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Horrid, every one.

We moved from NY to LA a few years ago. Things to know: A good mover should come to your place, look at your stuff and give you a binding estimate. (Some now call the estimate something other than "binding," but you need something that you can hold them to.) The price of the move will be based on the weight of your stuff. We were moving about 1500 sq feet of stuff with a large quantity of books and our move was on the order of $8k. We could have spent less, but we used reputable movers which meant our stuff arrived on time and intact, with no sleazy behavior.

You absolutely must spring for the replacement cost insurance - otherwise you'll only be covered for something like 6 cents per pound, which will do you no good if something gets lost or damaged, and even good movers will sometimes have something go wrong. For things where even getting the replacement cost back won't actually allow replacement, think long and hard about whether you're willing to risk losing those items. My great grandmother's silver, some art and some other things (plus the computer backups) came in the car with us, because the value (sentimental or monetary) of that stuff was just too high to take a chance with. I know quite a few people who've done cross-country moves, and things can go horribly, horribly wrong. So if you couldn't bear to lose something, carry it yourself.

Also, on the replacement cost insurance: We packed nearly everything ourselves, to save money, but the stuff we wanted covered had to be packed by them (they won't certify that something was packed correctly if you pack it, though sometimes they'll let it slide if you don't seal the box. You'll want to discuss this with your mover.)

In case you're curious, we used Mayflower. One nice feature was that we were able to track the truck while our stuff was in transit. It really is a pretty big window that they give you, and you won't know until your stuff is nearly there what exact day it will arrive.

Also - I agree with the movingscams.com recommendation. It's a real eye-opener.

In general, you will be appalled by the cost. If your stuff isn't special, the recommendation to sell most or all of it and start fresh can really work - so often a new place would work better with a smaller table or a sectional with the chaise on the left instead of the right, or whatever. Especially moving to NY, you may well have less space in your new place. So make sure you do a good purge rather than paying to move stuff that you won't have a good home for anyway!

Good luck. The move will be stressful but NY will be great!

Where are you getting the January 2010 date? As far as I know the U.S. changes don't start till 2012. Europe begins next year, but I have not seen anything about the U.S. timeline being moved up.

The chairs in the first two photos are the Pyra chair by the Swedish designer Marten Cyren.

@Greg: Thanks for the nice words. The kitchen actually isn't quite finished yet, so no, I haven't shown it around; I just thought it might be useful to the discussion here to share my experience with Mixed-Up Mosaics. But since the project has been a slog and a half, your comments are very much appreciated!

This is indeed the Bar Code pattern from Mixed-Up Mosaics. And you can mock their website, but they really aren't "selling things online." They are craftspeople who have a website just because you have to in this day and age. If you want to see their stuff, you need to visit a dealer who sells it. I used them for my backsplash, and I can tell you after I saw their sample I looked everywhere for a cheaper alternative, but the alternatives were nowhere near as special. Mixed-Up Mosaics hand-cut each tile, in widely varying lengths and widths (most of the similar patterns are far more regular and somehow less "alive"), in a custom colorway that I created, and built it on numbered sheets for my space. This is the opposite of mass-produced, and it is priced accordingly. (There is also a lead time of roughly 4-6 weeks.)

So as someone with actual experience with this product, I guess I'd put it this way. Once I saw it, nothing else was good enough. It really did cost an absolute fortune (though my dealer gave me a price of about $110 per square foot, treating me as a "contractor"). But it is a unique, handmade piece of art in my house that makes me happy every day, and I was willing to skimp a little on other things to have it.

You can see it for yourself here: http://gallery.mac.com/ostimusic/100387/IMG_2392/web.jpg?ver=12450081080001

@bepsf: That Mangiarotti agate-top table is stunning. I covet it. But it's $75,000.

I've used Frog tape and while it's noticeably better than blue tape, it's not infallible. Care in application also matters - with any tape, if you slap it up you may not have the working edge sealed.

I know a lot of pros don't use any tape at all, but my hands aren't that steady and I find especially along the ceiling sometimes even immediate wipeoffs can't quite get everything (not to mention that in some corners I end up mucking up the wet paint when trying to get it off the non-painted area). So I'm a taper.

One other note: Frog tape is even pricier than the already expensive blue stuff.

That Chinoiserie wallpaper is exactly the splurge I've been wanting to make, but it's possible to spend an almost infinite amount of money on the stuff - would Erica be willing to share her source?

Thanks!

I think you're on the right track - paint the cabinets white, paint the walls whatever light color feels cheeriest to you, get the cutest new cabinet hardware you can find (shiny!) and if you can swing it, replace the wood blind with something lighter - a roman shade either in white with a bit of ribbon trim (don't ask why I know this, but Pottery Barn Teen has some pretty nice ones), or in a fun pattern that coordinates with your wall color.

I'd also suggest a little reduction in the number of accessories; I think it's feeling slightly "bitsy" - a lot of items of similar size.

You can totally do this. Your cabinets are a nice basic design and seem to be in good shape; your countertops and appliances are a nice, neutral black and white, which will ground your space. Once you've added some bright white and happy color, you'll be in great shape. Good luck! Send pictures when you're done!