Artex fallen off the ceiling.

By on September 30th, 2009

We live in an stone terraced house built 1900, we’ve been hear for just under 3 years. Anyway the other day my partner was in the kitchen and he heard something which said sounds like a load on stones falling upstairs. He went to have a look and quite a big piece of artex has fallen off the ceiling at the top of the stairs along with bits of what looked like black stone/concrete. Where the artex had fallen from was now revealing the wooded laths. I was just wondering whether anyone had any idea what may have caused this, we dont have a leaky roof so it cant be water damage, could it just be general wear and tear. We are in the process of saving for our wedding so we dont have any spare cash for repairs, so at the mo we have just filled it in with polyfil. When we evetually do have the cash for it, would we be better just completely taking down the remaining artex and putting plasterboard up. When it comes to diy, we are ok with the general decorating etc but when it comes to plastering etc we have no idea.

could someone please interpret this eerie reoccurring dream.

By on September 29th, 2009

They are always eerie and involve my safety being put in question.

Being in a house where the owner of the house asks me to lock all the doors that lead outside, but walking through the house I end up having to lock like 10 doors that lead outside. Or being outside a house, and there being king-kong type gorillas who are trying to get me, but talk like humans, then I go in the house, and they become human-sized, but still look hairy like cavemen. These parts of the dreams are not always the same, but they have the same feel. eerie and dangerous.

At some point I am always in a room of someone’s house, seemingly their living room, and I end up being there by myself for a period of time, and while I’m standing in the room waiting for the host to come back, I think about redesigning the room. The room is very big, and very light, with big windows on one wall, a kitchen / dining room to the left, a hallway/foyer behind, bedrooms to the right down the hallway, the room is lowered, with a couple steps leading down to it, and there’s high ceilings. Light-colored floors, walls, and furniture.

The time before last time, there were three green lights placed in three corners of the room, and I thought it looked bad because the symmetry/balance of the room was thrown off, because they didn’t make a perfect triangle, so when the host came back, I suggested they move one lamp to another part of the room to make it better. They seemed to see my vision and like my suggestion. Last time, in the same room, I wanted to rearrange where their TV was placed. Again, because of symmetry (it’s like my brain makes mathematical calculations of the space), and again, when the host came back, we talked about it, and they seemed to like my suggestions.

Will you interpret this.

“hard maple” vs “regular maple” .

By on September 28th, 2009

will soon be building our new kitchen cabinets using maple plywood for the boxes. have been given different prices on ( regular) maple boards and (hard maple) boards that i will be using for the facings, but don’t know the difference as i have never built anything with maple before.
can someone please offer some insight on the difference. and how do you tell the difference from just looking at the boards. Thanks

What can you analyze about this poem. Any hidden meanings.

By on September 27th, 2009

What the Angels Left

At first, the scissors seemed perfectly harmless.
They lay on the kitchen table in the blue light.

Then I began to notice them all over the house,
at night in the pantry, or filling up bowls in the cellar

where there should have been apples. They appeared under rugs,
lumpy places where one would usually settle before the fire,

or suddenly shining in the sink at the bottom of soupy water.
Once, I found a pair in the garden, stuck in turned dirt

among the new bulbs, and one night, under my pillow,
I felt something like a cool long tooth and pulled them out

to lie next to me in the dark. Soon after that I began
to collect them, filling boxes, old shopping bags,

every suitcase I owned. I grew slightly uncomfortable
when company came. What if someone noticed them

when looking for forks or replacing dried dishes. I longed
to throw them out, but how could I get rid of something

that felt oddly like grace. It occured to me finally
that I was meant to use them, and I resisted a growing compulsion

to cut my hair, although in moments of great distraction,
I thought it was my eyes they wanted, or my soft belly

–exhausted, in winter, I laid them out on the lawn.
The snow fell quite as usual, without any apparent hesitation

or discomfort. In spring, as expected, they were gone.
In their place, a slight metallic smell, and the dear muddy earth.

What color should I paint my kitchen walls with dark gray cabinets.

By on September 26th, 2009

My kitchen is small, has dark gray laminte (not wood) cabinets and a speckled gray/white and black formica counter top. The ceramic tile floor is peach/beige. What color should I paint the walls to tone down the dark gray cabinets. The cabinets have a “cool tone” while I prefer warm tones as the rest of the house has like browns, yellows and oranges.

What color furniture goes with these colored walls. Pic attached.

