The Latest: Jun 2010

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LJ Wraps Up

Name: LJ, Elena and Teo Location: Downtown Brooklyn Size: 550 square feet studio Years lived in: 5 years Long-time Apartment Therapy fans may recall LJ’s impressive work in progress! Well, LJ finally finished and it looks incredible! This home is a labor of love and sweat. LJ, an architect, built almost everything you see! Major elements that he didn’t build with his own two hands were often salvaged from other people’s architectural projects.

Jill Slater

Jun 30, 2010

Marc’s Victorian Compound in Hollywood

Name: Marc Gomes, actor & directorLocation: Hollywood, CaliforniaSize: 2,000 square feetYears lived in: 5 Originally built in 1896 in Glendale, Marc’s home was moved to Hollywood in 1937. The house still has many of the original architectural details and Marc has added another level of depth to the architectural character with his choices in design and decor.

Marcia Prentice

Jun 30, 2010

Gorgeous Recycled Copper Sinks from Native Trails

When we think about our dream home someplace and sometime way out in the future, we think we’re going to have to go with one of the basins from Native Trails. These beautiful hand-hammered sinks are made by skilled artisans and crafted out of recycled copper and reclaimed wood. Each sink takes several days and

Faith Durand

Jun 30, 2010

Sneak Peek: Heath Ceramics’s “Dwell Patterns” Tiles

Nipping on the heels of the upcoming Dwell on Design show next week here in Los Angeles (where you might see a few Apartment Therapy contributors roaming the floor, so please say “hello” if you’re there between the 25th-27th) is a collaboration announcement from two personal favorites, Heath Ceramics and Dwell. • Read the full

Faith Durand

Jun 28, 2010

How To Grow a Crate o’ Arugula

Whenever I’m out and about in the city, I’ve always got one eye on the sidewalk and the other scanning the curb for attractive junk that I can recycle into planters for my roof garden. Even old fruit crates are just deep enough to accommodate leafy greens or herbs with shallow root systems. I decided

Faith Durand

Jun 25, 2010

Dale & Adam’s Detailed Duplex

Name: Dale & Adam — Dale’s firm is DRD Studio (website underway)Location: Chelsea — NYCSize: 1,070 square feet — 2 bedroom duplex Years lived in: 7 years Five years ago, I had the pleasure of documenting Dale and Adam’s home for a pioneering Apartment Therapy House Tour! Since then, they’ve had a few changes: a new kitchen, new half-bath, and twins! Dale is an architect so all the designs for the renovations over the years were home made.

Jill Slater

Jun 23, 2010

10 Things To Pack In A Piñata That Aren’t Made From Sugar

So apparently we have piñata fever around these parts. We just can’t help it. They’re perfect for a party, a backyard get together, or could even be a fun way to pick summer chores (who says they can’t come pouring out amongst other things?) for little ones, but sometimes we’re not into all that sugar. Here are a few non-food ideas instead!1. Bubbles: You can find small packages of bubbles (check with wedding supplies) that won’t weigh things down too much!2.

Sarah Rae Smith

Jun 23, 2010

Ellie’s Handmade First Home

Name: Ed and Ellie GroverLocation: Roseville (near Sacramento), CaliforniaSize: 1,872 square feetYears lived in: 1 year Ellie and Ed bought their first house about a year ago. While they would have rather purchased a good ol’ fixer upper, market conditions meant a brand new house made more sense. Fearing that her home would fall into the tract home rut, Ellie quickly set out to “make the new look old and add a little character to the cookie cutter-ness.

Jess Watson

Jun 22, 2010

Nathan & Hannah’s Mid-Century Modern Mission

Name: Nathan & Hannah (Foxy, our long-haired Chihuahua)Location: St. Louis, MissouriSize: 1362 square feetYears lived in: 5 Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch is the tip of the mid-century iceburg in the Saint Louis area. Case in point: Tucked in among more expected suburban homes, is the gem of Ridgewood, a time capsule of a subdivision, peppered with modern ranch homes built as affordable and efficient homes in the the 50s.

