REAL MOD

The Reality of Cork Flooring (they're just not as durable as they claim)

2020-06-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this article about cork flooring on the Atomic Ranch website...

https://www.atomic-ranch.com/architecture-design/all-about-cork-flooring

As a veteran of cork flooring, I feel a particular responsibility to let the world know the "real" story on cork floors.

I love cork flooring. I really do. But I think the author's claim that it's durable is really a disservice to her readers.

I laid cork flooring in my entrance and kitchen 10 years ago. I love how warm and supple they are. I love the color and the look. I love that the material is a very renewable resource. I love that dropped glasses in the kitchen *bounce* right off the floor!

However, I do not love how they have faded so drastically; the area in the entrance with south facing windows is practically white now. I also do not love the deep scratches from our dogs (think "furrowed farm fields"). I don't love that some of the panels that got wet when our ice maker malfunctioned have shrunk and left huge cracks and separations. I don't love the random deep craters here and there where chunks of the cork have decomposed and disappeared.

Most homeowners think of "durable" as ceramic tile, hardwood, LPV. These are surfaces that you can take a hammer to, track mud and gravel across, and submerge in water. That is what "durable" means to the average American homeowner.

I do think cork can be semi-durable, but to make it so takes a lot of work. You need to treat cork flooring with a protective coating often. And I don't mean just a mild wax. For it to hold up to average American house hold abuse, you need to literally *polyurethane* it at least once a month. And that means getting it *squeaky* clean before applying the poly (or you will seal dirt and other contaminates in). This is an insane amount of upkeep compared to just about any other flooring.

I have been thinking about a replacement for far too long (it's been pretty bad for a couple years now). The decision is difficult, because I really loved the cork... when it was new.

I will likely end up going with MCM-appropriate slate in the entrance (virtually impervious to mud, water, dogs, etc.), but for the kitchen, I'm having a much harder time deciding. I would go with tile, but I've gotten spoiled with being able to drop things on cork (not to mention how great it feels on bare feet). I've actually considered using the rubber flooring they put down in horse stalls. I love it's durability and springiness, but it definitely lacks in the aesthetics department. I think LPV is a good choice, but I have yet to find any options that look the way I want in my very Midcentury Mod kitchen ("wood look" just doesn't cut it). I've actually considered going "old school" and gluing down Marmoleum in either sheet or squares, but I really don't want to mess with prepping the floor and all that glue.

So I'm at a loss. I yearn for the look and feel of the cork I already have, but after ten years I now know it just isn't durable enough for my household, no matter what Jickie says. ;-)

My previous two posts on cork flooring (see how I progressively grow more sad):

http://realmod.blogspot.com/2011/08/cork-flooring.html

http://realmod.blogspot.com/2014/04/cork-flooring-revisited.html

...

Removing Scratches and Rings and Polishing Wood

2015-07-23T10:38:00.001-07:00

I could write a long post on all kinds of ways to tackle water spots, towel marks, glass bottom rings, scratches, etc. I could talk about different finishes and oils, and the merits of one over the other. We could talk about polyurethane vs. a natural finish, replacing veneer, and sanding techniques.

But instead I’m just posting what is basically an unpaid ad for Howard Wood Restoration products. They are bottled magic.

My friend who owned a vintage store in Denver called Lee Alex Decor (sadly, closed now), turned me onto this stuff a couple of years ago. You can walk into a thrift store and buy a piece of furniture that no one would look twice at, and with a couple of wipes, you’ve got a new looking piece of Midcentury goodness! (While this might be slight exaggeration, it’s actually not too far fetched!)

Simply pick the color of Howard Restor-a-Finish that most closely matches your furniture (for almost everything I own I use Walnut or Dark Walnut), then apply the product with a soft cloth and wipe off. Your furniture will look amazing, and you get the added bonus of learning Karate (“wipe on, wipe off”).

If you’ve got crazing (lots of tiny cracks) or a scratch that’s a bit of a doozey, you may need to apply Restor-a-Finish with 0000 super fine steel wool. It made me nervous when I first tried it, but it worked great. And you’d be amazed at the kinds of blemishes (even blistering and raised finishes!) this can take care of.

Once that’s done, I always use Howard Feed-n-Wax. It’s bee’s wax and citrus. It smells fantastic, and it makes Midcentury teak, walnut, mahogany, etc. look AWESOME.

If you can’t get to Lowe’s or Home Depot, it’s also available on Amazon, though the price is actually best at the local store.

Below are some pics of our Danish bar (in teak). I actually didn’t even use the Restor-a-Finish on this, just the Feed-n-Wax. Unfortunately I don’t have any “before” pics, but you think there weren’t copious drink rings, scratches, and scuffs on a 70 year old, well-used bar?

This stuff is amazing.

“Organic” (not Roundup) Weed Killer

2015-04-30T19:29:00.001-07:00

Our midcentury modern home has nearly an acre of xeriscaped gardens (most original to the house). This means we have a lot of gravel and rock where weeds love to try and grow.

For a while I was using Roundup to take care of the weeds, but then I did a bit of research into glyphosate (what Roundup is made of), and was appalled at what I found.

Before I get into the evils of glyphosate, I’ll let you know what I replaced it with.

1 gallon white vinegar
2 cups Epsom salts (not table salt!)
1/4 cup dish soap

I was extremely skeptical at first, not to mention worried about quite literally salting the earth so nothing else could grow, but it turns out Epsom salts are mostly magnesium and sulfur, whereas table salt is sodium chloride. Epsom salts are actually used as a fertilizer to promote plant growth!

I started using this mixture this spring, and I found it works EVERY BIT as well as Roundup! And, hey, no cancer (or hundreds of other major problems associated with glyphosate)!

So if you need something to end those pesky weeds in your meticulously cultivated xeriscape, I highly recommend the above mixture. It works best if you use it on a sunny and hot day, and I usually see results by sunset, with the plant dying out completely in just a few days.

Now, if you want to know more about the absolute evils of Monsanto and it’s promotion of Roundup/glyphosate, read on (apologies, as I’m about to climb up on a big ol’ soap box)…

Glyphosate was invented, for the second time, oddly enough, by John Franz in 1970 and marketed by Monsanto as Roundup. It was actually first synthesized in 1950 by Swiss chemist Henry Martin for his employer Cilag, but they did not realize the herbicidal potential. In 1970, Monsanto had been exploring the water-softening benefits of various analogs of aminomethylphosphonic acid, when they found a few to be mildly poisonous to plants and hired Franz to explore the herbicidal potential. After only three tries (his third analog), Roundup was born. The Monsanto patent expired in the year 2000, so now you can get generic glyphosate (it’s cheaper!), but it’s no less evil than the Monsanto branded Roundup that they continue to pour all over the earth in increasing quantities (in combination with other life threatening practices like modifying plants to withstand glyphosate so they can use MORE of it on crops).

Without going super deep into the evils of glyphosate (and Monsanto’s denial thereof), here’s a little snippet from the Glyphosate Wikipedia page:

“The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment published a toxicology review in 2013, which found that "the available data is contradictory and far from being convincing" with regard to correlations between exposure to glyphosate formulations and risk of various cancers, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).^[6]^{:Volume 1, pp. 64–66} A meta-analysis published in 2014 identified an increased risk of NHL in workers exposed to glyphosate formulations.^[7] In March 2015 the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer published a summary of its forthcoming monograph on glyphosate, and classified it as "probably carcinogenic in humans" (category 2A) based on epidemiological studies, animal studies, and in vitro studies.”

Most European countries have banned glyphosate.

By the way, you know what else Monsanto invented? DDT. DDT was banned in the 70’s after being exposed as extremely dangerous to, well, just about everything in the food chain (cancer, nervous system damage, liver damage, etc.) –not to mention it doesn’t break down for years and years (thus remains in the food chain for a long, long time).

While glyphosate doesn’t stick around as bad as DDT,

“glyphosate is not included in compounds tested for by the Food and Drug Administration's Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program, nor in the United States Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Data Program. However, a field test showed that lettuce, carrots, and barley contained glyphosate residues up to one year after the soil was treated with 3.71 lb of glyphosate per acre (4.15 kg per hectare).”[National Pesticide Information Center Technical Factsheet on: GLYPHOSATE]

For the record, Monsanto also invented Agent Orange (to literally scorch the earth of vegetation in the Vietnam War), not to mention recombinant bovine somatotropin (that nasty growth hormone used in cows). They’re a great group of fellas with only your well-being in mind!

The above should be enough, but the horrors go on and on (and on and on and on). Here are just a few more things about glyphosate and why you shouldn’t use it (nor should ANYONE).

"A recent study from Harvard, published on March 27th of 2014, has definitively confirmed what scientists outside the US have been saying for years: neonicotinoids are THE [emphasis added] cause of colony collapse disorder (CCD). The study showed that 50% of colonies populated by bees who had been in contact with these pesticides collapsed, compared to only 1 in 6 who were not in contact with neonicotinoids.” [quote copied from this site]

You can download a pdf of the Harvard report here:

http://www.bulletinofinsectology.org/pdfarticles/vol67-2014-125-130lu.pdf

Here is another study in collaboration with the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that illustrates the threat of glyphosate in colony collapse disorder:

http://beeinformed.org/2014/05/colony-loss-2013-2014/

I could go on and on, but it just gets more depressing. Long story short, vinegar, Epsom salts, and soap work better than Roundup and won’t kill your friends!

Closet Storage Systems: Elfa vs. Rubbermaid vs. Closetmaid

2014-05-13T20:36:00.001-07:00

While closet systems might not be the most mod thing I can imagine, they definitely meet the criteria of those who pioneered modern design: readily available materials used to affordably benefit the masses.

