Crown City Hardware. Check out their website.

Posted by: tinarina at August 13, 2007 10:52 AM in response to Hinges and Latches -- where to buy?

I also paid $25/hr for this kind of work, which seems reasonable--skim-coating is a real skill!

Posted by: tinarina at August 13, 2007 1:05 PM in response to plaster workers

When we re-did our master bath, we realized we needed all new plumbing and electrical. Our total cost for a fairly simple reno was $15k six years ago, but a significant chunk of that went to the plumber and electrician.

Posted by: tinarina at August 13, 2007 2:58 PM in response to Bathrooms.. typical costs?

I'm sad to report that they made one of the worst pizzas I've ever had--the cheese was tasteless and likely not a dairy product. (If it's supposed to be a vegan pizza, they should say something to that effect on the menu). The crust was poor and the toppings without flavor.

This was a number of months ago--if things have improved dramatically, please let us know.

I know that part of town could really use some dining options, so I hope they would improve. The owners seem really nice, but perhaps not super-experienced in the food biz.

Posted by: tinarina at August 14, 2007 4:06 PM in response to Streetlevel: Foccacia Spot Sprucing Up Bedford

Definitely see as much as you can, and really get to know the neighborhoods. After awhile, you will have a good sense of what blocks, areas you really like/don't like, etc.

I would suggest having a real estate attorney at the ready, and let he/she know you are looking. If you end up liking a place, you may want the atty to look at the prospectus/offering plan before you make an offer, and you will need quick turnaround. I think this is especially true of coops. The atty will end up giving you much more guidance on the deal than the broker in most cases.

You may also want to get pre-qualified for a mortgage to get a really good sense of what you can afford.

Posted by: tinarina at August 23, 2007 12:54 PM in response to How to start looking?

If I'm not mistaken, this place is NEW construction--it was either a teardown or an empty lot, and the owner painstakingly built this to fit in with the streetscape.

Pshark says it was built in 2002, which sounds right.

The B38 is down the block, not on Vanderbilt.

The price seems a little high, but it's a lot of square footage AND brand new construction--no (okay, less!) major house maintenance to deal with than an old carriage house or a brownstone.

Posted by: tinarina at August 23, 2007 2:26 PM in response to House of the Day: 407 Vanderbilt Avenue

Rock Miracle is methylene chloride stripper in gel form. There are many similar products, which you can tell by reading the ingredients.

Rock Miracle smells nasty and is undoubtedly not good for you, but it is the best way to get off those last remaining bits of paint, and you likely will just be applying it in spots, so the fumes should be manageable. Put the goop on and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. All the aformentioned tools are good, as are steel wool and plastic scrubbies.

I really like tung oil as a finish, and I think Watco is a good brand, though I've never used it. However, if you have a mahogany railing, the natural color is beautiful and you shouldn't need the stain component unless you have a lot of discoloration in the wood and need to even it out.

The nice thing about tung oil is you can slap another coat or two on every year when the finish dulls.

Posted by: tinarina at August 27, 2007 2:03 PM in response to Stripping down (to the naked wood)

An acquaintance had a similar situation and planted a row of really fast-growing trees that are tall and narrow. The effect is really nice.

I can't tell you what trees were planted, but I'm sure a good nursery could give you some advice and do the planting for you.

Posted by: tinarina at August 29, 2007 10:54 AM in response to exposed back garden advice

11:35--

Do you even live in Brooklyn? If you did, you would know that for many of us, the neighborhood grocery store is DISGUSTING--rank produce, bad meat, improperly stored milk, surly employees and a generally unclean environment.

Yes, I like farmers markets and schlep food from Manhattan and other neighborhoods all the time, but there's only so much I can carry (and I don't have a car).

I would prefer to have a great local supermarket, but until that happens, Fresh Direct is a godsend.

Posted by: tinarina at August 29, 2007 2:13 PM in response to NY Mag Annoints Bed Stuy as the Next Hipster Destination

If budget is an issue, I like exposed brick painted white--nothing glossy. It's clean and modern and a good backdrop in a more contemporary setting.

Posted by: tinarina at September 7, 2007 3:46 PM in response to Enough with the exposed brick look already

Read posts on Miele and Whirlpool steam.

We had an Asko that lasted 12 years it was great except its small size didn't allow for comforters wash and it vibrated a lot on the 2nd floor.

I want to know is the steam feature as great as it sounds on the Whirlpool duet steam? I also want to know is the quality of the new Miele built to last 20 years worth the x price and does it clean well?

Which performs 'the' best Miele or Whirlpool duet steam?

Posted by: guest at April 23, 2008 11:55 AM in response to help! need washer/dryer advice

Read posts on Miele and Whirlpool steam.

We had an Asko that lasted 12 years it was great except its small size didn't allow for comforters wash and it vibrated a lot on the 2nd floor.

I want to know is the steam feature as great as it sounds on the Whirlpool duet steam? I also want to know is the quality of the new Miele built to last 20 years worth the x price and does it clean well?

Which performs 'the' best Miele or Whirlpool duet steam?

Posted by: guest at April 23, 2008 11:56 AM in response to help! need washer/dryer advice

I have to chime in and say that I am a renter (horrors!) and I did find my place through a broker. Although I did not enjoy writing his check, he did find me a place with a really decent landlord. I know he has found the rest of the tenants in the building as well. Don't forget that it does not cost YOU money and some brokers do actually do some work for the money.

Posted by: Carol Gardens at April 30, 2008 7:02 PM in response to method for renting your apartment without a broker

We love oil semi-gloss. Not too shiny for us (it's a matter of taste, of course) and easier to clean than flatter finishes. Check out BM's Ivory White in their "old" color deck. It's a lovely soft, antiquey white that is plenty bright -- just not glaringly white -- and works really well with old brownstones.

Posted by: guest at May 15, 2008 1:02 PM in response to what color did you paint your hall trim?

darker colored trim can look nice - depends on the look you want. To match up OK with the wall colors, I'd suggest using a darker shade of the color on the same swatch (for those ones that have 4-7 shades of the same color on one piece of cardboard..) Me, I prefer the creamy white. To do dark around windows, you need to have a lot of light coming in (as it won't reflect as much light as white will) or not care about the amount of light coming in.

Posted by: guest at May 15, 2008 2:48 PM in response to what color did you paint your hall trim?

Donald Kaufman white #5. The best. Very creamy...like milk. We painted all our trim that color -- spindles, base and crown molding. The only place we didn't paint was on the parlor floor, instead, we ebonized.

Posted by: guest at May 16, 2008 7:02 PM in response to what color did you paint your hall trim?