Apartment Therapy San Francisco

Swedish Hot Tub Envy
Sköna Hem

Not to mention summer home envy! Sköna Hem did a lovely article with photos of interior designer Katarina Grundströmer's summerhouse. The wood-fired hot tub caught our eye as an amazing place to relax and enjoy the view.

The Black Hole Home Office in a Closet

After a recent move to a more spacious apartment, I ironically faced the task of downsizing my home office into a literal closet. If I was going to have to work in a 3' x 6' space all day, I was going to make every effort to make this closet-sized home office everything I'd want in style and utility. Here's the Black Hole closet office!

• Read the full Tech Tour at Unplggd

Easy Fix: Why My Dishwasher Flooded My Kitchen

When my dishwasher flooded my kitchen I started to mentally prepare myself for calling a plumber. Before I took that drastic step, I checked the owners manual and googled around. I was quite pleased to discover there was a quick fix to this little problem.

Bar Stools for Sipping Manhattans & Old Fashioneds
Inside Man

If space were to allow it, most men I know (pardon the generalization) would love to have a space to hang out with friends, have some drinks and potentially watch some sports. Now, we don't begrudge the idea, but if a bar were to be in our home, we'd just ask that it serve sophisticated cocktails rather than PBR. And with sophisticated drinks comes a need for some sophisticated stools.

Should Smokers Downstairs Be a Deal Breaker?
Good Questions

Q: I need your help. I am a recent college graduate, and can finally afford my first real apartment (that is, one without roommates). I can't wait to get my own space and use all the tricks that I've learned from AT. I even found my dream apartment: it's huge, in my ideal neighborhood, and is just within my budget. Heck, I even charmed the landlord into agreeing to rent it to me. There is only one issue: the landlord just told me that smokers live in the unit below my dream apartment.

Grow These Plants if You Love to Party
Garden Party

Nothing makes guests feel more welcome than homegrown ingredients and touches, be they edible or decorative. Obvious marijuana jokes aside, there are lots of great plants to cultivate in your garden if you love to throw parties. I've chosen a handful of favorites, all of which are relatively easy to grow, lovely to look at, and practical for entertaining.

Vintage Campers for the Birds in Your Life

This month, we've been celebrating vacations and getaways, but why should we be the only ones to have any fun? Vintage campers have been making a comeback as there are now resorts filled with them. Now, you can create your own getaway, on a much smaller scale, to give some birds a stylish place to rest.

Pair of Ligne Roset Dining Chairs - $100
San Francisco Scavenger

The perfect companions to an ultra modern table, these Ligne Roset dining chairs are a good value at $100.

Alisha's Bright White Guest Cottage
House Tour

Name: Alisha, Graham & Finley Irwin
Location: Fairfax, CA
Size: 320 square foot studio cottage with loft
Years lived in: newly built guest cottage behind our home
Rented or Owned: owned

When Alisha and her husband were ready to renovate their tiny guest house they decided on two things: to keep it as low impact and green as possible and to infuse it with their happy, bright, vintage style. Even though it's small by most people's standards, the high ceilings allow space for a sleeping loft and tons of vertical storage, leaving the cottage open and inviting.

When All Else Fails, Sharpie! The Art of Heike Weber

We all have had the "what to do with my floor" conundrum. Do I add a rug? Install hardwood floors? How about polished concrete? I could go on and on, but I think it's safe to bet that the last solution that came to anyone's mind was permanent marker.

The Best Hand Vacuum for Pet Owners

We've recently adopted the use of a cleaning appliance which has knocked off at least 25% of the time we previously spent cleaning around the house, thanks to it's unbeatable performance as the ultimate handheld pet vacuum. Purple and gray, with a motor that spins 10x faster than a jet engine, with a price to match! Litter box clean-up duty overkill?

• Read the full post at Unplggd

Be a Good Guest

Whether you've been invited for dinner or an entire weekend, being a good guest means you'll be invited again in the future. Part of being a good guest is showing your appreciation for the invitation -- with gifts! Here are some host(ess) gift ideas to help you be the best guest you can be.

Anaglypta: Hard to Say, But It Looks Great on Walls

Yesterday, we touched on two of our favorite character building details in homes — decorative plaster and beadboard. I'd like to add Anaglypta to that list! Its raised designs add subtle texture and detail not seen with typical wallpapers or wall treatments.

Vintage Noguchi Lamp - $150
San Francisco Scavenger

This vintage Noguchi lamp needs a loving hand to repair some small rips, but otherwise casts a lovely glow through its paper shade.

Weekly Sales & Events Calendar
San Francisco & Bay Area 7.29.10

THIS WEEK
• Renegade Craft Fair SF
• Ted Cohen Sale & Preview
• Ikat Pillow Sale @ Sheherazade
• DWR Bathroom Clearance Sale
• Garnet Hill Summer Clearance
• TechnoCRAFT @ YBCA
• Bobby Berk Home Sale
• Room & Board Summer Clearance
• Gus* Modern Summer Sale
• BoConcept Semi-Annual Sale
• Léron Sale
• Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Clearance Sale
• Market SF
• Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations
• DWR Outdoor Clearance Sale
• Charles P. Rogers Bed Sale
• Alessi Sale
• Royal Copenhagen Free Shipping
• Organized Home Sale @ The Container Store