Also, I am constantly emphasizing the importance of maximizing storage space in modern homes… to keep that orderly/clean appearance, you’ve really got to be able to cram your stuff out of sight!

Recently we stayed in a vacation home in the mountains. While the home was a little more “contemporary” than what I tend to really like, it was cool nonetheless, and I was really impressed by some of the details (like all of the cabinetry, and there was a lot, utilizing SOLID WALNUT doors). One of the things of which I really took note (for future personal use) was the closet system utilized throughout the house’s bedrooms. Of course it was Elfa, which means it cost around 5x what a similar Rubbermaid or Closetmaid system would have run.

But as I started researching and comparing the different systems, I realized there was money to be saved in combining systems! All three of the main contenders (Elfa, Rubbermaid, and Closetmaid) utilize a double channel hanging rail that accommodates most of the other brand’s accoutrement. That means if you mix ‘n’ match you can save some coin.

Comparing systems directly is a little tricky, because it’s not exactly apples to apples (length of tracks, available accessories, kinds of shelves, etc.). But hopefully the information below helps people sort things out and make some decisions.

Where to Purchase

So let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: I’m not even considering Ikea’s Algot system. First of all, it’s not interchangeable with the other three brands (it uses a different track system), but MOSTLY because their “hanging clothes rod” is so awful. It’s more like a wire than a rod. It’s just bad (functionally and aesthetically). So no matter how much less expensive the Ikea closet system might be, and it isn’t that much less expensive, to me it just isn’t even worth considering.

While Lowe’s and Home Depot technically carry both Closetmaid and Rubbermaid, in my market (Boulder/Denver) Lowe’s pushes Rubbermaid while Home Depot pushes Closetmaid. You can also purchase Rubbermaid and Closetmaid on Amazon. Sometimes the prices are better (especially the kits), sometimes they are not (hanging wire drawers).

Elfa is available online and at The Container Store.

The Hanging System

It may seem odd, but the horizontal rail and vertical hanging tracks (the support structure) on all three systems cost about the same (even the Elfa). Rubbermaid’s super-economy line is a bit cheaper, but the hanging rails mount directly into the wall (not hanging from a horizontal support). This limits where your vertical rails can go on the wall, and also seriously hampers flexibility*** (being able to move those vertical rails). The cheapest “hanging” rail option is actually Closetmaid’s garage system. It’s the most sturdy, and the cheapest (except for the Rubbermaid direct-mount rails). Unfortunately, it sports a painted on (well, baked on, I assume) “hammered metal” look. It’s good that it’s dark, but it’s definitely a more industrial and less refined look.

***[update] After actually mounting a system, it has become evident that the position of these rails is less flexible than first anticipated. It’s best to anchor the vertical tracks that hang from the horizontal support to the wall in one or two places to keep them from swinging out or sideways. This doesn’t effect the flexibility of positioning brackets and shelves, but it does affect using Rubbermaid/Closetmaid and Elfa drawers interchangeably. Elfa needs 24” between vertical rails, and Rubbermaid/Closetmaid utilize a 22” spacing.

White is the cheapest (for everything), but I don’t think it’s as nice a look. It’s much more “utility room,” “mud room,” or “washing machine area” than classy closet system. So I say, if you have the option, spend the extra few dollars and go with the silver (it will be called either “nickel” or “titanium”). Elfa’s “titanium” looks a little more like bare metal or “brushed steel” (it is metal covered in enamel) while the other two contenders have a more “plastic-y” (but still fine) gray/silver powder-coat finish.

There is significant savings in purchasing a Rubbermaid kit (see some pricing examples below), but the kits contain the “HomeFree” line and the vertical supports are a little less thick (by less than a 1/4”). It doesn’t make them that much “flimsier” (if at all), but it does mean there are a couple of Elfa garage components that will not work with the HomeFree vertical rails. None of this makes any difference in regard to the brackets and pieces that just fit into the slots.

Rubbermaid FastTrack, Elfa, and Closetmaid MaxLoad all are the same thickness/depth (and probably a little sturdier than the HomeFree line).

Elfa Top Track (horizontal rail) Platinum 32”, 56”, 80” $14, $17, $20

Elfa Hang Standard (vertical rail) Platinum 20”, 36”, 60” 84” at $11, $14, $17, $20

Rubbermaid FastTrack 47.5” uprights in Nickel $11

Rubbermaid FastTrack Horizontal Hanging Rail 84” for $25 at Lowe’s (48” for $10 and 84” for $17 at Amazon)

Rubbermaid HomeFree 48” Horizontal Rail is $16

Rubbermaid HomeFree vertical extension 25” $9

Rubbermaid FastTrack 25” vertical extension in Nickel $9

Hanging System Winner: Rubbermaid FastTrack (Elfa is a VERY close 2nd), but the Rubbermaid Homefree “kits” win hands down for price

Ventilated Shelves (wire shelves)

Elfa “platinum” (silver) shelves come in a maximum length of 4 feet and depths of 12”, 16”, and 20” (standard widths for all makers, though the Rubbermaid FastTrack brackets are slightly different –by a fraction of an inch).

12” deep at 2’, 3’, and 4’ wide is $10, $14, $18

16” deep at 2’, 3’, and 4’ wide is $12, $17, $22

20” deep at 2’, 3’, and 4’ wide is $14, $20, $26

Elfa shelves require the Elfa bracket, because the shelves sit in little notches that keep them from sliding. The end of the bracket is flush with the edge of the shelf, and is preferable to the other two makers whose brackets jut through the edge of the shelf (it looks bad, and things can get snagged on the end of the bracket).

Elfa is also the only system that has a basket/shelf hybrid. These “shelf baskets” are 3-5/8” deep and pricing is as follows:

12” version: $15 for 2 feet, $19 for 3 feet

16” version $20 for 2 feet, $25 for 3 feet

You can also buy two-packs of “dividers” as shown in the photo below. There are clear plastic ones for $9 and $13 (12”, 16”) and 16” metal ones for $15 in either walnut or birch.

Rubbermaid Fasttrack wire shelving is $14.75 for two 12” deep 4ft. racks and requires the Rubbermaid Fasttrack brackets. You can also buy a Rubbermaid 26” Add-On Shelving Kit (2x 26” shelves and Four Brackets) for only $20. I really don’t like how the bracket with Rubbermaid FastTrack and HomeFree protrudes through the front edge of the shelf (whereas the Elfa is flush at the end of the bracket). You can get the Closetmaid and Rubbermaid FastTrack shelves in longer lengths and cut them to size to save a little money if you don’t mind doing the cutting yourself (you obviously also can also span greater lengths if you wish). Also, the Rubbermaid FastTrack and Homefree shelves are made to overlap (the brackets specifically accommodate this) to you don’t have to cut them to length.

You can purchase lengths of Rubbermaid/Closetmaid up to 10, maybe even 12 feet. The maximum length of an Elfa shelf is 4 ft.

Rubbermaid FastTrack:

Rubbermaid’s ventilated shelving comes in Linen (regular), Wardrobe (no wires on the front rail), FreeSlide (built in wire hanging “rod”), and TightMesh (tighter spacing of the wires).

Closetmaid shelves come in SuperSlide and Maxload.

Closetmaid SuperSlide in nickel is $6.40 for 48”, $9.60 for 72”, and $12.80 for 96”. Maxload is slightly cheaper, but I could only find a maximum length of 6ft.

That means the Elfa ventilated shelf is 3x as expensive as the Closetmaid (but the Elfa is sturdier, the edge looks nicer, and you’ll need to cut the Closetmaid down from a larger piece to achieve the savings).

Again the Rubbermaid kits win hands down for pricing.

Ventilated Shelf Winner: Depends on Application

Brackets

Oddly enough, brackets all cost about the same, with Elfa edging out the win on price because their 20” bracket is $9 instead of $10 like the others. 12” are $5, 16” are $7 and 20” are $9/10. You may find a little variety here, but it’s pretty much the same across the board. So again, the main factor is how the brackets match your pieces (the wall mounting stuff and the accessories you end up going with).

The Elfa bracket have a couple of notches to hold the wire shelves in place. So do a couple of the varieties of Rubbermaid. The Closetmaid brackets have no notches (just flat on top, but open like the Elfas.

The Rubbermaid and Elfa brackets are open on the top edge. As far as I can tell, this serves no purpose for the Rubbermaid components, but Elfa accessories actually sit down inside the top edge of the brackets (so Rubbermaid FastTrack brackets should accommodate Elfa accessories that don’t need the Elfa notches). The Closetmaid brackets are closed on top and will not work with Elfa.

The Rubbermaid HomeFree and FastTrack brackets as well as Elfa brackets have slits in the underside for clothing bar hangers and are necessary for their clothing bar system. As mentioned previously, the Rubbermaid HomeFree bracket only has a slot for the clothing bar in the 12” bracket. The Rubbermaid FastTrack has slots for the clothing bar hanger in the 16” and 20” as well.

NOTE: the HomeFree brackets are stamped/embossed with the Rubbermaid logo (kind of tacky but not really noticeable once they’re in the closet).

Bracket Winner: Depends

Hanging Clothes Bar

There are two factors to consider with the hanging clothes bar/rod: how it looks, and how it functions. Elfa wins both categories, but Rubbermaid is acceptable.

Both Elfa and Rubbermaid utilize a rod support that hangs underneath the shelf suspended from the bracket. The Rubbermaid HomeFree hook will ONLY fit in their 12” bracket (there is no slot for the hook in the HomeFree 16” bracket) and cannot be used with Rubbermaid FastTrack or Elfa brackets (the HomeFree hook has two vertical tabs and only the HomeFree 12” bracket has two corresponding slits). The Elfa hook works in both their 12” and 16” brackets, and will also fit in the Rubbermaid 16” and 20” FastTrack brackets (though it’s a bit loose). The Elfa hook will NOT fit in the HomeFree brackets (the slit is too small).

