Since this will be my last post on Apartment Therapy for a while, I thought I'd leave you with some parting gifts. Or at least some ideas for going away presents for the people in your life who may be moving on to new homes, new cities, or new life stages this summer.

If it weren't for the below-grade entry, it would be hard to tell this bright, loft-like apartment was once a dark, uninhabitable basement. But Seattle architecture firm Shed has an agile hand when it comes to thinking big in small spaces.

We love glossy garden porn as much as the next guy, but the best way to get ideas for gardening in your specific climate is to get out and see what other people have done. Summer is the time for annual garden tours, and we've compiled a list of ten in and around the Boston area.

We love glossy garden porn as much as the next guy, but the best way to get ideas for gardening in your specific climate is to get out and see what other people have done. Summer is the time for annual garden tours, and we've compiled a list of ten in and around the Boston area.

For many of us, having access to even a postage stamp sized garden is a blessing. But urban gardens bounded by walls can sometimes feel oppressive. Fortunately, the same principles of refraction that make mirrors a godsend to apartment dwellers, can work in outdoor spaces as well. After all, the only thing better than a pocket of green is two of them!

Names: Jen, Michael, Eva & Esme
Location: Lexington, Massachusetts
Size: 3,000 square feet
Years lived in: 2

Remember the story of the city mouse and the country mouse? The country mouse envies her sister's riches, but eventually chooses a life of safety and ease in the country over the wealth and danger of the city. The fable aptly describes artist Jen's search for the ideal home. A little bit country and a little bit rock and roll, Jen found the perfect balance of contemporary styling and pastoral setting in the modern enclave of Peacock Farm.

Of all the amazing furniture and art featured in Jen & Michael's Modern Retreat, we love that Jen's favorite piece is an affordable hanging chair from IKEA. These versions may not share the IKEA chair's price tag, but they do share its stylish, modern take on the 70s classic.

There's nothing more depressing than filling your tiny outdoor space with colorful plants only to find it transformed into a droopy, withered mess by mid-summer. Not everyone has a green thumb, or the time to tend a garden full of plants with disparate needs.

For many of us, having access to even a postage stamp sized garden is a blessing. But urban gardens bounded by walls can sometimes feel oppressive. Fortunately, the same principles of refraction that make mirrors a godsend to apartment dwellers, can work in outdoor spaces as well. After all, the only thing better than a pocket of green is two of them!

Anyone who attended the Institute of Contemporary Art's Bourgeois in Boston show in 2008 will surely remember the oppressive 10-foot tall arachnid pushing at the edges of a small enclosed space that forced viewers to walk through its cage-like spindles. With the artist's passing this Monday, we're reminded of Louise Bourgeois' contributions to the art world and her unsettling representations of home.