Downtown skyline reflected in a calm river, surrounded by trees and grassy banks under a clear blue sky.
The Best Metro Area for Millennials, According to Statistics
As the millennial job market becomes mobile, many twenty- and thirty-somethings are looking outside the big cities for places to settle down. If you haven’t been keeping score like I am, the Midwest is proving itself to be an increasingly attractive option with up-and-coming cities that offer millennials the lifestyle they’re searching for—and the price they want to pay.
Nov 5, 2018
8 Geometric Side Tables That Make a Bold Statement
If you feel like your room is missing a certain artistic touch, then it’s time to bring out the sculptures. But rather than getting actual busts or little figurines, help bring in that missing creative flair with end tables. Swap out your simple wooden pieces for geometric side tables that look like they belong in an art installation or museum.
Nov 5, 2018
Look Inside: A 1928 “Tiny” House in San Jose Asks $798K
This California casa is small in size but big on charm. 759 N 19th Street Located in San Jose, California $798,000 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom Pinch yourself. If you thought a tiny home couldn’t be more charming, then think again. This Spanish bungalow in the Northside neighborhood of San Jose is petite perfection. Built in 1928, the 759-square-foot property manages to marry original charm with modern updates.
Nov 5, 2018
This Scandinavian Home Is a Dreamy Minimalist Farmhouse
Name: Christina Strehlow, husband, two daughters and a dog Location: Österlen, Sweden Size: 2067 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Though it was “love” and “wow” at first sight, we still had many things to do to this house. It wasn’t so nice when we moved in. We have DIYed everything, even building on a new corner of the house. We have really restored this house from the ground-up.
Nov 5, 2018
A Small Rental Updated With Contact Paper, Stencils, and More
Name: Emilie Hebert, my cat Leo Location: Fort Collins, Colorado Size: 752 square feet Years lived in: 2 months, renting I moved to Colorado to attend graduate school, and hopefully I’ll be here for awhile. I signed on the apartment before I saw it in person! I live here with my tabby Leo, who really loves to look out the windows and eat some of my plants. As soon as I moved in, we painted the walls and cabinets white.
Nov 4, 2018
Shopping for Bath Towels? Here’s How to Find the Right Plushness for You
Towels may serve a strictly utilitarian purpose—to dry you off after a shower, swim, or long bath—but, trust us, they’re far from basic. Truth is, choosing the right towel for your lifestyle and space can add a luxurious, spa-like quality to your standard bathroom. That’s why some people are willing to shell out the big bucks for ’em. (Need proof? Here are 14 bath towels that will rock your world!
Nov 4, 2018
Kitchen Flooring That Won’t Drain Your Remodeling Budget
When you’re redoing a kitchen, flooring has a huge impact on the way the room looks. The orangey faux terra cotta we inherited in our Victorian kitchen drove me nuts and I couldn’t wait to replace it. New floors aren’t cheap though. If you’re considering an overhaul of your kitchen up to and including the floor, it’s easy to drop way more than you intend to. The good news is you don’t have to.
Nov 4, 2018
A 370-Square-Foot Studio Is Uncluttered Yet Cozy
Name: Naimah Jennings, two cats: Teapot and Huey Location: The West End — Alameda, California Size: 370 square feet Years lived in: 1 1/2 years, renting This studio is the first place that I’ve ever lived at on my own without any roommates. I’ve been really happy to create a space for myself that 100 percent reflects my personality.
Nov 3, 2018
Here’s the Salary You Need to Buy a Modest Home in New York City, San Francisco & 22 Other Places
It’s funny how buying a home became known as “The American Dream,” because for decades, it wasn’t a dream at all. Just a few generations ago (basically: your grandparents), buying a house in your 20’s was just reality. I love this story from Relative Realty about a couple of real first-time buyers in Toronto—Ron and Joan, both “in their early 20’s”—achieving The American Canadian Dream.
