apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

So what happened to the My Dorm Rocks contest, anyway? Haven't seen any entries posted.

Does anyone have any experience using a grout marker, or grout cleaner that really works? i've got horrible grout but very cute tiles on a bathroom floor. anyone have any experience using grout paint or a good grout cleaner??? thanks!

Hi Maxwell,

Being on the other side of the world, I'm usually fast asleep when the Open Thread is active, so I'm excited to be able to ask a question!

I'm nearing the end of my second pregnancy (three weeks and counting) and I've been thinking about the 9 month cure you started before Ursula was born. I'm wondering how things are going now that she is a little older. Is it a tight squeeze? How do you spend your day? Time at home or lots of outside excursions? I'd love to hear about the challenges and triumphs your family has had living in your tiny, beautiful home.

I remember seeing some great photos from when you had just finished your renovations. Any more to share now that you are further down the track and have spent time living in your space? :-)

Cheers,

Phillippa

I was pleased to see the Devyn addressed the DWR attitude in yesterday's post "Candela's Evolution". The comment in the NYT article annoyed me as well. It seems that 'good' design comes in at a certain (unknown) price point. Before an object reaches the 'price point' it is crap at best. Maybe this is why Ikea generates so much comment on this blog.

Where is the best place to go in the city for upholstery fabric? Anyone know?
thanks

Well, I've just found the photos! ;-)

Your apartment looks beautiful Maxwell and Sara Kate! Thanks for sharing so many great pictures.

Anyone have a source where I might find a nice-looking, good quality doorbell button? The big box home stores have nothing that strikes my fancy, and I bought a pretty expensive one from a specialty store and it rusted within a month.

Can anyone suggest a good DIY framing place in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or the Bronx? Seems to me there used to be one on Atlantic Ave. in B'lyn, but I can't find it.

TIA --

I need to find an interior decorator who can order some fabric for me... The place where I want to buy from sells to the "trade only" and will not sell me any yardage because I am not an interior designer. Could anyone help me (who has trade refrences)??? Thanks much.

Forbiddenfruit -- the grout cleaning is easy -- any grout cleaner from a hardware store or big box store will do. Even Tilex or the like and an old toothbrush will work fine. Many people like Magic Erasers for grout cleaning, though some people here complain of their un-greenness.

The key is protecting the grout and dealing with any stains in the grout. If the grout comes clean, seal it with a grout sealer. If there are stains embedded in the grout, get a colored grout sealer, which stains/paints and seals the grout. If you have some funky colored grout, you may hav a harder time finding the right color. Search on "grout stain" or "grout colorant." White sealer can be found at HD -- it comes in a bottle with a roller whell on top, you just follow the grout with the wheel.

Can someone clue me in on how to identify the vintage of four Steelcase chairs that I just purchased today for my 1940's kitchen? the tags on the bottom of the chairs say "Steelcase Model 141" and what looks like a date perhaps, "30-68-25" both written by hand. The tags say "manufactured by Steelcase Inc., 1120 East 36th Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan". One of the tags mentions the chair being manufactured in accordance with some statute and has dates it was approved by various states, the lastest of them being April 24, 1929. The chairs are all metal with the exception of the vinyl (naugahyde?) on the seat, which is a sort of seafoam or celadon green. One of the tags says "Form 0". The date of delivery area is blank.

Kuroneko -- Use their contact form to ask the company directly. While not all companies keep good enough records of old catalogs and production models to answer this kind of question, many can do it.

I finally managed to put up a bunch of photos of my first Manhattan studio apartment, which was like 7 feet wide.

There really were some good solutions in that apartment that I'm kind of pleased with when I look back at those old photos. Have a look if you have time and feel like it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artycurtis/sets/72157602155505156/

Curtis:

If there were an AT medal for sheer bravery, I think you just scored it. Not to many of us I suspect would be willing to post our freshman efforts at design from 15, 20 years ago. But overall looks like you did a good job with a small space and a smaller budget.

I would like to send a gift to someone in Australia and would like to use an Australian vendor (to avoid any issues with the recipient having to pay duty, and to permit the recipient to return it).

Does anyone know a nice store in Sydney that I could use? I'm thinking someplace that does wedding registries would be good (for a broad range of choices).

Thanks in advance

Curtis-what a treat! And it seems you come from a family of artists and artisans.

OriginalA,

I am Australian, although I haven't lived there for a while. Here are some completely random stores you can try. Also, Australia isn't as internet-purchase friendly as the USA. Not a lot of websites allow you to buy online.

http://www.dinosaurdesigns.com.au
http://www.countryroad.com.au/

The second one is a very popular store in Australia for clothes and homewares. For either of these, I can't see how you can buy online, but maybe you can call them and do it over the phone.

Good luck.

Arran, for upholstry fabric I would go to ABC Home. In the cellar they have nothing but fabrics, for curtains and upholstry. First try the back of the store as sometimes they have leftovers for cheap (depending what your project is) and then if nothing gets your fancy there, proceed to the full price. D&D Building is a GREAT source, but they sell only to the trade with very few exceptions and a lot of begging and imploring.

Curtis' first apartment... soooooo cool. I think I'm panting a little. Getting to see those photos made my morning!

Thanks Kah.

Do people do wedding registries in Australia? What stores do they use?

A