Decorating

It started, as things so often do, with a Comic Sans joke. From there, our team Slack chat was abuzz with fonts and furniture (and decor) comparisons. Below are a few highly scientific, internationally renowned design (graphic): design (furniture) analogies from the creative minds of Apartment Therapy Editorial. Poor, poor Comic Sans. It just can’t catch a break! It has become the internet’s favorite whipping boy, shorthand for outdated taste and mom vibes.

Sure, there’s the requisite nativity scene, the ornaments that have been passed down from your great-grandparents, and the Griswold family inspired display of twinkling lights outside. But sometimes all you need is a trip to the grocery store to deck out your house for the holidays (especially if you’ve been procrastinating putting anything up!).

As we’ve seen from her two Halloween decor tours, crafter and blogger Jennifer Perkins takes decorating for the holidays very seriously. And by very seriously, I mean incredibly bold, brassy, colorful and over-the-top! It should come as no surprise that she’s a master at outfitting the crown jewel of Christmas decor: the tree. In fact, she has over 100 trees, so she definitely knows what she’s talking about. Let her decor ideas inspire your own last-minute holiday touches.

Project by: Katy Stevenson Bretton of Katy SB Design Location: London, United Kingdom When a bachelor musician approached Katy Stevenson Bretton of Katy SB Design to transform his East London home into a warm, inviting retreat, it was music to the designer’s ears. Playing off the bones of the house, she incorporated industrial nods throughout, seen in brick walls and Edison bulb light fixtures.

Looking at pictures of vintage bathrooms and kitchens is one of my favorite hobbies, and lately, I’ve been noticing something very interesting: When it comes to style and over-the-top glamour, nothing beats ’20s bathrooms. Sure, the ’80s were wild, but bathrooms from 1920s are… something else. Let’s take a look at these Art Deco beauties. Above: This Art Deco style bath from 1929 is the perfect embodiment (in bathroom form) of the Roaring Twenties.

From the BBC and CNN and now the New York Times, the word has come: Brutalism, perhaps the most reviled of all architectural styles, is back. Here’s what you need to know about the movement associated with hulking concrete masses and Soviet apartment buildings, beloved of critics and the architectural elite but despised by pretty much everyone else. I first became aware of Brutalism in the way that many architecture students do: through the structures on their own college campus.

On Thursday, Pantone announced Greenery as the Color of the Year 2017, and publications, brands, and people from across the globe have since taken to the internet to share their opinions on the new reigning hue. Colors are so steeped in personal preference, that it’s no surprise that—like every year—there are the people that love it and the people that don’t.

It’s December, and the holiday season is officially here. But for color lovers, today is a holiday in and of itself: the day Pantone announces their Color of the Year for 2017. In 2016, they surprised us all and gave us two hues: Serenity and Rose Quartz. Is there a new pair this year? Or are we back to one color to rule them all?

Sleepwear is a many-splendored thing. On top of being a great last-minute gift idea, a solid set of pajamas is guaranteed to keep you (and your loved ones) comfy and warm all winter long. Luckily, the Internet likes jammies just as much as we do, and while most loungewear on the market deserves some time to shine, we thought it would be fun to focus on two of our current faves: adult onesies and matching family sets.

If you live in New York, you don’t need another reminder of how outrageously expensive this city is. But while rent, down payments on a house and living costs are undeniably high, Manhattan and its boroughs attempt to make it up to us by being rich in plenty of 100% free-to-enjoy art, culture and design. From art museums, to craft fairs, to gallery openings, this is how starving artists (and designers!) save in the city.

Sometimes, more is more. For many, one of those times is Christmas, and all the decorating opportunities the holiday brings with it. If you’re more of a maximalist than a minimalist when it comes to decking your halls, feast your eyes on the following ideas— they’re a little OTT, but in the best way possible. Above: Why decorate one tree when you can trim six trees?

The Swedes certainly know how to do small spaces. Case in point: this small but stylish apartment, whose living room cupboard conceals a clever surprise. This little apartment has two cupboards in the living room, one of which opens up to reveal the world’s coziest little bedroom. It’s private, tucked away, and, I would imagine, very warm and snug on a Nordic winter night.

Like anything associated with bodily functions, the bathroom has garnered more than its fair share of nicknames, some euphemistic, some far more colorful. (The word ‘bathroom,’ when used to refer to the place where you use the toilet, is in itself a euphemism, implying that something far more delicate than eliminating is going on.) But not all of them are created equal.

