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2012
September

The Latest: Sep 2012

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Find Local Orchards, Pumpkin Patches and Scenic Drives
If you’re looking for an orchard or scenic drive to experience this autumn, here are some national and regional directories to check out. • Orchards, Pumpkins, Drives… Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 28, 2012
Rustam’s From Russia With Midcentury Love Studio
Name: Rustam Babayev Location: Saint Petersburg, Russia Size: 335 square feet (31 sq. m) Years lived in: 4 years – owned. A colorful gem of small space living comes today by way of the northernmost largest city in Russia, Saint Petersburg. What may be equally surprising as the location and the cozy dimensions of the studio apartment is the enthusiastically vibrant and international midcentury elements which permeate throughout.
Gregory Han
Sep 28, 2012
Beatrix Potter’s Recipe for Gingerbread
Today Beatrix Potter’s very rare personal recipe book will go on sale in London. The 161-year-old book recipe book is full of family recipes, and thanks to an official release by the book’s handlers, we have the actual gingerbread recipe here! • Beatrix Potter’s Gingerbread The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Sep 28, 2012
Decorating: Hobby or Unhealthy?
“Obsessed with home decor? You may have self-image problems,” warned a recent article claiming that women today feel stressed about home decor to the point that they have self-esteem issues. • Hobby or Unhealthy? Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 28, 2012
A Closer Look at the Platner Chair
14 years after Harry Bertoia’s steel mesh furniture made its debut, came the Platner chair. Born of a generation embracing a more luxurious, sensual brand of modernism, the Platner chair gave new-school materials an old-school elegance. • The Platner Chair Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 27, 2012
Quick History: Tatami Mats
Tatami mats are a kind of rush flooring used in traditional Japanese homes. Made of woven rush grass around a rice straw core, they are gentle but firm underfoot, and also give off a lovely (I think) scent, especially on rainy or humid days. Increasingly rare in modern Japanese interiors, tatami deserves to be considered as a potential material in all homes. Let’s take a look at its rich history.
Anna Hoffman
Sep 27, 2012
Introducing the Renovation Diary Project
Are you thinking about making a big change? If you have big dreams, Apartment Therapy wants to partner with you to help make those dreams happen with our Renovation Diary Program. • Renovation Diary Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 27, 2012
20 Smoothie Tips, Hints, and Recipes
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Smoothies are a fast, easy breakfast, and many of us are devoted to our morning shake. So we’ve rounded up our best ideas and tips covering everything from blenders to protein powder, plus inspiring recipes with fruit, greens, and even whole grains. • 20 Smoothie Tips & Recipes The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Sep 27, 2012
Scallop Designs in the Home
Although it’s the tail end of the season for fishermen, scallops in both fashion and the home are still going strong. This simple pattern and/or detail makes things both classic and special. • Scallop Designs in the Home Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 26, 2012
A Closer Look at Thonet Bentwood Chairs
You might not think of scrolled arms and contoured backs as features of modern design, but Thonet’s classic “cafe” chairs were light years ahead of their time. To make them Thonet pioneered the use of heat to bend wood into improbable shapes. •
Carrie McBride
Sep 26, 2012
6 Ways to Tidy Your Pantry in 10 Minutes
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Sometimes we don’t have time for a full cleanup and overhaul of our kitchen storage, but still, the smallest effort can make the largest difference. Here are six things to do tonight that will only take you 10 minutes. • A Tidy Pantry in 10 Minutes The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Sep 26, 2012
Resolving Design Disputes with a Mate
My boyfriend and I recently decided to co-habitate. Merging our existing possessions wasn’t too painful, but buying and arranging furniture? War. How do you settle décor disputes? • Resolving Design Disputes Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 25, 2012
Choosing the Right Freezer Containers
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) The right packaging will ensure that frozen foods retain their flavor, color, and texture, without developing freezer burn or absorbing other flavors and odors. The following containers are suitable for frozen foods: • Choosing the Right Freezer Containers The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Sep 25, 2012
The Power Of Paint: My Lamp Before & After
Though I’ve been doing this a long time, the power of paint to transform things still astonishes me. Take this lamp (or lamps, since it’s part of a pair) for instance. They’ve been moving from room to room as I’ve tried to work their weird green base into my home’s neutral color scheme. But it wasn’t working.
