Apartment Therapy Archive: Sep 2011

Name: Ben & Aja BlancLocation: Steel Yard/Monohasset Mill — Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 1,900 square feetYears lived in: 2 — rentedCoaxing the cavernous boiler room of a former rubber mill to feel like home is no small task, but sculptor and designer Ben Blanc and his wife, Aja, an educator and herbalist, manage it with ease. They’ve filled the space with large-scale artwork, oversize furniture, and homey details that refuse to be dwarfed by the soaring industrial ceiling.

Budget is the name of the game, but you’d never know after taking a peek at Andi and Dean’s newly renovated bathroom. Following the purchase of their San Francisco Victorian last year, the couple has taken on the remodel room by room. Check out the amazing transformation of their master bath!After falling in love with an Anne Sacks tile that was slightly over budget, the couple did some research and found a similar Italian porcelain for less.

Before and afters are some of our most popular posts. And for good reason! Who doesn’t love to see the evidence of a makeover, often performed on a tight budget? Gathered together for your weekend viewing pleasure, here are 20 of September’s best makeovers …• Before & After: Connie’s Ugly to Unbelievable Dresser• Before & After: An Eames Lounge Knockoff, Transformed• Before & After: Free Vanity Mirror Totally Transformed!

Ok, so when I first saw this before picture I thought, ‘nice couches’ they could use a few pillows but besides that what could they possibly do to them….And this is what they came up with. I personally liked the couches in the before shot and wouldn’t have thought to change them, but I have to give major kudos for the duo at Rancho Reubidoux for having the vision and guts to take this on.

Q: I recently moved into a studio apartment that has a kitchen along one side of the main room. The stove is right next to a wall and there are grease stains on it from the previous tenant.Is there something I can mount or hang next to the stove to avoid more grease stains when I cook? I’ve looked at temporary backsplashes but they are generally plastic and I’m afraid to put something that could melt next to my gas stove. Anyone have an idea of an inexpensive and temporary solution?

As National Dog Week wraps up, here is a collection of lovable, friendly faces from our posts … If there is one thing I love to see in a set of Apartment Therapy photos, it is a pet. All varieties are wonderful, of course, but as someone who shares her home with a little pup, I especially enjoy the shots of dogs at home. Whether they are simply too sleepy to be bothered, kinda curious or definitely posing for the photographer, the faces in these photos always evoke a smile from me.

There were two sofas in our living room when I was a kid. One was a squishy velvet 1970s couch and the other was a Victorian sofa, with tightly packed and unforgiving seat cushions and a firm upright back. Guess which one the kids fought over? Still, with a little tweaking (maybe even re-stuffing), antique and vintage sofas can actually be quite comfortable (maybe not for TV lounging but certainly for conversation).

We recently came across a list of the top 10 dirtiest things that we routinely touch that had us reaching for the anti-bacterial soap. Surprisingly 9 of the top 10 items are your own, either in your household or in your pocket. We highlight some of the scary items on the list and techniques to stay clean and healthy. Yuck.

It happens to everyone: sometimes there’s an unfortunate odor in your house – maybe it’s coming from your garbage can, something that burnt in the kitchen, the bathroom or the litter box. Our first suggestion would be to entirely eliminate it, but if that’s not possible our next suggestion would be to ditch the synthetic fragrances and opt for something non-toxic and natural. Maybe even something you already own!

Watching the days draw in and saying goodbye to the gorgeous gardens of summer can be bittersweet. While you can’t keep bountiful outdoor herb gardens going all winter, you can use some basic DIY herb drying and storing techniques to savor the flavors of summer during the chilly months ahead. • Read the full post

Name: Noemi Location: Berlin, Germany Beyond a lush garden courtyard, a tall twisting staircase leads to the top floor of a 19th century apartment building. Ivy-framed windows open wide as cool summer air drifts through elegant rooms inspired by the historic abodes of German philosophers, English writers, and even French queens.

