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LeslieM's Profile

Display Name: LeslieM
Member Since: 2/18/08
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I love the look of a dark floor with light walls. As others have said, it grounds a small space and gives it weight. But I also totally love the Swedish bleached-floor look. My least favorite is actually the medium oak tone, which is what I have in my prewar rental. Ah well, someday...


Small Space Contrasts: Light vs. Dark Floors
4/5/12 8:07 PM

Here in NYC, tipping the super and other staff at the holidays or when they do something for you above and beyond their job description goes a long way to keeping good relationships.

If you keep late hours at home, recognize that your neighbors are likely sleeping. I did once rap on the ceiling with a broom at 2am when the new upstairs people seemed to be dragging dead bodies and heavy furniture across the floor over my bedroom. They got the message.

And if you're a dog owner, please believe your neighbors if they tell you the dog barks and whines at length when you're away, and take real measures to prevent it, like doggie day care or behavioral training. You'll be doing your neighbors and your dog a favor.


Tips From My Super: How to be a Good Tenant and Neighbor Renters Solutions
3/14/12 1:04 PM

I love my Saturday naps, and so does my cat. Twenty minutes is all I need or want. I can't nap on a bed, though, or I oversleep. The sofa, with the TV on (golf is especially conducive), and a blanket over me.

I learned to catnap when I was in Navy officer candidate school years ago. We only got about 5 hours of sleep a night but had to stay awake in classes all day, a particular challenge after a typical cafeteria gut bomb for lunch. We got demerits for falling asleep during class, but on breaks it was okay. So as the smokers filed out, the rest of us plunked our heads down on our desks. The sound of the smokers coming back in woke us up. Just that little ten-minute snooze reset my brain for the rest of the day.


How to Nap (No, Really!)
1/25/12 4:21 PM

This is why I've kept a car the whole 12 years I've lived in NYC. It's not cheap, but my sanity is worth it. I've lived in SF, too, and you definitely have some great assets nearby, like Ocean Beach, Baker Beach, or GG Park. When the parks here in NY aren't enough, I drive up the Hudson to one of the river towns or up to the Catskills. Part of staying sane in the city is having the ability to escape it.


Urban Exhaustion: How Do You Handle It?
11/1/11 3:14 PM

I am powerless over IKEA. I was a student in Sweden many years ago when I first fell for it, and I've been there for all kinds of things I couldn't afford anywhere else. When I first moved into my present apartment, for instance, I had donated many items before moving across the country, leaving lots of functions to fill, like shelving for books and display (Broder, which looks nicely industrial/rustic with wood plank shelving and cost me a song for 9 linear feet of floor-to-ceiling storage), kitchen work surface (Varde), pantry unit (Pax), TV stand, wood blinds, and dresser (Hemnes). The key quality-wise is to search out the pieces that are solid wood; I have avoided their upholstered furniture, though my mattress is great (Sultan Hansbo, I think). And I love the food section, which I visit every couple of months to stock up on my favorite Swedish condiments and such. Now that my apartment is pretty well set, I am better at curbing my impulse buys. I only go early on Saturday to Paramus and set myself a time limit to be done in an hour, to avoid the crowds.


The IKEA Habit: Need vs. Want
7/26/11 5:34 PM

I went deliberately dresser-less for many years, but in my current NYC apartment I found it hard to squeeze everything into the bedroom closets, and I also lacked a decent surface on which to put my jewelry boxes (I hang necklaces on the wall, but earrings and smaller stuff are too cluttery to put out). So I got a Hemnes 4-drawer dresser, which is perfect for my "smalls" and athletic and sleep clothes, plus nicer scarves and sweaters. I also got a cheap but nice-looking large mirror at HomeGoods to hang over it. I can't believe how much easier my dressing/undressing routine is now.


What Piece of Furniture Are You Willing to Do Without?
6/3/11 3:05 PM

I think there's a fine line between a room that's designed to be simple and one that just looks unfinished. I've been paring down my bedroom as much as possible, so it's interesting to see these and figure out what works IMHO (#3, #6, #7) and what doesn't (everything else). Some of it has to do with scale: a bed, which is a pretty large object, looks out of balance with puny, spindly art above it. Better nothing at all or a large painting or hanging, or a bolder color behind it, than a wimpy lamp or too-small frame.


Keeping it Simple in the Bedroom
House Tour Roundup

3/9/11 10:35 AM

I doubt that I've ever gotten sick from sleeping next to my cat, but I've sure gotten sick many times due to coworkers who bring their kids' colds, intestinal bugs, and whatnot with them to work. The comfort I get from my purring pal far outweighs any potential health risk.


Furry Bedfellows: Do You Sleep with Your Pet?
NY Times

2/18/11 12:33 PM

I love the simplicity, the color choices, the art, and the sofa. Not sure I could ever live quite this pared down, but I appreciate those who can! I think there's a spectrum of "busyness," and for me something this bare would feel like a nice office but a little too stark for comfort. But it's artfully done and it suits him, which is really all that matters!


Frederic's Chic & Petit in Toronto
House Tour

10/30/10 10:08 AM

The videos are really taking shape, Maxwell; fun, casual, instructive!

