How to Choose and Place the Perfect Ceiling Fan
If you’ve ever been told that installing a ceiling fan is a great way to keep cooling costs down, you ought to keep that friend close because they’re exactly right. But if you buy the wrong size ceiling fan, or install it too close to the ceiling or walls, you could be counteracting all of the good work your fan should do for you.SizeThe size of a fan probably has the most effect on how well it cools down your room.
Jan 31, 2011
Warren & Mimi’s Highly Personal Architectural Home
Name: Warren Techentin and Mimi Techentin Location: Los Feliz, CaliforniaSize: 3600 Square FeetYears lived in: 4 years When I visit an architect’s home, I sometimes find it to be an untouchable piece of art. However, Warren and Mimi’s lovely home was very welcoming and showed signs of life and children really enjoying the space. I asked Warren how he kept the twin babies from not pulling all the books off the shelves or trying to climb the library ladder.
Jan 28, 2011
Pam & Bryan’s Comfortably Creative Family Home
Name: Pam, Bryan, their sons, Sawyer and Zane, and dog, ShaynaLocation: Arlington, Virginia (Clarendon)Size: 4 bedrooms, 4 ½ bathroomsYears lived in: almost 11, owned Pam is an intuitive decorator. Rather than adhering to any strict design principles or striving for complete cohesion, she’s designed each room with elements that she and her family love regardless of whether the spaces have a strong stylistic connection to each other.
Jan 27, 2011
Joel & McKenzie’s Salvaged Live/Work Loft
Name: Joel & McKenzie Taplin, and their 14-month-old daughter GereLocation: Monohasset Mill — Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 2,700 square feetYears lived in: 11 — rented, then owned One of over 30 live/work spaces in the Monohasset Mill building on Providence’s West Side, Joel & McKenzie’s loft evokes a feeling of cozy farmhouse minimalism despite its expansive size.
Jan 26, 2011
Kristen and Mike’s Mid-Century Oasis
Who lives here: Kristen James and Mike Dunn and their dogs Gaudi and ConanLocation: Lakewood, CASize: 3 bedrooms 2 bathroom house (1,305 Square Feet)Years lived in: 6 years — own Kristen and Mike bought their home 6 years ago, with a keen sense of inspiration and design savvy that has flourished into fruition with their complete renovation and addition this past year.
Jan 25, 2011
Before & After: Kitchen Reno on a Near Zero Budget
Late last year, Edgaroso shared his “Brave Bathroom Renovation” with Apartment Therapy. Well, he’s back with another room makeover in the small home he inherited from his grandmother — this time he tackled the sweetly retro kitchen on a truly miniscule budget.
Jan 25, 2011
Mandy & Michael’s Crafty Charm
Name: Michael & Mandy, author of the craft blog Fabric Paper GlueLocation: Arlington — VirginiaSize: 608 square feetYears lived in: 3 Mandy and Michael’s place is just like them, adorable. Both are Nashville transplants who came to the DC area for grad school and decided to stick around. Michael is a criminal defense lawyer and Mandy works as an analyst for Health and Human Services (HHS).
Jan 24, 2011
Savannah’s Sophisticated Studio Apartment
Name: Savannah Farris-GilbertLocation:West Hollywood — Los Angeles, CaliforniaSize: Studio apartment Years lived in: 1 — rent Savannah, a Graduate student in the Architecture-Interior Design program at UCLA is perfecting her love of Interior Decorating. I think it must be a craft she honed in on very early — as she told me her mother often helps her hunt for new pieces for her apartment.
Jan 19, 2011
5 Tricks for Moving Furniture
That’s me. And that’s my credenza. which probably weighs in somewhere around 300 pounds, maybe more. I’m not kidding — it’s a monster. And I weigh about 105 wet. But I was able to move it from one end of the room to the other without breaking much of a sweat and without ending up in the hospital or with residual back pain. How’d I do it? I have a few tricks up my skinny arms.
Jan 19, 2011
Lauren’s Collection of Stories
Name: Lauren YoungLocation: Lakeview — Chicago, IllinoisSize: 1,500 square feetYears lived in: 10 — Owned When guests enter Lauren’s home, they always pause briefly in her gorgeous, richly-hued foyer. Not only to take off coats and say hello, but because the room — the only one in the apartment that’s not neutral — demands it of you.
Jan 18, 2011
The Best Way to Close Off Any Vent
Remember when we discussed whether or not it’s OK to close off air vents to unused rooms? The answer was that, yeah, it’s OK to do—in moderation. But do you know the most effective way to close off those air vents? Here’s a quick trick that will have your vent sealed up in no time—all you need to do is make a trip to the craft store.Think you need a screwdriver or super-tiny fingers to shut down your extra, extra bedroom for the winter? Nope.
Jan 18, 2011
9 Ways to Organize Books: Which Is Your Style?
I’m not a particularly organized person … except when it comes to my bookshelves, which are arranged in a perfectly logical, consistent way (although it’s logical only to myself). If you have a sizable book collection, it’s worth taking the time to organize them so that you can find whatever you’re looking for. Let’s take a look at some of the best methods to choose from.
