Apartment Therapy Archive: Apr 2012

Creating and curating the perfect home isn’t about following a design book. It’s all about making sure your space works for your family’s life and style. So why not step outside of the box — or room, rather — and try out some of your existing small appliances in unexpected places?Just like you might change the layout of your furniture, you can change up the layout of your small appliances.

One of our favorite recent tours is the home of Jenny & Collin. We weren’t at all surprised to learn that their miniscule outdoor area was given equally thoughtful design treatment. • Jenny & Collin’s Balcony Apartment Therapy

Declared “girl heaven”, Tom’s place on Parks and Recreation is stocked with cheese plates, chocolate fountains, and “just amenities everywhere!” Here’s what else you’ll find… • “Girl Heaven” Apartment Therapy

Name: Kelly and MichaelLocation: Hyde Park, Chicago, ILSize: 1,480 square feetYears lived in: 3 years; rented The last word that one probably wants to use in reference to one’s home is “clinical,” but according to Kelly, that’s what the space felt like when she and her husband Michael moved into their university-provided housing three years ago.

We don’t have to tell you that portable flash drives are handy for transporting files. But they’re only useful if you can actually remember to bring them from the office to your apartment next time you need to tackle a little work from home. These 5 flash drives are nearly impossible to lose.Each of these compact and portable storage devices can clip on to your clothes, keys, files, messenger bag or anything else you’re sure not to forget.

When we travel we use our iPad as the bedside clock. It’s large, and thanks to the Internet it always has the correct time. Of course there are an astounding array of apps out there to transform your tablet into a bedside clock, so we’ve curated the best of them in this week’s handy dandy tablet app feature.

Have you ever visited a local stone supplier? Not to be confused with fabricators, who cut the stone to your kitchen’s specifications, these are repositories of raw material and slabs to choose from… • Visiting the Stone Distributor Apartment Therapy

Most of the time, the front door is our first impression of a home. (That is unless it’s preceded by an elaborate front gate, a long winding driveway, and a perfectly manicured English Garden. But seriously, how often does that happen??) In most cases, therefore, the front door sets the tone for what’s to come…Is it inviting? Does it show care? Does it make you want to know more about what’s on the other side?

As much as I love Parks & Recreation, that’s how much Ann (Rashida Jones) loves her on-again/off-again boyfriend Tom’s new apartment. Declared by her friend Leslie (the one and only Amy Poehler) to be “girl heaven”, it’s stocked night and day with cheese plates, chocolate fountains, and “just amenities everywhere!”Let’s join Ann as she gives Leslie a tour of Tom’s luxury lifestyle. He’s got..

You would be surprised how many household items (like cinnamon) can come to your aid when plants find themselves under attack from pests and disease. Below is a list of ten such items to give you an idea of what can be used before resorting to store-bought chemicals or pesticides.Have you used any of these ingredients with success? Water — that’s right, just a thumb over the end of a hose and you have a powerful weapon against aphids and spider mites.

We’ve all seen the look of rustic farmhouse tables with modern chairs. But what about more polished and formal dining tables? • Pairing Old & New Apartment Therapy

Window boxes are a tried and true way to refresh your home’s exterior, invite some lovely aromas into your home, or boost your culinary supplies (fresh herbs and veggies, yum!). Here’s what you need to know to get started in window box gardening: • Window Box Basics Apartment Therapy

We have all seen the eclectic look of rustic farmhouse tables with modern chairs. But what about a more polished and formal dining tables? How would such a table look with chairs from a different era?Our dining room chairs, antique balloon back chairs we snagged at an auction, are on their last legs. They are unstable and not very comfortable for lingering around the table. I still love them but think I would rather scatter them through the house as occasional chairs.

When I came across this public service announcement regarding curtains, I had to smile. Though hanging curtains to the ceiling and wider than the window frame is a surefire way to make the walls look taller and the room airier, the prevalence of curtains hung just over the window is enough for interior designer Erin Gates to issue a statement on behalf of windows everywhere. Do you agree?Check out Erin’s full PSA with examples on Elements of Style.Do you hang your curtains high & wide?

These extra tiny garden gnomes have a modern shape that makes them a breeze to cast out of basic craft store plaster in a simple, homemade mold. You can pop out a whole village of them in an afternoon and let the kids (or yourself!) go to town decorating them.Materials• craft plaster• toilet paper tubes• water cooler cones• acrylic craft paint, polyurethane• dimensional fabric paint 1. Put a toilet paper tube on top of a water cooler cone.

Concrete slabs. Many an outdoor space has them, installed by a previous owner whose original intentions for the space are lost to time. It is easy to view them with disdain, a harsh element forced into a natural setting. Many people get rid of them, to be replaced by bluestone, brick pavers, or maybe even a water feature.

