Apartment Therapy Archive: Jan 2011

This color looks and sounds yummy. The purplish tint is bold enough to be statement color for any room. Yet, there is enough brown in this shade to still work as a neutral. I guess you could call it a bold neutral. This combo is the holy grail of paint colors.Paint can be overwhelming. There are thousands of colors to choose from and the paint chips at the hardware store are dizzying — not to mention the sample color books.

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.

I have difficulty keeping humidity levels down in my small, windowless apartment bathroom. Try as I might (and I’ve tried everything just shy of bleaching, which I don’t want to do) I can’t seem to keep my shower curtain liner from getting moldy, which has led me to replace it far more often than I would like.So I recently went on a search for a better liner, and came across this biodegradable shower curtain, which has me intrigued.

None of these suggestions are groundbreaking or unheard of; rather, the tips we read in Natural Home’s article Lower Your Flow: 10 Ways to Save Water at Home are just good reminders that the small, seemingly unimportant actions we can make can add up to great, positive benefits.Our favorite tips from Natural Home’s article Lower Your Flow: 10 Ways to Save Water at Home: Wash only full loads of laundry, or use the appropriate water-level or load-size selection. Wash in cold water.

Clay cookware might seem delicate, but like cast iron, it can go from stovetop to oven to table. Unglazed clay can also be seasoned to retain flavors, and since clay is more porous than iron, it’s better at retaining moisture.

From freezing your jeans in lieu of washing them to cleaning the toilet with Coca-Cola to the one about magically removing silver tarnish with aluminum foil; I have to admit I feel like I’ve heard it all. These urban myths of household cleaning have been kicking around for a while — we’ve even blogged each of them on Apartment Therapy. But the question is, do any of these actually work?

It all begins with the soil. Worms are the great transformers of landscape through eating and digesting. They can consume a patch of stones and over time turn it into a fertile field. Worms continually pass soil through their intestinal canals, keep anything they can use for food, and then “cast” the rest. With indoor worm composters, these creatures can take your coffee grinds, lettuce scraps and apple cores and turn them into fertilizer castings that your plants will love.

Last week I wrote about 10 Tiny Kitchens We Love and many of you remarked that one of the reasons that they were so great was the natural light they had. Well, living green often means living small. And living small means we don’t always get a window in our kitchen. So, here are 10 great kitchens that are windowless and fantastic at the same time.1 Check this great space out over at the Kitchn, using reflective surfaces and high ceilings you almost forget there is no natural light.

Clay cookware might seem delicate, but like cast iron, it can go from stovetop to oven to table. Unglazed clay can also be seasoned to retain flavors, and since clay is more porous than iron, it’s better at retaining moisture. It requires proper care (most unglazed clay should be soaked in water before use) and it can be difficult to clean, but for anyone used to cooking with cast iron, it’s got a lot of similar benefits which can outweigh these minor inconveniences.

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.

A while back Abby and I got some tips from Danny Seo on how to be smarter about how we did laundry. He had some great simple (green) tips that we implemented right away. He also was one of the first to point out the importance of maintaining the machines so that your clothes get clean, the machines stay efficient and you get the most out of your investment.

The Cat Genie is one of those things that can seem really green or really un-green, depending on how you look at it. I bought the first version of it after I had been in a car accident and injured my wrists pretty badly. I wasn’t able to carry heavy loads, which meant clumping cat litter and the Litter Robot I had considered purchasing for my four felines was out of the question.The glory of the Cat Genie is that it uses washable litter granules (made from recycled plastic).

In small kitchens, a standard size refrigerator can take up valuable space and be an energy hog. Fortunately, many manufacturers are now making 2′ wide, counter-depth options that have plenty of space for a couple or small family. See five examples (including a comparison of annual energy usage) after the jump!While these models are narrower than a standard refrigerator, they are usually taller, giving that svelte European look.

Name: Erin Davis and Ben SmithsonLocation: Casa View — Dallas, TexasSize: 1,498 square feetYears lived in: 6 months — owned We first met Erin and Ben this past Fall when they submitted their “Peacock” living room in our Room for Color Contest and we wanted more! Erin, who is no stranger to the interior design world, shows us how she and Ben flexed their decorating muscles in their newly purchased Cliff May 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.

With all the power juice packs available for computers and devices, you might be wondering if you could just hack together some kind of a power solution and plug it into your USB port to charge your laptop. A lot of devices can be charged via the USB port, so why can’t laptops be charged as well? The short answer to this question is……no.

