You Gave Us These 3 Brilliant Decorating Ideas — and We’re Stealing Them

Apartment Therapy isn’t just about bringing you the latest and greatest design advice and inspiration; it’s a hive mind where we benefit from your ideas and solutions, too. From small apartment living room ideas that maximize every inch to creative projects that inspire even the most DIY-shy among us to pick up a hammer, some of the most impressive design moments come from you, our community of readers. 

Case in point: the three projects below, all submitted by AT community members and all of which left me practically speechless. From creative DIY art to clever storage solutions, these are the three best design ideas we got from the Apartment Therapy Community Forum this year. 

There’s nothing better than finding art that speaks to you, and it’s important to remember that it doesn’t always have to take a traditional form. When user Victakepics found a stunning embroidered bird pillowcase in Mexico, she turned to AT’s robust design community to help her figure out how to frame it. A square light wood frame with a white mat and a float mount ended up being just the thing to help the piece pop against her inky blue walls, and I love the end result. 

When a fellow community member was stumped by what to do with an empty wall in her 1914 craftsman home, user DanielaAraya, who also helps manage the AT Community Forum, was quick to share her own ingenious solution to a similar space in her own home. 

Instead of spending a fortune on custom floor-to-ceiling built-ins, Araya installed IKEA’s ELVARLI shoe racks, which allowed her to style her favorite art and books in a bold, retail-inspired way. 

At the encouragement of other commenters, community member joan74195 took on the task of building a corner banquette in her kitchen in order to make the most of her small dining nook. The end result is as charming as it is functional; the beadboard back and pretty patterned cushion create a spot for dining that reminds her of a favorite restaurant.