apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

hi everyone. one of last year's smallest coolest entries had a dress hung up on the wall as a display, which i thought was a very nice alternative to hanging paintings or unmounted rectangles of textiles. does anyone have other examples of this? (done in a way that looks deliberate and not random messiness!)

Rasil: Don't have any examples for you, but I'm sure someone will chime in soon.

Here's my Q: We're pondering whether there is any way to possibly squeeze in another child into our small 600 sq ft apartment. (We already have a 3 year old, who shares our room.) Or whether there is simply some way to give her (and us) a tiny bit more privacy.

One possibility would be to buy wardrobes for our clothing and turn the bedroom closet into a cozy sleeping nook for her. Of course, this assumes we part with *lots* of our belongings to make room, but decluttering is part of the AT ethos, right?

We loved this example of making use of a closet (though ours is smaller):

http://wondertime.go.com/life-at-home/article/reading-nook.html

And we seem to recall at least one closet-turned-sleeping nook in previous smallest coolest contests (though we can't seem to find the pic).

Anyone have pics of examples or ideas? We're looking for inspiration with regards to both ample, modern wardrobes and creatively making use of the closet.

Here's a snapshot of the bedroom (crib is to the right of the bed).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15376711@N00/329348536/

I had a question and now I can't remember what it was after going through the registration process. Forms bleed my brain dry. Ahh well, next time.

Oh wait! I remember now:

Does Room

ack - cut off.

Does Room

Hard to believe that this has never been discussed here, but I searched and did not find. What do we think of IKEA mattresses?

My husband and I have an Ikea mattress, but I forget what the name of it is. It's ok. Although I've started to notice that you can actually hear the springs if you listen closely, so if someone rolls over, you can sort of hear what sounds like a musical instrument.

I'm sure most people will tell you that if you can afford to, you should invest in a better quality mattress.

A fairly serious burn I sustained in the kitchen this weekend (looks like my favorite Noguchi table :)) brought something to mind.

Has AT done any threads about safety and/first aid equipment in the home/apartment? The old standard first aid kits don't cut it anymore. Since small spaces tend to have less storage than most, I was wondering whether AT has researched any compact equipment or kits that are for emergency situations that are also easy to store and attractive to look at? I know there are newer cleaner lined and compact fire extinguishers available but what about kits for burns, cuts, and general family safety. Is this an area anyone is interested in?

Some of my thoughts: where in the kitchen or bathroom area should a "kit" be stored, does anyone know of a company who has put anything special together, and....since many of us are organic oriented (or at least concerned about our environment), what experience has everyone had with the "out of the norm" healing substances?. Personally, I keep aloe gel and lavender oil in both my kitchen and bathroom but I'm curious about the topic of home emergency kits and related items that are designed well.

Hey, you've got the new comments log on system up and running! I almost forgot my password already.

palousian,
My boyfriend and I have been sleeping on an IKEA mattress for 5 years now (I don't remember the model name) and I've got no complaints. I haven't experienced the spring noises that Sasha mentioned.

I think our mattress may be at the end of its useful life now, and I don't think we'll be buying another IKEA. I think it's a good short-to-medium-term purchase though.

for anyone that's interested...i saw this job posting:



New York City: HOME DECORATOR/ Art Director

JOB DESCRIPTION:
NETWORK HOME DESIGN Show is searching for individual who has interior design experience and on-set experience. Person should have great ideas for design on their own, be extremely "hands-on", and creative.

This is high-end home re-decorating. Looking for some with an excellent eye for color and quality. And please please have a sense of humor.

Looking to hire someone for PILOT and to continue through to series. Would like to fill this position as soon as possible!!


Kate
City Lights Media
dean.kathryn@gmail.com

Having trouble putting my city name in my profile. Hmm..

Love the new commenting system. No codes!

Curtis - agree, city name in profile isn't working.

curtis, pixie - can you clarify what troubles you are having with the city name?

City name comes and goes...

Don't use ampersands (the "and" sign above the 7), as that will end your message abruptly.

I just entered my city name with no problem. Try clicking on "Edit Profile" at the bottom of this comments page. I just entered my zipcode and voila! Of course it might go wonky later.

I'd posted previously that I was having problems with the city name - there are about 5 communities where I live that use the same zip code but only the 1st name alphabetically shows for that zip.

terrie, we updated to show a list of cities for a zipcode...try it again.

Nothing happens when I enter the zipcode and then click on lookup.

Why is the city name not just a text entry field???

1. Searching by zip code is unnecessary (are they harvesting zip codes or something?) since people know what city they live in.

2. It doesn't work if you don't have a zip code (i.e. if you don't live in the US).

Trying one more time to post...keep getting cut off. Does Room and Board liquidate to Overstock dot com? I bought 2 chairs at Overstock that I'm 90% sure are Leonardo chairs from Room and Board. Tanx.

