My DIY-heavy apartment, suggestions welcome to make less sparse and better lit
imgur.com/a/jB52O
imgur.comPosted Sep 12, 2015, 12:44 AM UTC
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imgur.comMoved in just about a month ago, and haven't had too much time to work on the place since then. I've got more art ready to go up, and a few lighting projects in the works, but I'm wanting to have a decent lounge space in the middle. I've designed a couch, but might buy one instead, and wanting a rug for the space in the middle too.
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I'm a big DIYer too but a couch is a huge undertaking. Getting the mixture of springs and cushion down takes a lot of research and upholstering is about 10x harder than a chair. If you want to do something that feels more custom, one good option might to be get a couch like the Ikea Karlstad and then make your own custom legs.
Get a couch like that with an area rug with the chairs to accent the seating space. That would create a great little seating area for having friends over, reading, or just watching tv
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I was going to go more like this: http://www.jorybrigham.com/emerson/
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His stuff is beautiful plus he was definitely my favorite competitor on Framework. Even though the sofa looks amazing, I don't think it looks super comfy. I'm the kind of guy that likes to crash on a comfy sofa after a long day but different strokes I guess...
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First off, wow I wish I had the talent to make all this beautiful stuff. I really dig your paintings. What I would say is that it looks a little uncomfortable and utilitarian. I seems like its more about ascetics for you, but I need a comfortable place to chill and get cozy with my girl. Something like this small couch could work if you aren't apposed to moving away from the DIY for one of the major pieces.
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Most places look like that when you first move in. Once you actually get a little messy and buy a few rugs / nic nacs it looks a lot better. My apartment looks oddly clean right now and it looks weird because I just moved in. It needs to be settled in a little more.
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I like the painting
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Thanks!
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Get some dimmer, less directional lighting? Point something big at the ceiling to try to get a diffuse effect
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Winston-Salem? I can see the Reynolds Building outside one of your windows. Just moved away after five years at Wake. Is this the new apartments by the ballpark?
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This is over by Ziggy's actually
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My suggestions, get a few house plants, a few larger ones you can put on the floor in corners or empty spaces, and a few smaller ones on desks, windowsills etc. Also, put up some mirrors! They make the space seem bigger, more open, and brighter.
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The armchairs and dresser are the two things that I think look marginal. I think they both have a kind of unfinished look to them - you can still see the shapes of the wood boards used so they look kinda raw.
Both would be alleviated with either a color or enamel that covers up the wood grain. The coffee table looks pretty classy to me - something like that.
Otherwise I love the minimal, well-lit look and feel.
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I really like this space and your creations are great. I like that stilt lamp in the corner, although I want it to be a little taller for some reason. I agree with the rug and small sofa as others have suggested, will make a huge difference. My only problem with the room, and its really just my personal taste, there something off with the artwork hung on the walls. Seems like they all need to be lowered 6-8 inches or so. That framed piece above your desk looks like the perfect height. JMO.
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I'm 6'2", and wanted room for small tables or shelves under them, but you're not wrong, they're hung pretty high up.
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I like you. This is some great DIY.
I think some area rugs would help with the sparse feeling. Otherwise, great looking place!
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OP i love all your furniture! you should consider selling it if you don't already.
but yeah a nice big rug is all you need, maybe another tall lamp or two.
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Thanks! I'm considering it for sure, it's on the list when I finish the Christmas season for my bag brand Wax+Cloth.
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Dude, these are bomb.
Edit: Im buying your overnight bag. Do you have pictures in the other colors? Even just pictures of the loose cloth if you dont have full bags.
Edit2: Also just fyi you should take a picture that includes the top strap, I can only guess what it looks like. But goddamn I love this bag.
Edit3: Nvm I found the color pallete in your faq, ORDERED!
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Sweet! I'll start work on it tomorrow. And yeah- I'm working really hard to piece together a catalog/lookbook in October, and that will have every shot you'd want. You ordered at a good time too- my new logo stamp arrives Monday, so no more rudimentary "W+C", just a cool stamped version of my text logo.
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Excellent, i'm very excited :)
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really nice stuff! i live in japan, but i might like to get one for my girlfriend who lives in germany. what can you tell me about shipping to europe or japan?
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It's kinda pricey for my bag company- and I imagine furniture might be kind of cost-prohibitive for my current level of pricing, but who knows.
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http://www.hipsterbusiness.name/
Seriously though, awesome furniture!
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Gotta play to my strengths! And thanks 😊
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love the place! those paintings are amazing, what's your kitchen look like?
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I'll do an update post soon once I get rid of the trash and fill the place a bit more.
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I did some custom furniture for my place as well over the last few years -- focused way too much on benches, consoles and tables, and not nearly enough on tall shelves. Result: everything is about waist-high, not much to break up areas or create interesting outlines against the wall.
You should consider building a few tall shelves... open design, maybe 8" deep. Possibly some with a backing halfway up, then open above that. It'd help the sparseness a lot.
A large a-frame style skinny shelf on the wall behind your navy chairs would also look pretty rad. Floor to ceiling. Something like this but more open, more shallow, wider, ~twice as many shelves? Also let the shelf ends overhang like this.
Very nice work by the way, the blue coffee table is my favorite. Is that the minwax 'charcoal' color? It always comes out blue-gray!
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The stain is a gray that had some adjective like 'weathered' in the name. Definitely adding more shelves, thanks for the suggestions!
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I dig your style. Well done.
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Suggestions? Don't take any suggestions, you don't need any. With that talent it will come to you soon enough.
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Thanks lol
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DIY furniture is amazing. Roughly how much time/money/skill does it cost to build?
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Not much money for the materials, but I moved to this city to use my dad's huge woodworking shop for multiple projects- these chairs were mostly done in a day- but with lots of tools.
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That's amazing. Congrats on the great work.
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The chairs look really cool.
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Thanks! They're my first try at chairs, and worked out ok.
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I always have fun coming to these posts and trying to ID the city through the windows in the pictures. I rarely guess right, so I was all proud that I had gotten Winston Salem until I scrolled up and saw the top label.
Unrelated note, it seems like your style really matches with the craftsman/loft feel that you've got here (which is absolutely gorgeous). What did you look for when you were apartment hunting to find that kind of space? I'm never really sure what exactly to search for when I try to find spaces like this.
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I honestly just took my time and toured several lofts. This is in a building from 1923 that was renovated in 2007. Fell in love with the wood and brick immediately.
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Less sparse and better lit? Make some more lights and fill the space with them!
Seriously, with the amount you've done already you should make sure that no furniture you didn't make (or at least modify) yourself ever darkens your door.
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Damn dude, do you have three pairs of Wolverine 1000 miles? Baller. I have a pair in rust, I'm about to pick up some brown Red Wing Iron Rangers.
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2 pairs- 1 Morley, 1 regular, then a pair of Chippies and some plain toe wedge sole Red Wings.
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[^(Mouseover to view the metric conversion for this comment)](#1000 miles = 1609.3 km "1000 miles = 1609.3 km Post feedback in r/ToMetric")
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You should definitely get a rug. It would really tie the space together.
I feel that in a post-Lebowski world it's impossible to mention a rug without also mentioning its ability to tie things together.
You're not wrong...
I know. I'm just an asshole.
But then he'd have to look out for Chinamen peeing on it...