Apartment Therapy Archive: Jun 2011

Name: Paul Location: San Luis Obispo, California Size: 1,800 square feet (house) and 325 square feet (guest house) Years lived in: 49 years Paul’s home is filled with many classic MCM furniture pieces — such as the Eames lounge, Eames rocker, Eero Saarinen’s tulip chair and the Bertoia wire chair — which is mixed in with a great selection of modern art.

What if we could tell you how to calibrate your TV according to the optimal settings recommended by a group of professional calibration technicians, specific to your HDTV, without spending a single penny? Yes, even without a calibration disc, let alone without the (expensive) professional help of a calibration professional.

Attractive storage solutions in the living room are always a joy. My heart leaps at the sight of built-in shelving. Everyone seems to want them, but not everyone can get them, especially if you rent. Using these tips, create a serious storage solution and the beautiful look of built-in shelving. They’re quick, affordable and eco-friendly. All without hiring a single contractor!

IKEA has given the masses an appreciation for beautiful Swedish design the world over. But we sure do see it a lot. But what about other Swedish furniture companies? Let’s look at a few here.

Most people elect to turn off their air conditioner when they leave for long summer vacations. Besides being green, it can also help you save significantly on that month’s power bill. But we’ve got one friend who lives in Phoenix, Arizona and insists he’ll never leave the A/C off on his trips back to the east coast. Why not? It’s because of his computer.

Visiting SoHo for a shopper is sort of like visiting the Louvre for an art lover — all the big names are spread out before you in one walkable place. It’s crowded, totally commercial, and lots of fun if you like hopping from store to store, weaving between people with shopping bags, and finding just about anything you could want for your home. Although most stores tend to be high-end showrooms, there are still enough eccentric holes in the wall to satisfy the adventurous shopper.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) This is a great kitchen makeover. Using budget items from IKEA, repurposed materials and creatively placed chalkboard paint, this kitchen was completely transformed without ripping the cabinetry out. You don’t want to miss this one! • Read the full post at Re-Nest

Name: Haley and Ted, + their dog RupertLocation: Summerland, California (a little coastal town just a few miles south of Santa Barbara)Size: 950 square feetYears lived in: About 1 year — rent Haley and Ted live in one of those idyllic, adorable bright cottages with a traditional porch that face the coast of a sleepy beach town. Nestled in between some of the best wineries and vintage shops, their three bedroom home presents a wonderful palette of textiles and colors.

Name: Lark Roderigues and Patrick Aguiar Location: Portsmouth, Rhode IslandSize: 1,500 sq/ftYears lived in: 2 (rented), 30 (owned)Who else lives here: Moxie Brown the dachshund/chihuahua and Lola the Siamese cat One Christmas a few years ago, a gaggle of brothers and sisters pulled up to the 1750 farmhouse where they grew up.

After a collection of heat-wave-days getting a good night’s sleep can be almost impossible. Even if it cools down in the evenings, some homes remain infected with a lingering warmth, making dream time a bit of a nightmare. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up to help me cope, but please share your own —for the summer has only just begun!Clearly, there is no A/C in my humble apartment, so scratch that from the list.

Whether you live in the city, the country, or somewhere in between, walking into your garden to discover beloved plants disappearing is not entirely uncommon. I live in the country and my disappearing plants have something to do with small (and even large) animals but when I lived and worked in the city, things went missing for an entirely different reason.

Name: Stephanie Rearick and Jon Hain Location: Madison, Wisconsin Years lived in: 20 Stephanie and Jon had wanted to redo the kitchen in their 680-square-foot Madison home for 18 years. They knew the space was sad; as it was, there was little storage and workspace, cabinet doors didn’t close, and the room lacked any and all personality. Then they saw that, thanks to a grant, a local green-building consulting firm was offering design plans at a discount.

Moving homes is never pleasant. It can come as a nasty surprise when your beloved workstation desk no longer fits in the space you have available. You might wonder what to do. This is also the case when you thought your desk would fit flush but you’re left with some extra space. There are a few different solutions that you can apply in order to make them fit.

