apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Has anyone ever tried the AeroGarden (see link)? It seems like an ideal solution to growing fresh greens and herbs in small city apartments. But does it work?

Any reviews?

I love the idea of the aerogarden but I read scads of really bad reviews on it citing that it's overpriced and the seed pods are only available from the company that makes aerogarden and that you supposedly cannot plant your own seeds.

i love the idea, but some others have suggested that it's the same as putting a pot under a grow light in the kitchen (or laundry room, as the case may be)

Hello! I recently moved into an apt with a brand new kitchen, but with kind of cheezy cherry laminate cabinets. I love the layout, granite counter, etc---is it possible to swap out the doors, drawers, and laminate covering the base of an island for a basic white instead? has anyone done this, or know how expensive it might be?

Thanks for any guidance (im in NYC, if that makes a difference)

My husband and I are closing on an apartment on Thursday and moving in two weeks later. We would like to have the showerhead rerouted (it's currently suited for very, very tiny people) and possibly have the bathroom retiled before we move in. Is this a crazy endeavor in that time frame? And can anyone suggest a reputable plumber/ contractor for the job?
THANKS!

Throwing this out to the peanut gallery...

We have in our living area a Zak lamp from Crate and Barrel (http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1220&f=9014) and a "mix and match" "Twist" floor lamp from Lamps Plus (http://www.lampsplus.com/htmls/mixmatch/Default.aspx?cat=fl&fr=sp&type=cont) with similar drum shade flanking our couch.

Can't do overhead lighting here, and it's still pretty dark so we're looking for a floor lamp (to make a triangle) to go next to a chair in the corner that is bright and works with the other two. Husband luvs matchy-matchy, I don't. However, right now we have one of those paper floor lamps from Ikea, but it doesn't provide much light and looks like it was just thrown in there.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance, you guys have great ideas!

Jane,
You sound like you're talking about refacing your cabinets. A previous owner of our condo refaced the original 1978 cabinets with white (thermofoil maybe?) sometime in the late 90s, and they look brand new. There are a few drawers that are wonky b/c of the age of the cabinets, but otherwise it's a great way to update a kitchen. From what I can tell, they put a new thin white laminate on the cabinets themselves and replaced the old doors/drawer faces, but not 100% sure if doors/drawer faces are new or just covered up. We didn't do ours but if you google "refacing cabinets new york city" you probably could find something. I understand it's relatively inexpensive.

Carla,
two weeks is a very small time frame for what you want to do. Most will tell you that it can be done in that time, most will be wrong.

Does anyone have any ideas/solutions for how to beautify those awful ugly drop down (foam board?) tiled ceilings? I just moved into a great apartment, but the ceilings are truly hideous.
I'm renting so I can't make any permanent changes...

So I think I must be going insane. About a year ago I think there was a posting (House Tour or Inside Out) of a 2-level loft apartment with tall, but rather narrow windows at the far end opposite the entry. The kitchen was furnished with dark cabinets and had a tile backsplash (slate, I think) that looked sort of like mini, rough-cut bricks stacked along the wall. There was also a sliding work area/eating surface that had legs on one end and fit into a countertop track at the other end so it could be moved to suite the owner's current needs. Does anybody else remember seeing this anywhere on AT? I can't find it now and I was hoping to use it as an inspiration in my new place. Thanks!

Gaia - You could cover 1 (or more) tiles with fabric, tacking it up on top of the tile (the part you don't see)...make your ceiling art, or keep it super simple in a color that compliments your decor, and it can act like paint.

I would see that you could do a whole row of tiles from one end of the room to the other in one piece of fabric, but any more than 1 tile at a time is going to be trickier, to make it lay decent [flat]. Or, run with that, and billow the fabric a bit.

Good luck!

I was thinking along the lines of skywaykate... except I envision allowing that fabric to billow out under each panel -- using the metal supports to pinch it.

So rather than covering each ceiling tile, you're running the fabric through - in an over-under sort of fashion. (I'll try to sketch it if this doesn't make sense)

At first I was picturing a lovely, shiny, billowy fabric like silk or satin (which would be tres expensive) but then in another vision I saw it in burlap or canvas or whatever you want depending on your decor style.

I have an aerogarden, and it works really well. You do have to get their pod kits (you can order it from Amazon.com too), as it contains the seeds, as well as all the nutrients you will need for the life of the plants. You also have to buy the lights from them. There is very little maintenance (but it varies with the kit), no worrying about over or under watering, or rather it's getting enough sun light. If you search aerogarden on Flickr, you will find pictures of some peoples gardens and it's progress.