Closetmaid utilizes a giant plastic hook that looks awful and seems like it will eventually break (it’s plastic!). It also juts out in front of the shelves, so it doesn’t look as elegant/streamlined (not to mention it’s so far forward it could interfere with the doors in a shallow closet). The Closetmaid plastic hook ONLY works with the corresponding Closetmaid shelving, because it attaches to the two wire-rails at the very front of these shelves. Finally, the rod that works with these hooks is spindly and ugly, and makes the whole system look bad.

The Elfa hanger is made of metal (with silver enamel coating that makes it look like bare metal from a distance). It has a much lower profile than either of the other brands, and only costs $2. It’s definitely a look I prefer.

The Rubbermaid hook is acceptable (though as you’ll see in the photo, the Rubbermaid end cap on the clothing rod is hideous).

The Rubbermaid and Closetmaid hooks allow hangers to slide all the way across the bar and over the hook, while the Elfa hook acts as a stop. Thus, the Rubbermaid and Closetmaid bars require an “end stop,” which isn’t as nice/sleek a look (though sliding a hanger all the way across a longer bar and its support hooks might be preferable to some people).

Elfa’s clothing bar comes in 2’, 3’, and 4’, lengths at $4, $6 and $8 respectively. I was a little surprised by how thin the metal is. I assume this won’t affect strength (the bars aren’t that long) and helps keep the cost down. Elfa utilizes chrome end caps that insert into the end of the rod for $.50/pair. The Rubbermaid telescoping 48” clothing bar (two 4ft. pieces) is $10.74 at Lowe’s, so almost half price. The Elfa chrome end caps are a tight fit, but you can get them into the Rubbermaid bar (though they will no stop hangers from sliding off the end of the bar). Since the Rubbermaid bar is telescoping, one is slightly larger than the other. The thicker bar is tight in the Elfa hook (which is best), and the thinner bar is a little loose, but both still work.

Here’s where it’s at (Elfa)…

The bar hangs under the shelf, the finish looks nice, and the clothes bar is chrome, thick, and sturdy, with a nice chrome end plug.

Clothing Bar/Hook Winner: Elfa

Clothing Basket

Elfa usually charges $16 for the wire basket. HOWEVER, you also need the $30 rolling drawer frame. Plus you’ll need two 16” brackets to mount it on. $30+$16+$14=$60 for a functioning Elfa Hanging Wire Basket. The “kit” with those exact same parts offers no price break whatsoever (it’s the same price as just buying all the piece separate).

You’ll need a different frame (much more expensive, at $50) if you want a drawer to match your wooden fascia (see pricing in the “fascia” section of this post).

Rubbermaid’s sliding basket kit is around $40 at Amazon and Lowe’s. The kit includes everything you need. I also actually kind of like the chrome bar at the front of the drawer, so for the wire baskets, Rubbermaid wins for price and also aesthetics.

Closetmaid wins the price war with a 4 drawer kit that sells for $70, but there is just a “wire/rod” that slides in a metal groove (screeeeeech), so the Closetmaid drawers don’t have the same nice feel as the Elfa and Rubbermaid “rolling” drawers. Closetmaid also has canvas and wicker options, but without the smooth rolling mechanism, I can’t even consider the Closetmaid “sliding” (screeching) anything.

Sliding Wire Basket Winner: Rubbermaid

HOWEVER…

Elfa makes a wire mesh basket that in my opinion is FAR superior (functionally/aesthetically) to the wire basket. The mesh basket is $21 (compared to $16 for the Elfa wire), and can be purchased as a complete kit for $66 (which again is the exact same price as all the separate components). So add $26 more for an Elfa sliding drawer with the mesh (instead of wire) basket. That’s going to have to be a personal call (I’d love to go with the mesh drawer, but I don’t know if I can justify $78 extra dollars for only three drawers –three rubbermaid drawers are already $120, three of these are $200!!!).

Shoe Rack

I’m not a fan of rails instead of racks for shoes. Elfa does rails that hold nine pairs of women’s shoes for $45 (plus, you’ll need two 16” brackets). They also state clearly: “Accommodates only shoes with heels; not designed for flats or athletic shoes.” (This is why I don’t like rails).

Luckily, Elfa also makes a proper shoe shelf ($45 plus 16” brackets), but it only holds four pairs of men’s shoes.

The Rubbermaid Homefree 10” shoe rack kit is two 2ft. shelves and includes all the brackets for around $25 at Lowe’s. This is a pretty significant savings over buying four brackets and a two pack of Homefree shelves ($8x4 + $15 = $47). Obviously, it’s also a significant savings over the Elfa shoe rack ($45). The downside is that each 26” shelf will only hold three pairs of men’s shoes plus an extra shoe.

There is also a Rubbermaid 22.5” “Fasttrack” shoe bracket for $3.26 at Lowe’s. IT works with Linen and TightMesh shelving. This bracket is superior for looks and function, because it doesn’t come up over the edge of the shelf (and get in the way of your shoes). It is, however, a little less sturdy. Unfortunately I can’t find this bracket in silver.

I am not a fan of the Closetmaid “ShelfTrack” shoe rack. Having to precariously balance your shoes on a rail is a pain.

However, Closetmaid also makes a ShelfTrack bracket that can utilize a regular shelf. You just flip the shelf over so the edge turns up and holds the shoes on the slanted rack the same way as with the Rubbermaid shoe shelves. Like the Rubbermaid FastTrack shoe bracket, this bracket is a little more visually pleasing than the Rubbermaid HomeFree shoe bracket, because it’s more out of sight (underneath the shelf and only half the depth). The Closetmaid brackets are around $7 a pair at Home Depot. There is also a kit with a shelf for $13.48. They hold 3-1/2 pairs of men’s shoes.

This Closetmaid bracket is a little less sturdy than the Rubbermaid FastTrack shoe bracket, and much less sturdy than the Rubbermaid HomeFree shoe bracket (the Closetmaid bracket wobbles/bounces back and forth if you grab the shelf), but it also has a much lower profile and doesn’t stick out over the edge of the shelf, so it looks better and doesn’t get in the way of your shoes.

Elfa also carries a solid (but very thin) metal shoe shelf that mounts directly into the vertical rail slots and runs $29.95 for a 2 ft. wide and $39.95 for 3 ft. wide. For some reason they are hard to find on the website (not found with a search for “shoe shelf”), but they’re there.

Shoe Rack Winner: Rubbermaid Two Shelf Kit ($25) (though I like the low profile of the Closetmaid bracket a little better, even though it’s flimsier)

Pants Rack

Elfa is pretty much the only game in town when it comes to pants racks. Pants racks are cool. If you’ve got the space, you gotta have pants racks. At $70 a pop, they’re definitely a “save up for it” kind of item, but look how fancy!

There is a Rubbermaid pants rack, but it’s hard to find (Amazon is your best bet) and is advertised as only holding 7 pairs of pants. I guess it could hold 9 because there are two rods which are positioned over the sliders (for looks), but that makes me nervous that the pants would get caught and tear (or at least get a grease mark). Also, it’s white (even the “titanium” one in the photo above has white rods).

Pants Rack Winner: Elfa

Tie/Belt Rack

vs.

While the $30 Elfa on the left may look a little nicer and the mounting is probably a little more stable/secure, I’m going with the $15 Rubbermaid on the right.

Belt/Tie Rack Winner: Rubbermaid

Fascia (finishing touches)

If you’re going for looks, then you’ll need to “finish” your closet system. Rubbermaid rolling hanging drawers have the chrome bar that actually looks pretty good (it looks like the clothing bar), so if you’ve gone the Rubbermaid wire basket drawer route, you’re probably fine there. But if you want the edges of your shelves and drawers to have a nice, “furniture-like,” cohesive look, you’ll need to add fascia. Elfa’s is certainly the nicest, though after taking an up close look, I don’t think it’s nice enough to justify the price. Elfa walnut fascia costs $15 for 1 foot, $18 for 18”, and $20 for 2 feet. The Elfa fascia will not fit on the Rubbermaid or Closetmaid shelves. It’s solid birch that is available in natural, walnut, or white, and the examples hanging in the Container Store display were all very worn on the edges (betraying the “solid wood” look). See how the edges of the shelves and fascia are all much lighter in the photo below…

Closetmaid’s fascia is particle board with a thin foil finish; it’s absolutely out of the question.

Rubbermaid does not have a fascia option.

Since I have tools and skills, I will likely end up making my own fascia from real wood. This also means I probably won’t be using that uber-expensive Elfa walnut drawer frame. Elfa looks nicest at first, but once the edges of the shelves wear off, it looks as cheap or cheaper than bare shelving. Using the birch finish (instead of the walnut I prefer) would minimize the appearance of this wear.

Fascia Winner: Elfa is the best off-the-shelf option, but it has it’s problems, so I’m making my own

Conclusion

As I mentioned before, it’s difficult to do an apples to apples comparison of the different brands (they come in slightly different lengths, etc.), but the Rubbermaid 4-8 foot kit (which is a considerable savings over even the Rubbermaid components bought separately), is a huge savings over a comparable Elfa composition. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, the Rubbermaid 10 foot kit (even more savings) is not available in silver (Rubbermaid’s mind-bogglingly awful website, and I can’t convey just how awful it is, actually says NONE of the kits are available in silver).

