apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Does anyone have a good electrician in Brooklyn Heights?

Anyone come across any home stores with really great return policies? Just wondering.

It seems that Bed, Bath & Beyond is pretty good that way. I once bought a pretty expensive dish drain, and once I realized that it was totally terrible for me, even though I didn't have my receipt, they took it back, and gave me store credit.

I'm looking for a NYC carpenter to make a box-construction-style mirror, which would also involve all finish work (and providing the mirror) and the partial covering of the frame in (provided) 1 x 1 tiles. The piece, ideally, would also be piano-hinge mounted to the wall.

Anyone to suggest?

There was an interesting article in the NY Times regarding the "fashionizing" of the green movement. Critics admonish that, for example, building a second home of green materials is not green; forgoing the second home is the true green option. Or buying the Lexus hybrid SUV is not green if you consider that a non-hybrid Yaris gets better gas milage. The article also posits an analogy to the hey dey of the fat-free movement where people thought it was ok to eat ten Snackwells cookies, whereas they might only eat one or two regular cookies (ultimately counterproductive). Similarly, some now feel that it is permissive to buy five pairs of jeans made of organically grown cotton whereas they might have only bought one pair of regular jeans. You can look at the whole article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/fashion/01green.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Since there is a lot of green discussion on this site, I thought some would be interested. On a literal level I think the critics are right. But I also think that our society is not yet to the point where, if someone wants and can build a second home, he/she is going to refrain from doing so for eco reasons. Maybe that would, in fact, be the truly responsible choice, but if it's not a realistic choice yet, if another house is going to come into being one way or the other, isn't it better to build it in a sustainable fashion? Is taking baby steps better than no steps at all, in the hopes that baby steps will eventually evolve?

I second patrick(the other one). I am looking for a carpenter to build me some modular shelving kinda like this http://www.plushpod.com/item_882.php
Anyone have any recs for someone in NYC?

J,

Here's an example of a "green" condo building in Chicago. http://www.emeraldchicago.com/about/eco.html
This is the first example I've seen of a residential building being touted as "green." I don't even know where to begin with this one. Bamboo floors, low voc paint, efficient hvac system (which all new buildings have) and links to environmentally friendy websites. "Green" has been taken hostage by marketers to get you to spend more money and feel good about it.

Does anyone have Ikea counter tops? Especially the wood ones. Are they working out well- or are they warping etc....I am re doing my kitchen soon and am looking into all options.

lorijo:

we used ikea's butcherblock counters, and sadly they are just not holding up! the ikea cabinets are awesome, but the counter is warping, splitting, and a few black spots have appeared near the sink (as yet unidentifiable, clearly something moldy, yet it cannot be cleaned...must be sanded out...argh)

honestly, it's the one area i wish we woulda just spent the money on a really resilient surface. i've taken to laying out towels when i do dishes, etc. :(

thanks for the welcome. :-)

lorijo,

We have the Ikea butcherblock and have not had any problems. The key is to keep it oiled with mung oil. I try to redo the finish once a month (it starts to wear down and it looks sort of dull when it needs redoing). The finish keeps water from seeping and and stains (coffee, etc) come right off.

That said, we installed them around New Years, so it could still fall apart, but I have confidence that maintaining it will help stave off stains and mold.

Industry conference on building and marketing green:

http://www.nkba.org/vango/core/events/eventdetails.aspx?meeting=MCCONF2007

Stupid question: I am about to paint my new apartment and am a total novice. How long can you leave primer on the walls before putting the actual paint on top?

Janbrady - I think the answer to your question is FOREVER! The point of primer is to cover up what lies beneath. Once it's dry, it's there for you to paint over whenever. It doesn't go bad or anything like that.

Also, you might want to hunt around this site for tips on painting. I'd advise you to definitely use painter's tape for nice clean edges and avoiding smudges of paint on moulding. Don't forget the drop cloths, too - I always overestimate my cautiousness, get excited painting, and end up spilling/dropping something. Better safe than sorry!

Moxie--

I'd generally agree, except that dust can build up on primer, so I wouldn't wait *too* long... or just be prepared for an extra wipe-down step before the final color goes on.

And if using a deep color, use tinted primer. Makes such a HUGE difference in coverage.

Waiting is good. You want the prime coat to dry completely. You should be sanding in between coats to allow for proper adhesion and then wiping with mineral spirits, anyway, assuming you're using an oil-based primer.

Eliza, fellow ikea countertopper! After a few years, it gets to be a real drag to have such a high maintenence-high traffic piece of 'equipment' in the kitchen. It is a gorgeous counter, though, and the price is hella attractive. Maybe I should just get it wrapped in stainless ahah :)

Thanks everyone for the countertop info!

And thanks for the primer info!