|
Thanks for the suggestions. That's actually an upgrade in size from the original t.v. I had there, but it does look pretty silly all by it's self up there. Also, I've been trying to get a smaller cable box from Comcast since that one is spilling over the shelf. Apparently they are a rarity. The coffee table was a freebie that I just haven't bothered replacing, but I agree. I originally had the red table thing under the t.v., but it's actually not as wide as the t.v. and looked much too small for the space. I think a trip to Ikea may be in order.
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2012 17:13
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 22:58 |
|
|
We've been living in an apartment in Baltimore and after a terrible bug problem, it's become infested with mice. Te exterminators have come over and over, there are traps set all over, etc etc. Thankfully they are letting us leave and we have a place for January 1st. But recently it's gotten so bad that my wife is freaking out and feels that she cannot live here, even for one night, much less 5 weeks. What the heck do I do, goons?
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 01:20
|
|
|
Anyone have any experience with how long it takes to find roommates on Craigslist, particularly in NYC? My current landlord asked if I could move out in the spring (she wants to quit renting the place out and use it for herself). I'm just wondering how long it'll take to find some people willing to take me in. About how many ads should I expect to answer before I find a place? I guess it depends on me and my personality? I have a steady job. I'm very quiet and fairly clean, I can be social if that's what the roomies want, but I'm very unlikely to have guests over. I don't smoke or do drugs, I do like to have a few beers after work but I rarely get drunk. I'm reliable with the rent and other bills as long as I know about them in advance. My only requirement, I guess, is I'd prefer to live with people around my own age. I'm cool with anywhere from early 20s to mid 30s, but I'd prefer not to go younger or older than that. Am I being too picky? Will it take forever to find someone? None of my friends are looking for roommates or know anyone who is, so Craigslist is my only option.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 01:28
|
|
|
It shouldn't take more than a few weeks, the people with empty rooms to fill want them filled just as quickly as you want to find a room. And if one falls through there'll be another one waiting. It's harder in less densely populated areas, but you definitely don't have that problem in the city.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 01:44
|
|
|
Doghouse posted:We've been living in an apartment in Baltimore and after a terrible bug problem, it's become infested with mice. Te exterminators have come over and over, there are traps set all over, etc etc. How bad is the infestation? I mean is this like 'Oh, there is a mouse on the counter' or like, Rats in the Walls type stuff? If it's really bad you could consider contacting the Department of Sanitation (or whoever handles habitability issues in your area) and have them take a look. If its really terrible that might give you leverage to get out earlier. Have you actually asked if you can leave earlier? I mean if they have already conceded that it is bad enough to let you out early, they might be willing to just let you go that much sooner anyway. You should at least try.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 02:26
|
|
|
Ashcans posted:How bad is the infestation? I mean is this like 'Oh, there is a mouse on the counter' or like, Rats in the Walls type stuff? If it's really bad you could consider contacting the Department of Sanitation (or whoever handles habitability issues in your area) and have them take a look. If its really terrible that might give you leverage to get out earlier. I think the issue is that their new lease elsewhere doesn't start until Jan. 1.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 02:30
|
|
|
Doghouse posted:We've been living in an apartment in Baltimore and after a terrible bug problem, it's become infested with mice. Te exterminators have come over and over, there are traps set all over, etc etc. Do you have renters' insurance? That would normally cover you if your place becomes inhabitable.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 06:03
|
|
|