4 to 8 Feet Rubbermaid Kit in Titanium $109 on Amazon:

3 26.25” shelves (8ft. shelf $18)
2 36.25” shelves
2 36” telescoping hang rods
2 26” telescoping hang rods
2 36” hang rails
5 41.5” upright rails
11 12” brackets
9 clothing rod supports
4 22” rail covers
hardware

Comparable (not exactly the same) Elfa pieces $256:

3 24” shelves $30
2 36” shelves $28
2 36” clothing rods $12
2 24” clothing rods $8
80” top rack $20
5 60” Hang Standards $85
11 12” brackets $55
9 clothing rod supports $18

So the Rubbermaid kit is less than half price (you could buy two kits and have all the extra stuff for still less than the comparable Elfa components).

However, use the 84” FastTrack (which is a little better than the HomeFree parts) instead of the Elfa hanging components and you’ve already knocked $33 off the Elfa system. Sub in the Rubbermaid HomeFree clothing rods and you’ve saved a couple more bucks, but you’ve also got an extra 4 feet of clothing bar.

Another advantage of any component system like these is that you don’t have to purchase everything all at once. You can purchase the bare necessities (the hang rails and brackets for clothing bars, and then ad components (drawers, tie racks, more shoe shelves, etc.) down the road. Not only do you get to spread out your investment over time as you add each piece, but you can see what might be most useful as you interact with your closet system!

Our 106” reach-in closet ideal solution would total $417 using the ideal combined parts.

2x Rubbermaid FastTrack 48” hanging rails at $10 each – $20
6x Rubbermaid FastTrack 70” uprights at $14.30 each – $86
1x HomeFree telescoping 48” bars (each 48” package is actually two 48” rods) – $11
(I will also be able to reuse the 106” bar that is already in the closet)
9x Elfa Rod Support Hangers at $2 each – $18
6x Elfa 12” brackets at $5 each – $30
2x Elfa 16” brackets at $7 each – $14
1x Elfa 16”x 2’ basket/shelf – $20
4x Elfa 12”x 4’ ventilated shelving at $18 each – $88
2x Rubbermaid HomeFree 4ft. kits for shoes (four 4 ft. shelfs with brackets) – $50
2x Rubbermaid Sliding Drawer Basket – $80

As I sit here and ponder all this, I can’t imagine NOT just “giving up” and going with the 10ft. Rubbermaid Kit. It’s unbelievably cheap (more pieces than I can use for less than half the price of the closet I designed with a combo of Rubbermaid and Elfa parts), it’s not that much less attractive, and the build quality is almost the same as the Elfa components. Why would I spend $417 when I can spend $179 and get more pieces?

Rubbermaid HomeFree 10ft. Kit ($179):

3x 48.25” shelves
7x 26.25” shelves
6x 47.5” uprights (vertical tracks)
3x 25” upright extensions (vertical tracks)
19x shelf brackets
1x 48.25” horizontal hang rail
2x 36” horizontal hang rail
10x rod support hangers (clothing rod hooks)
2x 48” clothing hang rods
2x 26” clothing hang rods
4x shoe shelf brackets
5x 22” rail covers (these go on the horizontal hang rail and help with spacing the vertical tracks)

Final Thoughts

In the end, I did in fact go with the 10 foot Rubbermaid HomeFree kit. I’m a little bummed that I couldn’t get it in a silver finish, but the white isn’t that bad after all, especially when considering I’m saving more than $200. Plus, the doors of the closet are always closed, so it’s not like we’re really “featuring” this item in our home.

There are only three 25” vertical extension in the kit (the additional vertical rail that goes almost all the way to the floor), so I had to buy two more of those. I also added a few more shoe shelves (and again, the Rubbermaid shoe shelf kits are vastly cheaper than purchasing individual components).

All in all, for a little over $200 for a 10 foot wide closet, I am extremely happy with the Rubbermaid HomeFree kit, which is a substantial savings over purchasing components from any of the three brands individually.

If you’ve got money to burn, I still like the Elfa stuff a little better. But if you’re on a budget, you’re not missing that much by going with a Rubbermaid HomeFree kit, and you will save quite a bit of money.

UPDATES

Consider the finish! (9-3-14)

It has come to my attention that there is another important factor in considering which system to go with. Elfa and Rubbermaid are epoxy coated (powder coated, the finish is actually baked on), while Closetmaid is PVC dipped.

If you have ever touched old Closetmaid shelves, you may notice that they are sticky or seem to be overly dirty. This is because oils used in the dipping process leach out and attract dirt and grime. This does not happen with the epoxy finish.

The epoxy finish is supposedly more environmentally friendly as well, as PVC is a less environmentally friendly compound and process.

I’m not sure who has created this site, but since they are lumping Elfa and Rubbermaid into the “good” category and not promoting one over the other, I’m assuming they are at least modestly trustworthy (unless there is just some extremely anti-Closetmaid group out there!).

Cork Flooring (revisited)

2014-04-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

I previously posted on the topic of cork flooring, but having recently replaced several panels due to a popped compression fitting under the sink and a resulting lake in our kitchen, I feel like I have more knowledge on the topic now that could be very useful to others.

I installed floating cork flooring in our home (kitchen and entrance way) around five years ago. For two years the flooring held up beautifully to our Doberman-Rottweiler and anything else that could be thrown at it. However, when the Boxer-Pit became a member of the family, the flooring took a toll (photo below is to illustrate scratches; obviously the color is way off –though you can kind of get an idea of how much lighter the floor has become in sunlight). The “look” of these floors is a very thin membrane over a cork substrate, thus, it’s not terribly difficult to mar the layer that gives the flooring its look.

At first I was really disappointed, but I now see this more as a failure on my part to maintain the proper finish on the floor (more on that issue below). And to be fair, this is a 90 pound beast with CLAWS sliding across the floor chasing balls and running at the door when the bell rings. The ONLY place the floor looks like this is in the entrance right in front of the door. The kitchen still looks flawless.

The “click together” system is incredibly easy to install and is surprisingly stable. However, it has the same problems as any other floating floor system, i.e., it will warp when exposed to water. When we had the water leak in the kitchen, about 10 panels that were exposed to standing water warped. On top of that, the moisture trapped under the panels started growing mold. I was able to remove two rows of the panels instead of having to replace the entire floor, so +1 for the click-together panel system. This would have happened with any floating floor type system, so the problem was not really an issue of the cork.

As far as maintaining the floor, this stuff really is a miracle (I picked up this can at Lowe’s):

If used like a preventative measure (like waxing your car), your floor will last and last. And it’s incredibly easy to put on (also like waxing your car). After thoroughly cleaning the floor (anything you miss will be sealed in!), I use a rag and simply dip it in the can and then apply to the floor in a circular motion (again, like waxing a car).

The Varathane dries in about 10 minutes (I’m in Colorado, so the dry time may be longer if you’re in a more humid place), and then I go over it again. Five coats takes less than two hours for a 200 sq. foot area, and the can will last forever.

Had I kept up with the Varathane as part of my “cleaning” regiment for the floor, I’m almost certain the scratches in the photo above would not have occurred. This stuff is incredibly durable, and works great with cork flooring.

While our cork has definitely faded in sunlight, it’s an even fade and the floors still look great (barring the scratches which, again, I must take responsibility for). There has been less fading in the kitchen where there is less sunlight (though it still gets its fair share of exposure). If you look at the photo of the kitchen, you can see the floor is more the original shade under the table. And then comparing the entrance, you can see how that area is even lighter than the kitchen.

All in all, I really love cork, and would put it toward the top of my list for flooring options.

Considering the issue we had with the burst pipe and standing water in the kitchen, I’m not sure it’s the most perfect floor covering in that room (I might try rubber next time?), but it’s fantastic for dropped plates (they bounce!), fatigue relief, and warmth. Lots of people put all kinds of engineered flooring in a kitchen, which would all suffer the same problem we experienced with our cork and the leak, so again, it’s not really the cork’s fault, and that should be taken into consideration.

I wouldn’t recommend cork in bathrooms in households with children (tub splashing!), but I think it’s a great option for its warmth and comfort as long as you know it’s not going to be subject to standing water.

How to Fix a Squeaky Platform Bed

2013-07-16T11:57:00.001-07:00

We scored a fantastic, vintage King Size teak platform bed recently at a local vintage store. After having it set up for a couple weeks, we began to notice creaks and squeaks becoming more and more pronounced. We simply put up with the noise until we had guests for a couple of days… the guest room is directly below our boudoir. Regardless of whether we were doing anything interesting, it certainly sounded like it any time we rolled over or moved in any way.

I agonized over a fix for days, until the solution finally came to me in a dream.

Seriously. It came to me in a DREAM.

I was not gifted with a solution for Cancer or AIDS, or the conflict in the Middle East, but instead divine intervention showed me the way to fix a squeaky 60’s platform bed.

Whatever. I’ll take it. Better than nothing.

One morning I awoke smiling. My wife asked me what was up and I told that I was given the solution to our squeaky bed problem in a dream! I had dreamt about running a bar of soap along the rail on each side and center of the bed that suspends the slats that hold the mattress. The bed is built solidly, so it’s not the frame squeaking, it’s just those slats rubbing back and forth, wood on wood (minds out of the gutter).

So that night I tried it. Right before I did, I thought, “I’m an idiot.” This isn’t going to work at all. Who dreams of a solution to a problem like this?

But sure enough: it worked!

Hopefully the next time I am visited in my dreams by the Powers of the Universe, I will be given the solution to something a little more significant. Meanwhile, I am very thankful to have the solution to our squeaky bed.

