[amywoman]

crassy, I thought I saw some like it at Menards, actually. Worth a look.

[crassy_mcnasty]

doodle, bamboo blinds are a great idea! i've got some that a freind couldn't use and gave me and i was trying to figure out how to use them. i was thinking of putting them around the walls in my "tiki" (enclosed porch) room, but the siding is uneven so i didn't know how to attach them, but now i'm thinking what about attaching them around the 2 side tables i have in there? it's that fake wood stuff from ikea, would wood glue work?

amy, does that fan/light come in just a fan? i was looking for that exact construction for a fan in my bathroom. it would have to be attached to the wall though.

[bklynhermit]

i know ikea has a shelving system that involves optional doors. maybe it's not online? you used to be able to download a PDF of their catalog...

they also sell kitchen cabinets, which might be an option, though i don't know the price points.

[amywoman]

Thanks, everyone! crassy, in answer to your question, that's a combination fan and light.

[pollystyrene]

Thanks for the suggestions, all- I do kinda want a cabinet with doors. I have a small-ish dresser in the spot currently, holding my towels & sheets, but we got it off a friend's family member for free when we first moved and it's kinda crappy. I feel bad because it's real mahogany, but there's no sliders and it's a pain to open them. Also, they have a weird smell. I just don't feel like putting in the effort of lining the drawers and whatever else could be done. But I do have a couple of under-the-bed boxes I could use for now. Thanks for reminding me, doodle!

Bed Bath & Beyond mostly had medicine cabinet-type things and yeah, most of the stuff on Home Decorators is a bit much. I tried Ikea's website and found it surprisingly lacking...maybe if I have to go to the store for something else, I'll see what I can find- their website doesn't have everything they sell.

[doodlebug]

Fabulous work, amywoman! You've done a great job and it looks wonderful!

polly, does it have to be a cabinet with doors? I'm thinking you could probably get a decent second hand dresser, or a smaller set of drawers (a big nightstand?), or something similar, very cheaply. You could paint it or do whatever you wanted to it. I've got a dresser right in my living room, and it holds a TON of stuff!

Also, to follow-up on crassy's great idea...if you didn't want to do a curtain on the front of an open shelf, you could do a bamboo blind, which has a pretty clean and plain style to it. I'm fairly sure you can cut these down to fit. Or even a second hand pair of shutters, if you can find them.

I am thinking about getting a bunch of under-bed boxes to store my extra bedlinens. Right now, I can manage to stuff a couple of afghans into the old brass firewood box in my living room, but the rest all lives in one gigantic Rubbermaid tub in my bedroom closet (comforters take up a lot of space!), but I'd like to re-claim that space for other things...you know, like clothes, shoes, bags...

[lot49]

wow, nice job amy! Very shiny and bright!

polly, I think Home Decorators has a big selection of cabinets, but they may be more pricey than what you're looking for...

eta: bed, bath & beyond might also have some.

[crassy_mcnasty]

amy, wow, what a transformation from brown w/ a dropped ceiling! it's bright- very clean and simple. i too painted my bathroom white w/black trim around the windows! is that a light or a fan on the ceiling? i like it's deco shape.

polly, i got an open bookshelf type cabinet at ikea and then got one of those curtain rods with springs and sewed a pretty curtain for the front of it. is this an option?

[pollystyrene]

(Cross-post from "Where Can I Find...")

I'm looking for a cheap, but well-built free standing cabinet to put towels and sheets in. I found this one at Target. It's basically what I want, but it's only 12 inches deep. I'd like a little more room than that, but not for much more money. I've tried Ikea and The Container Store. Any ideas?

Nice bathroom, amywoman! Sounds like a great improvement!

Crassy, I have a very similar ceiling fan in my bedroom. Hunter, too, same light, but different metal parts.

((Drooling over doodle's furniture- post pics!!))

[amywoman]

Wow, please post pics, doodlebug! I can't wait to see those. Love that era.

So I have redone bathroom pics. I wish I had before pics, but suffice it to say that once upon a time this bathroom was BROWN. Brown/tan/white threaded safari wallpaper, brown trim, brown cabinet, brass fixtures, horrible drop ceiling with brown rails. Now it's mostly black, white and grey with silver/chrome fixtures, and the only room we've done in such a deliberately modern way. Looks a little austere in the pictures, but that's okay. It's not quite fully accessorized, but we were going for the black/white/grey trifecta with small splashes of color.

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b86/houseofamy/First Floor Bath/?sc=1&mult i=1&addtype=local&media=image - should work.

[crassy_mcnasty]

doodle, that's awesome! they sound great. i'd love to see pics...

[lot49]

congrats doodle! Take pics when you have the whole set!

