Apartment Therapy Archive: Jun 2014

This was made entirely on my iPhone using iMovie Last year at this time I was given an incredible tour of the Billy bookcase factory in Falkoping, Sweden. After a three hour drive directly out into the heart of the country, we came to a long low building in which every Billy bookcase is made. Owned and operated by a family that has worked with IKEA since 1952, the operation was the cleanest and most efficient I’ve ever seen.

Unfinished wood furniture is great for a bunch of reasons. It’s often more affordable that pre-finished furniture. Plus, it’s real wood, unlike other cheaper options made from laminate instead. And lastly, you can customize it to work with your existing decor. If you’re in the market, here are the best places to find what you’re looking for: Urban Green is a Brooklyn-based company making furniture that’s both sustainable and stylish.

Name: Trisha Location: Edina, Minnesota We moved from a row house in Chicago to this light-filled, 5,000 s.f. home in Edina, MN a little over two years ago. The location is excellent — within 5 minutes, we can walk to the grocery store, grab a coffee, pick up our dry cleaning and even see a movie in an indie theater if we so choose. We have small backyards which forces everyone on our street to their front yards, making our neighborhood very social.

(Image credit: Gina Eykemans) From The Kitchn → Moving From Gas to an Electric Stove: What I’ve Learned So Far

Name: Ashley Jones, Co-owner & Co-founder of DimePiece LA Location: Downtown Fashion District, Los Angeles, California Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; rented The first House Tour I ever contributed to Apartment Therapy, four years ago, was Ashley’s 500 square foot studio in Miracle Mile. She had a budding new fashion company and was working hard to get her brand off the ground.

Cinder block furniture is something we tend to associate with college apartments, along with inflatable furniture and futons and cheap reproductions of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. But cinder blocks have two chief advantages over other building materials: 1. they’re cheap, and 2. they’re really cheap. Plus, you don’t really need to nail them or drill them or any other such thing, because they’re so heavy they’ll stay in place all on their own.

Urban apartments are shrinking as demand for space rises, and while I can’t wait for the day that it takes me more than five seconds to walk a lap of my entire apartment, I’m making the most of small space living while it lasts. In that spirit I’ve put together a little top ten list for you. Top 10 Ways You Can Tell Your Apartment is Seriously Tiny: 1. When the smallest tree on the lot takes up your entire living room at Christmas time. 2.

“Myrtle” is Capri’s 1964 Travco Motorhome, which she drives all over the country while on vacation. Over the years she’s also put a fair amount of work into this labor of love, slowly returning Myrtle to its Beatles-era glory. See what it looks like today! From Capri: Myrtle is 27 feet long and is powered by a 318 poly engine. She is equipped with a full bathroom, kitchen, couch, bench, closet, ample storage, rear double bed and two entrance doors.

Erin’s living room is refreshing because it uses one of my favorite tools of decorating — mixing textures! If you’re feeling like you’re in a funk design-wise, mixing and blending in this way is a great way to lift and give dimension to your space. A living room like Erin’s is a lovely example of a fresh, clean and modern space that employs neutral colors but keeps the eye interested with various textures and contrasts.

Dena bought this chair on Facebook of all places (the Buy/Sell/Trade pages) for $40 bucks because she just couldn’t resist the shape. Dena, you have quite the eye. Not only did you spot the sexy shape of that beat-up chair, you picked this risky fabric. Two risks that certainly paid off gloriously. Great job! Dena says: I removed the frame and stripped ‘er down, sewed up the new fabric using the old as a template and secured it with staples and tack strips.

The feeling when the vacation is over: you’re back at home, and everything is so incredibly familiar that you sometimes find it hard to believe you were ever gone at all. This feeling is the reason I usually try to find a souvenir of some sort when I travel to a new place, something I can lovingly unpack on my return and enjoy for years to come, bringing my memories into sharp focus every time I see it.

Q: My husband and I have just moved to Berlin from New York City. We plan to be here for many years, so I’d really like to furnish our apartment in a comfortable style, but I’m having a really hard time finding European alternatives to my favorite stores like West Elm, Rugs USA, and YLighting: I’ve found that while a number of US-based stores do ship to Europe, most won’t ship their entire range, and the shipping costs for things like rugs are outrageous.

It finally happened: I returned from a vacation with an extra day off before going back to work! It was such a vast improvement over the sleep-deprived scrambles of all of my previous reentries, I could hardly believe it. Here’s how we spent our precious time… This was a rather busy, ambitious day, thanks in part to the fact that I was sick.