For the last two weeks I’ve had an uninvited guest in my Brussels sprouts. I searched the leaves and hunted for bugs, worms, moths, rats — anything! Finally I found my evidence of what was snacking on my tasty greens. Do you know what a cabbage worm is? I do now!My small pot garden sits atop my double flight of stairs on a ridiculously windy hill. So windy, in fact, it’s known to blow tomatoes and peppers right off the plant!

I was recently searching for a small, simple stool that was reasonably priced and was surprised that I wasn’t able to find many options. So I did what many of us do and decided to make one myself. The cost is pretty small and it comes together in no time, making this a great starter project for someone who is looking to dip their toes into the world of recovering furniture. I was thrilled with the results!

Name: Hallie & Mark BurrierLocation: Frederick, Maryland’s historic districtSize: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bath, built in 1890Years lived in: owned, 1 yearEven from the street, Mark and Hallie’s three story row house is a stunner. And perhaps even more stunning is the amount of work that the young couple has poured into restoring the turn of the century row home in just a year. While Hallie claims that there is still tons to be done, you would never guess it.

Sometimes I think that, with the power of paint and elbow grease, there’s never a need to buy anything new again. And seeing a before and after like this one just lends support to that theory. That something so old and battered can be freshened up to look so beautiful gives me hope that there’s plenty of life left in a lot of old things (myself included).When Terri, over at Crafty Workin Mommy, brought these two chairs home from a garage sale, her husband thought she was crazy.

Summer is finally here and it’s time to rally up friends, head outside, and enjoy every last minute of it. What better way to relish a perfect warm weathered evening than to gather some comfy chairs and blankets, snacks, and a flick for an impromptu backyard movie night?Now, the quality of this DIY depends on how much effort and money you want to put into it. So here’s what you will need to get started.1.

Who Lives Here: Suzanne and RobLocation: Kalamazoo, Michigan Tell Us About Your Home: “Rob is a craftsman and I am a hair designer, and we recently turned our home into a work/live situation and we are loving it. Our house and lot total 2,300 square feet. We have managed to make it peaceful and welcoming, all the while doing what we can to reuse materials and keep the integrity of the home.”“We packed a lot into a small space using many reclaimed materials.

image:ce823b1a6ce83a6b9c97728f3ee1e2fbe10b0550 w:540 s:"fit" class_name:"mt-image-center" show_pin_button:"true" show_image_credits:"true" Aphids are one of the most common pest problems because they attack everything from peppers to peaches and they like both indoor and outdoor plants. Aphid damage alone does not usually kill plants, but the little insects transmit diseases like bacterial wilt and pea enation virus as they feed.

These sweet toy canoes, made of cork, are sure to inspire feelings of summertime, campfires, and the great outdoors. They’re easy to make, fun to paint, and they really float!Materials:thin cork sheethot glueacrylic paint clothespins or binder clipsInstructions:1. Print out the template onto an 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper. Cut it out. 2. Trace the shape onto the sheet of cork. Cut the canoe shape out with a sharp craft knife.3.

White kitchens are trendy? I always assumed a basic white kitchen was a classic and timeless choice, not a trendy one. Happily, the wonderful Barbara Sallick, Founder of Waterworks and true visionary of design, seems to agree with me. “A white kitchen is timeless,” she said during our phone interview last week. • Read the

Discovered via Elle Decor, this online resource is doing for designer fabrics what Overstock has done for home furnishings. When designers cancel orders or a line is discontinued, fabric is often tossed out or lost forever in warehouse boxes. James and Ewa Powell thought that seemed like a waste, so they started collecting remnants from high-end manufacturers like Knoll, Schumacher, Kravet, and Maharam.

You have them. We all do. Old, dried out markers. Someone either forgot to put the caps back on or they’ve been used in a particularly fervent coloring session. Whatever the cause, the next time you go to clean out the art supplies, keep the dried out markers and save some money.The brilliant Missa Katie of Artopotamus came up with the idea of making her own watercolors using old markers.

