When I read about this built-in cabinetry piece that creates 4 unique 'rooms' in a studio apartment, I assumed that I would dislike the space. As a humble traditionalist, I tend to lean towards more overt solutions with space management. Many modern space-conscious designs, in my opinion, look cheap, rickety (for more on this, see my thoughts on Convertible Furniture), and extremely tacky.
But, this built-in unit works so well that the functionality of it makes it chic. As if, through an ingenious mixture of geeky engineering and wild creativity, this guy's apartment became the James Bond of apartments.
It's a long video, but totally worth watching if you're interested in Small Space Living and brilliant space planning.
via NY Daily News
Maybe, it would be better nicknamed the Inspector Gadget of apartments. "Go, Go, Gadget Bed!"
Cheers,
Whitney
Showing posts with label Simple Living series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simple Living series. Show all posts
Nov 1, 2011
Clean and Simple
I know it's not always easy to keep a clean house. If you've got kids and/or pets it's even harder. If you live in a big city like New York, then sooty dust if your #1 sworn enemy. But a clean house feels so wonderful, so healthy and just more livable, doesn't it?
We often over-complicate the process with an abundance of products. The spray for the shower is different than the spray for the counters which is different than the wash for the floors. Over time you've compiled a small army of plastic spray bottles filled with mysterious chemical solutions for every single cleaning task in a home. But, what if it were simpler. What if only a small handful of ingredients and old-fashioned methods were all it took to get a sparkly home?
Thanks to my wonderful friends in the world of Pinterest, I've amassed a small list of some of the wonders that simple cleaning ingredients can do to keep your home germ-/grime-/stain-free and happy.
Happy cleaning, my friends!
Cheers,
Whitney
We often over-complicate the process with an abundance of products. The spray for the shower is different than the spray for the counters which is different than the wash for the floors. Over time you've compiled a small army of plastic spray bottles filled with mysterious chemical solutions for every single cleaning task in a home. But, what if it were simpler. What if only a small handful of ingredients and old-fashioned methods were all it took to get a sparkly home?
Thanks to my wonderful friends in the world of Pinterest, I've amassed a small list of some of the wonders that simple cleaning ingredients can do to keep your home germ-/grime-/stain-free and happy.
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| Ah ha! |
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| Clean old paintbrushes by soaking in boiling in vinegar for an hour or until paint floats off. |
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| Baked on grease and who-knows-what-else on your burners? Take about 1/4 cup of ammonia and seal it up with one of the burners in a large ziploc bag. You only need a little ammonia in the bag; not enough to soak the burner... you just want to seal it up with the ammonia fumes. Let stand overnight or longer. Burner will wipe clean with a moist sponge. TIP: Never, EVER mix ammonia with anything that has bleach in it. It creates toxic fumes. |
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| Lemons can help whiten dingy linens on the stove. Fill a pot with water and a few slices of fresh lemon; bring the water to a boil. Turn off heat, add linens, and let soak for up to an hour; launder as usual. |
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| Coat the inside of your dirty appliance with a paste made from water and baking soda. Let stand overnight. Then, don gloves and scour off that grime. Make spotless with a moist cloth. |
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| To polish silver: Wash items, then place on sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of a deep pot. Add a ¼ cup baking soda, a few teaspoons salt, 1 quart boiling water and cover the pot for a few moments. The result is a chemical reaction that gets tarnish off even the grimiest gravy boat. |
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| Unclog and clean drains with 2 parts vinegar to 1 part baking soda. |
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| Mix one part Dawn dish washing liquid with two parts hydrogen peroxide. Pour or spray it directly on fabric stains, and watch it disappear like magic! |
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| Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of 1/3 shampoo to 2/3 water. Swirl to mix. Spray the shampoo mixture on the walls, doors, floors, counter top, curling irons, etc. Let it set for a minute or two then use a sponge scrub to scrub the mixture off. Use a dry clean cloth to wipe clean. |
Happy cleaning, my friends!
Cheers,
Whitney
Aug 10, 2011
Simple Living: Minuscule in Manhattan
This architect DEFINES minimal living. I applaud his dedication to a tidy, organized and well-edited home. His resourcefulness and handy construction work are commendable. He says he loves the Midtown location of this closet home. He's willing to live with very little privacy and comfort in the name of efficiency. But is his willingness worth it?
It's no lie that Manhattan apartments are typically overpriced, but I find this to be a disgusting example of thievery in urban real estate. Just look at the work he had to do to make this place livable.
When I first moved to NYC in 2002, I lived in a basement studio apartment on the Upper Westside. It was small and perfect for a single girl with little money and few belongings. I was paying 60% more than this fella pays with 449% more space. I had my own bathroom. I had counter space in a tiny kitchen. There was a stove. I had room for a full-size bed AND a chair. I lived 30 blocks north of where this guy lives. The fact that he's paying so much to live in a space so little seems inflated even to me, a jaded Manhattanite.
What do you think? Is the desire to live in a prime location worth sacrificing one's sense of personal space & comfort?
Cheers,
Whitney
It's no lie that Manhattan apartments are typically overpriced, but I find this to be a disgusting example of thievery in urban real estate. Just look at the work he had to do to make this place livable.
When I first moved to NYC in 2002, I lived in a basement studio apartment on the Upper Westside. It was small and perfect for a single girl with little money and few belongings. I was paying 60% more than this fella pays with 449% more space. I had my own bathroom. I had counter space in a tiny kitchen. There was a stove. I had room for a full-size bed AND a chair. I lived 30 blocks north of where this guy lives. The fact that he's paying so much to live in a space so little seems inflated even to me, a jaded Manhattanite.
What do you think? Is the desire to live in a prime location worth sacrificing one's sense of personal space & comfort?
Cheers,
Whitney
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