Hanging curtains across bookshelves seems to be a move that high-end interior designers make in their own spaces, and perhaps they are on to something. After all, if you’re like me, keeping your bookshelf neat and tidy takes some intention. Why not have the freedom of covering up the mess when it gets out of control?Advantages to this strategy include a layered look that’s sure to add some warmth to any space.

Catherine’s husband Danny owned this rather orange coffee table when they first met, and she freely admits to having spent the last few years moving it around the house in an attempt to hide its rather bright hue. The flaking finish plus some penmanship practice in one corner made this piece ripe for a makeover once Catherine found her inspiration in a post by a fellow blogger.

I love Orla Kiely’s fashion and designs for the home. So I was super excited to see that she has a small line of garden accessories. With her trademark petal patterns, it was bound to happen. • Orla Kiely Garden Apartment Therapy

Whether you call it a stock tank, a galvanized metal container, or a cattle trough (being from Texas, I prefer the latter), one thing’s for sure: these metal bins make for perfect and visually interesting raised garden beds. They’re cheap and come in a variety of sizes, so surely you’ll find one for your space. Then, follow these steps to create your own raised bed.

I spent yesterday at the annual Kitchen & Bath show in Chicago looking for the newest and best products and trends. It was more compact than usual, with a very strong focus on the bathroom. Here are the highlights from my day: • Highlights from KBIS 2012 Apartment Therapy

Once again I find myself staring down Optimus Prime. He’s sitting on his little shelf all cocky and dusty, and I know he thinks he’s coming with us on one more move, but he’s got another thing coming. It’s time to make some hard decisions, and he’s not getting on that moving truck.I seem to have become a person who moves around a lot. Six years in New York was my longest stretch anywhere since high school.

Does your dollar store extension cord provide enough power to run your vacuum cleaner? Do you need to plug your printer into a surge protector? If you’re using the same kind of extension cord to pick up slack for your entire apartment, you’re doing it wrong. Every piece of tech in your house—from the hair dryer to your laptop—has different needs for its power supply.

Looking for something to help you relax before bed that doesn’t involve popping a pill? You might want to load up your iPod with a song by Manchester band Marconi Union.

We have known our fair share of kitchens that feel like an appendage or squeezed in for necessity’s sake. But it can actually make for a very interesting interior design challenge… • Small Paris Kitchen Apartment Therapy

Name: Jasper (2) Location: Melbourne, Australia Room size: 322cm x 260cm (10.56 x 8.5feet) Jasper’s mama Kate is a Renaissance woman in every sense of the word. In addition to having a PhD in Renaissance Illuminated Manuscripts, she has been a business owner, corporate facilitator, and yoga teacher. It is in her current incarnation as a designer, blogger and mother that we find her, and she’s the ingenious force behind her son Jasper’s bright and delightful room.

This simple, functional trellis creates a scaffolding that cucumbers climb up readily. It takes less than 15 minutes to put together, can be built almost entirely with recycled material, and looks cute when it is covered with vines.The trellis isn’t fancy and it doesn’t need to be. Cucumbers have beautiful heart shaped leaves, tendrils that curve like scroll work, perky yellow flowers, and fruits that look like ornaments dangling off the the vines.

We were thrilled to welcome Pilar Guzmán, Editor-in-Chief of Martha Stewart Living magazine at our latest Design Evening. See the video or read the transcript: • Pilar Guzmán Interview Apartment Therapy

My favorite Before & Afters are when talented people buy tired old houses and breathe new life into them. This 100-year-old house in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle shows that a thoughtful approach to design can be modern and sustainable while still fitting in with the surrounding neighborhood.Todd Smith, of Syndicate Smith, along with his wife Julie bought their 1911 fixer-upper in 2004 and have recently completed an extensive exterior renovation.

A whole cabinet in my kitchen is devoted to jars of all shapes and sizes. While I love my empty jar collection, I’m swayed by some of these creative uses for recycled glass jars as more permanent fixtures in the kitchen. • Glass Jars in the Kitchen Apartment Therapy

Name: Russell Brown // Poke AcupunctureLocation: Los Angeles, CA The last time we visited Russell’s office at Poke Acupuncture, he was at his old location in West Hollywood. Just in the past couple months, he’s moved to an actual storefront and brought his DIY talent to this incredibly curated new office space. Succulents, fine art, books and hand crafted furniture are just some of the truly awesome elements of this acupuncture office.

A few weeks ago I was driving and I literally had to pull over when I saw Marjorie’s place. It was a very interesting looking house with a life-sized taxidermy figure staring back at me through the window! • Marjorie Skouras’ home Apartment Therapy

I have an aversion to getting rid of glass jars. As a result, a full upper cabinet in our kitchen is devoted to jars of all shapes and sizes. We use them as drinking glasses, flower vases, salad dressing mixers, and more. While I love my empty jar collection, I’m swayed by some of these creative uses for recycled glass jars as more permanent fixtures in the kitchen.Stop buying new plastic soap dispensers.

