chaos amoeba's Profile

As an aside, I wish I could say this post was timely, but I just bought 8 smoke detectors yesterday, so now I'm a sad fellow. That said, my home was built in 1933 -- so it's not set-up to handle a hardwired smoke detector anyway, and I'm reluctant to bring in (the cost of) an electrician. My own wiring capabilities is limited to updating switches and face plates.

Sales taxes are intended to tax consumers -- not corporations. Amazon.com is paying taxes in the location in which it is incorporated and its distribution centers may be paying taxes in their respective locations as well (this depends on how Amazon is organized/accounting).

That said, as far as I recall, every state that I have lived in which has a sales tax requires that residents pay that tax on all purchases. This includes purchases made online and purchases made in another state that you bring back into your state. For illustration, here's the 2010 Pennsylvania tax guidelines:

"Purchases made over the Internet, through toll-free numbers (800, 866, 888, and 877), from mail order catalogs or from an out-of-state location are examples of purchases that would be subject to USE TAX. The tax rate is the same as the Sales Tax - 6 percent state plus a 1 percent local tax if the purchaser is located in Allegheny County and 2 percent in Philadelphia."

Note that this includes, for example, if I popped over to Delaware to buy a car, went to Ohio to buy computer equipment; or even went to Amsterdam to buy a tulip.

Basically, unless you are opposed to taxes wholesale (which is another question altogether), then I see no problem with Amazon.com charging local sales taxes. It simplifies taxes for individual filers and closes the window for potential underpayment of local taxes.

@noticetothepublic

I'm not sure I would have described the style as Hollywood Regency myself. That said, if you want my pick of what is "most" Hollywood Regency in the place, I would say either the framed blackboard (because of the frame) or the floral arrangements.

I'm not sure if there's a clear definition of HR -- but I tend to think of it as a mix between glamour and hotels. The light fixture, for example, could fit into a HR design, but doesn't belong exclusively to it. That detailing on the bar could be considered a bit glamorous, although it's toned down by it's color. The floral arrangements seem relatively 'placed' which gives it a bit more of a hotel vibe, but shift them off center a bit, and it becomes a lot more casual.

If we're not restricted to the space, one of the main design elements that are (relatively) exclusive to HR, in my opinion, is the mirrored table.

Rowhouses are possibly my favorite type of living. I currently own a "full" house -- but don't have the energy for all the maintenance (indoor and out). Meanwhile, while I enjoy apartment living, it always feels a bit 'cookie cutter' and I miss the dynamism you get from stairs and outdoor areas.

Hooray for rowhouses!

Not really a tradition, but there was an old poplar planted in my back garden which was a tradition of the family that lived here originally (to plant a poplar wherever they moved).

I wanted to keep it, but the snow from two years back killed many of the branches (that were overhanging my neighbors yard), so I had to let it go.

(As a note, everything but the wall-color in the left "cool" room below the jump, for me, runs on the warm side -- even the i'm-growing-to-accept teal chair. Meanwhile, the white trim in the left "warm" room is decidedly cool, which makes the contrast with the wall color rather uncomfortable.)

I should also mention that I like your ideas, in general!

Briefly, I'll note that the DIY pipe shelving examples are much prettier, and you can combine with the venetian (or rolling bamboo) blinds to keep the clothes hidden if you'd like.

Regarding under-bed storage, I would (1) highly recommend it but (2) suggest that you don't necessarily need a bed with drawers. You can usually come by some under bed storage containers that should roll under most beds, and tend to move around easier than fixed drawers. If you have fixed drawers, you'll either be restricted to putting your bed centrally or not having use of some of your drawers. Underbed storage is great for off-season items and can be used in conjunction with your other ideas.

For the low-unit idea, another alternative (as suggested by others) is to have the low-unit span across a different wall, besides the window wall. If you can make it bench-height, at least in some areas, this would be great to serve a dual purpose in providing some additional seating in your room as well as storage. A similar-ish idea may be to include a trunk by the foot of your bed.

Any ideas about where the rug in #4 came from?

If you're set on dry-walling, then I would say that the cost of getting the dry wall done is probably less than the total cost of time and materials for any temporary solution.

Go forth with the drywall!

Unfortunately, I would recommend wallpaper as well.

I DIY-ed chalk stripes (they were meant to be pinstripes, but now I just call them chalk stripes) on a small bathroom wall and it was a bit of a bear -- and that required only strips of painters tape.

Part of the difficulty of DIY-ing a large area with a small pattern is keeping the pattern aligned. In my case, it didn't help that the corners of my wall didn't meet at perfect right angles, either.