This morning, I woke up to the charming banging and burbling of my radiator coming back to life. Cold weather is here! Or, as I like to think about it, inglenook season. This is not because anyone I know actually has an inglenook, or I have ever experienced one in real life. Inglenooks, like unicorns, are a beautiful thing that I have only ever seen in pictures and in my dreams. But that’s no reason to limit myself from sharing these photos with you.

It’s holiday party season, which means ample opportunities for awkward exchanges with your office crush, your neighbor crush, or your longtime friend crush (huzzah?). Ok, more like blergh. So just for fun, since we’re all design fans, let’s imagine a world where, instead of stilted small talk about craft beers or Netflix shows, we exchanged design-related pick up lines…a world like this: *Okay, no one said these were any good, but please do report back if you try one!

I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly committing to hosting the holidays or big events, while completely ignoring the fact that, when it comes to dinnerware, I’m extremely underprepared. Something just happens to me in that moment where I get swept away with the anticipation of a great evening surrounded by family and friends and I subconsciously fail to recognize that in no way, shape or form do I have twenty-plus matching settings of any kind of dinner, stem or flatware.

In case you missed it, Benjamin Moore announced its Color of the Year for 2017. Shadow 2117-30, a deep purple that can lean more toward a smokey charcoal or a lighter violet depending on the light, came out on top for the paint brand. In honor of the celebrated hue, we’ve put together four different palettes that work with a deep, rich purple so that, no matter your taste, you’ll be tempted to incorporate the in-style shade somewhere in your home.

Fall always has me turning toward dark, moody spaces, and this autumn I’m especially drawn to dark kitchens. While black (or dark gray or navy) might be an unusual color choice for the kitchen, it’s also, as you can see here, an incredibly stylish one. Maybe these eight spaces will be just the thing to bring you over to the dark side.

Project by: David Katz of Katz Architecture Location: New York, New York Blessed with beautiful 1920s bones, this gorgeous kitchen just needed to blossom from its cramped IKEA cocoon into a gorgeous custom butterfly. The owner, an architect themselves, turned to David Katz to help this kitchen reach its full potential.

Your windowsills are just the beginning.

Let’s leave aside, for a minute, all discussions of how “color of the year” became a thing that I spend my time thinking about, and focus instead on the wonders of what I’ve come to embrace as Color Season. Benjamin Moore announced recently that Shadow, a deep, rich amethyst, is their color of 2017. Sherwin-Williams went with Poised Taupe, a neutral which perfectly straddles the warm/cool divide.

Project by: Julie China of Idea Space Architecture + Design Location: Maplewood, New Jersey The wood paneling, formica countertops and dated finishes of this New Jersey kitchen are nothing uncommon to older homes, but they were no longer working for a family of four. Designer Julie China of Idea Space Architecture + Design came on board to open up the space and give it a welcomed refresh.

Do you want to invite friends over — maybe even have a dinner party — but you’ve been hesitating because you live in a studio apartment and your living room is also your dining room, kitchen, office and bedroom? Though it might feel a bit strange to have guests (good friends or acquaintances) milling about in your sleep space, I don’t think having a small home should be a road block for entertaining.

Working within a budget and trying to find affordable wall art? Don't overlook this one common thrift store bargain.

Whether you rent and can’t make any changes or just don’t have the funds to remodel, moving into a home with a vintage bathroom can be a challenge. When that bathroom sports vintage tiles in intense colors, it can be especially puzzling to figure out how to decorate. If the tiles have to stay — and the color palette’s been forced on you, for better or worse — try a trick to making vintage bathrooms work.

First off, let me preface this post by saying I think mid-century modern is a classic and versatile style that will be relevant in home design for many decades to come. Unfortunately for me, when a style becomes increasingly popular, I immediately start panicking about how soon it will lose its luster.

Popular design trends are hard to pinpoint when you’re in the midst of them, but painfully easy to spot once you’re a decade or two removed (the groovy pad of Megan Draper on AMC’s Mad Men screams of the swinging ’70s). Post WWII, decor trends seem to have had about a 10-year lifespan, and we’ve chronicled the nostalgic bullet points for each period.

Convertible tables have been a small space staple for decades, but what they offer in functionality, they often lack in style. Paris-based Boulon Blanc wants to change that with their new transformable table. While traditional convertible tables use an X-shaped mechanism that’s reminiscent of an ironing board, Boulon Blanc has a patented rotating hinge instead. The result is an organic-inspired, transformative shape whether it’s used as a coffee table or a dining table.

