apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

ugh. congratulations JR, you've ruined my morning coffee.

Jen, JR was talking about DD, who has been popping onto various computers to avoid being sent out of the room. I deleted his first, extremely long comment.

We're thinking about getting two Starck opaque black victoria ghost side chairs to use as our dining chairs....

can anyone comment on the durability? thanks.

-kellen

Ah, the Fine Paints of Europe. I was seduced by a color of theirs (Select Collection 9217) and am between coats now. I'll finish it up tomorrow evening, but before I get there, I'd like to hear if anyone else had difficulty with the texture of this paint.

I used the water-based eurolux in a satin finish and boy, was it a pain! Amazing color and finish, but thick and difficult to spread and roll. I'm thinking about using a good brush instead of a roller on my top coat. Thoughts?

i'm in current negotiations for a small studio in tudor city. i love the psriod architecture and the casement windows, and i'm wondering if anyone either lives in tudor city and has had their windows restored, or if anyone has similar casements that they have had successfully restored (stripped, re glazed and painted).

thanks!

I recently suggested to my boss that we need to make our office space more inspiring, more conducive to creativity - since we are in marketing. We moved into a new space last summer and it is very very blank and boring. He gave me the go-ahead to help design a room geared toward this - blackboards, couches, items for stimulating ideas, something fun. Anyone have any suggestions about what would be fun for this room?

I recently suggested to my boss that we need to make our office space more inspiring, more conducive to creativity - since we a marketing agency. We moved into a new space last summer and it is very very blank and boring. He gave me the go-ahead to help design a room geared toward this - blackboards, couches, items for stimulating ideas, something fun. Anyone have any suggestions about what would be fun for this room?

Man am I ever geeked for the Spring Cure! I even put "before" pics of our office up on flickr (link in my name), I've got the husband all excited to have a spot where he can effectively study, we're throwing around color ideas and building plans and woo-hoo! Sorry, just needed to share the giddy warm fuzzies.

Has anyone ever purchased a bed from nycbed.com? I'm looking for a nice platform bed with storage underneath, but I can't tell from the photos if these beds are crap or not. I found them because they post like 50 times a day on craigslist. Anyone have anything from them?

Onward and upward...

Does everyone know that Phillip Johnson's Glass House will be open for viewing starting this June? How about an AT group outing? The overall estate is extravagant, but the Glass House is iconic and one of the best examples of "low carb" living space.

SRW -

I have not had that done professionally, but I have done it myself and it was pretty easy (if a little tedious) and well worth the effort. Mine were metal so I didn't have to resort to stripping with too much paint remover (i.e., I could scrape away without damaging the surface). I can't imagine there would be a special cost to strip these though. I recently got an estimate on stripping my cabinets and I would guess that part would be about $100 a window. I think you can easily call someone to get a price quote. If your windows are wood, I would expect to pay more, but on this I have no guess as to cost. There is a woodworking place near my house (Heights Woodworking on 3rd Ave. in Park Slope) that does a lot of this kind of stuff, i.e. restoration work. They are expensive but real craftspeople.

Does anyone know where I can find a small, roll-arm english style sofa for less than $800, either in d.c. or by mail? I have a very small, dark living room, that would benefit immensely from a whimsical piece of furniture, but I'm on a tight budget.

congrats, you've jumped the shark.

I can't make a decision, so I am putting it out to the AT community for help. I am buying a sectional -- York from Room & Board and I want brown leather (the exact color is Nutmeg in Leisure Leather). My room is SMALL (about 7.5' x 15') so the sectional takes up a lot of space, but it is the best option for me to have the most seating in the room. My question is that I have hardwood floors (warm, medium color), natural chestnut wood molding that is 8" wide around the archway to the room and around the windows -- the moldings have sort of reddish undertones to them. Here's the question -- can I get away with the sectional in this dark shade of brown or is that WAY too much brown in one small room?

SRW, before you start doing any diy work on your windows, you'll want to make sure the paint isn't leaded. If your building was built before 1978, it probably is, and you'll want to contact a professional.

hello,

does anyone know if there are any mail order sources in the States for Tricia Guild wallpapers? they have it at the merchandise mart but that's for the trade only. i would like to avoid the whole process of setting up a business account.

Thanks!

Robyn-

I'd say that you can definately go w/ a dark leather sofa in a dark room. We've done something similar (even w/ dark walls) with the Ona Sofa from Room and Board (now discontinued) in Black leather. THe only thing i'd suggest is keeping your accent pieces in the room bright with color... or even white.

