apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

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...

We've posted a few things lately from designers using recycled bottles, and here's another one: these Color Block Recycled Wine Bottle Vases by artist Jerry Kott...

It's pretty common to use a stick or dowel to help prop up a growing plant. Designer Arik Levy took this simple concept and made it a bit more... molecular? This ceramic pot, called "My Beautiful Garden" includes 32 wooden sticks and 22 wooden balls to create a fun structure to help support your plant...

P.S. I Love you! Trina Turk's Palm Springs boutique has become a must-see for fashionistas as well as design fans for the Kelly Wearstler designed interior. Recently, she quietly opened a new addition directly adjacent to the existing store: Trina Turk Residential... (more pics after jump)

Pretty in Pink! Look at these gorgeous fields of "moss phlox" blooming at the Hitsujiyama Park in Chichibu, Japan...

Yesterday's AT Daily Email had Maxwell sharing with us his recent installation of a mirror in his dining area. Coincidently, we have a very similar set up in our home as well...

If you've been considering doing a little DIY artwork on your walls, check out this beautiful design idea. We love all the colors and how it wraps around the corner. This is just one of several designs that the visual artists for the Free People stores came up with for the fitting rooms at their new Carlsbad store..

These cute little guys could add a little fun to your windows as they watch over your room. These "Chirp" curtain finials are made of black painted metal and slip into the ends of your curtain rod...

In addition to the Venice Garden & Home Tour preview article, today's LA times Home & Garden section features a tour of a Spanish Revival home in Pasadena (which has a slideshow that shows this crazy big mural that they put on the ceiling!), a review of the new book on Cliff May, a profile on the Sasha Witte's new store in Long Beach, and more! Links after the jump...

We must confess, we have an addiction. An art book addiction. Every time we go by Hennessy and Ingalls, we're in trouble, since we can't seem to leave without picking up a few more! Well, this Saturday, LACMA is holding a unique and fun opportunity for you to bring your own art books and instead of buying, you can swap 'em!...

Today's LA Times Home & Garden features a preview of some of the homes that will be participating in the 2008 Venice Garden & Home Tour. The tour is this Saturday from 10am to 5 pm. Some more pics after the jump...

Over at BeachBungalow8 blog, Megan (whose lovely home we've featured as an LA housetour) gave a great review of this amazing looking store called Big Daddy's Antiques. It's famous for having tons of vintage and antique garden decor, furniture, and objects...

There's a ton of great shops on West Third Street (from Fairfax to La Cienega). Some of our favorites include Zipper, Plastica, OK, and Flight 001- and that's not even mentioning all the clothing shops, restaurants, and services. Well, all the stores in conjuction with the West Third Business Association have recently launched a new website that maps out all the stores and services in this little neighborhood. To celebrate, they're having a fun event tomorrow night, May 1st, 2008...

You don't have to be a boardrider to appreciate the graphic quality of these bedding collections from Quiksilver. A nice alternative option for anyone looking for something besides florals or traditional patterns...

LA-based designer Paula Small of Henry Road (who was an entrant in our 2006 Fall Colors contest) has some new prints out. If you're looking for some easy ways to freshen up your decor for the summer, these pillows could add a great kick of warm and fun color. Henry Road also just opened up their new store in Studio City!...