apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Hi! Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Has anyone had any experience with Benjamin Moore's "Super White" latex? Does it reflect and brighten everything, or does it make the room look like an existentialist loony bin in Hell?

Hi Melinda,
I have that color in both of my bedrooms, and I love it. It is so clean and soothing. I have added color by using an accent wall in one room, and I am currently deciding on an accent wall color for the other. I am very happy with this white.
Cat

Melinda,
I've used the SuperWhite with great success - but I wouldn't use it everywhere. Currently, it is the trim and ceiling in my bathroom (no windows, lavender walls) and it looks great.
I believe that the interior designer Vicente Wolf uses Super White on most of his projects (quoting from memory from is first book - I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong) and the rooms look great. I believe that he is v good at an white room - it's not just the paint it is everything else in the room -- texture, reflectivity, shape and accent. An all white/neutral room is a lot of work to get right. I don't know if this is what you want or not.
In any case, I have found that the color white is very very personal - what one person loves another hates. There are so many shades of white - and all can work or not depending on the space and the stuff in it. Paint a swatch about 4 foot square on each wall - live with it for one week - see it at dawn, full sun, dusk and night - decide if it is too white, or whatever, for you, your place, your stuff. my mother is nuts and lives with samples for one month prior to painting. I usually know what works within two days.

I'm a fan of super white. After years of colored walls and neutral floors, I had intensely colored hard flooring installed earlier this summer in my bedrooms. I wanted to balance all that color so I painted the rooms in super white and am very happy with the results...very bright, clean and crisp.

Did anyone see last night's Design Star on HGTV?
I am DESPERATELY trying to find out what those backsplash tiles are. Any ideas?
Cat

Cat
I've seen those tiles at the big box stores (I'm thinking Lowes but it could have been Home Depot). Of course, I'm not in NY so I'm not sure if that is of any help or not.

Please help! I have very nice VG Fir doors and want to replace the trim around them. I love the idea of VG fir trim with white walls...but I am not a "white walls" kind of person. Do you think it would look weird to have white trim around my VG fir doors?

my neurotic and suburban jersey cousins told me that i should leave on my fluorescent hallway lights for "safety" and b/c they hardly use any electricity. is this true (the electricity part)? and does anyone do that? it seems 100% wasteful to me, but they insisted...

Fluorescents do use considerably less energy than incandescent lights -- anywhere from 50% to 80% less.

What are your cousins concerned about your being safe from? I've always felt safer in traditional buildings where I have a door with a deadbolt and chain, facing onto an internal corridor in a security-gated building, than I have in places where there's just the locked front door between you and the world.

thanks wende, i was just curious. i don't think i'll leave them on anyway b/c my ceilings are too high for me to change the bulbs even with a step ladder. my cousins are just neurotic- they think city = dangerous.

Laura - in response to your question on the 10th about the Karlanda sofa - it's an ok sofa. 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.

I love Superwhite and have painted it on all my doors and trim in all my rooms. In my opinion it provided great contrast for the wall colors (which are fairly neutral, i.e. living room is painted Adobe). The previous owner had painted all the trim this nasty beige color (in a flat paint at that!), and when I put the white on I was amazed at how much cleaner my house looked. I love white for trim and doors because I can change my wall color often without having to repaint the trim every time - white goes with everything. And it looks so CLEAN!

I've been away for awhile -- have there been any maniacal vacuum discussions on AT lately? I just finished reading the archived Dyson v Miele discussions, but they are mostly old.

My tres jolie, elderly Electrolux cannister vac is really pissing us off. Enough that I am considering letting one of those very unpretty Dysons in the door. I have two large very flat nap area rugs, and two large beasts that shed. This Spring we got the sleek Electrolux stick vac with built-in dustbuster, but it's only good on the wood/tile floors...

thoughts?

and where does one get a 20% off Bed Bath and Beyond coupon?

I bought a Miele Sirius from Mr. Vacuum and Mrs. Sew for less then the Internet price when I called them. I have hardwood floors, one rug with low/no nap and two cats. I have never been one to rave about things like vacuums, but I love this vacuum. It is a bad ass on fur and dust bunnies, and it has the coolest rotatable head (shush p2) that makes it so we can vacuum under the bed. There are about 6 different power (suction) settings, we usually use the economy one. The dusting attachment rotates too, so you can set it at an angle.

It uses bags (something we wanted) and a HEPA filter you replace 1/year (or you can just use the cheaper filters if you don't want HEPA). It is small, easy to store and carry. I don't find it ugly. We change the bag about 1/month. We haven't used the broom or swiffer since we bought it. I wish I hadn't waited so long to buy a decent vacuum.

regards,
trillium

thx trillium
did you get the "turbo brush" with that?

Hey Guido,

You'd have to go visit bedbath_and_beyond's website to get the coupons sent in the mail to you. They are sent to me about every week! I like Linens n Thing better because you can actually order online and pick your things up at the store. And they also have online coupons unlike bb&b.

Nope. When I called her it was with the idea of purchasing one of the more expensive models, but she wouldn't let me. Told me I didn't need the turbo brush if I had no carpets with pile and she was right.

regards,
trillium

Thanks, Jeremy.
Will check if Lowes has them this weekend.
Cat x

Guido,

I have tons of the coupons...they deliver them to our building. I am happy to share if you want some!

guido, i was just thinking about you yesterday! i also have a bunch of bb&b coupons- you can have them.

We are moving into a new 1-bedrm apt and will be buying new furniture. We like neutral colors and plan to have warm-toned wood tables, etc. My question is--what color do we paint the walls? White seems the simplest, but is it just too boring? I feel like I'm staring at a blank canvas. Any suggestions for some basic home design websites would also be appreciated. Thanks, ejp

We are moving into a new 1-bedrm apt and will be buying new furniture. We like neutral colors and plan to have warm-toned wood tables, etc. My question is--what color do we paint the walls? White seems the simplest, but is it just too boring? I feel like I'm staring at a blank canvas. Any suggestions for some basic home design websites would also be appreciated. Thanks, ejp

lately, i've been noticing that a lot of high end furniture from bo concept & dwr are veneered with mdf components. i've always preferred solid wood and i'm having a hard time understanding why exactly veneered pieces would be used in place of solid wood?

guido,
you don't need the turbo unless you have carpets with pile. i've had both and like the non turbo better (and i have 2 dogs). LOVE my miele, what took me so long?