PID.9 posted:Thanks for the suggestions. That's actually an upgrade in size from the original t.v. I had there, but it does look pretty silly all by it's self up there. Second, got lots of books/movies/games/knick knacks? A big built-in cabinet would probably work in that area. It's not the most aesthetic use of space but it would break up the "huge empty wall" syndrome. You can make built-ins look tasteful by only sparingly using the shelves. Use some for actual storage and others to house mementos, but only one item (or small collection) per shelf for those. You should be able to find something at Ikea and might even be able to work around the TV, not just to the side(s). If that is too much, you can run additional long floating shelves in an interesting pattern. Maybe stagger two on the right of the TV, such that one is about 2' over the other and they are offset by about 1' horizontally to give it some movement. You could mimic this on the left side or just go with a single shelf. Every IKEA has the floating shelves which are about 2.5-3' long but I swear I've seen some 4 footers before. They may have been discontinued. If you have a dremel or a router and a drill then you can just build your own out of lumber. I actually wouldn't suggest putting any tables on this wall. They tend to create a focus clash when paired with a TV. UNLESS you can build, buy, or find a low and loooooong sideboard that stretches nearly the length of the wall, or at least well beyond the width of the TV. Internal storage for media and a place to put a few momentos and potted plants; what could be better? These are pretty tough to find without going custom, however. As far as the rest of the room, I'd ditch the coffee table ASAP. Keeping the leaves down like that is really unappealing. I think you could make a nice surfboard table work with those with some effort. My only other suggestion is to open up the curtains a little. Right now they are too compressed and don't really breathe. If you pull each one out about 6" then they should appear more harmonious with regard to the window size. Fixed Gear Guy fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Nov 25, 2012 |
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 06:10
|
|
|
PS here's a little ditty that's been in the works for awhile. We have a Klippan with a boring beige slipcover. I jazzed it up with some dark taper legs from eBay and recently I found this print at Ikea. It's actually a curtain but it fits perfectly and works for our place. It's just affixed to the slipcover with safety pins and cut to size.  I really like the splash of 60s mod. We're going to be picking up a more subdued. more mid-century couch after the winter, so this works for now.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 06:18
|
|
|
Doghouse posted:We've been living in an apartment in Baltimore and after a terrible bug problem, it's become infested with mice. Te exterminators have come over and over, there are traps set all over, etc etc. It's not the cheapest option, but you can stay in an extended stay hotel. I just moved to a new city and the apartment I have lined up doesn't open until mid-December, I've been here about 3 weeks now. It's not the greatest situation, as it's like living in a shoebox, but I imagine that it's better than living in a terribly infested place. You can move all your poo poo into storage, or treat it like you're moving across country, and only keep the important things (although depending on what it is, you may still need storage, just less of it).
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 14:05
|
|
|
Eggplant Wizard posted:I think the issue is that their new lease elsewhere doesn't start until Jan. 1. Oh dear, I totally misread that.  Then yea, you can try looking into a short-stay, although moving all your stuff into storage and then back out again in a month is going to be a pain in the rear end. You could also talk to the new place? Obviously is someone is living there until the end of the month you are stuck, but in the past I have moved into places earlier than originally planned on the understanding that it meant that the landlord wouldn't have the chance to do their regular cleaning/repairs on the place before I moved in.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 15:36
|
|
|
Ugh, finally got the utility money from the tenants at my old place. I walk over during the break when I knew they were home, and spend over an hour getting them to dig up and decipher their utility payment records because they have NO IDEA that they didn't actually pay any gas or electric for the first two months living there. They did get one big electric bill so they thought that must have been the money they owed (uh, no?). I asked to see a bill stub so we could figure out what account he paid it to, but instead of sending back just the bottom portion, he'd sent back the entire drat page and therefore had no record of which electric account he'd paid money to. Over a month ago, I dropped off a gas bill that I got forwarded to my new house. They'd received it, but decided to ignore it because they didn't know what it was. I'm sure I also dropped off the electric bills, but we never found those. And at one point, they'd gotten an angry invoice from the landlord demanding like three months of water payments because they weren't bothering to open the landlord-issued water bills. Their system was to just throw a bunch of their parents' money into the account of the guy doing the bill-paying and he'd pay the bills when he figured out that there were indeed bills to be paid (or got angry letters from the landlord). The really frustrating part is that I left my rent/utility whiteboard for them, with a grid on it and everything, and explained to one of them how to use it. Soon after, one of them had taken it down and commandeered it for personal use. So, they were doing nothing to track rent and utilities (which is why in three months they've hosed up with my holdover account, their own accounts, and pissed off the landlord). In their defense, they were very unfamiliar with the concept that important bills come in the mail here or maintaining a household, but still, goddamn. I hope for their sake they move back into the dorms next year.  