UPDATE: While the soap worked for a while, it definitely wore off. Sure, I could keep applying it, but then I had another idea. I purchased some cork shelf liner (sticky-backed cork), cut it to fit the edge upon which the bed slats rest, and now the creaking is permanently gone!

Replacement Insert for Midcentury Crane Faucet Handle

2013-06-25T13:47:00.001-07:00

Crane sinks ruled the well appointed Midcentury bathroom.

We have a lovely, white “Westland” Crane sink in our master bath. The chrome around the mouth of the faucet is beginning to flake and at some point I will likely swap out the whole sink with a pink “Diana” that I found in Illinois, but until it’s time for a proper bathroom overhaul (lighting, cabinets, re-grout, and new flooring with radiant heat), the sink will remain.

In the meantime I have swapped the lever handles with the dome handles (Crane referred to these dome handles as “Temple Handles”) from the Crane sink in the basement (either a “Neuday” or “Oxford”). Turns out, the lever handles were actually originally on the Neuday (not the Westland, which came with the Temple handles). I believe someone did a previous swap of the handles on the two sinks because the levers were much easier to use then the dome handles for the presumably arthritic hands of the previous owner.

All of these post-war to early 60’s sinks use the Crane “Dial Ese” system with a star tipped stem that inserts up into the handle (I actually have a couple more of these sinks, including the “Drexel,” “Diana,” and “Criterion” that I’ve been saving for whatever project might come up).

In our faucet, the inserts in the handles that allow them to grip the cartridge stem are made of wood (and cheap pressboard at that). I’m not sure if that’s a handy-man’s fix-it, or if that’s just how they originally came, but it creates a nasty little ring of goo at the base of the faucet (the pressboard wood basically melts when it gets wet), and finally (thankfully), the wood has stripped and failed, and I can put off replacing the inserts no longer.

[UPDATE] The little wooden/pressboard inserts are original to the faucet (not a Jury Rig). When examining carefully, you can see the word “top” imprinted on the insert.

Luckily there is a nylon/plastic replacement part available, though it was a little tricky to find places selling them at first, and shipping is ridiculous. It seems like every place that sells them charges at LEAST $10 for shipping. Bear in mind, this is an item made of plastic (lightweight) that is smaller than a penny. Ever heard of a stamp and a FREAKING ENVELOPE PEOPLE?! That would be $.44 to ship instead of $10 or more.

Since originally I was looking at around $20 shipped just for the little plastic insert, when I finally found the entire kit shown here for $6.99 on Amazon, I just went ahead and ordered the whole thing, so I have the other parts if I ever need them.

Evidently Ace Hardware used to make a specific Crane Faucet Repair Kit that you can still find around (here’s one on Amazon), but the kit they carry now does not include the square nylon inserts (the most important part!).


What Ace used to carry.	What they now carry.

FWIW, here are a couple of the places I found before finding the much cheaper solution on Amazon:

DEA Bath
https://deabath.com/Crane_Parts/crane_parts.html

While DEA is extremely knowledgeable with the MCM Crane stuff and even sells whole sinks in addition to the handles and repair parts, this just might be the worst designed website I’ve seen since I sat next to that weird kid wearing the Iron Maiden shirt in HTML class in college. Just sayin’. Also, a major pet peeve of mine is providing images with links that say “click to enlarge” which only spawn a pop up window with the EXACT SAME SIZE PHOTO.

Chicago Faucet Shoppe
http://www.chicagofaucetshoppe.com/Crane_Faucet_Parts_s/3724.htm

The exorbitant shipping plus their use of the term “shoppe” prevented me from ordering from here.

Faucet Fix
http://faucet-fix.com/html/crane_faucet_parts.html

I couldn’t complete my transaction because when I clicked “add to cart” Pay Pal told me that the seller was not able to accept payments! I’m only providing this information and website to illustrate what one must go through when trying to find repair parts for MCM stuff.

Build LLC in Seattle

2012-11-25T17:49:00.001-08:00

This is just a little shout out of love for one of my new favorite architectural blogs.

Build LLC is a design/build firm in Seattle that does a great job restoring and building MCM homes or at least homes with a Modern flair.

Their website is a nice showcase of their work, and their blog is a FANTASTIC resource for those of us doing things that are a little beyond simply buying materials at Lowe’s and putting them up in a typical fashion.

I stumbled across the blog looking for information on edge treatment for drywall (L Bead, J Bead, reveals, etc.) and was amazed by the amount of “secrets” that Build LLC had made available on their site. [that specific post is here]

Another post I read regarding drywall was giving tips on how to make sure minor mistakes in the framing, construction, etc. don’t show through to the finished wall. That’s some valuable and extremely helpful information (not something construction people are often apt to share!).

Kudos for not being so guarded with this fantastic information and for helping people like me figure out how to create beautiful work in a not-so-typical fashion!

http://www.buildllc.com

…

Sliding Doors (Barn Door Hardware for Trolley/Rail Mount Door)

2012-11-25T10:03:00.001-08:00

On the journey to our MCM Atomic Ranch home, we restored and lived in two other homes. The first was an Ohio farm house (1917) that we restored/reinvented to something more “modern,” but definitely on the contemporary side of things, before I became a fan of more “purist” MCM ideals. The second home was a beautiful little American Foursquare (1911). In each of those locations, I built a sliding door and used simple galvanized steel barn door hardware for the sliding rail/track.

The room is obviously in progress, but you can see the door style on the left (click to enlarge photo).

In the first home, I custom built a giant door for the bathroom that was clad in steel sheeting to look like an old freezer door. On the second home, the installation was for an exterior courtyard “gate” application.

I am currently building an attached shed on the back of my studio, and when I visited Lowe’s and Home Depot to pick up the barn door hardware I needed for a large (barn door sized) pocket door, I was surprised to find that they don’t carry barn door hardware! How can Lowe’s/HD in COLORADO (land of horse and barn) not have sliding barn door hardware?!

I had quite a bit of trouble locating a local store that carries what I need, and it was also fairly difficult to find anything online at a reasonable price. The typical Stanley rails I’ve used before are not even available at Grainger (my source for “to the trade” hard to find hardware type stuff), and the ones they DO have start at $110 (with local pickup) and go up from there. WTF?!

The cheapest thing I finally found was at HardwareandTools.com. It’s $18.36 for an 8 foot rail or $13.76 for a 6 foot rail (each is rated at 450 pounds). I was nervous about the shipping cost of an 8 foot piece of steel, but the shipping was only $25 (the site said it would only be $15, but they charge a $10 shipping surcharge on the item –beware of this when ordering from other sites, some say “additional shipping may be charged, we will contact you if this is the case” –so you make your purchase and they call you to tell you it will actually cost more to ship!!!). So that’s $44 total for the rail delivered (a far cry from Grainger’s starting price of $110). In comparison, the rail is $30 at Sears (but only online, so $15 more for tax and shipping), and can be found for around $40 on Amazon (with a shipping price of anywhere from $11 to $125 (!!!), depending upon the vendor). I can’t decide if I’ll be going with a more “known” vendor like Sears or Amazon (hopefully this could mitigate taking care of any issues that might arise) verses ordering from HardwareandTools.com, which I’ve never heard of or used before.

The link below illustrates the kind of thing I had been running up against prior to finding the options above.

http://www.realslidinghardware.com/box-rail-sliding-hardware/

$341 for barn door hardware ($629 for the stainless)?! Obviously they are preying upon those who were not raised on a farm and think they must pay a premium for something “quaint” (I understand a higher price for the stainless stuff, but still…). The Real Sliding Hardware site IS a great place to see different installations of this kind of setup, and they also have some cool stuff that is a little more custom looking/functioning than simple barn door box rail.

To complete the project, I lucked out and found a box with all of the rest of the hardware (the hanging trolley wheels, rail hanging brackets, guide rail/wheels, etc.) at my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $15 (it’ll run you anywhere from $85-$125 for all the extra stuff new, or $35 for a two-pack of just the trolley wheels).

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“The Real Cost of Rip-Offs”

2012-07-27T08:54:00.001-07:00

The June Issue of Dwell has an article called “The Real Cost of Rip-Offs” that I’ve been seeing/hearing quite a few people comment on. This notion of “real/affordable modern” was a major impetus for starting this blog several years ago. One of the blogs I follow, The Brick House, posted regarding being quoted by Dwell on this very issue. The author sort of condones or even encourages knock-offs in certain situations. Sure, she lauds the common party-line of “buy authentic vintage when you can,” but she definitely says it’s OK (or even necessary) to buy knock-offs ‘cause they’re more affordable to people on a realistic budget.

I think this is an issue that most “normal” (i.e. not rich) fans of midcentury modern are torn on. On the one hand, you want to make sure that the quality of the chair that you’re buying means it will last and that the original designer is getting the credit (and pay) he/she deserves. However, there comes a point where the cost is simply prohibitive, and the average person is forced to either buy a knock-off (if you can’t find what you’re looking for used) or not buy at all.

I did a post a while back regarding some Saarinen Tulip Chair knock-offs we purchased. I knew we wanted a round Saarinen table for our breakfast nook, and was fortunate enough to find one on eBay. However, finding the chairs (armless Tulips) proved more of a challenge, and every time I searched, I found the knock-offs staring me in the face. At $250 instead of $1,500 for the authentic Knoll, I decided to give them a shot. You can read about the debacle that followed in my original post, but needless to say, I learned my lesson. That said, I think there are certain items where the knock-off would serve your needs without the danger of failure (fewer moving parts, materials that are less apt to fail, etc.). [Shh… don’t tell anyone I said that].

