rkmw's Profile

Mice are not fun, but they can come with the territory in certain environments. First, deal with feeling like you need to disinfect your entire kitchen with napalm (that's how I felt the first time I had a mouse). Also, sadly, if you see one mouse, there are more that you don't see, yucky, but true.

1 - clean your kitchen (and yes, plain soap and water should be fine but if you're really worried, good ole Clorox or Lysol will be fine)
2 - place all food in sealed containers (plastic, glass, metal - something that can't be chewed through)
3 - keep your kitchen clean and free of food bits and water sources

Now, take a look at your mouse's history - has it gotten into any food items? Where have you found droppings?

Consider your trap options - if the mouse is not eating in your space, traditional traps may not be of interest to your pest. Humane traps can make you feel good - but you have to then deal with the live critter (which means checking the trap regularly, and letting it out somewhere). There are also battery-powered "quick kill" traps available that basically shock the mouse.

Some mice won't take bait from a trap, or they're expert at getting it out of there without setting the trap off. Peanut butter (a very small amount smeared on) is good, so is bacon grease. But if your mouse is munching on crackers, try tiny bits of cracker in the trap.

Finally, if you are renting, talk to your landlord about options as well (and if you've purchased, or they're not willing - do these yourself).

~ Seal up all entrances to your space - that includes around plumbing fixtures and the gas inlet for your stove.
~ Check around windows, in the eaves/attic, basement, etc for any cracks to the outside and seal them up as well
~ Remove any places where mice can easily hide out or nest - store things in sealed plastic tubs (not cardboard boxes) and up off the floor

Personally, I'd go classic. If you plan to keep the piece for some time, it's the most versatile choice. Add bold accent pillows.

Either way... if the piece is well made (and by the way - what a find!!!) and you plan to keep it for some time, do consider having it professionally done (unless you are really good at DIY). Also...

Opt for quality fabric with a rich feel (whether classic or bold) to keep the settee looking as good as possible.

And... if you do choose to go bold, stick with bold colors or patterns that are not super trendy and will still look good in 5 or 10 years. (So yes, a "classic" bold) There are some bold choices that are never truly out of style.

I'm torn on this - on the one hand, it has potential, on the other, I have to agree with those who say it's not going to be comfortable.

I'm assuming, based on the photo, that the bed folds at least in half, but more likely into thirds, so any mattress that goes on this needs to be flexible enough to fold, thin enough to fit in the cabinet and sturdy enough to support whatever weight guest you plan to put on it. Plus not develop permanent thin spots at the fold points. That's a tall order.

For a smaller person, or a child, such a bed can be fine for short visits. For anyone old enough to have a few aches and pains, or someone who is a bit heavier, this could be torture.

You don't say why you are looking for a hide-a-bed, whether it's for occasional guests, a visiting child, or a long-term solution to needing more sleeping space. In either case, before spending time, effort and money on restoration - consider your reasons for the bed, the investment you'd need to find a suitable mattress for this thing and all of your other options.

If, in the end, this cabinet bed is the right solution (and you can find the right mattress), then I'd go one of two ways... either go with the Asian influence many have mentioned, or take it Mid Century Modern.

The mesh looks to be in good shape, and it can work with either style. I'd keep it. Sand down the scratches, use a filler if you need to, then prime the piece really, really well before painting to coordinate with whatever room it will be in. (gloss black, or a deep red are appealing to me, but that's my style)

If the hardware is as nice as the image shows - by all means, clean it up and keep it!

And by the way, when you do have a guest sleeping on it, nothing says that their head must go in the cabinet - you could simply make the bed the other way, so it's their feet in the cabinet end. And the top is a perfect space for guests to place their suitcase, or to hold a tray with a water carafe - sort of a built in nightstand.

We tend to have guests fairly often, and it's not uncommon for visits to last several days, or to include several guests at once. I've learned that being upfront about household needs and requirements makes things go much more smoothly.

I tend to feel that if I know you well enough to have you in my home for days on end, then I know you well enough to put you to work. There are some exceptions to that rule, of course, but it does apply to family and family gatherings.

~ I post meal plans and times, including which meals are "on your own" or don't have a set time. If there is a large group, I include a sign up sheet for kitchen duty - including prep, setting the table and clean up (as needed).