PS: They filled their gas grill with charcoal. Because the propane tank was too heavy or something. I clearly see why the maintenance guys hate these hapless foreign kids almost as much as frat boys. Sorry, just had to rant.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2012 03:42
|
|
|
Ashcans posted:How bad is the infestation? I mean is this like 'Oh, there is a mouse on the counter' or like, Rats in the Walls type stuff? If it's really bad you could consider contacting the Department of Sanitation (or whoever handles habitability issues in your area) and have them take a look. If its really terrible that might give you leverage to get out earlier. in_cahoots posted:Do you have renters' insurance? That would normally cover you if your place becomes inhabitable. In one day, we saw them maybe 5 times. One ran across the living room, one ran under the dining room table, another against the wall of the dining room, in the kitchen, etc. So it's not literally swarming, and I personally could handle it for a month, but my wife is not willing to be here; we've been sleeping over at a friend's apartment, but how long can that go on? Thankfully we are out in January, but we don't know what to do until then. The apartment staff is basically stonewalling us. I think a lot of the apartments in the complex have this problem. I doubt the insurance will cover anything, but we called them and they are getting back to us hopefully today or tomorrow. We really just want somewhere to go for a month - a hotel, anything. We found an apartment complex that rents out furnished apartments by the month as well, but they will probably make us pay December rent here as well, and paying another grand or so to stay somewhere else is not very appealing. We are going to plead with them to let us out of paying for December, though. EDIT: We may just get a cat. Doghouse fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Nov 26, 2012 |
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2012 17:02
|
|
|
If you get a cat, make sure there is no more mice/rat poison.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2012 22:08
|
|
|
PID.9 posted:Thanks for the suggestions. That's actually an upgrade in size from the original t.v. I had there, but it does look pretty silly all by it's self up there. Here's a great blog post "5 Stylish Way to Disguise your TV" by Emily Henderson: http://www.stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/5-stylish-ways-to-disguise-your-tv.html I think the frame wall idea would work really well in your space. If you don't watch much tv then the screen or textile idea could work too.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2012 23:38
|
|
|
pandariot posted:Here's a great blog post "5 Stylish Way to Disguise your TV" by Emily Henderson: http://www.stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/5-stylish-ways-to-disguise-your-tv.html Thanks for the link. I've seen the frame idea before and I really like it, but my t.v. sticks out too far from the wall with the mount I have. Fixed Gear Guy posted:First, Louise is amazing. Louise is the best ^^ I did take a trip to Ikea the other day and this is where we are so far.  It's a work in progress; we still need to move the wire grommet down a bit since we took down the shelf, but it's a step in a the right direction, I think. . . except for it not matching the end tables. I also got some floating and picture shelves from Ikea, but they are black and the bookcase thing is actually "black-brown" so I think those are going back. Still need to figure out some type of shelving, or art of some kind for the wall, and get some baskets, plants, etc. for the book case. I really like the board game idea, and I've added a few to my Christmas wish list.  Thanks for all the suggestions.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2012 01:59
|
|
|
One other idea for you PID.9, is to get a large area rug to really tie the whole room together. If I'm understanding you correctly, you think the TV is kind of this little island across the room from everything else. Rugs really define a set area, and would make all elements more cohesive. (I know you have wall to wall carpeting but placing a rug on carpeting is still a good idea.) I like your new shelf under the TV too! Definitely an improvement!
