February 24-March 2, 2005

cover story

City Living Dilemmas: Solved!

Whether you're squatting month-to-month in a dingy third-floor apartment or you've taken up semipermanent residence in a row home, living in the city is full of quirks. Age, unorthodox architecture, changes in building use and past tenants combine to give city spaces their own distinct characters. Tight budgets and student migratory patterns conspire to make carving liveable niches an exercise in creative problem solving. We asked our Home & Design correspondents what their greatest problems are, and challenged them to seek out inventive solutions either on their own or from local design experts. Here's what they came up with.

Disc-Topia

Problem: You're a multimedia fiend. Whether you're wallowing in the much- venerated Vinyl Age or you own every Dolly Parton CD and DVD available, the fact is your apartment looks more like Sam Goody than home sweet home.

Solutions: Royce Epstein of Philadelphia's Daroff Design is a self-described music nut with a designer's touch. Whether faced with small space or an enormous glut of media, she says less is more. "It's definitely time to store away CDs and records when they start multiplying and take over your abode," explains Epstein. "As a designer and someone who loves good graphics, I like to display some of my fave LPs. I just lean them on ledges or windowsills," despite possible damaging effects.

Alternately, you can buy up all the album-friendly frames at Urban Outfitters (two for $20) for those special LPs, like Foghat. "You should probably remove your record though, and only hang the cover," says Epstein.

Like many digital revolutionaries, Epstein is a fan of compression; her entire CD collection has been converted to MP3 format.

But for stalwart traditionalists, there are other ways of going from Oscar Madison to Felix Unger. "I use metal [mesh] bins, and I actually get rid of jewel cases," says Epstein. "I store my CDs in plastic sleeves " and then put them in the bins. I made divider tabs so I can now find things easily and all within a small amount of space."

She says Pure Design has stylish storage cases (www.puredesignonline.com), as does Chiasso (www.chiasso.com). But the bottom line, Epstein says, is "to be an "editor' when you collect." For example, if you're a Duran Duran nut, then by all means snatch up that German import of "The Chauffeur." But if you come across an Andy Taylor single at a flea market, "Put it down," says Epstein. Ask yourself: "Do you really need an Andy Taylor 45?" --Natalie Hope McDonald

Powder-Room Paranoia

Problem: Your bathroom is a nightmare: crunchy socks in every corner; multicolored stains in the tub; cracked walls; clumps of fuzz; it's the size of a phone booth and smells like eggs. You usually avoid inviting people back to your place for fear they might use it. In the privacy of someone else's bathroom, visitors will inspect nooks, surfaces and the medicine cabinet. And you can bet they'll make judgments.

Solutions: If, after thoroughly cleaning and scrubbing, you still feel embarrassed, it's time to take more serious action. Irene Sfakianos, who teaches interior design at University of the Arts, suggests painting the ceiling and walls a bold color. "No pastels," she says, adding that colors like bright red or deep blue will "hide dings, dents, gouges and future fingerprints" and will "so startle your visitors, that the occasional stray sock or cigarette left on the floor will either go unnoticed or register as a natural part of the decor." Adorn the space by tacking up cartoons, photographs or pages of verse. Then reduce the wattage or install a colored lightbulb. The combination of low light and deep color will "create an aura of mystery instead of the Black Hole of Calcutta," says Sfakianos.

Since a dark color might also make the room seem smaller, be sure to clear away clutter like old magazines, almost-empty hair products and dirty laundry. Display only the essentials. Get new towels in bold colors and funky fabrics from a thrift store for the shower curtain. It won't cost much and will make the space feel more vibrant (not to mention hide unsightly growth in your bathtub). --Tami Fertig

No Sofa? No Biggie

Problem: You've got plenty of space in your apartment for furniture. Yet all you've got is that broken chair.

