Design

It’s been a few years since washi tape first came on the scene as a non-permanent medium for decorating all sorts of things. Since then, washi tape DIYs have saturated the internet like the most bedazzled page in your Aunt Linda’s scrapbook. We’ve waded through the rhinestones and glitter to find 10 chic examples of washi tape in the home that will put your craft store sale bin raids with Aunt Linda to good use.

With the cold weather season fast approaching, it’s time to finally address an age-old debate in the decor world: Are there really any differences between flannel and plaid? The answer, simply, is yes. So to further breakdown the distinction, we called upon textile aficionado Annie Selke, CEO and President of The Annie Selke Companies, for help. We asked her what really made plaid and flannel all that different and she spelled it out for us.

There was a time when matching bedroom sets were de rigueur. If your bed frame, dresser, and nightstand didn’t match perfectly well, did you even have a bedroom? Alas, those years are far behind us, and now, full-on bedroom sets just feel too matchy-matchy. You’re much more likely to find bedrooms decorated with items that complement each other, but aren’t the exact same style, which gives you the chance to add your own personal style to the mix.

Face it, millennial pink isn’t going out of style anytime soon. We loved the shade as much as the next person when it first came onto the scene in 2016. But two years later? It often feels stale and played out. If you want to freshen up the celebrated color, try pairing it with red. Let’s get one thing straight: This color combination is a far cry from what you see on cheesy Valentine’s Day decorations.

We forecast—and set—decor trends all the time here at Apartment Therapy. But what does a “trend” even mean and where do they come from in the first place? “Trends are heavily influenced by pop culture, fashion, food, music, the streets, and sometimes what is going on in the world politically,” Lori Weitzner, author of Ode to Color, previously told the site. Sometimes when you hear about one it can start to feel like it’s popping up all over the place.

Most of us can’t afford to outfit our homes with pricey, one-of-a-kind pieces. Yes, we’d love a gallery wall filled only with high-quality canvas originals, or a collection of fancy, passed-down decorative teacups. But if we waited around until we had an entire apartment’s worth of high-end decor, we’d stare at bare walls for decades. There’s no shame in loving what you’ve got and going to stores like HomeGoods or IKEA for the rest.

Tiny house enthusiasts should be more than willing to take a gander at Tiny Heirloom’s latest compact custom home. The stylish dwelling known as the Goose is the latest in the brand’s non-custom Signature Series. Constructed on a gooseneck trailer, the Goose comes equipped with off-the-grid technology and is available in three different versions that range from 31 feet to 37 feet long and measure 8 feet wide and 13.6 feet in height.

Letting kids help design their own sleeping space is a solid parenting strategy. Their decor decisions can be dicey—how many fairy lights does one room need, honestly?—but good things happen, too. Your kid’s room may open your eyes to the glories of maximalism, or teach you that over-the-top bold colors actually work with your home’s architecture.

You don’t have to be a design aficionado to know clean, sleek furniture and design are all the rage these days. But discerning whether a piece is minimalist, modern, or contemporary? Now, that’s another story. Chances are you’ve been using minimalist, modern, and contemporary interchangeably for years, without thinking twice about whether or not they’re the same. It’s okay, you’re not alone.

You’re probably aware that bar carts are the de rigueur piece of furniture right now, but if you’ve been wondering how to actually style them, we’ve got your answers right here. Styles can range from minimalist to overly bedecked with all manner of fanciful liqueurs and glassware, so let our guide below show you the plentiful options available. Take a page from Sabrina Tan of Gypsy Tan and outfit your bar cart with decidedly unexpected pieces.

Once an alternative living solution, tiny homes are now firmly in the mainstream. Their minimalist and functional designs have become inspiration for apartment dwellers and owners of larger homes alike. You know the look—bright white walls, creative storage solutions, multipurpose furniture, and as much natural light as possible. It’s an undeniably effective way to style a small space, but it’s starting to feel a little bit cookie cutter.

It’s been a big month for IKEA. First, the beloved Swedish furniture company debuted their 2019 catalog in stores on August 1, and now, they’ve released a slew of new products (some of which make an appearance in said catalog) that look surprisingly high-end. Of course, IKEA’s always been on top of the trends, but for a budget retailer some of these products really took me by surprise with their luxe touches and expensive appearance.

At Apartment Therapy, we believe that your home is your sanctuary—and you should treat it as such. After all, where else can you retreat to after a long day at work, bad date, or busy vacation and just relax? But before you KonMari your space or invest in some soft, dreamy sheets for your bedroom, you should decide on your home’s color scheme.

