Apartment Therapy Chicago

Get the Boutique Hotel Look at Home

One of the things we love about Escapes month is all the inspiration it provides for making our homes a little bit more stylish, luxe and comfortable - in other words, more like a boutique hotel. We pulled five popular Apartment Therapy Chicago posts that show off ways to do just that, including ideas for getting "the look" on a budget:

Checklist: 10 Things to Do Around the House Before a Trip

We firmly believe that travel is always worthwhile - worth the cost, the time and all the preparation. It's a treat and a privilege to get away from home, see new things and have some adventures. That said, there are quite a few chores that have to get taken care of at home before you can hit the road - here is our quick list:

Amazing Libraries Around the World

We know you're out there. You bibliophiles who can't get enough of bookshelves stacked floor to ceiling, hallways lined with card catalogs, mahogany desks with bankers' lamps. We sympathize. We love a good library, too. For those of you who worry about your house someday sinking from the weight of your books, we've rounded up a selection of amazing libraries from homes, universities, and cities across the globe...

Good Questions: To Paint or Not to Paint?

Sara sent us an email. She writes: To paint or not to paint? We inherited this dining room color when we bought our apartment, and I've been struggling with deciding whether to keep it or paint it. On the one hand, it creates a very cozy atmosphere, coordinates with the (original) light fixture, and stands out as a bolder pop of color against the more neutral color palette of the rest of our home...

(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first. Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to: chicago(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)

Emma Balfour's Home

We always feel so inspired after visiting The Selby. The photographs and the untold stories presented there are so great! Recently, more inspiration came via Emma Balfour's home. The tour featured several snapshots Emma's children's rooms. Bruno and Elliot's rooms feature great shelving with plenty of storage for their books and toys, simple furniture and plenty of colorful artwork created by them....

Check out the entire post on: Ohdeedoh

10 Things Camping Can Remind You About Home Living

Last week on our vacation we spent some time camping with friends—a wonderful experience that we hope to repeat soon. There are things we love about camping (s'mores, campfires, being able to see stars at night, the smell of the woods) and things that are less enjoyable (less-than-comfy sleeping mats, fear of bears), but one of the best things is the perspective it gives you on your everyday life at home. We were reminded of a few key points...

Look! Clashing Styles in a Childhood Bedroom

Heather recently looked back on Snapshots of Your Childhood Home and it reminded us of our now-grown brother's bedroom from our teenage years. It's now a guest bedroom with a mix of his old grunge music tastes and our mother's preference for cozy country decor. The styles collide here in a high-texture accident of guitars and roses...

Doors, Gates, and Grates in Greece

Like Maxwell on his recent trip to Italy, I too captured many images of doors (and gates and grates) while on my recent escape to Greece. In any new place, these types of details really stand out as particular to a city or region, reflecting various eras, styles, and environments. Here are our favorites from both Athens and Mykonos:

Outdoor IKEA Storage Taken To The Extreme

We've often googled IKEA commercials for other cities around the world (yes, we're aware it's a lame habit) and this outdoor display promoting IKEA's ability, to provide practical storage in every shape and size, really won us over. Although our hobbies are kind of (ok really) lame, we think the look is rather intriguing when it's done. Click through for another view and to see where this all happened...

Gwyneth's Green Picks

Gwyneth's GOOP that arrived in our inbox today is all about products geared toward living a greener life - we always find it interesting to see what eco-entrepreneurs are working on. As Gwyneth says: We are living in exciting times. We are confronted with the challenge of sustaining our food, our water and our environment. We are changing things. It’s big. Here are five of her picks, some familiar, others coming soon:

Roundup: No-Frills Desks Under $200

A basic desk offers lots of possibilities. As technology changes, as your home decor shifts, a simple desk can stand in for a console table, sofa table, vanity, or even a kitchen table. We've rounded up a few options under $200, ranging from small space solutions to traditional student desks...

Scavenger: Gus*Modern Spencer Sofa - $1000
Chicago

In Lakeview/Lincoln Park, a Gus*Modern Spencer Sofa in gray for $1000. Jump below for links to this and more good finds:
Apartment Therapy Furniture Classifieds are open for your business in our Shopping Guide.

The Weekend Guide: Sales and Events
Chicago 7.02.09

THIS WEEK

• Jayson Home & Garden Tree Sale
• Artists Frame Outlet
• Ikea Summer Sale
• The Container Store
• Emeco
• All Modern
• Alessi
• Advantage Kitchen & Bath Gallery
• Zola Jones

....and lots more below the jump:

Total Steals: Auction Bargains at Wright Mass Modern

Once a year, the wonderful Wright Auction House holds "Mass Modern", their auction with no minimums (just held this past Saturday) . No minimums means that some lucky bidders walk away with really good deals. And, while plenty of the items go for much MORE than the estimates, it's lots of fun to see the ones which go for LESS...

White China on Open Shelves

White china is a perennial favorite on Apartment Therapy for its simplicity and versatility. It also looks good stacked on open shelving - it can give a mismatched collection a sense of cohesiveness or it can serve as a nice contrast to painted or dark wood shelves...

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