Nov 3, 2018
7 Bad Housekeeping Habits You Need to Quit Right Now
Clutter is just a fact of life. Stuff piles up, messes are made, and dealing with it all becomes one of many things on your to-do list. Easy enough to manage when life is calm and work is steady, but when things get hectic, it’s more and more tempting to let things slide and deal with them later. And eventually, all that procrastinating can turn into what feels like an impossible cleaning challenge. But, of course, that’s not the case.
Nov 3, 2018
Before and After: This Vintage Travel Trailer Got a $500 Facelift
This “disastrous” 1970s trailer is about to become a highly inviting guest room, parked on a lake and packed with vintage charm. And all it took was $500—and a lot of hard work. A 50(ish)-year-old trailer is bound to have a backstory, and this one definitely does: This trailer has a lot of history, and by the time we decided to start this project, it had definitely seen better days. A Prowler brand travel trailer, it originally belonged to my Grandpa’s fishing buddy.
Nov 3, 2018
4 Phone Calls That Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars
These days, actually using the phone to call people has pretty much fallen by the wayside. But here’s ample reason to pick up the phone: By making a few simple calls—and asking the right questions—you could save hundreds on your household bills. And the best part about living in 2018? You can actually pay someone to do it for you. According to U.S. News & World Report, there are several services that will lobby with your providers for better rates.
Nov 2, 2018
This 215 Square-Foot Mossy Cabin In the Woods Is a Cozy Pacific Northwest Getaway
With the abundance of tiny homes cropping up every day, constructing a stand-out residence requires more and more creativity, and designers appear to have an endless supply of it. The latest adorably small house we’re crushing on is this moss-adorned cabin designed by Jacob Witzling, the same builder who had us wanting to permanently camp out in his whimsical tiny house on a truck bed.
Nov 2, 2018
The Majority of Renters Don’t Vote—Here’s Why
Feel like, as a renter, the world swings in favor of homeowners? Well, it just might. A new study by Apartment List found that renters are vastly underrepresented in American politics on both the local and national levels. Though some of it is systematic, some also comes from being disengaged. In the 2016 presidential election, while 67 percent of homeowners voted, only 49 percent of renters did.
Nov 2, 2018
A Student’s 250-Square-Foot Studio Feels Larger Than It Is
Name: Katie Carnett and kitties: Tokyo and Suki Location: Bay Ho neighborhood — San Diego, California Size: 250 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting This charming little studio was the first place I looked at when hunting for an apartment and as luck had it, I signed my lease that same day. The studio is attached to a private residence with a shared yard that looks out on a view of a canyon. It is so quiet, private, and peaceful.
Nov 2, 2018
5 Home Upgrades That Can End Up Paying for Themselves
When you think of home upgrades that can save you money over time, are you imagining hefty investments like solar-powered roofs and native landscaping? Those projects certainly are the green goddesses in eco-friendly renovations. But, when it comes to upgrades, there are several smaller features that, over time, can pay for themselves, too—and they’re a lot easier to incorporate into your home. What we’re getting at?
Nov 1, 2018
Print Off This Checklist & Save $100 This Month
Budgeting is too often misunderstood. The problem: Many people look over their expenses after the money is gone. Then they get startled or—even less productively—embarrassed at how much money was spent on things like eating out or buying new clothing, and vow to cut back next month. It’s an endless cycle that does little to change your spending habits.
Nov 1, 2018
Partner
See How This Interior Designer DIYed a Hotel Back to Life
When Megan Pflug wanted to decamp from New York to the Hudson Valley and live on a property that doubled as a business, running a hotel wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. But Megan, an interior designer, has a great eye for potential, and when she found an upstate New York property that had it, she knew it was a match. The 1962 A-frame lodge needed some love to greet the 21st century in style, but that wasn’t Megan’s biggest obstacle.
Nov 1, 2018
A Bold Boston Apartment Is Full of Renter-Friendly Color Ideas
Name: Karen Martin Location: Brighton neighborhood — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 670 square feet Years lived in: 4 months, renting I live alone in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston in a fourth floor, one-bedroom in a 1930s Art Deco apartment building. I have moved around a lot from Philly to Manhattan to here and lived in seven rentals since graduating from college, but when I viewed this apartment this spring, I had a complete “Aha!” moment and knew it was meant to be.