This brings us to the argument regarding whether or not people should be “allowed” to have things they can’t afford, and how knock-offs might actually drive up the cost of the real McCoy. The first argument is answered simply by: if you can find something to make you happy for the price, who is to say you shouldn’t be “allowed” to have it as long as any laws aren’t being broken (you’ll just have to deal with the consequences of shoddy workmanship and functionality –and this is often a hard lesson, since you’ll still be spending your hard-earned money on something that will fail after a few short years or less). I think the second argument is nonsense. The difference between authentic and knock-off is fairly easily discernable. In other words, knock-offs aren’t really fooling anybody (if for no other reason than the price tag), and in most cases, no one’s actually trying to pass them off as the real deal. Not to mention, people who can afford the high prices of “designer” furniture would never buy a knock-off, thus, the price of a designer item is not being affected by knock-offs, because the target market for the designer item is unaffected. I suppose one could make an argument for an item becoming less desirable if tons and tons of “normal” people own a knock-off version (thus devaluing the original), but that’s a little like saying people won’t buy a Nelson Bubble because Ikea sells paper lanterns in similar shapes.

So let’s talk about status vs. function. What is the purpose of the piece of furniture in question? Most midcentury modern furniture was not intended to be a status symbol, in fact, quite the opposite. Notable designers of the 50’s and 60’s, especially “case study” designers, were looking for ways to bring sensible and beautiful design to the masses –highest quality at a reasonable price. This begs the question of a responsibility that manufacturers/sellers/studios have not only to the consumer, but also to the intentions of the original designers. As much as the word “Ikea” is dreaded in many design circles, I don’t think there’s any question that if Ikea had been around in 1958, Charles and Ray Eames would have gladly been working with them.

Before people start sending fiery hate-mail regarding this notion, I will qualify that we are talking about an age where affordable manufacturing was still possible in the United States and quality did not suffer for cost of manufacturing; you didn’t have to build things in China and Malaysia with underpaid labor to make them accessible.

This also isn’t to say there aren’t instances where “high design” items, or at least iconic pieces, aren’t still sometimes priced “appropriately” (at least somewhat affordably). I did another post on the Nelson Bubble Lamp. At $300, adjusted for inflation, it costs the exact same as the first day it rolled off the line in 1947 (for $35).

There are also times where an item is really expensive, but probably should be. I am TOTALLY in love with the Corvo chair by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance for Bernhardt Design. It’s gorgeous, hand-crafted from Walnut (in North Carolina, no less), and costs $1,500. If someone is creating a chair out of hardwood by hand (not to mention advertising it and taking it to market), $1,500 probably isn’t out of the question. Can I afford it? No. Can I buy a knock off? No (nor would I). But I would suggest that there are no knock-offs because the price-point is appropriate… it actually costs that much to make and market the chair. (by the way, check out the great series of Corvo photos on The Contemporist)

I think this is an important notion to consider. If a knock-off can be made for much, MUCH less than what the “real” item is going for, either the materials and manufacturing in the knock-off are so shoddy that no one will buy the knock-off, or the “real” item is overpriced (shame on the design house/supplier). Saarinen’s Womb Chair when purchased from Knoll is $3,500. You can get a pretty good looking (I have no personal experience with the actual functional quality) knock-off for around $800. Will it last as long as the Knoll? Probably not, but the price difference between the two is SO VAST that it really makes you question Knoll’s price point, especially when you think about what the chair consists of… molded fiberglass with glued foam covered in fabric with four metal legs (should a chair of those materials really be pushing $4k?).

In this internet age, there is definitely a danger of people being tricked into buying something they think is similar to the original, when in fact it is nowhere near. As such, I think it’s pretty safe to say that buying a knock-off sight-unseen is just asking for trouble. If you’re going to buy a knock off… make sure you sit in it and touch it first. The “shadiness” of people selling knock-offs proliferates in the online arena, and the issues become more about deceiving people than about people knowingly purchasing a lower quality item because they want the look and lower quality is all they can afford.

What’s even more shameful than the proliferation of knock-offs is the wildly expensive “high design” pieces which are notorious for being ludicrously low quality. In these instances, the “high design costs more to make because of quality control and the materials used” argument is total b.s. Take Roche Bobois for instance. Their furniture is extremely expensive, considered “high end” modern (though I would say, in more instances it’s more “contemporary” than modern), and is most often total crap as far as build quality and longevity is involved. I have a friend who’s family has been in the business of building, restoring, and reupholstering furniture for more than 100 years. He turns red in the face and sweats with rage whenever he hears the name “Roche Bobois.” (“$10,000 for a couch that won’t last 10 years?!” –and yes, he’s not being hyperbolic, these things often cost more than $10k …and they are total crap)

So anyway, I don’t think a single Knoll Tulip side chair should cost $1,500. Should I not be allowed to have one (let alone a set) in my house because I can’t spend an entire month’s mortgage on a single chair? Should I buy a knock-off instead (in this case, I’d say “no!” but that’s mostly because the Tulip Chair knock offs are really poorly manufactured)? Must I force myself to be happy with something else? Who’s fault is it that a “normal” person can’t possibly afford a set of Knoll Tulip chairs? Is it my fault that I want pretty things (even if I can’t afford the “real deal”)? Lot’s of questions… and all the answers seem to be highly subjective.

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Carefree California: Cliff May and the Romance of the Ranch House

2012-04-15T16:48:00.001-07:00

If you are anywhere near Santa Barbara from April 12 to June 17, don’t miss this exhibit at The Art, Design & Architecture Museum!

“The exhibition and accompanying catalogue examine the modernization of the ranch tradition and its transition from regional designs in adobe, brick, tile, and stucco to the modest wood and glass tract house of the forties, to the near-minimal system-built ranches May designed and sold in the late 1950s and, finally, to his luxury ranch houses.”

–from the museum website

For more information: http://www.uam.ucsb.edu/Cliff_May.html

The Holiday House Model “X” Geographic

2012-01-23T17:19:00.001-08:00

I’ve always loved airstreams. Who doesn’t? But THIS. Now THIS is a truly unique and incredible trailer.

Evidently there were only 5 ever made, and this is the only one still in existence. In 1960, it had a sticker price of $8,495. This was a time when you could purchase a decent house for $13,000. America just wasn’t ready for luxury mobile living, so after a couple of years of trying to make a sale, the showroom closed in 1962, and this trailer was purchased for $5,000 by the showroom manager. In 1995 she passed away, and her sister sold the trailer for a couple hundred dollars.

In 1999 a Los Angeles architect named Bardy Azadmard saw the trailer along side the road with “for sale” painted in the window. The trailer was so rat infested that you couldn’t breathe inside and all the wiring and plumbing had been chewed to bits. However, after nearly a decade of work and careful attention to detail, he brought the project back to life in all its original glory (from the teak cabinets to the original appliances).

The restoration cost around $20,000, and the trailer has since been sold (Sept. 2011) to a buyer in France and shipped over seas. The selling price? Undisclosed, but Azadmard says it went for as much as you’d currently pay for a house!

The whole story, including the history of its design and production, scans from the original appliances, some scans from the original advertising campaign, available floor plans and options, information about the restoration project, information from the assembly line, etc. is available at this website: http://1960prototype.com. The site is nothing flashy, so you may think you’re in the wrong place at first, but the information and photos are all there.

Cork Flooring

2011-08-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

I love cork flooring. It’s great under your feet, it’s nice and warm in the winter (even over slab-grade concrete), and you can drop a drinking glass on it and not really worry about it shattering all over your kitchen. It’s period appropriate, and even the engineered stuff (depending on the style/color) is pretty indiscernible from the rolls or tile that was glued down directly back in the 50’s.

My biggest concern with cork floors was how it would wear with heavy traffic, mainly from a 90 pound Doberman-Rottweiler. I am happy to say we made it through 3 years with hardly a scratch. However, when that guy passed away [sniff], and we introduced our new 80 pound Boxer/Pitt love to the home, it’s been a different story entirely.

In just a few months, Luther has torn the crap out of the floor in the entrance (near the door, going around the corner where he runs to our defense upon ringing of the buzzer). [For the record, I believe this damage is ultimately my fault. Had I kept up with proper maintenance, namely, reapplication of the Varethane as often as I should have, I don’t think this scratching would have happened. Also, bear in mind that this is from a ninety pound beast with CLAWS sliding around on it chasing balls and running at the door when the bell rings.]

Here is a photo of the cork in our entrance way. Obviously the “look” of the particular style (“Cassatt” from Lisbon Cork co. ltd.) is a very thin laminate glued to the top of a cork substrate. The beast has made mincemeat of this thin layer of style.

There is a 25 year warranty on the product, but I assume as with most flooring warranties, the hoops one must jump through to qualify for replacement are more difficult than trying to eat a boat. I guess I should at least call and see.

The floor has also been severely bleached by the sun, as is clearly illustrated in this photo:

This happened very early after putting the cork down. This photo is from today, so even the darker part is a little bleached; there used to be even more contrast.

Still, it bleached evenly, and I don’t mind the lighter tone, so considering how much we love the material, I guess we’re ok with it (though I will reiterate that the “style-veneer,” the color/visual texture, isn’t as durable as I had hoped, and may leave some people disappointed).

Eventually we plan on doing the master bath in the same material, and I plan on putting an electric radiant heat mat underneath (I wish I would have done this in the kitchen as well).

Even with the bleaching I still love the stuff, so I would recommend it to anyone thinking about putting cork down. I’m contemplating a darker style (“Dali” from the same company) for my new studio, but only because there are no windows. I suppose I might try looking for another, more durable, source, but the prices on this product from Lumber Liquidators are hard to beat, so…

Midcentury Modern House Numbers

2011-07-04T14:48:00.001-07:00

This topic has been on ongoing one as long as I’ve been a homeowner and interested in MCM. House numbers, like so many other things marketed to a discerning audience, seem to cost an INSANE amount of money.

