chispace's Profile

I was faced with the same problem when looking for a coffee table when my family grew. It's ironic how non-child friendly much of the "utilitarian" modernist furniture is... A lot of which is a trip to the hospital away. The typical suggestion is a round coffee table, but a lot of them have hard and sharp edges, and still pose the same problem as square of rectangular one. For this reason I really like the Room and Board Bradshaw table:

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19129&catalog=filter&menuCatalog=room&menuCategory=201&menuSubcategory=143

It's round with a rounded edge, but it's expensive for someone on a budget. But I also found this CB2 option that also has relatively rounded edges at a fraction of the cost.

http://www.cb2.com/stout-coffee-table/s401865

This one below doesn't have rounded edges, but seems like less of a hazard as the table top doesn't seem too heavy with a hard profile edge.

http://www.interiorexpressoutlet.com/Chicago-living-room-furniture/harper-molded-plywood-coffee-table-walnut-chicago.html

I've always wanted a company to start a line of kids friendly modern furniture that's still tasteful. I'm surprised that hasn't happened yet.

Fun idea, beautifully made, sexy materials and completely impractical... but I'm guessing practicality is not what the maker was going for.

Small space living, and I don't mean the western work 500 square foot kind, but the kind mentioned in the article, is pretty common in places like Hong Kong. Hong Kong is densely packed into a small area, and property prices rival London, NY (name the most expensive cities). "Living" in small spaces is partly out of need, but is also part of the culture, because people rarely "live" in their apartments in the same sense that people do in the west. A lot of people in Hong Kong eat outside every night (because it's cheaper and better than cooking), do activities outside, spend most of their time outside, and leave their "living" space for sleeping, and other important bodily functions. In the west people spend a lot more time in their homes, so the idea of a "living" space is a very different concept. One cannot judge another's life style unless they have lived in a similar culture.

The mirror is horrific, and the legs are too bulky. Not hot!

I'm not the owner, but I know that these were purchased at the Design Within Reach big warehouse sale in a Chicago suburb a few years ago. I don't know if the stores still carry this particular item.

Moved into our duplex (1st floor and finished basement) in the mid-west after a gut rehab, and the developer put no kinds of moisture prevention in the basement (plus many other corners cut). Needless to say the expensive hardwood floors we put in the basement (instead of carpet for allergy reasons) completely warped due to large areas of moisture and water build up. After a long battle with the developer (with lawyers) we got a LITTLE money back to fix the problem.

Our solution was to install drain tile along the edges of the basement to direct water to the sump pump (there was some piping for drain tile installed by the developer, but it did not work, and was just for show). We then found a product called Delta Floor systems? which are large sheets of plastic with dimples facing down to allow airflow between the dimples, so no moisture in the air get trapped in one place, and also and provides a barrier between the concrete and flooring. We then lay engineered hard wood floors on top of the Delta... the engineered hard wood is like plywood with different layers and grains going in opposite directions which helps to resist the warping that happens with regular hard wood floors.

It's been just about 2 years now and so far we haven't had moisture issues (fingers crossed) through high humidity and rain storms.

So, the moral of my long drawn out story is... if you are going to finish a basement, do as much research on moisture prevention as possible, even if you decide on carpet, as mold then becomes the big problem. Don't cut corners or skimp on water proofing, it always turns out to be more expensive and a huge hassle in the long run.

Oh, and did I say I HATE developers in Chicago! Be very cautious of new construction! Just because it looks beautiful with new up graded appliances and finishes doesn't mean there are no problems behind the dry wall, in the plumbing and under the floors... get your own inspectors! There seams to be a serious problem with property developers in Chicago... everyone I know who owns a new condo has had some major issues. Moisture was just one of the issues in our place. We also had to get new roofs, install a sewage ventilation system (Yes, the develop did not put one in!) etc...

I personally can't stand open closets... no matter how organized and coordinated they are they still come across as cumbersome and untidy to me. Bt if it solves a difficult space problem then I can understand the appeal.

Stairs without railings, that are smooth, with sharp edges and sharp corners... Absolutely stupid! I don't care how careful you are, these are disasters waiting to happen. I sure hope the people who decide to occupy these spaces don't have young children, cause someone should call D.S.F.S.