zooza's Profile

Display Name: zooza
Personal URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36355274@N00/
Member Since: 3/14/07

Latest Comments...

I've taken some pics of my kitchen and created a before and after set. The only time I had to do it was this evening, so it's all under artifical light, but I think they came out OK:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zooza/sets/72157594565099286/

It's not finished yet, but I'm almost there. I can't begin to explain how thoroughly sick I am of DIY...

I'll try and get some photos of the changes in the sitting room, too.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week 8 - PreGraduation
11/8/07 10:46 AM

When is the final post going up? I'm still clearing away dust and DIY junk ready to take my final pics. I have learned how to use my camera properly this week (well, I read the instruction manual) so hopefully I'll be able to get some half-decent shots.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week 8 - PreGraduation
11/7/07 1:12 PM

I'm answering my own question here, but thought it might be useful to everyone. The post on how to take good photos of your apartment is here:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/how-to/how-to-take-a-good-photo-of-your-apartment-020308


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week 8 - Throwing a Party
11/2/07 5:00 AM

Michelle - I think you need to click "send to group" to get them showing up in the pool.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week 8 - Throwing a Party
11/2/07 4:16 AM

Last year, Maxwell (or another AT writer) posted some tips about how to take good photos of interiors. I've been searching the site for this, but can't find it. Can anyone help?


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week 8 - Throwing a Party
11/2/07 2:41 AM

You could also try out toaster bags, which let you cook all sorts of things in a toaster:

http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/use_care/detail.jsp?productId=8739


Apartment Therapy - Good Question: Cooking Without Appliances
10/31/07 12:24 PM

Re the survey - I've found it a bit too fragmented this cure. I haven't been too hot on posting here, partly through exhaustion, but also because the time difference means that I invariably pitch up at the end of interesting conversations and have nothing useful to add. I have found it easiest to comment on blogs and got so behind on the flickr pool that I gave up a few weeks ago. I have missed the input of a few cure 'stars' who wre siphoned off to other regional groups.

All in all, I think this cure could be a warning of things to come. As Alana and SCBeth have pointed out, conversations are starting on flickr and blogs in addition to all the cure groups. I for one vote to bring it all back to a central pool for the spring cure.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week 8 - Throwing a Party
10/30/07 12:46 AM

Quick update from gloomy England - I've spent the day scrubbing floors ready to lay the new cork flooring. We're using self-levelling compound tomorrow and will start fixing the tiles on Monday. I'm terrified we're going to mess up.

I am still on schedule to finish all the big work by the end of the Cure, but also a bit down in the dumps, realising that this will really only get me to the point where most people start curing. I'm exhausted and wondering when I'll find the creative energy to think about throws, artwork, pillows, etc.

That's all - just wanted to share my Eeyore moment. Hope everyone else is is doing well on this final stretch.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week 7 - Weekend
10/27/07 2:12 PM

Alana - I agree with Pixie. Take a break - get out of the house for a while and have some fun. It's tough when you get to the point you describe (I've been there many times) and a change of scenery is usually required to clear the mind. Otherwise, it gets overwhelming, mistakes get made and everything gets a lot worse!


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week 6 - The Weekend
10/20/07 7:42 AM

Pixie - when you say a 'tankless' water heater, do you mean one that heats water for baths / radiators as you need it? In the UK they're called combi or combination boilers - not sure about in the US. If so, we've had a gas one for ten years and it's wonderful - extremely efficient and hot water on tap (no pun intended). We have had it serviced every year and have had no problems whatsoever. I can recommend them wholeheartedly.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week 6 - The Weekend
10/20/07 6:29 AM

Things have been coming on so well with my epic Cure (11 months and counting...), I actually think I'm going to be finished on time. This struck me earlier this week and I have found my second wind.

There are a few things I won't be able to finish due to lack of money, like getting a rug (I want a vintage kilim and need to save up), a new front door, upholstering my last chair and buying more art. But, other than that, I should be done.

This has got me thinking about plans for the end of Week 8. I answered 'Sharing it online', but I'm also going to have a couple of friends around for dinner (cooked in my new kitchen, and eaten at my new dining table...). I'm going to eat the bar of Swiss chocolate that Jany sent me during the last cure for when I'd finished. I might even have a transatlantic visitor from this site, if all goes well, which would be a perfect end to a long project.

