k2yhe's Profile

I would go with sliding panels in a very sheer fabric, something like this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40078148/.

It would allow for privacy, let in the light, but also keep it within the design lines of the room.

Not exactly my scene, but hey, whatevs. I guess that's why we have scroll bars.

Head down to the hardware store on Salem St and pick up a nice; long piece of wood strapping (about 4 or 5 feet long). Then head over to WinMil Fabrics on Chauncey Street in Chinatown and get some nice fabric remnants in a colour/pattern you like (personally, I see chocolate brown or deep grey to give the room some width). Buy about 6 yards of it. Get another one in a co-ordinating print or colour, just a little bit less, maybe three yards.

Cut the 6 yard piece into two, wrap around the wood strapping, and secure with either staples or hot glue. Hang using a picture hanging kit (just screw the screw eyes into the strapping and then hang on picture hooks). Try it behind the sofa, almost like a colour block. Use the coordinating fabric to wrap around cushions, or as a tablecloth or perhaps a curtain. No paint, no landlord issues, and you can change it out when you get tired of it (I spent most of my young adult life living in either Back Bay or North End apartments that never allowed any paint at all).

I have found my new (domestic) mantra:

"Clutter isn't always a sign of hoarding, but more a tendency to fill."

In that statement alone, I have become my father (my father raised me as a single parent). He collected furniture, rusty artifacts, artwork from (and by) friends, books, books, books, and never, ever drove by an interesting pile of trash, or a yard sale, without stopping in for a poke about. I am my father's daughter. Happy Mother's Day, Dad. :)

I think Dwell has covered the "fruit bowl" in the past with a so-callled "manifesto". I'm not sure why fruit bowls are attacked. I see plenty of photos of kitchens with counters laden with tchockes or useless storage containers, staged for effect.

We keep a bowl of fruit on the counter, mostly because we find that apples take up a lot of valuable space in the fridge, and bananas can't be chilled. Lucky for us, we tend to buy Granny Smiths, whose colour is nicely matched to our kitchen decor.

We did a similar project a few years ago: making a hallway bench with cushions. It served us well as a make-shift "mud room:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/k2yhe/4133135416/in/set-72157626005170274/

The Expedite bench has since been repurposed in the living room as a bookcase and console table behind our Karlstad sofa:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/k2yhe/5913904755/in/set-72157627608052278/

I see nothing negative about this transformation. I like how most of the original kitchen was saved with painting existing cabinets, and keeping the same layout. Less fuss, less expense, and certainly less stuff ending up in landfills just to appease an aesthetic.

Good job. It looks clean, functional, and cheery.

Hey! What's my cat doing on that bed?

de Kooning: striking a balance between his life and his art. I like that.

@Susannemuc:

Aren't they the greatest? The Karlstad legs from Uncle Bobs have worked out really well for our sofa, as well as our chaise.

Photos of my sofa:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/k2yhe/4617084452/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/k2yhe/5632710766/in/photostream/