Level Up Gents

Pet peeves on toilet paper:

• A roll never belongs in your bedroom.  Particularly under you bed or on your night stand.  I know what you’re doing with it.  And if you are really using it to blow your nose then grow up and get a tissue box.
• Never leave an empty roll on the dispenser.  Leaving a new roll sitting on top does not count.
• If you are replacing the roll the the free end should be hung over not under.

Curtains make a big difference to a room/house. Remember when you moved into your place? Chances are, you put up some kind of curtains right away — if only that college standby, a tacked-up sheet or blanket.  Well you’re not in college anymore.

There is more than one thing wrong with this picture

Curtains provide privacy; they filter light; they affect the feel of a room. Most places if you rent come with some sort of blinds.  Typically they are outdated and dingy.  Depending on how cheap they are- they may not block out light as well.  A great alternative is curtains.

You can use curtains to change the look and feel of a room, and they’re a fast, easy and relatively inexpensive way to update your decor. Consider when and how the room is used, what’s outside, what exposure to light does the room have.

Stand back from the select window and envision what color, style and texture that you want.  Think about the furniture and wall color, etc.  Decide what would look good and serve your needs as well.  If it’s in a bedroom, you may prefer room darkening curtains.  If it’s in the living room or dining room, you might desire an airy look that you can still see some of the outdoors, like a sheer. Decide on the width and length.  Do you want curtains all the way across a wall?  Or just over the window?  Ceiling to floor length or just above window to window sill?  Make sure the proportions work for the room.

Stores I suggest for decorating on a budget include places like Ikea and Ross, other options are Target and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Choose the width and length of curtain, carefully.  Most curtains come in 63″ or 84″ lengths.  You can easily modify the length yourself with a no sewing seam tape that just requires an iron (this applies to non sheer curtains).  When mounting the rod and curtain, the rule of thumb for width is to add 4″ to each side of window for overlap.  This keeps the extra light from seeping into the room.  You can also layer curtains with sheer or non sheer under your main curtain fabric you choose, depending on what type of natural lighting you are trying to achieve.

Curtains are always a nice touch and alternative to blinds.

I’m not a stickler for having matching plates and glasses or having any type of fine China. I never really understood the whole nice China on the wedding registry.  Clearly I have no plans to have fancy parties to entertain lots of guests.  But at minimum have more than 4 sets of plates, utensils and cups.  This helps so you don’t have to constantly do the dishes or run out of something when you have guests over.

For those on a real budget Goodwill is a great place to pick up super cheap utensils, cups, and plates.  They may not all match but they are cheap and I think it’s better to have 6 or more mismatching forks than only 2. The next upgrade option is a place like Ross or Marshalls.  You can pick up a new set for a really good price.  And if you want to go big, get married and you can put some fancy silverware and crystal on the registry because it can get absurdly expensive.

Nothing like a clean and organized closet t to show a girl you’re an adult and mature enough to respect the fine clothes that you wear.  Here are some tips to keep it efficient and organized:

Organize hanging garments by type and color. Dress shirts, for example, can be sorted first by sleeve length and then by shade. By keeping like with like, options for a given outfit are clear at a glance.

Choose the right hanger. Your closet will look neater if you use just one type of hanger—I highly recommend wood.  You can get a pack of 8 from Ikea for $3.99.

Set up zones. A low rod holds tops and pants and a high bar, jackets/blazers and suits. A high shelf works fine for out-of-season shoes and sweaters.

Arrange folded items. Any clothing that will stretch out of shape should be folded over hangers. When organizing the folded clothing you’ll store on shelves, place heavier items at the bottom of the pile, and lighter ones at the top. After folding, arrange garments by function (workout tops together, business tops together, etc.) and color (white to nude to bright colors to black). If your closet doesn’t have shelves, consider using part of your clothing rod for hanging canvas ones or placing a dresser in your closet.

