surfjack's Profile

Display Name: surfjack
Member Since: 5/10/10

Latest Comments...

Love the two mirrors over the bed. What a clever and unexpected idea....and how funny that it still manages to look classic!

The rest of the place rocks, too! Well done.


Laura's Tiny Duplex Small Cool Contest
5/23/13 4:58 PM

I agree completely with everyone who echoed the sentiment that we sometimes spend too much time thinking about name brands or trends than actual design or livability.

Buy what you love for design and what fits your home and you can't go wrong. Buy just for a name or a trend and you may have buyer's remorse.

I have a couple of pieces in my home that stretched the budget pretty far and they're pretty high end, to the trade kinda things. But I got them because they were exactly what I wanted and I could never find a similar item. I love those pieces just as much as the no-name or flea market stuff I hauled home for under $20.


Coming to Terms with a Knockoff: Original vs. Reproduction Furniture Design
5/23/13 4:55 PM

I'm sitting here on my couch, CLAPPING at this entry.

Garrett, this is an absolutely lovely home. It just looks beautiful to the eye but also looks incredibly functional and like the kind of small home where all the space is used and adorned but without clutter or craziness. I think this is something people rarely pull off and I congratulate on your beautiful space! Thank you for sharing!


Garrett's Everything Every Day Small Cool Contest
5/23/13 4:45 PM

I love the stairs in the first photo. I feel like they are practical since they are easy to trim back with minimal effort. Nice!


Squeeze in a Little Green: More Ideas for Small Space Gardens
5/20/13 11:03 PM

Haha, I love the floorplan, too! :)

This place looks very cozy and I like the idea of "small but mine."


Lasse's Great Opportunity Small Cool Contest
5/16/13 12:00 PM

@God is in the Details - I agree completely. I mean, accidents happen and sometimes stuff gets ruined. But there's no way this kind of thing is "inevitable."


Tips for Avoiding Drawn-On Furniture
5/14/13 12:40 PM

Wow! I'm with the others who said that it's hard to believe this is so small. You packed a lot of personality and texture in this space. I love the fact that you look like you've managed to figure out how to live in every square inch without it being messy or claustrophobic.

Lovely space, thank you for sharing it with us!


John's Sunlit Studio Small Cool Contest
5/13/13 4:44 PM

I don't think the grooves would bother me, but if you wanted to do this and have a smooth work surface, all you'd have to do is place a bit of pre-measured glass or perspex over a section that you need to be smooth. Would be cute with photos or patterned paper under it, too.

I love this project, gives me a lot of ideas!


Before & After: A DIY Desk For Two Topped With a Surprise Surface How to Nest For Less
5/7/13 2:27 PM

Absolutely love this small space! I like that it's a good example of how color and small spaces can go well without being overpowering. So lovely!


Sharona's Artistic & Colorful Home Small Cool Contest
5/7/13 2:24 PM

I really love the brick, too. It's so beautiful. It makes me miss my first apartment, which was horrible (truly, truly awful) except for brick walls that were so interesting and kept it all cool in the hot summer.


Olivia's Rental Loft in Venice House Tour
5/3/13 7:30 PM

@ Kaytee Stone - Respectfully, it speaks to the fact that you are reading into and ascribing your own ideas about the world to someone else's question about a kitchen island remodel (nowhere does it specify she's re-doing the kitchen, so how can we know for sure? We also can't tell from looking if this is even a brand new kitchen. Again, that's an assumption you've made here. It could be falling apart inside.)

And I'm sure that even if she did a kitchen renovation a thousand times over, there would be just as many people starving in the world.

This is about you making assumptions not about the ethical responsibility of every single person who owns an item of any significant monetary value changing it.


Can Slate Countertop Have New Life as Outdoor Dining Table? Good Questions
5/3/13 7:27 PM

That (formerly) drugged beagle is adorable.


Moving: What Do You Do When Everything Goes Wrong?
5/3/13 7:15 PM

In addition to liking yurts, I just like the word, itself. It's fun to say.

I second Erin Kate's advice about making sure you don't violate any codes with a yurt. This happened to a friend of mine. They had three good days with it completed before they were visited by a code enforcement officer who informed them it violated a structure code. Sigh.


7 Best Sources for Yurt Kits
4/25/13 9:07 PM

I'm not going to berate you for wanting to reno your kitchen. Sometimes the comments on this site go beyond ridiculous.

What I will say is this hard-earned bit of knowledge: not all "slate" is real slate. Technically, the term slate can be used for things that aren't really slate.

It's hard to know if you know for sure this is or not. But if you're not 100% sure (this could be your own original kitchen or someone else may have done it before you moved in) try to find someone who can tell you for sure if it's what you actually think it is.

That will determine if you can really leave it out in harsh weather or not, and also if you can do something to protect it (they sell commercially blended oils that work on composite stone and slate or also on a granite/slate mix, etc. so you should be able to find something.)

Good luck on your reno, hope it all goes....as smooth as slate? :)


Can Slate Countertop Have New Life as Outdoor Dining Table? Good Questions
4/25/13 9:05 PM

@djtopaz - That is a good tip. Though it can also work in your favor if you know what to look for. A few sites will have free shipping for a month after your first purchase, even on heavy items. I know of one site that will often send out email vouchers for free shipping just for being on the customer list.

But you're right. That $200 chair with a retail value of $500 doesn't look so good when it has $300 in shipping and oversize surcharges tacked onto it.


5 Things to Do Before Clicking \"Buy\" on Home Flash Sale Sites
4/25/13 4:18 PM

I've gotten some really great pieces from a popular home site that features designer-curated sales (I'm sure you can figure it out!) but I have also had an issue with almost every description vs reality of the item when it arrives, when it comes to measurements.

A recent purchase was nearly 12 inches taller and 6 inches shorter in depth than described on the site.

I've also had this happen with a couple of other flash sale sites. Overall, I've been happy with my purchases, except that a couple just haven't fit where I've wanted them to go because of rushed or faulty item descriptions. I guess, buyer beware, even if you do take all these (good) precautions.


5 Things to Do Before Clicking \"Buy\" on Home Flash Sale Sites
4/25/13 1:39 PM

Wowwwwwweeee! What a great transformation! I hope you guys love every second in your new space, you deserve it with all that work and patience. Seriously one of the best renovations I've seen on AT.

I'm just in Santa Barbara, so I'll be over with a bottle of wine and brownies, mmmkay?

:)


Seth & Allison's Kitchen: The Big Reveal Renovation Diary
4/23/13 2:42 PM

Even if this is turning into just a bunch of ads for High Point items, at least advertise them in a way that makes sense.


Awesome Dual Sofa by Calvin Klein High Point Spring Market 2013
4/22/13 4:58 PM

I actually love white in a kitchen.

t's not a bear to clean if you clean up spills quickly. My white kitchen is exactly as it was installed nearly a decade ago. I find it easier to clean than any other color/type of kitchen I've ever had.

I will say, however, that I strangely like the before. I'm always annoyed when I see comments (like mine here!) preferring the before when it's such an obvious improvement on a space and a lot of effort. And this is an improvement with a lot of effort, for sure!

I just....think there needs to be a bit more depth going on and I would have left the window frame a different color, even a lighter one. Just not white.


Before & After: Abigail's \"Can of Paint\" Quick Kitchen Updates Renters Solutions
4/18/13 7:37 PM

Perhaps....but doesn't inspiration come from any price range? Free to omg I'll never make enough money in my life to afford that tub/table/vase?


Get the Look: Ellen & Portia's Art Barn
4/18/13 7:31 PM