Alex in DC's Profile

very Terance Conran

Fishgirl,
I'm assuming you are referring to keeping cut basil fresh (versus a live plant with roots in soil) - that's a whole different problem.
If you cover the basil in the cup of water with a plastic bag you might be able to get a couple more days than you are now. Basil really doesn't store well for long - one week at the maximum - so plan on using it in 2-3 days. Freeze whatever you can't use in oil.

I grew up with cork floors - thru the whole house. They are fabulous. I am planning on eventually installing them in my apartment (after I save some money) and my mom is planning on doing the same as they have relocated and downsized. We both miss them so much. They are warmer than wood and softer. They also absorb more sound than wood which will be appreciated by your neighbors downstairs.
When you buy the tiles, make sure you have a handful of extras to store in a box. Occasionally you will need to replace a tile or two - (flooding of some kind is your biggest culprit) - with a small supply you can easily pop one in (if the color of the laid tile has faded a bit put the new tile in direct sun for a couple of days/week until it matches). You don't need a lot of tiles - my mom used about 24 tiles over a 35 year history with our house.
For brands, personally, I like expanko but there are several good ones out there.
Cork tiles come in two ways - the traditional tile is a simple square cork tile laid directly on the subfloor. You will need a very smooth subfloor for this. It is the more affordable option and is 100% cork.
An alternate is a sandwich tile - which is similar to pergo in that it 'floats' and can be installed on a less than perfect subfloor. The sandwich tile is thicker and also increases sound absorbtion. I am not certain if this product is all cork.
Oh, and you will want the cork to be sealed - there are both gloss and matte finishes.

I agree with other posters - a screen would work well and might also be a good design response giving some height in that corner which might be nice opposite the windows. I'd worry about putting a plant there - work with someone at the garden store to make certain whatever you pick can withstand any hot/cold forced air from the vents.

You can cover them with blinds - a nice roman blind or a simple well-made roller shade would be nice. If you want the softness of curtain - I'm thinking something floor to ceiling would be best. Look at curtain tracks -- there is a lot of discussion/info about these on this site.

Well, in LA I am going to assume you don't need a box for mittens, hats and scarves!! but there are other things that are helpful on the way out/in are worth considering housing here particularly in a small house/apartment

Consider a box of supplies to prep you for heading out the door -- such as sunscreen and a lint roller (one quick roll before you leave!!), a small supply of those cute kleenex pouches, stamps, cough drops (for when you are on your way to a play or concert), the dog leash. I like to keep a box of colorful inexpensive travel umbrellas -- I buy mine at Filenes basement ($5-8 each) and am happy to hand them out to guests who stopped by without one!!
Of course you will want a box or two that hold this stuff and hide the clutter.
Fill this out with a display of pottery or maybe some natural items that rotate with the seasons (large sea shells, huge pinecones) - even a couple of books. This is a great location for an tablescape - check out David Hicks as he is probably the master of the tablescape.

Holly - in an apartment of your size, 70 sf is roughly correct for the square footage of the shared walls. I do know how much you would love to have the square footage. My 550 sf apartment in SW is much smaller is usable area - and I dream (literally) of extra rooms and closets. what i could do with 70 square feet!!!!

Cate - what you need to understand is that legally it isn't a lie to say Holly's apartment is 70 sf larger than the floor area she lives within. Despite the opinion of postings here today, it is perfectly honest for the seller to quote the legal description - in fact they are required to do so. Think about it - a 4000 square foot home includes all the walls, structural columns, vent stacks, ect because it can't be a house without them. In an apartment, you only have half of the shared interior walls to 'pay' for and none of the exterior - you need these things to make the apartment within the box of the building. I know it doesn't feel like a deal but in contrast to a house, an apartment dweller gets a much better deal in percentage of useable space!!

If you find the square footage quoted is incorrect based on approved measuring techniques in your juridiction - in other words, if it really is a lie - then you have a legal case and may wish to pursue it. At the very least, you would want the property square footage adjusted for tax purposes if you actually have less than you paid for (be careful with this one - shared walls add up). A lawyer would be able to tell you whether you have a case worth pursuing with the seller.

Regarding rentals, I know the situation with tenant rights is much more murky city to city - and this will affect the honesty of the landlord. In my experience with units in the metro DC area, the calculations for rental unit square footage have been very accurate based on the assumptions described in my first posting here. I have no doubt there are dishonest landlords and have idea what the situation is like in New York or other cities in terms of reparations.

disappointing but not surprising. ironic that the label is run by an unmarried woman.
well, I know there is no way I am buying some damn wedding magazine - so I'll have to wait for someone on this site to scan and post any interesting images.

There are industry standards for measuring square footage - as an architect, I spend plenty of time doing just that. I have commented on this in the past - this is not a new conversation to AT and I am a bit disappointed that the staff can't bother to keep up or at least link to the last conversation as a number of architects commented.

What you should know is that USABLE square footage is different than NET square footage - and your lease/sale is based on NET. Net definitions vary slightly from city to city - but it generally includes all conditioned space - livingroom, bedroom, bath, closets, cabinets, den (lucky you) - but not typically balconies or garages. Net includes included half of any wall you share with a neighbor plus half of any wall you share with the corridor (in some cases it is estimated as all the wall to the corridor). If your exterior wall is more than 50% glass the estimate is to face of glass not to the face of the sill. It also includes the extra thinkness of plumbing/wet walls, plumbing vent stacks, HVAC stacks and ducting if vertical, columns within your apartment - the list goes on and it adds up.

This doesn't mean you were misled/misinformed by the leasing agent or realtor and that your space is significantly smaller than advertised. But you need to calculating them correctly.

Mr Green,

I think you have a good and valid point about the 'cleanliness' of this soap. I have often wondered about this very issue with this design which has been of interest to Maxwell for some time and I am glad he managed to find a source for it.

Personally, I wouldn't install it in a kitchen or bathroom (note to readers, I am offering no opinion about where you chose to install the soap). However, there are places I might find such a device be useful - such as a laundry room, art studio, potting shed or similar where cleaning off the dirt and mess of performing a certain job is necessary but it isn't required to be prepared to perform major surgery. Sometimes you just need to clean up enough to keep doing the job.

It's a shame your delivery of the opinion can not be delivered in a more constructive manner. I find your comments to be so combative and rude that I don't WANT to agree with you.

I selected 'A' - but both are great patterns and will work well (IMHO).
I do agree with NYCtexan that a more tailored pleat would be a nice alternate to the traditional gathered skirt.