I have a divided landing strip: an antique mantel shelf and mirror on the wall in my narrow entry hall (with just a bowl of spare/car keys and a spot I put things I need to remember next day), with coat hooks next to it for my purse (with keys) and coat; then the foyer, with a small table and chair for sitting to lace or pull on shoes. "Current" shoes go under the table, along with my work bag; yoga bag also lives there. Periodically I purge and put extra shoes and bags back into the closets.

I don't usually have much mail, and my building thoughtfully provides a bin for junk mail right next to the mailboxes. But I'm not very good at sitting down at the desk to look at and file everything I do get. Another conundrum is when I am coming home from work and have stopped at the grocery store on the way: Do I take the groceries into the kitchen first, then come back to drop bags/coat/shoes, or do I put down the groceries in the foyer to do the drop, then pick them up and take them into the kitchen? I've done it both ways and both seem awkward. I really wish my kitchen were closer to the door.


Day 8: Establish a Landing Strip
The 20/20 Home Cure

10/27/10 4:44 PM

I really miss Metropolitan Home--it was one of the best. I have to check out some of the recommendations from other AT readers.


Day 3: Find Inspirational Photos For Your Home
The 20/20 Home Cure

10/20/10 8:13 AM

I stopped off at Whole Foods to get mine, where most of their flowers were 3 bunches for $12. An unexpected benefit was all the smiles I got on the subway on the way home.


Day 2: Buy Fresh Flowers
The 20/20 Home Cure

10/20/10 8:08 AM

Love this! It's persuading me to go a similar direction with my bedroom. Clean and serene.


Carla's "Luna Moth" Bedroom
10/19/10 5:53 PM

I did the Spring Cure and it really helped me focus while I was settling into my new apartment. I look forward to the 20/20 Cure to fine-tune and maybe do a one-room cure on my bedroom--the one room that still feels not-together. It's very dark--because I'm on the third floor of six and it's tucked back into a recess of the building--and I am NOT a "cave" person! So I bought a quart of Martha Stewart paint in Sea Anemone to try on one wall to see how I like it. I also need to mix up the furniture and maybe sell an antique or two...trying for a balance of modern with rustic.

I like the idea of a full Cure once a year and a shorter-lighter version in the other season.


The 20/20 Home Cure: Join Us Monday!
10/18/10 3:17 PM

These have been so fun to read! Cats rule! (Dogs too.)

Finian, my big 8-year-old orange tabby, loves company and runs to the door to greet guests when the doorbell rings or when I come home from work. He jumps up on you with his paws on your hips (stretched out, he's nearly three feet long!), just like a dog. If I have several people over, he will spend a little time curled up with each of them, a perfect host.

He likes mostly "found" toys, but LOVES the laser pointer. He can hear me pick it up from three rooms away in the middle of a nap and is there like a shot.

I have had to accept the ragged arms of my sofa--he scorns a scratching post. Those double-sticky tapes work to keep him from scratching, but look almost as bad as the thread scraggles. Mostly he likes to scratch the IKEA jute mats, which fortunately are indestructible.

He reaches out and taps me on the face with his paw--always the left paw--when he wants my attention, when I've stopped petting him too soon, or when he thinks I'm sleeping too late. Then as soon as I'm up he goes back to the bed.

He's a veteran traveler and is totally mellow in his carrier. He's made long drives and cross-country airline trips of 12 hours door-to-door without messing his Sherpa bag or meowing. In a new place, he'll spend 10 minutes exploring and then come find me and be perfectly at home. He's the joy of my life and the best cat I've ever known--and I've had some really wonderful cats.


Catering to Your Pet's Quirks
9/15/10 4:37 PM

Great, succinct piece. (But, um, it's 'paring' not 'pairing.')

Moving is always a great opportunity to downsize. I sold a lot of stuff on Craigslist and donated the rest to Salvation Army. I have also been weeding out anything that had even the smallest bad association with it. I don't want those ghosts lurking in my life. Let it have a new, fresh life with someone else.


Downsizing: Tips For Pairing Down For A Small Space
8/12/10 10:52 AM

When I was last looking, I saw a number of nice units in one building but ruled them out because the building super was creepy, with Hustler photos plastered all over his walls in the basement office. Not someone I want to have a key to my door!


Our Top 5 Deal Breakers For New Spaces
8/3/10 8:30 PM

Oh, I just LOVE this! And I really enjoyed your narrative.


Four People (and a Dog) Living in 180 Square Feet
House Tour

8/3/10 3:03 PM

Spectacular job! It always amazes me, when I watch HGTV, how little imagination typical home buyers have in visualizing potential. You two have both imagination AND the skills to bring it to life.


Kevin & Julie's "House That No One Wanted"
House Call

8/3/10 1:42 PM

I did all of these but it still took me six months to fully settle in. For one thing, I had to be at work full-time from day one (and had also worked full-time through most of the packing, which I did myself), and have needed to take sanity breaks. Ideally, I'd take a full week or two to do all this...and it would still take me six months to make "final" choices. Things don't always work out the way your floor plan and paint chips had you thinking it would. And I didn't want the expense of hiring painters, so part of the painting is still waiting for the next burst of energy.


From Moving In to Settled In…In One Week! Loving Living Small | Apartment Therapy Los Angeles
7/27/10 5:11 PM