apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have to differ with dogstop. We have a dark apartment and using semi gloss really made a difference in the light reflection in our rooms. Yes it does tend to show off imperfections in the wall but that's what pictures are for (to cover up).

Natasza -- I have a small european washer in my kitchen (a Malber from Italy) -- these can be used freestanding or placed in a cabinet. In fact, compared to the older model I just replaced, the top has been designed to use as a counter.

Here in the US, it used to be very typical to have a washer in the kitchen (in a house, not in an apt) and personally I think it looks fine among the other appliances.

Here in NYC, however, washers in apts are extremely rare.

Just posted an update on yesterday's open thread, but I am very happy to report that Lighting by Gregory got back to me (just emailed them last night) -- they have the light I want, for less money than was printed in Domino. Great customer service -- I can't wait to get this into my dining room-to-be!

i posted this reply to natasza in the old open thread -- i'll copy and paste here as well:

my grandparents have their washer/dryer in a closet in what is basically their kitchen. they're very small front loading units which stack, so they fit in a very small closet-style space. is that an option for you? i have a feeling the closet in question was built by whoever designed their kitchen for exactly the reasons you're looking to hide yours.

My grandmother had a washer and dryer in her kitchen here in the U.S. (though, coincidentally her parents were Polish...) And, the family I stayed with in Spain did too. I didn't find it to be that out of place either...and there are so many attractive options out there. I don't have specific recommendations, but I'm sure the convenience of having one in your house will far surpass any aesthetic accommodations you'll need to make! Mine is in my kitchen, but in a closet. I really like it there too.

Thanks everyone, I guess the closet idea is the most visually pleasing one. I probably could have it custom made.
Here in Poland everybody has washers in their apartments, but not electric dryers. Some people air dry the laundry on their balconies. There are no balconies in my building and older people are actually air drying their laundry IN OUR COURTYARD, right in the center of the city! Most of my friends have washers in their bathrooms, which I hate. The bathroom is supposed to be your sanctuary, right? I tried to convince the building’s council (I’m actually its member) to organize a laundry room in the basement (tin a space once occupied by a sculptor’s studio) but everybody has washers anyway and it seems that people are grossed out by the idea of washing their clothes in a communal washer (what?).

hey ATers, I'm looking for some advice regarding a bedroom lamp, narrowed down to three from West Elm. The details are here:

http://www.figandplum.com/archives/000707.html

Whaddaya think?

had to tell because of monitor calibration and all,not to mention proper proportion on the dresser which i don't think i've seen, but i like the orange 'wavy' lamp. it'll pick up the orange of the sheets. if it doesn't, or if the proportion is off, then the seafoam colored one. the mercury glass is ok, but very cold.

also, if you do end up going with the mercury glass (very hip, after all, and tough to resist), target has an almost identical version for probably half the price. i imagine the quality would be about the same.

thanks opoponax... here is a photo of the dresser:

http://static.flickr.com/51/124215301_a666c6beb7.jpg

i like the orange too, but this is our only set of orange sheets. the mercury drew me because of the mirrored "wall art" (also from west elm, god i'm ms. design-in-box with the bedroom)... thought they'd pick up on each other well and add a touch of glam to the room, but i can see what you mean about it being cold. decisions, decisions ;)

I vote for the mercury glass lamp first because you have some retro-classic touches grounding the funkier pieces... orange lamp second because the shape and color have a "wow" factor. The blue lamp isn't working for me -- not retro glamour, but not retro funk either, just in between.

I love the blue lamp, but I think if I were you I'd go with the mercury glass because, as you pointed out, of the wall art. Plus, it will fit in if you decide to redo colors in your bedroom later.

This isn't really cheaper, but restoration hardware offers a version too that's on sale...it's about the same price, maybe less if you found a suitable shade elsewhere.

http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product_suite.jsp?productId=prod1057013&navCount=3

speaking of washer-dryers, the LG/Tromm combo unit looks pretty great. click on my name and it will go to the LG website with a picture of the unit. is this too good to be true and my clothing will come out wet and filthy or has anyone had success with this?

jess wrote:
> hey ATers, I'm looking for some advice regarding
> a bedroom lamp, narrowed down to three from
> West Elm. The details are here:
>
> http://www.figandplum.com/archives/000707.html
>
> Whaddaya think?

