Designing conundrum

Man, it is hard making 250 sq. feet work. My captain's bed has worked out very well, but admittedly it's been the only stroke of (borrowed) genius I've had. I really want to take advantage of my high ceilings with some shelves. But you're supposed to screw those babies into studs, right? Do NYC apartments even have studs? I'm scared I'll buy the shelves, put them up and then watch as they come crashing down.

I don't really have any floor space left for furniture unless I get rid of my current pieces. I suppose that's an option, but not really one I want to explore too deeply. I like my furniture. I just want some pieces that are taller while I live in my current apartment. Work had stalled me from worrying about my lack of storage. But this week the Home issue of Time Out New York is out and of course I grabbed a copy. It contained a good amount of sound advice.

The designer suggestions for a small living space amused me though. Or maybe they bemused me? Sure, put up shelving in my alcove...what alcove? Use an iPod as your only piece of audio visual equipment? You have to be kidding. Float your furniture? Good luck maneuvering around it. I'm not sure these designers understood the concept of 'small' in New York City. The stackable chairs suggestion and double a desk as your dining room table were good thoughts.

As one of the Ikea converted, I'm currently in love with one of the workspaces they present in the catalog:

This whole area is 50 sq. feet.
Too bad that's still about 1/4 of my apartment's
total size.

Of particular interest is the Expedit bookcase on the left with the drawer and door inserts. Very cool! I like the black and white contrast, the height of the unit and...ohmigod, I completely sound like the yuppy The Narrator despises so. But I have to admit, for city living on a budget Ikea is very hard to beat.

That's not to say there are no other pieces that have caught my eye. I love this light from Design Within Reach (table lamp too) and it would make a great accent piece for behind or next to my TV unit. I'm also loving this lantern by notNeutral -- it would be perfect for my backyard. Furniture-wise, I think the Windham bookcases from Crate & Barrel are gorgeous (the desk isn't too bad either), and Pottery Barn's Graham Desk (a steal at only $1,000 plus delivery!) or Cynthia Wardrobe (cool mirror on the outside) or Chiffonier would look gorgeous.

Pier 1 was my main furniture shopping destination in Connecticut, but I have no idea what happened to their website. They went from having their full catalog online with an e-commerce component to some products online in a website that is so 1998. It went backwards in time from a pretty cool site to a pretty cheesy one. Their in-store selection has also changed for the worse, IMHO.

This weekend I'm planning to hit some of the thrift stores here on the UES. I've heard you can find some sweet pieces around here, and I don't doubt it.