February 14, 2005

When You Notice the Stripes.

Remember this project?

The hallway striping endeavor was sadly back burnered due to some more pressing client projects and general winter ennui. But this weekend I got to taping and painting, and here's a bit of a progress report:

wallinprogress.JPG

I scaled down the original stripe plan a bit, as the original would have been an overwhelming five feet wide.

The red stripe could use another coat, as red paint is the biggest pain ever.

Now I'm thinking that I'll scatter a random stripe or two throughout the hall, just to add interest and keep things balanced. Then I'll cover the remainder of the walls with beige, and repaint all the doors in eggshell.

I can't wait to peel off all the tape! I'll show off the results, of course.

Posted by Lara at 09:43 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

January 25, 2005

Of a Different Stripe.

I've been planning to do... uh, something... with my hallway. The rest of the apartment is decorated and arranged to the gills, and the hallway is just vanilla and bare.

Don't get me wrong, I love vanilla, and I think it's important to keep a bit of peaceful neutral space in a home. It's especially nice in a transition-type space (like a foyer or a hallway). But compared to the coziness of the bedroom, kitchen, living area, and even the bathroom, the hallway actually has been neglected. Unfinished. Blah.



See?

So my plan for this weekend: more cream paint for the doors, a putty-hued beige for the walls, and one focal point on the left wall, about two-three feet wide, just to add some interest and integrate it with the rest of the very colorful apartment:



I'll be sure to share the finished product!

Posted by Lara at 09:42 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 24, 2005

Throwpillow Talk.

Retailers like Pottery Barn have fantastic fabrics, stuff you can't often find in your local fabric shop. But if you buy their throw-pillow covers, you're out at least $25. Per pillow. Without even buying the pillowform inserts. That is crazy.

So of course, you might consider making your own.

But then sometimes it's difficult to find modern, high-quality, stylish fabrics for your home projects. A lot of fabric stores are chock-full of old fashioned quilting calicos, children's fabrics, and solids, but nothing really inspiring that will really accent your home. And if you do find a great interior fabric, it's often on the expensive side.

One way I've gotten around this: cloth napkins. No really. Napkins. From anywhere that might sell them.

napkinpillows.jpg

Napkins are great for throw-pillows in particular, because the size is perfect. They're generally pretty inexpensive, even from more upscale retailers. The fabric on the pillows pictured above is from a few Anthropologie napkins.

They run about $4 apiece tops, and you could even use a cheaper solid fabric for the backside. A few quick stitches on a machine or by hand, and you've got nice throw-pillows in a lush designer fabric. For a fraction of the cost.

More advanced sewers can add piping or zippers or tassels. If you like, you could even stitch a few napkins together and make a small matching throw quilt for your sofa or bed.

A few custom throw-pillows are an easy way to make any bedroom or living area look way more pulled-together and unique.

Posted by Lara at 12:05 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

January 18, 2005

Lean On It.

Hope you all had a lovely long holiday weekend! As promised, I have details and instructions on upholstered headboard-building. And LOTS of photos. So please do click!


Before


Materials

For the headboard itself:

Tools

Materials

(Note: I don’t suggest this, but if you plan on mounting the headboard onto your wall instead of bolting it to your bed frame: buy the plywood and a strong mounting kit or two (like for heavy artwork, ask the hardware salesman for help and err on the side of caution), a stud finder, and possibly some strong drywall anchors.

I scrapped the wall-mounting method for several reasons, the most significant being that I couldn’t think of a method for fastening the whole thing to the wall without scratching the wall with staples and making it kind of uneven due to the fabric bunching around the edges. Not to mention, what if the placement of my bed didn’t coincide with wall-studs? I wasn’t comfortable with making large holes in the wall as a renter, and I feared the whole thing would eventually fall down. If you can find some way to overcome these issues, that is awesome. But I much prefer the permanence and sturdiness of the bed frame-bolting method.)

