Chips on a Sandwich | no. 18 | THE RIGHT HEIGHT
Breadth, depth, length and width and...height. Why isn't it heighth? If you like consistency, then perhaps height without that extra "h" bothers you. Maybe you even pronounce height as heighth (I'll readily admit that I did until I was corrected about a decade ago). In the 18th century height and heighth competed with one another, but that final "t" won in the end. Sorry, "h".
57-INCH RULE: How do you hang your art? If you go with your gut know that there's also a formula (and I'm quite fond of it): 57-on-center. What does that mean? The center of a piece of artwork should land on the wall 57-inches up from the floor. Why 57-inches? It's the average human eye height (or heighth if you're old school) and the standard for hanging art in many galleries and museums. It makes a huge difference. Most artwork is hung too high in private homes so try the 57-inch rule with some of your pieces-- you'll appreciate them in a whole new way.
HIGH CEILINGS: Often a selling point for a home, high ceilings are coveted. Eight-foot ceilings have been the standard, but many want 10-feet or more. What's the attraction? Researchers at the University Toronto-Scarborough found that people have a psychological sense of freedom when the ceilings are high, which could bring on positive/happy feelings. Does that mean that low ceilings are oppressive? Not necessarily. They can make the right person feel cozy and concentrated.
THE HIGH LINE: A railway running north and south (Gansevoort St. to 34th St.) on Manhattan's West side sat abandoned for years. The 1.45-mile-long path had been overrun by the wildness of nature. Local residents founded the High Line in 1999 to save the elevated path from being demolished. It's since been tamed into a public green space. I've walked the entirety of the High Line several times and it's the height-- not the length-- that I find most compelling. The track is suspended 30-feet above the street and I've always found it to be a rather intimate vantage point of the city. It almost feels like a secret though it totally isn't.
SHOE AND HEEL SOLD SEPARATELY: Are you more of a kitten heel or stiletto type of person? Maybe it depends on your mood. If you like personal height options then let me introduce you to Tanya Heath Paris: pick your shoes and then mix-and-match interchangeable heels with different designs and heights. Change your heels (and your height) as often as you like.
POLL: Sky dive or bungee jump? (And you all were ardent defenders of couches from last week's poll. Sorry, armchair.)