Home Slice

Our home is starting to look like one in which a small human being could reside. Last week, we had a massive built-in thing, uh, built in, thereby adding about 8000% more closet and drawer space than we had before, even with three armoires and a dresser.  We are thinking of renting out space in it like one of those pod hotels; we'll throw some sleeping bags and pillows in there, add a tap light or two, and toss some Andes Candies in for turndown service. I figure we could get about $400 a night for it, given our proximity to Central Park and several major subway lines.

The built-in also has a desk, so that our guest room/office can be transitioned into more of a nursery/guest room (it still has to multi-task; such is the fate of every room in a New York City apartment).  After disposing of the no-longer-needed furniture, on Saturday we rolled up the rather forelorn carpet from the guest room (and, in doing so, discovered some long-hidden hairballs that the cat had hocked up under the bed sometime in the past two years -- always a pleasure, cat), then laid out new Flor tiles, which have completely changed the space.  It looks so bright and cheery in there, I can't help but smile every time I walk past.  And then we spent a couple of hours assembling the kid's bookshelves, which involved much less cursing than I would have anticipated (although at one point someone threw a screwdriver across the room).   

Nevertheless, no one was injured in the fray, and now we have a nursery in progress (notably missing:  a crib, which will be delivered -- and, oh boy, assembled by us -- next weekend, plus a dresser/changer, which should be here by the end of the month):

(In the background there, you can catch a glimpse of our toilet!)

Here's the built-in thing/pod hotel, which looks very stripe-y here, but in person it's much more subtle.  Also, the blue tabs sticking out are temporary; the door and drawer pulls are being ordered.  And one drawer is missing because there was some problem with it.  And, dude, window air conditioners are hideous.  Sadly, pre-war buildings are not equipped with central HVAC systems, so we have to suffer with clanging, hissing (also hideous) radiators and clunky, light-stealing window A/C units.  We all have our crosses to bear, I suppose.

Do any of you have beds that look pristine and unrumpled at all times?  No matter how much I fluff our comforter or pull at it to try to make it smooth, it always looks like someone recently finished an energetic tap-dance routine on it.  Oh, and the room is not as small as it looks; it's just that our bed is a freaking RIVER BARGE that happened to run aground right here in our apartment. 

Seriously, I forget sometimes how MASSIVE king sized beds are.  And yet, during the construction last week, we had to sleep in the guest bed, which is a queen, and it was like trying to cram into a pup tent together; there was much accidental elbowing and kicking and dissatisfaction with temperature and fear of possible unwanted contact (my husband is strictly a no-contact sleeper, so the dog and I were teetering over on the edge of the bed, trying to give him his required clearance of at least two body widths without plunging out onto the floor).

In case you're a before/after type person, here's a post I did a loooong time ago with a little tour of our place.  The living room looks completely different now (thanks in part to Flor tiles in lieu of the carpet seen there, plus the leather loveseat finally being jettisoned -- it was the one piece of furniture remaining from my husband's bachelor days, and now it is gone, GONE!, just like his freedom, bwah ha ha! -- and some other stuff has changed; I guess I should just take a damn photo because it's hard to explain).  And the kitchen, of course, THANK GOD, is entirely different. 

So there you have it.  Our latest home improvement.  Woo! 

Now, here's a random question:  can anyone recommend a good gym bag that's not...too gym-baggy? 

I ask because lately I have been going to the gym after work a few days a week, and my only option at the moment is to carry my regular work bag AND a very blah Adidas gym bag.  It's both cumbersome and unattractive.  I'd love to find something that would perform both work and gym functions (although then again, I don't want to have to put my sneakers up against my day planner, you know?), but I would settle for a gym bag that will hold my sneakers and clothes but doesn't add too much bulk. 

Any and all suggestions appreciated.

Comments

[Jamie]

I love love LOVE the white molding on the walls - especially against the khaki in the hallway, and the blue in the nursery! Looks very crisp, and very much part of my own palette.

As for a gym bag, if you want something funky, Puma makes a fantastic bowling bag style (but not too 70's looking) - it's more like a bright, oversized satchel. If you're looking for something more subtle, Eddie Bauer makes a great gym bag. Perfect size, and has a place for shoes and wet stuff.

[cathy]

Love the flor tiles, they look fabulous! And am insanely jealous of your built-in. As for gym bags, i love me some lululemon - they have a store on bway in the 60s...

[Red]

Your place is absolutely lovely. I especially love Noelle's room; it looks so cheery, especially with the stuffed toys on the shelves. The Flor tiles are great!

