For my real life friends who have been confused by some posts, I have answers: yes, the posts are out of chronological order; no, we did not withdraw the offer on the apartment by the train station; yes - we signed a contract and passed the co-op board's review after completing our 100 page application; no - we don't have an exact closing date yet; yes - it should be soon - the contract says 'on or around January 15th.'
And thank you for reading and paying attention! I am so grateful for the comments, links, and e-mails. I think I have at least seven readers now, one for every day of the week, so I can't complain :)
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Color
I am watching the show "Color Correction" on HGTV for the first time, and they're working on a couple's bedroom (the host seems plucky and resourceful, but is painting the bedroom an odd bright blue and using chocolate accents, which I'm not feeling). All this is making me think about our future MBR. The color Benjamin Moore recommended for that room is HC-102, Clarksville Gray (I think it is warmer and has a greener tinge in person, but we are of course going to test out all the colors on our walls before we buy gallons and gallons of paint). The ceiling/trim paint they recommend is China White.
Since D. and I moved in together two years ago, we had been sleeping on and using my old bedroom furniture, and the set belongs to my parents (the bed is also a full and we could use larger). We decided the old set couldn't take another move, so it will stay at my parents' when we leave. My parents have generously offered to buy us a new bedroom set when we move; we will be repainting everything; and also ripping up the semi-grungy carpet currently in the MBR (we're not sure if there are nice hard wood floors underneath, like the rest of the apartment, if we'll have to do work on it to fix it up, or if we will just recarpet).
So essentially, the MBR will be the room that is completely started from scratch and I want it to be beautiful. So far we have the paint ideas, know that there is a bay window, and that is about it. One of my Chanukah gifts from D. was The Color Design Source Book by Caroline Clifton-Mogg. It is a beautiful book that was a refresher for an art history major and includes great photography by Alan Williams. In the introduction, Clifton-Mogg includes a very detailed late eighteenth-century German color wheel, which I matched against my paint chips, to find complimentary colors. In the case of Clarksville Gray, I think the right color might be a wine-red. I have an old Target duvet in that color, so may go with that (and my wedding bouquet, currently dried, is that color too, so I hope this works out!).
We also have to figure out the furniture and art. We both agreed on the image from this art poster printed by the museum at our alma mater. It has the beautiful reds I love, and I think if we frame it, it might work. Is it weird to have a nude in the bedroom?? Could the background color of the image work as another accent color?
In Clifton-Mogg's book, the few colors that are similar to HC-102 are paired with dark wood furniture and floors, cream accents, and red accessories. I'm feeling fairly confident about this scheme, but would appreciate comments, opinions, and any ideas for furniture!
Since D. and I moved in together two years ago, we had been sleeping on and using my old bedroom furniture, and the set belongs to my parents (the bed is also a full and we could use larger). We decided the old set couldn't take another move, so it will stay at my parents' when we leave. My parents have generously offered to buy us a new bedroom set when we move; we will be repainting everything; and also ripping up the semi-grungy carpet currently in the MBR (we're not sure if there are nice hard wood floors underneath, like the rest of the apartment, if we'll have to do work on it to fix it up, or if we will just recarpet).
So essentially, the MBR will be the room that is completely started from scratch and I want it to be beautiful. So far we have the paint ideas, know that there is a bay window, and that is about it. One of my Chanukah gifts from D. was The Color Design Source Book by Caroline Clifton-Mogg. It is a beautiful book that was a refresher for an art history major and includes great photography by Alan Williams. In the introduction, Clifton-Mogg includes a very detailed late eighteenth-century German color wheel, which I matched against my paint chips, to find complimentary colors. In the case of Clarksville Gray, I think the right color might be a wine-red. I have an old Target duvet in that color, so may go with that (and my wedding bouquet, currently dried, is that color too, so I hope this works out!).
We also have to figure out the furniture and art. We both agreed on the image from this art poster printed by the museum at our alma mater. It has the beautiful reds I love, and I think if we frame it, it might work. Is it weird to have a nude in the bedroom?? Could the background color of the image work as another accent color?
In Clifton-Mogg's book, the few colors that are similar to HC-102 are paired with dark wood furniture and floors, cream accents, and red accessories. I'm feeling fairly confident about this scheme, but would appreciate comments, opinions, and any ideas for furniture!