[mirabella]

Congratulations, Doodlebug!! The new furniture sounds beautiful.

[treehugger]

Wow, doodlebug! What a find! Isn't it great to get your first very own adult furniture? I just did that and I still feel pretty euphoric about it!

Congrats!

[doodlebug]

SQUEEEEE!!!!!

doodlemama is in town, and we were on our way to the grocery store this afternoon, when I saw this wicker chair outside a thrift/antique store (where I bought my dining table, years ago). I pulled in to look at it...turned out, the chair was part of a set that I didn't really want.

BUT!!

There was this other set: a couch and two chairs. They are totally vintage; the guy said '30s or early '40s. They are polished real maple wood frames, with cane sides between the arms and the seat, and they have those curvy legs...they are "airy" looking, and they are in almost perfect shape! And it's totally sprung upholstery, too! $600 + taxes for the set.

I actually left them behind b/c I knew I couldn't afford the entire set, and as we were driving around, I kept thinking about them. doodlemama kept offering to pay $300, in lieu of a birthday present (my b-day isn't till December)...so I finally caved in and we went back!

doodlemama says they look like something out of Casablanca.

The only caveat is that the upholstery is dusty pink, green and cream (flowered), but it's a really subtle look - I'm sure it's not the original upholstery, but it works...it will do till I can recover the pieces anyway!

We brought home the chairs; the guy is going to bring the couch on Thursday when I am back from Victoria.

I have real, grown up furniture!!!

I am absolutely dying to be able to throw the loveseat over the balcony. I've been waiting two years to be able to toss it "overboard." I think I might have a little ceremony.

[crassy_mcnasty]

ginger kitty, my friend just did this. he said that he would never ever recommend it without renting one of those floor sander devices. he also said that it's best to do one room at a time in sections.

i have to try to put the old door back in this weekend since trying to install a new door was a complete disaster. all this week we had to live with no door on our bathroom. it really sucked, especially with the dog or cat wandering in when i was in there. i can't wait to get a door back on and paint it.

we're also going to try to put a new ceiling fan in our living room and remove the ugly ass all white cheap one. then we're hoping to paint that one and other one that's already in the kitchen silver with red blades to put into 2 places in the long galley kitchen. hope it works.

[amywoman]

Yeah, ginger_kitty, definitely cheaper. I hear you on that. I just also always hear from people who have done it that it's way more work than it seems and very physically taxing. They always say they never want to do it again after doing it once... so just wanted to warn you about that.

[bklynhermit]

another thing to think about, when going down the green path, is whether you can actually live with the color you pick, painted onto your walls. i came very close to painting my bedroom at my last place one of my favorite shades of warm green. and then i pictured the walls actually that color, and the thought came to me that said fabulous color was kind of similar to the color of bile, and that while it might look great on a shirt or a painting or something, if i put it on my walls i was going to think about vomit all the time.

just because you like a color in theory, and just because it makes sense in the space, doesn't mean you will actually be able to live with it, day in and day out, for a year or more.

though i'm a serious color ruminator -- it took months to pick the color for my kitchen (which has yet to be painted even now, btw).

[minouska]

Thanks Treehugger! I checked a map and it looks like the room faces northeast-ish. It's kind of hard to say because of the angle of the road. I'm in NYC so it's a variable climate, but cold in the winter. It sounds like I should aim for a slightly warmer pale green, if possible....maybe a slightly yellow grey green rather than a blue grey green, huh? I'll go check out the bhg site.

Thanks, Doodle, too! I think the room gets a fair amount of light; it's the fourth floor and the room faces the street, so I think I'll get decent light. Probably more in the morning. Both times I've been there have been the very late afternoon or a rainy day, and it seemed like a fair amount of light for that time. I'll be spending more time there at night so I think I want it to be more cozy then than a wake-up color. And from what you say, too, it really sounds like a warmer green is the way to go. My furniture is really mixed, but slightly biased towards lighter woods. I'll try to aim for light colors when I get a new blanket and curtains to help the space.

I do actually like the free yellow a lot--my friends have it in their living room--but after reading all your comments and thinking about it, it's a little more energetic than I want in my bedroom. I really want a yellow room but I will just have to wait until I can paint a kitchen or living room.

Thanks for all your help! I will let you all know how it looks when I'm moved in.

[ginger_kitty]

doodlebug that guide was awesome!!!! Thank you so much.

bklynhermit, I think we are going to do our bedroom first, because it's about 15' by 11' to see how it goes. Then venture out to the living room/dining room/office which are all three connected and much larger.

I come from a long line of do it yourselfers, so I am just to stubborn to pay somebody for this. My dad had us doing everything from drywall to wiring, so I know I can tackle this. Not to mention I have a pretty beefy hubby to use as free slave labor.