~ I also make it very clear that there are plenty of snacks and munchies available and that folks are welcome to help themselves (and clean up after themselves) if they want something. I clearly label all "meal plan" foods.

~ I make sure each guest is given a towel, hand towel and washcloth, as well as clear information about showers and hot water. Those who have a schedule to keep get priority access to showers/hot water.

~ If guests are staying several days, they're given a cloth laundry sack for dirty cloths. Our washer and dryer are super easy to use, and we keep all supplies in clearly labeled bins in the laundry room.

~ I accept a certain amount of clutter will happen when there is a crowd, and I quickly learn who is good about wanting to help pick up/tidy up and will happily call on them to help give a quick, 5 minute pick up as needed.

~ I let my dishes sit. Dishes can wait, guests cannot. Meals are cleared and dishes rinsed and stacked and then left for a while. That way, everyone can be sociable and relax for a bit and not feel like they're missing out on anything. Later, as things settle down, it's easy to slip off to the kitchen to do the clean up.

~ I put together information about our neighborhood, a simple map with landmarks, address and phone number for several local attractions and restaurants as well as the website for buses and trolleys as well as numbers for cab companies. If we have time, we work to schedule mutually chosen activities; if we don't, then our guests have all the info they need to manage on their own.

~ Folks staying in the living room have plenty of space to keep luggage and bags neatly in the hallway (big hall), or in one corner of the living room. I do ask that air mattresses are either pushed completely to one end of the room, stored on their side in the back hall or deflated during the day so the main room is usable for everyone. But we usually try to accommodate everyone in bedrooms, even if it means doubling up and putting air mattresses in the bedrooms.

~ We make the effort ahead of time to ensure there is extra space for guests. The hall closet has room for coats. The big hall has room for suitcases. The bedrooms have space in their closets and there are shelves with empty baskets to hold incidentals.

~ I keep the under-sink cabinets in our bathrooms essentially empty of daily stuff. There is a basket with extra TP and soap, and then there are small baskets to help guests corral their belongings.

And the biggest thing we do? We love having company, and we accept that it means some level of sacrifice and inconvenience. We've tailored our home to make it as easy as possible to have guests, and we enjoy having a full house.

I love having friends over for dinner - and the presence (or absence) of fine linens and china do not a dinner party make (or break). I have my grandmother's good china, usually, I have too many guests at dinner parties to use it.

While I agree that having friends over for drinks, dinner and conversation seems to be a dying practice, I don't think doing so requires dusting off the crystal and laying out the linen. The idea is to do something special and different to make the evening more exciting - and that may be as simple as turning off the TV, lighting a few candles and putting on some great music. What's wrong with that?

I resent the idea that a dinner part is, by definition, pretentious or fake. I also resent the idea that only people who have money and time to burn can afford to host parties. Anyone can host a dinner party. If you have limited means and small children then make it a potluck family affair. It's no less a "dinner party" because of it.

But yes, I value those times when friends can get together, without kids, and simply enjoy each other's company and the old fashioned art of conversation.

In our home, that's a regular event, and everything in our kitchen has been tailored to suit that lifestyle choice.

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A few more reasonable thoughts...

I live in a very urban environment and yeah, in public areas or when windows are open, we have to deal with smelling neighbor's food, smoke, etc. To some degree it's par for the course. However, I'm also asthmatic, and have a terrible time with even the smallest amount of cigarette smoke.

Do you have a right to enjoy your own property and have a cigarette outside? In my opinion, yes. However, in a multi-family situation, consideration is the best bet. (and I'd say the same thing about the dog - barking dogs, screaming children, etc)

Can you use a "smoke eater" type ashtray? Point a fan so that your smoke blows away from the building?

Are you ensuring that your smoking times are otherwise considerate of others? ie - not while they're sitting down to dinner in the apartment just downwind of you, and not having three or four friends all lighting up at the same time and sitting there for an hour with heavy smoke billowing away?

If I were catching an occasional whiff of my neighbor's smoke, I might (if it was a real problem) ask them to use a fan, or something like that to help mitigate the problem. But I'd otherwise tend to ignore it.