Solutions: It's easy to justify having no furniture. You're broke. You're never around. You're planning to move — eventually. But when your voice echoes in the living room? You don't have to invest a lot to make your place feel cozy. Bypass the "typical overstuffed couch and big coffee table," says Meghan Ryan, feng shui interior designer at Dream Design in Devon, and split the room into a few small, intimate seating areas. In one of them, set down plump floor cushions and a low coffee table. A serving tray on a stack of books substitutes in a pinch. Area rugs further break up the empty space. If you can't dish out for floor accessories, wall hangings make the space less overwhelming and more stylish. Ryan proposes devoting an entire wall to framed black-and-white photographs of family and friends that you'll "see as soon as you walk in the door." Paint in rich tones rather than cool ones to "bring in the walls" and warm up the room. Rich colors complement skin tones, making us glow and look more cheerful, she explains. One or two large silk plants are also handy, if you know you'll be out of the house most of the time. "Better to have a synthetic green plant than a real, dead one," she says, stressing the importance of good chi, or energy, circulating in the room. If you think fake plants are tacky, get a cactus, spread out on your body pillow and call it a day. --Tami Fertig

Revive Your Vintage

Problem: You're in one of those magnificent brownstones in Fitler Square or a converted old townhouse in Society Hill. Still, the paint is peeling, the bathroom fixtures are prewar (Spanish-American) and the windows won't open without a stick of dynamite.

Solutions: The key to turning a dump into what's now known as "shabby chic" is to first take inventory of your place's attributes, whether those are woodwork, tiling, stained glass or any antique touch that can be amplified and turned into a focal point. Accentuate the positive: Apply a coat of matte finish paint in antique white if you don't have a lot of natural light or in a calming color if you do. If you have wall-to-wall crappy carpets, cover them with area rugs or rip them up to expose hardwood floors. If the bathroom looks dingy, try cleaning (for real!) and regrouting. Replace a broken bathroom tile with a piece of Moroccan tile and tell your friends it's a portal to the future.

Make or buy decorative covers for your old radiators. Make sure the materials are heat-resistant. Keep the color of furniture and home accessories light. Keep clutter to a minimum by building or buying shelves for books and artifacts. The first line of defense against "rundown" is "neat and clean." Take advantage of all the antique touches left by past generations and play them up, don't cover them up. --Angelina Sciolla

Unbearable Lightness

Problem: When you wake up in the morning, does it still feel like nighttime? Or are you awakened by the merciless rays of the sun burning through your eyelids into your REM sleep? Lighting, as they say in the photography world, is everything, and it can make or break an otherwise livable space.

Solutions: If your place is a tomb even on the brightest day in May, play with window dressings. Hang a white or neutral shade with a colored valance to brighten the room and draw attention to the light coming into the room. For artificial light, make a trip to the home improvement store for wall sconces. Line them up along walls that are rarely touched by the sun. Sconces, which are also space savers, provide a burst of localized light, and unlike lamps, they don't swallow up whatever natural light is creeping into the room.

If you dread a hangover in your place because of the punitive sunrise, do the opposite with your window dressings. Use a dark shade or miniblinds framed by a light-colored valance or window trim. Take advantage of the natural light using lamps strategically and only where you need them, like near a desk or a reading chair. You can also play with tinted lampshades and use candlelight for those moments when day slips into evening.

--Angelina Sciolla

Clothes Quarters

Problem: So you have a cooler-than-cool wardrobe with no place to put it. Opening any closet will unleash an avalanche of hip (and horribly wrinkled) pink skirts, hot pants and vintage concert T-shirts.

Solutions: According to feng shui consultant Meghan Ryan, first identify fashion casualties. Hideous pants from that '70s party? Chainmail you bought for the D&D re-enactment? Toss it — but not into the trash. Collect them, then sell or donate them. Also, for adding closet space, consider building a closet underneath an available staircase. Ryan says open space beneath a staircase is often underused.

If you're stuck in a studio and can't put holes in your wall, check the existing closet. Does it have a double-bar system? Ryan says most closets can hold more than one bar. Add a second and double your storage capacity. Secure two foot-long two-by-fours horizontally with screw anchors on each end of the closet. Then simply install the second bar below the first bar. If you have long dresses to hang, just cut the second bar a little short and secure it with a piece of ceiling-to-floor plywood (to which you can affix hooks for ties and belts!).

