apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Wow! Check out this "Wooden Mirror" by Daniel Rozen. It consists of a bunch of wooden panels that are connected to a camera and a computer. The panels flip from light to dark to represent what the camera is seeing. Check out the video of it in action after the jump...

Balconies are often under utilized spaces. Unfortunately, they're also usually pretty small and it's often hard to fit standard patio furniture. Designer Sandy Lam has come up with a concept we hope makes it into actual production. It's called "Spaceless" and is essentially a balcony decking system that has furniture built in!...

This week's LA Times Home & Garden was all about remodels. In addition to the Gregory Ains designed Tarzana home, they also featured a home in Westwood, and a 50's home near LACMA that got transformed into a duplex. More pics and links after the jump...

Today's feature story in the LA Times Home & Garden is a remodel of a home in Tarzana, designed by architect Gregory Ain in 1963. Gregory Ain worked for Schindler and Neutra before branching out on his own in 1935. He's mostly known for his International Style work, but this home was one of his last commisions and represented somewhat of a departure. It's all based on the shape of a hexagon. More pics after the jump...

Grace mentioned the famous Kaufmann house recently, as the location of the recent J.Crew campaign. The house was slated for auction Monday in New York at Christies (the homeowners got divorced), and was estimated to sell for between 15 million and 25 million. It finally sold for 16.84 million to an undisclosed buyer! It "...commanded the highest price of the American modernist houses recently sold as architectural collectibles."

These gorgeous pieces are not bracelets. They're actually napkin rings! Designed by Sara Finn, they're made of thin wood veneer that is laser cut. We're loving the almost lace-like quality...

When hanging your artwork on a wall, remember that it doesn't always have to go in the middle. As seen in the June 2008 Metropolitan Home, designer Barry Dixon played around with this configuration while decorating this home for Pat McGeehin...

Ooh! What's in the box? This unassuming wood box is approximately a foot square. However, pull apart a side...

We say it a lot here on AT, mirrors help visually enlarge a space. We spotted this image and had to do a double take when we realized that there wasn't a hole underneath the console, but rather, there was a mirror!

A few weeks ago, Laure posted about houseplants, and here's an interesting find to add to that subject. We've seen some cool "self-watering" flower pots in the market recently, and this one is another for the list. The "Wet Pot" by Gardener's Supply (AT Chicago recently listed them in their store directory), consists of a a clear glass outer pot that gets filled with water, and a porous clay inner pot. The concept is that the plant absorbs the right amount of water it needs via the inner clay pot...

With Summer approaching and Spring in full swing, it's time to start enjoying the outdoors. If you're one of the many that only have a small balcony, this item from the Summer collection at IKEA could be useful. The DYNING chair pad from IKEA converts a basic patio and lets you kick back hammock-style...

LA- based Rock Scissor Paper, is having a big Anniversary Sale this week! In celebration of their "15 years of indie design" and offering 25% off EVERYTHING this week only (May 12- 18th, 2008)...

Concrete floors are a popular choice for today's modern homes. A company called Transparent Art (AT:SF mentioned their conceptual lamp before) has come up with a concept that "allows for application of any pattern to the surface either when pouring or afterwards when the concrete has set..."

A simple way to define a space is to use paint. We noticed this clever paint treatment in the June 2008 Living Etc. They utilized the awkward corner space in the stairwell and created a graphic niche...

This weekend a new show called "La Femme" will be opening at the Nucleus Gallery in Alhambra. It's described as "a visual celebration of mothers, daughters, and sisters everywhere—featuring a diverse and talented group of exclusively female illustrators picked from all over the world." One of the featured artists is Stina Persson, whose illustrations (as seen above) you might recognize from several fashion magazines...

One thing that caught our attention from yesterday's hotel inspiration feature in the LA Times was this cork pillar that's in the lobby of the Palihouse Holloway Hotel... (detail shot after the jump...)

Mother's Day is this weekend, and as usual, we're a bit behind in the gift department. So, we asked a couple of our favorite local design stores for some ideas. Click after the jump to see some of their suggestions...

In addition to the peak at some new LA area hotels, today's LA Times Home & Garden section featured some other goodies including a look at the futuristic, midcentury inspired set of the new "Speed Racer" movie, new concepts for backyard sheds, Air plants!, and Mod Mom furniture. Links after the jump...

Hotels are a great resource for inspiration and ideas for your home. Today's feature story in the LA Times Home & Garden section takes a look at several new hotels that have recently opened up in Los Angeles. Check out some more pics behind the jump...

We're normally not very attracted to animal prints. However, we're strangely drawn to this Cheetah carpeting that was featured in the home tour of Stephen Shubel in the May 2008 Domino... (survey after jump)

Yesterday, we mentioned the new plate set by Marco Cibola for Poketo. Well, if you're a fan of Poketo's artist goodies, then you'll be excited to know that they're having a huge Warehouse sale this Saturday!...

While looking into ways to clean our shower door, we came across Real Simple's take. They suggest "...After a thorough cleaning, an application of lemon oil will help serve as a shield from shower grime. Twice a month, apply a generous coating to the shower door with a soft cloth. (The best cloths to use are soft cotton rags or microfiber cleaning cloths.) Real Simple likes Holloway House Lemon Oil for the purity of its scent, but any lemon oil should work well. If the etching on the shower door is deep or prone to buildup, treat it with lemon oil once a week. This extra step will protect your glass or fiberglass door and freshen your shower between deep cleanings. "...

This image from the April 2008 issue of Domino Magazine was intended to highlight some faux decorating accents, but we were more intrigued with the cabinet. We were drawn to "gray-washed" paint treatment. Gray has been really popular lately in decor, and it really makes the objects stand out...

A few weeks ago, AT:SF posted Lisa Congdon's fun wall of plates. If you've been considering doing something like that, here's a new plate collection that is definitely worthy of being considered as art. The Middleton's Plate Set is by Marco Cibola for Poketo...