Man_ofSteel's Profile

Display Name:	Man_ofSteel
Personal URL:	http://www.kramerdesignstudio.com
Member Since:	11/12/08

Latest Comments...

Hi Trudy & Amy- A chance to create a focal point of your Home- Should not be left to scouting the aisles of a Box Store for an elegant solution. Your best to look to a designer AND fabricator who can guide you through the process. And- I happen to know just the person. Take a look at some of the beautiful stair railings that I've both designed and fabricated over the years. Randall Kramer ManofSteel@kramerdesignstudio.com http://www.kramerdesignstudio.com/stair_railings.htm Good Questions: Modern staircase railing ideas? Flag this comment	5/25/11 4:25 PM
Another Tadao Ando creation is in Chelsea/NYC- the beautiful Morimoto Rstaurant owned by Steven Starr in conjunction w/ the "Iron Chef" himself. http://www.morimotonyc.com/ Chicago House by Tadao Ando Flag this comment	4/5/11 12:59 PM
Go with ONE- possibly one-and-a-half EXPEDITS stacked on top of each other. Or- get someone like "me" to fabricate a base for the EXPEDIT to raise it up to meet your Ceiling for a "Built-In-Floor-To-Ceiling" look..... http://www.flickr.com/photos/kramerdesignstudio/410523041/in/set-72157594567970487/ Recommend Sturdy Free Standing Bookshelves? Good Questions Flag this comment	3/2/11 7:51 PM
There's a place that sells all sorts of really cool Edison style bulbs (not cheap BTW!) FerroWatt, in Summerville SC is one, as well as Kyp-Go Inc. out of DeLand Florida. A friend whose fabulous handmade lights relies on these type of bulbs for the design, "sadly" live in Berlin- where the EU has ruled that these sort of bulbs are "illegal". http://www.frankbuchwald.de/engl_v/serie_e.html The CFL / LED engineers @ Osram,G.E., etc. sadly, haven't jumped on the "retro" bandwagon...;( Exposed Bulb Light Fixtures Roundup Flag this comment	11/29/10 4:33 PM
Striking! Oh, and lovely textile patterns as well..... ; p Apartment Therapy New York \| Camilla Meijer: Wallpaper, Shades Cushions ICFF 2009 Flag this comment	5/19/09 11:31 PM
Along the same line(s) as other comments..... painting out the whole shebang in black is valid- but ONLy is the ceiling were 5ft taller... in which case- Paint it out ALL White (or a slight Antique White) PlanB- Perforated Metal. Look at McNichols (http://www.mcnichols.com/products/perforated/) for a start- they can even cut them to size for you- you could even use a standard dropped Ceiling Grid.. Plan C. Install some LED strip lights along the angle of the ceiling and wall- in conjunction w/ Plan A and Plan B Apartment Therapy DC \| Good Questions: Getting Rid of a Drop Ceiling? Flag this comment	5/19/09 11:16 PM
The METRA Train stop you're referring to, is called the "Clybourn" stop. This stop is indeed walking distance to the Bucktown neighborhood - a great place for a recent Transplant. The only issue with getting off the train in Northbrook (which I did once, for a year), is that the Train stops much further to the East, than Northbrook- requiring either, a taxi, a pre- planted Bike, a friendly co-worker to shuttle you.... along Dundee Road, (which doesn't even have sidewalks in many sections)....to your workplace.... Apartment Therapy Chicago \| Good Questions: Moving to Chicagoland... Flag this comment	5/1/09 11:44 PM
The second image , evokes HUGE Ceramic Insulators found on High Tension Power lines. Very Imaginative rePurposing!! Apartment Therapy Los Angeles \| Look! A Lamp Made From A Toilet Plunger? Flag this comment	4/9/09 10:22 PM
Nice Signage Photos! Oh - and about the lights..... Yes, they are PowderCoated Blue- so? AND......... who forgot about the thing called a diffuser? You know- that little design detail that prevents your eyeballs from being radiated by staring at the bare F#king LIGHTBULB??!!! H e l l o ????* Looks like they "forgot" sumpin, if ya ask me.... Apartment Therapy San Francisco \| Powder-Coated Products by iacoli mcallister Flag this comment	4/8/09 10:00 PM
Being a Furniture Designer/MAKER- and having just been QUITE pleased with 2 Lamp Bases I got back from a "new" (to me) PowderCoater in the Chicago suburbs- I can offer this advice. PowderCoaters often run many stock colors-such as white, black etc, The idea is to be "happy' with a color that they run as part of their normal production. having to re-load,clean up, etc- just for one "special powder" (and if you google Tiger-Drylacs pigment charts you'll be like a kid in a candy shop)... That said- when shopping for a PowderCoated- use these keywords- "one-seys & two-seys"- as in....."Hi there - I have a question, pause- Do you do one-seys and twoseys?" Many PowderCoaters won't be bothered. In this rough spot of an economy- many shops are real slow - and will Powder Coat yer Momma, if ya want em to. Also - the parts need to be clean- meaning stripped/sandblasted of all prior paint/powdercoating. OH - and finally- Automotive Finishes aint got nuttin on PowerCoating! I often have wondered why the Big 3 don't PowderCoat their products- They'd last 100 times longer- and not fade in UV light if the right Powders are used.... and I'm sure the answer is cost to "touch-it-up" is prohibitive. Apartment Therapy Boston \| Good Question: Painting Powder-Coated Chairs? Flag this comment	4/2/09 5:24 PM
The worst part about the IDIOTIC ban on the sales of SPRAY PAINT IN CHICAGO is....... have YOU seen a drop-off in Graffiti around Chicago? Ever? Whether its Gang's markin turf- or idiotic taggers (look at the new Condos in early Construction phase with Limestone ruined!) the volume has not declined- kinda like "The War on Drugs"- Prohibition never seems to work- At Sappanaos Hi-Grade Paints , if you can present them with a "Contractors Card", you can have them "unlock" the Glass Display Case full of various Krylon and Rust-o-lean Brand Paints as well as a few Novelty Paints like faux sandblasted glass and BlackBoard Paint. Apartment Therapy Chicago \| Spray Paint Isn't Just For Vandals Anymore Flag this comment	3/25/09 10:06 PM
