apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Anyone have a cleaning person that they would like to recommend? My apartment is getting the better of me. Please email me at iloveupstate (at) gmail.com Thanks!!!

My apartment was is being renovated and is now basically finished! Over the weekend I was cleaning up and noticed that the newly painted walls were really dusty! I read the back of the paint can to see instructions on how to clean the walls...it said to use a soft damp cloth! So, that's what I did! My bedroom walls are painted a dark chocolate brown and when I used the damp cloth to clean the walls it left white streaks on the walls!

Can anyone help me! I need to know what to do to make this better! Do I have to paint again!?!?!?

Thanks!

Tee

I booked a trip to Paris in October! I am so excited! It's my first time there. I'll also be in London - though only for 2 evenings. Paris is 5 days. Any recommendations for things that are must see or must do? We'll be staying in an apartment in the 5th arrondissement, right near the Seine and the St. Michel metro stop. We like modern art, design, food and wine.

We haven't planned where to stay in london, but as I said it will only be two evenings, so if there is something you think is a MUST, please share!!

Thanks!!

Anybody have the Lance console table from DWR? It's the one that slides open and has rectangular steel legs--I'm wondering how it hold up to use. Any thought on how to improve this design?

Can I get an opinion on this craigslist sofa?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22827655@N00/470117730/
Price is right - this is really what I can afford - and it's potentially very cool. My main concern is that the cushions look really thin and uncomfortable. I'm going to go sit on it tonight and make a decision, but I'd like another opinion from you people with wonderful taste. Considering the extremely slim pickings on CL (in my price range, it's all obese, overstuffed microfiber/pleather or Great Aunt Dorrie's frilly pink florals) should I sacrifice some comfort for style? And if the cushions are awful, do you think I can restuff them with upholstery foam?

rachel -

I'm excited for you! I celebrated by 40th birthday with a trip to Paris, and it was fantastic. We stayed at the Grand Hotel Jeanne D'Arc, which was adorable, although it wasn't grand in the least.

If you have a whole day to devote to a day trip out to Versailles, you should, but another great thing is to go see Vaux le Vicompte, which was, for like 5 minutes, the home of Louis XVI's Finance Minister, until he had his big house-warming and invited the boss, who basically accused him of treason, etc., and put him in prison for life, right after asking him how to contact the architect, landscaper and fountain guy so they could build Versailles for him.

Curtis,

That is like the 'oh snap' of french history. Awesome.

I hope to make it to Versaille (and in keeping with the theme of this website, my rental in paris is indeed small and cool. I selected it based on two things: a stylish kitchen and 2 ghost chairs in the dining nook) and I plan to wander around a lot looking at art and architecture (and my husband insists on seeing the catacombs)

I'll definitely make the trip to versaille and keep Vaux le Vicompte on my list.

Merci bien!!

When someone told us about Vaux le Vicompte, they said, "It's kind of like Versailles, except on a scale where you could imagine someone living there."

Uh... kinda. It's pretty dang big. We were there on Easter Sunday of 2002, and the enormous lawn was filled with little French adorables hunting Easter eggs.

Rachel - you have to go to the Picasso museum! Its beautiful! And oddly overlooked in favour of the Musee Rodin, or d'Orsay or the Louvre, in guide books etc. Also the Pompidou Centre is fabulous. And walking through the metro pretending to be Amelie...! (Maybe that's just me). As for London, well you probably know all the main boring tourist stuff (sorry - I'm a northener!) but the Tate Modern is cool, I went to see the 1st ever UK Frida Kahlo exibition there ages ago and it was amazing. Oh and Camden market, and the HUGE 2nd hand book fairs on the Left Bank. Have fun!

Great, THANKS tin_angel!

The Camden market and the book fairs sound cool. I'm definitely planning on the Tate modern too!

Thanks!

Tee--

This may sound weird, but do you have a brown cashmere sock (or scarf?) Try burnishing the walls with it... I've done it on small marks on my flat chocolate walls and it works (to a degree). Start in a discrete area.

anyone have any good online fabric resources? i'm in sf and there is a dearth of fabric stores. i discovered jcarolinecreative.com for amy butler fabrics and stuff, but maybe someone has another great resource to share?

