apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Item: The Infinity 40x30 Mirror or the Infinity 36 Round Mirror.
Store: Room & Board
Value: $399 - $599

Description: Mirror, mirror on the wall, Which is the fairest of them all? We tend to be pretty indecisive, especially when given a choice between two equally stunning options, like the Infinity mirrors from Room & Board. Handcrafted in Minnesota from stainless steel and beveled-edge glass, these mirrors are modern and chic, and would certainly complement any decor. But which one to choose?

Formal ice buckets always take parties a good three steps above picking cubes out of trays with your fingers &mdash they even make three-buck Chuck glamorous. Sleek ice buckets are almost cliché, so we rounded up creative and whimsical ones for a less-serious bar.

A thrifty but really elegant-looking decoration for winter is a grouping of white-painted branches. Birch or Aspen bark is probably the inspiration here, but white paint achieves a similar look if those species aren't available to you.

By now, the clean lines and natural materials of "modern rustic" style have become a familiar sight. The aesthetic mixes 21st century organic modernism with nostalgia for traditional American and European woodworking, and one area where this style is really catching on is kitchen design.

We're beginning to think we only throw parties as an excuse to decorate. Most of the time this is easy: choose a theme and a color palette, rummage through saved supplies like crepe paper and vintage tablecloths, find a simple centerpiece, light some candles and go! And when we need to restock supplies (the fun part!) we look to a couple of sources:

Did anyone see The September Issue where Grace Coddington worked her magic for the color blocking shoot? Makes me wonder, what about using this technique in the home?

Portuguese designer Luís Teixeira creates furniture and lighting by reusing and recycling mass produced materials — here are his lamps made with disposable plastic hangers.

This weekend, we're looking forward to the Old, Weird America: Folk Themes in Contemporary Art exhibition at Seattle's Frye Art Museum. It explores the resurgence of folk themes and mythic history in recent art from the United States and was awarded the prestigious Best Thematic Museum Show Award by the International Art Critics Association in 2008.

Come to think of it, felt has been a part of every single Christmas I've been home for. Our familiar felt stockings have been around for as long as I can remember, and they continue to be used each year. What other holiday decorations can we find that are made of felt?

• Cure Clock: 2.5 weeks to go
• Assignment: Read Week 6: Light Therapy
• Members: 1,735
I was living in my apartment for a week before the electric company and I were able to sync up schedules. Without electricity I had to rely on candles, sunlight, and flashlights to function. My time was ruled by the rising and setting of the sun. It's not something I would suggest but it did give me a greater appreciation for how this simple modern convenience -- flick a switch and a light flares to life -- has changed the way we interact with the world. Light is about illumination, yes, but it's also about time.

There is a charming restaurant in the West Village called La Focaccia that has the most beautiful patterned tile wall. Every time I see it I dream of redoing my kitchen like this.

Dust is bothersome, isn't it? You think you've taken care of it, and then BAM! It shows up all over everything. Lamp shades, floorboards, sofa cushions, you name it. Any kind of intense cleaning gets the achoos going. And that's the problem: dust is pretty darn disgusting.

• Read the full post at Re-Nest

In yesterday's house tour Michael & David's Modern Classic, readers did NOT like the IKEA bedside tables. Michael and David are looking for the perfect pieces, but the IKEA tables do the job for now. Do you have "placeholder" furniture that you'd like to replace? Take our survey below the jump.

It's officially "the Holidays", the only time of year I put my fancy table runner to use. It isn't really all that fancy, but it boosts my tables self esteem quite a bit! Etsy has lots to offer in handmade and vintage table runners, here are some of my favorites.