I hope there's some mechanism for keeping track of zip codes -- it's the cleanest way to determine whether there's a concentration of readers in a region that is dramatically under-served by the existing regional sites. (Readers in D.C. perk up, sensing an opportunity.)

Re: the new posting system...if you use the squiggly symbol for AND it deletes the rest of your post. Happened in other threads to people other than me.

uppercase 7

MamaChilanga -

I used to live in a house with a lot of housemates (was never sure of exact number, but always more than 10). At one point, there was a single mom with 3 kids living with us, all sharing one bedroom. The 1 year old slept with mom, the 6 year old had her own bed in the same room, and the 11 year old slept in the closet. She (the 11 year old) was thrilled, because she'd never had her own room before. Being 11, the girl craved privacy and spent as much time in there as she could. It was just big enough for her to lie down in, and mom made ingenius use of vertical, wall-mounted storage for the girl's clothes, cd's, books, etc. The closet had a window, which helped. Can't remember what she did for a mattress, since I don't think the closet was actually big enough for a twin mattress. Or maybe it was.

So anyway, I'd say if an 11 year old can love it, a 3 year old certainly can.

My 3 year old is about to have his own room for the first time. Up until now he has always slept in bed with me, which is one way to save space for sure. My issue is not the physical presence of the kid but all his paraphenalia - I can't wait for him to have his own room where I can put all his toys and reclaim the living room at last. So I'd say if you can keep a handle on all the STUFF that 2 kids accumulate, space should not be a problem.

About the ampersands -

re editing profile:

If i click on "edit your profile" i just get my profile, with no fields or anything to edit. Am I doing something wrong?

Wende said:

I hope there's some mechanism for keeping track of zip codes -- it's the cleanest way to determine whether there's a concentration of readers in a region that is dramatically under-served by the existing regional sites. (Readers in D.C. perk up, sensing an opportunity.)

Yeah that. Readers in Seattle perk up...

MamaChilanga -
regarding putting a bed in a closet - it makes me think of either box bed - which was a design traditionally used in parts of Northern Europe. I know some historic examples still exist in Scotland (some are rather crude in design) and I have seen several modern interpretations of Swedish box beds - although sadly I don't have any images. It might be worth searching under. Also, I think of berths on ships and trains. There have been so many great designs for these berths - with a wide range of design styles. You might find some good ideas there.
I'm sorry I don't have any direct sources for you to go to - hopefullly this will be helpful.

I've slept on an ikea matress and bed for the last 3 years that i inherited from a friend when i first arrived here (so i think its 5 years old now. I think its fine. My roommate just bought a fancy pants matress and its making my bed feel a little inferior!

If you can afford a little nicer, I'd go up. I do plan to upgrade in about a year or so (shiny new computer comes first)

Hi,

I'm getting married and based in la, but have guests all over the place. Looking for place to register that has really great modern china patterns. I've looked at michael c. fina and they have one I like, but wanted to get some other ideas than the usual suspects. Thought there might be some really AT type online/brick store I didn't know about...

Thanks,

stacey

Hi Mark - sorry! I now get a drop down for the city, but it's only about 1/4 inch wide and nothing's in it...

i can't upload a profile photo, nor can i do the zipcode lookup. i get a dropdown, but like terrie, it's a narrow dropdown and empty.

Re IKEA mattresses--is it that they get worn out quickly? Or that they're not so hot to begin with?

Can't seem to upload an image to my user profile. (Safari, Mac OS 10.4.8) Anyone else having the same issue?

Oh thanks kd! I was beginning to feel extremely inept!!

Oceandreamer56

Why can't I edit my profile at all?

No city, no change in screen name. I've tried both clicking on
my username at the bottom of the page, and clicking on 'Edit Your Profile'. Both take me to my 'user profile', but then *nothing* is clickable. What should I do?

I get the same thing as others have mentioned when I try to put in the location. It asks for zipcode, which I can put in, then there's a narrow drop down menu with nothing in it. Then, if I click save, no city is saved to my profile.

I'm now experiencing the annoying double click problem for the first time when I click "submit comment" and just now clicking a profile. Never happened to me before.

But not that time.

I've been searching this website for information about wardrobes but have not been able to find anything. Our new apartment is 460 sq.ft., but has only one tiny closet. We need more than just an armoire for our storage needs. So far I have seen the PAX units at IKEA, which look great, but I'm concerned about whether they will hold up, the "Triplo" at Bo Concept, which will run about $4,000 for a customized unit that is 76" x 26", and the "Filmore" wardrobe from Ligne Roset which is $7,000, gorgeous, and way over my budget!
Does anybody have any experience purchasing a wardrobe from any of these places? Any other suggestions? I prefer having the flexibility of being able to move these pieces so I haven't looked at custom built-ins.

can you guys let me know what zipcode you are trying as well as what browser/version you are using.

it'd be super helpful...

annoying double click problem should now be fixed...

Hi Mark,

I'm using Firefox, and can't get to a page that allows me to edit my profile.