Finally, you don't necessarily need to hide your clothes away. Do you have a coat collection with no closet space for it? Put them on the wall! Find creative ways to hang the coats, like vintage hardware or old doorknobs. Ryan says the textures, colors and feelings add character to your living space. The best way to free up space in your box is to think outside of it.

--James Saul

Parcel Your Box

Problem: You don't want to cook in the bedroom and sleep in the kitchen, but often you do just that, either because your studio apartment is so small or you haven't figured out how to divide a few hundred square feet into a couple of distinct areas.

Solutions: Screens, curtains and hanging beads are often used to divide up one-room apartments. But to avoid the opium den or backstage dressing room look, use furniture or shelving to create separate spaces for work, relaxation and entertainment. First, make a floor plan of your apartment and work on ideas for parceling up space on paper. Think about using your couch or futon as a dividing line between areas. Likewise with bookshelves. Get (or build) a few stand-alone bookshelves to serve as "walls" between your different worlds. Try ceiling-to-floor shelves, too, since the most underused space in any room is the two or three feet just below the ceiling. If you just have a bed, position it in a corner lengthwise along the wall and cover it with accent pillows so that it takes up less space and looks like a couch. This designates one corner for sleep, and you're free to slice up the rest of the space according to your needs.

When it comes to furniture, think big. Rather than lots of small pieces that make the room look cluttered, use one or two large pieces (like a couch or entertainment system or a dining table) to help designate different areas. --Angelina Sciolla

'Rents vs. Rent

Problem: You're 20 (or so) and still live with your parents. You want to make your space feel like it's yours until you can get your own place.

Solutions: "Take control of the design decision," says Lauren Baumbach, associate professor of the School of Architecture and Design at Philadelphia University. Don't let Mommy and Daddy tell you what goes where.

Maximize your space with wall-to-wall shelving, whether those shelves hold pictures and memorabilia or CDs and DVDs. Mount the shelves high on the wall (maybe a foot from the ceiling) to maintain open floor and wall space for posters, memo boards and the like. For those with formidable wardrobes, double rods in the closet will probably be necessary to keep clothes off the floor. Speaking of which, "keep a hamper in [your] room," not in the bathroom, "that is cool-looking, functional and fun and big." Portable is important, too; after all, your clothes need to make it to mom's washer at some point. Linens 'n Things is a good place to find something that meets these requirements for under 20 bucks.

Also, carve out a work area so you don't have to go to the kitchen table to write that paper or read that book. To keep your guests off of your parents' couch, Baumbach advises "a trundle bed for guests that just flips away."

"Good overhead lighting," like the track variety, will ensure you won't need to vacate your haven in search of the perfect light for whatever it is you're planning to do in there (we don't want to know). Finally, "minimized window treatments" instead of extensive blinds or curtains, says Baumbach, allow for natural light and, for those lucky enough, a view. --Kate Salute

College Confinement

Problem: You're broke and in college. Your dorm room looks like a prison cell, and all you can afford at Pottery Barn is a clearance-sale throw pillow.

Solutions: Joe Picardo of Joseph Picardo Interior Design (220 W. Rittenhouse Square) says "color would be the most important." Feng shui consultant Juliette Looye notes that blue "keeps us focused and able to concentrate, and would be good for college students." Since painting is not usually an option, a cheap tapestry or pictures can easily spice up the cinderblock walls. Picardo advises that students group personal pictures, posters or artwork on the wall.

Space is a factor, so it's vital you position your furniture wisely. Local designer Michael Shannon suggests using your bed for both sleeping and relaxing. "If a student has a whole bunch of pillows on their bed, when friends come over it's more like a sofa than a bed, bridging the gap between living space and sleeping space." This may not work for the lazier students, whose friends may not appreciate sitting on an unmade couch (or one littered with stems and buds of Hawaiian Gold). Looye suggests removing unnecessary clutter, and furniture that wasn't included with the room, because "it feels like it is weighing in on you." Essentially, empty your room of everything but the bare essentials. When organized, you're more in control and the room will feel more like your own, Looye added. If you decide to add furniture, Shannon suggests any small couch can be personalized with a large throw or homemade coverings. Secondhand shops have plenty of material for coverings and window dressings.

