apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

joseph-- what overall look are you going for? What style of cabinets? What's the rest of your house like?

I'm putting in hardwood flooring in my kitchen and choosing wood cabinets. Has anyone any good ideas or success with different stains/wood, dark floors with light cabinets, vice/versa ?? I'm having a difficult time with this.

Hey, I think it would be great to hear some progress reports from people who have posted Good Questions and/or questions in open threads...

Well, Patrick (the other one), I did want to thank you for replying to my post regarding ABC and flatware. I needed to whine about the experience. I feel better now.

Last weekend I picked up a few book boxes, just to get the sorting and packing started. And holy cow, I filled 5 book boxes with books I have manage to accumulate in the last two years. It didn't even make a DENT in what I need to pack. It's a good thing I started now, 6 weeks before the move, because it was a wake-up call as to how much junk REALLY needs to get sorted out. I'm still psyched, though, for the new space/new toys. I also ordered my very first set of customized stationery last weekend. Technically not home design, but related... I can't wait for it to get here.

I need to get new doorknobs for all of my closet doors (I am blessed with 5 closets in my 1 bdrm apt, but they all have different knobs from different eras!) -- does anyone know of alternatives to home depot, where I can get some that are not-very-expensive but nice (i.e., not big, ugly, and plain)?

Not usually a fan, but (if you're in NYC) Gracious Home has a pretty big range of knobs. Also, the biggies like Lowe's and Home Depot all have catalogs in addition to their off-the-shelf stuff... just ask to see them, and their range extends considerably, assuming you have the time to wait for an order.

hahaha karenw! I SO feel you on the packing/books/junk thing! I, too, managed to accumulate quite a collection of books, and when I moved not too long ago, it was a major pain in the butt moving them all (esp carrying them!). Also there's the movie/dvd boxes (that amazingly weight just as much as books do when packed!!!) Then count in all the "breakable/fragile" stuff...and the furniture. Whew...yeah, the actual moving sucks (glad I'm finished)...but cleaning out your stuff (I love the feeling of starting fresh) and filling it with your stuff is fun =D Good luck with packing and the move!

For doorknobs--Ye Olde Goode Things (one on 23rd st., one in w. village, one in brooklyn) has a huge selection of antique-y ones. not cheap but very nice for a prewar apartment.

Thanks patrick (the other one). Actually, I really like Gracious Home but now that I no longer work on the upper east side, I'd forgotten all about them! I've found them to be really helpful -- it's all that training from dealing with demanding rich ladies.

I know you don't like home depot, but I found cheap nice ones there. They are silver with a little nice detailing.

Clee, Simon's Hardware on Third Ave. has beautiful
and expensive stock. However it might be worth a visit for inspiration.Since you are lucky enough to have so many closets, you might as well give them the best.

There's also a Gracious Home on the Upper West, in the 60's on Broadway, right across the street from Pottery Barn.

This is a catalog/website, but Lee Valley Hardware as a lot of nice stuff - and it was featured on Apartment Therapy. And those people know what they're talkin' about.

I recently moved and now have a murphy bed. I miss reading in bed because now I don't have a night stand with a light. Since the bed was mounted inside an existing closet I have a couple feet above where the bed folds in where I've put up a shelf for pillows. I could probably put a light in there but the problem is that I'd have to plug it in across the room behind the couch...not something I'm going to want to do each night. Help. Are there any battery powered lights that would be bright enough? Any suggestions? Thx.

Candela rechargeable lamps, perhaps?

I looked at those and they are more ambient light than reading light. My apartment splurge was the Prouvé light with the 7 foot boom arm. In the Vitra showroom there were other lights on so I didn't quite realize that the maximum 60 watt bulb it takes isn't very bright.

back to the doorknobs... AT posted something about a hardware catalogue not long ago. i ordered it, and it includes doorknobs that are pretty nice (for the style of my place, at least) and very inexpensive.

How does everyone feel about the Louis Ghost Armchair (see DWR)? I've seen chairs like this all over in design mags and in botique hotels here in the city. Are they trite?

I have four plain matching oak traditional chairs around my farm table. I am looking for new chairs to put at the ends of the table. I want them to be exciting enough to double as occasional chairs for the living room.

The clear seems good to me because it will take up so little visual space. I like the idea of collecting and saving up for a pair of modern, cool but comfortable in my brownstone type style chairs.

I also feel inspired by the white chair in the bedroom of the guy who was told his pictures were hung to high.

Thanks for the suggestions on the doorknobs -- I'll check them out. I think I have the Lee Valley Hardware Catalogue, but I remember seeing lots of cabinet/drawer knobs and not doorknobs...I'll take another look though.

As for the murphy bed light -- if you can only have 60 watts max and taht's proving too dim, how about using compact flourescents which provide a lot more light for the wattage used? (I think a compact flourescent with 23 watts produces the same lumens as a 75 or 100 watt incadescent bulb).

