Furniture Decorating

What's old school is now school.

ROYGBIV is back!

One of the biggest challenges of living in a single room is figuring out where to put the furniture. Since my current home is a 250 square foot studio, I’ve experienced this frustration firsthand, so I’ve decided to create a handy guide to steer you through the process of laying out your studio apartment. 1. Start with the bed.

It's already turning our lives around.

Its three cat bed models are called The Cube, The Ball, and The Bed.

Fluted forms are making a comeback, and we're here for it.

It was a good year for our apartments.

Really—it is!

Hint: It's the easiest ever way to style your sofa.

Sometimes, chairs come into our lives. It’s all very casual: we don’t really love them, but we kind of like them, and they were just there at the yard sale, and they were cheap and we could kind of see potential… So we bring them home with us only to realize that we will never actually pay the price to have them reupholstered—they get stashed away in the basement or the garage. But if they are vinyl, it doesn’t have to end there!

Shearling and sherpa lovers, meet your new favorite decor trend: Bouclé furniture.

Bring a bit of nature into your home with these neutral accent pieces.

It’s a godsend for those who’d rather not exert too much energy by fumbling around with cumbersome tools and assembly instructions.

As these interior designers prove, opposites *can* attract.

We're taking you through the rainbow with six delightful sofas.

If you’re still captivated by the Royal Tenenbaums aesthetic, it’s not too late to bring it home.

There’s even a cat house that fits perfectly inside IKEA’s classic square shelving unit, so you can keep all your favorites — books and cats — in one place.

Everything you need, all in one place.

They are meant for you.

We want it all!

Now you can own a piece of the Eames House.

There's something about this woven furniture and accessories that makes any room feel like it's summer year-round.

Your house needs more sloths.

All of their minifigs are PERFECT.

This has both form and function.

Just when we thought we couldn’t love Target more, we’ve found a new favorite section to browse both in-person and online.

Six setups that rival a single, minimalist bookshelf.

In case you’re still judging yourself for using furniture as a makeshift clothes rack, here’s a reason to shirk your shame immediately: a coat check chair. The tagline for the Kickstarter project sums it up nicely: “Your closet. Reinvented. Into an iconic designer chair. Let your closet join the party.

When’s the last time you ventured over to #FurnitureTwitter? Don’t let the hashtag fool you: This home-centric corner of the web isn’t as bland as it sounds, especially since IKEA now allows you design your own sofa online, and some sofa artists have created truly hilarious masterpieces.  If you’ve never used it, here’s how the customized planning tool works: It gives users the options of size, color and layout.

Take versatility to a new level.

How to style a vanity or getting ready station to make it both functional and stylish.

With IKEA’s annual Democratic Design Days happening in Sweden last week, information on all the new collections and collaborations are rolling out quicker than this robot can assemble an IKEA chair. The Scandinavian retailer has good news for folks who are constantly on the move: RÅVAROR, a new line of items that briskly transforms small spaces into smart spaces, and packs up just as easily.

Ideally, our furniture can reveal something about how we live and what we value. But in reality, other factors like cost, space and what is available in the marketplace ends up limiting us or diverting us from our true values. We might believe that form should follow function, but own an uncomfortably lumpy hand-me-down desk chair. Or we might fantasize about a huge snuggly sofa, but only be able to haul a spindly loveseat up the stairs.

Bonus: it's all on Amazon.

IKEA has always been a go-to retailer for small space dwellers. Now, the inventors of flat pack furniture have revealed their next innovation, and it might just change everything about how we live. At their annual Democratic Design Days event on Tuesday, IKEA announced ROGNAN, an automated furniture system that is basically a Murphy bed on steroids. The unit is basically a movable wall, and can contain a combination of beds, closets, sofas, or desks.

These aren't your favorite dive bar's stools.

Buying a new sofa? Getting an old one reupholstered? In either case, which type of upholstery to choose is certainly a consideration. For many, microfiber is a popular choice due to its reputation for easy clean up and durability.

So, you’re shopping for a sofa that won’t overwhelm your tiny studio apartment or you’re looking for seating to fit inside an alcove. The problem is, you keep coming up short (bad pun intended — sorry). Most furniture stores tend to favor large sizes, especially when it comes to anchor pieces like sofas and beds. But if you know where to look, you can find moderately sized sleepers, settees, and loveseats that will work in a small home.

Most of us know by now that you don’t have to match all the wood finishes in your home exactly, but many of us are still a bit nervous when it comes to mixing lots of wood finishes in the same room. I spotted four wood finishes in the dining room of Jen and Kirstie’s home; here’s a closer look at how they pull the look off so successfully.

Like color, pattern can be one of those anxiety-provoking design elements for the novice decorator. You think: “How can I tell if these prints go together?” “What if I’m using too many patterns?” “What if I get sick of them a month from now?