As for gym bags, the best that I've owned are from Timbuk2. They had one called the Maria that was tote-style with a zipper top and incorporated two side pockets for your shoes and/or wet stuff. (It also had good internal pockets as most Timbuk2 bags do.) It is lavender and black and even has straps on the outside to hold a yoga mat. I could fit gym clothes, shoes, and work files in it. Of course two weeks after I got it, I was given another timbuk2 gym bag called the Arnold (get it, Arnold and Maria?) that was a little bit bigger -- but more masculine -- and have been using that now (I travel often and need to carry a few days worth of clothes.) Though the Maria is discontinued now, if it sounds like what you're looking for let me know -- it's taking up precious closet space

[Tara]

Your home is beautiful. You've done so much with a small space to make it feel (or at least look) big. I'm super-impressed!

You could always just get a small bag to put your shoes in (look online, they're big in Japan, so you may be able to find one) and then find a large bag that meets your other needs without worrying about your shoes. Zappos.com is my favorite for bag shopping (free overnight shipping!); they have everything! :) Good luck!

[MsPrufrock]

I am insanely jealous of your apartment. The master bedroom seems huge to me, king size bed or no. Living in England I've gotten used to a flat the size of a storage cupboard. Your place looks like a dream!

[Jessica V]

Hey for a NY apartment those are some big rooms. Bigger then the motel room we stayed at in Decembeber when we had our layover at JFK on the way to Vietnam. I will never forget thats hoe box, wow that was tiny! Anywho, you are funny about the king size bed thing. I have no pity for you. We are going up to my in-laws this weekend in SC and will have to sleep 4 nights in a very ancient full size bed in a very tiny room with a pack n play as well. Talk about a squeeze. Awe, what we do for family right? lol.

[jessica v]

Oh my! I mean shoe box NOT hoe box. It wasn't THAT kinda motel. Oh my.

[liz]

Lovely apartment!!

I love my Lug Puddle Jumper (http://www.lugtravel.com/product/PUDDLEJUMPER:) - room for shoes, a wet bag for gym clothes, pockets for everything, and I can throw files in it.

[HeatherM]

Love the room. It looks so calming...can I come & stay? I need some calm...waiting on the USCIS has my nerves fried. I'm sure Noelle will love it!

I don't have any suggestions on the gym bag...I don't do gyms. Best of luck on finding one you love! :)

Heather M.

[HeatherM]

Love the room. It looks so calming...can I come & stay? I need some calm...waiting on the USCIS has my nerves fried. I'm sure Noelle will love it!

I don't have any suggestions on the gym bag...I don't do gyms. Best of luck on finding one you love! :)

Heather M.

[Shelly]

Rumpled beds? How about unmade beds? My wonderful hubby tried REALLY hard when we got our new bed to make it EVERY day---but that went by the wayside, probably because his wife is such a slob...it was such a pain to remove the too heavy comforter each night only to return it to the bed in the morning. Who sees the bed? Only our dog, Buster, who thinks the bed is his. Then we found where one of the animals (we have 2 dogs and a cat--and 2 teenagers) puked on the said heavy comforter. Nobody wants to take it to the laund-ro-mat to use the commercial machine and wait for it to wash and dry. So, sadly, it sits folded, with a small, doggie puke stain on it. I wrestle the sheet like it's a mortal enemy all night, and we have to re-adjust at bedtime again, but otherwise, you'll find my bed to be happily unmade each day.

Your apartment looks lovely--I'm an avid HGTV/TLC watcher, and some of these shows have 400 sq ft NYC apartments for trillions of dollars. I have a dear friend that lives in or near the Chelsea District, and I get the impression his place is small....so it appears you have roomy digs! Very cute, by the way!

[Allison]

Hoe box. HAHAHAHA. Awesome.

[Carolyn J.]

I have an Ogio Road Trip that holds a small nebula. It's a cross-body strap, so it's quite long, but if you don't like that you may like something else on the website.

http://www.ogio.com/product.php?product=69

I am in the business and I see a lot of second-rate products, but these guys know what they're doing.

[Leah]

I'm just excited this is all being done for a REAL LIVE BABY. When you get the crib set up, please post a picture of it just for me, okay?

[M&Co.]

L.L. Bean has some nice bags that will go from office to the gym. I have several of them in fact.

[Lawyerish]

Oooh, these gym bag suggestions are GREAT! I have many to choose from, and already I can't decide which I like best. Mmmm, baaaags. Woo hoo!