I seriously considered adding a plethora of vintage chairs to my dining table during my last move. However, I found that only having a two-person table didn’t quite have the same effect. If you have a large seating table, adding a hodge-podge of mismatched chairs can have a fun and quirky effect.Chances are, the lone vintage chair at the thrift store is much cheaper than buying a brand new dining chair at a home furnishings store.

It’s easy to close the door to your closet and forget about what’s in there…until the next time you get changed or put on your coat. Here are a few simple ideas for upgrading your closets’ style and organization so that each look and rummage inside is enjoyable.Go uniform. The easiest way to make your closet look more orderly is to use single-color multiples.

I love this kitchen remodel from Olives and Daisies. It’s definitely green to find ways to make do with what you have rather than buying new or throwing things away, and in this case they did a few simple things that had major payoff: painted the cabinets, took out some upper cabinets, replaced a few doors and worked on the hardware among other things. The transformation is really incredible considering the minimal investment. Well done!

Most kitchens are large expanses of flooring and cabinetry that — be they gorgeous or hideous — are silently crying out for character, identity or (in the hideous case) distraction. A kitchen mat or rug can be the perfect place to start. Not only will a rug bring personality to your space, it will also add comfort and warmth to an area full of hard surfaces.

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.

Alongside Vitsoe, ISS, and Elfa Shelving, there’s another giant of modular storage that we haven’t yet included in our store directory. Rakks’ system is based around wall-mounted standards or pole supports that can be configured with shelf brackets. Unlike less expensive systems, Rakks shelving has no visible hardware — a detail that makes it attractive to architects.Owned by the Rangine Corporation, Rakks is based out of Needham, Massachusetts.

A Totally Overloaded Drying RackAfter doing loads of laundry, sometimes the last thing we feel like doing is hanging up our wet clothes to dry. Yes, it’s mostly that we’re being lazy, but there’s also an art to doing it well so that the clothes dry quickly and with as few wrinkles as possible.

Our bedroom TV has been in need of a little upgrade for several years now, so we’re using the excuse of hosting a Super Bowl party to finally take the plunge. We’ll grab a new, compact HDTV for the bedroom—but first, it will pay its dues by supporting a sports-bar-style 2-TV setup in our separated living space. Stoked? Sure, but we know that we’ll have to troubleshoot a few things to make sure we’re getting the best image from our new TV.

We talk a great deal here at Apartment Therapy about keeping things clean and our persistence about it is quite strong when it comes to our bedrooms. They seem like a magnet for dust and allergens — not to mention clutter from other parts of our home. Today we’re taking a stand and saying, enough is enough!

We often talk about the benefits of house plants for indoor air quality. If you’re a pet owner, you might not know that some of the most common plants can be harmful (and even fatal) to Fluffy or Fido. To avoid unexpected vet visits, I’ve compiled a list of some of the most common toxic plants for cats and dogs. I was shocked reading this list because I have many of these plants either indoors or out and have not personally encountered any problems.

When we remodeled our kitchen last year, we decided not to install a garbage disposal. Sure, it’s a quick way to get rid of potato peels or that forgotten container of leftovers, but do you really need one?Garbage disposals use water to help grind food into small pieces. Not only does this increase your own personal water consumption, but these small pieces then become part of the wastewater system which often requires even more water to get it to the treatment plant.

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.

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.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of keeping 3-year-old Tuli company while her mother worked. She’s a darling girl, but has been in a few tree collisions lately while sledding. A simple request to remove a band-aid that was “owie” looked ready to turn into a scream fest – lucky for Tuli, I came armed with this simple trick.Ok, so it’s not so much a trick as it is an appliance.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Let’s hope not by sitting them on the counter. But seriously, what is the best way to keep little ones occupied while you dice, sauté, and open oven doors? We’re talking kids who are too young to help out in the kitchen or sit quietly in front of a DVD in

Name: Maeve RosalindAge: 3 monthsLocation: Colorado SpringsRoom Size: 10′ x 10.5′ Maeve Rosalind’s mom, Michele, didn’t go safe with this room. Nope, after lots of moving and years of living in rental homes, the purchase of the family’s first home gave Michele the freedom to chose whatever paint color she wanted.

An organized nightstand could not be complete without a water carafe. While they’re super practical — they help keep you hydrated and keep the occasional hangover at bay without having to get up in the middle of the night — they also help inject a little bit of luxury into your bedside style. Checkout some of our favorite vessel and cup sets after the jump!

