about and ordered two three by three seattle's magnetic strip bulletin boards to display my son's artwork.
I just hung them up and dont know whos excited more--me at finding a non refrigerator solution for his art (he's 2), or him, simply for seeing his work hung.

ok that whole thing was ackwardly written--especially the 's after seattle. sorry.

Martine,

A couple of weeks ago, I subscribed to Domino via their web site and paid by credit card at the time. My first issue arrived in about a week and a half. I noticed that all the magazines I subscribed to online and paid for with a credit card arrived in a similar time frame, while the few that I asked to be billed for later have yet to arrive.

Thanks, Bubble!

Ali: The Lilliberg sofas are the same price as the Klippan. $171 for a loveseat and $249 for a sofa. It may not be the look you are going for, but they seem to hold up better from what I've seen. I'll agree the Klippans are pretty ratty looking in person.

Martine: I am waiting for my Domino as well. I subscribed and paid online, but it has yet to show up.

Laura - the Karlanda is ok. It is well constructed. I bought mine second hand, I've washed the covers a few times (dog hair!) and they have stood up quite well. I think if I bought new covers, it would still look and feel new. the cushions are durable, and the whole frame seems solid. I've seen it stand up to wear quite well in other people's apartments so I figured a second-hand one would be ok. I wouldn't recommend a light colored cover unless you are super super clean, because they just end up looking grimy.