The new fall Anthropologie home collection is here and it’s beautiful. As a young urban woman who enjoys traveling and scentscapes, Anthropologie is 100% my jam.

Half the fun of flipping through the glossy pages of a furniture catalog is fantasizing about the bed, sofa or chair living in your own home. But it can be tough to envision the design in your space when your home’s style doesn’t quite match the impeccably styled look on the page. So abandon the catalog and check out these gorgeous real-life homes. This contemporary dining chair is sleek, shapely, easy-to-clean and most importantly…versatile!

Emily Waldman, an expert vintage decor hunter and owner of a treasure-filled Austin abode, knows how to pick out old-fashioned gems when thrifting—and how to fold them beautifully into a modern, eclectic home that exudes youthful energy. She’s a big fan of a certain item with a reputation for being outdated—but her success in incorporating it into her house may persuade you to start looking for one the next time you thrift. Sound, solid thrift shopping advice.

Time and time again, necessity proves to be the mother of invention. That’s certainly the case for Femke Furnée, founder of FEST Amsterdam. If you’re already hip to the awesomeness that is this Dutch home goods company, you’re definitely not alone, as the brand, in its four years of operation, has taken the design world by storm. But let’s go back to the beginning here.

Two years ago, I moved into a new apartment, and, upon reporting my change of address to USPS for mail forwarding services, the onslaught of store catalogs littering my mailbox began. I’ve since tried to cancel most of them to no avail (having the worst luck with a store I won’t name, but let’s just say it rhymes with Lottery Yarn, of which I now get two copies, rather than zero). There are two, however, that I receive with glee, one being West Elm (the other, Anthropologie).

You’re probably familiar with L-shaped sectionals—they’re kind of a living room staple. Unlike traditional roll arms, settees and other formal sofa situations, more than one person can lay on them in a fully horizontal position, thanks to their shape and oversized proportions. That’s kind of a game changer when you think of all the Netflix binge watching and movie marathoning that goes on nowadays.

We all have those unassuming, everyday things we buy that become game changers for our homes, right? They might not be the flashiest most stylish finds, but they are products that just make adult life easier (or at the very least, more bearable). These are the items we tell our friends/family/anyone that will listen about. (For instance, a really good hair unclogging tool.

The Red Thread: Nordic Design is a gorgeous and comprehensive book exploring the Nordic approach to design for everyday life—from furniture to kitchen utensils to textiles. Exquisite photographs illustrate how Nordic designers have mastered the art of simple beauty and functional accessibility. Spoiler alert: You’re going to see a lot of Apartment Therapy favorites featured in these pages. Take a look.

Whether you’re looking for a piece to complete a space or want to offload a room full of furniture before a big move, resale sites can often be your best bet for scoring something original or reaching lots of buyers with your listings. E-marketplaces can be competitive for both sellers and shoppers, but the good news is there are more resources than ever for getting into the re-commerce game, and each has its own special twist to offer users.

Home Depot is a home run when you’re in need of screws, plywood, and mulch, but it may not be the first place you think of when it comes to decorating. And while I’m not about to say that it should be, necessarily, it certainly shouldn’t be ignored.

One-click online shopping and free shipping has made the whole furniture buying process seem super easy and accessible. But what happens when you start unboxing pieces and realize you have absolutely no idea where to put them—or worse, whether they’ll even work with the rest of what’s in your room? Arranging furniture is really an art form, but the good news is there are several guidelines you can follow to help you figure out the process.

Picking office furniture is generally a no frills, utilitarian endeavor. Grab some desks, chairs, file cabinets, conference tables and call it a day. Whoever was in charge of that task for the New York Times, though, decided to spice up the workspace with some modern pieces—so modern, in fact, that they’re baffling the staff.

As someone who has watched the Netflix reboot through twice, I’m confident in saying it is a smashing success. I laughed. I cried. I wanted another eight episodes. The new Fab Five are so charming; it’s hard to stop watching. They’ve retained the same format at the original: Five gay men make over a (usually) straight guy. They redesign his home, his clothing, his hairstyle, and his inner confidence.

Spring is a season of new beginnings. By now, you must be ready to tackle shaking out the winter cobwebs and doing a bit of a refresh around your home. I’m not talking an extreme renovation and remodeling, but more like a decorating mini makeover with a new piece of furniture or lighting. Or even a seasonal swap of pillows, throws and rugs. The Internet is kind of amazing insofar as it puts the inventory of big home retailers at your fingertips. But the downside of that is, THERE. ARE.

You’ve probably heard of the site Dormify, but didn’t consider giving it a second glance because, well, you’re not in college anymore. However, considering the brand’s well-curated selection of decor for small spaces, it’s just as ideal for the urban dweller as it is for collegiate dorm rooms. Check out some of our highly covetable finds below. This black-and-white Scandi-inspired pillow sham will take your bedding game to the next level.

