Slim's Profile

I come from a family of 'collectors' and I have inherited so many beautiful things I don't need to buy anything for my home. I will continue to inherit from a few more relatives in the older generations over the next 20 years and the challenge will be finding a place for everything and deciding what to purge. I'm very lucky to have similar tastes to the loved ones who've left their material possessions behind.

Another vote for the extreme heat treatment solution. I know of a nice little hotel in a big city that couldn't get ahead of the bedbug problem due to new arrivals bringing them in all the time. They did the chemical extermination route with multiple companies, preventive treatments, replaced all beds & soft goods in the rooms and no progress. After having some rooms heat treated and getting real results they bought the *very* expensive equipment to use in house. Now they only have to treat a room once after a new introduction of the pests, the infestation is gone.

Also, the electrical outlets are always a prime hiding spot- including light bulb sockets.

Sniffer beagles are a great way to get the reassurance you need they're really gone, or to alert you that more work needs to be done before moving all your stuff back into an apartment or house.

If you paint (or not) think about patching the holes in the wall and using the picture rail as it was intended.

Once you experience the freedom of being able to hang artwork on the walls without nails you'll be glad you did. It's so easy to change things around and experiment with new layouts.

Here in SF you have tons of options for the style of hanger and cord or wire.

Mirepoix, soffritto, holy trinity...

Whatever you call it- celery with carrots and onion sauteed in butter is the start of a million great dishes.

I have a large pocket style shoe tree nailed up on the vestibule wall outside my apt. door. To eliminate any odors (since guests have to pass by it to enter the apt) and keep any bugs from getting in the shoes I made sachets out of cedar wood and odd socks. Bugs avoid cedar, but only as long as it's fresh enough to have a strong fragrance.

Each sachet is large enough to fill the shoe, it gives lonely odd socks a new purpose and pet bedding made from cedar is cheap and easy to find.

I enjoy placing a framed landscape or antique map on the most distant wall facing me for a place to rest my eyes. When I need a little break from my monitor or need to let my mind wander a bit looking at a representation of an actual place is both relaxing and interesting.

Most like #4, but more edibles than ornamentals. Living in the Bay Area gives me a year round growing climate and I take advantage of it.

I have a bench and chair that seat up to 3 for snacks or drinks but the table tops are all full of potted plants. I just have a deck, no yard, so space is tight.

Buying a product to bury in a pot is crazy. Why don't you just send me your money if you don't want it?

Empty soda pop cans, water bottles, big styrofoam chunks the new electronics came in (in-the-poche is right about the loose peanuts), all of these things are in the bottom of my planters.

Just rifle through the recycle bin and you will find lots of things that will work. Better yet, get 'em out of the garbage can from your jerk neighbor who won't recycle. Those things were going to end up buried somewhere anyway!

Location certainly influences how I decorate. I've had the good fortune to live in places I love and while there I always wanted to embrace the details of each in my home.

Certain cities have such distinct style it seems a shame to miss out on the chance to put your own spin on it.

In some locations styles change with the seasons. New Orleans for example, has a "winter dress" and "summer dress" for the historic homes that preserve and display the traditional decorating style of that city.

How to remove a useless one foot long baseboard heater and replace it with a much needed outlet.

THX!