Just look at that Ikea Malm dresser all sitting there all plain and white. You just wait, Ikea Malm dresser. You have no idea what’s about to happen to you. (Hint: it involves O’verlays!)Told you so! We’re such big fans of furniture makeovers, especially when it’s more than just a coat of paint. This makeover, created by Amanda Carol, turned a blank canvas of a dresser into a super statement with Greek key shaped O’verlays that she painted gold.

So many of us have one of these tired footstools. They were cute a few years ago when they seemed light and inexpensive and now they’re just tired and cheap looking. Find out how you can transform it into something fabulous after the jump.The folks from Today’s Nest put together a great to tutorial to help you create the stool-turned-poof.

Wainscoting is common wall decor in many traditional homes. However, it can so easily be used homes of any style if you’re willing to be a little eclectic.Installing your own wainscoting can certainly feel like a daunting task but if you’re patient and have a week (or few) to dedicate to it — you’ll be wiping your brow and cracking a cold one in no time.

Printer ink is expensive, y’all. More expensive per milliliter than champagne. The good champagne. And every time you have to run one of those head cleaning routines, you’re wasting a ton of it. However, like in most things in life, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Here’s some easy ink nozzle maintenance for your inkjet printer.The ink nozzles of your inkjet printer can get clogged up from a lack of use.

An art studio can easily get messy. Over the years, I’ve found that art storage supplies are key to a clean studio. However, art supply stores are not the best source for either art supplies or art supply storage…Depending on your art media (paint, wood, textile, etc.), art supply stores are often much pricier than stores that cater to non-artists.

For the most part, I think we can all agree that cut flowers are beautiful and liven up most any space. That said, many of us are convinced that they aren’t worth our time because we’ll just kill them within the day. Here are 5 tips to keep them lasting longer and looking better, even when you swear your thumb isn’t green.1.

You may have drooled along with us at Tony Stark’s dream garage and workshop. Turns out some of the tech is actually quite achievable. Unfortunately we don’t mean the fantastical suit of armor, fanciful interactive 3D user interface, the sports cars, or the kickass space. But there’s plenty of daily tech in use that is quite attainable. Come check out Iron Man’s man cave!Tony Stark’s workspace is a man’s dream realized for the movies.

Book storage isn’t complicated, but different systems work for different spaces. Here are ten real world solutions for book storage from some of our favorite room tours. They’re a great reminder that storage solutions can be big, tall or even take up the entire wall.1. Sayer’s Repurposed Changing Table Shelves: These shelves have been in the family for years and have served many purposes over time. Now they make unique book storage that’s right at kid level.2.

Name: Greg Hennes & Grey Helvey Location: South East — Portland, OregonSize: approximately 1600 square feetYears lived in: 6 months — rented Greg and Grey moved into their studio loft in January of this year. The vibe they’ve created is one of serene calm, mixed with innovation and creativity. The space is astounding, full of open air and light — it’s the ideal showcase for their Antler & Co. handmade goods.

Sure the bath isn’t the most practical room in the house for art, but adding even a little can bring cheerfulness to the most functional — and often uninviting — space. And in a rental it can help set the style tone when the landlord’s tile choice does not.

Name & Age: Henry Sparrow (5 months) Location: San Diego, CA Room Size: 135 square feet Often when we see vintage style nurseries, they’re the only part of the home with this vibe, but in this residence, Henry’s weet little sleep space is a perfect extension of his parents’ vintage style and it feels right at home. Jamie of Desert Fete put together a beautiful room for her son Henry.

As I’m deeply entrenched in renovations to the apartment over my garage, many cans of paint have been purchased. Sometimes, I’m too lazy to put on my official painting garb (old, holey overalls and t-shirts that are past their prime) and stay in the jeans or yoga pants I’m already wearing. The thought, “I’ll be careful. No worries about getting paint on this,” is often what one might call, “famous last words.

