apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I've noticed that there aren't daily open threads on the nursery and kitchen ATs. Is that by choice? I'm missing the opportunity to discuss random topics there. I actually don't think there's been an open thread on the kitchen AT in a week.

Does anyone have a solution for icky wood floors in a rental? My building is O-L-D, and the wood floors should really be sanded and refinished, but of course, it's a rent-stabilized rental, and I have to live with paint drips and other nastiness. The previous tenant was pretty unkempt, and in one spot there's even some chewing gum that just got stuck on the floor and slowly ground in over years, combining with dirt and grime.

Aside from area rugs, is there anything I can do to rid our floors of the EW factor?

GUYS GUESS WHAT!!!!!!! I'm sure no one remembers this other than me, but....I FINALLY GOT A STOVE!!! A brand new WORKING stove that is black and white, and pretty and cute. And it works. It cooks food. WHOO HOO!!!!

i was just on hold w/ IKEA for 40 minutes, finally got someone, and then they accidentally hung up on me. AIYEE!

SO, instead of going thru all that again, maybe someone here can help me?

i just wanted to find out shipping costs on the MALM dresser or bed to Brooklyn.

anyone recall how much they spent? i don't want the carrier, just ups/usps or whatnot.

help??

kdkaboom,
At least in my area (NYC), IKEA won't ship such large items via any carrier - They have to have them hand delivered with a company like Urban Express. So it costs over $100. I think my order of a set of shelves and a dresser cost about $140 a couple years ago. [By the way, it's because of this that I've found that shipping is actually less if I go to the store and then get my purchases delivered from there - it's a set rate that way, not based on weight.]

sea, thank you for that info! i figured it's smarter to just schlep it out there than ordering online. sob. ;)

considering what i want to order is about 150 buckaroos, i cannot see myself spending the same amount in shipping!

thanks again :)

Moxie,

I just moved into a place with recently refinished wood floors that are mostly in great condition, but the previous tenant had this sloppy/crafty side and there was glitter glued to the floor in a bunch of places, and random other bits of old paint everywhere.

My attack involved a steamer (the shark one) and (I'm sure this will make a lot of people cringe) fine steel wool used very gently on the spots where I was more willing to live with scratched floors than the crud. The glitter is gone and I haven't noticed any scratches. But I was probably just lucky...

Just found this great site for "modern" canvases. I know art isn't supposed to match your colour scheme--but if you just love colour and want it on your wall--why not?

Here it is.

http://www.md-canvas.com/pages/gallery.html


(You could use the designs for inspiration for your own, too)

aw. no one is excited about my oven.

k2 - thanks, I'll give it a try. Oooh... this gives me an excuse to buy that steamer I've been wanting.

elizabeth in AL - CONGRATS!

woo hoo!

From one Elizabeth to another:

CONGRATS ON THE NEW STOVE/OVEN!!!


I was all ga-ga when I was gifted a beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven one Christmas so I understand the woo-hoo. Heck, if I scored a new stove/oven, it would probably put me over the edge with joy!

WOO HOO!

whoop! conga rats for you, elizabeth! ;)

yes! after FIVE MONTHS WITH A NON-WORKING OVEN I am ECSTATIC!! although, not as much of a good thing, what got the landlord to finally give me a new oven after 5 months of pestering (and trying to be understanding, etc.), my boyfriend (who is also on the lease) called him and within 4 days we had a new oven. how irritating. but who cares? I HAVE AN OVEN!!!

i love you guys!

Alana - I can't find the open thread, but someone posted on here a few months ago that they paid for samples from that company, and they never received them, and no one returned her emails/calls. I would stay far far away from them, unless someone else here has had a better experience.

Elizabeth in AL - congratulations on the oven! (I find the same thing with my landlord - how annoying!)

What's the deal with waiting five months to get a new oven? Here in NJ there is such a thing noted in the landlord/tenant book of rental rights -- "Truth in Renting" but anyway it deals with a 'thing' called repair and deduct. As in notify the landlord of a problem within the unit, give reasonable time for him/her to fix problem. Reasonable time is defined as the reasonable person theory, which is what an average Joe/Jane would consider to be reasonable. Repair/replace said item giving receipt with the balance of the rent money, if any. Five months is not reasonable and you are a saint for waiting that long. I would have purchased a stove/oven and had it installed. I cook, usually baking/broiling something almost nightly --be it chicken, a potato, muffins - something. Owning my place, I replaced my old gas stove/oven with a gas stove with a convection oven. But I was not always a homeowner, I rented too! Know your rights as a renter and stop being a doormat.

vicky - i do know my rights, but i work with this guy and he is actually kind of a friend of mine and it was only until we hinted at not paying the rent till we got an oven/bought one with the rent - and that's when he finally bought me an oven. i've talked about this with people before on here and this was the follow up. i am not a door mat.