Get a garment bag. A sturdy canvas garment bag protects fine suits and jackets better than plastic. (Leather, in particular, is susceptible to drying and even cracking if kept in plastic.)

Deal with dry cleaning. Remove clothes from dry-cleaning bags as soon as you get home, and hang your clothes on proper hangers. Return the wire hangers to the dry cleaner for reuse.

Manage odds and ends. Store gloves, belts, ties, scarves, hats and other accessories in plain sight on hooks or racks, which can be attached to the inside of your closet door.

Contain what doesn’t hang. Use containers—consider a matching set of baskets—to hold accessories and clothing that can’t be hung, such as socks and undergarments. Smaller baskets or boxes can store a single type of accessory, such as scarves or hats.

Pick a system for storing shoes. Choose between a shoe rack on the floor, a hanging shoe organizer, see-through plastic boxes, or original shoe boxes. Stow shoes you don’t wear frequently in labeled plastic boxes on a high shelf, in another closet, or under your bed.

Hamper the dirty.  Hide your dirty laundry in your closet in some type of hamper.  I recommend one that has a removable liner or has handles to easily take your dirty clothes to the washer.

Dream Closet

Real Closet

SF-based furniture makers Knife & Saw developed a solid walnut shelf that’ll cooly keep your bike suspended in place, while allowing plenty of room on top for things like books, flowers, and picture frames.

For those of you who are lucky enough to have a dishwasher- I hope you are using it and not using it to just store your tupperware like most Asians.  And my next hope is that you are not pre-washing everything before you put it in the dishwasher.  When I was a child and watching my mom do the dishes (I didn’t help because I was a spoiled) I never understood why she was washing them before she put them in the dishwasher.  Why even bother dishwashing them if you have to wash them all by hand first.  Well it’s because of all the crap that sticks and remains on the dishes and silverware.

For one that’s not very “green” of you to wash the dishes twice.  But I have your solution!  Cascade Detergent Action Packs!  I NEVER prewash my dishes.  I throw them in all crusty and with food all over them and they come out sparkling clean!  And my dishwasher isn’t fancy and from the 70s.  Try them out.

Ikea Olunda $39.99, Avalisa Boston Terrier Poster $34.99, De Young Museum Satellite View of San Francisco Poster $35, Zero per Zero Seoul Railway Poster $23.50

Like I’ve mentioned before in my Wall Decals post art ain’t so cheap.  Here are some of my favorite alternatives.  Posters are always affordable alternatives but keep them classy by not just scotch taping them to the wall or using push pins- we’re not in college dorm rooms anymore.  At the least 3M makes Poster Adhesive Strips.  More expensive alternatives would be use a poster hanger kit, have it mounted on gator or foam board, or have it custom framed which will be alot more expensive than you think.  If you choose to get it frammed I suggest taking it somewhere like Cheap Pete’s in the Inner Richmond or better yet take it to Michael’s Crafts and use their 40-50% off custom framing coupon that you can get off line weekly.

Indoor environmental quality is as important as outdoor.  I hate walking into a stuffy room that’s got the funk.  Keep it fresh and airy by leaving your window cracked and dehumidified.  Might be a good idea to get an air purifier as well.  Damp, stuffy, funk comes from a few places.  Clothes and bedding, humidity from the shower, and dirty/funky shoes/clothes.  Candles help eliminate the funk as well- just don’t get something too aromatic.  Plants also help make more of the oxygen we like to breath as well as soften up a space with a little green. I practically kill every plant I’ve owned but succulents are easy to maintain and do the same job.  if you’re not sure if your room has a funk because you’ve become numb to it ask a friend.

People are always looking for cheap art for their apartments.  And artwork is typically not cheap.  The framing alone for a poster or screen print will cost you a couple hundred.  Blik wall decals are a great alternative to art work.  From the people who brought you Threadless T’s, Blik partners with designers to make innovative and removable surface graphics.  Perfect for those who rent.  Check them out: http://www.whatisblik.com/