The world of paint can feel endless. So many blues, grays, whites…how do you settle on one for your wall? I’m a firm believer that nothing will ever replace buying samples and testing a paint color out before diving into gallons of a certain shade, but to get a rough idea of a paint color family or hue without having to head to the hardware store, give one of these six apps a try!

Do you remember shabby chic? I do. I don’t think I ever got fully into the craze, but there was definitely a time when tousled lacy curtains, distressed painted wood and tiny floral prints were positively everywhere.

I recently faced the dilemma of finding a pretty rug for my living room that didn’t cost a fortune. As I scoured the web, I found many had way too many shades of brown to count or resembled something thrown over a fence at a roadside sale. But I persevered and have handpicked a selection of pretty and affordable area rugs (all around 5′ x 8′) that won’t break the bank.

When describing your rental bathroom, “spa-like” and “personal sanctuary” are likely not the first words that come to mind. The bathroom of your dreams may be a full remodel away, but by taking cues from spas and saunas, you can decorate your way to a more relaxing space. Grab a Turkish towel and some eucalyptus—it’s time to teach your bathroom how to chill out.

Growing up, the walls of my parents’ living room den were narrow, dark wood panels. No matter the time of day, the place felt like a cave. But though I finally persuaded them to paint them to match the rest of the house a few years ago (and it really did brighten the place up), after seeing these stylish spaces, I’m starting to rethink the wood paneling look. It’s definitely distinctive. It adds texture to a space and it certainly ups the warmth factor.

Pillows, aka those comfy things on your bed that you spend eight hours a night drooling onto, were first used around 7,000 BC in Mesopotamia. Originally only owned by the rich or upper echelons, with multiple pillows meaning that the owner was wealthy, important, and probably well-rested.

One is silver and the other’s gold…or is it rose gold now? Incorporating metallics into your decor is a great way to elevate your space, but the temptation to replace all of your fixtures every time a new finish “reigns supreme” is hard to avoid. Here are some shining (shimmering, splendid) examples of spaces that masterfully mix metals to help yours stand the test of time.

Not everything in Jessica and Ryan’s home is from a thrift store, but a large bulk of the furniture and decor is. Their style looks anything but second-hand, however. Not surprising considering Jessica Cook is a vintage seller with her Etsy shop Houseworking. I asked her to share her best thrifting tips, second-hand secrets and hand-me-down hints. You’ll be a thrifting expert in no time! Thrift stores are where I do the bulk of my vintage hunting.

Nothing beats the real deal, but when your wallet hasn’t quite caught up to your great taste, there are ways to get the look without going ridiculously over budget. Lookalikes abound, but not everyone is in the “ok with it” camp. For those who are, we offer up the following scenario: The second you win the lotto, you’ll be on board to pony up for the originals, but until that day comes, we might find you lounging on these knock-offs of classic beauties.

There are lots of reasons why you might have a too-big or too-bulky piece of furniture in your home. Perhaps it’s an inherited piece you can’t part with. Maybe you need a large piece of furniture for storage. Whatever the case, you don’t have to live with a heavy piece of furniture visually weighing down a room.

Some decor styles are easy to pin point, as they follow certain rules. But for the eclectic collector, there are no pre-set design mandates. This artfully cluttered, anything goes aesthetic is all about throwing caution to the wind and filling your home with things you love that you’ve picked up along your journeys, whether from Monaco, Morocco or Minneapolis. To some, pattern mixing is an art form that is learn through trial and error.

There is no American city quite like New Orleans: it’s a little Spanish, a little French, but mostly uniquely the thing that it is. Call it a je ne sais quoi. I highly recommend a visit, but if a trip to the Big Easy isn’t in the cards for you right now, there is still a way you can enjoy its unique architecture and laid-back vibe—through these tours of five of NOLA’s most beautiful homes.

A new rug can be one of the most anxiety-inducing purchases you can make for your home. For one thing, even the small ones seem shockingly expensive. For another, once you understand the importance of rug size in creating a comfortable space (spoiler alert: bigger is better here) they become even more so. There’s also room use and orientation to contend with.

Homeowners: Lloyd Pierson and Laura Ginsburg Pierson Designer Name: Michelle Nussbaumer, Ceylon et Cie Location: Dallas, Texas As staunch supporters of color-soaked interiors, we can certainly get on board with a home that embraces a saturated scheme. So was the case for interior designer Michelle Nussbaumer’s lively pad for Lloyd and Laura Pierson, a young couple-turned-growing family in Dallas.