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2012 02:54
|
|
|
PID.9 posted:I also got some floating and picture shelves from Ikea, but they are black and the bookcase thing is actually "black-brown" so I think those are going back. I have both black and black brown Ikea stuff and I'm pretty sure it'll be fine to put them in the same room. The shelf makes it a LOT better. I think some kind of art or something on the sides would help, though. Something to draw it all together. Some inspiration.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2012 15:15
|
|
|
Liking the cabinet. Try using an area rug and moving your couch and love seat off the wall so they define a space.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2012 19:23
|
|
|
So, I'm a naturally cluttery awful person and the only time I get things to stay in order is if I really literally do the "a place for everything and everything in its place" thing. I finally organized my everything cabinet (linens, hardware, cleaning, paper goods, etc. etc.) and I am really happy with it. It's not pretty but it's functional. The last few days I have been poring over Pinterest and especially this organizing blog (warning: this lady is nuts and makes a lot of small but consistent spelling errors, also she vacuums every single day holy poo poo). tl;dr: has anyone got favorite home organization/storage/decor blogs or sites they want to share?  e: Computer cord management would be good, particularly...
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 00:15
|
|
|
Eggplant Wizard posted:e: Computer cord management would be good, particularly... Chez Larsson is a good one. She lives in Sweden and has an immaculate house, with mostly white furniture, even with two cats. For cord management, Apartment Therapy seems to constantly post ideas for this. Such as: Crafty Cable Management Using Everyday Household Items and Give the Gift of Organization with these Clutter Clearing Solutions In my own home I have a Bluelounge CableBox because my boyfriend's computer is in an open area and I got tired of seeing the tangle of cords every day. Yes it's just a white box but visually it's much more calm and makes me happier. (See all the Before & After pictures) I'm really into organizing and am curious to see other recommendations. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 01:05
|
|
|
Oooh. Those led me to some others: UT Wire products. I'm thinking the "cable station" ones are the most practical. Then there's this thing which is a bit like the cable box you linked, except it has spool things inside and is cheaper. My Christmas list just got longer. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 01:51
|
|
|
Eggplant Wizard posted:The last few days I have been poring over Pinterest and especially this organizing blog (warning: this lady is nuts and makes a lot of small but consistent spelling errors, also she vacuums every single day holy poo poo). tl;dr: has anyone got favorite home organization/storage/decor blogs or sites they want to share? Okay I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who reads iheartorganizing, hot drat I love her pictures. I agree she is slightly crazy though. Along similar lines is http://orgjunkie.com. I don't really read her day-to-day but the stuff in her archives is great. I put bread tags on the end of my cords at the power bar so I know which is which, but that's as far as I get. :V
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 03:47
|
|
|
Nohtenki posted:Okay I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who reads iheartorganizing, hot drat I love her pictures. I agree she is slightly crazy though. Oooh, awesome. This post has a great idea that I can use to do a home made version of the Bluelounge Cablebox. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 04:15
|
|
|
I may have to move out soon from my current flat (breakup). Does anyone have any experience with living by yourself at 25? I have a really hard time living with other people and think it would be best to live alone but am nervous about being lonely/bored/broke (seems really expensive!) etc.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 06:21
|
|
|
Red_Fred posted:I may have to move out soon from my current flat (breakup). Does anyone have any experience with living by yourself at 25? I have a really hard time living with other people and think it would be best to live alone but am nervous about being lonely/bored/broke (seems really expensive!) etc.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 06:42
|
|
|
It's totally an individual thing. It's like asking whether it's better to live in a big city or the middle of nowhere -- it just depends on you and your personality. I got a place of my own at 25 and I love it. It's pricier than having a roommate, but I did a lot of scouting, and I wound up with a place I love for only a few hundred more. Living by myself is fantastic -- I couldn't like it more. But I have friends who would go nuts if they were alone for five minutes.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 06:58
|
|
i like nice words
|
Anne Whateley posted:It's totally an individual thing. It's like asking whether it's better to live in a big city or the middle of nowhere -- it just depends on you and your personality. Yeah I guess I was more just after a general concensus that's its doable depending on your personality.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 09:35
|
|
|
Red_Fred posted:Yeah I guess I was more just after a general concensus that's its doable depending on your personality. Well, bro, we don't really know you so... I guess the answer is still "maybe"?