For the upholstery:

Tools

Materials


For buttons, which are optional:

Materials


* * * *

Instructions

For simplicity’s sake, have the lumber store cut your wood to the right size for you. And if you want a fancy shaped headboard & you happen to be very handy with a jigsaw, that’s great too.

Step 1.
Back at home, find a space large enough to work in. If you can, recruit a friend to help; it’ll really make it so much easier. Measure your wood into thirds or fourths (again, depending upon bed-size) to determine even, sturdy placement of the 1x3 supports, making sure everything is even and level with the measuring tape and the level.

Step 2.
Mark the proper placement of the 1x3s with a pencil. Again, you'll want the 1x3s to be long enough to bolt to both the bed and the headboard without sticking out at the top or bottom. You’ll need some room around the top edge for fabric stapling, you want your headboard to rest on the frame, and the bed should sit evenly upon the floor.

Step 3.
After figuring out where the 1x3s will go on the plywood, mark two bolt-holes (at least 4 inches from one another) on each 1x3, making certain that they’ll sturdily attach to the headboard. Put on your protective eyewear. Drill the holes with a wood-boring bit, and make sure the bit is not too much larger than the bolts. Be careful not to drill into your floor, your wall, or your furniture (don’t laugh, it happens). I don’t have a work area, so I balanced each 1x3 on an end table (carefully) and had a friend (fine, it was my mom, hi mom) steady it while I drilled. Make sure the 2.5” bolts fit inside the holes.

Step 4.
Place the 1x3s onto the plywood again, make sure they’re lined up with the level marks you made earlier in Step 2, and use the pencil to mark hole-placement on the plywood. If your pencil is too wide, find a nail or something to make your mark. Okay, now ensuring that you won’t harm yourself or your surroundings, have your friend steady the plywood & drill your holes.

Step 5.
Now figure out which flat side of the plywood will be the front. The bolt heads should go through the front and poke out the back to fasten the 1x3s. Do it! Bolt them together! Like this:

Bolt -> Washer -> Plywood -> 1x3 -> Washer -> Nut


Step 6.
Note: This step deals with buttons. If you don’t want to add buttons to the headboard, skip to Step 7.

Now get the measuring tape back out, and evenly space your button marks in two rows of four (or more, depending again upon the number of buttons you want), slightly closer to the top than the bottom so your pillows don’t hide them all later. use your judgement. It helps to divide the board width into five (I even used a calculator to make it as exact as possible). Make sure they are all level and even with one another and make pencil marks. Using a small drill bit (just wide enough for the needle & embroidery thread), make your button holes. You won’t do anything with these holes for a while, but they must be made before you start adding the batting/blankets/fabric.


Step 7.
Okay! Now place the batting or blankets over the front (bolt-head) side of the plywood. I folded my old blanket in thirds, and it made for a very plush & cushy feel. Make sure the padding fits evenly, stretch it taut, and staple away. Again, don’t hurt yourself/your furniture/ your walls, and make sure your wood is balanced and supported. Have your friend arrange and pull the batting while you staple. Start in one corner and go around the headboard symmetrically. Do the left side first, do a few staples around to the top left corner, then go back down to the bottom left corner, making sure the batting is pulled taut the whole time. Keep alternating staples between the top & bottom to make sure it is pulled as secure and snug as possible. Work around the 1x3s as neatly as you can, or even loosen the bolts to tuck the ends in/underneath. If there is a ton of extra batting/blanket leftover, cut it off.



If you can easily feel the bolt-heads poking through the padding, or if it just isn’t as padded as you’d like, get another blanket or more batting and repeat as necessary. It’s really a matter of personal taste.

Step 8.
Duplicate Step 7 using your exterior broadcloth, carefully stapling to ensure the fabric is snug and tightly pulled. Very important: fold the fabric over at least once and staple through both layers to help prevent pulls, rips, and snags. It also worked best to staple the fabric directly atop the batting. I cannot stress enough that this is easier with a friend (or your dad, hi dad) to help you.




