apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Tuesday, we listed a bunch of different cotton tea towels for use in the kitchen. With so many great varieties of design, it would be easy to end up with a surplus, but thanks to their versatility, they can be much, much more than a dish drying towel. Here's a list of 5 other uses for our favorite kitchen cloth.

Two years after Barnaby Grist and Ellen Goldberg bought their Noe Valley Victorian, they were ready for a change. Opting to keep the classic façade and the front rooms of the home as is, they enlisted the help of Samaha + Hart Architecture to completely transform the rest of the space. Their modern, spacious and inspiring remodel is after the jump.

Last week, we posed a question about whether or not the home office should ever enter the bedroom. Some readers didn't think a designated workspace was necessary in this era of laptops, but for those who fancy a desk here's a roundup of those that won't take up much more than 3 feet by 2 feet of your valuable space.

We spend much of our time over here talking about ways to make our homes more inviting, cozy, warm, stylish, clean, comfortable, chic, energy efficient, et cetera, but we rarely discuss how to make our homes more fun. While many of you may have already seen this video, it still begs the question: How often do we choose function without thinking about fun?

A few weeks ago, we featured a roundup of colorful pendant lamps. However, most renters lack the ability to update their light fixtures. Here are some solutions where the only requirements for installation are a plug and a hook.

Furniture design is an art form and the relatively young British furniture designer Toby Howes already seems to be an old master. Making something beautiful and functional is no easy task, but Toby successfully marries the two in his Wishbone Rocking Chair. Its wonderfully curvaceous lines serve to enhance both the design and the functionality of the chair.

Tea towels seem to be the kitchen towel du jour, but as Susie recently pointed out, not all towels are created equally when it comes to absorbency. Based on her advice, here's a roundup of 100% cotton tea towels. Some are from flour sacks others are organic, but all are cute enough to grace your kitchen when not in use.

Always striving for efficiency and practicality in his designs and strongly influenced by his engineering background, French engineer/designer Jean Prouvé designed the EM table in 1950. Using the principles of force vectors and static connections, the diagonally angled legs provide for an extremely sturdy working surface or dining table.

Are you in need of some over the top inspiration for your holiday table setting? This week, Dining by Design celebrates its ninth year in San Francisco. Wednesday's Table Hop & Taste event will give attendees the opportunity to preview one-of-a-kind dining installations while sipping on cocktails and enjoying tastes from some of San Francisco's top restaurants.

While I'm celebrating designs from across the pond today, here is a fabulous wall covering from Bleu Nature, a craft-based business located in Northern France. Built entirely with wood from certified and sustainably managed forests that is then glued to particle board, it makes up in impact what it may lack in everyday practicality.

I know what you are thinking and I concur. It does indeed seem a bit early to discuss Christmas ornaments, but bear with me. This is with good reason. I knew once you saw these, you would have to have them and since they are from Niki Jones, a UK company, you would need to order now to have them in time to hang on your tree.

When I think of fall, my thoughts turn to the saturated colors of peacock, mustard and plum. While these are staples of my autumnal wardrobe, I have yet to make the jump to my home. In an ideal world (where I could actually paint my walls), I most definitely would have a peacock accent wall. It's so rich, so modern and so chic. I dug deep into AT's archives to find some of the best examples we've featured.

One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to update your decor for the upcoming holiday season is by swapping out your pillows or updating your pillow covers in your living room. Here are some festive options that are so stylish they may just find a permanent home on your couch.

Since a good host always has coffee available at the end of a lovely dinner party, let's revisit one of the few coffee makers heralded by coffee connoisseurs and design enthusiasts alike. Patented in 1941 by the German born Dr. Peter Schlumbohm, its simplistic yet modern design landed it in MOMA's design collection just three years later.