The Latest
2013

The Latest: 2013

Welcome to the hub for accessing all our latest posts! Easily sort through content by date to quickly find what you’re looking for — you’ll never miss out on the latest updates here.
Smart & Simple Housekeeping: 5 Ways to Use Old Candles
The simplest helpful household tips are the ones that I value the most. I love finding new uses for humble objects, and it’s exciting to share these tips and learn some in exchange. • Put Old Candles to Work Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 22, 2013
Faith’s Renovation: Buying an IKEA Kitchen
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) The bones of a kitchen are the cabinets and their layout, and we knew from the get-go that we wanted to use IKEA’s cabinet system. Here are some things we learned along the way. • On Buying an IKEA Kitchen The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Feb 22, 2013
Before & After: From Discarded Spool to Amazing Dining Room Table
When Cheltz’s husband, Woo, found this discarded industrial spool, he imagined a new dining room table… for free. Check out how the transformation went! • Spool to Table Transformation Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 22, 2013
Before & After: A Beautiful Vintage Dresser Gets a New Look
It’s not often that we see a before that looks so much like, well, an after. Natty admits that the dresser was in great shape when she got it, but she was looking for something more modern and personalized. After all, a dark stained wood isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and sometimes even beautiful pieces can stand to be a new kind of beautiful.
Lauren Pavao
Feb 22, 2013
Quick Guide: Spices for Common Dishes
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) While there is really no “One Right Way” to season or spice your favorite foods, here’s a quick guide to some of the most common — and dependably tasty! — ways to do it. • Common Spices for Common Dishes The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Feb 21, 2013
Make It: An Easy, No-Sew Window Seat Cushion
If you read the January Cure diaries, you probably saw my window seats, both bare and then with cushions. If you’re interested, here’s how I made the cushions in about an hour. • How to Make a Cushion Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 21, 2013
Before & After: Samna Transforms a Studio in 5 Days
Samna flew out to New York from her home in Seattle to help her sister set up her studio apartment. With only five days and $500, here’s how she transformed the rental into a chic hangout.From Samna: Here’s what I had to work with: My sister’s apartment in a post-war building, 248 square feet of bedroom/living area and kitchen, $500 budget and five days to get it all done. This project is for all of the people who claim “I don’t have time.
Tara Bellucci
Feb 21, 2013
Before & After: Laura’s Family Room Finds a New Purpose
Laura spent seven years using this room, with its high ceilings and statement fireplace, as a family room. But considering its pass-through and access to the kitchen, she found a new purpose for the space that felt more natural. The process of transforming a living space into a dining space may not have been without challenges, but the results are stunning!
Tara Bellucci
Feb 21, 2013
Before & After: Gallery Wall of Kids’ Art in the Dining Room
Lauren Liess had clients with a bland dining room looking for a stylish and personal upgrade. The family had a bold, cheerful style (and some budding Picassos!), so she came up with the perfect solution: a kids’ art wall! • Kids’ Art in the Dining Room Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 21, 2013
Lola’s Homemade Orange Kitchen
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Lola Milholland is an avid home cook with an amazing range of culinary abilities. She cooks with tenacity and confidence! Join us for a tour of this giant, personality-filled kitchen. • Lola’s Homemade Orange Kitchen The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Feb 21, 2013
Caroline & Jose’s Remarkable Austin Nest
Name: Caroline and Jose Vasquez-Corbalan of Paloma’s Nest Location: Austin Texas Size: 1,000 square feet plus 600 square feet of studio/office space in the back. Years lived in: 10 years Caroline and Jose embody the true spirit of creativity. They spent their first date drawing furniture design ideas on the back of their dinner napkins — after realizing they both shared the same dream of wanting to make things for a living.
Chris Perez
Feb 20, 2013
Kathryn & Perry’s “Have Less Do More” Apartment
Name: Kathryn and Perry Bacalis — Wedding and portrait photography team in Denver. Location: Capitol Hill, Denver, Colorado Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 4 months; rent Kathryn and Perry are the kind of people that make friends with just about everyone they meet. They are warm and welcoming, creative and stylish, just like their home. They recently left behind 1300 square feet of loft living and moved into a 650 square foot apartment in the heart of Denver’s Capitol Hill.
