apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

A perfect solution for a studio apartment or spare bedroom, this overlapping squares daybed from West Elm is a nice inexpensive option for a multi use piece of furniture.

Make a difference with just a few clicks. Here's a chance to help Global Green and and enter for a chance to win $5,000 in the eBay re+purpose sweepstakes.

* eBay will donate $1 for each new Green Team signup, share, or ecofabulous Reuse Qualified Entry, up to a maximum of $25,000.

As part of tomorrow's Meetup with the American Design Club, Maxwell and the crowd will be contributing suggestions to help one member from the group solve his or her design challenge. If you can't make it tonight, here is your chance to contribute! Tonight's challenge comes from Christina: Q: My shared living room in a Williamsburg loft is very cluttered and dark, but because it is a shared space with someone who was there first (I've only lived here for a few months), how do I make suggestions to change the space without offending anyone?

Sent by Christina

Move over, "less is more". We're penning another dictum about quantities: "Less for more". Those of you who live in tiny spaces may know what we're talking about here: paying more for smaller, more efficient, or lower-quantity items. The opposite of stocking up. We ran into this on a recent trip to the grocery store for light bulbs...

This year, we’ve got an answer to that seasonal “What to Give?” question. One Kings Lane! Better than Santa, this fun, inspirational site turns holiday shopping from a chore into an adventure.

The holiday gifting spirits are high at One Kings Lane. Every Friday, come explore holiday-themed sales events— ranging from Holiday Entertaining to Holiday Travel. And, beginning November 13, you’ll also find a fun little corner called OKL Must Have Gifts, where you’ll find staff holiday favorites and gift picks of the week. Think of it as an ever-changing treasure hunt and gift center! Also, One Kings Lane has an E-Gift Card solution — it’s an ideal solution for a friend who likes picking out their own presents!

Now this is brilliant. How many of you are living in rentals where your landlord decided to ruin a perfectly good wall with a thermostat smack dab in the middle of it? Our thermostat and door buzzer, for example, totally interrupts the art gallery we have going on on our wall. One creative Ikea shopper figured out a genius way to hide both, but still have access to them.

• Read the full post at Unplggd

Comedian, TV presenter and new boyfriend of the "girl-who-kissed-a-girl", Russell Brand is selling his London home. True to character — the pad is dark and dangerous! The interior is predominantly Modern Gothic with a lot of black and OTT features. The reception room gets our vote for the most "out there" with its black and silver flock wallpaper, golden carpet, diamante studded antlers and a huge plasma screen. Brand once confessed: “I am slightly intimidated by that room. I tend not to go in there much. You shouldn’t have a room you’re intimidated by.”

One of our favorite people has composed a list of helpful hints for entertaining as part of Williams-Sonoma Home's Designer Series. Thomas O'Brien is known for his eclectic, masculine, and comfortable blend of vintage and contemporary. Have a read about how he makes his house a home for the holidays.

Living in New York city, we're all too aware that people can see in to our apartment. We've developed a new appreciation for Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 movie Rear Window, in which an injured photographer learns his neighbors secrets by watching them from his Greenwich Village apartment. What's the view from your window? Can you see into your neighbor's homes? Take our survey below the jump.

Coffee table books are a great way to keep minds occupied while you give the roast another basting. Or maybe you just need something to balance that lopsided table leg. Whatever your reason, here's a collection of books to help stimulate some coffee talk.

A good miniature tree can work for seasonal and holiday decoration & and a great miniature tree can work all year long. Here are 10 — from good to great — some more versatile than others.

Lately, since I've been on a quest for the lavender rug, I've been paying particular attention to all rugs as I browse through magazines and the web.

Fine Paints of Europe recently announced its new historic color palette packaged as “George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate of Colours.” My eyes popped as I flipped through first pictures, and I suspect this could quickly become a go-to source of daring colors for smart people with traditional homes.

From our Apartment Therapy classifieds comes this vintage ABS plastic shelving set. Can be used separately or stacked as a single unit.