If, on the other hand, I had a chain-smoking neighbor with lots of smoke-stack puffing friends whose smoke filled my apartment multiple times a day, or for long periods at a time, I would definitely have a talk with them about how noticeable their smoke was. and if that failed, yes, I would, under those circumstances, escalate things.

Yeah, not fun.

First off - in a multi-family building, there is going to be noise. That's all there is to it. I've been on all sides of this one, from the one being complained about, to the one doing the complaining, and (fortunately the case now) to having neighbors who all tolerate the little bit of noise that happens, especially in old buildings.

I agree with those who have said to contact your neighbors and try to find a work around. I like the idea of asking if you can sit with them in their place while you have someone walk around upstairs in yours. If they're open to that, it will give you a very clear idea of just what it does sound like, and make them feel that you care.

To soften your steps: Area rugs (yeah, the floors are nice, but...) and put pads under them! Take off your shoes, and ask guests to do the same. Find out where the noise is the worst and really focus on those spaces. Make sure that any noise-making stuff is also off the floor (that means speakers, televisions, computer bits, etc) and that you pad the feet of furniture legs that sit on bare wood (super important on dining room chairs).

Realize that what seems like tip-toes to you may still sound like elephants on parade to them. And if they've asked for quiet and consideration once, they will get progressively frustrated with each subsequent asking. Which is why it's so important to reach out to them to let them know you are trying to work it out. If, after that, they're still buttheads, well... people can be buttheads.

It's also important to think about schedules - do you have a similar schedule as they do? Or are you being the most active during times they are trying to have quiet time? In the apartment above ours, one tenant is up and about very early (resulting in us hearing the early morning shuffle, flushing, water flowing, etc) and one is up very late, but stays in the living area (what we hear sounds like they're playing shuffle board upstairs). But we're OK with all that - they don't mind the large gatherings that we frequently have. It's a give and take.

The bottom line is, you are in a space that includes shared walls (or rather floors and ceilings). Try to work with your neighbors to create a positive environment where both people's needs are met.

I had a bedroom for a while that had similar issues. Gorgeous and huge room dominated by this gigantic stone wall, a fireplace and super high natural beam ceilings.

It all depends on your style, but I'm fond of leaving the beams natural. When I moved in, this was the wall: http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n2/rkcanfield/?action=view&current=IMG_2111.jpg
(John Wayne decor was NOT mine!)

I love strong colors, so I opted for an intense mustardy yellow on the walls that really brought out the colors in the stone and the beams. http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n2/rkcanfield/?action=view&current=fpwall.jpg

With that fabulous bar/pass through I'd put a seating area and TV over near that end of the room and then do a second seating area around the fireplace, using area rugs to define the two spaces.

With a large seating area and TV right when you walk in, the gigantic stone wall will recede into the distance just a bit and guests will feel less overwhelmed.

I think the natural beams look best left natural with the stone wall, but you could also white wash them. My goal with the room would be to create a soft, warm, welcoming feel by painting the walls a rich butter color and leaving the beams alone. Then using rich, Persian style rugs and warm-toned leather for the furniture.

What a great space! Please post after pics!

We had windows very similar to this - two side-by-side sliding glass doors, actually, so the solution had to be floor to ceiling as well as permit people walking through them.

Tension rods aren't going to support much weight over that wide of a space - unless you opt for super light, sheer curtains, I'd skip that idea.

A good wire system (and yeah, Ikea's is good) will work and will give a clean, modern look. You can hang almost any style of drapes from them and even use multiple layers if you like that look.

That jut out over the window is a soffit, and should be strong enough to hold the weight of a curtain rod. Check to be sure it's not duct work first, of course! Then find the studs or supports. You can hang a standard rod and finial style on the face of the soffit, or hang a supported rod underneath it. Either way, tab-top or rod-pocket curtains would look great there.

If you like a really traditional look - Roman shades hung from the soffit would be lovely. And depending on the style of the room, and your tastes, you could get bamboo shades (available in super-wide versions) and then swag mosquito netting around them for softness.

The width is a challenge, but with the soffit to hang from, you're really only limited by depth - if you hang under the soffit, you don't want the top of your drapes to be too tall (they'll block too much of the window) and if you hang on the face of the soffit, you want to watch how far out the whole set up comes.

But what a gorgeous window to have!