Marbelous's Profile

I've used an outdoor rug in my kitchen. My cat loves to scratch her claws in it, and I don't care. The one thing to watch with outdoor rugs is the slippery factor. Check out the materials if ordering online. Some are more plastic-y and therefore more slick, which may work outside, but not in a thoroughfare/high traffic inside. I put one such rug in my laundry room & it works well, because the room is small.

I like the new table & how it's lower, w/the plants over - creates a visual space of its own. I would like to see them add an all-weather rug under the bench, to cover the worn out bricks, and would be nicer on the feet as well. Would also help define the space.

The photo in this post is unrealistic for most people in apartments, especially vintage ones, built in a time when people had very few clothes and no closets, storing their entire wardrobe in an armoire. So, here are some tips for that situation:
- Use all of the space from floor to ceiling.
- You don't need to spend lots of $$ on an organization system - be creative & use whatever works. I use a combination of canvas storage bags & an old trunk to store my off-season clothes; underbed bins for off-season shoes; an old nightstand with drawers for socks; plastic & wire cube system (very inexpensive - from Costco) for items that would usually go in a dresser, but I like to see everything; plastic drawers in cubes for undergarments; hanging shelves for things like tshirts, pjs; in addition to the hanging items. My shoes are in hanging shelves in what used to the closet section of an antique armoire I adore, and the few left over & boots are in the closet.

In theory, I completely agree with the comments above, about purchasing a limited number of quality, classic items that will be timeless and last years, which is what I noticed many Europeans do when I visited, but I have never been able to adopt that practice. I agree though that what we own can end up owning us, but as we struggle with that, at least keeping it organized makes it a bit less overwhelming. I donate old & non-functional items every season.

Thanks - I just re-arranged my office for like the 5th time and bottom line is that I am a creative visual person who needs to cull through my papers that I have kept for years and "keep meaning to file." Creatives tend to like everything to be in sight, which is practically impossible for most people with limited space. I have all of my craft/arts materials in rolling drawers (love those), and some in cubbies in my closet. I also have a lateral file cabinet, but paper is my downfall: My new plan is to go through each and every article, art exhibition book, etc. and put the title/subject into an EXCEL sheet, and then assign a category, which will eventually be the file it goes in. It's more work, but it feels better to me to be able to look at one sheet and know what I have, instead of it being buried in a file cabinet.

If anyone has any other ideas, I would like to hear them. Also, a good book for creatives looking to organize is "Organizing for the Creative Person." I keep loaning copies and don't currently have one, but it is a great book!

Suggestions in other categories: Mostly all online -
Bedding: Linen Source - The quality is superior or equal to what's at a Bed Bath and Beyond, and the prices can be half less, esp. if you shop the sales and outlet. They have interesting designs and materials you won't find at retail outlets either & excellent customer service.
Household goods: Tuesday Morning stores (if in your town/city), Online: Improvements, Solutions, Organize, Stacks and Stacks
Furniture: Nadeau - in 12 states - Real, 100% wood furniture & interesting, global designs at Ikea prices. At the store near me, furniture is from India, Indonesia and China. I got beautiful, solid Mahogany bookshelves at a fraction of the cost at regular furniture stores. Also, don't overlook Costco - they carry large indoor and outdoor furniture at great prices too.

Re: pet care, I think it's important to have the pet/house sitter over and have your animals meet them before you leave so there's possibly an increased level of comfort. If you have cats, tell your house/pet sitter where their hiding places are, because especially with cats, they might be friendly while you're there, but when a strange person is entering their abode, they might run and hide. If you have a "special needs" cat like I do, who needs an insulin shot twice a day - not just food left out for her - this info. is important, so the sitter can find your pet and attend to them.

I am always drawn to art done on plywood - probably because I like wood, trees and texture so much. Depending on how strong the grain is, this is not easy to work on... His portraits are really well-done and detailed, considering the medium!

This may be inherent in all the above posts, but the bottom line is to trust your intuition and judgement. It's great to be inspired by magazines and this site, but I have brought in many things that I intended to be one spot, and once I got them there, they didn't look/feel right or plain just didn't work size/scale wise, etc. So, bring in new things (even very small, from 2nd hand shops, etc.) and mix it up all the time - keeps things fresh and gives you practice with going with your gut instincts.

I'm about to take photos of the books I already have, because I have a tendency to notice the same books I already have when I'm at a used book store, but can't remember if it's something I wanted or already have (and yeah, I have too many books!). ALSO - and this could save people a lot of $$ - your room measurements at home and/or photo of your floor plan. You may want to get a piece of furniture on a whim and think it will fit, but we typically remember our spaces differently than reality, and furniture looks a lot different size-wise when in a large showroom.

This seems completely out of bounds/inappropriate ettiquette to me. Especially because a lot of calls that people get are unwanted calls from all kinds of places. I have done it in cases like the example you gave, but other than that, it's a good way to piss someone off!