Ashley Poskin
Feb 20, 2013
Three (Free!) Things You Need for Your Home Office
Working from home and being productive can be both rewarding and a challenge at the same time. Here are 3 free tools so easy to integrate into your workflow that you’ll be wondering what you did without them. • 3 Things for Your Home Office Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 20, 2013
Before & After: Vintage Dollhouse Gets a Colorful Facelift
For Christmas one year, the very stylish Suki gave her daughter a renovated vintage dollhouse. First off, the dollhouse itself is amazing, with what looks like real plaster walls and a brick chimney. Suki tore out some of the old materials, repainted, wallpapered and re-filled the house with tiny furniture and fixtures.The after is so charming, colorful and full of fun details. I would move in tomorrow if I could.  So amazing Suki!
Dabney Frake
Feb 20, 2013
Before & After: Colorful Kids’ Art in the Dining Room
Interior designer Lauren Liess had clients with a brand-new dining room looking for a stylish and personal upgrade. The family had a bold, cheerful style (and some budding Picassos!), so she came up with the perfect solution: a kids’ art wall!She added some new curtains, a new overhead fixture, and some sconces in the middle of the gallery wall — but the focus is the kids’ art, which adds a lot of color and fun to the room!
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 20, 2013
Before & After: Boring IKEA Billy Bookshelf to Rad Reading Bench
The great thing about Ikea’s Billy bookshelf is that it’s an inexpensive, versatile storage unit for any age — the downside is when you’d like it to be a bookshelf for kids but the height and reach is too much for little arms.Leave it to Lisa Campbell to fix that! She just turned it on its side, so that it not only holds books safely, it doubles as a bench! She added some decorative trim, secured the shelves, and sewed a cushion for the top.
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 20, 2013
Battling Throwawayism: A Low-Carb Furniture Diet
You are what you sit on. At Apartment Therapy we are always working hard developing our philosophy and working out the talking points that underpin the healthy, beautiful, organized home. • A Low-Carb Furniture Diet Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 20, 2013
Classic Kitchen Style: A Vintage Look in a New Build
We’re fans of a good before & after, but sometimes it’s nice to see a new-build with all the charms of an older home. This new kitchen, with the skillful addition of old and reclaimed elements, precisely fits that bill. • New Vintage-Inspired Kitchen Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 19, 2013
Before & After: Charlotte’s Colorful Connecticut Living Room
When Charlotte and her family moved from New York to Connecticut, they fell in love with this 100 year-old house and its bay window. With so much white everywhere, it was a blank canvas. Check out how she transformed this living room with color:From Charlotte: We moved to the Connecticut suburbs from NYC into this sweet 100 year-old house. The previous owner had a love affair with all things off-white (carpet, walls, trim, window treatments).
Tara Bellucci
Feb 19, 2013
Making it Work: Working From Home With Kids
I love the way our world is changing. Gone are the days where you were either a work-outside-the-home mom or a stay-at-home mom, when rare was the woman who didn’t fit into one of those categories exclusively. With the integration of technology and innovation into our work and home lives, there are so many possible combinations of working environments for moms (and dads!).
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 19, 2013
Before & After: Side Table Gets a Herringbone Top On a Budget
Is this “before” image intriguing, or what? Yes, you can see the top of the old crusty side table, but what’s the point of showing it with all those paint sticks on top? This is truly a DIY project I would never have thought of on my own, and I love it!Truly, the folks over at Thistlewood Farms gave this little table an amazing facelift — with paint sticks. They cut them all down to uniform size, applied some stain, and laid them in a herringbone pattern, and the result?
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 19, 2013
Before & After: From Boring Bedroom to Chic Shared Space
Yeah, okay, this bedroom is fine. It’s got some beds, so it’s functional. It’s got walls, you know, because you need those. But it lacked pretty much everything else. Until now…What a transition! Out of nothing, Kelly created this super stylish playroom/studio for her to share with son Aston.
Dabney Frake
Feb 19, 2013
Brooklyn Kitchen Gets an Updated Look
This small Prospect Park kitchen didn’t have much going for it. It had limited storage, poor lighting, and some odd half-height walls that cut it off from the rest of the apartment. It was time for a change. • Brooklyn Kitchen Redo Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 19, 2013
Make Your Own Before & After
We’ve been showcasing a lot of Before and Afters here this month, and perhaps it’s inspired you to do a few of your own. You may, however, still have doubts, and may find that you ask yourself “can I really do that?” Well, here are some simple beginner DIY’s that you most definitely can do. Time to make your own Before & After.1. Paint a Globe.Take a globe you already have (preferably one of those 3D topographic ones), or acquire one.