Friday, December 14, 2007
The Roof Is On Fire
You don't withdraw an offer on a house and not feel a little regret. At some point, you were willing to shell out the time, money, and energy on it and that doesn't go away. Even the relief of getting out of a potentially dangerous property doesn't help when you're explaining your story over and over, realizing you're staying with your parents' for at least weeks more, and thinking of restarting your search.
About two weeks after we withdrew our offer, I came home from work and my mother said, "I got an interesting call today." A woman with whom she is friendly - who lives around the corner from the bungalow that was almost ours - called her that morning to tell her that the house we were going to buy burned to the ground the night before. Yes. It burned down. The woman awoke to sirens and flames so went outside with the rest of the neighbors to see the house burning.
The house had been on the market for a few months, had at least one offer withdrawn, and had a resident who had already bought another house. Of course, everyone thought arson, though it was initially named an electrical fire. I felt absolutely sick and thought how close we could have been to being moved in (and could have owned it by then - the owner had been really ready to go). I felt even sicker when I realized I had a copy of the recent inspection report and dozens of photos of the house - I knew they were investigating and hoped they did not need to get in touch for evidence.
Last month, we found out that the Fire Marshall's investigation proved it was an electrical fire and there was no crime. I'm glad because, in a neighborhood with houses so close to each other, the thought of someone purposely starting a fire is infuriating. I'm also obviously glad that we weren't in the house at the time.
The entire experience in the Bronx really knocked us down. It took us a few weeks to get back into looking for places, we learned that you can't predict how anything will turn out, and we were incredibly pessimistic. We didn't trust anyone, we expected the worst, and realized this real estate thing is something you can't control. It was then that we became the perfect buyers -- just so jaded.
About two weeks after we withdrew our offer, I came home from work and my mother said, "I got an interesting call today." A woman with whom she is friendly - who lives around the corner from the bungalow that was almost ours - called her that morning to tell her that the house we were going to buy burned to the ground the night before. Yes. It burned down. The woman awoke to sirens and flames so went outside with the rest of the neighbors to see the house burning.
The house had been on the market for a few months, had at least one offer withdrawn, and had a resident who had already bought another house. Of course, everyone thought arson, though it was initially named an electrical fire. I felt absolutely sick and thought how close we could have been to being moved in (and could have owned it by then - the owner had been really ready to go). I felt even sicker when I realized I had a copy of the recent inspection report and dozens of photos of the house - I knew they were investigating and hoped they did not need to get in touch for evidence.
Last month, we found out that the Fire Marshall's investigation proved it was an electrical fire and there was no crime. I'm glad because, in a neighborhood with houses so close to each other, the thought of someone purposely starting a fire is infuriating. I'm also obviously glad that we weren't in the house at the time.
The entire experience in the Bronx really knocked us down. It took us a few weeks to get back into looking for places, we learned that you can't predict how anything will turn out, and we were incredibly pessimistic. We didn't trust anyone, we expected the worst, and realized this real estate thing is something you can't control. It was then that we became the perfect buyers -- just so jaded.
The Bungalow
On December 11, I marked six months at my current job. Which means that I've been living with my folks for over six months now. This past summer, when D. and I first came up to NY from Philly, we moved in with my parents as a temporary solution. We were going to save money, not pay exorbitant rent in NY, D. could work on changing careers, we could spend some QT with my family - it was great (and I naively told D. that I was totally sure we would be all moved in to a place we would buy in three months - tops). We had our sublet in Philly available for weekend trips, kept our summer clothes in my old closet at my parents', moved everything else into their garage, and promised my mother she'd have her garage back before the first snowfall.
We were focused on the Bronx in the beginning of our search - it is one of the last un-gentrified areas in NY, works for a commute to Manhattan, where my job is, and is a half-hour from my parents'. As I've learned these past few months, EVERYONE has an opinion on where you should live - whether they know you or not; know your financial situation or not; know your goals or not. But we did hear a few recommendations for certain neighborhoods and checked them out. We eventually focused in on one neighborhood that had a number of tiny houses for sale. It was right near the water, had a private walk by Long Island Sound, and was a well-priced working class neighborhood. The houses had been built as bungalows in the early 20th century - 'vacation homes' for Manhattanites.
After looking at about seven houses there, we narrowed it down to two, and then decided we were willing to do work, but not as much work as one would require, so made an offer on the other. We got a counter offer and accepted. This was early August. We were on our way to reaching my in-and-out-in-under-three-month goal.
