apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I just signed a lease for a one bedroom apartments with a home office (like the ones featured in the Times article you posted). I would love some brainstorming help with how to decorate it. This is my first NY apartment that is not a studio or a one-bedroom. Right now I have my desk in my bedroom. I would like to use the home office for computer work (which is basically all I use my desk for), as well as a guest room for my parents when they visit. I am leaning towards using an aerobed rather than a sofabed. I have a limited budget.

sorry - apartment, not apartments!

Also, dimensions of the home office are 14'6" x 10'2". It only has three walls, so I also need ideas on how to create privacy (or the illusion thereof). So far, I have considered a screen, a curtain and a free-standing bookshelf.

An endorsement for all of you Domino Magazine subscribers - I made two of the no-bake pies (frozen lime and chocolate banana) featured in the first issue for a BBQ yesterday and they were a HIT - and soooo easy to make! My favorite was the frozen lime; creamy and cool and took about 15 minutes to whip up. The perfect dessert for hot summer nights.

As soon as they make Domino for Men, I will be all over it.

Just picked up Oprah at Home and even THAT seemed butch by comparison to Domin(atrix)

I seem to recall someone, perhaps Ptoo, saying that s/he designed some furniture and wanted to know of a place that could make the pieces. I just saw a post on Craig's List that offered such a service: http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/fur/82513804.html. I have no idea how good it is, though.

Ah, m, yes it was I. Thanks so much for the tip... and memory!

Lawgirl--
What other seating do you have planned? Not sure why you lean towards the AeroBed...

p(too)-
OK, kiddo, step up to the plate and have that stuff made so they can put it up on here and we can drool, and we can point it out to the people we know with gobs of cash, so they can buy it!

Lawgirl--

Have you considered a futon? I know it is a bit college-ish, but some can be really nice. Plus, the conversion to a couch can be a plus.

Also, I don't know your virtical space, but I am a huge fan of Metro Shelving. We have a small office/guest bedroom and one shelving unit really help conserve space and cut clutter. It goes w/ everything, more or less, and is not expensive.

Lawgirl. I agree with Chris--a futon or possibly a daybed. West Elm has some nice options that won't kill you. The Moroccan Daybed with futon mattress is my favorite of their selection. If you have the room, that could be a really versatile piece for the room. (I've slept on an Aero bed, so I'm not a real big fan. In fact, I've opted to stay someplace else when my only option has been an Aero bed. But, uh, that's me... Maybe your folks would be more forgiving?)

Or maybe discouraging her parents from long stays is her intent. :)

Ha ha Patrick :) I am trying to achieve a happpy medium between too much and too little encouragement.

My parents are in their 70's so comfort is a major factor. I thought a futon would be too uncomfortable - at least one that I can afford. My move will be expensive and my rent will be doubling, plus I need a new couch, chairs and coffee table for the living room, a t.v., and an entertainment unit. I don't know if I can afford a futon that will have a comfortable mattress in addition to all that. I was considering getting the raised full size aerobed, which gets them off the ground and (I thought) was supposed to be pretty comfortable. Is this not so? Another option is to get a sofabed for the living room and just let them sleep there rather than the home office (since I have to buy a new living room sofa anyway), but that's kind of inconvenient. I will check out West Elm and Metro shelving. Thanks

Enrique check out my post on the shelving thread today about the West Elm futon. I need a futon for an office to also accomodate parents and other overnight guests, but we have very limited space.

I am in need of a small stylish futon that will fold out to less than 53" front to back. Any good suggestions? The room has the p-seris office set from Boltz Steel Furniture (www.boltz.com)

Oh to answer your other question Patrick about other seating, I don't know. I couldn't really put too much in there if there is to be room for an aerobed - maybe just an armchair for reading.

I've slept on both a futon and an aerobed, and I find the aerobed deluxe MUCH more comfortable than any futon or sofabed that I've slept on.

I'd say if you ideally would like/could use additional seating in the space, go with a small-scale sofa bed.

I know my Mom would not be able to deal with the low level of either a futon or Aero Bed. Hell, *I* can barely get down to Aero Bed level these days. Well, I suppose it depends on the specific incentive to do so... ;)

Hi

This is the raised aerobed. It is supposed to be the same height as a regular bed.
http://www.thinkaero.com/retail/RaisedAeroBedNew.asp


You may be right about the sofabed option, since that will also take care of seating. I'm just concerned about comfort because I have always found sofabeds to be really uncomfortable.

Any suggestions on where to get a comfortable sofabed for cheap?

also any other thoughts on room dividers, storage space, lighting or other decorating ideas?

I think "sofa bed for cheap" is why you have perhaps always found sofa beds to be uncomfortable. Truly a category where you get what you pay for, I am afraid.