Chris Perez
Feb 18, 2013
Lori & Ken’s Modern Calgary Home
Lori and Ken’s home was featured here on Apartment Therapy in 2009 and four years later, the space is more elegant and creative than ever. As an established photographer and interior designer (Ken has his own investment firm), Lori uses her home as a canvas for her work and ideas. However, these aesthetic changes didn’t happen overnight, says Lori: “It has taken us ten years to get the house we really wanted, as we have to budget and save for every additional piece.
Andie Powers
Feb 18, 2013
Why You Should Bother With Whole Spices
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) There’s no denying the convenience of an already-ground spice, but I’m here to make a case for why you should consider adding a few whole spices to your seasoning line-up. Four words: better flavor, fresher longer. Convinced?! • On Using Whole Spices The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Feb 15, 2013
5 Tips for a Date Night in the Kitchen
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Cooks can be very territorial creatures. This may make for a terrific meal at the end of the night, but it’s not so great for fostering a romantic, let’s-make-and-share-this-food-together vibe. So here are a few simple tips… • 5 Tips For a Date Night in the Kitchen The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Feb 15, 2013
Before & After: Quick and Simple Chair Makeover
A furniture redo doesn’t have to be drastic or especially time-consuming to make a big impact. This lovely chair had a lot of potential, but was a little drab — a few quick fixes made a huge difference!Lisa from All Things Campbell spotted this chair for $20. It had a few minor problems, but she was confident she could fix it up and make it work… and for only twenty bucks, she didn’t have a lot to lose!
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 15, 2013
Good For the Environment and You: Glass Water Bottles
A few years ago I made a concerted effort to stop buying bottled water and instead fill my own bottles. The problem with this is that plastic and metal bottles tend to leach flavor (and who knows what else!) into the water. The solution? Glass water bottles! • Glass Water Bottles Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 15, 2013
Before & After: Brad & Celestyn’s Reclaimed Wood Wall
From Celestyn: This is a pretty great “up-cycle” done by my super talented husband for the front office of our family business, Repla Prints. He broke down old pallets (FREE!!) and aged them by rubbing them with steel wool that had been soaking in apple cider vinegar before putting them onto the wall. He used the ugly existing desk and made an amazing privacy cover around it. The top is 2×6’s glued and clamped together and sanded for a smooth finish.
Tara Bellucci
Feb 15, 2013
Before & After: Jen’s Wood Cut Garden Path
I love this true and honest account of using wood cuts for path making. As a professional I’ve never had the guts to try it because, if what happened on Jen’s first run happened in a client’s garden, well, clearly I would deserve to be fired. So I am grateful that Jen shared the ups and downs of her path project, and am curious as she comes in the the spring how the latest version faired.
Rochelle Greayer
Feb 15, 2013
Before & After: Subway Tile Spruces Up a Brooklyn Kitchen
Ariele had been in her rental apartment for five years, her kitchen was dingy and not properly finished, and she finally decided it was time to do something about it. So she bought white subway tiles and some paint and got to work. • Kitchen Gets Subway Tile Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 15, 2013
Recipe: Salted Dark Chocolate Popcorn
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) In short, my feelings about Valentine’s Day are a lot like this popcorn: salty and a little bitter, but impossible to ignore. • Salted Dark Chocolate Popcorn The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Feb 15, 2013
DIY Wooden Coasters
I just ran across this great little DIY for wood coasters that can also be used for wall decor. It is a simple and stylish way to add a little something unique to your table. Follow me to find out more. • How To: Wooden Coasters Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 14, 2013
Before & After: Aya’s 70s to Serene Guest Bathroom Renovation
This bathroom had not been touched since the 70s, so we thought we’d modernize it a bit. We replaced the old vanity with a double sink IKEA vanity with ample storage. The old faux travertine flooring was removed and new tile was installed. We chose the gray because we wanted a nice, serene color so our guests can feel comfortable while they’re here. We chose the long glass kitchen cabinet doors from IKEA to give the small bathroom an airier feel.
Tara Bellucci
Feb 14, 2013
5 Ways to Use the IKEA VITTSJÖ
For years IKEA’s EXPEDIT has been a ubiquitous storage solution for homes everywhere. But recently the Swedish furnishing giant’s VITTSJÖ has been showing up more and more on my design radar. • The VITTSJÖ 5 Ways Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 14, 2013
Faith’s Renovation: Planning The Kitchen
How in the world does one go about planning a kitchen renovation? How do you actually make decisions? Well, I don’t know how other people make these sorts of rather scary decisions — I can only tell you how we did. • Planning Out the Kitchen The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Feb 14, 2013
Space Savers: Utilize Those Corners with Corner Shelving!
