bvz's Profile

Display Name: bvz
Member Since: 4/14/08

Latest Comments...

Must Haves:

Pre-war building
Hardwood floors
Fireplace
Off-street parking
Small outdoor space

Got:
Small outdoor space.

Oh well, 1 out of 5 ain't bad :)

(plus I added hardwood floors, fireplace, and an ongoing remodel to remove the nasty 1960's cheap apartment feel.)


What 'Must-Haves' Did You Let Go Of When Buying Your First Home?
4/9/12 3:10 PM

Ok, so I looked a little closer and the fastmac version seems to be pretty good at shutting itself down if not in use. So that makes a lot more sense to me now.


How To: Upgrade a Wall Outlet to USB Functionality
2/3/12 7:35 PM

So the thing I don't like about this is that it appears to be the same as leaving a wall wart permanently plugged in - sucking energy the whole time. I have all my chargers on switched outlets (or you could put them on a power strip that is plugged into a timer). But having these things always sucking energy is pointless and seems like a pretty bad idea.


How To: Upgrade a Wall Outlet to USB Functionality
2/3/12 7:33 PM

I had bamboo floors installed in my kitchen (dark fiber strand). They are extremely strong, extremely dent resistant, and incredibly fragile when it comes to scratches. The tiniest bit of grit under your shoe will leave a scratch.

The issue with my floor is not the bamboo itself so much as the "diamond" finish that smith & fong put on it. It is utter rubbish. I've had it for about a year and a half and I expect I'll have to sand the whole thing down and re-do it in another 3 years. I still love the floors, but I expect they won't really come into their own until I re-do the finish with something that isn't just a flimsy coat of plastic on top.


Caring for Bamboo Floors?
Good Questions
12/15/10 6:10 PM

So far there have been some excellent suggestions. I'll throw mine into the mix just for fun :)

I'll echo the fact that the curtains are completely wrong. You need something lighter/less patterned.

The rug isn't necessarily bad... with different colors/arrangements in the room it could really work.

Open up the room in front of the window.

And finally... paint.

paint. paint. paint. All of the colors in the room are about the same - some variation on beige.

If you are feeling adventurous, I would paint all of the walls a fairly pure white with the exception of your great wall. That one I would paint with black chalk board paint (the whole thing) and then do a big drawing on it. If you can get your hands on a digital projector, it makes it easy to trace a photo if you are unsure of your drawing skills. The image will really be yours, will fill up the space, and can be changed at a moment's notice (ish)

Finally, the bright white and black will make any colors you have in the room really pop (the rug for example).

Whatever you do, good luck and have fun!


Help with Living Room "Design Dead Ends"?
Good Questions
9/9/10 3:02 AM

Actually, after visiting Ikea's website I would just recommend replacing the thing. They have this one:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20141184

which seems to fit with the aesthetic you have started with your mirror, but looks much much nicer than the existing cabinet. And it is only $180. Compare that with the amount of time you would spend sanding, painting, sanding, etc. just to have a cabinet that doesn't look all that good to start with... and may have issues with the paint chipping.


Would You Paint this Bathroom Vanity Cabinet? | Apartment Therapy Chicago
6/5/10 3:16 AM

I would consider refacing the thing with walnut plywood. It could actually look very nice with the black mirror and white top. What you would have to do is get 1/8" thick plywood for the sides and then have the fronts overlap the sides such that you couldn't see the white underneath (you could also band the edge of the carcass with some walnut veneer edging). It would take some carpentry, but would maybe look much much better than a simple paint job. Look at this for inspiration:

http://www.wrenfurniture.com/html/kc.html

Another possibility would be to reface it with drawer fronts from Ikea... depending on whether you can get something that fits the existing dimensions.


Would You Paint this Bathroom Vanity Cabinet? | Apartment Therapy Chicago
6/5/10 2:33 AM

I would suggest replacing the cabinet doors with new, flat plywood doors (fin plywood that has up to 7 layers and looks fantastic edge on). The current doors, no matter what color, will never really look the way you want them to. I would paint the plywood upper cabinet doors a flat charcoal color (but just the doors, the rest of the cabinets could be white or a natural birch color or even the oak you already have). The lower cabinets could be painted white with wood accents, and the counter tops made of 3/8" charcoal colored paper stone (that's what I have in my kitchen so I may be biased... but it is environmentally less harmful and the fact that it is thin makes it much cheaper).

The walls could then remain a white-ish color (warm, but still white) and you could introduce color via the appliances. Get a fire engine red fridge or stove - or both (though these may be very expensive)

Removing the fussy details of the kitchen cabinets and going with very dark colors against white will really make the kitchen pop. I'm not sure about the white counter tops myself.

No matter what you do, though, I would remove the cabinet in the upper left corner of the picture. It seems really awkward.

Have fun whatever you do!

P.S.

Here are some photos of Farina in San Francisco. I can't really find a pic of the furniture that I like so much, but if you scroll to the bottom you will see some of it... basically the colors they use are black metal, white cabinet faces, and wood cabinet bodies. Nice combination.

http://www.nosaladasameal.com/2008/07/farina-san-francisco.html


Design Ideas for Modernizing a Kitchen? Good Questions | Apartment Therapy Chicago
5/4/10 4:33 AM

Honestly... I would just live with it till you can replace it. And replace it as soon as you can - having an unattractive couch can make you more miserable than you are aware (till it is suddenly gone and you feel so much better). Sell it before you move (less to move, some extra $$ to help with the new place, and you never ever have to get used to seeing the beast in your new place).

You could consider the Sater couch from Ikea (I have one because I was in the same boat as you... ugly couch but not enough money to actually get once I really liked.) It is leather and only $399. It could keep you happy enough until you have the ability to afford one you really like...


How Do I Make My Big Green Couch Work? Good Questions | Apartment Therapy Los Angeles
2/10/10 2:09 AM