colibri's Profile

I'm a big fan of safari style, but this misses the point of a safari which is to live elegantly with less. The photo of the hats was an example of baffling exceess. Why would you need identical green hats unless you were planning to dress alike.

Also, what's with the crappy photography? These photos failed to capture the romance of the vignettes. The lighting was awful and the photos looked flat.

I once painted hideous pink PLASTIC bathroom tile with a coat of KILZ primer and some boat paint and it didn't bubble or peel in the 4 years I rented the place. This included the shower area and I take long showers.

I got the boat paint idea from a woman who'd painted her kitchen floor with it. No need to go through all the steps above for a rental, though I must say the stenciled floor shown above looks really nice.

The wrought iron fixtures, black and white photography and lovely wood really unify this house. Although it's a bit big for my taste, at least the rooms are not sterile showcases for spindly mid-century (or contemporary) furniture that would be inappropriate. I like that they resisted fads and went more for casual classicism.

The tours I find cold are the depressing homes which highlight one good Craig's list find as if it defines the whole home and which reveals the residents' secret aspirations to something better than IKEA. There's consistency and comfort in these rooms and lots of well thought out storage. I'd go to a party here.

I read about a flight attendant who taped a fresh tea bag to the bathroom door which kept the room smelling fresh. So I tried it at home, by leaving used teabags in a bowl and it worked very well.

This looks awful. The TV screen has a logical reason for being there, but the fabric curtain partially obscuring a doorway does not. Besides that, the TV stand isn't completely hidden. If the whole doorway were covered, it would look less busy, but still, I don't see what's wrong with exposing a nice TV.

I've done this for years. By including underwear, tights and accessories, I know if the tights for that outfit are in the wash before I get completely dressed. If your boots need some care, it's good to know the night before instead of as you're ready to walk out the door.

Also, when I taught, I prepped my lesson plans and other materials the night before and loaded them into my bag.

On the other hand, I used to live with a guy who always wore the same outfit: pullover sweater and jeans. I'd tease him every morning. "So what's it going to be? The blue, the gray or the black sweater?" He never had to think about his clothes in advance.

This room really functions well. It is uncluttered without looking bare because of the use of color and texture. I like how there is a foundation of warm, earthy color with a pop of sky in the sofa and sunshine in the vases. Nicely done.

Keep in mind this ranks walkable NEIGHBORHOODS not cities. I've lived in Chicago, Portland and Seattle and I can assure you, Seattle is NOT more walkable than the other two. One or two neighborhoods are walkable, but the city's steep hills and disconnected layout make it very hard to get around in on foot or by bike. Chicago, on the other hand, is a walker's paradise with most of the 23-mile lakefront preserved as park and a flat, logical grid of streets.

Portland and Chicago also have much better public transportation than Seattle, too!

Hmm. If they learned to cook and do laundry, they might be able to afford another room.

I just discovered a miracle product called Restore-A-Finish. I had wandered into a vintage store while the proprietor was using it on a console and it really revived a dull finish. So I bought some and used some on my midcentury chairs. Lovely. Took out the scratches and white spots and restored the new look to the chairs. I used the dark maple version which sort of looks like soy sauce coming out of the can, but there are other finishes available. It's a sort of tinted oil. Or you can go with clear. Just be sure to wipe off all the excess. I bought mine at Ace Hardware, but I'm told Home Depot also carries it. The chairs aren't perfect, since the product is trnaslucent, but they look much better than when I bought them.