Unfortunately, our most recent address has 5 numbers! At the low end of the house number price spectrum (around $20 a piece), this means I’ll be paying $100 in house number hardware.

Design Within Reach carries “official” Neutra house numbers at $50 a piece. Are you freaking kidding me? Bead-blasted extruded aluminum should cost nowhere near this much.

The best thing going for a while was Chiasso’s numbers clocking in at $18 a piece.

Here are a couple more from Atlas Home Wares that are at that price point.

This would be my choice:

http://www.atlashomewares.com/avhonu.html

But here’s a Googie option as well:

http://www.atlashomewares.com/methousnum.html

Surprisingly, Home Depot has established itself as the clear winner when it comes to affordable MCM house numbers. When I discovered this information online, I had serious reservations. Surely these would be “ok” but not “good.” But after heading to the local HD, I found they are in fact quite acceptable, if not great. They even come with posts for “float” mounting.

There seem to be a bunch of sites that are more “custom” in their ordering process, but you actually have to CALL the company, and the websites look like they were design around 1993. That combined with the $20+ per number price tag makes me wonder if they ever sell a number.

If you’re feeling handy, here’s a little how to for making numbers for yourself (approx. $20 for four numbers… and if you go this route you could then have the “real” Neutra typeface).

Midcentury Topiary

2011-04-02T13:38:00.001-07:00

I am wild about funky shaped bushes outside of midcentury houses.

Some of my favorite shapes are called Cloud, Pom Pom (or Ponpom), The Platter, and Swirl (not so much the Spiral, in fact, not at all). There are a lot of really great specimens in the neighborhoods of Colorado. I will try to get some pictures of my own soon, but for now here are a few I found on the web.

Cloud (this is simply fantastic)

Platter

Swirl

The three photos above were taken from the blog “Printer and Piemaker.” I suggest visiting the site (the link is to anything on the blog tagged “topiary”) to view some great “real life” photos of topiary bushes in San Francisco Bay Area neighborhoods. Thankfully there are no animal shapes –ugh.

The house across the street from us has some really great bushes, that are just kind of amoeba-like in shape. Eventually I will head over there to see if they’ll let me take a look (and pictures!). Maybe they’ll even give me some tips. They’ve obviously been around for decades though (they’re huge!), so who knows how much information they’ll have.

I spent this morning looking for good tutorials (video or picture illustrated) on trimming bushes in the Midcentury Modern style. You know how many I found?

Exactly zero.

What the what?! I scaled back my search to simply “topiary,” but most of the tutorials were either Martha Stewart types creating dorky looking table decorations, or people who were really proud of their pig and giraffe bushes. There was also quite a bit of Bonsai stuff, and while I would love to get into that someday, I just wanna start trimming my bushes.

I have two low lying Junipers, some Sea Green Junipers, and a Golden Tam Juniper that I planted two years ago. I think they are big enough to start shaping, but I don’t want to ruin them by using incorrect tools, starting the shaping process incorrectly (cutting the branches wrong), or beginning before the bushes are ready (both time of season and overall age and size of the plant).

Here are some photos.

Sea Green Junipers after planting.

Two years later.

Old Gold Juniper right after planting.

Two years later.

Some of the bushes have flourished.

Others have not.

Some really have not. Colorado can be really hard on plants!

Of the five boxwoods I planted to create a new hedgerow to mimic the one in front of the windows (see below)…

…only one sad plant remains. And, mysteriously, cacti have started growing in this spot!

Here’s the nice, mature boxwood up by the house. It’s pretty easy to keep shaped by simply hitting it with a trimmer a couple times a year.

So anyway… I’m on a quest for topiary instruction, and I hope to start shaping my bushes soon. I’ll post more photos from houses around Denver and Boulder in the future, and I’ll be sure to share any information I find regarding proper trimming and other tips!

In memory of the fallen.

…

Help Save (by creating) the Andrew Geller Archives

2011-03-23T18:51:00.001-07:00

You know those crazy (crazy-awesome!) geometric beach houses from the 50’s and 60’s like the ones pictured below? Well those were built by Andrew Geller, and currently his grandson, filmmaker Jake Gorst, is trying to raise funds to create an archive and shoot a documentary about Geller’s works.

You can find out more about the kickstarter project and donate to the cause at this link.

More information can be found at AndrewGeller.net.

Why I Think People are Scared of Modern Houses

2011-03-23T18:34:00.001-07:00

[this is a re-posting of an entry I posted on another blog March 31, 2007]

We’re starting to look for a new house.

We are very excited about the prospect of getting into something modern. The modern that we’re looking at getting into will likely be something built in 1958 or thereabout, but modern has existed since the early 1900’s and continues to be built today.

In considering this, we often lament and puzzle over the fact that “100 years later” the vast majority of the world still hasn’t caught on. Why do people insist on living in beige, tract mcHouses? It’s not cost (if done right, modern is actually cheaper, especially when pre-fabrication, meaning elements built off-site, comes into play). It can’t be looks (do people really think the cut-glass in their Lowe’s front door is fancy, although I realize: to each his/her own…?). And modern houses are much more responsible when considering the world and those who live on it (passive heating and cooling, renewable resources, energy-efficient pre-fabricated components, money/energy saving technologies and responsible amounts of square footage are all inherent to modern architecture).

So I think it has to be fear. People are scared to live in a house that they don’t understand. People are afraid to leave “the house they grew up in.” People think modern means uncomfortable, stark and cold. But I believe that is all because they’ve never had the chance to experience the joys of modern.

When I think of modern, I think of the word “poignant.” Things are done for a reason. And when something is beautiful and poignant, it’s so much more exciting than something that is only pretty (if even that). I admit that I’ve been in plenty of houses where the idea of “modern” has trumped functionality, but personally I think this is irresponsible of the architect (sorry Phillip Johnson and friends).

Don’t get me wrong; there are lots of modern houses that I think are extremely elegant, visual masterpieces even, but I sure as hell wouldn’t want to live in them. Where do I put my rake and shovel? my table saw? my piles of laundry? the pieces of my childhood (Star Wars figures, roller skates and the Animal muppet) with which I simply can’t bear to part?

Modern architecture is a matter of really understanding the person who will occupy the home. And maybe this is where Mr. Johnson is off the hook. He was building the house for himself. Perhaps there are people who don’t have/need stuff, and they can live in a glass house, but I sure as hell am not one of them. I think a lot, if not most, people feel the same way.

ps Phillip Johnson built himself a giant “barn” on the Glass House property, along with a bunch of other buildings, to house his “stuff.” I guess when you’re rich you don’t need rooms; you can have whole separate buildings.

I believe clutter (rather, the fact that it’s “not allowed”) is the biggest issue that scares people away from modern houses. There’s so much openness that requires responsibility which in turn translates to discomfort. Well, I say screw responsibility! There is an easy solution. Just make sure your modern house includes an abundance of storage space (under the stairs, in the basement, in the garage, behind the Noguchi screen, in the Herman Miller wall unit)! When it comes time to organize and clean up, you should be able to simply throw everything that’s “out” into a storage unit, hidden space, separate room, the closet, or bins. You can still have your clutter (which seems to instill comfort in a lot of humans), but it’s not out for all to see. You can have the best of both worlds! Order and chaos.

This idea plays into one of my favorite things about modern: there’s little to no wasted space. You maximize your dollar amount for your sq. footage. You don’t have to have a giant house (somebody please blow up all the mcMansions) to have a lot of space. It’s my addiction to Tetris at an “adult” level. It’s actually fun to figure out where to hide all of my junk, and still have the house look open, clean and uncluttered.

Thank god for Ikea closet systems and storage solutions, especially when you can hide even those solutions out of site (Storage systems in closets? How dreamy).

p.s. Another important notion concerning modern, and one I will perhaps elucidate upon later, is distinguishing between “modern” and simply “contemporary” or “now.” On top of that, the word “contemporary” has grown it’s own connotations over the years, inferring a sort of 80’s style (think deco-based (but bastardized), Miami Vice drug lord beach house). A lot of time the architectural objects that people refer to as “modern,” especially when wandering around Lowe’s and Home Depot, are what I would refer to as contemporary, actually more post-modern, and most often, in my opinion, “bad.” Modern and Contemporary are very different things. Joey’s porcelain greyhound and rain-window fountain reek of Contemporary (do NOT call them modern), and would both be smashed with hammers if brought anywhere near my modern house. However, I would consider housing a Tiki bar or 1950’s ray gun collection (things often referred to as Googie or Lounge) –but that’ s another story and aesthetic in and of itself.

…

Visual Acoustics :: The Modernism of Julius Schulman

2010-10-01T10:42:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of seeing a film by Eric Bricker last year at the Tivoli Center in Denver. The film was about the life and work of national treasure Julius Schulman, who’s photographs have educated us on the beauty of Mid-century architecture. Recently I was reminded of the film when it popped up on my Netflix suggestions. I’ve watched it several times since then.

Not only was the subject matter of the film beautiful and informative, but the graphics and typography employed in telling the story were also a joy. Trollbaeck and Company did a fantastic job with the animation and design. I love the simplicity of the first animation sequence (right after the opening titles), the way the photos open up to one another. It’s such a simple idea, but such a fantastic effect, and it features Schulman’s photos with a wonderful dynamism.

The film is narrated by Dustin Hoffman. Bricker told some great stories about Schulman and the film during the Q&A at the Tivoli, and it was fun to hear how they got Hoffman to agree to the project.