(Image credit: Faith Durand) From The Kitchn → French Artist Sandrine Follère on How Art & Cooking Are Alike

From Apartment Therapy → Before & After: A DIY Kitchen Renovation Under $1,500

Name: Erin Buterick Location: Tuckerton, NJ My husband Paul and I live in a 1910 colonial situated in the historic fishing village of Tuckerton, New Jersey. When we bought it, we were aware of the fact that it was originally built by the local sea captain, not until a little while later did we learn that the sea captain was in fact a woman. Her name was Virgina and she went by ‘Captain Ginny.

Think you’ve got to rearrange all the walls and rip out everything to have a completely brand new kitchen? Designer Leslie Price shows in this small kitchen that smart choices and fresh paint make a huge difference. Leslie Price My clients had a very dated kitchen, but with three kids and the oldest going off to college in two years, they wanted to do a budget friendly remodel using the existing kitchen cabinets and footprint of the space.

Pricing. The most tedious of tasks when planning a garage sale, but a vital one (if you’re interested in the making money part of throwing a garage sale, of course). It’s one that will take a bit of work (especially if you’ve got a lot of items to sell) but definitely not one to skip. Here are some guidelines to make pricing your stuff go smoothly (and some display ideas to get you thinking about the big day!

Did you catch our post last weekend that talked about how to create (or boost) atmosphere? Atmosphere — that feeling of a rich, comfortable, stylish home that you never want to leave — isn’t just for interiors. Your outdoor area is an extension of your living area and deserves a boost to its atmosphere, too. Here are some ideas on how to make your outdoor area feel as inviting as your living room.

Moving is terrible. We all know this, and we all try not to think about it, because dwelling on horrible things is unpleasant, and living in the same house for the rest of one’s life is (for most of us, anyway) unrealistic. If you always find yourself rushing at the last minute to put things into boxes, and packing way more things than you ever thought you could possibly own, then this video roundup is for you.

Name: Whitney Walker, who runs her online shop Farrington Lane and does design and marketing for Bay Hill Design, and her husband Location: Deep Eddy Neighborhood, Austin, Texas Size: 735 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year Whitney and her husband’s apartment — one half of a tucked away duplex in an Austin neighborhood near downtown — is pretty small.

Tired of seeing stinky stacks of recycling take up residence in the corners of your cramped kitchen? So was Claire. In fact she had been dreaming of finding a structure that could contain her recycling bins stylishly. So when she came across this kind of rough but sturdy and free cabinet in an alley a few blocks from her apartment, she got creative to give it a new modern and functional look! Even more impressive? She made this transformation for exactly ZERO dollars. See how after the jump.

We don’t want you to apologize about your home so much. Or say “I’m sorry” as soon as guests walk in the door. Trust us — it’ll make you enjoy your home more when you’re not always saying sorry for its flaws. And there’s something else you can clear from your brain to make more room for enjoyment: Don’t feel like you owe anyone who comes into your home explanations for the decorating and living choices you’ve made.

Name: Maria Location: Washington, DC Coming by this place was a happy surprise. I was looking for something close to work, in another area of the city — where things are smaller and more expensive. When the house I had my eye on did not work out, I decided to branch out and found this apartment. I fell in love with how big and bright it is. I move every few years for work, so that poses opportunities and challenges.

Amy’s home office functioned just fine before. But, being located in a corner of her living room, she didn’t want it to feel temporary or look blah. So she tackled a considerable amount of mini and large DIY projects to add some stylish detail to this small corner. From Amy: To make it more functional, I added shelves above the desk to increase storage space. Keeping with the theme of gold accents, I spray painted the brackets gold in addition to some of the other desk decor.

I’m the biggest fan of traveling just outside of where you live to see something new. I don’t always have a ton of time (or even a string of days off in a row) but I can always give adventure a few hours. Even if you live in the middle of nowhere — or feel like all there is surrounding your city is nowhere-ness — if you keep your mind open and your imagination at the ready, you can find fresh adventures to spark your creative spirit.

Do you love the look of card catalog cabinets but hate how impractical the storage is? So did Michelle and her husband Nate of the blog Decor and the Dog (dog Ike pictured above!). So they designed a cabinet that would offer more storage flexibility but give the look of a faux card catalog cabinet. And they’ve shared the instructions on how to make your own!

Name: Zainab Ahmed and husband Farhan Ahmed (and for six months of the year, Farhan’s mom who divides her time between Pakistan and here) Location: Business Bay, Dubai Years lived in: Renting 3 years The rental apartment Zainab shares with her husband (and an occasional visiting mother-in-law) is considered large by local Dubai standards.

