elchan's Profile

I'm afraid this is but a distant dream for me - I've only got 350-400 sq ft to play with, and getting rid of my desk is not an option. So far, I've settled on using my coffee table like a traditional Japanese / Korean table... perhaps my next move should be floor cushions!

One of the brownstones on my street has that Lindsey Adelman chandelier/light fixture (the branching version) or something similar; it's pretty stunning. I sort of stopped and stared the first time I walked by it at night.

Also, the merits of or lack thereof CFL technology should really be discussed separately from the companies that make them - hopefully there are companies that produce CFL bulbs and create a safe work environment for their employees, but the existence of companies that don't shouldn't mean writing off the entire industry...

In any case, the owner of my apartment installed track lighting, so I'm definitely not saving any electricity with my halogen lighting. I have put in soft light CFLs for my table lamps though and they work fine for me. I've never been concerned about the mercury in them because a) the likelihood of breaking any lightbulb doesn't seem too high because I only ever touch them once a year if that, and b) there are 100x more fluorescent lights in my office, so if I'm going to get mercury poisoned by fluorescent light, it probably won't be at home...

I have a little 3'x3' space where you come in through the front door and on your left and right are closet doors. I've got this tiny Ikea bench / stool in a little nook past the closet on the right, but it's kind of awkward because I do the no-shoes thing, so I have to take off my shoes, shuffle and drop my things on the bench, then shuffle back and hang up my coat and scarf. Not as awkward as my bathroom door not closing though.

Looks like cocoa nibs~

It really seems like a shame to paint any of this wood - I think if you're going for a more casual, rustic kind of look, leave all the wood as is. The only thing about the walls that I'd change is the one triangle wall you don't like - since it doesn't seem like the quality of the wood or anything is particularly great / 'indoor' quality, see if you can tear it out or cover it with drywall.

Also, I think if you just swapped out the glass doors on your pantry & bookcase with frosted glass and popped frosted/solid cabinet doors on the undercounter space, the room would look a lot more streamlined. The only thing is that undercounter space doesn't seem to have room to put up doors...

Ooh, pretty~

Ooh, I love the little flourishes.

Ooh, cute~

I think it would look cool if you just stripped the marble tiles off, left it the normal finished drywall on the side, and painted the wall a bold color. It depends on what your decorating scheme is for the rest of the house, but I think just paint is probably easiest (also coordinates well with what seems like a lot of glass).

Steak~