Both Shannon and Picardo suggest Ikea and Target for well-designed furniture, but there are plenty of cheaper alternatives. Uhuru Furniture & Collectibles at 1220 Spruce St. is great for cheap furniture, as is D & D Thrift Store at 5456 Walnut St. and Thrift Zone Furniture Outlet and Co. at 149 Marlton Ave. in Camden. If you are particularly thrifty (or completely broke), try cruising around on trash night. --Lou Perseghin

White Washed

Problem: Your bland white walls make your apartment look like the doctor's office.

Solutions: Even if you plan a quick escape once your lease is up, there are low-maintenance ways of sprucing up walls with color without risking your security deposit. Rather than douse all four walls with rich hues, consider a highlight wall.

In order to figure out what color works best with room shape and furnishings, Denny Daikeler, local author of What Color Is Your Slipcover?, says, "I usually advise working with a bunch of paint chips easily found in your neighborhood paint store. Experiment with different combinations of color using some that match present furnishings."

For Daikeler, being daring means color selections based on likes rather than safety. If you grew up in a house with typically white walls, you may be loathe to transition to Technicolor. But unlike retouched celluloid, painting your abode can be mood-altering in a good way.

She adds, "I always recommend cutting out lots of pictures in magazines. Notice the colors you're drawn to in those pictures. Go soft if you want to be safe, or go [with] one wall of a stronger accent color with the others basic white. Sometimes it's fun to do it slowly. A new color, but applied to one wall, and then a second wall weeks later, and then you're ready for all four!"

Philadelphia-based designer Floss Barber, who is responsible for the recently refurbished Bookbinder's restaurant, says that creating a geometric shape on a wall, like a square of color in the dining room, can give a room an entirely different aesthetic. "You can create a huge square, 7 feet by 7 feet of color, leaving the border all white," explains Barber. "It's not involved with the base or molding. And you can paint it up quickly."

Daikeler similarly advises, "Buy a few small cans in favorite shades and paint some geometric shapes in various positions on the walls, or stretch some wonderful fabric on canvas frames and suspend them on various walls." --Natalie Hope McDonald

The Invisible Pet

Problem: Your living room smells like cat pee. You've tried the usual remedies, but nothing seems to work. The worst part? You've never owned a cat. You don't even notice the smell anymore. But your poor friends do.

Solutions: Consider it a survival mechanism. Constant exposure to a stimulus has left you with little to no perception of it. "You could go away for two weeks, come back and still smell nothing," says Dr. Charles Wysocki, member of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in University City. Your visitors aren't so lucky, which is why you should "rely on their noses," he says.

First thing: Destroy the menace if you can, but don't be surprised if you crawl and sniff for hours without locating a centralized source. Your entire carpet probably reeks of some anonymous hodgepodge. Replacing it could cost hundreds; most sprays only temporarily mask odors with a weird chemical one. (Wysocki remains skeptical of diversion tactics — distracting your guests with more pleasant sensations like music or cookies. "If someone's wearing a beautiful dress, and they fart, you still smell it.") He instead suggests using activated carbon, which you can find in most pet stores. Carefully sprinkle a tiny bit with baking soda, then vacuum. It's better for smelly acids, he adds. In fact, Wysocki maintains that no available products are completely effective, though he's hopeful that the perfect one could exist. "For every odor, you can find another odor that'll knock it out of its receptor," he says, citing a fruity ethyl ester that blocks the smell of sweat. "It's theoretically possible to find an odor that'll make cat odor inoffensive." Just, nobody's found it yet. Until then, you can experiment with different odors. Or provide a basket of clothespins at the front door. — Tami Fertig