Also, perhaps going a shade darker w/ the Leasure leather... maybe "teak" would make the contrast a bit sharper w/ the wood molding and the warm floors?

-Kellen-

I believe there were some window "decals" (for lack of a better word) featured on AT earlier in the year. They were from some sort of a Swedish/Scandinavian design web site. They were very similar to Emma Jeffs' (http://www.surfacematerialdesign.co.uk/) designs, but much cheaper. Does anyone remember what these were/where they were from? My memory is poor and I can't recall the name or find the page.

Kellen, I have the starck ghost chairs in smoke and they scratch easily, but sturdy overall.

We are repainting the entire first floor of our house and are trying to decide which colors compliment rather than clash with blonde colored floors. Any great advice on what really works?

Olivia—
I think you're talking about these:

http://www.scandinaviandesigncenter.com/ProductDetails.aspx_InnerCatalog_Accessories_InnerCategory_Decorations_InnerProduct_1117



L

Thank you!

Kellen, Thanks for your input - yes, that is why I picked the Nutmeg color, it is much darker than the woodwork (other swatches I had matched almost exactly, which I knew would be a no-no). The Teak swatch is almost black, but it was a consideration. I am thinking of getting a light, cream colored rug, but just need to convince myself that it will stay clean.

Does anyone know where to buy nice fitted sheets for an "old-school" pillow top queen size mattress, i.e. one that is 9 inches and not 15+ inches? I am having the worst time finding anything, let alone anything made of a nice soft cotton.

hey, maxwell... long time reader, big time fan...caught you on oprah. you guys were adorable!!!!

im nervous to ask this, its like my first posting and all, but why did "dd" get banned? he was longwinded and annoying and boring but he knew about design and he kept his nondesign comments to threads that were devoted to those topics. plus he neber used bad language or attacked anyone personally.

so why did he have to be kicked out????

I am thinking that with a big, black, shedding dog soon to join our home that I should purchase dark or heavily patterned bedding. I prefer something plain and I am thinking of Thomas O'brien's Rich Neutral bedding (link in my name).

My question is what should I get to offset the dark, bland brown of the duvet? I like color but I can't find just what I am looking for. It has to be budget. Any suggestions??

Hi all!

Do any clever, helpful readers have any experience with painting formica?

I've been given a table that will work well in my space, but it is bland as all get out. I would love to paint it a glossy ultramarine, but I'm worried that that paint won't "take" to the formica surface.

B&B - i actually spray painted a formica office countertop with Krylon's new spray paint for plastics-

http://www.krylon.com/main/product_template.cfm?levelid=5&sub_levelid=10&productid=1751&content=product_details

Robyn-

have you considered FLOR tiles for the rug?... especially if you're going to go w/ a light/cream color... cheaper, more durable, easier to clean & replace, and a bit more modern than large area rugs too.

-kellen

Oh, wow FF! Clever and helpful, indeed. Thank you! I assume it turned out ok?

B&B,

yes, it worked great. there's no getting it off once it's sprayed though...

Anyone know where to get these in black?

http://www.grahamandgreen.co.uk/product.aspx?categorypath=furniture%2Ffurniture_tolixcafefurniture&productid=group21

i know the Conran Shop only has them in red or cream....

Or, is there an auto-body place in Manhattan that could paint them black?

thanks.

-kellen

I’m looking to refinish a Danish Modern chair and a vintage Thonet loveseat.

The chair is finished in a dark chocolate brown stain with a very glossy finish. The Thonet has a pumpkin-y orange finish, similar to the one in this picture, but glossier:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HANS-WEGNER-Mid-Century-Modern-Danish-TEAK-Daybed-Sofa_W0QQitemZ120090361645QQihZ002QQcategoryZ63584QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

In the end, I’d like to attain a finish with minimal gloss in a warm brow hue – something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Danish-Modern-Mid-Century-Lounge-Chair-Pair-Eames-Era_W0QQitemZ270092859400QQihZ017QQcategoryZ63568QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting
So not too dark, and not as orange as the Thonet.

Not sure what wood either piece is. Maybe teak, but I’m not sure. Does anyone know of a good online reference that helps determine wood types, and/or a good reference book for wood refinishing?

