Every year, I'm excited to hit the aisles of the McCormick Center to suss out the hot color story at the Home & Housewares show. Last year, green ruled the roost, in 2010, somewhat surprisingly, it was a very grape-y purple and in 2009, a range of dark, deep autumnal shades were the leading edge. This time around I focused in on just tabletop items and the direction is an interesting one...looks like we're going gray! More

Tony Oliver spends his days working as lead carpenter on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, but he recently ventured out and started his own design company, Dylan Design Co. Through Etsy, he sells wonderfully modern furniture and lighting, primarily with a focus on vintage materials and beautifully carved salvaged wood. More

I'm a bit obsessed with finding the perfect coaster. Too much time on my hands? Probably. But even small accessories, like coasters, can have a big impact — good or bad — on the cohesiveness and personality of a room. Here are a few of my current favorites. More

Specialty: Home goods, furniture, toys, jewelery, gifts for men, stationary, design services, and more
Price Range: ($) Budget, ($$) Mid-Range, and ($$$) High-End.

Honeyshine, a store to find objects for the home and gifts for people in them, is full of treasures large and small. Their artfully curated showrooms entice visitors to discover treasures for almost any price range. More

What's better than a full bottle of hooch? An empty bottle that has been repurposed, of course! And that's exactly what Bottlehood does — create drinking glasses, lighting and other household accessories from empty beer and liquor bottles. More

At first glance, I thought, 'Oh, come on, a canning jar travel mug?' but after reading the product description, my 'Oh, come on!' turned into 'Yeah, right on!' Here's why: More

The story behind a handmade item is often just as interesting as the physical item. Whether it's an artisan who puts their passion into a single quilt or art print, or a small company who refuses to lower their standards or lessen their vision, handmade goods are more than just a pretty face: they've got a lot of soul. Check out some of our favorite handmade offerings from 2011:

TOP ROW
•1 Our Favorite Etsy Stores, 2011 Edition - And Tell Us Yours!
•2 Handmade Home Decor: Purple, Lavender, Violet & Aubergine
•3 Handmade Accessories for a Beautiful Kitchen
•4 15 Handmade Pillows: 10 to Buy, 5 to DIY
•5 Handmade Desk Accessories to Highlight Your Home Office More

I'm throwing a party at my apartment in a couple of weeks and I had everything figured out. The food and drinks I'm going to serve, the music, the decor... Then I realized I have about three times as many people coming as I have glasses. More

I'll admit it; I used to be the guy that showed up to holiday parties bearing a bottle of vino frantically grabbed from the corner store — often with the price tag still stuck on — and stuffed into a shiny mylar bag. But not this year! More

Maybe you're scrambling to get ready for a holiday dinner party. Maybe your table needs a new look for the new year. You want a big impact, without spending big money. Enter Apartment Therapy's guide to setting the table in style. After the jump: sources, and more ideas for setting the table. More