Mar: 11230 & IE 6.0

Gail,
I bought my Pax system about two years ago - three large, tall white cabinets that have changed my damn life. I know, that sounds so silly - but it is amazing how much storage matters in a small apartment.
I have had no trouble with them at all - and I have pulled out all the inner fittings and rearranged them twice already. If you get a Pax, or perhaps any closet system, I do recommend buying the inter-fitting in stages. There is no way to anticipate how much they will hold - I was shocked by how much more space I had than I had thought.
Hope this helps.

Hi Mark - Explorer 6.0, and the zip is 93561.

Hi Mark,
IE 6
20009

Thanks everyone! Mark's doing all he can to keep up with the fixes.

hey pixie, terrie -

I think i sorted it out...looks like it was an IE specific bug.

give it a try and let me know if it works for you.

you might want to shift/reload* the page just to be sure the new code loads for you.

* (hold down the shift key and click the reload button in the browser)

Seaquench,

what version of firefox are you using? look for an "about firefox" menu option. PC or Mac?

when you are in your profile, do you see the login form in the top right, or do you see a logout option?

Thanks, Alex. Your comments definitely helped, especially since there is such a huge price difference between IKEA and the others. Did you put the PAX units together yourself? That's the part I dread!

Rasil

I've seen that myself -- and do it myself -- I have a rotating collection of kimono that I hang on a wall in my main room and another rotating display in my other room which feature a different rotating collection of vintage and ethnic fashion. I think it's a great look, but then again, I never met a dustcatcher I didn't like.

It's also the sort of thing visitors get or they don't get. Alas.

jon b, i found a pic of your kimono display -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/7340332@N05/422994488/ but would be curious to see the otehr vintage display. kimono are the only clothing displays i've seen (other than that smallest, coolest entry), i wonder about other approaches.

my situation is that i have a room in which two sides are teh "living room" and one side is the "office". the "living room' has paintings, the office wall is currently bare. not sure if clothing-on-a-hanger is exactly right, but i want something fabricky yet more light-hearted than a painting. i like the rotating collection idea too.

Hanging pictures:

Does anyone know where I could buy a picture hanging wall-track system like the one at this link? I've found distributors in Australia, UK and Asia but none in the US. Any alternatives?
Thanks. (I live/need delivery in NY)

http://www.fxhangingsystems.com.au/index.htm

Yay!! I'm fixed!! Thanks Mark!!

Mark,
I was able to pick and save the city on my Mac at home, using Firefox.

I still just get the "enter your zip code" option, which doesn't work for city selection if you don't live in the USA. Just in case there's supposed to be something else and this is a bug rather than a poor usability choice, I'm using Firefox v2.0 under Linux.

Hey Mark - is there any way it could say at the top of the page how many posts there are on a thread, so we don't have to scroll all the way down to see if there are any new posts?

Gail,

I also have the Pax units, I put them together with my boyfriend (I installed the shelves myself). It wasn't that hard, the pull-out shelves being the worst, but just because I was using my tiny screwdriver intended for snowboard bindings. I skipped the part of attaching the units together and to the wall though (I have the 60 cm-deep units).

Rasil:

My original "design inspiration" for hanging decorative textiles were two books by Nicholas Bernard, Living with Kilims and Living with Decorative Textiles. They were originally published about 20 years ago, but I think both are still in print. If not, that's what Amazon and the Strand are for.

Textiles can be mounted off, say, towel bars, when the textile has a sleeve sewn in the back, or from shower curtain hooks (watch out for selvage). Eyelets can be sewn to the top to hang from hooks put into the wall. Hooks can be put over the tops of doors and hangers hung from the hooks. Just because it's called a kimono hanger, doesn't mean that's the only thing you can hang from it. Textiles can be sewn onto stretched canvas and then hung like a painting or even just framed like one -- though if you have to put it under glass be aware that you "kill" some of its life. Sometimes, though, that's the best way to preserve the piece.

As for what you can hang: rugs, blankets (Navajo work is a great choice), serapes, shawls, flags, banners.... I once used a Mosque curtain as a wall hanging that, because it was a bit over 60 inches wide, became the "headboard" to a platform bed. I think a typical prayer rug looks better on a wall than the floor, but that's me. On the other hand, if you have a cat or a dog, you may wish to follow in my footsteps.

I still just get the "enter your zip code" option, which doesn't work for city selection if you don't live in the USA. Just in case there's supposed to be something else and this is a bug rather than a poor usability choice, I'm using Firefox v2.0 under Linux.

we are working on an other location field option...should be up soon.

Hey Mark - is there any way it could say at the top of the page how many posts there are on a thread, so we don't have to scroll all the way down to see if there are any new posts?

this is also in the works...

Seaquench,

I believe the profile editing problem is resolved. let me know if it works for you.

Hello Mark,

Yes, you've fixed it!

Many thanks. I was on various PCs, using and old and a new version of Firefox. Sorry I wasn't around to answer your questions earlier. But you've done it!

Bravo.