Perusing photos of great looking home offices is one of our favorite pastimes. It’s easy to get inspired and dream about what our next home office will be like. Personally we tend to be drawn to bright light filled spaces, but that is not to say that the darker home office does not hold any appeal, especially when faced with what we like to dub, “the afternoon squintathon.

Name: Michael FrancesconiLocation: Downtown — Los Angeles, CaliforniaSize: 1,000 square feetYears lived in: 2 years Michael’s home is not just another run-of the mill downtown space. While It is common to find concrete floors and industrial modern style furnishings in lofts, Michael has balanced out his space by incorporating color, built-ins, and unexpected furniture choices.

Name: Nick Cope and Rachel MoslerLocation: Brooklyn, New YorkSize: 2,200 sq/ftYears lived in: 1.5 years, rented This is green city living at its best: start with an airy apartment in a beautifully restored 19th century warehouse, and add a creative couple inspired by found objects. You get a clean, uncluttered space with rich historic details and unique handmade objects at every turn. (Image credit: Apartment Therapy)Mobile of vintage stereoscopic photos and wound-rattan fan.

The United States makes up a fraction of the world’s population, and yet we consume about half the world’s energy. Most of that energy is spent on heating and cooling! Instead of habitually switching on your air conditioner, use screen doors to create cross breeze. These retractable screen doors make it easy, sliding open and close in the tightest of spaces.

Q: I’m looking for a great way to display the stickers I collected from the brands, bands and logos of my youth in the 80’s and 90’s. I would love to hear of a way to present them in mass, but not by sticking them on a large board, all over an old desk, the back of a door or fridge. How can I show these off like the pieces of art that they are and not have it look like it belongs in a frat house?

Name: Eliza Age: 5 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Room size: 11 ft. x 12 ft. When we received Melissa Nobb’s Room Tour Submission we were quite impressed with her daughter Eliza’s vintage inspired room. Not only is it lovely and cozy with lots of pretty feminine touches, perfect for a little girl, but the shear volume of antiques and vintage items is certainly awe-inspiring.

Bigfoot. The Loch Ness Monster. Chupacabra. While these creatures have long been rumored to exist, we don’t have any hard evidence that they are actually out there. Another elusive near-mythical entity is a sleeper sofa bed that is actually comfortable to sleep on. Amazingly, in this case, our readers have reported not only having seen them but capturing them and living with them in their very own homes!

After lighting struck their Texas home, Jeanne and Richard were forced to rebuild their kitchen from the studs. Rather than constructing a carbon copy of what had been lost, they decided to start anew celebrating their love for Danish Modern design and reminiscent of their parents’ open ranch-style homes.Armed with dozens of images for inspiration (including some from AT, which they discovered through their research!

The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, which hit the U.S. market in 2003, has garnered an almost cultlike fanbase — and for good reason. We have reported on the Magic Eraser’s impressive ability to tackle seemingly impossible housekeeping challenges, from dirty hubcaps to filthy baseboards. In fact, the Magic Eraser does seem to be, well, magic. So much so that it makes many people a little nervous. How can this little white sponge succeed where so many other products fail?

Name: Christina and CoreyLocation: Santa Monica, California Size: 580 square feet (1 bedroom + 1 bath)Years lived in: 9 months — rent Christina and her boyfriend Corey live in a modern updated retro building within a classic Southern California courtyard setting. Together they have created a crafty modern home and a double office in the wide space of their living room. While their decor is contemporary, the charm lies in the vintage touches of the original design.

Though painted furniture isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it is makeovers like this that demonstrate why this technique is so popular. This yard sale find with fabulous curves was transformed with a little elbow grease, some leftover paint, and a mix of old and new hardware.We have written about Sarah’s magic touch wth paint before (Sarah’s Delightful Dresser Redo); now we’re starting to wonder how she has so much luck finding dressers with such appealing lines.

It’s back! I just noticed the first spots on my fading peony plants. I was hoping that with the reduction of shade trees in my garden and with the increase in airflow through extensive pruning and reorganizing that I might have nipped my annual powdery mildew problem in the bud. I guess these preventative measure just weren’t quite enough so it’s time to up the ante before things get really out of control.Powdery mildew has been a pervasive problem in my garden for years.

