Apartment Therapy Archive: Feb 2010

Name: Alison & Jeff AllenLocation: Minneapolis, MinnesotaSize: Rental House, 1,200 Square FeetYears lived in: 1 year, 4 months We’ve seen a great number of homes over the years. Some big, some small, some round and some without walls. This home nestled in the northern nook of the Midwest is one that instantly feels like home and oozes family and comfort while still feeling fresh in their retro, Mid-Century stylings.

Name: Grace, blogger of Grace Happens and Collin SorensenLocation: San Diego, CaliforniaSize: 1,200sq ftYears Lived In: 2.5 months All month long, we’ve been sharing Home Hacks from small projects like caring for teak furniture and dealing with stripped screws to bigger challenges, like how to cover up an ugly AC unit. But how’s this for the ultimate Home Hack?

Apartment renters share common challenges, whether it be unsightly overhead lighting covers or looking for easily removable decor solutions which won’t result in forfeiture of our deposits. In our case, the eyesore lives in our bathroom and kitchen, where an ugly, yellowish roll vinyl flooring has always bothered us. We finally found the initiative and opportunity to do something about it!

Last week, a few readers were upset when we wrote about repurposing old books as stationery. While we’d rather see a book creatively reused than thrown in a landfill, many of our books are our most precious possessions and we would not want them to be destroyed. Here are some tips to help your books last longer.1. The spine of a new hardcover book can be stiff and might crack if it is forced open.

Want to know how to make your fridge run as smoothly as possible, to save energy (and you money) in the long run? We’ve got five things you can try today to make your fridge more efficient. Equipment and Tools Refrigerator Vacuum with a hose attachment Appliance thermometer 1. Keep it clean. We’re talking inside and out. Here’s an in-depth look at cleaning the inside (including how to save energy while doing so): How To Clean the Inside of Your Fridge in 30 Minutes or Less. 2.

We love the look of plates hung on the wall. It’s a great way to use a treasured but incomplete set of vintage dishes inherited from friends or family, to display your “only use once a year” dishes and free up cupboard space, or just show off a collection of single plates scrounged from thrift

Name: Allison, Steve, and their sons, Ethan and JeremyLocation: Bethesda, MarylandSize: 4 bedrooms and guest houseYears lived in: 2 Today’s House Tour is a bit of a detour from the beloved small, homespun spaces that we often showcase. When interior architect, Miriam Dillon, introduced us to Allison and Steve’s magnificent home, we knew that we couldn’t help but share it with our readers.

anything The trick is to use a MASONRY bit when drilling the holes. These sharp tipped drill bits have a way of piercing the shiny surface of tile and slowly creating a smooth hole. Materials masking tape plastic anchors patience! Tools electric drill masonry drill bit level 1. Prepare your tile wall by cleaning it and removing any dust and dirt. 2. Locate where the hardware needs to be mounted. Be certain to measure and if there are multiple mounts, that they will be level. 3.

No home office is created equal. No home office is a carbon copy of the other and that’s what is so great about them. You can put your whole personality into the room where you work and create. We’ve narrowed down the two most popular desk choices &mdash White and Wood.We’re not sure what the psyche behind choosing a wood or white desk is, but we’re surprised to see that those are the top choices. Why don’t we see red, blue or black very often?

Pantry moth infestations are most frustrating. At the same time, I am committed to using natural, non-toxic, and mostly no-kill methods to deal with pantry moths. Here are the methods we recommend to get rid of them and effectively prevent further infestation. If you suspect you have pantry moths, first inspect everything in your pantry. Although moths tend to infest flours and grains, you should also check dried fruit, candy, pet food, etc.

image:837389264efa05cf531d8828b98066c01a50abc2 w:540 s:"fit" class_name:"mt-image-center" show_pin_button:"true" show_image_credits:"true" Stepping out of the shower or bath is the first step we take after a refreshing and relaxing experience — shouldn’t it be onto something nice?

Name: Ray and Patricia HammLocation: Llano, TexasSize: 2,100 square feetYears lived in: 12 years Money is no object when it comes to decorating Patricia’s house. That’s because it doesn’t matter if she has money or not, she will find a way to make her home fantastic. Living in the small town of Llano does not afford the luxury of big city shopping, but it does inspire creativity.