We all have corners in our house (lots of them!), but they are often left empty or aren’t used in a creative way. Let’s change that! Follow me for some great ideas… • Clever Corner Shelving Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 13, 2013
Faith’s Kitchen Renovation: The Demolition
Last week I explained the big renovation and kitchen project we took on last year, and I showed you lots of pretty pictures of kitchens that inspired me. But in renovation, before a kitchen gets better, it usually gets worse. Much, much worse. • Faith’s Kitchen Renovation The Kitchn
Cambria Bold
Feb 13, 2013
DIY the $50 IKEA VITTSJÖ: 5 Colorful Hacks
For years IKEA’s EXPEDIT has been a ubiquitous storage solution for homes everywhere. But recently the Swedish furnishing giant’s VITTSJÖ has been showing up more and more on my design radar. It doesn’t scream IKEA, and you’d never guess the system starts as low as under $50. The black metal and glass shelving system has a nice industrial quality on its own, but it seems to really shine when it’s given a bright coat of paint.
Rachel Wray Thompson
Feb 13, 2013
Before & After: Plain Brown Headboard Gets a Playful New Look
Tori was on the hunt for a new bed for her youngest daughter — her older daughter had a cool, unique bed, and she wanted to find something just as awesome for the younger one. So she found this plain headboard on Craigslist and gave it a playful new spin.A little paint, some stenciling, and some clever upholstering gave this headboard a totally new look! Now her daughter has a great colorful new bed, customized by her own mom.Thanks, Tori!
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 13, 2013
Before & After: Cristin’s Mod Card Table Makeover
I purchased this 1960’s folding card table and chairs from an estate sale for $20. The table top and seats were covered in avocado vinyl that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned since its last party, 40 years ago. The way the table is constructed, the center of the table top is level with the outer rim, therefore I couldn’t substitute tile or mosaic for the vinyl because it wouldn’t be level. The best solution I found was laminating fabric.
Tara Bellucci
Feb 13, 2013
Before & After: Metal Stools Go From Grungy to Glamorous
These Lyon steel drafting stools are straight from the architecture school where I was an undergrad over a decade ago. Rusted and layered with spray paint, they were pretty well-worn even when I was in school. • Metal Stool Makeover Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 13, 2013
What Do You Think: Socks for Chairs?
I love the Japanese retail market. If someone can find a way to make a thing more ridiculously cute, they’ll sell it. The latest thing I’ve seen? Little itty bitty chair socks. What the what? • Socks for Chairs Apartment Therapy
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 12, 2013
What Color Should I Paint My Home Theater Room?
Q – I need help on how to pick the right color for a home theater room. I have heard that it should be black or a neutral gray. Where should I begin?A – Hi John,To recreate a serious home theater resembling an actual cinema (like Scott’s Home Theater above), a darker and flat paint is the right way to go.
Gregory Han
Feb 12, 2013
Faith’s Kitchen Renovation: Project & Plans
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) In the process of dragging an old, problematic house into the 21st century, we lived through the very real clichés of remodeling. Over the next week or two I will show you how it all went and what it looks like now. Want to come along? • Faith’s Kitchen Renovation
Cambria Bold
Feb 12, 2013
Before & After: Metal Lyon Stools Get a Fresh Powder Coat
These Lyon steel drafting stools are straight from the architecture school where I was an undergrad over a decade ago. Rusted and layered with spray paint, they were pretty well-worn even when I was in school. Recently, when the department underwent renovations, a friend picked these up for free when they were discarded during construction. We paid him $5 each for the trouble of scavenging them and then started looking into refinishing.
Regina Yunghans
Feb 12, 2013
Before & After: DIY Mongolian Lamb Stool
Fluffy white Mongolian lamb stools pop up like dandelions in tony dressing rooms and decor magazine spreads, but the prices can be a bit overwhelming for the rest of us. But Nadia, the Paris-dwelling blogger behind Preciously Me, came up with a way to get the look on her own with just an IKEA stool and a fluffy pillow.That’s quite the upgrade, no? Nadia started with an IKEA Marius stool (which seems to be available in black, white, and blue on the U.S.
Elizabeth Licata
Feb 12, 2013