apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

For the dining room, we love a good wooden table and chairs. They're classic materials that have been used in eating areas for centuries. In the 20th century, Danish designers began updating these materials using forms that fit more easily with modern decor. Click below for a few ideas inspired by kitchen and dining manufacturer Bulthaup...

This Friday (today), Threadless opens a gallery exhibition of Chicago printmakers at 3011 N. Broadway, and you're invited to join the party from 7 to 9 pm. If you've still got a hankering for more poster art, head over to Wicker Park print shop Sonnenzimmer on Sunday (September 7th) for their one-day-only blowout sale, with older posters and misprints marked down as low as $5. Click below for more info on both events...

In the Gold Coast, a seller has 4 white Eames molded plastic side chairs with Eiffel bases for $150 each. These are newer models made with high-impact plastic. The base is polished aluminum, and the seller says the chairs are "practically brand new." Jump below for links and more good finds:

Last weekend, after 11 years of living in this city, we finally took the Chicago Architecture Foundation's hour-long River Cruise. One highlight of the tour was the chance to see two of our favorite buildings from the River: Lucien Lagrange's Erie and Kingsbury on the Park. (See the view from the boat below.) Completed in 2002 and 2003, we think these River North condos are two of the best new buildings in the city...

Right now, Design Within Reach is offering free shipping on everything...and they have quite a few sale items as well. Click below for a roundup of our favorites for under $300...

We put up our first Lack Shelf last weekend in our entryway. It's one of those basic pieces that shows up everywhere: bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, and landing strips. We can't believe we never bought one before, which got us thinking about all the different uses for this uber-ubiquitous shelf. We put together a list (complete with photos) of twelve ways to use the Lack in your home...

Name: The Dana Hotel and Spa
Location: River North, Chicago
Size: One-Bedroom Studio Suite
Style: Contemporary

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Even though Escapes month is over, we managed to fit one quick end-of-summer getaway into our Labor Day weekend. We spent a couple of nights at the new Dana Hotel & Spa on State Street, where we enjoyed a fun weekend in our own city. While we were there we snapped a few photos of the studio-sized suite and its amazing views of downtown Chicago...

Browsing Flickr last night, we came across these colorful photos (tagged with "apartmenttherapychicago") from Spring Cure alum Jess2nola. She's been organizing her apartment over the past couple of weeks with a personal mini-cure and we think it looks great! Jess' style is decidedly "happy chic"—print and pattern abound in this space. Click below for a peek inside...

VM is a condo complex in Copenhagen designed by JDS Architects and named for the shape of the plan when viewed from above. Each unit has a triangular balcony, open views, and its own unique floorplan. Since the condos have different widths and heights, residents customized the interiors according to their needs. JDS took photos of several of the different condos, and it's a real pleasure to click through and see how each space provides a brief glimpse of the people living there...

Kate sent us a good question: Does anyone know where I can find this fabric? Or something similar? I’m looking to recover some craigslist chairs and love the color and print! Help!

Image via Dwell Bedding

We were surprised to see the overwhelming majority of folks who say that clutter is their biggest problem in the bedroom. It seems that even the room that's supposed to be your sanctuary can't escape the mess of everyday life. To de-clutter the bedroom: (1) get rid of anything you don't use, and (2) find storage solutions to deal with what you have left. Step-by-step plan below...

It's finally happening! After a year of looking at different types of dogs, getting landlord approval, and finding a pet that doesn't trigger my husband's allergies, we're finally getting a dog! We've adopted a very sweet retired greyhound racer. A big dog requires a few big purchases, including a dog bed that serves its purpose without being an eyesore. Since we're on the lookout, we decided to round up a selection of dog beds from high to low, for big dogs and small ones...

In the AT Classifieds, this wood platform bed with recessed mattress was made by a Chicago artist and measures 11 x 65 x 87. It comes with two side tables measuring 11 x 18.5 x 11. Jump below for links and more good finds:

Ever wonder what it would be like to be the antiques buyer and gallery director for a store like Anthropologie? You can find out on 1stdibs in an interview with Keith Johnson, who holds this amazing position. Johnson's good eye scored him a job that sends him on international flea market expeditions where he shops for the store, brings back one-of-a-kind items, and chooses the pieces that will inspire Anthropologie's new home decor lines...