Nov 1, 2018
The $6.5M Home Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Will Share
Well before announcing their engagement in August, Nick Jonas was already planning his future with Priyanka Chopra by locking down the property that they will call home. The singer invested a whopping $6.5 million into this Beverly Hills pad back in April for the couple to share once they’re married, according to Realtor.com.
Oct 31, 2018
Turns Out, Cheap Dinosaur Toys Can Make Shockingly Stylish Decor
If you thought those cheap plastic dinosaur toys from your youth would only come in handy when you babysit, it’s time to think again. Turns out those colorful cuties can be repurposed into some surprisingly snazzy home decor items—it just takes a little imagination. Read ahead for a few fun ways to upcycle those old plastic dinosaurs you and your cousins used to play with. The only thing better than a charming succulent planter is one that you made on your own.
Oct 31, 2018
This Tiny Camper Pops Up in Just 30 Seconds
When I was little, my sisters and I had a pop-up Barbie camper, and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. This real-life camper is just like that, right down to the kitchen in a slide-out drawer—and unlike the Barbie version, it can be ready to go in just 30 seconds. This one, called the iCamp, is a design of Dutch company Udo Camp. Making Barbie’s camper move-in ready required painstakingly fitting together a series of teeny-tiny connectors and support poles.
Oct 31, 2018
Before and After: A Very Satisfying $30 Kitchen Cabinet Upgrade
This tiny kitchen was making its owner feel claustrophobic. All it took was $30 and a couple of hours to add breathing room—and beauty—without losing any storage space. Here’s what inspired this ultra-approachable upgrade: Unfortunately, I have a tiny kitchen… as in “two’s a crowd” kind of tiny. Cabinets on top, limited counter space and cabinets on the bottom. Pretty standard and does the job, usually.
Oct 31, 2018
5 Luxury Tiny Homes That Are Cheaper Than a Fixer Upper
They say good things come in small packages—and fans of the tiny house movement seem to agree. More and more people are giving up typical homes (and typical mortgages) and choosing the pared-down experience of living in small prefab homes—but that doesn’t mean sacrificing luxury or comfort. Here are five examples of prefab homes that pack a ton of upscale amenities into tiny spaces.
Oct 31, 2018
6 Ways You Can Donate Your Leftover Halloween Candy to a Good Cause
Having plenty of Halloween candy to pass out—and then some—is not optional. Which sparkly princess or toddling robot with an upturned, hopeful face and proffered bucket could you tell “Sorry, we ran out of treats”? Not happening. And then there’s the kids coming home with their hauls from which they’ll pick a designated ration of their favorites (plus your tithe) and all that leftover candy. Sometimes there’s way too much of a good thing.
Oct 31, 2018
An Eclectic San Diego Home Is a Designer’s Happy Place
Name: Irene Kim Coppedge, husband and two kids Location: San Diego, California Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Two kids, two adults, two goldfish (Kiwi and Porkchop), and one hamster (Hammy) live in our happy home. We purchased it in 2014 and moved in after a medium-sized renovation. We live in a part of San Diego that is full of wonderful, unique, old homes and it’s hard to find something that is “move-in” ready.
Oct 31, 2018
One Holiday Prep Task You Can’t Afford to Put Off ‘Til December
For 10 days at the end of October, Apartment Therapy wants to help you get ahead on the holidays. Together, we’re checking off doable daily tasks to get one step closer to the effortless holiday season you deserve. Sign up now (it’s free!) so you don’t miss a thing. Culture has a way of evolving a vocabulary to embrace and explain humanity’s common eccentricities.
Oct 31, 2018
Proof That When It Comes to Wall Art, Sometimes More Is More
The old adage is to take off at least one accessory before leaving the house, but that doesn’t ring true when it comes to house decor. When it comes to art in your home, sometime more is really more. Floor-to-ceiling gallery walls not only bring a touch of color and busy-ness into a room, but it also lets you flex your creative muscles, allows you to bring character into the space, and lets you show your personality through the paintings and prints you choose. So why not layer up on it?
