spanky's Profile

"meaning having met and befriended those particular authors has been a very meaningful experience for Shauna and Daniel"

Yes, but in a separate section? Is it that hard to remember the events of the past few years? Seems a bit stagey to me, along with the exhortations about humility.

Nice!

Just one thing, though---the creases are due to the paper expanding after it is hung. Any paper will do this, not just thin paper. That's why with regular wallpaper you apply the paste to the paper and then let it sit for 10 minutes or so to give the paper time to absorb moisture and expand. Then you hang it. While this may not be possible with player piano rolls, it is something to consider when hanging other types of paper.

Whenever possible, apply paste to the paper, fold it over on itself to keep it from drying out, let it "book" for 10 minutes, then apply it to the wall.

I'm pretty sure that most people who say that wallpaper is a huge pain in the butt to remove have not used a wallpaper steamer. YES, it is a pain to take it off without the right equipment, but with a steamer it's much less work. It can be hard to do if the wall wasn't properly prepped or if the paper has been painted over, but otherwise it's not a huge deal.

I've stripped paper without a steamer and with a steamer, so I know. I've also happily hung beautiful wallpaper after removing hideous wallpaper.

I've also had to deal with decorative paint finishes that someone else thought were a good alternative to wallpaper. Don't do it. They leave a texture that can't be masked by subsequent paint jobs. Wallpaper, on the other hand, can be completely and easily removed in most cases along with every trace of wallpaper paste, leaving your walls smooth and clean and ready to paint.

Wallpaper will come off easily if you prep the walls properly by rolling on wallpaper sizing, which is a special starchy primer. Steamers rent for around $25/day, or buy a new one for around $60 if you have more than 2 days' work to do, or buy a used one for cheap on ebay or Craigslist, or borrow one, . I've stripped a 12x12 room in a day with a steamer. It completely softens and saturates the paper and paste within 30 seconds, then you do a few swipes with a scraper and a wet sponge and move on to the next area. When you are spritzing and sponging, it can take ten minutes or longer for the water to soften the paste enough to wash it off. Steam is SO much faster.

You don't have to invest "a small fortune" in tools to hang paper, either. You need a bucket and sponge, some safety razor blades, a pair of scissors, a string with a tack at one end and a weight at the other, and a dining table. Oh, and a measuring tape. Maybe a couple other odds and ends like that. The most expensive investment is the paper itself.

I hope this clears up a few misconceptions. Good luck with whatever you decide.

The designer's friends are all rooting for her. Nice, but obvious.

I have to echo what others say: looks like it only holds books of a certain size and those books will sustain damage to edges of their covers if left on the shelves for any length of time.

Also, the exposed screws aren't very attractive and what if they don't line up with studs? Do you just hang this thing with anchors?

Clever in some ways but not a good design overall.

You could have saved a little time by not removing the stitching from the old cover and just cutting the new one bigger to allow for turning the edge under. Then stitch the casing and thread the drawstring through the casing with a large safety pin.

By the way, linen has a slightly higher scorching point than cotton. Drawbacks: costs more than cotton and colors and prints are much more limited.

Flokatis get more felted with use and once the wool felts into dreads, you can't unfelt it. It's just how they are supposed to look. People talk about raking them out with rakes, but I've never done that.

I have a 6x9 flokati with pile that is more than 4" deep and very, very thick. I'm in the process of washing it on the deck in a child's inflatable wading pool with a quart of detergent added. I'm going to dry it by hoisting it on a 2x4 between two stepladders. Hopefully the weather will be dry and breezy enough that it'll be dry within a few days. Last time I did this it was very humid and the rug started to stink like algae before it was dry! (Also, I washed it in the bathtub, which was not nearly big enough.)

Flokatis come in different grades, the cheapest being very thin and short. These are the ones that can be washed in washing machines. Mine will not fit in a 75-lb washer. Supposedly there are 200-lb washers but I've yet to locate one.

This is a beautiful home but I have to agree with those who think it looks a little too careful, a little too impersonal. I think it's partly because the furnishings are so color-coordinated with the art. That kind of takes away from the art, in my opinion.

My first thought when I saw the pics of the baby's room was where are they gonna put all the books and toys that he gets later that don't go with the room?

I see a lot of delight in the clutter too, but the piles of stuff take away from the good items. Heck, the good items take away from the good items, too. I know, I have the same problem.

I don't think they're "avid collectors". I think they're compulsive collectors.

As a recovering compulsive collector myself, and I'm only half kidding about that, the most important lesson I've learned is this: just because you are able to buy something doesn't mean you *have* to buy it.

Wow--great job!

Agree with robBrooklyn. It's like the people who hate Eames fiberglass shell chairs because they look like school cafeteria furniture. The Noguchi shades are beautiful.