Before & After: Embracing Minimalism in a Tiny Bedroom
"I moved to San Francisco with a couple of suitcases and found a room that barely fit a bed and didn't have a closet."
Jun 18, 2017
Don’t Be a Wallflower: Why You Should Consider “Floating” Your Bed
What if...you didn't put your bed on a wall at all?
Jun 18, 2017
A Beaut of a Beachside Australian Bungalow
Name: Nicole and her family Location: Austinmer, Australia The basics: 1 year, rented Nicole describes Austinmer as, “a hidden coastal village tucked between the mountains and the seas only an hour south of Sydney.” If that doesn’t get you packing your bags, Nicole’s breezy bungalow will have you hoping on a plane.
Jun 17, 2017
Major Clutter Buster: A Clever Way to Conceal Lots of Ugly Stuff
While our dream homes are clutter-free sanctuaries that would make Marie Kondo proud, our real homes are where we store our mismatched bedding sets, bulk paper towels from Costco, and Backstreet Boys CDs from circa 1999. To keep all of this mess out of sight and give the illusion of an organized home, try one of our favorite DIY clutter concealers. Curtains, roller shades, no-sew table skirts—these are the easiest ways to keep the chaos under wraps.
Jun 17, 2017
Home Offices So Beautiful, Work Will Never Feel Like a Chore
It’s not just how you work, but also where you work that’s important. Here at Apartment Therapy, we understand the influence that your physical environment can have on your state of mind, and that’s particularly true for the place where you work—whether that work is writing, or catching up on business, or just composing a few emails.
Jun 17, 2017
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5 Light and Airy Furniture Pieces for a Year-Round Summer Feel
We are leaning way into the joy of trading rain boots for flip-flops and sweaters for tank tops. So into it, that we want to keep those cheerful, flirty vibes going all year long. Structube’s summer collection captures that spirit exactly, with pieces that are airy and nonchalant and won’t break the bank. Here are some of favorite finds… 1. This Pretty-In-Pink Loveseat, $399 Peonies, coral, a summer sunset…nothing says summer like pink.
Jun 17, 2017
A Bold, Contemporary and Cozy Brooklyn Brownstone
Name: Talia Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York The basics: 1 year, owned | 1,350 square feet After living in the smaller unit for a few year, Talia and her son moved down into the larger unit of their Brooklyn brownstone. Super bright and kid (and cat) friendly, the space feels stylish yet unintimidating. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: Our apartment is on the garden and parlor floor of an old Brooklyn Brownstone.
Jun 16, 2017
Smart Cleaning Advice That Only Messy People Could Give
If you’re a messy person looking to making cleaning and organizing a little less painful—and, you know, incorporate it into your regular routine—who better to get advice from than people who face the same challenges and have found ways to make it work? We asked self-admitted messy people to share their shortcuts and what helps them (along with combing through a few super helpful Reddit threads—this one and this one, to be exact).
Jun 16, 2017
The Fundamentals of Space Planning Your Bedroom
So you just moved in (that, or you’re itching to move some things around in your existing home). Now what? I don’t know about you, but I’m always so excited at the prospects of a blank canvas floor plan, until I actually have to start making decisions on where to put everything. I start questioning everything! Is my rug the right size? Should my sofa go against the wall or float in the room? Do my nightstands have to match?
Jun 16, 2017
Before & After: A Bland Bedroom Gets a Breezy New Look
"I love how light and airy it feels which was a goal. I love the bright and happy splashes of colors in the accessories."
Jun 16, 2017
10 Drawer Hacks That Will Change the Way You Organize Your Entire Wardrobe
Rethinking the way you use your drawers—along with a little help from some clever products and DIYs like these—can make your dresser totally manageable.
Jun 16, 2017
Don’t Let Bloodsuckers Keep You Inside: Our Best Mosquito Repellent Strategies
I live in Florida and I know very well how bugs can ruin both special outdoor events and perfectly ordinary daily moments. Just last week our s’mores summer kickoff was cut short by suuuuuper pesky gnats that insisted on hovering near our eyelashes and noses and we’ve endured more than one car ride with mosquitoes buzzing around in the van while my daughter screams in fear of being eaten alive (they do seem to feast on her especially, poor thing).