The 2019 IKEA Catalog is the gift that just keeps on giving. Beyond serving up tons of eye candy, painting ideas, and new collections, the IKEA catalog is a great place to go for a sneak peek at the home trends that will take the decor world by storm in the coming year. Ahead: A look at a few of our favorite home trends we spotted throughout the catalog. Get ready to see these everywhere in 2019.

Having little to no closet space is every renter’s nightmare—if you don’t have a proper place to store your clothes there’s always the fear they will eventually take your bed hostage or end up piled all over the floor. While the possibility of a permanently cluttered bedroom is a real fear, there are plenty of creative and innovative ways that you can carve out extra clothing storage.

We hate to break it to you, but bar carts are so yesterday. Today, interior decorators and design fans are taking their love of libations to the next level by turning their extra closet space into a wet bar. If you ask us, this is one trend that’s here to stay. Not only will you have plenty of space to store bottles of bubbly, glassware, and other accoutrements, you have the opportunity to turn something as mundane as a hallway closet into a bonafide design moment.

It’s only natural to experience some design fatigue after living in the same space for a few years. You know, that irksome feeling you get when your once perfectly curated home feels stale, old, and uninspired? Bobby Berk, interior designer and co-star of Netflix’s Queer Eye, is the master of transforming a space, and he shared his tips for curing a case of home design-itis. Turns out, hitting the refresh button is easier than you’d think.

The right accessories can really make or break your living room. Sure, the big ticket items—your sofa, rug, chairs, etc—are what set the tone in the space, but it’s the littler pieces that really make it feel like you. Your side table and its accompanying lamp may not feel like the centerpiece of the room, but that doesn’t mean you should sideline this important design aspect.

Living in just one room doesn’t have to mean seeing your bedroom from the front door. These smart studio dwellers created cozy bedroom areas despite the fact that their homes don’t have walls. Elaine Burns had the unique idea for her studio apartment to create a plantation shutter faux wall to hide the bed and separate it from the entryway. She reached out to American Blinds to have the wall custom built.

If you weren’t already hip to Airstream rentals, now’s the time to smarten up. Sort of similar to glamping—but indoors—Airstream trailers and campers are essentially mobile mini-homes you can park (and rent) in just about any location (the desert, the beach, and so on). It’s no surprise that Airbnb is brimming with cool Airstream rentals in dreamy destinations all over the globe.

The past seven days of my life have been shrouded in secrecy—like NDA-level secrecy—but I can finally open up and shout the big news from the rooftops (well, from Apartment Therapy, at least). The 2019 IKEA Catalog is officially here, and it’s a good one! Especially considering it’s the Swedish design giant’s 75th anniversary year.

"Keep Calm and Please STOP IT."

More and more, it’s becoming increasingly normal to hear stories of people learning to acclimate themselves to living in seriously small apartments. Cities are practically bursting at the seams so for many metropolitan dwellers, creatively maximizing a small living space has quickly become a modern-day survival tactic.

We might try to walk into Target with good intentions. The plan is to pick up that one thing we need, responsibly tossing it into our baskets before popping through self checkout, paying a respectable amount of money, and going on our ways. Sure, good intentions are great and all—but we also know that no one is safe from the lure of Target.

While we like shiny, new objects as much as the next design lover, we also have a soft spot for all things vintage. Mixing the old with new—be it a sofa from the sixties, art deco drinkware, or linens from the 19th century—can add a cool, one-of-a-kind flair to your home.

There’s no faster way to bring interest to a room than with texture—but there’s no reason to limit that design trick to fur rugs or velvet sofas. While an artfully placed knit throw on an armchair makes a space feel more “finished,” and a sheepskin rug underneath a planter lend sophistication, those same principals can now be applied to walls. There are plenty of genius ways to add texture to your walls, but be warned: they may not be for the faint of heart.

Belgian company BuzziSpace teamed up with American designer Cory Grosser to create a nature-inspired solution to noise reduction. Trying to soundproof your space so that it’s completely devoid of noise can be rather tricky, but outside-the-box thinking led Cory Grosser + Associates to using preserved reindeer moss as a main material for his series of geometric framed wall panels.

We found out everything you need to know about your favorite piece of furniture.

Artist Wassily Kandinsky once said, “Color is a power which directly influences the soul.” Yet, finding a color combination that’s cool, modern, sophisticated, and complementary is easier said than done. For years, yellow and gray fit the bill. Easy and unexpected, the two hues were an unstoppable duo for gender neutral nurseries and cheery rooms alike.

A well-styled coffee table can be a game changer for your home. Not only does it offer up a little extra space for stashing stuff, when thoughtfully organized, your coffee table can double as an artful living room centerpiece. To prove our point, we scoured our house tours high and low and rounded up nine of the most beautifully styled coffee tables we could find. From a full-blown bench display to an airy Scandi-style scene, here are some of the chicest ideas for organizing your coffee table.

