apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

We've got another IKEA hack for you today. This one is a sweet little bench seat complete with storage underneath...

Check out the full post on: Ohdeedoh

Anne and her graduate student daughter Elizabeth have been working on setting up Elizabeth's small studio apartment in her new city, Chicago. They wrote asking for help from the Apartment Therapy readers (posted here) and have put the advice to good use.

Q: Need help deciding how to refresh these creamy yellow walls. It’s a small space, with lots of natural light (SW exposure). Just not sure how to pull this space together. I’m open to any & all ideas, including tips on how to better arrange the furniture to make it work! Was thinking of a light stone/gray color on the far wall and maybe behind the sofa, but will that enclose the small space even more?

In the Apartment Therapy Classifieds, Kevin in Rogers Park has this Vintage Lane Dresser listed for $350. Jump below for links to this and more good finds:

Have one of these office basics hanging around? Not many of us would think of them as a decoration "plus" in their usual state, but Anne changed all that when she pulled off a remarkable transformation in just one afternoon!

Q: I'm about to reside in an 50+ year old, 800 square foot house (larger photo below). While I would love to side the house with real cedar shingles, it is too expensive and perhaps not the best siding for a Midwest climate. I hate the idea of supporting the poisonous vinyl industry (please see the documentary Blue Vinyl at www.bullfrogfilms.com) I don't have any choice due to budgetary restrictions. All that aside, what color and type of siding would you recommend for this little homestead nestled in the burbs of Chicago?

This one comes to us from founder of Dwellstudio, Christiane Lemieux. She decided to go with a black and white background letting the colors of the meal itself stand out. She's also got a few ideas for the "kids table"...

Check out the full post on: Ohdeedoh

We were tipped off this weekend that there is an archive of Dwell back issues online at Google Books. Starting in 2000 and currently concluding with the December 2008 issue, this is an excellent resource of the design mags history and content....

Q: Here are three pictures of my bedroom. The wall is painted a darkish grey with white trim. Bed is a dark wood with the night stands soon to be matched. I'm looking for suggestions on window treatments. Since this room gets good light in the morning - I'd like something more for privacy than light blocking. I used to have roller shades...

In the Apartment Therapy Chicago Classifieds, Tom has a set of 6 Vintage Fiberglass Chairs available for $750. Jump below for links to this and more good finds:

And the Winner Is...

Anne's Rock & Roll Loft

5 Small Bathrooms with Smart Storage

Tina Fey as Liz Lemon on "Decorganizing"

5 Uses for IKEA's Muddus Table

Heather's Vintage Granny Chic

More Top Posts from past weeks below...

10 Great Spaces for Entertaining

House Tour: Josh & Jen's Blank Canvas

Ready-Made Lighting

Icons of Design in San Francisco

Colorful Storage Spaces

5 Felted Wool Projects for Late Fall

More Top Posts from past weeks below...

Name: Elizabeth
Location: Chicago

This house call came to us via Flickr. We are so glad that Elizabeth tagged her photos with "apartmenttherapychicago" so we could get a little peek inside her apartment which she's decorated with her vintage finds...

Q: As newlyweds, my husband and I have set about making our house a home. My question for you is regarding our living room (larger photo below). We have been trying to find a rug for quite some time, and cant seem to agree on anything. He gravitates towards things that are very masculine, and I feminine. He likes warm, I like cool. The walls are a pale blue, and the furniture black leather. Oh, we have a black haired dog as well (she wanted to make sure she was in the picture)...