Name: Stefanie & Luke (Mr. & Mrs. Limestone)Location: Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn Size: 1,800 square feetYears lived in: 3 years You may be familiar with Brooklyn Limestone, the blog penned by Stefanie documenting her adventures in renovation and decoration. She has incredible picture tutorials of the crafty projects she does herself, and thorough photographic evidence of the complete transformation her home has made from beginning to end.

Big pillows may be readily available, but what if you long for custom accessories that won’t break your bank? My mock boxed cushions stuffed with standard bed pillows are so inexpensive and easy to make, you’ll never want mass produced again. Once you make one, it only takes about 30 minutes to put the next one together. This project goes so fast, you can knock out 3 or 4 before noon, clean up your apartment and be ready for guests by 7:00.

Normally we offer a variety of options or techniques to hide the eyesore of cable/wire clutter. But what if you’ve got an awkwardly positioned outlet and a cable or wire is just something you have to live with? Instead of hiding it, why not make it something more visually amusing/pleasant, as shown here with this adornment by PA-Design.The design also reminds us of Shunsuke Umiyama’s vine inspired Midori AC Adaptor.

Q: My husband and I adopted a kitten a few months ago, and now that the warmer weather is coming we need some help cat-proofing the apartment in a new way. We’re lucky enough to have two large 6 foot windows and a sliding door (with screen) that’s about 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Any tips for how to keep the cat from climbing on the screens? We keep her nails clipped short, but she manages to grab hold anyway. Any diversion tips? Thanks!

A couple of years ago I inherited the Danish modern credenza that had been sitting in my grandmother’s living room for at least my entire life. She took incredible care of it and so I’ve tried to do the same. This means dusting, coasters and frequent oiling: Materials Unwaxed Teak Furniture Teak Oil Dusting rag Oiling Rag Well ventilated area 1. Dust: With a damp (not wet!) cloth, dust the piece of furniture so that you get every bit of dust off of it.

This impressive mural (along with a few others) were made by artist Kathryn Anderson with nothing more than pushpins and yarn. We’ll show you how you can create your own, step by step and with tips from the artist.Kathryn Anderson of KAndeArt has made some great wall murals out of nothing more than string and push pins. Here are her steps to creating a beautiful and unique murals from string.MaterialsPushpinsBrown yarn or stringA piece of wood to use as a thimble 1.

Trunks are not cheap &mdash especially ones of good quality. If you don’t have a use for the trunk you may current own, it’s nice to see alternative uses for them. It’s great to know that you can transform your trunk in the comfort of your own home!We stumbled across this DIY on ReadyMade and we thought it was great. We’ve always wished we had an old trunk (we love them stacked up as a coffee or side table) and this is another reason why.

We have a ridiculous amount of tape in our home. Although it’s all in the same place, it doesn’t ever seem to be easy to get to or use. When we saw this DIY tape dispenser we loved the idea and immediately had a few ideas on how to make it hold more than just masking tape, details after the jump!

Between Hulu and Netflix, I have little need for cable. I rely on my local HDTV channels for coverage of the Olympics and news via a HDTV antenna I tossed up in the attic because it was so aesthetically unpleasing. Until recently, ugly antennas were the norm. More recently however, manufacturers have taken aesthetics into account, introducing antennas designed for those who care about looks and performance.For best performance, an antenna should be placed the attic.

Name: Emily & NateLocation: Jamaica Plain, MassachusettsSize: 700 square feetYears lived in: 1½ years – rented As an avid fan, Emily (a graphic designer) knows her Apartment Therapy stuff. Within minutes of walking through her door, Emily tells me that she’s pretty sure that the layout of her place is exactly the same as another house tour I recently posted. And funny enough, this other tour was also home to a Nate.

Name: Dee AdamsLocation: Oakland, California You may have already seen images of the home of Oakland artist (and interiors consultant and senior producer at Yahoo!) Dee Adams, as it was featured on the Herman Miller blog. We contacted Dee about a house call and she shared with us more about her style as well as the unique challenges of living in a loft.I’ve been in the loft since June of 2009.

