H&H roars into fall with a great lead story, "Back Off Buatta: Craig Is My Decorator," which speaks to our heartland. It has color! It has Craigslist! It has a great back story! And it's written by Penelope Green, who seems to have been stolen away from the Real Estate section for another of her star turns. As MJ, who sent us the link to this story, says, "I'm in love with the eccentric-ness of it!"
TOP STORIES
- In a Brooklyn Bayou: A New Orleans architecture firm, Ledbetter Fullerton Architects, relocates to Brooklyn with families in tow - all 17 of them. Inspiring. As the writer puts it, it's a "modern-day wagon train."
- A Scholar Tackles the Wash: Guy Decor's latest. This is a nice review of Cheryl Mendelson's new book, "Laundry," which is all about the importance of doing the laundry. You will remember that she is the author of "Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House," which we love.
- Q&A - Comely Lamp Cords?: Good tips here on upgrading from regular old white and brown plastic.
- Everything Is Illuminated: LED technology has gone crazy. Light is getting into everything. Here's a good primer.
- Personal Shopper - Tables and Chairs for Children: Another great roundup for those parents who want some chic, modern options.
CURRENTS
- The Lower East Side Tenement Museum has opened a shop, Recollections, which sells "period antiques and collectibles." If MoMA can do it, why can't they?
- The Home Garden Center opens today at the New York Botanical Garden
- Coran has some chic new "African" style furniture.
- ABC Carpet has a new collection of patchwork rugs called Fragments, made from old ones.
- Is it a national treasure? A 1987 office interior by the architect John Lautner is about to be scrapped unless some stops the new tenants.
- Great tip! Precision Leather Crafter makes new leather covers for butterfly chairs to give them a classier, more durable look and feel.
this h&h was great! i want to vote! let me vote.
that crop you did of the H/H cover photo was certainly . . . merciful
when I saw the original in the paper, all I could think is that a decorator's association had placed it to drive people back into the arms of professionals!
p.s.
I love love LOVE the Tenement Museum. Several apartments are set up in period style, with kitchens and grim little sleeping quarters as they would have been when our grannies and great grannies lived there.
I've been covering ugly lamp cords for years by cutting bias tape from fabrics, ribbons, and just wrapping it around the cords to make an old fashioned looking cloth one. Usually i'll try to make something to match the carpet or furniture so that it blends in a little bit.
The craigslist article kept saying that they had furnished the house for only $4000. However, that figure didn't seem to take into account the custom Donghia fabric slipcovers that the owners had made for each upholstered "bargain" piece. I wish NYT had given us a more realistic sense of what the refinished pieces had actually cost.
Circa50 is another great resource for the Butterfly-chair lover, including leather covers.
http://circa50.com/butterflychairs.html
I still dream of a chromed butterfly frame with white leather covers, which I may have originally seen in a Ralph Lauren ad...
Any other links to that "Fragments" line? I can't find it on ABC's website, but I think that picture may have just given me a rug-gasm.
Not on the rug, Josh!!! (although I think that rug design would be rather, um, forgiving...)
Is there a link for Precision Leather Crafter? I can't find anything on them but am shopping for the leather slings.
I, too, am in the afterglow of post-ruggasm. Can someone please point me to a specific link for this rug?
Katie--
Just, whatever you do, don't do a Google search for "leather slings"...
Not sure this is the same compnay, or current, but...
Precision Leather Crafters
(718) 465-3661
73-34 Bell Boulevard, Bayside
Re: That Craig's List article
I've had absolutely NO luck selling on Craig's list. I either get immediate scam buying offers, or (rarely) people make absurd offers of pennies on the dollar.
Guido, I also love the tenement museum. It's a little gem. Anyone who hasn't visited, go NOW (but buy your tickets online in advance).
Okay, H & H's craigslist article didn't paint the greatest picture, but I do ADORE craigslist. It takes quite a bit of time to browse through all the crap (hideous "antiques" from 1985 and a serious glut of mid-century modern), but I've managed to get some great deals. Examples: 40's duncan phyfe style drop leaf table with finish in near perfect condition - 100$, and a 20's to 30's french provincial style sofa with upholstery in rough shape - also 100$. My coworkers jokingly refer to Craig as my husband, if that gives any idea of the obsessiveness I've sunken to.
Regarding the Craigslist article... Can anyone tell us what a "classic eight" is?
I think it refers to an eight-room apartment (he says, with lust, envy, disbelief, and a tear in the eye)
Hold onto your hats...
3 Bedrooms, Formal Dining Room, Living Room, Kitchen and 2 Maids Rooms-Classic 8...
Now that's an apartment! There should be a classic eight contest!
So I guess the ceilings she was talking about in that craigslist article were from a pre-war building... I've got 10 foot ceilings and that's pretty phat... Wonder what taller ceilings would be like... and I'll keep wondering.
Bathrooms? Did someone mention plumbing? What about closet space? the old apartments I've seen in Harlem are the ones I'm most familiar with... those pre-wars were often built without closets, which can be problematic in a world without wardrobes. Anyway... not that I'm looking for a huge place.