When Andi, Dean and their building neighbors decided to re-paint the faded exterior of their Victorian home, it quickly became apparent that the process was not for amateurs. Located in the Alamo Square neighborhood of San Francisco, not far from the famous painted ladies, their building is over a century old.

Brooke has turned her very generic and all too common country kitchen into a classic, clean space which will no doubt increase the value of their home. See how it looks now… • Country to Classic Kitchen Apartment Therapy

Name: Marjorie Skouras Location: Hollywood, California Size: 3200 square feetYears lived in: 24 years A few weeks ago I was driving up the canyon to go for an afternoon hike. I literally had to pull over when I saw Marjorie’s place. It was a very interesting looking house with a life-sized taxidermy figure staring back at me through the window!I was in for a very special treat when I met the owner, Marjorie. She is so warm and welcoming — it felt like I knew her for a long time.

In a small space like a balcony or small deck, using plants that give off a scent can make the space that much richer and enjoyable. Here are 5 fragrant plants perfect for a small space… • Plants for Small Spaces Apartment Therapy

There’s a reason basements often become cluttered dumping grounds, they’re usually dark, uninviting and an excuse to hide your mess away. If you have an underused or unappealing basement, take some cues from designer Frances Herrera who transformed this one into a bright, welcoming playroom.What was your goal for this space – what did your clients ask for?My clients needed an inspiring place for their 5-year-old daughter to play, craft, and entertain her friends.

When people find out I work at a flower shop but I don’t like the smell of (most) flowers, they either laugh at what a funny place the world is….or they shove some peonies in my face, saying “But have you smelled these?!? Smell them!!!” While peonies, jasmine, lilies, and narcissus may smell like heaven to you lucky ones, to some of us they merely bring on headaches. Thank goodness, then, for these understated blooms, no less lovely for their lack of scent.

Brooke has turned her very generic and all too common country kitchen into a classic, clean space which will no doubt increase the value of their home.It may have taken five months of work, research, hunting and juggling two two-year-olds to get this project done, but it was worth every minute. The result is simply lovely and creates an updated and warm new feel for the main area of Brooke’s home. I think it’s a good example of refreshing a kitchen on a budget without demolition.

This garden in southern California, was designed by Shirley Bovshow for a client with a small budget (at lease for the size of the work needed). So, the initial vision for beautiful gazebos and country elegance with all the bells and whistles was ultimately fulfilled with budget friendly versions.

Perhaps best known for his work with the Kardashians, Jeff Andrews turns out to be modest and unassuming. Jeff shares his design philosophy, his thoughts on what rooms need, and how he made the transition from choreographer to designer… • Jeff Andrews Apartment Therapy

Some days are meant to be spent outside, and today was one of them for me and my daughter. As we took a walk down our road, admiring the forsythia in bloom, I had a thought about trying to recreate a forsythia wreath I saw hanging on someone’s door the other day. I grabbed my pruners and some twine and clipped some branches. Usually this is the point where I go online and search for the perfect tutorial. Not today.

I started making these eco planters for gifts a year ago and haven’t stopped. They are simple, stylish and downright lovable. Each pot is unique and has an organic, handmade feel. It is not an instant gratification project and you will have to commit, but the results are well worth it. I like to make about six at a time.

Who doesn’t love a porch swing? They evoke such delightful daydreams of warm summer days relaxing on the front porch with a glass of lemonade and not a care in the world. Ahhh, isn’t that the life…Now in this dream, you don’t want to be in fear that mid-swing you’ll come crashing to the ground because of faulty installation.Hanging things from the ceiling that need to take a lot of weight can be a very daunting task, but don’t let it deter you.

image:87e4276c5c2d2a599f0e91caff9f4a9449392dcb w:540 s:"fit" class_name:"mt-image-center" show_pin_button:"true" show_image_credits:"true" Last week, I showed you how you can make natural pesticides for your plants. While these sprays pose less risk than the toxic ones, they also rid your plant of beneficial insects like the ladybug.

The bathroom is the smallest room in the house, yet stores the most varied collection of stuff. How do you fit everything in and keep it from getting cluttered? Here are 10 creative storage solutions from our archives and around the web.1. Labeled storage. Kristen shared her bathroom shelving solution with us in 2010. She embroidered small baskets for easy sorting and access, and we love the result.2. Mason jars. Keep small items on hand with this DIY mason jar solution via ReadyMade.

They’re in your recessed living room lights, your TV, the candles your mother-in-law bought you for the holidays, signs, traffic lights, remote controls – and increasingly in everything else you can shake a stick at.Tiny LEDs (“light-emitting diodes”, in case it comes up on Jeopardy) are being used more and more often for a variety of purposes due to their low energy consumption, long lifetime, compact size and their adaptability to function in growing number of ways.