Well, best of luck with your lamp, but you haven't really given any info to go on- no picture of your room, or the style, or color of room, or what look you're going for... or anything at all.

Other than saying, "I do/don't like this lamp," there's not much that can be done with this information.

If you seek advice, tell us more.

I appologize, I thought the link was to the West Elm site. This IS your beroom. My bad.

Since this is a OPEN THREAD, I have something that you guys may be interested in discussing because it through me for a complete loop... But then again, with the design of suburban loft homes down south, I guess I should have saw this coming...

Did you read this article, "Fastest growing cities are suburban" in the Associated Press?
If not, click here.

Holly

great. html code doesn't seem to work on these boards. unless i'm missing something. anyway...

here's the link

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060621/ap_on_re_us/fastest_growing_cities

Why is that shocking? The whole suburbanization of the nation has been happening for the last 50 years. Sorry...I'm in an urban planning-type job, so I guess I tend to think everyone thinks about this stuff all the time. There has been "renewed interest" (as I'd write in a report) in downtown, inner-city living, but the majority of the people out there want plenty o' room to park their SUV in front of their McMansion so that they can zip away to Wal-Mart and soccer practice. And, I'd say in most cases, people are just trying to do what's best for their family--and I can sometimes understand why the suburbs have their appeal (like when I notice the prices of the new condos in the building beside me and am afraid of being gentrified out of my neighborhood even when I'm making over the average income for my neighborhood!). But, I still don't understand what drives people to drive for 2 hours to work each way...I guess I never really will.

Just back from a trip to Africa - so haven't been on AT for a couple of weeks.

This morning I was in Amsterdam waiting for my second plane and came upon this great store - linked to my name - called "Dot Shop." Lots of delicious stuff and wonderful wallpapers. Look at the site in both languages as the English doesn't have as many pictures.

Jessica,

My husband and I purchased the LG combo washer dryer tromm about 9 months ago. I absolutely love, love, love it. It is a front loader. The front loader gets the clothes much cleaner than the top loader. But there are some adjustments to make here. First, I had to give up my favorite name brand name detergent for a low sud alternative. I went with the greatest smelling natural product. I will never use anything else. There are some considerations, It vibrates alot. But the spin cycle lasts about 10 minutes. The dryer is less impressive. You can dry about 5 things in one hour. I usually let everything dry on a rack overnight. In the winter, I put the things next to a heater, and in no time they were dry.

Lori2, hello there!
Missed you...was it hotter than in NY? [kidding. just in case]

Nice pics - but where are the prices?

Hi Lori2!

I was just wondering when you were back. I'll email you; I figured since you weren't posting that you didn't have internet access.

Jess, my bedroom looks like it's painted the same color, and I like the red best. The mercury glass is nice, too, and I guess more classic.

*jess, I would go with the red base one. It picks up the red in the headboard and ties it with the dresser's more orangy wood. And it's style brings a humor note. Mercury base is more formal than the style of the rest of your bedroom, which is nicely eclectic and warm.

On a second thought - it might work as a humor piece, too, if you put your wall mirrors directly above and behind it, to contrast and accent distorted reflections. Hmmm...

i'm with Christine -- this is pretty old news. i remember reading about this in the New York Times over a year ago. and in terms of urban theory, when the NYT finally catches on to something, it's really really old news. i still catch a "can you believe Brooklyn isn't the ghetto anymore?" article there every now and again. and it's at least 5 years since anybody i know could even afford to live in Williamsburg or Park Slope.

I did not state this the news article was shocking nor did I say it was breaking news. I simply said that it through me for a complete loop - I had a hard time understanding why this article was published given that we've seen the trends coming for a long time with loft spaces popping up in the middle of suburbia. Just thought some of you that are interesting in urban planning and real estate would like to discuss it.