Rachel
I go to Paris every few years to visit family. I say skip Versailles if you are only in Paris for 5 days. You spend more than 3 hours travelling RT to get there. Les Egouts (sewers) are cool but small. You might check out la Bastille or L'Opera Garnie which arent too time consuming. Also avoid La Tour Eiffel as its a waste of time -you get a much better view going to the top of NotreDame. Definitely hit the Musee Rodin. And I agree with whoever said go to the Picasso Museum. One place I never hear anyone talk about is la Mosquee de Paris. Very cool museum also there is a tile garden where you can get wonderful mint tea and if you are feeling daring go to the baths. Oh yeah and since you said you like modern stuff check out the boutiques around Les Halles same sorta scene as in Williamsburg or SoHo.

BklynTee - The dust is water soluble drywall/plaster dust. The most likely reason for white streaks is that you didn't get it all off the walls.

Use a very soft cloth, slightly damp, starting in a discrete area, and try gently wiping the wall again.

You may have to repeat this a couple more times depending on how much construction dust was on the walls to begin with.

Boomer, Patrick (the other one):

Thanks so much guys! I will try both and let you know how it comes out!

mjoe,
If the cushion covers are in good condition, I say go for it. I recently replaced the foam inserts in my mom's old couch for about $50 (ordered from a NC seller on eBay) and her 20 year old couch looks and feels like new. We got the densest foam available (we like a firm seat) but you can get replacement cushions in a range of foam (or down if you prefer) cut to fit, wrapped in dacron, and mailed almost overnight. Good luck!

Paris and London, eh? There are close to 100 museums in Paris, but only a few are really worth the effort. I'm a big fan of the Guimet, but it's not for everyone. I'd say, either the Louvre or D'Orsay; Arts Decoratif (of course); Victor Hugo's house in the Marais (because he was an amateur interior designer); Branly (because of the buzz; otherwise it would be too problematic to bother). Hit a couple of the Paris flea markets if you can. I enjoyed the Villages St. Paul, but I like tat, even if it's French tat. If I remember correctly, there are plenty of the antiques shops in the fifth, but time passes and memory fades. If you must do a city tour, do it at night for the son et lumiere show and look into the bateaux mouches, which is as hopelessly touristy as it is wonderful.

Liked the Camden Market myself the last time I was in London. Look into the Angel Market as well. Skip the one in Covent Garden. (My described it as a flea market with real fleas.) The V&A is a must-see for any decorative arts fan. I found the Design Museum a bit of a disappointment overall, but nevertheless always drop by. The endangered Theatre Museum is also well worth a visit.

Hope something is helpful in all that.

Oh, I forgot. Zooza and I have been swapping the names of a number of museums as well. The Soane is in London -- though I'm not sure however devoted I am to it I recommend it for a two-day stay. But check those posts for inspiration.

Shannon in SF --
http://www.reprodepotfabrics.com/
http://www.tonicliving.com/index.asp
http://www.mendels.com/
http://www.psvintage.com/retro.html
http://www.kitty-craft.com/shop/step_submain.php?b_code=B20051125102441
Hope you like some of these.

CQ in DC -- Thanks for the tip! Maybe it will come in handy later. Sadly, this sofa looked awesome but turned out to be 8 ft, not the 6 ft the seller told me over the phone. So it was not to be.

Rachel,

What apartment renting website did you use to find the Paris apt. for your trip?

Looks like you got lots of great advice from other posters. Have a fabulous trip.

ATers,

I'm sorry if this has been discussed before. I was thinking about a bathroom renovation in my 40 year old building. It's your typical NYC 5' x 7' bathroom. The scope of work is to remove all fixtures and install new ones in the same place as well as to replace all the tile. Nothing drastic or major.

I was thinking of removing the tub and turning it into a shower. The two prices I got from contractors were $ 15,000 and $ 17,000 for labor only (this price includes the tub to shower converstion). They both priced the tub-to-shower conversion at about $ 3,500. even w/o that change, labor costs alone are well over $ 10,000.

This is my first time dealing w/ residential contractors in a co-op, but this seems extremely high. I am providing the fixtures and tile, which is about $ 3,500.

What do you guys think about the $?

*rachel(almost-in-paris): check out this blog: http://www.lacoquette.blogs.com/
Elizabeth is an expat from Fla and a fashion journalist; you might pick up useful tips on cool stores, cafes, etc.