The week after we made the offer, D. successfully changed careers and accepted a job offer with a firm in New Jersey. So - we realized - the commute from the East Bronx wouldn't be great for him, but we would deal. Then we got the house inspected. I wasn't there (D. went with his brother and the inspector), so was really curious to see what they would find. Well - the roof wasn't up to code, there were no gutters so rain fell into the wall, and D. watched as the inspector was able to push an outside wall in like a piece of cardboard. We didn't make an immediate decision but, about a week later (after stalling on the mortgage application and postponing an appointment), just looked at each other and decided to nix it. We withdrew our offer, declined the realtor's requests to show us more houses in the neighborhood, and breathed a sigh of relief... except now fall was approaching and were starting from the beginning.
We were focused on the Bronx in the beginning of our search - it is one of the last un-gentrified areas in NY, works for a commute to Manhattan, where my job is, and is a half-hour from my parents'. As I've learned these past few months, EVERYONE has an opinion on where you should live - whether they know you or not; know your financial situation or not; know your goals or not. But we did hear a few recommendations for certain neighborhoods and checked them out. We eventually focused in on one neighborhood that had a number of tiny houses for sale. It was right near the water, had a private walk by Long Island Sound, and was a well-priced working class neighborhood. The houses had been built as bungalows in the early 20th century - 'vacation homes' for Manhattanites.
After looking at about seven houses there, we narrowed it down to two, and then decided we were willing to do work, but not as much work as one would require, so made an offer on the other. We got a counter offer and accepted. This was early August. We were on our way to reaching my in-and-out-in-under-three-month goal.
The week after we made the offer, D. successfully changed careers and accepted a job offer with a firm in New Jersey. So - we realized - the commute from the East Bronx wouldn't be great for him, but we would deal. Then we got the house inspected. I wasn't there (D. went with his brother and the inspector), so was really curious to see what they would find. Well - the roof wasn't up to code, there were no gutters so rain fell into the wall, and D. watched as the inspector was able to push an outside wall in like a piece of cardboard. We didn't make an immediate decision but, about a week later (after stalling on the mortgage application and postponing an appointment), just looked at each other and decided to nix it. We withdrew our offer, declined the realtor's requests to show us more houses in the neighborhood, and breathed a sigh of relief... except now fall was approaching and were starting from the beginning.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Mrs. Dorothy Draper
Yesterday, I was given Dorothy Draper's Decorating is Fun!: How to Be Your Own Decorator as a holiday gift. I've been browsing through it for the past few days and I can't recommend it highly enough, especially if you're looking for a housewarming gift.
Originally published in 1939, the hardcover was reissued recently, with its original blue and white striped dust jacket (Mrs. Draper loves her bright stripes), and is a charming and hysterical glimpse into pre-war society life, as well as an actually useful decorating manual. While I wouldn't want her WASPy stripes-and-chintz-in-every-room style dominating my place, Mrs. Draper did open my eyes to the importance of things like the heights of tables, scale and balance of furniture arrangements, and the color of doors.
Mrs. Draper (yes, it is her real name, though not her birth name, as she married Dr. George Draper in 1912) tells us not to follow trends (except with lampshades - like hats, they go in and out of style and are an inexpensive way to be modern), that color is our friend, and that we have to be considerate of all the residents of our homes. She illustrates her points with black and white (was there anything else?) sketches and photos, in addition to 'case studies'.
We hear the case study of Mrs. Valentine who isolated Mr. Valentine and their large son Johnny by creating a delicate and pink parlor (Mr. Valentine now spends his nights at the club instead of with Mrs. Valentine, as he is afraid of breaking things). She tells us of Isabel Smart (yes, Mrs. Draper changed the names to protect the innocent and those with bad taste), a young girl who came to the big city to make her fortune, and now has more friends and beaux than she knows what to do with after she redecorated her studio apartment (she made it a place where everyone wants to sit and listen to the baseball game on a Saturday afternoon). And - after old maid Miss Susan Silver's mother died - we learn how she redecorated her bland house and made herself over to match the house, resulting in a life of friends, parties, and great success.
