devonc's Profile

There are actual trade regulations regarding what can be labeled "made in USA"...with regards to furniture, oftentimes imported (read: Chinese) furniture has formaldehyde used to treat the wood, or artificial fillers that won't last as long and are toxic as they break down. You aren't just supporting the USA when you buy American-made furniture, you're doing yourself a favor.

That isn't to say the same is true for all industries. Look at American cars, for instance. Though many American cars are made overseas and many foreign car companies have plants here (Kia, VW, Mercedes). It comes down to the product. For instance, the pet food scare from a couple years ago? Buying quality American-made food means never having to watch your dog die from heavy metal poisoning.

When it comes down to it, Americans may not be better workers, but our industries are better regulated. That's what you pay for when you buy "Made in USA" over "Made in China/Philippines/Thailand/Mexico".

A duvet is the down or polyfill filled quilted blanket that usually requires a duvet cover. As far as I can tell, it's because it's less washable than a comforter. A comforter is going to probably have a layer of cotton or poly batting in it that doesn't move inside its containment (couldn't come up with a better word). There's a lot of gray area...

With regards to top sheets...I grew up just using a duvet and cover. But considering how big a pain in the butt it is to remove the cover, and therefore how infrequently it gets washed, not using a top sheet seems really unsanitary. But then Europeans have always been slightly less cleanliness-obsessed than Americans...

ײַIkea has a couple of huge pictures that are stretched on metal frames...for images you can then get blown up, I think you can buy pictures off of Getty Images and the AP for a small charge. A large number of Pulitzer Prizewinning photos are AP :)

I know they're an eyesore, but I was hoping to see how the large tv and surround sound were incorporated...I too have a boyfriend with a massive tv (and all the various components) and I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate it with minimum pain into a small apartment...

I just bought a world map at IKEA. While not everything is accurate (they spell Cyprus Chyprus), it's a cool map. To those that don't understand decorating with maps - it's a beautiful acknowledgment of the world we live in, and all those "other" places we don't always remember.

Yeah. That would be a stand-up bass. Cellos are about half that size, and a different shape...

I think benches as well. Also, if you're trying to marry two styles, I wouldn't go with a traditional chandelier over that table - with modern chairs and a rug it would look like someone dressed in a period costume with sneakers on. Because that table is so massive and period-specific, I'd suggest everything else be modern, possibly historically influenced.

Wow. I never realized people were so callous towards architectural history. You can't recreate this stuff, kids. Once it's gone, no one will ever see it again.

And for those of you that dislike government involvement in historic preservation and think that people should be able to do what they want with their property...just be glad you don't live in Israel, where a farmer trying to expand his fields recently found an ancient Byzantine seminary. People literally have to get permission from the Archeological Society before they dig in their basements in some parts of the country. Seriously.

It depends on your style and the style of the house. If you're more eclectic, leave the cabinets, replace the countertop and floor with Morroccan tile, and draw a wall color from that. If you're more traditional, green walls and a solid surface counter in white or off-white. If you're more modern, take out the upper cabinets and replace them with shelves (stainless would be cool), add a solid surface counter, paint the lower cabinets grey and the walls yellow. No matter what, remove that light! I think HGTV has how-tos on their website for such monstrosities...

Be careful with the colors you use. I live in Seattle too and my bedroom is painted ballet slipper pink. Some days it appears to be true pink, but most days it looks like light lavender. That doesn't bother me but keep in mind with all colors that Seattle light is more blue. When you pick a color, think of it lit with a blue gel over the light source. Would you still like it then? Colors most affected are those that are less saturated, like celery green or pink, but it will also make grays and purples seem darker. Good luck!