The laundry area in my new home is much more compact than it was in my old rental, resulting in the purchase of a stackable washer/dryer unit. One thing I’ve encountered that I didn’t with the traditional side-by-side units is a persistent vibration during the spin cycle of the washer. After some research, I learned a few new things about proper care of my appliances that I thought were worth of sharing. 1.

If you’ve got a difficult bathroom space with windows over your sink, rather than the traditional mirror, take a cue from the team over at Young House Love and hang a mirror in front of that window.Not only does it provide the much needed mirror over the bathroom sink, it adds privacy to a very open, very vulnerable space in the house. I love how it opens up the potential for the various use of spaces in front of windows.

Usually when you’re talking about having flour all over your kitchen, it’s because your getting down with some baked goods, not cleaning! One of the simplest cleaning tips we’ve used time and time again is not only inexpensive, but chemical free and has yet to let us down! • Read the full post at Re-Nest

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).

If you’ve got a cat and a laptop, you’ve probably found your kitty lounging about near or on your laptop (or just on computers in general). While we understand that cats enjoy sitting on something warm, it’s kind of funny and annoying at the same time. I can’t remember the number of times that I’ve shushed my own cat Yoda off my laptop. What can you do to stop this behavior?Sure, finding your cat on your laptop is funny.

Although we’ve recently learned a very thorough way to clean your toilet, sometimes you’re looking for the easy way out. Who knew that method would turn us to the pantry and, more specifically, to Kool-Aid?We’ve mentioned in the past over at Unplggd that Lemon Kool-Aid is a great cleanser for your dishwasher, but we never really thought about using it in our toilet before.

I recently moved (and finally got a sofa!) and am considering allowing people inside to see it, to mix and mingle and break in this new place. But it’s pretty small so it takes a little bit of strategy in addition to the normal prep for a housewarming. Jump below for some of the most useful tips I’ve come across.For a housewarming party in a small space I’m imagining some food, plenty to drink and lots of nice people.Clean up.

When it comes to designing children’s rooms, there are no rules. But we still have some suggestions for elements to include to make a child’s room a place for comfort, discovery, play and memory making. Here are 10 “somethings” for every child’s room: 1. Something To Sleep On: A bed is pretty basic – but make their bed soft, warm and inviting and you can bet they’ll spend more time on it and in it than just sleeping. 2.

More often than not when we talk about going green renovations, we’re talking about the installation of eco-friendly items into new construction. Even when we’re talking about updating the old, the strides seem small — at least in comparison to this Ottawa residence and business. All we have to say is… wow!

Home chefs everywhere are loving how easy it is to use their iPads in the kitchen when they’re following recipes. But guys, I don’t have an iPad. Or a printer, for that matter. So my MacBook Pro comes with me to the kitchen in a dangerous display of hubris. And last night, it happened. I dripped water on the brick of the power cord. Luckily, I found there are some things to do if your power cord gets wet so that it can be saved (hopefully).

Name: Tim Shetz and Patricia LeoniLocation: Alameda, CaliforniaSize: 1,684 sq/ftYears lived in: 7, ownedWho else lives here: Thomas their 8-month old baby, Piper the dog, Cooper and Cleopatra the kitties. Tim Shetz is a DIY kind of guy. From the kitchen cabinets to the back yard patio, he’s taken on a handful of home renovation projects since purchasing his 1930s craftsman bungalow seven years ago. The historic San Francisco Bay area residence features a bevy of unusual original details.

Name: Rosie & MattLocation: Highlands neighborhood — Louisville, Kentucky In January of 2008 we began the process of converting our new house, a very dark, cramped 1950s house with a bad 90s remodel into the space you see in the photos. I am a graphic artist, and my husband, Matt Frederick, is a furniture designer. We did all the design of the interior spaces ourselves, as well as most of the work.The big idea for the public spaces in the house was to make them as gallery-like as possible.

In a world where everyone is repurposing and making over things in their home, diy’s are a dime a dozen. So it’s always special when we come across one that stops us in our tracks and has us reading the entire tutorial. You won’t ever look at foam flooring pieces the same way again after you see what these are magically turned into!Yesterday over at Design*Sponge we saw this really rad rug makeover scroll past our screen.

Not all apartments or houses have enough space for a separate laundry room. That’s where it can be a real luxury to have a washer and dryer or a combo unit in the kitchen. Here are a few examples for inspiration if this is a pairing you’ve been considering: • Read the full post at

Name: Matthew, Mikel and Peri the dogLocation: Vestavia — Birmingham, AlabamaSize: 2,300 square feetYears lived in: 8 months — owned To Mikel’s relief, this wasn’t the first time Matthew had decided to take on a sizeable DIY project.