Look past the fact that it is dated (her bedroom schemes include separate single beds) and not a little sexist ("Men and dogs love an open fire - and they show good sense."). Her work is cheery ("most modern kitchens are models of sparkling efficiency."), encouraging ("now's the time to haul out all your Yankee ingenuity and dust it off."), and ultimately to-the-point ("Without benefit of technical knowledge or mumbo jumbo, we have found five most powerful friends to guide us: Courage, Color, Balance, Smart Accessories, and Comfort."). How can I complain about the woman who says, "The home is the backdrop of your life, whether it is a palace or a one-room apartment. It should honestly be your own - an expression of your personality."
Mrs. Draper may have been the original Swell girl, also published Entertaining is Fun!: How to be a Popular Hostess, and was featured in a recent retrospective at The Museum of the City of New York (New York Magazine calls her "anti-Minimalist"). I expect to turn to the book often when we move and may even use Mrs. Draper's cut-out furniture pages to lay out potential floor plans. Our 950 square foot apartment might not be much but, as Mrs. Draper says, "You can take a chicken coop and get more pleasure out of it than a marble palace - just as long as you do it with an air!"
Originally published in 1939, the hardcover was reissued recently, with its original blue and white striped dust jacket (Mrs. Draper loves her bright stripes), and is a charming and hysterical glimpse into pre-war society life, as well as an actually useful decorating manual. While I wouldn't want her WASPy stripes-and-chintz-in-every-room style dominating my place, Mrs. Draper did open my eyes to the importance of things like the heights of tables, scale and balance of furniture arrangements, and the color of doors.
Mrs. Draper (yes, it is her real name, though not her birth name, as she married Dr. George Draper in 1912) tells us not to follow trends (except with lampshades - like hats, they go in and out of style and are an inexpensive way to be modern), that color is our friend, and that we have to be considerate of all the residents of our homes. She illustrates her points with black and white (was there anything else?) sketches and photos, in addition to 'case studies'.
We hear the case study of Mrs. Valentine who isolated Mr. Valentine and their large son Johnny by creating a delicate and pink parlor (Mr. Valentine now spends his nights at the club instead of with Mrs. Valentine, as he is afraid of breaking things). She tells us of Isabel Smart (yes, Mrs. Draper changed the names to protect the innocent and those with bad taste), a young girl who came to the big city to make her fortune, and now has more friends and beaux than she knows what to do with after she redecorated her studio apartment (she made it a place where everyone wants to sit and listen to the baseball game on a Saturday afternoon). And - after old maid Miss Susan Silver's mother died - we learn how she redecorated her bland house and made herself over to match the house, resulting in a life of friends, parties, and great success.
Look past the fact that it is dated (her bedroom schemes include separate single beds) and not a little sexist ("Men and dogs love an open fire - and they show good sense."). Her work is cheery ("most modern kitchens are models of sparkling efficiency."), encouraging ("now's the time to haul out all your Yankee ingenuity and dust it off."), and ultimately to-the-point ("Without benefit of technical knowledge or mumbo jumbo, we have found five most powerful friends to guide us: Courage, Color, Balance, Smart Accessories, and Comfort."). How can I complain about the woman who says, "The home is the backdrop of your life, whether it is a palace or a one-room apartment. It should honestly be your own - an expression of your personality."
Mrs. Draper may have been the original Swell girl, also published Entertaining is Fun!: How to be a Popular Hostess, and was featured in a recent retrospective at The Museum of the City of New York (New York Magazine calls her "anti-Minimalist"). I expect to turn to the book often when we move and may even use Mrs. Draper's cut-out furniture pages to lay out potential floor plans. Our 950 square foot apartment might not be much but, as Mrs. Draper says, "You can take a chicken coop and get more pleasure out of it than a marble palace - just as long as you do it with an air!"
Friday, December 7, 2007
Yes, I Locked That Man's Children In, and Him Out
So, in between my CB2 and C&B links is the ubiquitous Craigslist link. I always felt sketchy looking on Craigslist (except for the 'missed connections' section - who doesn't love that?), but D. was getting obsessed and was showing me some great furniture (and some terrible furniture) available nearby, so ultimately I agreed to go look at some dining room chairs, as long as he did the e-mailing and driving.
A note on why we are constantly searching for chairs - we tend to have problems with them because D. is 6'5" and, as fit as he is, he is just too big for a lot of furniture. So while the table from our $99 Ikea table/chair set has held up well, D. has broken two of the four chairs. He also flopped onto our Ikea futon once and cracked the wooden frame. By the time we were moving out of our first apartment, he had broken four panels, so we pitched it. Edited to shout out Mommychicky and assume she remembers sitting on our futon pillow in lieu of a couch at Chestnut St.!
