A plain piece of furniture is no excuse for a boring room. Creative do it yourself advocate Stacie Grissom demonstrates on her site Stars for Streetlights how to transform a simple dresser into a bold graphic eye catcher. More

While many vintage apartments have great old features like fireplaces and crown molding, just as many feature an absolute dearth of closet space. What is a clothes-minded person to do? Curtail fashion to prevent closet overcrowding? Never! Instead, bring the the clothes out of the closet and into a wardrobe. More

No more slamming drawers or lids, soft close products will give you a bit more peace and quiet at home. Our dressers may look handsome and provide all the drawer space we need. But are they pleasantly quiet as we use them? If you live in a household with one or two adults, furniture that can't slam may not seem that big a deal. However, if you're in a household with multiple people that include kids, grandparents and pets, soft close products and furniture are silent gifts from heaven. More

What do you do with a dresser that has already been redone once before but has seen better days? Redo it again in a completely different way, of course. Check out how the sad little deer decal got put out of its misery and this basic little dresser got a major style boost. More

I just adore octopuses. They're as beautiful as they are delicious. It might seem strange to call an octopus beautiful, but there's nothing like watching their coiling legs as they undulate through the water – unless it's a ribbon of rising smoke. And there's something a little otherworldly or Cthulhoid about octopuses, which gives them a bit of edge as a décor element. A school of mermaids or angelfish or seahorses might be twee, but an octopus on a dresser is just cool. More

Location: Kansas City, Missouri & Online
Specialty: Handmade, heirloom quality modern furniture
Price Range: ($$$) High-End


We've no sooner put together our list of favorite American furniture makers and now we're already seeing folks to add to next year's list. Like Edwin Blue, for instance. The craftspeople at Edwin Blue create modern heirloom-quality furniture in a century-old stable in Kansas City. More

Furnish Me Vintage is tucked out of sight on the second floor of an antique mall in St. Petersburg, Florida. What it lacks in curb presence is made up for in a well-curated selection; this place is a mid century enthusiast's dream. The large space (7,000 square feet) is filled with vintage finds, from all the big names like George Nelson, Paul McCobb, and Jens Risom. More

From sea to shining sea and every limpid pool in between - blue represents peace and calm to me. Deep indigo, nautical navy, electrifying cobalt, cool cerulean, tantalizing turquoise and the most subtle of sky - each imbued with a wonderful wistfulness, the promise of refreshment, of longing and delight. More

The simple shapes and clean lines of mid-century stylish is a trend that's not giving up any time soon. If you love the look but don't want to buy vintage, Jeremiah Collection may be just what you're looking for… More

Painting furniture makes for a truly delightful project. Like the fountain of youth, it transforms something old into something new. More