Jun 16, 2017
A Colorful, Cultivated and Comfortable Family Home
Name: Courtney and her family Location: Ross, California The basics: 7 years, owned (recently sold) | 2,800 square feet Courtney decorated her home with usability in mind, which you might not immediately guess given how stunning it is. Beautifully thought out, the space balances curated style with a life with children and all that entails. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: This was our family home for seven years.
Jun 15, 2017
Inside Hilary Swank’s Former $12 Million West Village Townhouse
This gorgeous and swanky townhouse on Charles Street in the West Village happens to have a Hollywood connection. Can you guess? (Okay, it was previously owned by Hilary Swank.) Just down the road from Bon Jovi’s $17 million duplex, 33 Charles might not have posh amenities and celebrity neighbors, but it does have a little bit more West Village charm.
Jun 15, 2017
The Small Safety Risk Too Many People Are Taking at Home: Some Quick Facts About Home Burglaries
Many homeowners will tell you that securing their home is a top priority, however, that doesn’t mean home invasions aren’t a very real threat for Americans. According to a new survey by Eyewitness Surveillance—a commercial surveillance company based in Maryland—a burglary occurs every 13 seconds in the United States, resulting in a startling 2.5 million home intrusions reported every year.
Jun 15, 2017
Before & After: A Dramatic Living Room Makeover Three Years in the Making
Lauren’s living room was dark and dated, and distinctly not her style. She gave renovating the space the old college try when she first moved in, but with other spaces in the home needing her energy and attention she wasn’t able to fully finish it. Enter one of the most valuable tools available to DIYers everywhere — a good friend. From Lauren: When we bought the house, the living room was dark and, to put it frankly, “depressing.
Jun 15, 2017
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Ariel and Dillon’s “Newlybed” Bedroom
After five years of long-distance, New Yorkers Ariel and Dillon are co-habitating for the first time. The couple is always on the move, whether they’re shopping Brooklyn farmers’ markets on the weekends or escaping the city for slow weekends on the Jersey Shore. And life is about to get even more hectic: They’re moving!
Jun 15, 2017
Why I Don’t Worry About Keeping Things Neat
(Image credit: Hayley Kessner) From Kitchn → Why I Don’t Worry About Keeping Things Neat and Tidy null
Jun 15, 2017
In Praise of Drunk Cleaning
I have always hated to iron. So imagine my surprise when a co-worker told me that the most relaxing part of his day was coming home, drinking a beer or two, and doing a little ironing. As someone who deeply detests ironing, I would never have dreamed of anyone finding it relaxing. As the daughter of two strict teetotalers, I would never have dreamed of mixing drinking and household chores. This was my first introduction to the wonderful world of drunk cleaning.
Jun 14, 2017
A Designer and Her Dogs Show Off Their Digs in Austin
Name: Jennifer Location: East Austin — Austin, Texas The basics: 1 year, rented | 1,500 square feet Jennifer and her dogs have put down roots in this lovely Austin home. Jennifer is a designer by trade, and her ability to mix high and low, make bold choices work and balance a space is truly on display here. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I live in a great neighborhood on Austin’s eastside.
Jun 14, 2017
You’ve Earned It: 10 Real Life Merit Badges for When Life Gets Busy
Some days I’m a boss lady beast, working from sunrise to sunrise getting shit done with perfect posture while I eat three square meals. Other days, I’m amazed if I can even get out of bed and remember to wash off my makeup at the end of the day. All that is to say: Sometimes life gets away from you. Accomplishment keeps you going on those days when you have it together.
Jun 14, 2017
The Worst Way to Organize Your Spices (& How to Fix It)
(Image credit: B Calkins) shutterstock From Kitchn → You May Be Organizing Your Spices All Wrong null
Jun 14, 2017
A 1,500-Square-Foot Houston Home with Timeless Updates
Relaxing on a porch swing, sipping sweet tea under a large shade tree… Sounds completely dreamy to me, which is why I absolutely adore this charming single family home in historic Houston Heights. It’s spacious while still feeling cozy, with a balanced mix of vintage charm and modern updates and serene outdoor space for days. This is a quintessentially storybook family home, complete with porch swing, shade tree, breakfast nook and huge backyard.
Jun 14, 2017
3 Things Keeping You from an Ultra-Clean Bathroom
An immaculate bathroom is hard to find. Considering how much time you spend in your bathroom everyday, keeping it clean and fresh can have a real impact on how you feel. Unfortunately, even after you spend hours cleaning, bathrooms have a tendency to get grimy fast.