Anyway, D. makes an appointment to go see this guy in a neighboring town one evening at 7:30. I am convinced he is going to be an axe murderer, but when I call him on the drive over to confirm the time/place, he has a kind Irish accent and I hear kids in the background. I pronounce his Celtic name wrong and sound like a moron - he probably thinks I'm the crazy. We get to his rowhome, walk up the steep flight of stairs, see lots of Halloween decorations (it was in October), and he and his adorable children open the door for us. He brings us up to the attic and the little girl (think the little one in In America) follows, telling me all about her Halloween costume (she's going to be a princess). The dining room chairs aren't as good as they looked in the photos, but he has these two awesome Deco bar stools that we decided to buy on the cheap (actual ones are in my parents' garage with the rest of our stuff, similar ones here).
So he and D. carry them down the two flights of stairs, outside, and he offers to carry one down the hill to the car. I pay him, and start to walk out. The kids, so excited by this unusual weeknight event of random visitors, follow me and talk more about their Halloween costumes (the older one is going to be an astronaut). It's chilly, and they are in their bare feet, so I say goodbye and close the door to make sure they don't run out after us. And it locks. Automatically. And the dad is bringing my stool to my car. He comes back and I apologize profusely and ask if he has keys. He doesn't. He tries to get the older one to open it inside, but little astronaut just bolts the door further. We offer him our cell and he leaves a message for his wife (she's at yoga - the poor woman probably has one night a week of relaxation and then gets this message). I'm flipping out but he tells us to leave (really - glares and says, 'Just Go.'). I'm getting panicky, but he tells me he'll just break into a window if he has to. So D. drags me away b/c obviously the guy wants nothing more to do with me. We go and I am waiting to be told that the kids burned down the house or something, but the guy had D.'s cell and e-mail and was never in touch with a lawsuit, so I'm assuming it all worked out. So yes, I locked that man's children in, and him out (and have the bar stools to prove it).
A note on why we are constantly searching for chairs - we tend to have problems with them because D. is 6'5" and, as fit as he is, he is just too big for a lot of furniture. So while the table from our $99 Ikea table/chair set has held up well, D. has broken two of the four chairs. He also flopped onto our Ikea futon once and cracked the wooden frame. By the time we were moving out of our first apartment, he had broken four panels, so we pitched it. Edited to shout out Mommychicky and assume she remembers sitting on our futon pillow in lieu of a couch at Chestnut St.!
Anyway, D. makes an appointment to go see this guy in a neighboring town one evening at 7:30. I am convinced he is going to be an axe murderer, but when I call him on the drive over to confirm the time/place, he has a kind Irish accent and I hear kids in the background. I pronounce his Celtic name wrong and sound like a moron - he probably thinks I'm the crazy. We get to his rowhome, walk up the steep flight of stairs, see lots of Halloween decorations (it was in October), and he and his adorable children open the door for us. He brings us up to the attic and the little girl (think the little one in In America) follows, telling me all about her Halloween costume (she's going to be a princess). The dining room chairs aren't as good as they looked in the photos, but he has these two awesome Deco bar stools that we decided to buy on the cheap (actual ones are in my parents' garage with the rest of our stuff, similar ones here).
So he and D. carry them down the two flights of stairs, outside, and he offers to carry one down the hill to the car. I pay him, and start to walk out. The kids, so excited by this unusual weeknight event of random visitors, follow me and talk more about their Halloween costumes (the older one is going to be an astronaut). It's chilly, and they are in their bare feet, so I say goodbye and close the door to make sure they don't run out after us. And it locks. Automatically. And the dad is bringing my stool to my car. He comes back and I apologize profusely and ask if he has keys. He doesn't. He tries to get the older one to open it inside, but little astronaut just bolts the door further. We offer him our cell and he leaves a message for his wife (she's at yoga - the poor woman probably has one night a week of relaxation and then gets this message). I'm flipping out but he tells us to leave (really - glares and says, 'Just Go.'). I'm getting panicky, but he tells me he'll just break into a window if he has to. So D. drags me away b/c obviously the guy wants nothing more to do with me. We go and I am waiting to be told that the kids burned down the house or something, but the guy had D.'s cell and e-mail and was never in touch with a lawsuit, so I'm assuming it all worked out. So yes, I locked that man's children in, and him out (and have the bar stools to prove it).
