morte100's Profile

a. That concrete work does not look new to me.
b. When judging its attractiveness, try to take into account the financials.

This looks to me like a project where they really chose their battles financially. By the looks of it, the goal was to change it from an obsolete tear-down to a viable space that would be a credit to the area and the future tenants.

They could have spent more and made it more attractive, but how high would rents have to be to support the outlay? After all the work is done, if they can rent these units at levels appropriate to the neighborhood, then they successfully completed a truly sustainable project both ecologically and economically.

Grass Roots Modern
http://grassrootsmodern.com

Skip the table altogether. Install a wall-mount lamp. The arms on your couch are wide and firm enough to provide all the cup holding/remote control storage that you need. Just leave some coasters on there and you're good. I've always wanted to find a good place for one of those Nelson wall sconces. This might be that occasion. http://www.ylighting.com/bub-cigarsconce.html?productid=bub-cigarsconce&channelid=FROOG

2-inch copper pipe from home depot is an option to get beefy round legs at whatever length you want (they'll cut it for you). To solve the desk usability problem, how about a heavy 3/8" piece of glass (maybe repurposed from a coffee table)? Make it about half the width of your unit and less than twice as deep so the glass would extend over your lap. That could work for a light-use desktop. You could just c-clamp it to the cabinet. A semi-industrial look would work with your chair.

Isn't it time for an AT Seattle blog?

I had the largest (5x5) Expedit 100% full of records, and it held up just fine. I even moved it 3 times. My friends hate moving day - boxes and boxes of records. Once my collection exceeded that number, I ditched it for a customized floor to ceiling custom Ivar system which I like better, but is not necessarily stronger.

MMBond, that pattern is called diamond plate. Very popular on the sides of jeeps, flooring in race car support trucks and on truck tool boxes. The real thing is steel, super tough, heavy and typically chrome, but easy to source. That may be an aluminum alternative with a diamond plate pattern, although it's shiny enough to be the real deal.

I LOVE subway tile. It lasts forever, is super clean and plain white 3x6 field tile from the home center is about the cheapest option in the world! I like this example of a bathroom using the same tile aligned vertically rather than the traditional offset (although this method is rather less forgiving for DIYers).

Your last photo, David & Im's OneSpace, is a great example of the relative differences between one and the other as a cover and spread of their home was featured in Dwell after it appeared on AT. On the one hand, the Dwell photos were more produced and professional and the article was able to convey more of the story behind their space. On the other hand, because the Dwell photos were mostly limited to detail photos, I never could get a feel for the space - its layout and character. Your wide shots conveyed that aspect much more effectively. In fact, I first found AT through a google search looking for wider photos of their apartment after I read that story in Dwell and was disappointed by their lack of scale. Also, Dwell completely missed that architectural table that you guys hit. The point: both are great sources of p0rn and I'll continue to use both.

As mentioned, Ikea has 1.5 inch thick butcher block in Beech (blech) and Oak. I'm making an informal dining table out of it right now. FYI, the oak is incredibly difficult to cut. I have a Porter Cable circular saw with various new blades, and I was unable to get any cuts that were even remotely clean. Nevertheless, with Ikea doing the cutting for you, this would be an easy project. Plus, then you get to say, "Oh, you like my coffee table? Thanks, I made it myself."