apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The thing with being a renter is that the place you're in is so small (but the location! the cheap rent! your landlord's great!) that you're constantly fiddling with the layout. And then, of course, you want something cool. But if you're going to plunk down some money on something it's gotta work in a number of situations (like how will it look when you move into that loft downtown you've been dreaming of? Or at least into a place with a separate bedroom?) Consider the Swedese Libri Bookcases.

Somehow in our house, December is a mess of wires, plugs, cords and blown fuses. From the fairly lights to the Wii, most of what we want, buy, use and receive for the holidays seems to be electrical in nature. But, with only three sockets in our living room and only one socket per room in the rest of the house, it's an obstacle course of wires running every which way, an accident of some kind just waiting to happen. We rounded up some solutions.

Uh oh December 1st. How did that happen? Although we started buying gifts months ago (and giving them -- it's really hard for us to sit on stuff we're excited to give until the holiday), we're still only part way through our list. And, often, we're just stumped. For a selection of unusual and unique gifts you might want to click on over to Red Plum

Breakups are painful enough without having to go through the added pain of wrestling over your mutual possessions. But if you're not living together, you're in the clear on this point, right? Maybe not. We have a friend who, in an attempt to wipe the slate clean of any memories, gets rid of everything from clothes to furniture, when she breaks up with someone.

Thanksgiving is about home as much as it is about food. It's about hanging out at home, with family, friends and guests, figuring out ways to occupy the kids and where to put the extra guests. This week's Los Angeles Times Home & Garden section swirls around these questions, from a close look at Todd Oldham's new book, with crafts geared towards the modern kid, to ways to section off and create privacy for guests. Plus, there are two house tours, one of which was originally posted here! Links to these stories on the LA Times website and more, after the jump.

We've never been participated in the madness that is Black Friday although we're very intrigued by the idea. It's one of those crazy phenomenons that, being the culture-mad person we are, we feel we should experience once in our lifetime. Our favorite shopping partner has offered to plan the whole day and even take us for breakfast at our favorite spot afterwards. Or maybe we should just stay home, chill out, snack on leftovers? To help us (and you) make a decision, we've rounded up some of our posts that make a case for both sides: the best deals if you're in, ways to spend the day if you're not.

Has this ever happened to you? You get an idea for something for your space that would be really cool: you saw this design that would look great on your walls or your floors only you don't have the skill set to draw or stencil it on yourself, any artisan you contact is entirely cost-prohibitive and despite having spent hours going through Apartment Therapy's archives you just can't find something similar. Now what? You could give up. Or you could contact Printed Space.

Packing, traveling, where to board the dog, put the extra guests, baking another pie, making room in the coat closet, cleaning out the car so you can transport the pies, ordering wine. ARGH! The to do lists this week are coming to a fever pitch. Somewhere between running around and doing for others, it's important to find time for yourself. With that in mind, we've rounded up some of our best tips on ways to pamper yourself this week...

A home that looks like it came out of a catalogue, from decorator's head, where you can't imagine flopping down on the couch with the dog, don't interest us. Personal, one-of-a-kind, DIY, handmade, unique, livable, whimsical even - these are the goals for how we'd describe the homes we're drawn to. With that in mind, take a look at some of the articles from this week's Los Angeles Times Home & Garden section: A pendant lamp made from straws; a camera that shows your garden growing in fast forward; a shop that pumps new life into old stereo speakers; and, an architect's family's home in Silver Lake. Links after the jump...

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• Assignment: Read Week 6: Light Therapy
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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.

Last night we attended an event at the SLS Beverly Hills Hotel (more about that later) which took place in the Garden Terrace room. The people, the food, the displays and the cocktails are all great but at one point we found ourselves mesmerized by the tiling.

Last night I was out with one of my Apartment Therapy colleagues and suddenly the mood got quiet and serious. She turned to me and said, I need help solving a problem:

"I'm thinking about buying these end tables but they're a fortune. But I've been thinking about them for six months now and they've just dropped the price on them. They're still expensive but...should I do it?"