Last week I showed off some magical GIFS that took out—and added back in—specific types of architectural detail. This week, I’ve got even more, in a similar vein, to look at. Because we’re not all living in our dream homes, seeing how certain types of architectural details add character demonstrates that it may be totally worth the time, money and energy to consider adding them to your own home.

You know the feeling when you walk into a space and something isn’t quite right? The furniture is great and the layout works, but it feels chaotic or piecemeal? Nine times out of 10, that feeling is due to the (lack of) color scheme: homes are often designed over time, and without a color plan to work from, can wind up feeling haphazard.

Charming in Charleston: Some of the Most Beautiful Homes

The world of prints and patterns is wide. For instance, what you think is simply “plaid” is far more intricate. All tartans are plaids, but not all plaids are tartans, in fact. There are madras plaids, houndstooth plaids, windowpane plaids, and many, many more. So we beg the question: Do you know one from the other? With fall—the high season of plaid—just around the bend, it might be a good time to polish up on your terminology. As always, we’re here to help!

Are you the artful bohemian or a new traditionalist? Take this quiz to find out and don’t forget to share your results in the comments! Antsy for your results? Hang tight…they’re coming! Re-edited from a post that originally appeared 09.06.2017.

We’re all about small space living here at Apartment Therapy, but even we admit that it can be difficult to find privacy in a tiny home. But whether it’s from the other people in your household, occasional guests, your neighbors or even just your own work, separation can be achieved. Read on for some ideas on how to carve a bit of “me space” in your place.

Color doesn’t have to be permanent…or even on the walls. It also doesn’t have to be super saturated or loud, either. These five renters added soft, subtle color to their homes—in ways that won’t prevent them from getting their security deposit back! From Katie, of Katie’s Shabby Chic St. Paul Apartment: “I am quite proud of my dining room table and chairs.

Looking to up the drama in your interiors? A go-to for daring designers and decorators, black paint provides an instant jolt and dose of some serious sophistication. And even if you’re not ready to go full-volume with ebony walls, architectural accents like window sills and moldings (and don’t forget furnishings!) can benefit from the deep hue to add intrigue to just about any room.

Though it may not be your dream material, black and white tiles can be a very affordable choice when you need new flooring in your kitchen. Need proof? These eight rooms look fantastic with black and white floors. From simple spaces to bold, accessorized rooms, let these kitchens and their checkered floors inspire your own home. As you look through these examples, pay attention to the tile size and layout orientation; you’ll see a surprising variety of looks in these rooms.

If you’ve ever had a roommate, you know exactly what we mean by “dishues.” They’re those petty but persistent issues—think unwashed dishes, stolen Kind bars and late-night commotions—that can only come of an inconsiderate cohabiter. Though trivial, they can prove problematic nonetheless.

New does not always trump old. In fact, at Flea Style in Dallas, Texas, it never does. Come take a peek inside owner Brittany Cobb’s warm and inviting office full of well-loved treasures. Name: Brittany Cobb of Flea Style Location: Dallas, Texas Out with the new and in with the old! The transposed popular saying is the core of Brittany Cobb’s Flea Style. Brittany’s childhood was in many ways spent as a business tutorial and foreshadowing of what was to come.

Some artists make art not just of their canvases, but their entire homes. Today we’re taking a look at 3 incredibly creative homes of artists and designers, which will have you seeing your whole space in a completely different light.

The 2016 summer Olympics were held in Brazil, which for a select few meant traveling to see the games and experience the beauty of that gorgeous tropical country. If you didn’t get to go, through the magic of the internet you can still get a glimpse by taking a virtual tour of these beautiful (and luxurious) homes that blur the lines between indoors and out. Above: A Brutalist masterpiece in São Paulo, the work of Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha.

When decorating a small space, the conventional wisdom is to use light colors to make the space seem as large as possible. But when your small space has high ceilings and great lighting, sometimes you can get away with breaking a few rules — and create a studio apartment with all the style of a much larger home. This Swedish — of course it’s Swedish — studio has a separate kitchen, and a rather large, high-ceilinged space that serves as both the living room and bedroom.

I know you guys love books. In past posts about tiny houses, I’ve definitely heard some of you say that you could never imagine living in such a small space, because you could never, ever give up your books. Fortunately, you don’t have to. April Anson lived in a tiny house for three years while a student at the University of Oregon, and while living in 114 square feet definitely involved some sacrifices, parting with her books wasn’t one of them.