When it comes to sharing it online, do you think a 'before and after' slideshow would be best, or just an 'after'? I can't decide.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week 6
10/17/07 1:57 PM

Great work, everyone. I'm certainly one of those people that could drop out (well, postpone the work) if it weren't for seeing how hard everyone else is working and how much you've all accomplished.

Last week was a bit of a washout for me and I didn't get the walls and ceilings painted due to dizziness. All I got around to doing was ordering a print for the kitchen and fiddly-faddling about with a few other minor things.

However, today I started attacking one of the last remaining outposts of grimness in my home - the understairs cupboard. This week will be spent saw in hand trying to make shelving / shoe racks / doors to fit the tiny space. I have identified 101 things that need to live there and am determined that each one will have a dedicated home.

I should also do all the painting I didn't do last week, but we'll see. I'm praying for rain, because if it rains heavily my builder friend won't be able to do the work he had lined up for this week and will be able to do my painting instead. Does anyone know a good rain dance?


Apartment Therapy - The Spring Cure: Week Five - Weekend
10/14/07 10:07 AM

Eve - your table is lovely. Entertaining with that will be great.

I also love Dianora's landing strip - if only I had the room for something like this.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week Five
10/10/07 3:01 AM

I've been so busy curing, I've only just had a chance to properly catch up with what everyone is doing. And everyone is doing so well - a big cheer for everyone (with an extra sympathetic grimace to JonathanB for his 'five hours' discovery).

Last week, I got all the 'furniture' side of my kitchen sorted - painted the chairs, stained the table and painted / fitted out the secret clothes-drying radiator cupboard. I'm especially pleased with the table and chairs and have spent some merry hours this afternoon planning table settings, etc.

The floor tiles arrived this morning, just as I'd finished and invoiced for the contract that's paying for them. Good psychological timing! This week, I'll be painting the ceilings and walls. It's still all systems go here.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week Four - Weekend
10/8/07 11:36 AM

Alana - is this the red room or the paler one with your Windsor chairs in? If its the latter, I wouldn't have thought you'd need two coats of primer (or, indeed, any) which would knock 1-2 days off. If it is the red room, well, yep - 9 days.

Unless.... you paint the two first coats of the main walls and the accent walls on the first day (but don't go up to the edge where they meet on the darker colour - in fact overlapping the paler colour onto the darker wall so you only have to tape one edge later). Ditto second coat. Then touching up the edges where they meet should only take 1 day if you do it first thing in the morning and then last thing at night. Time saved = 1 day.

At least you work these things out in advance. I just go all tally-ho into the task and then get frustrated when I'm still doing it nine days later.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week Three
9/25/07 12:38 AM

I, too, would have liked to witness the spaghetti sauce explosion. The nearest I have come to something like that is an exploding egg from a microwave (and that small thing covered a large area).

Alana - I am in awe of all the scrubbing and other work you are doing. It tires me just reading about it. But your home will be absolutely sparkling by the end of the cure. I'm going to try your 15-minute day idea later in the week, btw.

Jess2Nola - agree that you are doing really well. And my flooring will be a posh cork type thing throughout the two rooms, if all goes well. Pics on flickr.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week Two - Weekend
9/24/07 2:18 AM

Lesley and JonathanB - thank you.

Pixie - there is only one of me, but I have been chipping away at this for some time. My husband helps out with things like hanging doors, which require two people, but otherwise it's just little ol' me.

I had to go and look at my blog to check dates. It looks like I started pulling out the old kitchen in March. Before that, I'd redone the sitting room which adjoins it. So I haven't been that speedy. My blog is at:

http://zooza.wordpress.com/

All my before pictures are in one of my flickr sets.

Another thing to remember is that I work from home, so it's easy for me to take a half hour break and saw some wood.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week Two - Weekend
9/23/07 11:14 AM

As some of you know, I have been busy building cabinet doors for my kitchen. Well, they're in!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zooza/1428697446/

A major milestone has been reached. :-)

Next up, sorting out the dining end of the kitchen. Then a bit of painting, then laying the floor, and then I'm done.


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week Two - Weekend
9/23/07 7:30 AM

JonathanB - at this rate, there will be nothing left for him to organise! Thanks for sharing, though. I'll be interested to see what he says about time management v. piles of paper being the root cause - will he choose the chicken or the egg?


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week Two - Weekend
9/22/07 1:27 AM

JonathanB - thanks for the info on the taboret. I now know what to look for. :-)


Apartment Therapy - The Fall Cure: Week Two
9/19/07 7:43 AM