apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Hi all,

I'm moving into a townhouse rental with my boyfriend, my sister, and her boyfriend. I couldn't be more excited. Only problem is, one of the bedrooms opens onto the lofted living room -- one wall is only about 3 feet high. It makes the room very airy and lets in a ton of light, but neither couple really wants to take that bedroom until we figure out how to make it a little more soundproof and a lot more private. Ideas? I was thinking about some combination of felt curtains (how do you hang those, by the way?), a shoji screen, or a trellis to grow plants up...

Here's a picture of the bedroom (the half-wall is at the left), and here's one of the living room, opening into the bedroom at the top.

Thanks so much for your help!
Greta

I live in a 40 year old building. I suspect that the apartments were divided into smaller sizes back in the day.

I found this strange vent in the coat closet. It's eye-level to me, a little more than 5" up from the floor. It measures about 12x16. Also, there is some paper inside. Does anyone have any idea what it is?


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/patty1h/closet002.jpg

Does anyone know of a decent looking short term (1 year) solution for a laminate countertop?

My bathroom counter is pale green laminate, and kinda oogy. I'm painting the bathroom a pale lavender-white this evening, but haven't decided how to deal with the counter - I'd rip it out and put in a new cabinet and sink, but this is a project we'll be taking on in about a year anyway. I just need a short term fix that doesn't look gross.....

It's possible to paint a laminate countertop, but the process will take two or three days to complete.

Step 1: clean thoroughly.
Step 2: prime with a "high-bonding" primer. With some primers you will need to scuff the surface with sandpaper, but others, such as Sherwin-Williams Prep-Rite, may not require it. If you sand, be sure to remove all the dust.
Step 3: Paint with latex.

You can probably get through the first three steps in one day. Check the primer label to see how long it has to dry before you can paint over it.

Step 4: Apply a coat of polyurethane varnish. Use water-base poly so that you can recoat in a few hours. You'll probably want satin-finish varnish.
Step 5: Repeat.
Step 6: Repeat.

You can probably do steps 4-6 in one day. You can stop at this point, but for greater durability, apply two more coats of poly on day 3.

Rachel,

Check out Skimstone. It's an alternative to painting. It's a very thin coat of cement that you apply with a trowel. You can make it look like a generic cement countertop or you can do stenciling or faux finishes epending on how adventurous or talented you are. The website lists class dates for learning how to DIY. I've never tried it and have no idea what the cost is but I've seen some very cool countertops done that way. The downside is once you do it you might want to keep the countertop. ;->

Their web site is www.skimstone.com - no affiliation, I just think it's way cool what people have done with the stuff.

I have read all the posts on fabric choice for upholstered furniture. I have found the couch I want but I am obsessing on the fabric. Should I get a 100% polyester microsuede in a coffee brown. Or should I get something that looks kind of like chenille in a goldish warm brown ( I dont think it is but the nap is similar) in texture but is 65% rayon and 35 polyester. The cleaning code for the chenille look alike is solvent only. I like the look of this other fabric because it seems a bit more refined and less trendy than microsuede. Im just a bit worried about the overall wear of this fabric especially as it will be on a couch that I will be lounging on. So which one do you think I should get?

I don't know if anyone remembers the title of the post, but I'm looking for a AT post (maybe 2-3 months ago?) about brand-free living: this couple that removed all the brand labels from their home products in order to simplify. There was also a link to a company where you could buy clear, bulk glass bottles for cheap? (I'm trying to figure out a way to store my spices)

Thanks!

Can you help me?

A few weeks ago, somewhere on AT, they posted a clock that i loved. It came in white w/ red, or red w/ white. It was rectangular with rounded edges, clock on the left side, and on the right it had a graphic of the continents showcasing each time zone. Can you point me to this clock? i dont remember which site sells it?

Thanks.

Anokha, is this it? http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/apartment-therapy-on/at-on-the-labelless-home-019800

Bubble, I think I'm conflating article memories! That's half of what I was looking for, but a useful half :) I think the second article appeared shortly thereafter, so perhaps now I can scroll through the archives. Thanks!

Anokha and bubble -

Where was I when that post appeared? I loved it! Actually, I use a VERY off-brand of tooth powder and I hate the container, so I bought some of those tiny little containers at IKEA that look like miniatures versions of old general store candy jars, and it's perfect for it, and I keep my Orange Listerine in a teardrop-shaped water carafe (from Fishs Eddy) with an upside-down-teardrop-shaped stopper.

Anokha -

Is this the other post you were thinking of?
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/onlinecatalog-only/specialty-bottle-020051?i=1175008193&s=1#poll

Hurrah for Heps! That's exactly the one that I was thinking of :)

I think I'm going to buy these for my spices

http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=16

Thanks so much!

That's hilarious. You can buy these?

I'm in the process of switching over my "spice" jars from the curvy dijon mustard jars I have to hexagonal jam jars instead. But hey, why wait? I can just buy these!

here are those small 'candy jars' curtis was talking about, that my friends just got from ikea for thier new spice collection...

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15570&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=13560&langId=-1&categoryId=15964&chosenPartNumber=40064702

Rachel

You can cover the laminate with a coat of melamine paint. I'm not sure what the prep steps are, but I'm sure the staff at the paint store can help. Melamine paint is oil based and quite durable, so a top coat of urethane is not necessary. You apply it with a foam roller so that there are no brush strokes or fuzzy roller texture. A friend of mine did that to her counters as a temporary measure, and it lasted for 5 or 6 years. Good luck.

creativereact,
You're looking for the Timezone Clock. You can find it at:

http://www.aplusrstore.com/product_detail.php?show=product&pid=160&cid=75

http://www.shopmodi.com/collections/just-added/

and

http://www.suck.uk.com/product.php?rangeID=37

Anokha, and all u guys that are doing label-off recycling, I think it is a GREAT idea. I have found a good way to do that with spices as I bought real spice jars a few years ago for my kitchen. But I saw no point buying spices in a jar in the supermarket and then throw that labeled jar away. So after some searches I resolved to this. Found Penzey's spices on line, and also now they sell all their wonderful spices in Grand Central Market in NYC. They sell almost everything in ziplock bags that you can empty in your jars. Store the ziplocked spices in a container and store in a cool dry space so your spices last forever.
I also have done away with the Listerine bottle - I hate it with a passion. I replaced it with an IKEA small carafe which i liked a lot. After that broke and I couldn't bother to go to ikea, I bought an iced tea bottle that has a cool logo cap and a textured glass. It is perfect mouth size to drink the necessary listerine. Hope this helps someone.