Holly

I have a friend who is looking to move to NYC/Brooklyn. Where can you find a one bedroom for under $2,000 monthly and does anyone have any decent real estate leads?

Thanks gang.



Holly

sorry - i took it to mean that you're surprised that it's happening, not that you're surprised the article is just coming out now.

as far as your friend, in my understanding it's pretty easy to find a one bedroom just about anywhere in manhattan or brooklyn for under $2000. maybe a few neighborhoods are out of her price range, but all in all it should be easy for her to find a place. and at that price i certainly wouldn't exclude anything (all the really hot neighborhoods still have the occasional deal).

the hard part, in terms of relocation, is that before you even get to the $2000 a month you have to move in first. most buildings charge first and last month's rent as well as a security deposit that is equal to your monthly rent in order to so much as get a key to the place. if she goes through a broker, he or she will also charge additional fees (i believe something like 10% of the yearly rent, though i'm not certain as i've never gone through a broker). this means that if she finds a place for $2000 a month, she could be handing over something like $8500 in one go. $4000 of which will be irrelevant to her during most of her tenancy, and $2400 or so in fees. i've also heard that in some buildings there's this thing called key money which is money you have to pay to previous tenants. no idea what that's about or why one might pay it. and on top of all that, there are tenant income restrictions. landlords are often reluctant to rent to a prospective tenant if they make less than 40 times the monthly rent. meaning that if your friend thinks her ceiling is $2000, the only way to prove to her landlord that she can pay it is if she can prove that her income exceeds $80K. so yeah, it's not so much that rent costs SO MUCH here (though it does), it's also just hard to get that first lease if you don't have a lot of savings and make a lot more money than one actually needs to pay that rent (though i think there are ways around that 40x figure, like by paying additional fees or getting someone to cosign the lease with you).

so my tips would be to make sure her expectations line up with the income requirement, start saving now, and try really hard not to go with a broker. also, craigslist is a godsend.

opoponax thank you so much. very helpful information. she makes over $100K so she is okay on the income side. much like boston i assume, at least from the first, last, security standpoint. here, it's usually first, last, security and a brokers fee equal to one months rent OR half of one months rent. many even negotiate that and make the landlord pay the fee or they split the fee 50/50 with the landlord - although now it's a brokers market here so people suck it up and pay. from oct-march its a renters market again so you have more leverage and can sometimes skip the broker fee.

i can't believe there is a 10% fee that brokers in nyc get for opening the door to a rental. that doesn't sound fair to me. i can see a one months rental fee, but 10% on a year's rent? i don't even see the reasoning behind that or why someone would be willing to throw their cash away like that. are people opposing this and ditching the broker and just dealing directly with craigslist or is it common for people to give in and pay such outrageous fees? i'm sorry, but i think that in america, we need to stand a little stronger against the strange practices so common in renting. i know that in boston, landlords are notorius for quoting a range of prices on the same rental based on the person viewing it or worse, calling an apt a one bedroom when the bedroom is below the legal size. i think that something really needs to be done. laws should be set in place that protect tenants, especially when it comes to rent increases, crazy fees, etc.

by the way, if any brokers are reading, i'm not trying to attack your profession, i just don't quite understand these fees and how you can justify them. maybe you can explain?

holly

back to renting in manhattan, other than price, how does uws compare against the ues? i've always wondered that.

when we sublet, we always stay in this place in the 90s up on the uws and the neighborhood seems to be quite nice - about 5 blocks west of central park or so, i usually awake at 6am and walk for an hour or so when i'm down there - beautiful time of morning in central park.

holly

Holly, some states do have such laws. California, for instance, has very pro-tenant leglislation that prevent descrimination and makes scamming very hard.

Now if only that would help me find a decent apartment!

Best way to get changes made is to call your local representative (idealistic but true) and encourage your friends to do the same. Be obnoxious about it. That's what democracy's all about!