It dates all the way back to ancient Egypt.

Feng shui is all about creating harmony between your inner self and the world around you, but if we’re being totally honest, incorporating it into your home is hard stuff. Similar to the latest trends in tech, fashion, or design, the definition of good feng shui is constantly evolving, which means your home should follow suit. Ugh. “It can be intimidating—even for us consultants,” says Laura Cerrano, founder and CEO of consulting firm Feng Shui Manhattan.

If you’ve ever stayed in an Airbnb, you know that those homes can pack a seriously stylish punch. And with the newly launched Airbnb Plus, you’ll see even more of that. All of the homes are a new tier of breathtaking listings, inspected and verified in person against a 100-point checklist for quality and comfort to ensure a premium experience for guests (AKA us). Here, a look at the top wish-listed Airbnbs on Airbnb Plus and the design takeaways you can use in your own home.

You live and die by Amazon. You’ve been a Prime member for years, you know all about that secret $2 section, you head to Amazon Handmade whenever you need a unique gift, and you even give preference to hotels with rooms equipped with Alexa. But did you know Amazon has a whole host of private labels? Amazon launched its first private label in 2009; five years later they slowly launched 11 more; today Amazon has approximately 76 private labels.

There’s something about a well-designed kitchen that makes me want to abandon my takeout-loving ways and transform into the type of person who hosts dinner parties on the regular and whips up delectable meals with ease. Or at least someone who plays the part on Instagram. And nothing piques my interest more than a light, airy kitchen with a few pops of pastel. Coincidentally that seems to be exactly the aesthetic of most popular Instagram influencers. The secret to their style?

With all the focus on varying shades of pastels these days (we’re looking at you, millennial pink!), it can be easy to forget that bright colors are still a consistent design trend, too. Sometimes a simple, solitary pop of color is all you need, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, try pairing two (or three!) together to really pull the room together.

For all intents and purposes, you’re an adult. You have a job, car, rent or mortgage, and, in some cases, an entire family to care for. But that doesn’t mean you can’t embrace your inner child every now and then—especially when it comes to decorating your home.

Try implementing some of these tips to give your modern dry-walled digs an extra helping of soul.

This week marked IKEA’s Democratic Design Days, the event where the Swedish retailer announces its upcoming collaborations. At the end of the day on Thursday, the company dropped that they’ll be working with Saint Heron, the multidisciplinary cultural hub founded by none other than Solange Knowles.

My husband has a seriously convenient knack for putting together IKEA furniture. Seriously, sometimes I (half) jokingly suggest he start side hustling as a TaskRabbit for a little extra income. But the thing is that he actually enjoys it—and when I ask him why he says it’s like building LEGOs for grownups. Well, now he might actually be able to build an IKEA LEGO, or something like it.

Target fans rejoice! The Bullseye is launching another new home brand and this time it’s all about getting back to the basics (without sacrificing an ounce of style). We already know and love Target’s other home lines—Opalhouse, Hearth & Hand with Magnolia, Threshold, and Project 62—and their personality-filled aesthetics, but Target has always been known for its basics, so we are beyond excited for the new Made By Design line.

We were so saddened to hear that Kate Spade was found dead by apparent suicide today. Her influence on the world of design and fashion is immeasurable and we will so miss her iconic style. From her handbags to her home goods, Kate brought delight into our lives by approaching simple items with a sense of joy and whimsy.

The first official day of summer won’t arrive for another few weeks, but as far as we’re concerned the sunny season is already in session. And what better way to ring in three glorious months of carefree fun than with an awesome summer blowout? Many hosts will tell you a well-stocked bar is key for a great party, which is why an outdoor bar cart is one of the best investments you can make this season.

We all love IKEA for its simple, Scandinavian design and reasonable prices, but that versatility and affordability often makes decorating your home painfully ubiquitous. Instead of unearthing a one-of-a-kind piece—and feeling like a total design pro—you end up with the same furniture as your coworker, best friend, old college roommate, and your favorite influencers. Ugh. But just because you (rightfully) love IKEA doesn’t mean your space needs to fall into basic territory.

We got the skinny on the polarizing trend.

Red and blue is mostly reserved for summer cookouts, Fourth of July table spreads, or kitschy beach houses full of sand and white rattan, but that’s all about to change. Blue and red is the newest design power couple, but you don’t have to have an Americana aesthetic to pull it off in your own home. The reason it’s rising to the top of designers’ portfolios and pinners’ decor boards is because of how versatile it is: the pairing has range.

