Apartment Therapy Unplggd Ohdeedoh Re-Nest The Kitchn

Blandwagon's Profile

Display Name: Blandwagon
Personal URL: http://blandwagon.blogspot.com
Member Since: 8/30/07
Are all of these comments spam? For non-spam comments, please email us at help@apartmenttherapy.com

Latest Comments...

Oh, wait, it's wallpaper. Nevermind.


Abby's Rental Kitchen Redo Dream Kitchen
5/18/12 12:11 AM

"I'd add Lansa handles from Ikea (item 4) to modernize the cabinets..."

Item 1 is the handles. Item 4 is the cool purple thing. What is the cool purple thing?


Abby's Rental Kitchen Redo Dream Kitchen
5/18/12 12:10 AM

It's very clever - they've used the inate colour of the glass as the inspiration for the colour of the walls and wall tiles. It makes it look incredibly fresh.


Modern Bathroom Inspiration: Hotel Ändra
5/15/12 11:43 PM

7. Is there anything you hope to add or improve in your kitchen?
I think at this point I am done with the kitchen. Finally!

Um... there is something that still needs doing. An inch high painted bead that runs around the bottom of the overhead cabinets, to hide the lights and their ugly wiring. It would also reduce the abrupt "end" of the bottom of the cabinets.

Then the kitchen would be perfect!


Scott's DIY Kitchen Renovation on a Budget Kitchen Tour
5/15/12 11:33 PM

The central problem is that a church generally requires one big room to fulfill its function, while a family home needs several. So most church conversions end up breaking the grand unified space into smaller, enclosed spaces, ruining the architecture and making it more of a church-themed suburban house.

Church conversions work best when they are done as loft-style homes, with private rooms tucked away and the big halls left as open plan living spaces. Unfortunately few people can afford to justify the space and maintenance for the housing of one or two people.


The Ultimate in Upcycling: Homes in Converted Churches
5/14/12 11:43 PM

It would be helpful to know what sort of books they are and what sort of notes you've scribbled in the margins. If they are profound observations on a writer's argument, then that's one thing. If it's just "OMG I LOVE EDWARD" in the margins of a paperback 'Twilight'...

The question to ask is whether the jottings are worth the hundreds or even thousands of dollars they'll cost to digitise.


Tips For Digitizing Personal Library? Good Questions
5/13/12 11:04 PM

You had me at the Gandhi pillow :-)


Judy Maxwell Home: Joan Cusack's Chicago Shop of Fun Curiosities Store Profile
5/11/12 12:09 AM

It's a clever reuse, but not exactly practical. A series of hangers on the wall would hold all of the same stuff without intruding into the garage.

So yeah, beautifully done, but kinda pointless.


Before & After: Less Than Fabulous Filing Cabinet Turned Garage Super Storage Trash to Treasure
5/11/12 12:02 AM

I don't want to make flies nervous. I want to make them dead.


An Eco Friendly, Safe Way to Repel Flies
5/10/12 11:54 PM

The other reason for the metal grilles on flywire doors is to provide structural strength. If it's simply flywire, it'll only take a couple of days before your dog (or toddler) blunders his way straight through it. With the grille reinforcing it, the dog (or toddler) will bounce off it.

It's so interesting to see the differences between Australia and the US here. Those archways were a feature of almost every home built in the 70s and early 80s, and they're awful. They waste space, the proportions were never elegant, the chunky brick gathers dust and hurts like hell if you accidentally brush against it, and they give the impression that you're going for "medieval dungeon" as a design aesthetic. Worst of all, they were dumped into the middle of otherwise normal suburban homes, without any thought at all for the cohesiveness of the architecture.

Oh, and it's an AWESOME renovation! Nothing groundbreaking, but beautiful and stylish nevertheless.


From Scary to Sublime: A Gorgeous Gut Renovation in Australia
5/10/12 11:37 PM

"Aw Mom, champagne and pears for dinner again!?"

"It's all we've got. Shut up and drink your dinner."

I also like to imagine that those giant nickel things are the world's largest salt and pepper shakers.


Before & After: An Expanding Kitchen Renovation
5/9/12 11:53 PM

That floor was probably raised for a reason... mostly likely to squeeze another room in below, to judge from the weird level of the window. This place is the epitome of Bad Architecture. Imagine what it was like before, with deep windows, a usable fireplace and lovely high ceilings!

Still, it's too late to worry about that. The only practical solution now is to rip out the pointless faux fireplace, raise the floor level, and try to match that wood (or is it vinyl?) flooring. Then hunt down and murder the vandal who "renovated" this place - no court in the land would convict you!


How To Deal with Sunken Fireplace? Good Questions
5/9/12 11:46 PM

Step 1: Realise that you're living in the 21st century and ruthlessly purge your collection, especially of reference works. Unless it's a valuable old edition, there's really no excuse to have a dictionary, a thesaurus, encyclopaedias or most of the other classical reference works that are available (and far more practical) online.

Step 2: Shift as much as possible to your office at the university or college. This will help separate work and home life, and you may even be able to get your employers to pay for the bookcases!

Step 3: Pick a room in your apartment for book storage, whether that be your study or a living room, and concentrate them on one wall. It may be evocative to have them scattered through the house, but it will be a pain in the ass if you have to keep wandering from room to room trying to find one book.

Step 4: Try to go floor-to-ceiling with adjustable shelves. Books look best when packed in with as few gaps as possible. Rail mounted shelves are the best option providing your landlord is okay with you drilling holes in the walls, and providing the walls can take the weight. Failing that, ikeahack some Billys. Don't worry about high-end materials - books are superbly decorative all on their own.

Step 5: Paint the wall or the back of the Billys a bright colour - it makes the books stand out more and lends a feeling of luxury.


Living with Lots and Lots (and Lots) of Books? Good Questions
5/8/12 11:47 PM

A garland? In a nursery? OMG!!!


Annabelle's Original Art-Filled NurseryMy Room
5/8/12 11:28 PM

Paint the frame white and then paint the drawers in similar shades of green, with the darkest shade at the bottom.


Take This Dresser from Fug to Fab? Good Questions
5/8/12 11:26 PM

Am I the only person who wonders what happens if, or rather when, a train breaks down when it's locked inside a sealed vaccum tube?


High-Speed Tube Transport Could Travel Coast to Coast in 45 Minutes Design News 05.07.12
5/7/12 10:54 PM

I've got to agree with the "big improvement but the shades are too large" crowd. I'd like to see them flatter and closer to the ceiling.

But that's just tweaking a great achievement.


Sean's DIY Bathroom Lighting Makeover Before & After
5/7/12 10:47 PM

Ironically the decor is what makes this home great - the architecture is striking but not particularly different. Without his fabulous furniture and finishes, it'd be just another expensive "executive townhome".


Francisco's Warm Modern Aesthetic House Tour
5/3/12 11:54 PM

Just an aside, but the bird church is awesome!


Before & After: Bare Backyard Turned Lush Patio
5/3/12 11:44 PM

I vote for "put them back in the closet and call it a day", Rosaleen. Unless they're vintage the boxes won't be that attractive (and if they are vintage, you probably shouldn't be playing with them!), so you'd be better off spending the money on a nice piece of actual art. I know you use the games a lot but I'm sure it's not so often that walking to the closet and opening a door is a mighty trial.


Neat, Attractive, Exposed Board Game Storage? Good Questions
5/3/12 11:43 PM