Abby Stone
Sep 25, 2012
15 Dinner Recipes to Double & Freeze
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) There are so many recipes that can make a little extra to be squirreled away in the freezer for a later time. These little packages from the past are a huge gift to your future self when you are busy, stressed, and in need of a quick fix. • 15 Double
Cambria Bold
Sep 25, 2012
How To Photograph Objects at Home
Setting up a first studio at home doesn’t have to be a daunting affair. With a few inexpensive solutions, you can photograph small objects with terrific results. Here’s what you need… • Photographing Objects Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 25, 2012
Weighing Pros & Cons of Living in Expensive Cities
If you live in an expensive city, are you asking yourself how long you can afford to stay? Do you love your city so much that you plan to just pay crazy-high rent forever and forget about buying a home? • Living in Expensive Cities Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 24, 2012
Kitchen Counters Go From Laminate to Concrete
Updating laminate counters without completely replacing them can be a big challenge. Which is why we were so impressed with this project which added a layer of concrete on top of the existing counter. • Laminate to Concrete Counter Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 24, 2012
When Eating Alone is Lonely
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Meals are a shared experience in most cultures, so it is a classic time for loneliness to come up if you find yourself alone at meal times. Do you eat alone often? How do you deal with the times when a single place setting at the table feels lonely? • Eating
Faith Durand
Sep 21, 2012
Before & After: Craigslist Dresser Gets a Makeover
When Melody found this white painted dresser on her local Craigslist, she knew that it could be transformed by a little TLC. Despite the peeling paint and damaged top, the dresser had great lines and was solidly built, making it an excellent candidate for a makeover. Best of all, Melody had a spot and a purpose all picked out for this piece once the transformation was complete.Melody’s first step was stripping and sanding the top to see if she would be able to restain it vs. painting.
Colleen Quinn
Sep 21, 2012
Celebrating Everyday Good Design: Mugs
There are few items I look at more than my coffee mug. When it comes to coffee or tea it just tastes better when it looks better. Here are a few favorites from around the web… • Well Designed Mugs Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 21, 2012
Renovating: Finishing What You Start
As I renovate my home I am learning lots of interesting little things about the way I work. One lesson that is coming to the forefront as of late is finish what you start. • Finishing What You Start Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 20, 2012
Before & After: Typewriter Table Gets a Cartographic Makeover
Carrie obviously has better yard sale luck than most of us, as she was able to pick up this darling vintage typewriter table at a local sale for only $4 — an astonishing deal by any standard. When she bought it, Carrie already knew this table was getting a cartographic makeover.Carrie’s first step was priming the table, before covering it with white spray paint. After selecting three different maps, she modge-podged them to the three sections of the table top.
Colleen Quinn
Sep 20, 2012
How to Make Pita Bread at Home
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) The pita bread you make at home is worlds apart from the stuff you buy in stores, and watching them puff to glorious heights in your oven or on your stovetop is culinary magic at its best. Here’s how to do it. It’s easy! • How To Make Pita Bread
Faith Durand
Sep 20, 2012
A Closer Look at the Cherner Chair
The Cherner chair is elegant and graceful, with twists and curves reminiscent of ancient tree roots or undulating sand dunes. At the same time, it’s a technical masterpiece in furniture making. • The Cherner Chair Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 20, 2012
Everyday Good Design: Salt & Pepper Shakers
It’s the small stuff that can bring the greatest doses of joy and character to a home. Case in point: these well designed salt and pepper vessels which are functional and fun. • Salt & Pepper Shakers Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 19, 2012
15 Tips for Better Weekly Meal Planning
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) How do you get dinner on the table, week in and week out, without getting bored? How do you stay energized and engaged with the act of cooking at home? Here are fifteen of our best and most universal tips for learning how to plan your meals. • 15 Tips for
Faith Durand
Sep 19, 2012
Robert’s Rooftop View Over Berlin
Name: RobertLocation: Mitte, Berlin, GermanySize: 1,000 square feetYears lived in: 1.5 years; rented Lofted high above fashionable Torstrasse in Mitte, with views to Berlin’s famous Fernsehturm in Alexanderplatz and busy Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, scientist Robert lives in a quietly stylish Dachgeschoss (attic level) one-bedroom apartment.
Lydia Brotherton
Sep 19, 2012
Before & After: A Trashed Curbside Dresser
I am fairly certain that if I drove by this dresser on trash day in my neighborhood, I would have kept on going. Sure it is an interesting size and has nice lines, but the utterly awful painted finish would have had me imagining all types of other things that would undoubtedly be wrong with it, not to mention the hours of labor involved in stripping it.
Richard Popovic
Sep 19, 2012
Baked Nutella & Cream Cheese Sandwich
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Nutella (obviously). Cream cheese. A sprinkle of salt, and crusty Italian bread. Crisp toasted outside and hot, gooey inside, oozing with tangy cream cheese and the scent of chocolate and hazelnuts.This is dessert, in the guise of a sandwich. • Baked Nutella Sandwich The Kitchn
Faith Durand
Sep 19, 2012
A Renter Updates Her Blah Kitchen
Audra had a blah kitchen with standard-issue cabinets. She wanted to give it a little bit of personality, but as a renter, she didn’t have a lot of options so she had to get creative. • Updated Rental Kitchen Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 19, 2012
How To Make Iced Coffee
Entrepreneur, mother and Brooklynite Katie Deedy shares her method for making delicious ice coffee. • Make Iced Coffee Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 18, 2012
How Much Do You Rely on Online Reviews?