What do you think? Can the SUNNERSTA cart usurp the seemingly unstoppable and ever-popular RASKOG ? Will it capture the hearts of organizing decorators everywhere? It’s pretty darn cute and seems to tick many of the same boxes, including the price point. Designed by Henrik Preutz. IKEA says: Sometimes installing a large kitchen isn’t necessary, or too expensive and time-consuming. That’s why SUNNERSTA mini-kitchen was developed.

In the hunt for the perfect apartment—one that’s located where you want and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg—you sometimes have to make sacrifices. For Kimberly’s search in Philadelphia, she was willing to settle for a small “kitchen” since she doesn’t cook often. But she wasn’t going to settle on it being boring and beige.

Poufs, floor pillows, low ottomans and small stools—these are all great decor elements to add to a living room whenever you need extra seating or more softness. But it’s not always crystal clear exactly where your newly purchased or DIYed pouf or floor pillow should go. In the place of side chairs? As a coffee table? Kind of floating off to the side?

The idea of 3D-printed products for the home is admittedly a little out there, even Jetsons-esque. The gadgets and gizmos a plenty on sale throughout the internet may run the gamut from completely bizarre to actually interesting (and normal), but no matter where they fall on the spectrum, something that came from a printer (that’s not a sheet of paper with words on it) is certainly a conversation starter. We rounded up a handful of things you might actually want to buy for your own home.

The vintage kitchen features that came with your house or rental—old appliances, dated fixtures, interesting floor materials—aren’t always the choices you would have made if you had designed from scratch. But if you don’t have the money to renovate (or you rent and can’t) or don’t want to renovate, choose to work with your vintage features, not fight against them! These sixteen kitchens get it right.

There are two ways to work dramatic color into your home: Go for the whole wall, or use little splashes of color for a big effect. The latter takes much less time to achieve and is considerably cheaper (many of the ideas ahead call for just a sample pot of paint), yet it can still create an eye-catching display. The best part of painting a smaller area? It’s much easier to paint over if you change your mind or when it’s time to move out.

A blank wall can be an inspiring canvas waiting to painted with your style—or it can be a stop-you-in-your-tracks source of indecision. Let’s push past the wondering and see how various ideas work. Inside this post: the same empty wall filled with a variety of design elements, from paint to pattern to art and more. See how different decor choices affect the look and feel of a room.

While I love minimal, white-walled interiors with occasional bursts of color just as much as the next person, every once in a while it’s nice to spot something different — like this Little Venice apartment by Sera of London. It’s a little bit Bohemian, a little bit Miss Havisham, a little bit crumbly European chic, wholly different, and wholly refreshing.

Rental bathrooms are notoriously plagued by ugly (or just plain dated) design decisions. The good news is, there are some simple, reversible ways to cover up what you hate most about this room and add your own style to the space. Introducing color and pattern where you can, and choosing attractive storage lets you put your own touch on a temporary home. It may sound obvious, but in a small rental bathroom, the shower curtain is the first thing you should switch out.

Even though I now have the tiny, perfect apartment of my dreams, I haven’t stopped being fascinated with other people’s tiny, perfect apartments. And I’m particularly drawn to this apartment in Stockholm, which despite measuring only 193 square feet manages to be everything you want an apartment to be: airy, stylish, cozy, comfortable.

One of my favorite things about home design is the wonderful variety of ways in which clever designers have re-invented the chair. When you picture a chair you probably think of one of the traditional forms of the chair, with a back and a seat and legs.

A. Two sofas facing each other OR B. A sofa and love seat arranged in the traditional L-shaped arrangement?

For those collecting maximalists among us—who can’t have just one globe, camera, or milk glass goblet, but seem to amass them by the dozen—here are some creative ways to organize and live with the things you love. All of these ideas keep your most cherished items in sight, incorporating them seamlessly into your decor. This is probably going to become your new favorite spot in your home.

Many of us understand that adding art to a room can drastically alter its appearance. But there are so many ways you can use art to make a visual impact; making the decision on where to hang can be overwhelming. These room gifs represent common art-hanging questions—I’ve removed the artwork from the walls to show you just how powerful art can be when its used in the right place and at the optimum scale. Seeing is believing!

400 square feet may not seem like a lot — but that’s reckoning without the ingenuity of Swedish design. Thanks to a simple but very smart floor plan, this diminutive Swedish apartment makes living small look positively luxurious. It’s located in Stockholm, and was once available for sale (but sadly is no longer) from brokerage firm Husman Hagberg.