DavidAlex's Profile

It's counterintuitive, but putting rocks in the bottom of your pots actually slows water drainage rather than speed it up. It's best to put your plants in the sink or bathtub (not sitting on their little saucers) water fully, then let them drain for 30 minutes. Then put them back on the saucers. That way they get all the water they want, they drain totally, and you don't get water everywhere.

I have an orange accent wall in my grown-up living room. (Well, I'm kind of a grown-up.) I love it.

Part 3: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-multimedia-desk-chapter-3-61408

I really like the desk/office space. Was that custom too?

I side with the few people here who aren't bothered much by this. Invite who you want and be flexible with who arrives. Keep some extra stuff on hand (case of beer, a few bottles of wine, frozen munchies) in case it's bigger than you expected, or be prepared to send leftovers home with folks. No big deal. I've been a no-show occasionally, and I've arrived with last-minute notice. Things come up, plans change. Maybe they're looking for something better, but more likely they're tired, ill, or the new person they're dating had other plans that night and something had to give.

As for thank-you notes, yes, they're lovely to get. But Miss Manners taught us that gifts are to be given and accepted freely. If you give a gift with the expectation of receiving something in return, even a thank you note, then it wasn't truly a gift -- it was some sort of odd quid pro quo.

Anyone have an idea for a relatively inexpensive and wireless way to play music from many small speakers throughout a space? I'd like to have ambient music without having a loud spot. You know how that is, you're at a party and the people in the kitchen say, "hey turn up the music!" Meanwhile, people near the stereo can't hear themselves think.

DanielleM: I don't understand. You're not going through batteries if they're rechargeable. You just have to recharge them occasionally. We do that with our laptops all the time, and they can draw just as much power as a lightbulb would.

mzp: Again, I don't understand your complaint. Why not just put a lower-wattage bulm in the overhead light, or put it on a dimmer.

Also:
(Q) How can you tell if the author of a blog post is vegan?
(A) Don't worry, she'll let you know.

Everyone is responding so indignantly! No one is saying you don't have a right to decorate your house the way you want. But stop saying you don't care what other people think. If you really didn't care, why are you (a) on a home decor blog and (b) of course we decorate with visitors in mind, so it's ridiculous to say "it's my house so shut up about it!" Decorating is both for the people who live in the house, and to put visitors at ease. It's why we have dining tables that accommodate more than just our family, it's why we have excess seating in the living room, it's why we have nice guest towels.

So please, knock it off why the "my house, my choice" nonsense. You're being dishonest with yourself.

I'm amazed at the hyperbole surrounding Manhattan rents. Yes, it's expensive, but 300sqft is not $3000/mo, at least not in that hood. My friends live in a 2-bdrm on the UES and pay 3k for fairly roomy 2-bedroom.

Furthermore, if the couple is happy, who cares what their financial situation is? Maybe they go on fancy vacations, or eat out every night, or are saving tons of money every month and are going to retire to Montreal when they're 45? Or maybe (gasp!) they just don't make much money but love living in NYC.

Lastly, what in the world does "rustic-modern" mean?