Jun 14, 2017
Before & After: A Flat is “Dated, Dark and Unloved” No More!
"Throw yourself into the project and be excited!"
Jun 14, 2017
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How to Choose the Right Rug: Color, Style, and Staying Power
Knowing where to start when you’re choosing a rug can be tricky. In the end, it will come down to personal taste, but when you’re just trying to jump in, there are a few standard starting points that will help you. Since it can be overwhelming to sort through all the options on the market, our friends at Macy’s have culled from their collections a few recommendations that demonstrate how each one works.
Jun 14, 2017
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Arm Knitting
Oversized knit blankets crafted from chunky yarn and PVC-pipe needles have been floating around Pinterest for a few years now. And while the finished projects looked amazing, I couldn’t bring myself to buy supplies that would take up any more space in my apartment. But now that needle-free arm knitting has hit the DIY scene, I’m 100% on board with giant knit everything.
Jun 14, 2017
The Lessons I Learned from My 10-Square-Foot Kitchen
(Image credit: Pablo Enriquez) From Kitchn → 5 Lessons I Learned from My 10-Square-Foot Kitchen null
Jun 14, 2017
A Unique Statement Wall Idea That’s Clever, Cheap & Chic
Everything about Aysu Sener‘s Dutch home is lovely. The color palette is warm and welcoming. A mix of textures adds an atmosphere of coziness. And of course, there’s Aysu’s beautiful macramé work. Upon closer reflection, though, the genius of Aysu’s interior design skills reveals itself. Her organic modern living room holds a secret: The statement wall behind the couch is show-stopping, unique and deceptively simple to recreate.
Jun 14, 2017
3 Easy Ways to DIY Your Own Backyard Fire Pit
(Image credit: Faith Durand) From Kitchn → 3 Easy Ways to DIY a Backyard Fire Pit null
Jun 13, 2017
Before & After: New Life for a Grim Brooklyn Bathroom
Some renovations are a long time in coming. In 2005, Felix got the opportunity to buy an apartment in the Williamsburg building where she’d been living for the past three years. She jumped on the chance, choosing an apartment with the exact same layout as the one she’d been living in on the fifth floor, just two floors down. The third-floor apartment came with a location that was much more convenient, and a bathroom that, while spacious, was also, in Felix’s words, a bit grim.
Jun 13, 2017
Brilliant IKEA Hacks for Big Blank Walls
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Finding affordable art that you actually like is one of the hardest parts of furnishing a home. And once you finally find the pieces, you realize that frames cost even more than the art itself (yikes!). As per usual, IKEA (combined with brilliant bloggers around the web) saves the day with wall decor DIYs and art-hanging hacks that are totally within budget. You can kiss those blank walls buh-bye.
Jun 13, 2017
Before & After: A DIY Home Upgrade Under a Time Crunch
Tyler and his family were about to make the move into a house built in the 1950s when they realized that it would need some upgrades in order to be suitable for their young daughter. Two weeks of intense DIY fixes later, they’re home was not only livable, but totally adorable! From Tyler: Our boss’s father recently passed away.
Jun 13, 2017
A Casually Cool & Comfortable Apartment, Decorated “Piece by Piece”
Name: Will and Jaz the cat Location: Westport — Kansas City, Missouri The basics: 2 years, rented | 500 square feet Will’s apartment has a casual cool that is endlessly inviting. Full of funky art and fantastic finds, it feels like a twist on classic Americana. We’re totally ready to stop on by for a beer on the balcony! Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I stumbled upon this little gem on Craigslist.
Jun 12, 2017
This Is the Easiest Herb You Can Grow Indoors
(Image credit: Shannon Douglas) From Kitchn → The Easiest Herb You Can Grow Indoors null
Jun 12, 2017
Reviewed: The Most Comfortable Sofas at Interior Define
With a slogan like "Beautiful design. Customized by you. Accessibly priced." the values of Interior Define are music to our design-loving ears.
Jun 12, 2017
Before & After: From an Outdated Hot Tub Shed to Chic Bedroom Escape
Tricia and Jason banded together to turn a bare bones, former loan office turned hot tub shed into an exceedingly cute guest house. They went slightly over budget, but they managed to turn this entire thing around in five weeks without any outside help! From Tricia and Jason: Our once-dilapidated, unused garden shed sits awkwardly off the side of the house close to our front porch.