Aiiiiii!! No flourescents anywhere near the bedroom!!!

Concerning the Louis Ghost Armchair, I want to say they are trite, because I am not a fan of lucite or any plastic furniture. But DAMN, they look stunning with the glass dining table.

Patrick(TOO) - I have low wattage (equivalent to a 40-watt incandescent) fluorescents in my bedside lamps, and I'm really happy with them. They consume 9 watts, WARM white, and save me a lot in energy costs, as I usually fall asleep reading with the light on. They're not the nasty blue-tinged light you might expect.

Best of all, I got them on an amazing clearance deal! They were part of a multi-pack at Home Depot that included the two fluorescent bulbs and a white LED night light with electric eye. I bought several of these at $5 per pack.

i'm anti-louis ghost. you're right, it's played out.

Anne, you are right. The compact fluorescents are not blue-tinged at all. We have these in my office.

I actually like the all-black (and opaque) version of the Louis Ghost. Perhaps because not quite so over-exposed.

I have bad compact flourescent associations due to hotels, as they (understandably, but sadly) switch to this format. Yes, the technology is getting better, but they are still nowhere near incandescent or halogen.

Chris--
My favorite chair of the moment is the highly-polished version of Starck's Hudson chair, from Emeco. Could be awesome with the others. Have a look at them at The Conran Shop, but buy them online for a better price.

My second favorite chair is Donghia's stylized take on the Klismos chair... it has a wire frame that is like a line drawing of that Greek/Egyptian chair style, with a bent wood (a la Eames) seat. Not sure they're dining height, but they may be.

And what about any of Starck's chairs that have fabric slipcovers? Try DWR or Top Deq or Oriac.

You could also probably go upholstered for your two end chairs. If that's a plan, Room & Board would be my first suggestion, for sheer variety.

(hey, is this oldmanlibrary Chris??) ;)

to chris, talking about the louis clear armchair -- my feeling is that these may be obsolete in a few years, style-wise. i feel the same thing about the "ottoman empire" that's happening these days -- giant cushions acting as coffee tables, or, worse, i feel, those little leather cubes. they can be quite expensive (particularly at design w/in reach) and i feel are very trendy right now. they're going out! ask yourself if this louis armchair is something you might find interesting for a long time to come, or is it just exciting b/c it's different?

I've found that with compact fluorescents a)get them out of line-of-sight and b)you can't really mix them with incandescent - the difference is hard to bear. I just put one in my hall and one in the kitchen, and I'm quite happy.

FWIW, I'm working by the light of a metal halide track fixture bouncing off the shelf above my desk (its a sample we have in the office right now). Very nice - very crisp, slightly pink light (at 39 watts). Its all about placement...I'm thinking about marketing this setup, except it takes 5 minutes of wierd colors before the thing warms up in the morning.

I have a compact florescent and an incandescent in my bathroom light fixture. Combined in such a small space, they don't fight with each other. You do want a bathroom to be slightly overlit.

rr -- Why don't you just get a switch that's built into your extension cord? I know it's not as elegant as you'd like, but it doesn't require either walking over to the lamp or hiring an electrician. You can also buy little clips to keep the extension cord as out of the way as possible.

My question of the week -- everyone has a favorite place from their travels or their childhood... Where is yours, and have you tried to sneak any of that flavor into your apartment?

It's true the clear Ghost chair seems to be the decorator flavor of the month, but as Patrick (the other one) pointed out the opaque
and black versions have a newer look. Aso if you like the chair and it makes you happy to own them then don't worry about the chair being (played out) you're decorating for you not HG magazine. Regarding rr's lighting issue it's a Prouve lamp, using a energy saving flourescent would invite the wrath of the industrial design gods and we don't wish that on rr.
How about a vintage industrial floor lamp on wheels,you could position near the bed when needed and it would relate to the Prouve light.

Although the clear Louis Ghost has been my favorite, I would agree that it has the least staying power. I'd pick white to go no the ends of the farm table.

Or, if you're going for rustic but stylish, and depending on the length of the table, you might want to consider benches on the sides and something shaker on the ends. But that may be too Simon Pearce....

As for leather poufs and drop-pillows... they're not a trend I'll miss.

Great question, Mary. I grew up in a mid-century house designed and built by my father on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis. My mother filled it with Haywood-Wakefield and Russell Wright. But my father was a huge history buff and I got dragged to every historic home and battlefield in the Mid-Atlantic. Because of this, and living in an 18th century city, I tend to mix periods. I love Persian rugs and rich fabrics, but also clean lines and unusual materials.

Yes, I'm "oldmanlibrary" Chris, looking for that bit of 'acid' for my place. I want to collect a few higher-end designer things to set off my flea market ecclectic stuff.