The kitchen is so often the very heart of the home. We know it’s where most people gather, friends reach for drinks, family sits around while dinner is prepared, significant others talk over coffee. And we think there’s one detail that makes a kitchen feel just right: the handmade touch. • Read the full post

Shanta lives in Forest Hills in a prewar one bedroom apartment. Spacious and with good light, this living room has lots going for it, but lacks color and a real sense of Shanta’s personality. Everything matches, which while not a bad thing, can feel too safe and sterile. The team at Real Simple turned things around…… and helped make the space sing!

Jen and her boyfriend recently moved into this standard grad school apartment and immediately got to work making it their own. This before and after is a true testament to the fact than even the most boring of apartments can be spruced up with a bit of DIY know-how.It only took two weekends for Jen and her boyfriend, Tim, to put together this stylish living room.

After removing the upper cabinets from her laundry room in order to create more useable open shelves, Sarah hung onto the narrow cabinets which she knew still had some life in them. Though most of us would probably think of reusing such cabinets in the basement or garage, Sarah transformed them into a centerpiece in her living room.By removing the doors and adding on some fun feet and decorative trim, Sarah turned those ho-hum cabinets into a wonderful sofa table.

If you have a chair that looks like this in your home you’ll want to see Suzanne’s terrific transformation. If you don’t, you might find yourself running to a thrift shop or keeping your eye on the curb come garbage day to get one. In Suzanne’s words, “Goodbye Disney (no offense Tigger)! Hello non-eye sore!”After!We love it and, as you can see below, so does her son Callum. Suzanne says it took her about two hours and 1.5 yards of Ikea fabric.

We know, we know. Just writing those words hurt our hearts. But it’s true: the first day of Fall is tomorrow, which means Winter is right around the corner. Now is the time to weatherize your home before the heat is blasting in (and probably escaping out of) your home. Did you know that the amount of heat escaping through cracks in the average house is equivalent to having an open window year round? Inadequate insulation and air leakage are the leading causes of energy waste in homes.

Typing all day, peeling nail polish, or fluttering while talking– my hands just can’t stay still. So it didn’t take much more than a few trend reports and a breeze through a fabric store before I restarted one of my favorite crafts from childhood: making friendship bracelets. Since I’m not trying to score an invite to a superfun co-ed sleepover birthday, help me: how can I decorate with friendship bracelets?

I love this Before & After because of its absolute simplicity. This dining room acts as a pass through room in my house. You have to move through it to get from the living room to the kitchen. Even though we kept the furniture in it to a bare minimum (there is ONLY a table and chairs), it still felt stuffy and crowded. Want to see what we changed that did the trick?My husband gets full credit for this re-arrangement in our dining room.

Q: Cleaning grout is a pain, and I’d like to use a grout sealer. But it appears that most of them are pretty toxic. Do any non-toxic ones exist? What makes a grout-sealer toxic, and how do I recognize a non-toxic one? I’m in Germany, and brand recommendations will probably not be very helpful to me, so I’d love a bit of help in deciphering the ingredients.Sent by Eternal VoyageurEditor: This is a great question.

Not only are paraffin candles a petroleum industry by-product but they are loaded with dioxin and can release benzene and toluene (major carcinogens). We’ve rounded up everything from grapeseed oil to citronella beeswax to give you plenty of options for your next candle purchase. • Read the full post at Re-Nest

Last week, Sarah Rae Trover wrote a beautiful post entitled 5 Completely Free Ways Make your House a Home. It reminded me about a quote I read last year that really changed my perspective on my home, specifically on taking care of my home. Anyone who knows me well will tell you that cleaning is not something that I enjoy.I used to procrastinate all household chores until the last possible second. (As in, ten minutes before someone came over.

Name: Andrew CorrieLocation: Shelter Island, New YorkSize: 2,400 sq. ft.Years lived in: 6 Andrew’s Shelter Island home has just weathered two storms – first, Hurricane Irene, and second, the constant motion of three children under the age of four. Yet between the casually simple style and the sweeping water views, the home feels tranquil, “part beach shack, part Scandinavian cottage.

When Shelley’s parents gave her their old double vanity mirror, she immediately knew she wanted to transform it into a full length floor mirror for her living room. After living with the mirror in the garage for months, she finally got the supplies (and the truck) necessary to complete this creative DIY project.Shelley used plywood, trim, and crown moulding to transform this free vanity mirror into a centerpiece for her living room.

There are 1,000 different ways to hack furniture from IKEA — although this transformation is so extreme you won’t even recognize it. This ho-hum piece has gone Mid-Century!Inspired by Mid-Century pieces from Paul McCobb, this basic IKEA entertainment stand was given a makeover.With the addition of sliding front panels and retro-style feet stained to match, this piece is anything but basic anymore.

Chores. I hated the very mention of the word as a kid. You’d think someone could have come up with a better name than chore for those daily and weekly household duties. The word itself just sounds unpleasant. (Would a chore by any other name be as bad?

If you’re the type to abhor television altogether, this question is a no brainer. But for those of us who stay tuned to the tube for research or who are likely to leave the TV on “for background noise,” deciding whether to put a TV in the home office area is a little less cut-and-dry.It’s something that’s been on our minds lately. Considering our office doubles as a guest room, would it be a bonus or a hindrance to set up a TV in the workspace?

We’ve all heard of the old real-estate trick of sticking a cookie dough log in the oven and waiting for it to magically sell your house (or burn it down). But this process seems wasteful of food, or at its very best–when you stuff down your over-baked cookie deodorizer–disrespectful to the privilege and pleasure of

It doesn’t matter if you have a dishwasher or do things by hand; there are some pieces of glassware that lose their luster after awhile. It might be water spots, they might be slightly dingy. Either way, they could use some freshening up. Want to know a little trick? • Read the full post at

Name: Drew SteinbrecherLocation: Cincinnati, OhioSize: 1060 square feetYears lived in: 7 Drew is a modern design “Renaissance Man”. He can knit, he can sew, he can quilt, he can take photos, he can thrift with the best of them, he’s a graphic designer, an Etsy shop owner and an entrepreneur. Whew. Oh, yeah, and his apartment is amazing.

Amy’s home art studio was in major need of a transformation. It’s really easy to get carried away with your work and let the space slide around you. Well, this summer Amy finally had some time to really focus on her studio and let me tell you it sure paid off …One month later and Amy has a beautiful, bright, clean and organized space that she now spends as much time in as possible.

The first morning in the apartment I’m staying in, despite the coma of jet lag, I was jolted awake by the building shaking. With my California earthquake sensor turned high, I leapt out of bed and into the doorway. It wasn’t an earthquake — I was far from earthquake country — but a large truck, rumbling by, shaking the building to its core. I didn’t know about the truck-quakes when I agreed to swap apartments.

Artwork adds so much life and visual interest to a space. Choosing the right frame to enhance the work that also fits in with the style of your space can really play into the overall feeling of a room.I have had a fair share of experience framing in my day. I was a framer all through art school and then moved on to building frames for a gallery during graduate school. I have worked with all kinds of art, all kinds of frames, and all kinds of styles.

With the first day of Fall just around the corner, there are some parts of the country that have seen rather low nighttime temperatures. We’re always ready to bid Summer farewell and welcome Fall (and all that goes with it) with open arms. Time to light the first fire in the fireplace? If so, turn to citrus peels instead of kindling!Although you’ll probably need a little supplemental help from another source, orange peels are perfect fire starters!

Granted, this is not a luxury that most apartment dwellers can afford spatially, but we’re seeing more and more double islands in the kitchens of larger homes. We remember the days when doing an island at all was a trendy new idea. Is this a way to increase the efficiency of a kitchen plan, or

Name: KenLocation: Midtown West — Manhattan, New YorkSize: 570 square feetYears lived in: 2+ — owned Who lives here? A software VP and a former life drawing class model. A collector and a minimalist. A former Brooklynite who likes his art raw and urban and a Dallas gentleman who prefers things serene and centered. An Art Decophile, a Wegner-ite, and a Carrie Bradshaw shoeaholic. And they’re all named Ken. Welcome to Ken’s mixed media dream house.