It’s inevitable. If you have a pet and a nice wool rug, you will, at some point, have to clean your pet’s mess off said wool rug. You’ll get angry, you’ll assign a time out, then you’ll use this cleaning method to remove the funk, and all will be well. This is our go-to method for cleaning up pet messes on our rugs around the house. If caught quickly, it’s really the best possible, non-toxic way to clean pet stains from a rug.

Advertisers will do just about anything to get your attention—including making sure that their commercials are aired at least three times the volume of the show they’re interrupting. As if you didn’t need another reason to get a TiVo. Luckily, somebody with some tech know-how (In this case, SRS Labs) hates them as much as you do and made a plug-and-play device that quiets loud commercials down. The guys at SRS labs have been perfecting audio technology for a long time.

Salad greens are very easy to start by seed and can be grown indoors near a sunny window or outdoors on a small balcony since they don’t require pollination. You can either start seeds in small pots and transfer them to a larger container when they are ready, or just plant them right in to the soil. The latter is the easiest way for small space indoor gardening.

Building forts with couch cushions, pillows, chairs, tables and lots and lots of blankets is a classic childhood indoor activity — but can also be fun as an adult. The best part is making it all up as you go along but here are a few basic pointers. furniture and cushions that are already in the room, pillows, blankets, sheets, extra chairs, heavy books and/or clothespins string of fairy lights, flashlights, snacks, portable TV or viewing access to the TV, laptop, books to read 1.

When we enter into an apartment lease, we don’t initially consider negotiating as we would with a new home purchase. Especially in the current economic situation, most landlords are willing to negotiate at least on some of the terms. Landlords need renters as much as the renters need a new place. In most cases, landlords won’t approach the rental agreement as negotiable, but with a few tips the contract can be open to negotiation.

Don’t pay for extra packaging and products when you can make your own scented linen powder in a few easy steps. Your sheets will thank you. And if you like this, try a laundry booster and stain fighter, or a vinegar rinse to replace your fabric softener. Materials: 2 cups Baking Soda 1 bunch Fresh Herbs or Citrus Peel Oven or Microwave Blender, Electric Spice Grinder or Mortar and Pestle 1 Pint Glass Jar with screw on lid Awl or Hammer and Nail 1.

Faux malachite — who knew? The idea for this grew so organically I can’t even remember what the original impetus was, but I think the architect was intrigued by the stone’s jade green color. I see as per an article in the latest Elle Décor that gemstones are the dernier cri, so I count ourselves as prescient on this point.My father was a geological engineer and had semi-precious stones laying all over the house, so things like the pattern of agate are in my blood.

We have big dreams for our new living room that include; dividing it up to make room for a pedestal table with chairs next to the faux fireplace. A reading/eating nook is just the thing that will cozy up our space and make our house feel like a home. And although we plan on making our dreams a reality, our challenge is making it all work in a small space.Rugs We plan on using a rectangular rug underneath the couch and a smaller rug (perhaps circular shape) paired with the pedestal table.

As our kitchen renovation draws closer to completion, we’ve started to notice how much of an eyesore our old air conditioner is. It’s in perfect working order and we’re keen to keep it so we’ve played around with a couple of ideas of how to update its appearance. We decided on a removable cover, full details below the jump.

Last summer my mother taught me our family recipe for dill pickles (great-grandma’s recipe is pictured). Here’s a step-by-step guide to pickling. This recipe is for dill pickles, but once you have this down (and trust me, it’s easier than you think), you can adapt the general process to jelly-making and more. • Read the

Name: Jason & JohnLocation: Lefferts Gardens, BrooklynSize: 2,800 square feet, Tudor-style single family homeYears lived in: 4 years John and Jason have lived together for 17 years, during which they’ve bought, renovated and sold three apartments. This is their fourth home together as well as the site of their interior design business.

(Welcome to Ann & Dabney from St. Louis, a tag team of bloggers trying out for a place as Apartment Therapy House Tour Contributors. Enjoy their work!)Name: Ann & Dabney Location: St. Louis, MissouriSize: 3700 square feet (including home & workspace)Years lived in: 6 months When we were looking to move to Saint Louis, we looked at a lot of houses in the city, but it was in an old butcher shop turned hardware store turned office that we found our perfect renovation project.