Thursday, December 6, 2007
CB2, C&B, and L.
I just returned from my second visit to the CB2 store in SoHo on my lunch break, and it was next on my link list, so I figured I'd start to jot some things down.
This store is just really, really fun and cool! I registered at Crate and Barrel for my wedding, and we have bought sale furniture from there, but CB2 has great gifts, is cheaper, and will definitely be a huge temptation once I move and can see how everything fits into the new place. It is a nice mix of high-end Ikea and lower-end C&B merch and, while there are only three stores in the country right now, the only one outside of Chicago is a half-mile walk from my office. The employees are your typical SoHo types - but a lot more fun and cheerful than the hipsters working at some of their neighboring stores; the displays are laid out really well; and - so far - it hasn't been totally mobbed inside.
I went to CB2 today to buy a gift for L., my co-worker who is the person who has everything and can afford anything she could ever want. A side-note about her, because she is the most interesting person I've met this year, and a design inspiration herself.
L. is in her late 60s and has been a player in the art world for years: as gallery owner, museum curator, and board member of several museums. She also has the most interesting apartment I've ever seen, with mind-blowing art and furniture. I was lucky enough to attend a party of hers, and saw pieces by Dada artists, given to her by the artists themselves late in their careers, in addition to interesting sculpture, mirrors, and a billiard dining room table. And a crazy fun red chaise lounge! I didn't know apartments like hers really existed in Manhattan. It isn't a typical 'luxury' building, but is very old-New-York: grand (it is a duplex with a two-floor living room), but cozy (elevator operator instead of a doorman; fireplace) in a neighborhood that was probably a little too far north and west when she bought it, but now is about as upper-crusty as it gets.
L. was kind enough to do a favor for me recently, so I wanted to get her something in thanks. I know that I can't play in her financial/jewelry/art league, but I think she'll appreciate the appetizer servers and plates - view them here and here; as well as an abaca ball (who knew it had a name?) for all the entertaining she does.
Okay - I'm updating this post because L. just opened her gifts, LOVED them, and generously called the appetizer plates "Franco-Japanese" (I mean, these were $2.50 each!), said they were her style exactly, and she didn't want to wait to use them for entertaining, but wants to use them immediately. She also told me that the abaca balls are so named because of the fiber. We then went on to discuss chaise lounges (as you'll see, an odd fixation of mine) and some decorating ideas for the new apartment.
This store is just really, really fun and cool! I registered at Crate and Barrel for my wedding, and we have bought sale furniture from there, but CB2 has great gifts, is cheaper, and will definitely be a huge temptation once I move and can see how everything fits into the new place. It is a nice mix of high-end Ikea and lower-end C&B merch and, while there are only three stores in the country right now, the only one outside of Chicago is a half-mile walk from my office. The employees are your typical SoHo types - but a lot more fun and cheerful than the hipsters working at some of their neighboring stores; the displays are laid out really well; and - so far - it hasn't been totally mobbed inside.
I went to CB2 today to buy a gift for L., my co-worker who is the person who has everything and can afford anything she could ever want. A side-note about her, because she is the most interesting person I've met this year, and a design inspiration herself.
L. is in her late 60s and has been a player in the art world for years: as gallery owner, museum curator, and board member of several museums. She also has the most interesting apartment I've ever seen, with mind-blowing art and furniture. I was lucky enough to attend a party of hers, and saw pieces by Dada artists, given to her by the artists themselves late in their careers, in addition to interesting sculpture, mirrors, and a billiard dining room table. And a crazy fun red chaise lounge! I didn't know apartments like hers really existed in Manhattan. It isn't a typical 'luxury' building, but is very old-New-York: grand (it is a duplex with a two-floor living room), but cozy (elevator operator instead of a doorman; fireplace) in a neighborhood that was probably a little too far north and west when she bought it, but now is about as upper-crusty as it gets.
L. was kind enough to do a favor for me recently, so I wanted to get her something in thanks. I know that I can't play in her financial/jewelry/art league, but I think she'll appreciate the appetizer servers and plates - view them here and here; as well as an abaca ball (who knew it had a name?) for all the entertaining she does.
Okay - I'm updating this post because L. just opened her gifts, LOVED them, and generously called the appetizer plates "Franco-Japanese" (I mean, these were $2.50 each!), said they were her style exactly, and she didn't want to wait to use them for entertaining, but wants to use them immediately. She also told me that the abaca balls are so named because of the fiber. We then went on to discuss chaise lounges (as you'll see, an odd fixation of mine) and some decorating ideas for the new apartment.