If you have the chance to see Visual Acoustics on a large screen, I would highly advise you to do so. Schulman’s photographs at such a grand size are a wonderful thing to behold. If you can’t make it to an actual screening (and even if you do), buy the DVD. It’s worth having in your permanent collection.

…

Mies van der Rohe: Coming to a Theatre Near You (if you live in NYC)

2010-05-16T09:51:00.001-07:00

The Clurman Theater is currently playing host to The Glass House by June Fifer. The subject of the play is of course the Farnsworth House. A house might seem an odd (and possibly boring) subject for a play, but the story behind the Farnsworth house is filled with drama and intrigue (the story is one of the most famous architect-patron relationships in American history). Dr. Edith Farnsworth commissioned van der Rohe to build her “something ‘meaningful.’” The rumor is that during the creation of the glass house, the two had an affair. When the project was over, van der Rohe moved on to another project and another woman, thus the spurned doctor began slinging mud. She took her grievances public in 1953 when she told House Beautiful “I wanted to do something ‘meaningful,’ and all I got was this glib, false sophistication.” A public back and forth ensued, and eventually lawsuits followed.

The Glass House runs from May 9 to June 5 at the Clurman Theater, 410 2. 42nd St. (between 9th and 10th Avenues), Times Square, NYC

http://theatrerow.org/theclurman.htm

The Flaming Lips House

2010-02-14T16:10:00.001-08:00

To be specific, the house belongs to Wayne Coyne, not the entire Flaming Lips clan.

And while the design is a little more 70’s Pantone than my beloved Midcentury Modern, not to mention a little more mish-mosh than what I’d typically go for, it’s still a pretty cool pad.

And kudos to Coyne and his wife for choosing to stay in Coyne’s childhood neighborhood rather than move to a more “uppity” locale.

There are some more photographs on the architect’s website (FitzSimmons Architects), but the video below gives you a more in-depth view of the project and the owner (though the bathroom area is not yet complete in the video).

From the architect’s website:

The owners have been actively engaged in the renovation of their house from design phase through construction, resulting in a one of a kind collaboration, that will continue in future phases.

For example, the Artist Wife, and General Contractor, who is also the Architect, together installed the celestial patterned family room and outside terrace floor of the recycled granite waste materials (ode to the original mason home builder). Other unique assets resulting from the collaboration, include hidden doors and passage ways leading from the Private areas of the House into the Bunker, a concrete masonry clad Box that is now used as the bands rehearsal and recording space. And the customized seats in the bathing pods tub portion, sculpted around the Husband and wife while they sat.

Planters: why are they so hard to find?

2008-11-17T18:56:00.001-08:00

I have an affinity for house plants. Luckily, it's not antithetical to the whole mid-century modern ideal (I have a massive collection of great, mid-century Sunset "how to" books on plants, planters, potting, containers, etc., to prove it!). However, it has been infuriating trying to find period containers for my little friends.

I scored a couple good, giant vessels in the style of Architectural Pottery (http://www.architecturalpottery.com/) at a thrift store for $30 a piece (that was a major find), but for the most part, I've had a heck of a time finding anything. Even online I've had trouble, so I decided to put together a little list that I'll try and update as I find more sources.

The most obvious prospect is the bullet planter. These used to be a fun little icon of the 50's, but now they cost upward of $165 (just for the medium size). Freaking ridiculous. I'm not even going to put links, 'cause that's just an insane amount of money to pay for something to stick a plant in.

You can usually find some decent Haeger on E-bay for not too much cash, but if they're of any sort of substantial size, shipping is a killer. The same problem (shipping) exists with any pottery you find online.

Why can't I find just a simple cylinder shape with no taper?

Chiasso makes this one, but it looks too thin to be ceramic or terra cotta, so it's probably plastic or aluminum (why wouldn't it say what it's made of in the description?), not to mention it's $68 plus shipping for a 14"x14" size (what they call large). Lame.

I just want to walk into Lowe's or Home Depot and pick up a very simple plant receptacle. White or cream, no little squigglies or faux finish, no stupid shapes. Just a plain cylinder for my plants.

Is that too much to ask?

Gainey makes some cool stuff, but again, it is cost prohibitive.

David Cressey made some really cool stuff too, but it's a little too "decorative" for my taste. Plus, since it's highly collectible, good luck finding an affordable piece.

I'm probably going to end up building my own planters from poured concrete. They'll be heavy, but they'll be simple!
...

Hardoy Butterfly Chair Covers

2008-09-18T10:08:00.001-07:00

We inherited two original, steel-frame Hardoy Butterfly chairs from my great aunt and uncle. Unfortunately, they came without covers, so all we have are the frames. I began my search for new covers the other day. You wouldn't think it would be so damn hard to find a simple (decent) cover for a Hardoy Butterfly chair.

I like the design of this chair, as they look pretty cool just as frames, sculptural and what not. So when you take the cover inside to prevent damage during inclement weather, what's left isn't an eyesore but still interesting.

The chair's design came from architects in Le Corbusier's office in 1938 (Antonio Bonet, Jorge Ferrari-Hardoy and Juan Kurchan). Now that they are sold by Target and Pottery Barn, they are a little less cool, but those models are generally foldable, so it's easy to tell an original from the new, flimsier knock-offs.

I'd love to have the original style, saddle-leather covers, but it would seem that route is cost prohibitive at around $1,500 for the only leather cover I could find. And those look pretty bad; nothing like the original.

So I’ll continue my search for good covers for Hardoy chairs. If you’ve got a source, please post in the comments!

LA: John Lautner House Tours

2008-09-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Would that I were wealthy and lived in LA. It seems that along with the Lautner exhibit at the Hammer Museum (Between Heaven and Earth: The Architecture of John Lautner -through October 12), the Hammer Museum is also conducting house tours of Lautner properties. http://www.hammer.ucla.edu/programs/65/

If you are able, I highly recommend you take advantage of this opportunity! If not, at least go see the exhibit at The Hammer Museum.

Tour I: Sunday, July 27, 2008
Tickets: $145 each

The Harpel Residence (1956)
The Tyler Residence (1953)
The Schwimmer Residence (1982)

Tour II: Sunday, September 14, 2008
Tickets: $145 each

The Jacobsen Residence (1947)
The Harvey Residence (1950)
The Reiner/Burchill Residence - also known as Silvertop (1963)

Tour III: Sunday, August 24, 2008
Tickets: $55 each

Sheats/Goldstein Residence (1963)

Tour IV: Sunday, October 12, 2008
Tickets: $55 each

Sheats/Goldstein Residence (1963)

Ticket prices are listed above and include admission to the exhibition, shuttle service, free parking (Tours I & II), discounted parking (Tours III & IV), and for Tour I and Tour II ticket buyers only--an active level friendship to the MAK Center at the Schindler House.

To purchase tickets for Tours I and II, you must be a member of the Hammer Museum at the Contributor level or above. Up to four (4) tickets can be purchased per membership. For more information on Hammer membership, click here. To purchase tickets for Tours III and IV, no membership is required.

Hans Olsen table

2008-09-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

Craigslist RULES! I'd say the vast majority of the furniture we own that falls into the "super-cool" category (Saarinen coffee table, Danish bar with Eric Buck stools... and now the Hans Olsen table and chairs!) has come from Craigslist.

Our latest purchase is this fantastic dining table by Hans Olsen. The chairs are three legged and fit neatly underneath the table... the chair backs becoming one with the bottom border of the table.

For an added level of fun kitsch, the table came with a vinyl/board cover in its original box that even included a receipt from 1963!

Shedding a little light on the George Nelson Bubble Lamp

2008-09-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

One of the things that we are so excited about concerning our 1955 home, is that nothing has been changed since it was built. Nothing that is, except for the lights in the great room.

This guy isn't exactly 1955:

Now this guy, however...

That's what I'm talking about!

While we are making a concerted effort to start seeking out "lesser knowns" for our decor, the Nelson Bubble lamp is one staple that just seems too perfect to ignore. It will go so nicely above the Hans Olsen round table in the dining nook. I was thinking I'd make a light, or perhaps assemble something from various mid-century vintage parts... but that saucer just keeps calling (not to mention we just buy it and hang it up, and that's much more likely to happen quickly).

Now the only problem is deciding if we should get the 25" or the 36" (the 48" just seems a little ridiculous for our space). The Olsen table is 42" in diameter. I held up a 25" box and it seemed plenty big, but I think the tapered edges of the saucer might make the 25" lamp appear much smaller. I'm just a little worried to get the bigger one and have it look top heavy... though I do think the cylinder that will be formed by the light and the table below could be pleasing.

Yes, $300 (for the 25" --$365 for the 36") does seem a little steep for a ceiling light, but I think it's a cost we'll be able to deal with. If we buy from DWR, we get taxed because they have stores in Colorado. If we purchase from the manufacturer (Modernica in Chicago) however, there is no tax and free shipping.

It is no help though to see that the original 25" saucer shaped Bubble Lamp (H-763) retailed for $35 when it was first made available in 1947. What's the math? Is that appropriate inflation? What do you know... using this handy little inflation calculator, I found that $35 in 1947 would be $321.68 in 2007 (the latest year the calculator would calculate). So $300 from Modernica is actually $21.68 cheaper than what it cost when it first came out. Sweet! We're getting a bargain!

Something I was surprised to find out was that Howard Miller made accessories available for the lamps, including a satin-chrome or brass-finished steel tripod base, swing arms and adjustable pulleys. After finding this out, I may dismantle one of the eleven vintage lamps hanging in the workshop and add the spring loaded pulley to our Bubble Lamp.

There's some more interesting information available at this link: http://www.georgenelson.org/bubblelamps.html