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 10:01
|
|
|
I'm moving into my new apartment mid-December, and I'll be literally starting over with nothing. Furniture is an issue as I just moved to a new city and don't know anyone yet, so I won't be getting any hand-me-downs. What's a good place/way to piece meal some decent furniture together as I can afford it? There's also the music problem. I had to give up my 18 year old stereo because it wouldn't fit in my car, so I'm going to need some tunes first and foremost. The problem is these days, stereos consist of an ipod dock with speakers, the other ones just seem to be way too much for an apartment. I also considered buying a surround system, but they all seem to come built in with either a DVD or Blu-Ray player, and I don't need one of those. Being able to listen to a CD or the radio these days seems to be going by the wayside.  TL;DR: I need some cheap but decent furniture, and a way to listen to CDs and/or the Radio at 31. Anne Whateley posted:I got a place of my own at 25 and I love it. It's pricier than having a roommate, but I did a lot of scouting, and I wound up with a place I love for only a few hundred more. Living by myself is fantastic -- I couldn't like it more. But I have friends who would go nuts if they were alone for five minutes. Yeah, living by yourself is great! Don't feel like wearing pants? Don't! Want to attempt to fry some ramen with so much siracha and other hot peppers that it's like a riot grenade went off in the kitchen? No one will bitch about it! Sexy time with the ugliest girl at the bar? No one will know!
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 12:35
|
|
|
Red_Fred posted:I may have to move out soon from my current flat (breakup). Does anyone have any experience with living by yourself at 25? I have a really hard time living with other people and think it would be best to live alone but am nervous about being lonely/bored/broke (seems really expensive!) etc. Living on your own is awesome. No sharing the fridge or cupboards or closets. Sink is only full of your own nasty dirty dishes. You only ever find your own pubes in the bathroom. Seconding the pants thing and general nakedness (close the curtains though). I'm the kind of person who likes company but you can get plenty of that by going and hanging out with friends. Being able to come home to your own space where you make the decor/space usage/cleanliness decisions is totally awesome. Get a catte  Iron Crowned, Ikea! Depending on your budget there's cheap-but-semi-decent stuff available at Target, Walmart, Wayfair.com, & Amazon, too. I have a "winsome wood" (I know) coffee table that looks pretty nice for $120. Craigslist and freecycle can be good too depending on where you are. If you're in a college town, the end of the semester can be an awesome time to get cheap/free stuff. Ask in the Inspect Your Gadgets about a/v setups.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 14:46
|
|
|
Eggplant Wizard posted:Living on your own is awesome. No sharing the fridge or cupboards or closets. Sink is only full of your own nasty dirty dishes. You only ever find your own pubes in the bathroom. Seconding the pants thing and general nakedness (close the curtains though). I'm the kind of person who likes company but you can get plenty of that by going and hanging out with friends. Being able to come home to your own space where you make the decor/space usage/cleanliness decisions is totally awesome. Get a catte Yep, I agree with this. I've been living on my own for ~6 years now, and I'm 26. House stays as clean (or not) as you like it, can have friends over whenever... it's pretty great. However, I never really understood the whole "roommate" thing. Trading off having live-in friends for having to share chores/stuff/mess? Gross. Friends come over, and then I can kick them out when I feel like it. But yeah, having a cat or dog helps with the whole 'coming home to nobody' thing.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 15:00
|
|
|
Iron Crowned posted:TL;DR: I need some cheap but decent furniture, and a way to listen to CDs and/or the Radio at 31. I agree with the Ikea idea. Target has a decent selection as well. I got a really inexpensive table and chairs for my kitchen there.  It's a folding table, but its actually really decent looking. It's not available online, but I believe I'be seen it in stores still. The chairs are sold separately. It makes for a good temporary or long term table, and can be a handy extra table for parties or whatever if you get a more permanent table in the future. http://m.target.com/p/cosco-wood-folding-table-espresso/-/A-12215788 Also, you might try Savers or a Salvation Army type store for a stereo. They're pretty hit or miss for tat kind of thing, but you could get lucky. PID.9 fucked around with this message at 17:43 on Nov 30, 2012 |
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 17:38
|
|
|
vonnegutt posted:Yep, I agree with this. I've been living on my own for ~6 years now, and I'm 26. House stays as clean (or not) as you like it, can have friends over whenever... it's pretty great. However, I never really understood the whole "roommate" thing. Trading off having live-in friends for having to share chores/stuff/mess? Gross. Friends come over, and then I can kick them out when I feel like it. The best way to do it is to share your house with someone who works the opposite shift as you. I only ever really see my roommate on the weekends because he works nights, and its awesome, despite the fact that he's a good friend of mine. I get to pay half price for a nice big place that's all mine for all intents and purposes! Added bonus: Someone will clean / tidy the place while I'm gone, and sign for packages and deliveries! Also, I no longer have to worry about the crippling anxiety of "did I turn the oven off this morning  ?"