Elevenhounds, I think that's a very nice duvet and I'd love to see some green sheets or accent pillows with it. I have found some nice colorful accent pillows at Target in the past, also do you have nightstands or lamps? That might be a nice place to lighten things up, if your nightstands are wood maybe you could get some green lamps with natural toned shades to keep it earthy looking. But that's just me rambling. White ceramic lamps might look nice too, or those glass bulb ones with white shades. As long as you bring in color and light I think that duvet is really nice.

Side note, we have a white duvet cover that I love but it is not surviving frequent washing that well. Does anyone have tips for keeping it in ok shape and still white? Like bleaching alternatives, or something? Anyone?

Hi, Harley
I can't recommend an online resource, but the book The Woodworkers Handbook (I'm pretty sure that's the title; I'll double check at home tonight) is a great source of info. Might cover more than you need, but it includes a nice illustrated guide to a wide variety of woods.

L

Thanks Lynn! I'll check it out.

Anne in Reno, have you tried bluing your duvet? this will help keep it white. No idea what to do for frequent-wash longevity, though. Click my name for a link to Mrs. Stewart's Bluing.

jen, I was responding to DD, who has gone WAY overboard and was seemingly trying to ruin EVRYONE'S morning coffee. my meaning was that his showboating was getting really annoying, no matter what side of the issue you come down on.

kellen, we were thinking of doing the same thing, but found them too flimsy when we sat on them in the store. they're very cool-looking, but we're pretty hard on chairs.

Anne,

I too have a duvet cover and two little dogs who sleep with me. To protect the duvet cover as well as minimize foot prints, drool spots etc. I use a flat sheet on top of the duvet. This sheet is laundered weekly, the duvet cover laundered every month or so with the duvet getting a dip as needed. I find putting the down back into the cover a challenging task at best - bad shoulders here. I also tell myself the extra sheeting helps to keep animal dander and such out of my good down comforter.

FF, this plastic paint--is there a way to make it look kind of pebbly like Formica? Does it look like something one would do just to avoid paying to replace a hideous bright orange bathroom counter in her office? Or does it look like something "on purpose"?

JR,

Yes, I am quite sorry! I hadn't seen his comment and misunderstood. Sorry I jumped on you.

Hey Harley,

It's actually The Woodworkers *Visual* Handbook.

enjoy,
L

Mlle Kate, I will keep an eye out for some bluing. Alice, you are inspiring me to try some experimenting with my bedding system. Thanks so much to both of you!

Lynn - thanks again!

Harley

I thought I posted earlier about a shelf/desk that I was looking for but it seems to have either "disappeared" or I forgot where I posted. I can't post pics here so I posted a link to the specific item. I don't see why that would get me booted. I don't have many other ways to share the link. Maybe the flickr photo?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marbargarbo/406236609/

um, why is your name on that photo?

I put my tag on all photos I publsih on my blog

Margo, I wonder if putting your tag on what are possibly copyrighted pictures is legal or not.

I have no idea and I have no idea if your post was deleted or if this was why.

I'm just sayin' that your tags do look incongruous on someone else's work.

Wow, I have clicked over to Margo's blog before and thought that she took all of the pictures (because of her name being on every single one of them!). I am sure the actual photographers would not co-sign on the tag idea.

Saving pictures is OK for creative purposes , but signing them at the bottom when you did not take them? Why do that?

Even more important: If you save pictures for creative purposes like blogging, you legally MUST credit the source or photographer. Otherwise, you're stealing the image and taking credit for it. I'd consult some copyright law if I were you, because if you profit in any way from the images of others, they can sue you.

In fact, even if you DON'T profit from them you can be sued, and don't think you're safe 'cause you're small fish.
If I remember correctly, the fine in the US is up to 150,000 per each occurance of each image, and this includes the web. Note that stating where you got the images is not the same as getting permission, but it's a heckuvalot better than giving people the impression the images are yours, even though I'm sure that wasn't your intention.

I worded that wrong I meant to say for your own personal picture file not to be used for personal
credit for use as a creative tool.


People are getting dead serious about copyright issues Watch Out...

For Anne (in Reno)-- I have found a product in the Acme market laundry aid section called Yellow Out (it's a powder). It works best in hot water. What I do with my whites is put in regular detergent, a cup, or so of Yellow Out and let the washer fill up with hot water. I let it swish to mix, add the clothes then let it swish so that the clothes are wet. I turn the washer off overnight and let them soak. In the morning, I turn on the washer and let them wash. Those items are incredably white! Be careful though with colors or any white item with color i.e. stripes, as it will 'bleach'/discolor that. This product works best with all white items.