NPR recently ran a story on “Five Ways To Spot A Fake Online Review, Restaurant Or Otherwise” as a response to author RJ Ellroy being caught writing fake reviews of his novels. How useful you find online reviews? • Do You Use Online Reviews? Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 18, 2012
Trend Watch: Gold Dipped Accessories
Items dipped in gold appear as though they were touched by King Midas himself, transforming materials like glass, wood and paper into something much more opulent. Check below the link for a few great products and DIY’s. • Gold Dipped Accessories Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 17, 2012
Before & After: DIY Compass Rose Table
Janel had an old round table that was just crying out for a makeover. After some careful thought and consideration, she decided to cover the entire table with Rub’n’Buff. At that point the table took on a beautiful burnished gold tone, but Janel wasn’t finished.Janel decided to cover the top of the table with a compass rose, and she decided to create that pattern herself rather than using a stencil!
Colleen Quinn
Sep 17, 2012
A DIY Zinc Sheet Metal Covered Table
I had heard of DIY metal countertops, but I hadn’t considered covering a table! With a few tools that you’ll probably have to pick up at the hardware store the task almost looks… dare I say — simple! • DIY Zinc Covered Table Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 17, 2012
10 Inspiring Small-Space Pantries
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) I recaptured an inefficient coat closet and turned it into a cheery little pantry — one of my all-time most useful kitchen projects! Here are ten more inspiring examples of pantries, each with a takeaway for small spaces. • 10 Inspiring Pantries The Kitchn
Faith Durand
Sep 14, 2012
Before & After: Erin’s Painted House
Erin lives in a row house with a brick façade that she and her husband found underwhelming. The brick was not the best quality and had mismatched mortar spots, and the bottom line was, they wanted to give their home some stand-out personality.After testing out 12 shades of gray paint samples, Erin of 110 + 2 settled on Sherwin Williams’ Classic French Gray for the house and their Citrus for the front and back doors. The gray is classic, and the punchy yellow is fun and modern.
Kim R. McCormick
Sep 14, 2012
A Guide to Whole Grains
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) With fall just around the corner, now is the time to stock your pantry with hearty, healthy whole grains! From amaranth to wild rice, get the skinny on whole grain ingredients and whole grain flours here. • Whole Grains Guide The Kitchn
Faith Durand
Sep 14, 2012
A Pro Organizer’s Tips for Fall Closet Cleaning
People always think of the new year as the perfect time to clean out closets, but pro organizer Nicole Anzia prefers to do it after Labor Day. Here are her tips for cleaning out your closet… • Fall Closet Cleaning Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 14, 2012
Advice From a Pro Organizer: Fall Closet Cleaning
People always think of the new year as the perfect time to clean out closets, but professional organizer and declutterer Nicole Anzia of Washington DC-based Neatnik prefers to do it after Labor Day. “I always think of fall as a new beginning. Summer is over, kids are back at school and everyone else resumes a “normal” schedule in September. Plus, the weather is about to turn crisp, so what better time to clean out your closets?
Catrin Morris
Sep 13, 2012
A Word to Fear: Hangry!
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Do you get hangry?! This is a very helpful word, a word to signal impending storm clouds and danger, a word to fear. Oh — not familiar with the term? Let me bring you up to speed. This is a word you should know. • Do You Get Hangry? The
Faith Durand
Sep 13, 2012
The Return of Andy Warhol’s Soup Cans
“Life imitates art”, or is it art imitates life? Either way, for Campbell’s 50th Anniversary, they chose to turn the tables on art, taking Andy Warhol’s famous Tomato Soup Can as inspiration for a series of limited edition cans. • Andy Warhol Soup Cans Apartment Therapy
Carrie McBride
Sep 13, 2012
Bathroom Decor: Save On This & Splurge On That
In my decorating work, I find that even creative types tend to be a little hesitant to think outside the box when it comes to decorating the bath. But there are a lot of areas where you can save without sacrificing functionality, and a few that are worth the splurge. • Bathroom: Save or Splurge
Carrie McBride
Sep 12, 2012
How to Make Homemade Granola Bars
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) I am a self-professed granola bar fiend. I nearly always have a granola bar or two close at hand. Making my own from the assortment of oats, nuts, and dried fruits that are always in my cupboard was a natural next step. • Homemade Granola Bars The Kitchn
Faith Durand
Sep 12, 2012
Quick History: Wicker Furniture
Wicker furniture might seem like an invention of the Victorian era, but that’s just when it hit the English and American markets. In fact, wicker is one of the oldest methods of making furniture, common all over the world for thousands of years. But wait, I’ll bet you’re wondering what wicker is exactly, am I right? So let’s define our terms, and take a quick look at the history of wicker.
Anna Hoffman
Sep 12, 2012
Before & After: Transforming an Artist’s Easel into a Media Stand
Sheila was never a fan of the console that held her TV and other media equipment, especially given its size in relation to the awkward corner that housed the installation. Months ago she found the ideal solution to her dilemma and ordered an artist’s easel to convert into a TV/media stand. With just a little modification, she was able to transform the easel and therefore her living room.
Colleen Quinn
Sep 12, 2012
10 Kitchens Without Upper Cabinets
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) It might seem crazy to forego the storage that upper cabinets offer, but there are some significant advantages in return. See 10 inspiring kitchens without uppers, and read more on why it’s sometimes a good idea. • No Upper Cabinets! The Kitchn
Faith Durand
Sep 12, 2012