I found a Jacobsen side chair/Series 7 chair on the street on garbage day and grabbed it. However, it's missing a leg (which is obviously why it was on the street) and so I'm trying to find a place to get a replacement base/legs. Any ideas? I can't even figure out if this is authentic or a knock-off because websites don't show the bottom of the chair. Well, except for Room and Board, so I know it's not the Jake chair. Aargh. Why do I have a feeling it's going to end up on the street again?

re: Jacobsen side chair/Series 7
I'd look for a trashed match (more likely, trashed knock off) and repurpose the legs . . . craigslist or freeshare perhaps?

Lawgirl. You might want to check out the Allerum sofabed at IKEA--$349 including removable slipcover (beige or dark grey). Probably not the best quality (you'll have to test-drive it at the store yourself to find out). But for that price, you can't complain too much about a piece of furniture that does double-duty, is priced reasonably well, and has a nice clean look. I think it's a better option than an Aero bed, and not that much more expensive.

Jeremy. You have a bigger budget, right? There are a few great options at DWR priced between $1100-1500 that seem like they'd fit your style. And, oh yeah, I feel your pain about the sub-standard quality of SOME West Elm pieces. I had the godawful platform bed with the slats that kept breaking. (It really did a number on my back.) But I also have the curved chair in white vinyl and chrome--and it seems to be holding well. Last time I had a party, a 200-pound guy sat on it most of the night and it held up really well.

Ikea's ALLERUM sofa bed is a great idea. I've lounged on one, and it's surprisingly comfortable. It also comes in a nice deep orange . . . or it did . . .

Is there something about those AT contests that hypnotizes people to post here afterwards?
Curtis, Enrique . . . how did I get here? How long will it last?

Law girl -- there's no rule that you have to buy all of your furniture at once. Deal with your main furniture right now and then worry about the incidentals... Apartments are best when you slowly decorate and bring everything together, rather than buying some quick suite of furniture that looks like it all came off the showroom floor together. If getting anything other than a airbed is going to break the bank right now, don't do it. Besides, I purposefully chose to get a loveseat rather than a couch so that my apartment doesn't attract guests -- my ex's best friend who lived with us for so long that I moved out first. If you really do want your parents to stay with you before you buy the perfect guest room solution, you can always sleep on the couch instead.

Martha Stewart’s Prison Nickname Is Better Than Yours, Too
(just read this on gawker.com)

Vanity Fair has Martha Stewart on its next cover, and what she has to say isn’t particularly surprising. She’s not sorry (“You can’t be sorry for something that — let’s see, how can I say this? I’m on appeal. You don’t appeal if you think that you should be sorry.”), house arrest is no fun (“I hate lockdown. It’s hideous.”), and her forthcoming ripoff of The Apprentice won’t go so far as to ripoff The Donald’s trademark phrase (“For instance, if someone is from Idaho, I could say, ‘You’re back in Boise for apple-picking time.’”). It’s just so much fluffy VF blah blah blah, we were figuring.

Except for this: Her prison nickname was M. Diddy.

Which is sort of brilliant.

Stewart Says Prison Nickname ‘M. Diddy’ [AP via Yahoo!]

Lawgirl--

I'd encourage you to get an armless futon with a great mattress. The armless part will make it seem less like a futon; the great mattress will make you and your guests comfortable.

As to your home office, I personally find the lay-out of the much-hated office cubicle to be the most comfortable for working and, if you agree, I'd set up like that. You could do it without spending much money by getting some file cabinets and then planning your workspace to hold your computer, printer, scanner, books, etc. as ergonomically and comfortably as you can. (I outfitted my closets with tons of shelves for practically no money by going to a lumber place and having them cut wood to size for me; I then painted the shelves.)

For privacy, you could hang some curtains from the ceiling that would close off your office or else you could use screens or other options.

I remember an amazing home office I drooled over in the apartment contest on this web site. The owner had turned a closet into an office and it was fabulous.

Good luck to you! I'm green with envy.

Lawgirl -

Have you looked at the Trio Pouf with tray table at dwr? Its basically an ottoman with a matching tray that fits on the top so it can be used as a side table. The ottoman unfolds into a single sleeping mattress. I suppose you could stack the mattresses if you needed more height. Maybe a couple (or 4 if you wanted double height for 2 people) of these would do the trick and you wouldn't have to compromise on the comfort of your sofa - and you'd have some nifty side tables. I think they are on sale now (about $120 each).

Storehouse has an ottoman that opens into a single bed (and other places also offer similar things, like a "chair and a half" that's also a single sleeper). This could perhaps give you a place to sleep while your visiting parents sleep in your bed?

This blog posting was of great use in learning new information and also in exchanging our views. Thank you.

Chris Scanlon

http://www.aerobedcomfort.com