Holy smokes ... it's taken this long to happen, but there's another Jane here (and in NYC, to boot)! She's not to be confused with ME, as I already renovated my entire kitchen this summer!

:)

Jane the First

Maybe I should now call myself "Uptown Jane"!

Dropped Ceilings---

I remember seeing a dropped ceiling replaced on Trading Spaces ages ago. They found a very thin plywood with a wood veneer, and cut panels to fit.
Or you could paint them the color of your choice.
Cut them the same size as the current panels and they will rest on the supporting grid system.

The show aired several years ago, when they still only worked on the 1000 dollar budget, so it couldn't have been that expensive.

As for storing the old panels til you move again...I dont know how much weight those ceiling grids will support but perhaps you could layer the wood panel under the existing ceiling panels?

Now that I think about it...instead of wood, why not Poster Board painted to your preferences and cut to size? That wouldnt add any real weight at all and the existing panels would hold the poster board in place.

The idea of draping fabric on the ceiling makes me think of how much dust would collect.

Hey Chris,

I'm not sure if this is what you saw, but I saw something that sounds like you're sliding table/countertop in Dwell. (I don't remember the rest of the place in any detail at all except that I seem to remember that the guy was a woodworker and did all the work himself). I remember seeing it and thinking it might work in my tiny kitchen.

Anyway, I don't remember which issue of Dwell. And my boyfriend is the one who had the subscription and we just broke up, so I won't be able to check anytime soon.

Chris,
I think this is the place you're talking about: Dave and Melissa's apartment tour. Here's the slideshow:
http://flickr.com/photos/97668883@N00/sets/72157594170107184/show/

I remember loving their kitchen, too...

Anyone know a decent carpenter who does small jobs, including built-ins?

To those who've been to CB2,

I'm interested in CB2's Lubi daybed. Has anyone sat on it? Or better, yet, slept--or at least stretched out--on the daybed when it's been unfolded into a bed? And what's the upholstery like? Thanks Chicagoans!

My ex-boyfriend had the ugly drop ceiling and he and I went shopping in Iselin, NJ (we're in Philly, but New Yorkers should probably go to Jackson Heights for this) for sari fabric which has the correct width. He used it as SkywayKate suggested, tucking it into the metal dividers and letting it hang between. He ended up using a blue gauzy fabric to avoid a claustrophobic room. You get the concealment of the ugly, but with low ceilings, you don't feel like you're living in a laundry basket.

I think it looked pretty good.

Jake: Try Alonzo's Decoration Furniture 718-282-0709

Another idea just came to me - regarding the drop ceiling cover up.

Maybe you could rig those curtain clips (just the clip parts... ) or even use mini binder clips (as from your office) and secure the fabric or whatever covering you choose to the grid along the outside walls - eliminating the need to tuck or drape.

I too am picturing something sheer or gauzy (sp?)
And, depending upon the size of the fabric bolt... you might weave different colored fabric... or at least alternate it.

Please share what you decide to do!

Just wanted to say thank you to both JennyinDC and ocgrl! The flickr tour was exactly what I was looking for! Thanks again for the help!

Hi,

I need help finding a black rectangular or square shade for my lamps I got at willams sonoma home. I want to echo the black and white of the bed and nightstands. I'm renting but will eventually paint the wall to make the whole thing pop visually. I have tried bellachor and lamps plus but can't find a black shade that is the size or shape I need. Any ideas where to look??
Thanks

Sorry I thought the link went through to see the bedroom. Hopefully this will work!

C:\Documents and Settings\Stacey\Desktop\2007-01 (Jan)\thumbnails

Thanks for all the good ideas everybody (re my ugly ceiling...) Just did some experimenting-- I assumed I could push up the tiles but they seem to be attached. Anyhow, I could still do something with draping fabric...I'll let y'all know!
Thanks again.

If your ceiling tiles are indeed solid and not resting on supports, you could probably go with sticky tape-backed velcro. This would let you have ceiling drapery that could change with the seasons or just come down to do a quick tour through the washing machine to get rid of any dust.

We had so much fun in the sari shops in Iselin/Edison. I'm sort of jealous of you.

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I'm gonna ask again: I have that typical 70s ugly drop glass lampshade thing going on in my apartment, in all the rooms (the sort that is secured by a screw/cover going through the center). It has two or three bulbs in a circular formation inside. Is there ANY sort of shade that is made to fit over a fixture like this? I've tried making things, and they never turn out right, and it seems like there must be something that is reasonably cheap that I can do to cover this (?) or replace it (?) without removing the entire fixture. Ideally, I'd love to just have one bulp coming down, so I could use one of those paper lampshades, or something comparable from ikea, but there are THREE there...ugh...please help. Thanks! Emily