Jan 14, 2011
Space Saving Laundry Drying Racks
Whether you dislike using the dryer for environmental reasons or simply have a wardrobe full of “lay flat to dry” labels, finding easy ways to dry clothes in a small apartment can be extremely challenging. Though draping clothes over every available surface is a tried and true solution for some, there are better alternatives to help you air dry your laundry.The Leifheit Tower 190 is designed with 62 feet of drying space, enough for 2 machine loads of clothes.
Jan 12, 2011
Repair Cracked China with Milk!
Unless you drop your china and it shatters into a million pieces (which is usually my luck), it probably only suffered a small crack from a fall or mishap. Instead of just waiting for the day it inevitably breaks for good, try giving it a milk bath. Yup, your china is getting a day at the spa!Curious about how it works? The idea is simple. You place your cracked piece in a pot and cover it with two cups of milk (or more if needed). Next, heat over low for an hour.
Jan 10, 2011
Liv, Jeff and the Friendly Yeti Sharing a Home
Name: Liv and Jeff McMillan Location: Long Beach, California Size: 1644 Square Feet Years lived in: 8 Months Liv and Jeff are as fun and carefree as their artistic and handmade home. While Jeff finishes his painting in his studio, Liv is in her crafts room writing for her blog and hanging out with Friendly Yeti. Early this summer there will be a new little addition to the family and it isn’t a baby yeti.
Jan 7, 2011
Kate & Mark’s Mission Statement
Name: Kate and Mark ShawLocation: The Mission — San Fransisco, CaliforniaSize: 1,200 square feetYears owned: 6 Kate and Mark’s decor mission is simple: to steadily curate their space by adding and rearranging pieces in a way that ensures everything serves a purpose — even if only to celebrate favorite memories. Their collection is largely comprised of natural curiosities, handmade items, and found objects.
Jan 7, 2011
A Trio of Hanging Beds For A Room Shared By Three
Names: Jeremiah, Samuel, and Augustine Ages: 6, 4, 2 Location: Texas Awhile back we featured a room that took all of us here at Ohdeedoh by surprise. Jaws were dropping, we were forwarding the link as fast as we could to friends and family — we were flat out amazed. We’ve since gone behind the scenes and today you can see more of this room filled with color, hanging bunk beds and the opportunity for extreme fun!
Jan 7, 2011
Quick History: Checkerboard Floors
Black and white checkerboard floors first appear in European paintings in the 15th century, but the pattern’s origins lie long before that, in ancient artifacts from Iranian ceramic vessels to Roman paved floors. Here is a quick look at the history of checkerboard floors.
Jan 6, 2011
The Japanese T-Shirt Folding Technique
Maybe it’s post traumatic stress from my days working at the Gap when I was 16, but to this day I still obsess over my t-shirts looking perfectly merchandised on my closet shelf. Luckily, I recently discovered the Japanese folding technique, which creates a perfect fold in mere seconds. Next step is to add a little magician’s flair so I can give that guy who’s always juggling his socks at the laundromat a run for his money.
Jan 6, 2011
Nan and Michael’s Craftsman Flat
Name: Nan Lawson and Michael JonathanLocation: Silverlake — Los Angeles, CASize: 1 bedroom flat, on the bottom floor of a converted craftsman style homeYears lived in: 1 year and 7 months — rent Last month I randomly stumbled upon the website of Nan Lawson. I was instantly attracted to and amused by her drawings and sketches. She has a knack for simplifying a genre of hipster cool in her prints, which she sells on Etsy.
Jan 5, 2011
Jacquelyn Opts for Opulence
Name: JacquelynLocation: Financial District — Manhattan, New YorkSize: 712 square feet — one bedroomYears lived in: 1 month Jacquelyn’s goal for the design of this apartment was to infuse it with glamour — a home and a “life filled with beautiful objects, imbued with femininity and opulence.
Jan 5, 2011
Jason & Denise’s Warm and Bright Ranch
Name: Jason, Denise, & OwenLocation: Midway Hollow — Dallas, TexasSize: 1,200 square feetYears lived in: 4 years — owned Denise and Jason’s 1952 ranch style home is an excellent testament to resisting the tear-down movement now common in the surrounding areas of Dallas. Rather than remodeling, they used basic design aesthetics to complement the 1950’s charm: clean white walls, pops of color, and no clutter.
Jan 4, 2011
Steve & Jeremy’s Contemporary Comfy Chic
Name: Steve, Jeremy and dogs Squirt, Elij, Leo & PogoLocation: Medical District — Chicago, IllinoisSize: 3,000 square feet single family homeYears lived in: 8 months — owned Most Apartment Therapy readers are champs when it comes to small space living. I’m continually impressed by the creativity and ingenuity that I find when shooting tours of extra teeny homes.
Jan 3, 2011
The Best Closet Systems
A great solution to making the most out of any closet space is investing in a closet system that will carve out a spot for all your clothes and accessories.
Jan 3, 2011