Oct 30, 2018
The $3 Fall Decor You Should Buy at Trader Joe’s This Month
I’m a lazy holiday decorator. I’m completely fine with throwing a pumpkin or gourd on the table, and calling it a day. If said decorations work for multiple holidays, all the better. Which is why I love walking into Trader Joe’s. Groceries aside, there’s always some new, seasonal item found right inside their front door—pumpkins, eucalyptus, and alstroemerias to name a few— that I can buy and keep around for months.
Oct 30, 2018
Artist Molly Crabapple’s Politically Charged NYC Home
The lower Manhattan studio she's inhabited for a decade with her partner Fred exudes freedom and fearlessness.
Oct 30, 2018
6 Things You Can Clean Right When You Get Home (Still in Your Work Clothes)
Look, we know when you get home after a long day of work the last thing you want to think about is cleaning, but like it or not, it’s a great time to get a little light housekeeping done. If you commit yourself to cleaning a small handful of things before you change out of your work clothes, you’ve got yourself some instant motivation and the opportunity to set yourself up for a calm (and clean) evening of chilling at home.
Oct 30, 2018
7 Tiny Cabin Homes That Are Perfect For Winter Hibernation
With the cold weather comes the opportunity to snuggle up to the fireplace, cuddle under a fleece blanket, and cradle a hot cup of tea for the entire day (or entire season, whatever your availability allows.) And what better place to do that than in the comfort of a snug tiny cabin? In short, these micro wooden wonders that we speak of are tiny houses with a rustic twist. Think log cabin, but shrunken down a size (or two).
Oct 30, 2018
Before and After: A Brown ’60s Kitchen Is Now a Clean, Happy Space
Name: Heather Morgan, husband, three kids (Saige 8, Ivy Mae 4 Judah 1), two cats Location: Davis, California Size: 1,222 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned We are a labor and delivery nurse and an engineer-turned-landscape designer making a simple life for our three kids. We live in a small space and both work part-time in an effort to focus on our family life and the needs of our little ones post the birth of our youngest child who is medically complex.
Oct 30, 2018
20 Things You Don’t Have to Buy for the Holidays
For 10 days at the end of October, Apartment Therapy wants to help you get ahead on the holidays. Together, we’re checking off doable daily tasks to get one step closer to the effortless holiday season you deserve. Sign up now (it’s free!) so you don’t miss a thing. Just because you need something doesn’t mean it needs to be purchased. There are a lot of reasons to try your hand at DIY: It can be cheaper, less wasteful, and it’s a heck of a lot more fun.
Oct 30, 2018
The 5 Biggest Design Mistakes People Make in Their Kitchens, According to Designers
When taking on a home improvement project as major, time-consuming, and expensive (!!!) as designing a new kitchen, the last thing that you want to do is make a few choices now that you end up regretting later—especially if that ends up meaning you wasted money. To help identify the biggest money-wasting no-nos to avoid, we consulted a few kitchen design experts. Having been around plenty of renovations, they had some good live-and-learn lessons and what-not-to-dos to share.
Oct 29, 2018
$995K “Tiny” House Packs a Lot of Luxury into 800 Square Feet
A small space (for California) with so much charm, and every possible amenity. 3136 Serra Avenue Located in Carmel, California $995,000 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom If you were to look up the definition of “charming,” there’s a good chance you’d find a listing for this home. The one-bedroom, one-bath “small house” (as they call it) comprises just 800 square feet of space, but feels a whole lot bigger.
Oct 29, 2018
Before and After: This Sunroom Becomes a $300 Second Living Room
The owner of this space described it as “a very scary sunroom,” and the presence of asbestos alone earns it that designation. After six weeks of hardcore work, it’s now anything but scary. Here’s a bit more insight about what our intrepid DIYer was facing: The before of my sunroom was symbolic of the entire house—unloved, a little broken, but with a lot of potential.