We recently came across this inexpensive bathroom makeover on our Apartment Therapy SF flickr Pool. Marie and her husband Aaron moved into their Menlo Park apartment about a year and a half ago. While their initial decorating tended toward neutral colors and traditional furnishings, Marie felt a need to brighten things up by making her bathroom a bit fresher and younger. See Marie’s less than $50 makeover after the jump.

Earlier today we taught you how to make your own laundry booster with your own personalized smell. Even though it’s a great way to add some extra cleaning power to your laundry, we know many might utilize a scented vinegar rinse more often. It’s a great way to do away with fabric softener and even easier to make!Materials:1+ cups Distilled White VinegarEssential Oils or Fresh HerbsPlastic or Glass ContainerStrainer (optional) 1.

This is slightly embarrassing but my power outlets are…grodie. Doesn’t it look like it’s crying out? It would be one thing if it was hidden behind the sofa but this is in plain view above the stove. However with a little elbow grease (about the amount of a Smurf) it’s clean, clean, clean.ToolsQ-tips Formula 409ScrewdriverRazor Blade (if you have excess caulking to remove) 1. Shut your power off.2. Remove the power plate cover.

Here’s an oldy but a goody that’s even more relevant now as MORE people are doing it… I recently bought my first pair of “serious” jeans. The reason I know this is because as I was standing at the register about to pay A LOT of money for them, a cool dude who was standing next to me at the register said, “Oh, you’re going to like those.” “Do you have a pair?” I asked him.

Every well-run home is teeming with tricks and shortcuts to keep it humming along. We’re sharing our best quick tips — for cleaning, organizing and repairing stuff at home — to save you time and money. Click through for today’s helpful hint, and links to tons more… Use VINEGAR! First, thoroughly clean the mirror with your favorite product or homemade solution, then wipe it dry.

KitchenAid, always looking to be innovative in their products, like the Briva in-sink dishwasher, has added a new refrigerator to their appliance lineup. What makes this refrigerator innovative? It contains a built in USB port, among other tech amenities like a full color LCD screen and LED lighting.You might ask, why does a refrigerator need a USB port? The USB port, according to KitchenAid, is for loading images.

Humidifiers are a godsend during dry winter months. They not only help eliminate dry skin, but also reduce air born illnesses. But do you know how often you should be cleaning yours — or how to go about it? It’s easier than you think, check out the details after the jump! Materials Humidifier White vinegar Tap water Bottle brush (if required) Bleach or tea tree oil (optional) 1.

Our new apartment has some pretty archaic kitchenware. So old, we can’t quite figure out how to use the timer on the oven. While we could just look at the clock and determine how long something needs to be on the stovetop or in the cooker, we tend to get distracted easily and realize only

Name: Morgan, Jeremy, Iggy Pup Location: Hemet, California Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 2 years There’s the common adage of taking lemons and making lemonade. We think Morgan and Jeremy have taken their situation a step further (their living situation “a careful balance between want and need”), squeezing out champagne from their modest, post-war Hemet home.

Container gardening is a great way for city dwellers to have their own home-grown food source in a small space. All you need is a deck, a roof garden, or a tiny patch of well-lit space to start your own small garden. To learn the basics, we attended a session with Merill Smith, from Chicago’s City Farm. Get ready for growing season!MaterialsThe planters Merrill uses are made from recycled 2x4s with a plastic screen lining the bottom.

Earlier this week we told you how to find a good contractor &mdash well, finding a contractor is one thing, but ensuring the construction process is a relatively smooth experience is another. For tips, we once again turned to green architect Nathan Kipnis to find out how to work with a contractor, and not get ripped off!How does a homeowner ensure that they don’t get ripped off during a construction project?

We’re still in love with our Eames chairs and recently inherited a couple more that are covered in naugahyde. They’ve been sitting in storage for about 20 years and they’re dull and sad. We want them to look shiny and new like the picture above. Jump below for hot to restore them to their original lustre.Here’s our baby, a dull pink with water stains and sadness.

Every well-run home is teeming with tricks and shortcuts to keep it humming along. We’re sharing our best quick tips — for cleaning, organizing and repairing stuff at home — to save you time and money. Click through for today’s helpful hint, and links to tons more… Use a WALNUT! Just rub a shelled walnut on the damaged area, and watch in amazement as the dings, scrapes and scratches all begin to darken and disappear.