Ann Manubay & Dabney Frake

Jun 21, 2010

Violeta’s Vibrant Village Home

Name: Violeta Konieczna & D.P. KellyLocation: County Limerick, IrelandSize: 1,500 square feetYears lived in: 2 Violeta lives in a village in Ireland that looks like it’s straight out of a movie. Her home is just as picture perfect as the surrounding land. Each and every item has its very own place and purpose. Sure, there are a lot of strictly decorative elements, but the home doesn’t feel over done.

Kristen Lubbe

Jun 17, 2010

Make Your Own USB Mini Fridge For $5

Mini fridges are pretty neat. Although having a mini fridge near one’s desk can take one back to their former dorm days in a not so aesthetically pleasing flashback fashion, we think if the fridge is small enough and able to be easily stowed like this DIY from Instructables, we can see how it would

Faith Durand

Jun 16, 2010

Will’s English Gentry in Cabbagetown

Name: WillLocation: Cabbagetown, Toronto, OntarioSize: 1,300 sq. feetYears lived in: owned for three years Six years ago, Will arrived in Canada from the U.K. with a few suitcases of clothing. Since then, Will has built up his ideal home with personal objects and furniture that combine elements of his homeland and adopted city. His self-described style: “landed gentry with a North American twist.

Rachael Grad

Jun 15, 2010

Revisiting Natalie’s Alcove Studio

Name: Natalie MooreLocation: Lower Nob Hill, San FranciscoSize: 285 square feetYears lived in: 1 Natalie has managed to create a glamorous, put-together space, despite only having 285 square feet with which to work. This is why she was an Apartment Therapy favorite during our recent Small Cool contest. She has now given us a full tour, even though it’s still fairly small, of her home. Take a look!

Jessica Tata

Jun 15, 2010

Before & After: Painting Kitchen Backsplash Tile

We love a good before and after…and we love a totally do-able before and after sent in to us by a reader even more! Elizabeth took on the challenge of changing the color of the tiles in her kitchen with paint and got great looking results for a really amazing price. Here’s the scoop on

Faith Durand

Jun 15, 2010

The Bruns Breathtaking Bucolic Colonial

Name: Ken and Lynn-Anne Bruns (plus our 4 kids, 2 dogs & 2 bunnies)Location: Charlotte, North CarolinaSize: 4500 square feetYears lived in: 4 Lynn-Ann Bruns runs a successful design business and has the home of my dreams. It feels lived in, comfortable and is well designed through and through. The Bruns travel a great deal and have lived all over the world – their home reflects a combination of their adventures and great sense of style.

Sarah Rae Smith

Jun 14, 2010

Wendy’s Shoebox Studio

Name: WendyLocation: Hell’s Kitchen — NYC My apartment is a 350 square feet studio apartment located in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan. I recently moved in back in February of 2010, so I’ve been living here about 4 months. I think it would make an great Apartment Therapy House tour because of the limited space as a studio.

Aaron Able

Jun 14, 2010

Revisiting Beth’s Teeny Tiny Peek-a-boo View

Name: Beth of Small Cool 2010 fameLocation: Sausalito, CaliforniaSize: 365 square feetYears lived in: 3 years There is no doubt that everyone remembers Beth’s Teeny Tiny Peek-a-boo from this year’s Small Cool Contest. As winner of the Teeny Tiny division, we were all impressed by how much Beth was able to do in such a small footprint. Still, five images were not enough and left us all wanting to see more.

Jess Watson

Jun 10, 2010

Homegrown LA on Starting An Edible Garden

A few months back a reader tipped us off to the great work that Marta Teegan has been doing in the edible garden world. She started Homegrown LA 5 years ago and has made it her mission (and passion) to bring edible gardens to everyone. Jump below for an inspiring interview along with tips for

Faith Durand

Jun 10, 2010

Teasmade Alarm Clock Wakes You Up to Tea

Mornings are not our favorite time of the day. Often when the alarm clock rings there is nothing that we are less interesting in than getting out of bed. A great alarm clock can help with not only waking us up, but also in helping to get the day off to a great start.We have

Faith Durand

Jun 9, 2010

Jen & Michael’s Modern Retreat

Names: Jen, Michael, Eva & Esme Location: Lexington, MassachusettsSize: 3,000 square feetYears lived in: 2 Remember the story of the city mouse and the country mouse? The country mouse envies her sister’s riches, but eventually chooses a life of safety and ease in the country over the wealth and danger of the city. The fable aptly describes artist Jen’s search for the ideal home.

