samantha9484's Profile

tracey (and messyjessy)--the pillow was jonathan adler from a few years ago, but i'm sure it's still around. and thanks!

peggy--we had help on the shelves, but it was a collaborative process (since we rent, i wanted to hire a pro to install them since i wanted to do minimal damage to the walls, and i didn't trust myself as much as someone who was professionally trained). the brick house was definitely the inspiration, but the measurements are better suited to our space (roughly an 8'x8' square). what's nice about ours is we added a few extra fittings so that if we wanted to eventually add another shelf or two, we could. as for the art, i shot those! i'm a professional fashion photographer, and we just picked two shots from my book we liked. we didn't want to put too many up, or otherwise, it would have felt a little too self-congratulatory. and the collage in the office is just tearsheets from magazines, since i go through so many for work anyway! and yup, those are vintage lamps on the mantle. they look like lucite "jenga" (the game) towers with bulbs on the end.

everyone has been so nice! thank you!

Chloe--thanks! Yeah, the mirror/jewelry tower is in the bedroom. I felt a little weird taking a picture of our bed, but I wanted to represent the room somehow. We're both usually too tall for floor mirrors, but this one was perfect. And obviously HUGE.

The cans (and shelving) all came from The Container Store. We didn't actually have enough room for a regular trash can in the kitchen, and we needed extra shelving anyway, so I designed those shelves so we could fit trash/recycling cans underneath.

Here's the actual BW rug:

http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/milliken-vibe/mod/2795568315-780109.html

Hey Sasha--careful there with the "Samantha" hate. My grandmother had a cat named "Sasha", and it was a little demon furball. And I normally LOVE cats.

and cream of wheat with agave nectar on mornings when i need sugar.

and green tea. always.

acbuiten--
no, no, when you see the lady with the tampons and chocolate, with nothing else, that's when you definitely DON'T judge. you sympathize. ditto people who buy five boxes of tissues, tylenol, soup, and three pints of ice cream.

i don't really peek or judge, but i think how you carry yourself makes a huge difference on whether you are judged, or even noticed. i've heard such horror stories about people treating cashiers (and other people in the service industry) badly that i make sure i'm really nice, say hello, wish them a good day/morning/evening, etc. if you're too busy having a nice conversation with someone, they're usually too distracted to judge you. at that point, the person behind you is usually eavesdropping, so they're not judging you either.

i only judge if that person is being a dick. talk on your cell phone, throw things around, don't say "please" or "thank you", completely oblivious to everyone around you and/or their personal space...you're fair game.

hi, sorry, just got back from a photo shoot. i'm a little numb but i didn't want to be rude and not respond to everyone. :)

rolen--
i've been playing the idea of open shelving, but i have to admit, i'm nervous about putting anything else into storage since we have one closet, albeit fairly large, for the whole apartment (not including the bedroom closet), and i already have lighting equipment that's fairly huge. i'd rather not put more away than i have to. but i'm open to it--i just have to visualize it somehow. i actually like the idea of open shelving along part of the opposite wall--it's totally open. something like this:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gQMChxMH7_Q/StXUlwgupII/AAAAAAAAQDg/nS2myT21KK8/s1600-h/090909%2520dish%2520collection%25201.jpg

marthag--
i want to, actually, if only to break up the monotony. plus, i always seem to have problem with cabinets with no handles. no idea why. i'm not an idiot, i just...seem to have a problem with cabinets. maybe that's a vote for rolen's idea to remove the doors.

ko2--
oh no, i never thought it was! our landlord is really nice, but he may have been fed incorrect info. seems plausible. as for the thing above the stove, i'm not entirely sure. not cabinets, though. mildly confused by what a "soffit" is, but based on what i found through google, it's plausible.

junathen--
i had thought about contact paper, but i was worried about durability and cleanliness/safety in regards to food prep. what about contact paper on the wood trim and leave the tile alone?

i think what's getting me is the red floor. i think i'd feel better with everything else if the floor was something else. maybe temporary wood laminate or something? keep it clean?

i'm hoping to teach my boyfriend how to cook, so whatever we do, it needs to be spill-proof. :)

thanks for all the feedback!

does shameless self-promotion count? my favorite etsy stores tend to be vintage clothing that don't seem applicable here.

i'm a professional fashion photographer, and i have a bunch of prints up for sale in my store--i'm proud to say i haven't seen anything like them on etsy.

http://samanthawolov.etsy.com/

apartment living: you knew the job was dangerous when you took it.

i think surviving apartment noises comes down to just keeping things in perspective. it's not fun for you, but it's not fun for anyone else. sometimes, they're the ones who make the noises, and sometimes, it's you. no one here is a saint. i try to be mindful, but i know i contribute my share of noise. i think all you can really do is absorb it and laugh about it later.

noise-canceling headphones are quite helpful, though.

perhaps i'm too optimistic or naive, but i think having windows open could be helpful. my bathroom and bedroom windows hit a courtyard that echoes, and i know that if i were in trouble and needed help, i could just yell, and someone would hear me.

i draw the line at neighbors who complain about everything, though. if your upstairs neighbor, say, trips on a shoe, falls flat on their face, and starts crying from pain, that's probably not a good time for you to take your broomstick and bang on your ceiling, yelling at them to shut up.