By on September 25th, 2009

We are buying this exact home soon and we are going to keep the color for the living room walls. I was leaning toward a cream color but not entirely sure. Also, the kitchen appliances will changed to stainless steel. For my bedroom I will be painting the walls a chocolate color, so what color furniture would compliment that nicely. The url below is for the living room walls and again, what color furniture would go best in the living room.

http://www.claytonhomes.com/home_details.cfm.modelno=34THT28484AH#interior
Thank you for your suggestions. That was sort of what I was thinking, but wasn’t entirely sure. And thank you for saying that you thought it was beautiful. Hard to believe this is in a double wide trailer.

But again, thanks for your suggestions everybody.

Lawyer housing I would like to install new kitchen cabinets in my apartment. How can I do it legally.

By on September 24th, 2009

I would like to get new kitchen cabinets, fridge, oven stove top for my apartment. I think I need permission from my landlord.
I don’t want my landlord making the changes because he would raise my rent but I want to make the repairs myself.I think I need permission from my landlord. Can he deny my request. I know this guy is an sob and might want a bribe.

is it dangerous when redesigning a kitchen to locate plug sockets near a sink, taps.

By on September 23rd, 2009

im in a state of agitation presently about this, i live in an apartment that is having to kitchens fitted and bathrooms, they have torn the old kitchen out and put in a new kitchen, but i have noticed they have located to plug sockets within arms length of the kitchen sink and water taps.

i was told by an electrical helpline that this is unsafe and could cause a fire explosion , is this true .

the work is not yet completed in my apartment and the helpline advised that i might have to kick up a fuss about it as it is very unsafe.- that he couldn’t understand why the plug sockets have been put that near to the sink where the water taps are.

i live in an apartment complex that is having kitchen and bathrooms refurbished , i had no choice in the matter , i live on disability because of psychological struggles, so i had to go along with the housing refurbishment plan.

does anyone have advice on what to do about this .
im in the uk at present.

Kitchen Remodel - Need Help.

By on September 22nd, 2009

Ok, I am one of those people who needs to see a complete room and doing this kitchen remodel is not fun. I simply cannot put together the pieces from 1″ squares and samples of this and that.

So far, we have the flooring picked out. Congoleum Ultima in Earthen Clay - http://congoleum.chameleonpower.com/product.cfm.sku=UL070. The cabinets are maple with a toffee glaze (medium shade of brown with a brown glaze to accent the ridges on the cabinet doors). http://www.armstrong.com/rescabam/na/cabinets/en/us/product_detail.asp.styleId=41&finishId=25

Here’s the dilemma: We have all white appliances. Originally I picked out Wilson Art Black Star granite laminate countertop (black w/specs of browns) - http://samples.wilsonart.com/p-225-blackstar-granite-4551-1.aspx. But since the appliances are white, is that going to look right. A black countertop with white appliances.

or should we change the countertop color to something lighter - like more of a tan.

HELP. I wish I was more artistic. Thanks.

HELP w/my Kitchen. What is an alternative countertop to granite that is just as nice, yet not as expensive.

By on September 21st, 2009

I like granite, but it’s too traditional for me. Also, I know that a lot of people don’t consider it an upgrade anymore because it has become so popular. I want to put equity into my home and I’m not sure that in 5 yrs when I want to sell it, that granite will be as profitable then as it is now. I did here that silestone was becoming a new alternative, but I was also thinking about stained concrete countertops or butcher block. My cabinets are white and a few have glass in the doors. This will be a DIY project so any tips would be appreciated. Also, what color do you think would work best with the cabinets (paint and countertops).

I plan on doing a neutral back splash like this or something like this, preferably the long tiles that look like stone bricks: http://www.burkesfloorcovering.com/backsplash.JPG

The floor will be a dark handscraped hardwood like this: http://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/698642/6443148/0/1216715155/Color_Wood_Dark_Brown_-Hand_Scraped_Style.jpg

or brick pavers for flooring like this:
http://www.theportstonestore.com/images/Acadian%20Brick%20Paver%20Kitchen%20Floor.jpg

I have also thought about doing a butcher block countertop like this, and I think it will look great with the hardwood floor:
http://www.spekva.dk/graphics/interface/pic_1299.jpg

here is a pic of the kitchen we are remodeling, none of this is my personal style, this is from when the previous owners had it:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2457/3876159535_5ce317703d.jpg

As you can see, it is small. We plan on putting in stainless steel appliances, and getting rid of the saloon doors. My personal style is more like Anthropologie or french country or shabby chic, i love vintage stuff.

I know this is a lot of information, but I would love any input. Especially pictures