apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Prefer fresh air to air fresheners? When it's not the time nor place for even the fanciest candle, the Fresh Wave odor-neutralizing product line clears the air. It neuters the musty from your front-loader, and says it even stands up to flood, fire or mutt.

An salvaged bank of mailboxes, some leftover wood and a set of casters add up to a conversation piece that also happens to hold books, magazines and propped up feet.

Gordon came through our wee mid-centuryish house like a stocking-footed tornado. Two days later, the floors are bare, the furniture shifted and the piano's sold on Craig’s List. Yet it feels 200-square feet bigger. Learn how to visually resize, post-jump.

These “fantastical facades that do not exist” have been created by the artist from architectural photos collected over her travels. Chroma-rich jumbles of places you almost remember from dreams, they're worth a look for palettes alone.

Attention: DIYers who want a 10-minute segment of fame. Popular DIY mag Make is going broadcast soon, with the help of Twin Cities Public Television.

The Midwest Visual Agency combines motivation, Swiss typography, and mixtape rap in these calmly cool posters that also come in cubicle dimensions. Successories, meet the stepchildren.

A neighbor actually made those Martha/Country Living-y pumpkin planters, and they look good. It's simple as hollowing them jack o'lantern style then planting grocery store blossoms. The fleamarket table mid-lawn and interplay of planting-and-building color made a frosty morning walk far warmer.

Product: Elfa Heeled Gliding Shoe Rack from the Container Store
Price: approximately $350 for the whole she-bang (on sale and including hardware, all ala carte)
Rating: Strong Recommend*

The Container Store is as pricey as it is seductive. But in just two short weeks, this splurgey system has shortened our get-ready time and made us reconsider our disorganized nature.

Last week we gave you a preview of Terrence Payne's work at Nest. Here's a quick look at some of what we saw from Ms. Rice - cages, zinnias, pom-poms, pinks along with her signature stencils and tiffany-esque blue. Repurposers, take note!

Technically Hunt & Gather is an antique store. But what it offers - a visual cacophony of color combos, many multiples and ingenious groupings - is anything but dated. A type-lovers nirvana, it overflows with letterforms (we snapped 14 different displays).

A friend tacked up this sketch pad drawing of her husband—and left it there, scotch tape and all.. Framed only by a striking orange wall, it reminded us that sometimes casual moves can be the boldest.

Do you ever free yourself from mats, frames, etc., if the artist is over ten?

Spotted, as they say, at Target: these burl-y, handmade-ish wooden bowls on sale. Not quite clearance, but going fast. Single shots, post-jump.

Crafts usurped karaoke at the VFW yesterday. We saw what’s new from some favorite Twin Cities crafties, and found a few new ones—many of whom sell online, of course.

Art + rough real estate world = an interesting show. Artists Terrence Payne and Amy Rice are taking breaks from their regular art beats to ready Nest, a show hosted by Sotheby’s real estate in a mid-century and still unsold Alcoa prefab. Terry gave us a glimpse of his work and DIY process.

“My wife almost exploded when she walked in and saw me taking a skil saw to our sectional to make two separate couches. But it worked out in the end.”