If you weren’t already hip to German grocery store, Aldi, now’s the time to smarten up. Adored for its super low prices and wide range of products, the discount supermarket chain now boasts over 1,600 stores in the United States—making grocery shopping on the cheap easier than ever. But wait, it gets better. Turns out Aldi sells more than just inexpensive groceries.

Since exotic beach getaways are always high on the priority list (or at least, they should be), here’s a Greek rental house that you’re sure to swoon over. Listed on Glamping Hub, the dreamy ocean-facing tiny house is an hour and a half drive from Thessaloniki on a private beach in Paliouri, Chalkidik, also known as Halkidiki. The exclusive spot promises views of the Aegean Sea and soothing scents of pine.

If you're not completely happy with your home's current look, try implementing these brilliant mirror tricks and you'll be in for a real treat.

A quick scroll of Instagram can confirm whether you’re on or off trend, and apparently that includes sussing out the top cities for interior design. Joybird did some extensive hashtag research to compile all of the metropolitan areas in the U.S. that are currently sitting feng shui-perfect and pretty at the top of their style game.

Equal parts charming and eclectic is a most fitting description of this Old Time Caravan from father-son building duo Nick and Aaron Troisi, jointly known as The Unknown Craftsmen. The team constructed the tiny house caravan at the request of a former client who wanted an entirely self-sustaining space. The caravan’s distinct personality shines through in its design features, which include a curved roof, custom woodwork, and round windows.

The trend of tiny living is well, huge. Whether it’s municipalities looking to solve affordable housing crises, or individuals looking to live a simpler life in the woods, tiny homes seem to be the answer to nearly every question these days. Now the tiny living phenomena has inspired equally tiny, yet incredibly functional and beautifully designed, kitchens for modern living.

Some of you may remember this post I wrote, asking you if I should break down and get one of those ugly-as-sin kitchen mats, even though they offend my eyes. (If you haven’t read it, I’ll wait while you do!) Despite the popular advice to just break down and do it, I’ve been hemming and hawing over the decision for months. And I’m glad, actually. Because I’ve just come across something that is a million times more attractive than the typical kitchen mat.

No nails, hammers or paint required.

The incredible thing about super small homes is their genius isn’t limited to their square feet. A space might be tiny, but it can teach you a lot. Constraint sparks creativity, after all. All of these homes are 400 square feet and under…and the folks who live in them have advice to share.

Whether you’re unwinding after a long day at work or gearing up for a romantic night in, very few things can set the mood like lighting some candles. “It’s an easy and cost-effective way to transform your environment into something special,” says David Seth Moltz, co-founder of fragrance and candle company D.S. & Durga. In 2015, the U.S. retail sales of candles—not including accessories like hurricanes, matchboxes, and wick trimmers—were an estimated $3.

One of the world’s most famous houses – and arguably the world’s most famous modern home – has just gotten a major makeover. Los Angeles’ iconic Stahl House (also known as Case Study House No. 22) with its cantilevered structure, and its sweeping, unobstructed views of Los Angeles was an architectural and engineering feat when it was originally built in 1960 by architect Pierre Koenig.

The gulf in sound and aesthetics between an electric keyboard and a grand (or even upright) piano can seem wide and insurmountable to many a piano enthusiast. This new collaboration between Roland and Karimoku offers up not only an upgrade in keyboard technology, but a sleek new look minimalist look. The Roland Kiyola electric piano is available stateside for the first time at the MoMA Design store.

For anyone who was sad to see the final Oh Joy for Target decor collection released this past fall, we have some good news. As it turns out, the whimsical patterns and colors aren’t totally gone from Target stores, they’re just in a new (disposable) form. On Sunday, Oh Joy! For Cheeky launched online and in select Target stores. The line of disposable plates, bowls, and cups come in a variety of prints perfect for spring, summer, and beyond. “I love celebrations.

Forget the splinter-prone two-by-fours and rusty nail playgrounds of your elementary school years. The children of tomorrow are getting something a little bit more colorful. British architectural office Alma-nac is set to create The Upside Down House in Green Park Village, located in the city of Reading, England.

How many unique chair designs can you come up with? That’s a question we’d love to ask designer Joyce Lin because we’re currently obsessing over her super creative chair designs. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University, Lin’s signature chairs are imaginative enough to spruce up any living space. The San Francisco-based designer works with a variety of mediums, including clay, foam, metal, paint, plaster, vinyl and wood.

Amsterdam has a distinctive architecture style, but we can guarantee that this giant crane-turned-residence sticks out among the city’s livable structures – in a good way. Typically, old construction equipment and luxury don’t go hand in hand, but that’s the best way to describe this unique spot.