We’ve all been there. You just bought the sofa, bed, desk—whatever—of your dreams, only to find out that it doesn’t fit in your space. Or worse, in your doorway. And it goes both ways. A too small piece can be just as annoying to deal with, time and energy-wise. Instead of hoping for the best when you’re unboxing or waiting for that white glove delivery, take matters into your own hands.

I’m not an IKEA hater, and I’ll never be. There’s a reason they’ve become such a success. Their pieces are functional and affordable, and there’s something to be said for that. IKEA also basically put flat-pack furniture on the map, which is a win for all of us. Other companies have followed suit, and if you’re looking for something that might last a little longer than IKEA’s entry point pieces, you’ve come to the right place.

You don’t often hear people complaining about the roll-arm upholstered sofa or white tulip dining table they bought. There are just some pieces that transcend whatever time, space, or style of interior they’re thrown into. Good bones and timeless materials equal design staying power, people! And though quality generally comes at a higher price point, you’d be surprised at the well-priced classics that some of your favorite affordable home furnishing brands offer.

I just upgraded to a king-size bed, and sadly, I think my nightstands are going to have to go. This is New York City after all. It’s all about compromising. There just isn’t enough room for everything you want. All is good on the lighting front—I have a floor lamp that’ll suffice for reading in bed. But what about all the stuff I jam into that tiny nightstand drawer?

Multipurpose seems to be in IKEA’s DNA—the Swedish brand is always churning out collapsible, mobile, and transformable products with handy features. Design chameleons, as I like to call them. You think something’s a table, then all of a sudden, pull the pieces apart and you’ve got a storage basket and a tray. IKEA also seems to understand that small space living is on the rise, and this trend calls for items with dual functionality.

Lighting can totally make or break a room, and it can be easier to change out than you think, even in a rental. Take it from me—I’ve swapped out three fixtures in my space and brought in my own special bulbs for the recessed cans in my living room and the strip above my medicine cabinet. Don’t be that person that lets a crappy builder’s grade fixture bring down your otherwise awesome room. You can find something cool without spending a fortune, I promise.

Netflix’s latest original movie is already making waves as “Roma” has taken home over three dozen awards so far.

Q: I bought a sofa and two chairs from [company redacted]. They were delivered within the timeframe agreed on. Two hours later, we couldn’t even go in the living room. The furniture reeked with a kind of chemical/dead animal smell. We opened the windows and doors and hoped it would go away. It’s been two weeks and it still smells awful. A representative came yesterday afternoon, opened one of the cushions, and declared, “There is no smell”.

Parsons tables, whether in the form of dining room tables, kitchen tables, consoles, coffee tables, or even desks, have been a design staple for about 80 years, yet they still look fresh, modern, and at-home in nearly any decor. Their no-nonsense shape and clean lines allow them to balance out any amount of whimsy and ground whatever onslaught of ornamentation. Read on for more about this true design classic. What exactly is a Parsons table?

One of the most perplexing things about moving into a new place, especially a small place, is where to put the furniture. This apartment, with its curving wall of windows, presented a unique challenge. How do you create both a bedroom and a living space (and maybe a dining room and a study, too) in a place that’s so small, and so unusually shaped? We went to the drawing board to come up with a few ideas. First, an intro: This is an advice column.

As apartments get smaller, traditional furniture becomes less likely to fit in—literally. As cities trend toward micro apartments in the realm of 300 square feet or under, multifunctional pieces are not just nice, but necessary to create a functional space in such a small footprint. Luckily, the geniuses at MIT Media Lab and Yves Béhar teamed up to create Ori Systems, a freestanding unit that’s essentially an entire apartment in a box.

Here’s what you need to know about the emerging trend.

I’m a creature of habit in that I always have to leave my keys in the exact same spot by the front door every time I come home, or else I just know I will forget them when I leave (trust me, it’s happened too many times to count). If you’re looking to streamline—or simply create—an entry organization system, we’re here to help.

A sale is just a swipe away!

Sometimes you want your home to feel like Kate Winslet’s English cottage in “The Holiday,” and sometimes you want to go full Great Gatsby and drink champagne in your Art Deco-era settee. If you’re in need of some extra glamour in your space (who isn’t after this dull winter?), there are plenty of ways to do it, including adding gold accents with furniture and decor.

Springtime is the season to make big home changes and invest in larger furniture items—it’s that “out with the old, in with the new” vibe in the air. You don’t need a lot to refresh your space in small, subtle ways, but if you’re ready to commit to a piece of quality furniture, allow us to direct you to Interior Define.

Major blizzards or no, spring is on its way. And the first harbinger of warmer months? Spring collections rolling out at stores. Like a breath of fresh air after a long winter, it’s the perfect excuse to revive your space with pieces that are lighter, brighter, or just plain newer feeling. Urban Outfitters began to quietly roll out their spring collection last week, and while the full collection won’t be online for a few more weeks, much of it is available now.