My Links, A & B
As you see to the right, I have a number of inspiring links (not to mention my favorite people's blogs - plug plug plug!), which I figured I’d explain. Today, I’ll do A&B.
I was lucky enough to be employed at ARTnews for a few years, and truly think their magazine is a great combination of snooty-but-groovy high art and People-Magazine-type LCD readability. As much as they’re a major part of the art world, they still maintain a ‘can-you-believe-this-piece-sold-for-ten-million-dollars-let’s-find-out-why’ attitude in their writing. I saw firsthand that some readers complain about their occasional gossipy style, while others complained of their esoteric articles, but it’s a beautiful magazine and they’ve really improved their Web site in the past few years.
The Benjamin Moore Color Makeover site was incredible. My only dorms/apartments have all been rental institutional-white and I never changed the stark walls and Venetian blind scheme in any of them. So after we signed our contract, I submitted photos of five spaces in the new place (foyer, LR/dining area, office/2BR, kitchen, and MBR) to Benjamin Moore; wrote 500 words about me & D.; reassured them that the photos were taken with the sellers’ lavender walls, heavy wood blinds covering the amazing bay windows, and mint-green kitchen, so they did not need to try to match those; paid them $54; and then, ten days later, received two color-schemes for our new place! And they definitely got it right. One scheme was great – though not so much our style – and the other one was perfect. I secretly wanted a red kitchen, and D. really wanted one blue room. We didn’t tell them this at all, but they came back with beautiful taupes for the foyer and LR, a French blue for the office, a Tuscan red for the kitchen, and the most beautiful warm green-gray for the MBR. I don’t think I ever would have found any of the colors by myself, and we’re going to go full-throttle and paint the entire place in the suggested colors (for those of you who know me, this is very un-me to give over control like this). The colors all work with each other, D. and I agree on the scheme, it reflects a mix of our tastes, and they even include a ceiling-white that goes with all the colors. I’m assuming this will happen in January and I look forward to posting photos then!
I was lucky enough to be employed at ARTnews for a few years, and truly think their magazine is a great combination of snooty-but-groovy high art and People-Magazine-type LCD readability. As much as they’re a major part of the art world, they still maintain a ‘can-you-believe-this-piece-sold-for-ten-million-dollars-let’s-find-out-why’ attitude in their writing. I saw firsthand that some readers complain about their occasional gossipy style, while others complained of their esoteric articles, but it’s a beautiful magazine and they’ve really improved their Web site in the past few years.
The Benjamin Moore Color Makeover site was incredible. My only dorms/apartments have all been rental institutional-white and I never changed the stark walls and Venetian blind scheme in any of them. So after we signed our contract, I submitted photos of five spaces in the new place (foyer, LR/dining area, office/2BR, kitchen, and MBR) to Benjamin Moore; wrote 500 words about me & D.; reassured them that the photos were taken with the sellers’ lavender walls, heavy wood blinds covering the amazing bay windows, and mint-green kitchen, so they did not need to try to match those; paid them $54; and then, ten days later, received two color-schemes for our new place! And they definitely got it right. One scheme was great – though not so much our style – and the other one was perfect. I secretly wanted a red kitchen, and D. really wanted one blue room. We didn’t tell them this at all, but they came back with beautiful taupes for the foyer and LR, a French blue for the office, a Tuscan red for the kitchen, and the most beautiful warm green-gray for the MBR. I don’t think I ever would have found any of the colors by myself, and we’re going to go full-throttle and paint the entire place in the suggested colors (for those of you who know me, this is very un-me to give over control like this). The colors all work with each other, D. and I agree on the scheme, it reflects a mix of our tastes, and they even include a ceiling-white that goes with all the colors. I’m assuming this will happen in January and I look forward to posting photos then!
All Abode
Last night D. gave me two awesome design books (links later) for Chanukah, so I figured now would be as good of a time as ever to actually start to post to this blog. I've been obsessively, well, obsessing over design, my living situation, and my desire to close and move into our apartment since the summer, and certain friends and family members have strongly recommended that I put it all in writing. Do they think people would actually be interested in what I have to say? Are they just sick of hearing me talk about paint colors and want me to take it elsewhere? We’ll see, but, I guess, all abode.
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