Ronee Saroff

Jun 8, 2010

5 Collapsible Picnic Bags

Earlier this week Apartment Therapy DC showed us 10 great picnic baskets that certainly put us in the mood for outdoor dining. But for those of us who are apartment dwellers with limited storage space, a big basket may not be a good fit. These five picnic bags are space saving basket alternatives. • Read

Faith Durand

Jun 7, 2010

Tereasa’s Modest Cottage

Name: A Very Modest Cottage Location: Elkhorn, Wisconsin, on the grounds of Tereasa and David’s summer camp Size: 10 x 10 square feet Type: Half-sawn log cabin from a prohibition-era motor cabin court Years lived in: Guest cottage on our summer camp for 3 years Tereasa Surratt advises people to “look for the abandoned souls,” and once you know the story of this cottage, you’ll understand exactly what she means.

Sarah Coffey

Jun 4, 2010

3 Tips for Taking Care of Window Air Conditioner Units

Yesterday, we featured 5 Tips for Annual Air Conditioner Maintenance. It was a helpful article for anyone with central A/C, but Unplggd reader Amanda H pointed out that we completely neglected many small, cool dwellers with window or free-standing air conditioning units.Just like any other appliance in your place, the window A/C also needs tender love and care. Make sure to give it a thorough cleaning at least once a year:1. Wash the filter.

Taryn Williford

Jun 4, 2010

Krista & Zak’s Philadelphia Art Hotel

Name: Krista Peel and Zak Starer of Philadelphia Art HotelLocation: East Kenzington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Size: 1,700 square feet — 3 story brick rowhouse Years lived in: 9 months If there’s one thing we know right off the bat — Krista and Zak are not afraid of color! In fact, they embrace it and use it in every square inch of their home.

Kristen Lubbe

Jun 3, 2010

How To Host a Cook-Off

If you’re looking an entertaining idea for this summer there is nothing more amusing than a little friendly competition between friends – especially when it involves food! Hosting a cook-off is a great excuse to encourage friends to go head to head with their best recipes and serves as an instant icebreaker among the guests. With a bit of planning, hosting a cook-off can be stress-free.Here’s the breakdown of planning your own food-centric competition.

Anne Reagan

Jun 3, 2010

5 Tips for Annual Air Conditioner Maintenance

Before you go blasting the cool air from your A/C, make sure you’ve given your trusty appliance it’s yearly check-up. Air conditioners require regular maintenance to work at their peak. If you follow our tips each year, you’ll be staying cool and saving cash—in energy bills and unexpected repair costs.1. Change the filter.Central air systems should have their filters changed at least every few months.

Taryn Williford

Jun 3, 2010

Unexpected Container Gardening: Quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is a nutrient-rich ancient whole grain. It has been a staple of South American diets for centuries and has gained popularity around the world in recent years due to its health benefits. The simple nutty flavour and light and slightly crunchy texture make quinoa a great substitute to white rice. But did

Faith Durand

Jun 3, 2010

Foraging for Fabulous Fiddleheads

Spring in North America is high season for fiddleheads, the sprouts of a new fern stalk that has not yet unfurled it’s fan of leaves. Fiddleheads are a wild, lush, crisp vegetable very high in antioxidants, they are incredibly plentiful and easy to find all over the world. • Read the full post at Re-Nest

Faith Durand

Jun 2, 2010

The Art of Layering

Somewhere in between random grouping and borderline clutter lies the art form of layering. It’s the decor equivalent to tousled hair: seemingly effortless. While the beauty of layering is in the unique combination of objects— making it impossible to come up with a one-size-fits-all formula— there are a few tips that may help you master the look:• Start big.

Leah Moss

Jun 1, 2010

How To Plant a Super Easy Tomato Container Garden

There’s nothing better than a fresh, home grown tomato in the summer. If you’re not growing your own by now, you should really start — tomatoes can be grown only in the ground, but also in a container or even a hanging basket. Once you’ve gotten all of your ingredients planting your own tomato garden

Faith Durand

Jun 1, 2010