apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Name: Angelique Lalonde, Catherine Lalonde, Jessica Ziakin
Location: East Burnside, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Size: 3 Bedrooms
Years lived in: 3 years rented

Our friend and photographer Phillip was recently in Victoria, B.C. visiting his friend Angelique. During his stay he learned that the landlord was selling the house and that Angelique, her sister Catherine and roommate Jessica would soon have to move out and find new homes. Phillip -- who has always loved the place for its charming, homey feel and the wonderful times he's spent in it -- decided to document it, so he could always revisit his dear friend's former home, and so he could share it with you.

Name: Lisa Congdon and Clay Walsh
Location: Mission District, San Francisco
Size: 1,000 square feet
Years lived in: 6 years

Artist and Rare Device store owner Lisa Congdon is no stranger to Apartment Therapy. We've featured her art, the products based on her works, her store displays, and even a tour of her house a few years ago. But as with any creative person, Lisa has changed the decor of her home several times since we last visited, and especially since her partner, Clay moved in this year.

Name: Dan Johnson Lake
Location: San Francisco, CA
Size: 3-4 bedrooms, including a dining room
Years lived in: 12 years, rented

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Twelve years ago, Dan Johnson became the fifth roommate in this 4-bedroom apartment. His prior living situation came to a tragic end when his apartment building was set ablaze, and he found himself desperate for a place to live. He found a room, but he soon learned that it wasn't always easy living with others with differing ideas of decor and cleanliness. But Dan compromised, and over the years, roommates moved out until, finally, he found himself the sole resident of this spacious flat. Finally liberated from other people's stuff and taste, Dan was able to create a unique space of his own.

Name: Erin Cullerton and Melanie McGraw
Location: San Francisco, CA
Size: 750 sq. ft.
Years lived in: 4 years, rented

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Erin and Melanie have made an enviably sweet nest together in this one bedroom Mission District apartment. We love their awesome, sunny backyard and the way the light from outside generously pours into their kitchen. We also appreciate the clean, minimal design scheme they've got going throughout the inside of the home.

Name: Leslie Bamburg, Adam Polakoff, and Alex Trebek the cat
Location: San Francisco, CA
Size: About 650 sq. ft.
Years lived in: 6 years, rented
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Leslie and Adam first became friends while attending UC Santa Cruz. After their college days ended they split ways, but eventually Leslie, an interior design consultant and Adam, an attorney, reunited in San Francisco and decided to share a home together. They, along with Leslie's handsome cat, Alex Trebek, have been in this Bernal Heights two-bedroom since 2002. And although Leslie can claim credit for most of their apartment’s overall look, Adam’s personal sense of design is noticeable, especially in his own bedroom and in the art works hung throughout the home that come from both of the friends' collections.

Name: Mariah Gardner
Location: San Francisco’s Mission District
Size: 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath apartment
Years lived in: 4 ½ years rented

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Mariah is a Jack of all trades. She's the kind of person who can fix her own boat, sew her own clothes, whip up a meal for 30 or more friends, and whistle Dixie, all the while looking cool and composed. She manages to be put together without being over the top, old-fashioned without being outdated, and classic without being square. So we weren't surprised when we first visited her apartment that it was a mirror to her self, outfitted with carefully culled curiosities, fun and vibrant artwork, and enviable vintage finds and doo-dads.

We were walking in the Castro this past weekend and came across two noteworthy houses. One was this house with an Obama-inspired stained glass window. We wondered if the home owner had it specially made, or if s/he made it him/herself. And will s/he keep it up after Obama's presidency ends? If nothing else, the stained glass inspires so many questions. Is this stained glass you can believe in?
And after the jump, check out the cool mural painted on the exterior of a house ...

Choose your own adventure is the theme of David Trubridge's Iti Kitset Lampshades. Made out of recyclable polypropylene, these lampshades can be made into different patterns using the same kitset. You can even join different kitsets to make a bigger lampshade. That means you can change your lampshade design every year, or every day, if the fancy (and creativity) strikes you.

Whether you live with friends or with people who were once strangers, you're bound to come across issues that must be brought up and resolved. Most issues can be discussed without hurting any feelings or bringing up sensitive issues, such as figuring out a chore schedule or splitting the utility bills. Other times, it's not so easy. After the jump, we discuss three awkward roommate situations and how they were (or weren't) dealt with.

Name: Frances Weiss
Location: Lower Pacific Heights, San Francisco, CA
Size: approx. 450 sq. ft.
Years lived in: 3 years, rented

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If you think that this sunny San Francisco studio apartment looks familiar, congratulate yourself for having a keen memory -- Frances' bright and cozy Lower Pacific Heights apartment was a contestant in our Small Cool 2008 competition last April. We liked how comfortable and inviting it seemed, even for such a small space, so we were glad to take an in-person look at the studio and share what we saw.

Whenever we're passing by this apartment, we ponder the reason this dweller decided to place his or her alarm clock facing out the window, right next to the apartment's front entryway.

We were inspired to bring out our vintage serving tray after going to a few friends' houses and seeing them put to use in a variety of places throughout the house: the bathroom, on a landing strip, and underneath a potted plant. Thanks for the great ideas, guys! So, we thought we'd put together a roundup of vintage serving trays for sale on Etsy that may inspire you to bring out, or buy, your own.

Did you get your 2009 phone book? What's a phone book, you ask? Oh, it's something that you might still come across and use, like a phone booth and a library card catalog. What are those, you ask?...
Most of you probably will never actually use a phone book this year. We were really sad to see a whole pile of plastic wrapped phone books sitting in rows outside the apartment buildings and homes on our block. It's so terribly wasteful, but continue reading after the jump to find out why we were thankful we brought in our new copy of the phone book.

A friend went to a new acquaintance's home and had one thing to report about her decor -- she really, really likes... herself! All over her apartment walls were blown up photographs of herself. To be fair, these weren't just point and shoot throw-away images, but professionally done portraits, but our friend left the apartment feeling a little strange about his new friend's idea of home decorating.