Step 9.
Note: more button talk. Skip to Step 11 if you’re not buttoning.

Okay, get your leftover broadcloth and follow the fabric-covered button-making kit instructions to the letter. Sit down and rest your knees and back for this part. Mine went something like this:






I think these are the coolest things ever.


Step 10.
Now get out your long needle, embroidery floss, and plastic buttons. Thread the needle, tie a knot in the end, string a plastic button onto the thread, and don’t let it fall off. Find those little drilled holes on the back of the headboard (remember them?), stick the needle through a hole, go through all the padding and fabric, and grab it on the front side. Poke the needle through the eyelet of your fabric-covered button, and make a different (although very nearby) entry back into the fabric toward the hole in the wood (if you use the same hole, the button won’t be as securely fastened, and the fabric is more likely to rip). Once you have both ends of the floss on the back side of the headboard, pull tightly and tug the needle through the other plastic button hole. Tie a very tight knot around the plastic buttons to tuft the batting and fabric. The plastic button should keep the knot from sliding through the hole. Get it?



Repeat for every buttonhole. Spray with Scotch-Guard or similar if you like & allow it to dry per the instructions on the can.

Step 11.
Okay, place the nearly-finished headboard against the bed to position it symmetrically. Mark 2 drill holes on the frame where each 1x3 intersects it. Move the headboard away so it doesn’t get too saw-dusty. If your headboard is metal, make sure you have a metal-boring bit and protective gear. Then get that drill back out & make some holes! Carefully!

Now place the headboard again, and use the pencil to mark through the frame holes and onto the 1x3s. Pull it back out, have a friend help you balance and stabilize the whole thing, and drill your bolt-holes. Again.

Fasten the headboard to the bed like you fastened the 1x3s to the plywood in Step 5.

Step 12.
Sweep up the sawdust, put away all the tools, make your new bed, step back and admire your work! Have a drink, even.





After

Final cost, assuming you have/can borrow the tools:

$8 for lumber & hardware (I was unusually lucky & got a $3 scrap of plywood paneling from someone's previous cut; Lowe's was just gonna throw it out.)
$7 for 2 button kits
$5 for plastic buttons & embroidery floss
$10 for 2.5 yards of fabric
$5 for blanket
___________________
=$35 total


Many, many thanks to my lovely visiting parents, who totally spotted me, helped me troubleshoot, tag-teamed the drill, mastered the staple-gun, and drove me to Lowe's hardware at 10:30 pm on a Sunday night when we realized a few of our bolts were too short. With their help, this was only about a four hour project, start to finish, counting the breaks we took to watch some of the Golden Globes.

But dude, I did most of it. And it was my idea. I promise that my parents don't do my homework, internet.

Posted by Lara at 10:12 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

January 12, 2005

Set Tazers to "Overwhelm."

The bedroom has been the problem area of our place since we moved in. We chose a very extreme, daring paint color (Benjamin Moore's Tequila Lime; it's fantastic yet blinding), and although the space is a decent size with natural light and skyline views, it still looks awkward and unfinished.

One of the issues: the room is really busy. It doubles as an office for my boyfriend, so it must serve multiple functions. It's jam-packed with color and clutter and pale wood furniture. In one 14x16 space, we have a huge desk, two dressers, a full size bed, a big bookcase, a blanket chest, a nightstand, and our big laundry hamper.

Whew.

So it's not really a calm haven for rest and reflection, as bedrooms should be. It's more like Grand Central station at rush hour.

I have a few ideas for simplifying and calming the room. I'm adding dark, stable color (chocolate brown! everyone is doing it!) in the form of a $60 Ikea rug, perhaps some custom bedding & paint effects, and a chocolate curtain (cotton & velcro) to cover the front of the bookshelf, which I hope will eliminate some of the appearance of clutter.