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 17:51
|
|
|
Iron Crowned posted:TL;DR: I need some cheap but decent furniture, and a way to listen to CDs and/or the Radio at 31. Craigslist is the first thing to try. Look at it every day. We got an awesome kitchen island with two stools in great shape for $50 and two really nice side tables for dirt cheap as well. After that, Ikea makes high quality stuff for great prices. I have not had great experiences with Target stuff.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 18:28
|
|
|
Eggplant Wizard posted:Living on your own is awesome. No sharing the fridge or cupboards or closets. Sink is only full of your own nasty dirty dishes. You only ever find your own pubes in the bathroom. Seconding the pants thing and general nakedness (close the curtains though). I'm the kind of person who likes company but you can get plenty of that by going and hanging out with friends. Being able to come home to your own space where you make the decor/space usage/cleanliness decisions is totally awesome. Get a catte I LOVE not having roommates. It does get a little lonely sometimes, so I got a dog (or two). They're plenty company and make sure I have to go outside at least a few times a day so I never become a hermit. I talk to them and ask them things sometimes. They're also a good alarm clock. And no matter how lovely of a day I had at work, the fact that they're both SO drat EXCITED to see me when I walk in the door (even if I've only been gone for like five minutes) makes everything better. Need something that's still in the dryer because you haven't unloaded it yet because you don't have any roommates to bitch about it? Just wander over to your laundry room naked! Don't feel like doing dishes? Leave them for tomorrow! Want to watch some horrible shameful reality TV show? Go for it! No one's there to judge! Why anyone would ever choose to have roommates given the option otherwise is beyond me.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 21:14
|
|
|
Aquatic Giraffe posted:I LOVE not having roommates. It does get a little lonely sometimes, so I got a dog (or two). They're plenty company and make sure I have to go outside at least a few times a day so I never become a hermit. I talk to them and ask them things sometimes. They're also a good alarm clock. And no matter how lovely of a day I had at work, the fact that they're both SO drat EXCITED to see me when I walk in the door (even if I've only been gone for like five minutes) makes everything better. Because having friends is fun.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2012 21:41
|
|
|
RisqueBarber posted:Because having friends is fun. You know you can have friends who live in different apartments, right? I did live with a really good friend for a year actually and that was pretty great, but living alone is hardly a life of pain and tears.
|
|
#
?
Dec 1, 2012 01:08
|
|
|
Eggplant Wizard posted:tl;dr: has anyone got favorite home organization/storage/decor blogs or sites they want to share? For some reason I've had a hell of a time finding high quality organizing/interior decorating blogs where 70% of the posts aren't sponsor highlights or giveaways. So, I'm also interested if someone wants to share! I do like Arianna Belle Organized Interiors, though it does lean more on the interior decorating side of things.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2012 17:40
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 22:58 |
|
|
Bagleworm posted:For some reason I've had a hell of a time finding high quality organizing/interior decorating blogs where 70% of the posts aren't sponsor highlights or giveaways. So, I'm also interested if someone wants to share! I just found The Inspired Room looking at Arianna Belle's pinterests, and it has a lot of good organization stuff so far. I haven't seen any product plugs yet, either!
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2012 22:47
|
|