apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Like so many apartment-dwelling New Yorkers I have plaster walls. Old ones. I'm trying to hang art on my exterior walls (READ: plaster OVER brick). I've done so previously and successfully once; a bigger piece, I bought the masonry bit, I worked the concrete screws. My question now is, I'm trying to hang some things salon-style over my 'fireplace', and the pieces are all small to medium-size. Do I really have to go through all that? Is there an alternative? I don't want a picture rail that drops invisible strings or floating wires, but I don't want to crack my walls. I want old-school nail-in-wall, if at all possible. Alternatives? Will Ook Hooks work with plaster over brick? Thanks!

I've used those stick-on hooks for a few small/light things and it's worked well, but I don't know how heavy you can go with them.

I used some mounting tape for another object that was kind of heavy (I don't have a scale) and in the summer when it was 100 degrees it came off the wall. My apartment doesn't have cross-ventilation without the front door being open, so it gets very hot in there & mounting tape doesn't like it so hot.

If there's a better way I'd love to know about it.

On my brick and plaster walls, I have always used the white plastic hooks with three pins that you just whack with a hammer. They are amazingly strong and take seconds to fix - I have never cracked a wall of mine yet.

http://www.govart.com/hardware_hardwall_C.html

Can anyone suggest a source for a good quality cotton or wool blanket? Looking to spend less than $125. There's a cotton/bamboo blend blanket at the Company Store that's caught my eye--any experience with it?

Hmmmm, I've never seen those hooks, Susie. The site says "DO NOT use these hooks on: traditional lath & plaster...hard brick". I'm not sure they'll work, but it might be worth a shot...? Good thing to know about, in any case.

I'd say the pinkish kind that most people have here is slightly on the soft side, as brick goes. What I think of as hard brick would be on the exteriors of ranch style houses.

I've noticed some cracks around my bedroom window, right under the sill, a long crack in the paint that runs along the length of the window right under the window sill. I painted over it about 2 months ago and reappeared. I want to know if it indicates any serious structural damage. Can anyone recommend a person or firm in the NY area that would be able to assess this?

i recently moved to a new studio apartment that has an opening (but no actual door) separating the main room from the kitchen. since its cold and im using my portable heater quite a bit, i was wondering where i could get some type of curtain or door covering that would help trap the heat in the main room. id like it to be attractive yet thick enough for this purpose (so, no beaded curtains or anything like that). any ideas? where can i buy something like this? and how do i hang it? ive never put up something like this before! THANKS

h.a.,
I am not sure I have a clear picture of what you're looking for, but if you do a search for "hospital curtains" on AT, that might present a good solution for you. You don't actually need to use hospital curtains--something thicker like sailcloth might be better--but it's a rolling track system you attach to your ceiling that a number of people have mentioned they use for room separation.

h.a.,
A roommate and I hung a cheap rug (one of those ethic woven numbers) over an opening like that. We just put in a few hooks into the wall and pushed the hooks into the weave. It was a little inconvenient, as one had to lift up the rug every time (which made me think of a tent), but it definitely kept the heat in.

The French have a term for this sort of curtain -- portier? -- I'd go for something heavy, since hospital curtains tend to be light. Don't know your budget, but perhaps a pre-measured velvety one from one of the chains?

SANDRA-
i live in an old victorian w/ plaster walls too. the outside is brick. i had to "got through all that" as you said for my larger pieces. i'm a painter & i have some pieces that are 4x3. as for small, light pieces, there is this stuff that sorta looks like plastic velcro that i use. it doesn't seem like it would work, but it does. lowes, home depot, & the container store sell it. it comes in white (lower weight) & yellow (higher weights). unless your walls are REALLY lumpy like stucco, you'd do fine w/ these. just read the packaging or it won't work. you have to really clean the walls & let the sticky bit stay on there awhile before hanging.

the best part is, i've used this in about 4 or 5 apts, & it leaves NO MARKS. it comes off really easily.

h.a.-

i once lived in a place with a drafty door; I sewed up a door cover- canvas on one side, knit on the other; and then sewed in velcro for the top and the sides. (i put stick-on velcro on the door frame) it *really* helped.

also- you can get a spring-loaded curtain hook (for less than $10) to fit inside the doorway. from that, you can hang any curtain. you can buy insulated curtains (they have a foamy vinyl on one side), or you can just make one as well.

hope this helps :)

-Jill

the french call it a portiere

h.a.,

ikea (and pottery barn kids at least used to) carry a wire which attachs to either side of your walls using brackets from which you hang a curtain via rings. the rings clip on to any fabric and move easily. i installed my set myself two years ago and haven't had a single problem with it.

best of luck!

For ocri (asking for a cotton or wool blanket):

I just bought a beautiful blanket by Nate Berkus at Linens and Things. It's cotton, with a lovely woven texture, dark aqua (but there are probably other colors in a similar style). It's a queen size for only $50--perfect for my starving artist budget.

I have so many posters and artwork that need framing........any ideas on some in-expensive ways to have done. some are posters and would require glass or plexiglass.....I have been looking on line and even a poster at 24x36 would cost like $128. and this is really just the materials not the labor

Thanks. I knew something looked funny with that spelling...

I'm low on cash but really wanting a new couch. i love love love the room and board burke (http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/collection.do?method=get&id=4197289&cat=27) and the crate and barrel petrie (http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=931&f=6643&q=petrie&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1), but i'm not sure i can pay that much right now. I just found this sofa on Value City. Has anyone every bought a sofa from them? is the quality awful? the price certainly is more in my range (http://www.vcf.com/en_US/images/super/HthrSge_Sofa_1039415LG.jpg, http://www.vcf.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=11381&parentCatId=11818-11381-12038&catLevel=2&categoryId=12038&productId=49345#). Any advice you guys may have would be much appreciated!

eileen,

Did you check IKEA? They have some dirt cheap poster frames ($20-30 range). Here is one:
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=10109&catalogId=10101&storeId=12&productId=43280&langId=-1&categoryId=10426&chosenPartNumber=30078281

you were close JonathanB!