=)

Holly,

I personally have never paid a rental broker's fee, because I also find it somewhat outrageous (and I have been lucky enough to "inherit" a friend's apartment), but I would say that most people do. Searching for an apartment in NYC is so much more time-consuming and frustrating than searching elsewhere that I think a lot of people just shell out the cash to spare themselves frustration (which certainly can still occur, but not as much).

That said, NYC has extremely protective tenant laws otherwise. I have heard that it's harder to evict a tenant here than anywhere else in the country.

"it seems that people are grossed out by the idea of washing their clothes in a communal washer (what?)."

Yep - thats gross - the amount of stuff that gets left behind when you wash and never makes it out of the machine - urgh - and what if the last person had just done fluffy towels or dusters and you put in black smooth stuff - its going to come out covered in fluff

Communal washing just doesn't happen in the UK unless you are in student dorms - we all have washers in our kitchens - where else would you have them? - its where all the plumbing is and where the cleaning of everything else is done...

Violetsrose,

Most US houses have laundry rooms, which are separate from the kitchen. Most big urban apartment buildings have communal laundry rooms in the basement, because the plumbing is usually older and can't handle every unit having a washer. Some apartments would have communal washers on each floor, but that's more rare.

I've never gotten fluff or anything on my clothes, because the laundry rooms use heavy-duty commercial washers, not home washers. It's not ideal, but what are you going to do?

I'm with Fiona - the only time I ever have fluff on my clothes is when I forget to empty the lint trap in the dryer before starting it. Also, the commercial washers in my basement are so powerful they do a much better job of cleaning than any 'home' machine I have used.

Having said that, I know that most kitchen machines in the UK are front loaders which makes a huge difference, and I think they have 2 wash and 2 rinse cycles too which gets the clothes cleaner. I'd still give anything to have a w/d right in my apartment.

Jessica, Eliza -- your posts were of great interest to me as I was told, by a Sears applicance clerk, that they stopped making the LG combo and, as well, Best Buy has stopped carrying them -- wanted one for the space factor, but thought if were true (they're on the way out) I'd have to settle on just a washer and hang dry if I wanted to preserve space for shelving above the washer in the closet provided for a stackable unit. The concept is wonderful, just not sure they've gotten all the kinks out yet and still not totally sure on their status.

PC Richards sells the LG combo unit - I hear LG is the brand to get, and have heard bad things about other brands like Malber, Haier, etc... In Europe this is what everyone had in their kitchen, so it's weird that the US would be so behind on this - it's still very new here, and as you said, Louise, I think htey may still not have gotten the kinks worked out. I am poised to purchase one as soon as Consumer Reports get on the bandwagon and recognizes them enough to review them (not a peep about them now).
I look forward to hearing more as they improve the drying capabilities especially.

hi everyone, I have been inspired by this site and I am trying to post my new apartment renovations. I just closed yesterday (yay!). I posted flicks here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mynewhome/sets/72157594173294537/show/

i would love for anyone with time and patience to look at my "before" photos and make comments or suggestions. Thanks!

Going back to Holly Decor8's article... the Chronicle this morning obligingly printed a discussion of how old cities are getting richer or poorer, while the middle class can only find housing in the far 'burbs. Thus, the far 'burbs grow rapidly.
http://tinyurl.com/s9ct3

Has anyone seen this table in person:

http://hivemodern.com/products/?view=sub_product&sid=937&cid=34&cid2=111

I would be interested in using the black version in my theater but don't want anything too shiny.

actually the standard rate for a broker's fee in nyc is about 15%. there would usually be room to negotiate in the past but with manhattan's current .4% vacancy rate(less that half a percent!!), I wouldn't count on it. supposedly, chelsea's rate is the highest at .7%. avoid using a broker if you can. and keep in mind the slowing real estate market is causing rents to rise as more people are opting out of buying.

Thanks all - you've given me a little insight on the r.e. market in NYC, but how could I have expected any less, you're experts.

Thanks!

Holly

Urban Griot,

That's a promising space! Where do you live?

Lots of closet space (at least if you are in NYC!)

Max, They have that table at Barney's in NYC. My opinion, it looks better in the picture. And I like lucite things.