Today’s furniture buyer has a multitude of resources available. There are the big-box stores, small boutiques and many online distributors. But with all of this merchandise available, you still may not find what you are looking for and may want to search at a facility that caters exclusively to members of the interior design or architectural trade.“To-the-trade” refers to a store that sells goods to members of the professional trade.

Our love for play kitchen knows no end and this home brew version is no exception. Made with love and painted with care, this space is perfect for cooking up whatever their heart desires and is designed around a rather common room feature. • Read the full post at Ohdeedoh

Name: John and Stacey Cline (and dog, Laz)Location: Skinker-DeBaliviere Neighborhood — St. Louis, MissouriSize: 787 square feetYears lived in: 2 — rented Minimalists, avert your eyes. Stacey and John’s apartment is the interior equivalent of a crazy quilt. It comprises an eclectic mosaic of recycled items, vintage fabrics, and reclaimed tidbits that Stacey brings in, mainly from thrift stores. She’s not afraid of pattern and color, and mixes them liberally to good effect.

Bohemian chic is an eclectic decorating style that is hard to define. A little bit hippie and a little bit hipster. A little bit retro and a little bit romantic. Boho chic may look haphazard and random but don’t be deceived. Eclectic styles are sometimes the most difficult to pull off. When done right, the effect is magnificent. Bohemian rooms have a dynamic, evolving movement to them; the design aesthetic does not feel overly engineered and planned.

Was it just my grandparents, or did other people’s grandparents never throw away a single container? Their garage and basement shelves were overflowing with coffee cans, mayonnaise jars, pretzel tins and anything else that could help organize the clutter (they never threw away anything, really). Nowadays we can recycle most of these items and do so without a second thought. But some jars are cool enough to merit a completely new and artful purpose.

Name: Andrew Schultz & John TylerLocation: Berwyn, IllinoisSize: 900 square feetYears lived in: 1 — owned I’ve seen the way Andrew and John can create an amazing display of furniture and accessories, like the one we saw at The Vintage Bazaar. If they can do that in a big space in just an hour’s time, I reasoned, imagine what their home must look like! Andrew and John are the stylish fellows behind Study, a color and design service.

I am absolutely nuts for Lucite furniture. I have such a weakness for the stuff that I have had to put myself on a Lucite diet — only one small piece per room — lest I cross over into full-on Liberace circa 1974 mode.While there are so many fantastic pieces of Lucite being sold right now (check out Furniture Focus: Acrylic and Lucite Furniture), my particular penchant is for the vintage pieces.

This is a great kitchen makeover. Using budget items from IKEA, repurposed materials and creatively placed chalkboard paint, this kitchen was completely transformed without ripping the cabinetry out. You don’t want to miss this one!We spotted this one over at Notes from the Heartland and don’t you just adore that island? A beadboard backsplash, chalkboard paint on the bulkhead and great lighting have made this space look fresh with a vintage vibe.

Many of our hearts were broken on Friday when we learned ReadyMade Magazine was being shutdown by Meredith as a part of cost-cutting measures at the publishing company. ReadyMade Magazine was a perpetual source of DIY inspiration and project how to; it was a constant go-to and source of delight. As you can tell, I was a giant fan, so the news left me a little sad.

Name: Jen Ramos Location: Henderson, Nevada Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 8 months At the end of last year, Jen started the process of remodeling her kitchen. She posted a few inspirational photos and a photo of her kitchen on her design blog, Made By Girl. I was so excited to see the transformation that I kept checking in and waiting to see the final result of her new kitchen. Jen gave me a peek at the rest of her house and I couldn’t resist a full house tour.

Cook-outs on warm summer evenings need to be lit by something so you’re not left sitting in the dark. How about making some very inexpensive metal lanterns out of recycled tin cans? They’re easy to make and require minimal materials (unless you want to get extra fancy).If you’ve ever used a pumpkin carving kit for Halloween, you already have the skills to create a tin can luminary.