I was able to start actually living in The Beautiful Wreck last Thursday night. I haven't been able to post anything to this blog because I didn't have internet hooked up yet (more on that later).
Here's a brief rundown on what's been happening. Mostly I've been trying to get out from under all the boxes, boxes, boxes. How can so much STUFF fit into a tiny studio apartment?
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| The last week's mood |
THURSDAY, DEC 17TH:
My nephew came into town for a brief winter NY vacation with some friends of his. He flew in this morning and I met him at his friends' hotel, the Yotel, just off 42nd St and 10th Avenue. We went for breakfast and then I took him uptown to Tony's apartment, he was going to stay there now that I was officially out (Tony was kind enough to rent it to him for 5 days as he was in New Orleans for the holidays). I went straight to the apartment to see how things were progressing and to drop off some more clothes. It was a mess. The electrician and painters were everywhere, dust was thick, and there were big sheets of plastic hanging from the ceiling all around the mantel. They were going to polish it and didn't want marble dust to scatter throughout the place. I hightailed it out of there because there was no room for me hang out. I wandered around the neighborhood. I went to Home Depot to buy cleaning supplies that I was going to need. Then I went to CB2 to look at a little bistro table I'd been eyeing for the dining niche. I was just killing time. The worst part was that it was POURING rain. Just perfect, right? I got back around 4:45 and the two cleaning ladies were just finishing up. The place looked as presentable as it could be with a TON of boxes crowded into it. The best part was that the plastic was down and the mantel looked AMAZING. If I liked it before I LOVED it now. It looked brand new, a pure white Carrera marble.
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| The mantel polished, now pure white |
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| A close up of the marble |
I could't ask for anything better and I'm now thinking it's my very favorite thing in the entire apartment.
And after all the storm and drank over the windows, they are amazing to look at. It was (almost) all worth the worry/panic/sweat/tears. I have no idea whatsoever how they got those heavy things installed...I'm just glad it's all over and they look great. Here's one of them...
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| The window behind my desk |
FRIDAY, DEC 18TH:
I couldn't stay in the apartment today because the mantel wall with the built-in shelves was getting painted the high gloss gray ("Cape May Cobblestone"). Again, I made myself scarce, running errands, going to the gym (I'm a member of Equinox til the end of the month, then I'll start using the gym in the building). The gray looked great. Now, to start on those boxes. Do you remember that episode of "I Love Lucy"when Lucy and Ricky were moving to Connecticut but all their moving boxes were crammed into Fred and Ethel's apartment and nobody could move, it was a funny maze getting around?
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| I was just like Lucy and her moving boxes |
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| This picture is just a FRACTION of all the boxes |
I must say my SECOND favorite thing has got to be the shower. Steve did a great job designing that bathroom. The tiles that go all the way up the walls to the ceiling are something to see, but it's that big rainshower showerhead that makes it a divine experience. I love it. I managed to unpack all the kitchen boxes today, no easy task...but the rest were going to take some time.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, DEC 19TH & 20TH:
I spent the entire weekend unpacking boxes and re-arranging the furniture. I tried the sofa so many ways...parallel to the mantel, up against the picture window, on a diagonal facing the fireplace, etc. My back was breaking by the end of the day. Ultimately, it looked best in the place we thought it would work from the beginning: right in front of the mantel looking straight on into the fireplace. Steve kept saying that was the only place for it but I wouldn't believe him. Anyway, it looks great there.
MONDAY, DEC 21ST:
Steve was going to come first thing this morning and we'd draw up a "punch list" of all the final details that still needed to be finished. After we were done it was THIRTY-SEVEN items long! All the light fixtures need to be installed, lots of paint touch-ups everywhere, the TV needs to be placed, the list goes on and on. It'll all get done...but when??
TUESDAY, DEC 22nd:
The Verizon guy came today to install my internet connection. It took him TWO AND HALF HOURS. It's a very involved process. He has to connect to wires in the bowels of the building, run the wiring up to my apartment, drill from the hallway into my apartment, and then hook up the router and modem. He gets there and says "where do you want the router and modem? I say over by the desk in the corner. He's like, "Alright, I'll have to run a cable along the ceiling and down this hallway over there." I was like "No, no, no, no, NO!!" I was NOT gonna have an ugly cable run across the top of those beautiful custom built closets OR across the top of the wood veneer wall. NO WAY.
So then he says "Well, we could keep them in the entry, run the cable from he hallway down the corner and they could hide behind this shelf." He meant the white cubby shelf I put in the entryway. I said "YES! Do it!" I knew I could paint the cable the dark gray of the hallway and you wouldn't notice it. Steve didn't care for that shelf but now it's hiding a LOT of sins and it's staying put.
So now the place is functioning and looking really good. I've left town for the holiday, I'm spending a few days in Sag Harbor. When I get back the next big task is hanging all the pictures...
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