I bought a digital camera to enter the bedroom contest, but Amazon didn't deliver until it was too late.

1) I am also not a fan of the fluorescents in the bedroom. They also don't work right with my dimmer switches, so I ended up not using the.

2) Mary - I definitely find myself drawn towards 50's/60's stuff, but can't explain it. And then my Mom will tell me "that is just like what your grandmother had!" So there are my Grandmother's end tables and coffee table, and my new obsession with decor of that era. We didn't have it in my house, but I am drawn towards it.

My favorite place was my grandparent's cottage at the shore, which was purchased furnished with '20s furniture, lined with bookshelves full of '20s books, and stocked with depression glass and other '30s/'40s kitchen stuff. It was painted pale yellow on the outside. So far I've managed to collect some similar kitchen stuff, and incorporate the pale yellow into a couple of rooms. It did take me several years to figure out why I liked that color and those dishes.

I meant grandparents'.

I know you're all mostly NYC based but here's a question for you. I'm moving on Friday into a nondescript new condo in Worcester, MA. Looking for some ideas for very inexpensive bedroom/bathroom items. Especially dresser drawers...

COLOR question. I read in a previous post on this site that you shouldn't mix warms and cools.

Well, I got this beautiful book called "Living in Morocco" because the blue on the cover (mediterranean blue) matches the stain I chose for my bookshelf, and I love this color and want to find colors to contrast with it and really set it off in the new apartment. The thing is, I feel like a rusty brown or a caramel brown or even certain yellows would go well. They look good in the pictures I've seen in this book, but I'm afraid to make a horrible mistake. Because I thought yellows and browns were warm? And therefore should not be mixed with a greeny/blue color?

Karen, of course you can mix warm and cool--otherwise you'd never see a complementary color scheme. I'm painting a wall in my kitchen a persimmon red-orange just to set off the jade-green dishes. (i have about five--not much of a collection, but still...). anyway, the thing is, one color or family of colors should usually be dominant, with the other color used in smaller amounts for contrast. And remember, you can always repaint. You just don't want warm and cool battling it out for control of your color scheme. Biff! Warm delivers a powerful uppercut to Cool! But wait! Cool grabs Warm by the hair and trips him! Warm now gnawing on Cool's ankle! He's up! He's down! So tiring...
martha

Thanks, Martha! I think I will try out the whole "use benjamin moore sample color/paint near your light source/paint near your furniture" thing. And I also won't be afraid to start over if the color I pick turns out to be wrong.

i have a dimmable warm compact flourescent in my bedroom that works beautifully. it works with any dimming switch and there's no ficker. it is still slightly cooler than incandescent but the difference is minimal.

Who was it who said my place needs a shot of color "acid" to keep it from getting too oldmanlibrary? This cold snow white day in an all white and taupe office makes me crave color.

You should come to my office, Chris. I have a teal desk with orange, blue and pink flowers. Maybe it's time to stop at the Janovice and pick up some little pots of color and experiment.

hi

i was wondering if anyone could recommend a good interior photographer? it would be a multiple location shoot - all in manhattan and i would like to do it in april. if anyone has any suggestions pls. post them.

thanks

Sophie, take a look at the interior shots on brooklynproperties.com. I am always impressed with the lighting and layout of their listing photos. They use WebWic Designs (AKA Trisha Webster)and her site is webwicdesigns.com.

Of course it could be because the other realtors take such horrible shots, that these look so good in comparison.

Back to doorknobs again. Have you tried rejuvenation.com? Not only do they have period door hardware with a nice choice of finishes, but they have decent guidance on pick out the right hardware.

Good luck. Let us know how you do.

joseph-- one thing to consider is what floors the kitchen floors run into... if you are indeed also in a small space, I'd vote for extending the same wood as in the rest of the space (if practical). Or, if the other flooring is carpeting or some other floor treatment, match how light/dark the other floors are with the value of the kitchen floor's wood color. The closer the two surfaces are in value, the less jarring the transition, and the more seamless the flow. That may at least give you a starting point.

I sold my townhome and am scaling down to a brand new flat instead. So I am choosing hardwood to place in the whole flat. Basically I'm starting from scratch again and leaving furniture behind/in storage with family that was just way too big to take with me in smaller quarters I've purchased (972 square feet). The kitchen itself, is galley style, with a breakfast area at one end that is about 9 x 9, with a large window facing south/southwest. Very sunny. I was originally thinking maple floor in a natural stain (ie. it's really varnished with no stain I suppose) an I was going to with the same cabinet in a shaker style (three inch flat frame, with recessed panel in middle) because it's the most transitional and not fussy. I was going to use greenish Uba Tuba granite for the counters. (I do want to keep the space relatively transitional for re-sale purposes, as the building is in a very traditional Toronto neighbourhood with Tudor and stucco mansions etc, and the likelihood of a buyer wanting very modern elements in the kitchen and bathrooms is minimal). One of the woods available that I like is a medium brown ash floor..it's light enough that you still see the grain variations..kind of like a milk chocolate brown. Do you think a clear maple cabinet would be too light or stark with this kind of floor? Or would you go with a pearwood (kind of salmony) or a light cherry (not the red cherry) cabinet. I'd like to stay away from a wenge stain as I'm using it in the master ensuite. In terms of the design of the flat, I'm going to go with more transitional elements, with the odd classic mid century piece perhaps. I have a good collection of original art that is fairly colourful to display, so the furniture itself will mostly be neutral, with colour in accents only.