I vote for Metallic Sheer Curtains- loose and flouncey- definitely longer than shorter. Think Pewter/Silver OR Copper- very sheer, though. High End Budget look at Jack Lenor Larsen in The Mart. they have some amazing fabrics.... Budget- try IKEA- I remeber seeing some there I liked in the past- or check out the Sari Shops on Devon Avenue in Chicago, making sure you have time for the infamous Chicken Boti and Dal Fry @ Khans BBQ-Western and Devon da BOMB!! Apartment Therapy New York \| Good Questions: Masculine Modern Window Treatments? Flag this comment	3/24/09 11:12 PM
My advice? Develop more of your own original content. My advice? Develop more of your own original content. My advice? Develop more of your own original content. My advice? Develop more of your own original content. My advice? Develop more of your own original content. My advice? Develop more of your own original content. My advice? Develop more of your own original content. nuf said? Apartment Therapy New York \| DMCA Take Down Notice: The NYTimes Goes to War Wants to Shut us Down Flag this comment	3/19/09 9:04 PM
There's a great quote about Architecture that's relevant here...... "It is again evident that every Great Building leads a double life. It is a valuable commodity (Art) that occupies the physical space of another (Real Estate)- true of no other category of art." Michael Lewis, NYTimes. So yes - it is an ICON. And, YES the Sears Tower (or whoever owns it these days..) is a beautiful, Functional Structure- as relevant to Chicago today, as it was when built in 1973! So why create some mess - with a finish that will need to be maintained and repainted forever? just because some "Brain Trust" in New York City (what do "they" know anyway - its still a HUGE HOLE where the World Trade Towers were - and that was 8 years ago!!!) decided they need to "spiff-up" their poorly performing ...asset/investment Apartment Therapy Chicago \| A Sears Tower Makeover? Flag this comment	2/25/09 6:07 PM
Even if you were to insert: "For a NON WORKING FIREPLACE" into the subject title- you are still doing a horrible disservice to your readers who don't read and only look at pictures, by inferring that this is a good idea. Not only is it a clear Code violation, Not only is it a Fire Hazard, but its just isn't that attractive as well. And- it only invites a Liability Suit against AT. There's a reason many Fireplace Surrounds are made of Steel, Slate , marble and other non combustible materials, they don't burn" Apartment Therapy Los Angeles \| How To: Make A Wood Block Mantle Flag this comment	2/19/09 11:49 AM
Me thinks the said Honeycomb Storage Unit (which is brilliant BTW!)- is made from sections of "gutters'- Snipped with TinSnips and drilled and Pop-Riveted together. If not - that would be another method of making those from "off the shelf" galvanized metal (as opposed to Custom fabrication!) Apartment Therapy San Francisco \| d.Sharp's Art Studio Flag this comment	2/13/09 10:11 AM
I know INTERFACE http://www.interfaceglobal.com/Sustainability/Sustainability-in-Action/Closing-the-Loop.aspx (Flor's parent Company) says in their marketing/Green Statement that they'll pickup/remove old carpeting to recycle when their carpeting is being installed. Apartment Therapy New York \| Good Question: Where to Donate Carpet? Flag this comment	2/10/09 10:22 PM
Luminaire. (although their focus in on European Designers) Holly Hunt. Koch-Smith. Barbara Perlmans Design Atelier. OrangeSkin. Morlen Sinoway Atelier. Lee Weitzman on Franklin. Manifesto. Tell you Canuk-er, that "this" is NOT the best time for anyone looking to add lines to their already close to dead showrooms. The "traffic" has been horrible in most store/showrooms that I know of/speak to: so to create any "hope" for your Canuk-er pal is misleading right now.... (sorry to sound so glum- but-it's "rough-out-there") Randall Kramer Design Studio http://www.kramerdesignstudio.com/index.htm Apartment Therapy Chicago \| Good Questions: Best Contemporary Furniture Shops? Chicago Flag this comment	2/9/09 1:30 PM
there's some twisted economic Irony implicit in this Design ....poor kids / basically Orphans in Sowetto > S. Africa- "live" in these cylinders-protected from the environment, but not from other dangers. What will we see next? Hostels/Hotels made to look like sleeping beneath the Expressway? Not exactly what I'd call "embracing" the issue of Homelessness- more like mimicking/mocking it. (I'll get off my Soapbox now...) Apartment Therapy San Francisco \| Unusual Hotels: Das Park Hotel in AustriaTelegraph.co.uk Flag this comment	2/7/09 1:42 PM
I'm thinkin'- Rather than isolate the shock energy from floor "up"- Look into isolating the individual Component(s) by : A) getting a thick (or 2/3 ply) layer of Neoprene to use as a Pad below each Component. B) Using a piece of wood the size of the components footprint; with Silicone Gel Pads set beneath at each of the 4 corners (think Breast Implants) to cushion the shock energy. C) Filling a wooden Tray (Think Bed "Serving" Tray) with sand or foam pellets and putting the CD/DVD palter on top of the filled tray. D) Cut the legs off of the RugRats!!! Simply! Apartment Therapy San Francisco \| Good Questions: "Shock Absorbers" for Media Stand? Flag this comment	2/6/09 2:36 PM