The piece de resistance: an upholstered headboard.

For some reason, the retail cost of upholstered headboards is freaking astronomical... Some charge more than $200 for the ugliest, 1980s nightmare versions. Even Target's lovely version is $449. Interestingly enough, the coolest design I could find is made by a company called Zeeboard, and it's also the best deal, but at $159 it's still a little rich for my blood.

So this weekend I will be constructing my very own custom headboard out of plywood, chocolate brown broadcloth, polyester batting, and fabric-covered buttons. For less than $50.

And I'll show you how!

Chocolate actually looks lovely with the lime green, and anchors it well. I hope that I won't feel like I'm "living inside a brownie," to quote the nice woman who sold me the 10 yards of brown fabric.

Photos and drawings to come!

Posted by Lara at 11:11 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 09, 2005

My City Dwellings.

In February of 2004, my boyfriend and I were unceremoniously evicted from our place, a 700 square foot, two-bedroom apartment I'd lived in for two years. The space was okay, if a bit lacking in personality... It was just a cement box with new flooring and appliances, nothing special. The windows were high and small, the front & back doors leaked. It wasn't situated in the greatest of neighborhoods, either: the no-man's land between Park Slope and Sunset Park, sometimes called "South Slope" by realtors, and occasionally labeled "Greenwood" on detailed maps of Brooklyn. It was clean and inexpensive, but a long distance from the subway, and far from feeling legitimately "New Yorky." The outside looked like a West coast dental office, and the inside wasn't much better. We did our best to make it cozy.

Another issue: we were on a bad corner, one notorious for drug deals and traffic accidents. There was no stoplight, and drivers were constantly disregarding the big red stop sign, and then colliding into traffic with the right-of-way, twice plunging directly into our apartment. We boasted two large dents in the exterior of our place, one of which left a chunk of bedroom wall entirely uninsulated; only a square foot of thin drywall shielded our bedroom from the elements. We begged the landlord to fix it, told him we could feel a draft, that it was wreaking havoc on our heating bills, anyone could break in with a crude saw and a little elbow-grease, etcetera. The landlord, (we'll call him "Hal,") made some vague assurances and promised to repair it, but he never came through. We soon discovered why.

Hal had decided it was time to rip down the whole building and construct something taller, a structure with more units, a building that would make him more money. Our lease was about to run out, so we had few options unless we wanted to squat... A suggestion made by many of our friends and neighbors.

But we'd had enough of Hal's absentee antics, and preferred the legitimacy of a lease and an apartment free of car-holes. So we moved. I found a new place within days, thanks to Craigslist, and we were out of there within two weeks.

So we've been living in our current digs since March, and have grown to love it. It has faults too, don't get me wrong. 20-somethings living in NYC almost never have a perfect living situation, unless their names are Hilton or Olsen. The place is a fourth floor walkup in Gowanus, it's only got one bedroom, the kitchen is so tiny that only 1.5 people can stand in it (and only if the cabinets remain closed), the passage of the F Train rattles the whole building, the toilet runs all night on occasion, a hooker frequents our streetcorners, and an innocent little boy was accidentally shot right outside during a police chase this past summer.

So yeah, there are flaws. But the place somehow really suits us. We have learned to adapt to its quirks. We think they are charming most of the time.


Things I love most about it:

  • It's got a neat layout. Just bizarre and interesting and full of unexpected angles.
  • Outside the bedroom window, we have a view of uptown Manhattan and a pretty tree that's always full of singing birds.
  • Laundry room in the basement.
  • Roof access.
  • Great water pressure in the shower.
  • Close enough to all the amenities of central Park Slope, far enough away that it's within our budget.
  • Cars really can’t crash into our bedroom up on the fourth floor.


So we’ve adapted pretty well, and learned to work with what we have. Apartmentalizing is a little like love in that way.

Please share your own apartment stories!

Posted by Lara at 01:29 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBack