Apartment Therapy Archive: Oct 2011

Name: Brian Friedman and Daniel BrownLocation: North Hollywood, CaliforniaSize: 1,500 square feetYears lived in: 8 years — Own Brian and Daniel both lead very busy lives here in Hollywood, so they’ve created a warm oasis of comfort to return home to every night. This two bedroom home has elements of Moroccan details mixed in with a very California contemporary vibe.

There’s nothing more annoying than finding a dead pixel(s) on a new laptop or mobile device’s screen. Dead pixels are the bane of designers and programmers everywhere, a visual scab that disrupts concentration just by being there. Here are a few techniques for living with dead pixels…Dead PixelsPixels are what makes up any kind of display. You’ll find them in computer screens, mobile devices, laptops, etc. The higher the pixel count, the higher the resolution of a screen.

Name: Nick (12) and Lucas (8)Location: Upper West Side, ManhattanRoom Size: Bedroom is 240 sqft and Playroom is 144 sqft.Jane has a beautiful home, that, while child friendly, makes very few aesthetic sacrifices. Her boys’ bedroom and playroom are no exception. The rooms are sophisticated spaces that, at the same time, burst with excitement and the potential for adventure for Jane’s two playful but wise-beyond-their-years young boys.

Just because you don’t own doesn’t mean you can’t renovate your rental. When it comes to the kitchen, it’s likely you’re working with a cramped, dark and outdated space, but it doesn’t have to be permanently that way. Click below the jump for 10 temporary ways to organize, brighten and personalize your kitchen! • Read

Name: Ryan and Michele Tansey with Buster & Lizzie (golden retrievers) Princess & Mr. Paws (softest cats ever) and our human roommate Jon McJiltonLocation: Central District/Madrona; Seattle, WashingtonSize: Built in 1903: two stories with unfinished basement. Three bedrooms, two baths plus office. 1380 finished 700 unfinishedYears lived in: 1 year, 3 months; owned I know I have a great house tour on my hands when I find myself smiling as I edit the photos.

Ok, I will be the first to admit that it would be hard for me to get inspired about this outdated, wood-paneled room. Rebecca saw it and said, I can’t remodel and I have absolutely no budget to fix this up, but I want a craft room and I’m gonna figure it out. And when I say “wow”, to what she pulled off for $75, I mean “wow!”Rachael’s budget to transform this space into the craft room she wanted was zilch, but that didn’t stop her.

Self-confessed DIY-aholic Kayla found this sad little chair in a garage under a blanket while attending a local estate sale. The low curves of this fabulous chair made her look beyond the horrible stained upholstery to see the graceful lady desperate to shine through. Grabbing some fabric and a can of paint, she sank into this chair redo.

Q: Our dinner table is flanked by big benches. Our 3-year-old doesn’t want to be in her high chair, but has to kneel to be tall enough to eat at the table. Is there a decent booster seat out there that can attach to a bench? I worry about a booster than doesn’t attach, since there is no back to the benches and she could fly right off.Sent by CharlotteEditor: Hmmnnn…I have no idea.

Most of us who rent can only daydream about bathroom renovations like installing low-flow toilets and bamboo flooring, or swapping out our 80’s-style chipped ceramic sink for one that looks like it was plucked from a Zen garden. However, there are lots of ways to make a rental bathroom brighter, greener, and more modern. Here are 10 tips to help move your rental bathroom out of The Flinstones and into The Jetsons.1. Add a free-standing storage unit.

Name: Lestat, Perry and their twin toddlers Lucrezia and OrazioLocation: Cotroceni Quarter, Bucharest, RomaniaSize: 6,000 square feet Years lived in: Owned 2.5 years 6,000 square feet is certainly a lot of space to fill, but Perry and Lestat did not shy away from the challenge. Instead, the stylish and talented Lestat designed and created a space full of color, personality, pattern, great furnishings and fun. There’s so much inspiration here, it’ll be hard to pick a favorite room.

If you’re exploring indoor trees for your home but aren’t sure where to begin, trust us when we say that the Pachira Aquatica is the tree you want. It is virtually kill-proof, relatively tidy, and grows as large (or as small) as you want. They are also pretty much immune to the most common cause of black thumbs: over-watering (hey, we’ve all been there).

Name & Age: Eric, 1.5 weeks(!) oldLocation: Austin, TX When Ohdeedoh friend Luciana let us know that she was decorating a nursery for a baby boy, we couldn’t wait to see what she put together. Baby Eric’s nursery was lovingly decorated in advance of his October 15 birth day. Welcome home, little man.

As we mentioned last week, vibrating alarms can be a godsend if your partner wakes up at a different time than you. While it makes a lot of sense, it’s not a setting that works with the deep sleeper. Here’s how to train yourself to wake up with a vibrate setting…First of all, vibrating watches are cool, but unnecessary. They are quite convenient, and kind of aweseom, but you can get the same result by using your cell phone.

IKEA’s Lack table is a DIYer’s perfect canvas for unbridled creativity. At just $10, it’s easy to justify the expense. If the project doesn’t work out, it’s a minimal investment. And being constructed of hollow wood and paper, the Lack is easily customized. Check out 10 cool IKEA Lack hacks after the jump… • With the simple addition of brass corners, Jenny at Pearl Street Interiors gave her Lacks a campaign style.

Image: Bob Coscarelli for CS Interiors magazineName: Tereasa Surratt and David HernandezLocation: Wandawega Lake Resort, Elkhorn, WisconsinYears lived in: 8 Author Tereasa Surratt (A Very Modest Cottage) and her husband David Hernandez know about reusing and recycling with style. In Tereasa’s new book, Found, Free & Flea: Creating Collections from Vintage Treasures, she shares her style advice, using the couple’s idyllic lakeside getaway as a setting.

Name: Drew and Mindy and their beloved dog, Winnie CooperLocation: Melrose, MassachusettsSize: 1,700 square feetYears lived in: almost 2 — owned After I walked up the steep-ish, ample stairs to the front door of Drew and Mindy’s house (greeted along the way by Winnie Cooper!), I walked in and remembered why it’s so much fun to be a house tour blogger. I was instantly smitten with their delightful, beautifully curated home (and their dog, but that’s another story).

Lovely kitchen organization by Yiming Wang, which turns showing off the storage into something attractive (from The Big Book)CAVEMAN CLUTTERClutter is a natural fact of life and the problem started with our Caveman ancestors. Way back in those Cave Days you needed to accumulate as much food and supplies as you could in order to ensure your survival. Life was simple. You dragged it all into your cave. This was SMART and IMPORTANT to do. Otherwise you might DIE. But times have changed since then.

Not all mid century fiberglass chairs are created equal. Some aren’t made by a big name designer and are literally just plain old chairs. So what do you do when you come across one that’s looking a little run down? Click through to find out:We stopped in over at Aesthetic Outburst, where there’s been a recent chair makeover. They were in need of something with a little pop and thus the chair was painted gold and given a bit of red to round things out.

Name: Jess ConstableLocation: East Lakeview — Chicago, IllinoisSize: 725 square feetYears lived in: 1 year — rented Jess has striven to turn her plain-Jane rental into a lovely comfortable home. Along the way, she often referred back to Summer Thornton’s house tour, which we posted way back in 2008. (Further proof that traditional elegant style is timeless.) Jess is one busy lady.

Name: Jenn SchoemehlLocation: La Salle Park — St. Louis, MissouriSize: 4500 square feetYears lived in: 7 — owned The first thing you need to know about Jenn Schoemehl’s house concerns the ceilings. They’re 13 soaring feet tall. Your eye keeps going up and up and up until you finally hit the ceiling. Then, and only then, can you begin to take in the rest of the house.

Walt Disney World and Disneyland fans will recognize this scene right away; it’s the singing busts from the timelessly spooky ride, The Haunted Mansion. Only, they’re not flanked by animatronic ghosts. These singing busts were DIY’d for one clever hacker’s front porch. Here’s how he did it—and you can too!The ghosts in Disney’s Haunted Mansion are just illusions.

Name: Laura LeonLocation: Kerns neighborhood — Portland, OregonSize: 1,010 square feetYears lived in: 2 1/2 years — rented Laura’s a color and materials consultant, trend forecaster and photographer. Another notch to her freelancing belt she should think of including? Interior designer! With her eye for quality vintage, simple colors and personal details, this woman is an artist with her home.

While the concept of creating a planter out of a crate is nothing new, it can be tough to find a comprehensive tutorial that addresses the waterproofing aspect. After a few failed attempts (Danish Oil did not work for me) this planter has stood the test of time and inclement weather.

Name: Chris Sewell and Kenny Osehan, owners of the Presidio MotelLocation: Santa Barbara, CaliforniaSize: 700 square feetYears lived in: 4 months Last time I visited Kenny and Chris they were living in a well decorated apartment in Santa Barbara. Well…they still live in Santa Barbara, but now live in a new house. Big congrats! They moved over a lot of their furnishings, but purchased some new items to match the style of their new home.

We’ve been working on a small renovation project that provided the perfect opportunity to try out some of the newest low & no-VOC paints for walls, trim and ceilings. Some people are a little hesitant when it comes to using the eco-friendly paints, but trust us, it’s really easy (and fun!

Should party guests remove their shoes at the front door? Ok, no question about it, this is a “thing”. An issue that people have strong opinions about, a definite yea or nay and it can feel like a “never the twain shall meet” situation.

I may have a bit of a scarf addiction. With practically nonexistent closet space, they were taking over the hooks on my bedroom door. Not only was it an eyesore, it was impossible to grab a coat or scarf without creating an avalanche of accessories. This weekend, I found a solution that was quick, inexpensive, and visually interesting. Check out the after, after the jump!My bedroom is a square with this little nook large enough to accommodate the open door.

Is there such a thing as too many televisions in the home? How many do you have? Think beyond the traditional television set and the answer may surprise you!How many TVs is too many TVs? According to Nielson, there are an average 2.5 televisions per household. A whopping 31% of households have more than 4 television sets. Yet would you believe TV ownership is down for the first time in 20 years? In 2009 Nielson reported the average household having 2.86 television sets.

I just spent the last ten days in El Salvador, Central America where it has been raining almost non stop since Monday, October 10th. The region is experiencing a state of emergency that rainwater catchment could not have prevented, but it could have helped reduce the severity of flooding. Capturing rainwater in your home reduces the quantity of water that hits the storm sewers in your city. Here are ten posts to help you get started.

Names: Olivia (4) and Emma (2)Location: Stockholm, SwedenRoom Size: 17 square meters Jeanette, proud mom of Olivia and Emma, is a dedicated event and product manager at a computer games publisher by day but she is passionate about designing children´s spaces in her off time.

1. MuteWatch ($259)The MuteWatch is based on the movements of iOS. You tap to bring up the time, pinch to send it away, and swipe to view options. A motion sensor also detects the movement of your wrist, sending stronger impulses as you wake up to keep you moving from asleep into awake. It’s also rechargeable via USB. 2. InPulse ($150-199)This watch is paired with a smartphone, either Android or Blackberry, and works as a remote screen with notifications from your phone.

If you are looking into a kitchen remodel, there are many companies that specialize in or have recycled content options. Gaining in popularity in recent years, you can now find countertops that suit any taste. Here we take a look at ten U.S. companies making a difference in the world of eco friendly recycled content

Name: Sabrina SotoLocation: Upper West Side, New YorkSize: 1200 square feet, 2 bedroom, 2 bath rentalYears Lived In: 7 months Sabrina, an HGTV designer and personality, just moved to NYC from Washington DC for her new show. She downsized from a sizeable house to a brand new 2-bedroom luxury rental, basically starting over from scratch.

Though the booklover in me was ready to swoon at the sight of these fabulous build-in shelves, decorator Terry Moore knew they were not living up to their full potential. Working with a client hoping to inject some personality into a new home, Terry popped out the shelves, picked up a paintbrush, and went to town on this neutral space.

A New York couple hit the jackpot when they found this gorgeous 1887 Queen Anne for sale — only $46,000! It had amazing bones, including a completely octagonal room on each of its three stories. But there was a catch — it was condemed — and the bank loan would only work if the couple agreed to complete any major structural fixes and get the plumbing and electrical up to code within six months!The couple’s story is truly inspirational.

This last week, I had my 2-story garage tented for dry wood termites. I didn’t want to use toxic gas (Vikane, also known as sulfuryl fluoride), but both eco-friendly pest control companies I called for inspections advised that I go with tenting to save the structural integrity of the building. But, even now, I have my reservations and regrets if it was the right solution because of the toxicity involved.

Name: Alon and Betsy KashaLocation: Normandy, FranceSize: 2200 square feetYears lived in: 5 years We got a first look at Alon & Betsy’s Beautiful Normandy Home last month and now we’re back to see the rest of this stunning home. Alon and Betsy have a clean and classic style and, in renovating this classic French home, they brought that perspective to the space. Alon and Betsy are the clever and creative forces behind a+b kasha.

I’ve seen play kitchens made from everything under the sun and it’s become almost hard to impress me. But a play kitchen made from a chair? Okay, I’ll bite.After!This is one of the most clever handmade play kitchens I’ve seen and is an awesome display of ingenuity. Kata started with an IVAR chair from Ikea ($20), added a counter, a bowl sink, top of a walking cane for a faucet and hung a curtain for an oven.

We have a better, safer and cheaper alternative to scented candles.

Campaign furniture, as implied by its name, is portable furniture that was designed for use in military campaigns. Its origins can be traced back to the Romans, but its use peaked during the Georgian and Victorian periods (1714-1901). Designed to be easily transported during military operations, campaign furniture included folding seats, small chests, and case furniture that could be dismantled and carried with ease.

Although I do my best to tackle a great deal of my deep cleaning in regards to my home in the Spring, it’s easy to forget about it’s Fall counterpart.Fall cleaning isn’t just about tidying up on a regular schedule (though that’s good too), there are health benefits and more. Here are a few reasons why you should hop to!1. Closing Up Shop: For most of the country, Fall and Winter months mean our houses start to be closed up.

Fall is here and there’s nothing more memorable about the season than the changing of the leaves. If you’re looking for an indoor project that will bring a bit of nature inside, check out this tasty project. • Read the full post at Ohdeedoh

Ever heard the phrase, “if you want something done right, you need to do it yourself?” Well, we certainty have and we think that this phrase can be applied to the humble home office desk. Finding the right desk can be challenging, often the ones that you like are not in the budget or they just plain don’t exist. With an eye on thrift and a desire to have exactly the desk that one wants, many go the DIY route.

Have you taken a look at last week’s House Tours? David and Teresa’s aerie had me contemplating the advantages and disadvantages of living high and living low. Each has their pros … and cons:My own home is on the ground floor. But for the last two months, I’ve been living on the top floor. It has literally given me a whole new perspective. Here’s what I’ve discovered from my own experience.

Location: Mt. Washington Valley, New HampshireSize: 1800 square feetYears lived in: 24 — owned I know this tour is a bit of a departure from standard Apartment Therapy fare. It’s roomier, lake-ier, and more traditionally decorated than the average tour. But it happens to be my favorite house in the world and a place of peace. So I finally decided it was time to share it. This lake house belongs to my parents. They bought it twenty four years ago.

“Do not leave child unattended.” We’ve seen it stamped on every piece of baby gear we own. We know that it makes sense, but is it realistic? If so, how on earth does a new mom ever get a shower?This is an issue I’ve thought about since baby #1, and I still don’t have a straightforward answer. I can’t always wait until my husband is home, especially since he has a rotten work schedule.

Reading the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, with their vivid attention to detail, it’s hard to believe that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective never actually existed. His flat at 221B Baker Street in London, which he shared with his compatriot and biographer Dr. Watson, is central to much of the action.Exactly 17 steps up from the street, the room, illuminated by two broad windows which face out onto the street and presided over by the formidable Mrs.

Most of the time when people share a story online about nightmare noisy neighbors, they’re pointing a finger. Well, I’m pointing a finger at myself, as a little while ago I found myself being “that guy”. I blame the gaffe on Game of Thrones, as the engaging series motivated me to pump up the volume so high, Christian Slater would have come knocking to ask what the ruckus was about.