Like deep dish pizza, prop comics, and nude beaches, there seems to be no gray area when it comes to shipping container homes: some people truly love them while others despise them. Maybe it's the setting or the cherry red exterior, but I find this one compellingly livable. What do you think? Is this home a compelling example of adaptive reuse? Or is it the Carrot Top of sustainable architecture?

I recently came across the Eadie chair and was struck by the combination of colorful, comfortable design and handmade, eco-friendly craftsmanship, a combination that's incredibly refreshing.

This before & after project is a great example of how a good imagination is often the key to a great makeover. Kind of makes me feel better about all that daydreaming I did during algebra class.

I feel like I've seen this exact TV cart a hundred times at my neighborhood thrift store. I'm usually pretty good at spotting a diamond in the rough, but I never noticed the potential in a piece like this. It's like melancholy in cart form, or melancholy on wheels to be precise, which is why I love this DIY makeover. It turns a bummer into a cheerfully classic bedside table.

Not to get all Ken Burns on you, but I'm a bit of a history geek, and this past fall we featured a modern take on a George Washington portrait, which got me thinking about modern interpretations of classic Americana. I know, I'm a blast at a party. Anyway, since Lincoln's birthday is February 12 and President's Day is coming up too, let's start with the mod presidential portrait.

Specialty: Eco-friendly boutique for children and adults
Price Range: ($) Budget to ($$) Mid-Range

Do you have a friend that always has the coolest stuff, and you're constantly saying, "Where did you find that?" (Oh, and your friend is also really nice and funny, too). Well, that in a nutshell is the incredibly hip Chicago-based boutique, Green Genes. Green Genes carries a wide variety of eco-friendly, handmade, and vintage items for kids and adults, and the cheerful decor and genuine warmth of the staff make a trip there an absolute treat.

I love Valentine's Day. I know, I know, there are a lot of overpriced roses and bad candy bandied about. But all mickey mousing aside, I'm a romantic and it's a day celebrating love. Amore. El amor. Kärlek. 恋する. Exactly. And if we make our decorations, we can revel in the day without feeling like a patsy to overpriced, mass-produced pink plastic junk, which is why j'aime aussi DIY decor.

The living room: It's the room we showcase for visitors, the room that reflects our changing tastes and our changing lifestyles. It's also the room that so often gets stuck and can easily feel dated and cluttered. While swapping out a couch is not something most of us can do regularly, here are seven smaller updates that can help freshen up the look and feel of your living room.

I was talking to my friend Aimee recently, and she was describing her plans for the condo she purchased in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Specifically, she was telling me about a large wall in her living room. Then she said the magic words, "I'd love some advice from Apartment Therapy readers." (You guys have some serious street cred.) What a cool idea, I thought. So, rather than doing a traditional Before & After and getting your feedback, we're taking it to the streets. We're coming to you for inspiration. What would you do with Aimee's wall?

Price Range: ($$) Mid-Range

I always feel sad when an old-school bowling alley shutters its doors. As far as spaces go, they're often so interesting. A lot of that classic character has to do with the wooden bowling lanes (well, and the jukebox, and the beer). So what happens to all that great old wood once a bowling alley closes? In this happy ending, it gets a new life as handcrafted furniture.