On The Move Interiors Interior Design Blog

Today’s a good rainy day.  To me, there’s something comforting about the constant rumbling of thunder and the sound of the rain on the windows - as long as I’m inside!

Speaking of water, the bathrooms in the new wing of the RISD museum have awesome dual-flush toilets!  This is the one of the first times I’ve seen a dual-flush system in a public restroom in this country.  The RISD bathrooms have the Sloan Uppercut Flushometers; you lift the handle up for a reduced-level flush, which decreases the water volume by about 30%, and you push the handle down for a full flush.

The handle is green, immediately drawing attention to it.  Not only does the green signify that it’s a green product, but it is a antimicrobial coating.

Who knew I’d be so excited about a commercial dual-flush toilet?  I definitely have a flush crush!

We went to RISD to see the Marcel Breuer exhibit.  It was enlightening.  I’ve decided I’m not a real fan of his furniture, but I find his architecture intriguing.

When I was at UMass Amherst as an undergrad, I spent a lot of time in the Breuer-designed Campus Center.  (But it wasn’t until about 10 years ago that I found out Breuer was the architect.)  I did enjoy the interior space and thought the exterior fenestration details were very interesting, but many of my friends found the building uninviting.

And when I was in grad school, I had a couple of Breuer’s Cesca chairs that I used for seating at my eating counter/desk in my studio apartment.  I will admit they were pretty comfortable, with the woven cane seat and the tubular steel frame that had some give.

There are a number of Breuer-designed buildings in New England, including the first home he designed for himself.  It’s in Lincoln, a stone’s throw from the Gropius House.  (I believe it’s privately-owned, unlike the Gropius House that is owned by Historic New England and is open to the public.)

There’s also a permanent 20th Century exhibit at the RISD museum, which you pass through on the way to the Breuer exhibit.  It covers all types of design - paintings, fashion, furniture, sculpture - by a variety of artists and designers.

For more info about the Breuer exhibit, see my earlier post and/or my events calendar.  For info about the RISD museum, click here.

A client recently told me she had heard it requires 16,000 decisions to design/build a custom house.  At first I was incredulous of that number, but after some thought, I’m not so sure it’s not accurate…

There are the obvious decisions to make, like what material to use for the kitchen counter tops - granite? marble? tile? laminate? wood?  And a series of sub-decisions, such as: What kind of granite?  What shape should the edging be?  Should the backsplash also be granite or another material?  And how high should the backsplash be?

And there are unconscious decisions, like automatically designing a room with 90 degree corners which is the norm.  But since there are other options, such as designing a round room or a hexagonal room, designing a square or rectangular room is actually a decision, albeit unconscious.

I’ve tried to find the source of this 16,000 decisions statistic or something that may support or challenge it, but without success.  How in the world was this number arrived at?  If any of you can help me out, please let me know.

And what do you think?  Is 16,000 a fair number of decisions that need to be made in designing/building a house?

Last week was a very busy work week, with three new clients and a couple of ongoing projects.  One of my new clients hired me to help her with a bathroom renovation.  I’m glad she called, and so is she!

I got an email from this client (for the sake of this post, I’ll call her Jane) - who was referred to me by a friend - saying she was planning to renovate her bathroom and wanted some help selecting and buying plumbing fixtures, a vanity, tile, etc.  When we spoke to set up a meeting, Jane told me she already got a construction cost estimate from another friend’s brother who is a plumber.  The plumber told her he could act as the general contractor (GC) and bring in sub-contractors for electrical work, tiling, etc.

When Jane and I met, Jane expressed concern about the plumber’s estimate.  And rightly so!  Jane showed me the quote; the outlined scope of work was so incomplete, I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or be angry.  No mention of electrical work or painting or tiling.  And no spelling out of what materials were included in the quote. Needless to say, I told Jane she needed to get estimates from other contractors.

My advice to Jane, and to you, is to get three quotes for any significant work you want to have done in your home, whether it’s renovating a bathroom, painting your bedroom, or having a custom closet built and installed.  You need these quotes to compare with each other.  Are they all listing the same labor, e.g., disposal of demolished items, moving furniture, painting two coats, pulling permits?  Who’s paying for what, e.g., what materials are included in the quote, and what materials do you pay for separately?

