So, what’s wrong with it? In short, it will not work with 3 phase electric systems. Most commercial grade building uses 3 phase systems. Our loft building is one. So it just won’t work well.

If you have a house, I think this system is great. But for me, we have to go back to either Z-Wave which is radio based, new, and have a very poor and ugly selection of controllers and devices, or Lutron RadioRA. Stay tune.

We bought two IKEA MAGIKER short shelves with doors for our entry hall. Out of all the series at IKEA, I always like the MAGIKER series. It’s clean look, especially in the lighter colors, matches a modern interior nicely without being too cold. Since we have very light bamboo floors, the color further matches.

The original idea was to use those cabinets as secondary storage, while giving us a display space for the entry hall. Once we put them up we realized that they are perfect for shoes. The only trouble is that we could use double the shelves. Today I found a new shoes rack that is not in their catalog call FRAN. They fit perfectly in the cabinet, but you need to take one of the doors off temporarily to put them inside. See pictures below:

It is because, part of the reason for living in the city is that I feel more connected to the neighborhood and people. From my windows, I can see the streets, and the city activities on the street, day and night. I can see the people in the next building. I can see the courtyard and parks. I feel like I am almost there. If I move to a high rise building, that visual connection is lost. You are now looking out a window far away from the ground. You cannot make out the details of the activities. You are not connected. It’s more like voyeurism rather than connected.

Also, most highrise are designed so that the connecting spaces, the corridors on each floor, are narrow and have way too many units per floor. It becames a very impersonal space, very disconnected. You live in a box within a box, and don’t know anyone around you. That’s not city living.

What did he use? Redi Shade. They are about $5 a set, functional, perfect for temporary use. We may even get a few to put up in our hip (meaning cheap) office loft space.

Because the loft building is still being built, the appraiser has to go thru the agent to get access to the building under constructions. He then has to go back to look at it one more time once it si finished.

What a surprise… Have not lived in a building for awhile, I did not realized that almost all condo type buildings cannot provide in unit venting for dryers. It is a building code restriction. Lint filled dryer venting is a fire hazzard. So I need ventless dryers.

From the Sears sales person recommendation, I just went to Home Depot and bought a lint trap kit. It is a $10 plastic tray that you put some water in, and pipe the vent into this little box. It probably requires cleaning and refilling and emptying. Not very user friendly.

I think found out there are truly ventless/condensation dryers out there, made by Asko,Bosch, etc that are very expensive but are designed for apartment living.

Appliances

• ventless washer dryer
• ASKO manufacturer
• LG manufacturer

• Russound whole house audio and video distribution.
• B&W speakers
• Rotating AV Racks
• Vimco, Lutron Controllable Shades
• Lutron lighting control
• Snake Tray for wiring, probably too industrial
• Art work hanging systems
• Art work hanging system 2
• Avanti systems specifically from the UK
• Furniture:
• Topdeq office furniture
• Bamboo Floorings
• OCHO concrete furniture
• Not quite home loft, but and article onoffice design, and mentioned loft space as a good fit for offices.
• salamander AV furniture.
• cordless lamps and furnitures
• Furnitures from Austrialia
• Urban Peel furnitures
• netstream cat5 whole house music distribution system
• Shelving systems:
  • Atlaswest shelfing and storage system
  • ISS Designs another shelfing system. Simpler. Tension pole
  • Rakks Shelfing
• Bathroom
  • Water Tile from Kohler
• Panelite

This is the second weekend in the city. Lousy N.E. weather means both weekends are rainy. It is still nice to be able to walk around. Drinking cappuchino in a local cafe, people watching, found a dry cleaner and a video store, and even the nearest starbucks.

A side note on moving and mortgages. The mortgage company on the previous house happily auto debited my bank account for another loan payment after the loan was paid off. Just called them and they will return my money, also with the reminding of the escrow balance, next week. Are they going to pay me interest of that money? I doubt it.