The Latest: Oct 10, 2013

When Jessica bought her first place in Brooklyn earlier this year, it came with a grotty tar wall on the roof. Obviously this was not the outdoor oasis she had in mind. Read on to see her solution. Once again, IKEA saves the day. From Jessica: Apparently, someone in Sweden has the same problem, since Ikea makes these acacia wall panels in its Applaro series. They could be drilled right over our tar wall, with space for drainage and not that much gruntwork.

When Samaa spotted this old hutch at her local thrift store, she says, “it was positively flirting with me.” We’re guessing that their relationship has blossomed into a full-blown love affair. She patched, primed, painted and sealed the wood and gave the hardware a polish as well. Instead of wallpaper for the interior, the pattern is actually a well-chosen stencil.