Jun 12, 2017
Bye Bye Bad Bathroom: High-Impact Rental Upgrades
There are plenty of changes you can make to your bathroom that will have a big impact — even if you're a renter not an owner.
Jun 12, 2017
The Real Low-Down on Murphy Beds from People Who Use Them Every Night
I know Murphy beds have a reputation for being a smart choice when space is limited. But are they comfy? Are they hard to fold up and down? Do you have to sacrifice comfort for convenience? I decided to ask the best experts on Murphy beds to answer those questions and more: Three people who actually sleep in a Murphy bed every night. Editor Emily Graff lives in a patterned and pretty 550-square-foot Greenwich Village studio.
Jun 12, 2017
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Don’t Tell Anyone, but There’s an Awesome New Source for Vintage Finds Online
You know how you feel about that amazing new restaurant you stumbled across last weekend? The one that you really want to tell all your friends about but also secretly want to keep to yourself so you don’t ever end up having to wait two hours for a brunch table once the secret’s out?
Jun 12, 2017
Huge News: You Might Be Able to Amazon Your IKEA Starting in 2018
That Amazon Prime membership may become even more valuable soon: IKEA just announced that it’s going to start selling its products on websites other than its own beginning in 2018.
Jun 11, 2017
Before & After: An Old Shed is Totally Transformed Into a Chic Blogging Studio
When Charlotte first bought her home it came with a shed that she wasn’t quite sure what to do with. After landing on turning it into a workspace rather than a catch-all, she set about giving the space a major facelift while making sure it could serve as a workable space year-round. From Charlotte: Our historic home in Southport, Connecticut was built in the mid 1800s and has two exterior buildings. One is a large old barn and then this second space was a bit more of a head scratcher.
Jun 11, 2017
A Textile Designer’s Vintage-Modern Home
Name: Mili, her husband and their dog Location: Dallas, Texas The basics: 2 years, owned | 2,300 square feet Mili’s home has a mid-century flair that is perfectly balanced with global finds and accented with gorgeous textiles from her own line. After a kitchen and dining room remodel, the home is now open and inviting. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: It’s a 1979 ranch style home in Dallas, Texas.
Jun 10, 2017
How the World Does Laundry
No matter where you live, laundry is probably a big part of your routine. In fact, according to a new study by Nielsen, globally 67 percent of people said they do laundry at least twice per week, and another 31 percent said they do laundry every day. But despite similarities in how often people around the world clean their clothes, there are some differences in how they do their laundry (if they even do it themselves at all).
Jun 9, 2017
5 Tiny Homes Under $80,000 That Will Totally Make You Want to Downsize
Have you ever dreamed of what it’s like to live in a tiny home? I hadn’t before, because living in a cramped Brooklyn apartment feels challenging enough. But, after combing through listings to see what the tiny house market is like, I feel like I get the tiny homes thing now. These houses are the cutest, plus they seem totally functional in terms of space and storage, and they’re way more affordable than a regular home.
Jun 9, 2017
A Pretty in Pink Freshman Year Dorm Room
Name: Cara, her roommate, 2 suite-mates and 9 plants Location: Baltimore, Maryland The basics: 8 months, rented | 286 square feet At first glance, you would have a hard time sussing out the fact that Cara’s room is actually in a dorm. The bright colors and cute accents are a far cry from the white cinderblock and bunk beds most often associated with freshman year. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: This is my freshman-year dorm room.
Jun 9, 2017
Before & After: A Striking, Hand-Drawn DIY Wall is the Star of a Guest Bedroom Makeover
Nancy’s second bedroom was in need of a little oomph, and oomph it received! With a hand-drawn wall treatment, colors and patterns and incredible furniture finds, the space went full force glam. From Nancy: Before, we used our small second bedroom for storage and to hold our treadmill. It was a complete waste of space, and in NYC that is completely unheard of. It’s a pretty narrow room, but it has good bones with its pre-war moldings and original hardwood floors.
Jun 9, 2017
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3 Easy Ways to Create Your Happy Place at Home
Every home should have a happy place. Whether it’s your reading nook, a meditation room, or a little creativity hub, you deserve a spot that’s devoted to keeping you healthy and joyful in your own home. Even if you’re renting, it’s possible to create a happy place that can move along with you and that makes your rental really feel like the home you want.
Jun 9, 2017