You want to be able to compare apples to apples… ask for revised quotes so all three estimates are showing the same line items.

While price is definitely a major consideration when doing a bathroom reno, there are so many other things to consider when hiring a contractor - references, compatibility, timing, experience, etc.  Now, maybe the plumber Jane got the quote from has experience as a GC (Jane hadn’t gotten any references yet), but maybe he doesn’t.  He could be one of those people who thinks that because he’s worked on the plumbing end of bathroom renovations before, that he can GC a reno.  If the latter’s the case, then run!  You don’t want to be at the bottom of his learning curve.

With the economy the way it is, many people out there will do anything to make money.  So, consumer beware and be cautious when hiring a contractor.

** BREAKING NEWS! **

I just read that the inventor of Magic Fingers Vibrating Beds, John Joseph Houghtaling, died on Wednesday at the age of 92.  If you’re a baby boomer, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  For all you youngsters, read below to learn about the wonders of Magic Fingers (and, no, there’s nothing kinky or sexual about it).

Such fun childhood memories Magic Fingers conjures up!  Whenever we’d go on a family vacation, my sister and I would be thrilled if our hotel/motel room had a Magic Fingers bed.  And my mother was such a fan, that my father figured out a way to add a motor to our aqua Naugahyde Berkline recliner so Mom could enjoy her personal Magic Fingers in the comfort of our wood-paneled basement.  How ’60s is that???

If you aren’t old enough to have experienced Magic Fingers, it’s a basically a vibrating motor that was attached to the mattress of a bed; when a quarter was put into the coin slot attached to the headboard, the motor would bring 15 minutes of “tingling relaxation and ease”, according to its label.

(My apologies to the photographer of the above picture.  I really wanted to show a Magic Fingers coin box, but couldn’t find any credits for this picture, although it’s on several other sites.  If the photo is yours, please let me know, and I’ll give you proper credit.)

If you’re in the market for antiques or vintage pieces, or just want to window shop, you can browse from the comfort of your own home by paying a visit to Bond & Bowery, a website that provides virtual storefronts for dozens of antique dealers from around the US, Canada, and England.

Bond & Bowery was started in 2007 by Ben Spaisman and several partners.  The site has flourished since its inception, especially in light of the current economy as many dealers have closed their brick and mortar shops.  The antique dealers pay “rent” for their storefronts, and you, as a buyer, deal directly with the dealers.

The offerings vary greatly - from Ming to Modern - and the prices range from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands.  The site’s not just for furniture; you can find lamps, art, rugs, and more.

The site is really easy to navigate.  You can search by product type, designer, country of origin, price, age, etc.

Looks like we’re in for quite a bit of rain over the next week, so spend some time one rainy afternoon to go antiquing at Bond & Bowery - no umbrella required!

My father was a major sci fi fan.  While we shared many of the same interests, science fiction was something I just couldn’t get into.  I tried so many times to read Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man and Frank Herbert’s Dune, but quickly lost interest. I never got into Star Trek; I did I watch the 1960s show The Time Tunnel - only because I thought James Darren was cute.  But the concept of time travel boggles my mind.

Today, though, I had a true time warp experience.  Bill Janovitz, a Lexington-based real estate broker whom I “met” via this blog, just listed a house in the Five Fields neighborhood of Lexington.  If you’re not familiar with Five Fields, it’s a planned community developed by The Architects Collaborative (TAC) in the 1950s.  Most of the homes are incredible examples of Mid-Century Modern residential architecture.

Knowing my passion for all things Mid-Century Modern, Bill sent an email to me about this new listing, The Bogen House, designed and occupied (still!) by architect Herbert Bogen.  There was an open house today, so I stopped by.  I was immediately transported back to the 1950s! 

The furnishings and finishes are classic Mid-Century.  Love the chairs in the living room photo to the left!  Not sure if they’re Jens Risom, but definitely in his style.  The living room floor is the original cork tile, the wood paneling is cedar, there are sliding shoji screens between the kitchen and living area, and expanses of glass everywhere.  The impact is overwhelming, and I couldn’t help but smile the whole time I was in the house.

If you’d like to learn more about this house, click here to see more photos and details.   And check out Bill’s website and click on “Mid-Century Modern” for info on TAC’s Lexington neighborhoods.