Oct 29, 2018
This Grad Student’s 350-Square-Foot Studio Is Stylishly Inspiring
Name: Zahra Clayborne, my cat, Tenny Location: Ottawa — Ontario, Canada Size: 350 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting I am a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa, studying psychiatric epidemiology (that’s a mouthful!). I moved here two years ago from Calgary, and this is my first apartment.
Oct 29, 2018
Why You Should Go to IKEA Before You Even Start Packing
Every IKEA teems with last-minute movers the first and third weekends of the month—it’s just a fact. And if you are like me, you also probably accept as fact that if you’re moving, you are going to have to do an IKEA run the moment after the movers leave.
Oct 29, 2018
9 Super IKEA Shelf Hacks Anyone Can Pull Off
For every item IKEA brings into this world, there’s at least 10 ways to improve upon it, or make it your own. Some hacks are laboriously complicated and too involved for most humans, other projects are easy for just about anyone to pull off. If you’re looking for some super simple ways to tweak, alter, improve, or upgrade your shelving, here are nine ways to hack those BILLYs, EKBYs, EVETs, and LACKs.
Oct 29, 2018
A 450-Square-Foot D.C. Home Is Small But Sweet
Name: Anne Feldman Location: Columbia Heights — Washington, DC Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting I live in a one-bedroom apartment in Columbia Heights in Washington D.C.. Most recently, I lived in Columbia, Missouri, where I worked on a campaign. Campaigns are a lot of fun, but it usually means living in an atypical housing situation – in my case that meant a basement apartment that I shared with two other roommates in an off-campus house near Mizzou.
Oct 29, 2018
A Modern and Eclectic Manhattan Remodel
Name: Jan Eliasberg, my daughter Location: Lenox Hill — New York City, N.Y. Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 9 months, owned The “classic six” apartment had great bones, a huge, loft-like living room with southern light and open views of the downtown skyline, but the beauty was obscured by horrible finishes and the worst kind of seventies style: disco wallpaper; a pink formica kitchen; builder’s brick red tiles, and imitation marble linoleum flooring.
Oct 28, 2018
Costco’s Best-Selling Item Is One You Never Want to Run Out Of
Have you ever gone shopping and forgotten the one real item you went to the store for in the first place? Obviously, it happens to all of us. Even when you write down a list of “must get” items, you always manage to forget one thing. Maybe you didn’t actually check the cabinets before leaving, or it just totally slipped your mind when you put your pen to paper. Whatever happened, we’ve been there, and it stinks.
Oct 28, 2018
3 Things You Can Do Instead of Moving to a Bigger Apartment
Feeling like it’s time to size up your space? By all means, do it. But know that it’s going to likely require a bigger investment month-to-month, and probably drain your change right now as you scramble to pay for moving costs and the other expenses that inevitably creep up when you decide to pick up your roots and settle down in a new spot.
Oct 28, 2018
Before and After: Wait Until You See What This Target Headboard Turns Into
What can you turn a headboard into? Here’s a hint: this decadent blush velvet, channel-seam headboard is leaving the boudoir for the cuisine… I love everything about this: the fantastic floor, the black-and-white base palette, the luscious green, mustard, and blush accents, the enviable bistro vibe, the elegant storage in the benches, and the visionary decision to use a headboard to create a comfy yet glam breakfast nook.
Oct 28, 2018
An Organic Modern House by the Ocean Is Airy and Bright
Name: Elizabeth Burns Location: Mission Canyon neighborhood — Santa Barbara, California Size: 1,900 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, owned A mid-century modern home was the farthest kind of house from my mind when I began house hunting in Santa Barbara. My husband is bicoastal and so the search for a West Coast home fell on my shoulders. After nine months, I walked into this house and knew it was the one.
Oct 27, 2018
Our Favorite Household Cleaners for $5 or Less
A good household cleaner can make housekeeping a breeze. But a good household cleaner that only costs five bucks or less? Well, that’s a game-changer for your home. To help make your housekeeping endeavors go more smoothly (and affordably), we rounded up the best commercial cleaning products under $5.
Oct 27, 2018