Joseph-- Wow, sounds great so far. Totally envious.
In relation to your Wenge comment, if it were me, I would be inclined to actually TRY to use it elsewhere than just the bath/ensuite. I think repeated elements throughout (base boards--color and style--, electrical wall swtches, finish and style of faucets, wood finishes, stone-- i.e., using limestone as both a bathroom flooring AND the fireplace surround in the living room-- etc.) give really great flow and overall cohesion... and makes an empty flat "show" really well when it comes to resale time.
Let me think about the floor-to-cabinet color question some more though, armed with this new info. My head is swimming, but in a good way!
(I also suggest devouring any and all reference books and shelter mags you can, to find looks you like. Even if you like a lot of different things, once you've pulled pages form a ton of mags, you'll start to find your own trends.
As a quick react, the medium brown ash floor your describe, and Wenge cabinets (if they stay brownish instead of reddish) sounds REALLY amazing. Have you also possibly considered a colored wood laminate, like a gunmetal grey stained appearance (grain still apparent)? IKEA used to have an awesome grey/brown in their Tundra flooring line... could tie in well with a stone countertop slection in the kitchen.

(I'm also on a REALLY dark floor kick right now... so maybe reverse your use of Wnege in the bath to the rest of the space-- so, Wenge cabinets and a lighter floor in the bath, Wenge floors and lighter cabinets in the rest of the space...)

The wenge I'm using in the master ensuite is only for cabinets. I've decided on a boticello marble for the floors and counter, soaker tub surround, and inside the glass shower. It'll look very masculine and kinda spa like. Wood floors aren't good for the bath areas. I was going to put a limestone in the kitchen, but thought, I didn't want to stop the flow and chop up the rooms with other flooring. I'm using hardwood right from the foyer. I love texture, and a stone floor somewhere would be great, but I'll have to limit that to the ensuite. I'm also using wood floors in the powder room. I have clipped articles and pictures , and books...I think being a gemini I just have two looks I like, that being sleek, light, minimal, and kind of beach like, and then again, dark, comfortable, warm. My last place was maple natural hardwood, and cream all over, so I think I want something totally different, hence starting from scratch with furniture. I do like the furniture produced by Sarah Richardson
(www.sarahrichardsondesign.com)and I expect to pick up some of her pieces. Actually I love her work...she does a great job..you should check out her show website at www.designinc.ca (note it's not .com, it's .ca) But for flooring, wenge floors show scratches like mad. I tried to talk a friend out of wenge floors, and he's lived in his flat now for about 8 weeks and he says it's just destroyed already. I mean, if you can live with very visible scratch marks that's good,but i'm too anal.

Joseph--
Sarah's stuff is beautiful.
I was actually just talking about using the color of the Wenge, in perhaps an engineered or laminate flooring, to relate to the cabinet color in the bathroom, but carry it flat-wide. Or, instead of the flooring, repeat the Wenge cabinets in the kitchen. I just think "built in wood" should have some repetition throughout a house. What about the bathroom marble as your kitchen counters? (a la Garrick & Thecla's kitchen)
I think you would also like the work of Kelly Hoppen, although she is a little harder edged.

God, I wish that show Design Inc was on here!

joseph--
what does Sarah's furniture run, price-wise? LOVE her stuff!

Yup, I enjoy it too. The first piece I'll be ordering is the "George" loveseat size. It starts at about $2700 and up, depending on the fabric you choose for it. I believe that is without fabric, and fabric generally starts at $40 a yard, and up-up-up. The pictures of her work don't do it justice. Similarly there are
www.designerguys.com who do nice work, but again, their site offers teeny pictures. The granite I've chosen for the kitchen is a very dark dark green, and it has brown in it as well. It looks good with every wood, so I'm glad I made that choice.

Joseph--
It all sounds awesome. DId I mention I'm jealous?!?
I think I need to move to Canada! Or you can start sending me tapes of HGTV Canada!

Patrick
Thanks again for all the feedback.

J--
Hey, it's been great fun.
Keep us posted, here or my email.

I also love dark wood with a modern decor. I am not sure how the Wenge ages, if it becomes darker or lighter and if the dirt and/or scratches will show more.