Do you ever just wish you could curl up with a book and just do nothing but read ALL day? Then do it! There’s something so luxuriously simple (and cheap) about spending hours of uninterrupted time diving into a good plot. Here’s how to carve out and maximize time to stoke your book-loving fires. You’ve got to get into the mood Nothing gets my pages turning more than walking through the aisles of a local small book store or library.

This table with its great and unique shape was destined for the trash. It had a water-damaged top and was definitely taking the description “shabby chic” a little too far! But a clean-up and a refresh makes it a perfect addition to any stylish room. From Karen: This table was a garbage day find and in dire need of repair and TLC. We removed the water damaged particle board table top and replaced it with a new piece of wood.

Where do you invest your money and time when designing a home? What items should you allow yourself to indulge in? They’re questions only you can answer, but the advice given in these beautiful recent house tours might help steer you in the right direction. “Be true to your own style in your home and have fun. Invest in some timeless classics that you will never tire of. I would also say that the right textiles really bring warmth into a space. But I would say that!

(Image credit: Jessica Goldman Foung) From The Kitchn → Sodium Savvy: 6 Tips for Eating Well on a Low-Sodium Diet

Project by: Jessica Davis Location: Short Hills, NJ From designer Jessica: The client wanted to revamp three rooms in her home, but there were certain things she wanted to keep and not change. The living room received the largest change-up. I added a seating/game area in a cozy corner and updated most of the pieces, only keeping just a few key antiques and reupholstering an existing chair.

“Less is more,” said Mies van der Rohe. “Less is a bore,” retorted Robert Venturi. Are you a minimalist, favoring clean lines and subdued colors? Or a maximalist, embracing intricate styles and bold colors and pattern upon pattern upon pattern? Here are 10 tell-tale signs you might fall into the latter camp. 1. Your favorite color is everything. 2. You have a collection of collections. 3. You’ve never met a pattern you didn’t like. 4.

Name: Elena Location: Crete, Greece My house is an old traditional mansion whose renovation was completed in 2007 with lots of love and passion. It combines a traditional way of living with luxury and modern amenities. What I love most about my house is the “katoi”— a cave from natural rock that was used as living space many years ago, and as storage of agricultural products much later. Today it’s a studio of 60 square metres.

We all know that having lots of books around is key to a child’s development, and they can even make wonderful decor. Especially when you pair them with some unique bookends. We’ve seen some great ones before, but check out this round up of fun recent offerings that might be right up your alley. 1. Bicycle Bookends, $49.95, at Little Tinkers. 2. Wooden Alphabet Bookend, $55 for one, at Etsy Shop Graphic Spaces Wood. 3.

Nicole’s Mid-Century cabinet was in rough shape with badly worn wood veneer and a dark, brittle interior covered in scuff marks. She really turned this one around. After damaging the veneer while removing the handle, Nicole rallied and came up with a unique solution to hide the damage: a chic leather pull. Great idea! From Nicole: The legs were in fantastic shape and the door had a nice grain. We sanded and oiled the door and legs.

It’s summer — time to get outside and enjoy the season! Time to enjoy that whole extra living room that is your own yard! Now, I don’t have my own outdoor space, but I was raised by an avid gardener and general outdoor enthusiast. He’s also an overall spare-no-expense, let’s just get the “nicest” one kind of guy, except when it comes to his outdoor space. It’s the kind of space, even more so than an interior room, that is truly never finished.

On summer nights, we throw the windows and doors wide open to gather all the cool evening air. It is glorious, but before I go to bed I have to close and lock the doors, despite having been told that this is ridiculous/unnecessary. House-dwellers, could you sleep with your doors open?

(Image credit: Cambria Bold) From The Kitchn → The Kitchn’s Guide to Storing Fruits and Vegetables

(Image credit: Faith Durand) From The Kitchn → 3-Ingredient Recipe: Magic Summer Sauce

Geneva, from A Pair & A Spare, recently moved into a new studio space, and has been working through a long list of DIYs to make the space just right. She found an old ladder her builder had left behind and got to work on one of the projects she had in mind — a ladder wardrobe. She only spent $9 on the total project, and she plans to use it for storing work-in-progress DIY projects and pieces waiting to be photographed.

Garbage bins are often an afterthought on the exterior of our homes. Whether you’re living in an apartment building or a single-family house, bins are usually an eyesore that we’ve learned to ignore. But why not screen them in an aesthetically pleasing way? Here are five ideas that are much nicer looking than the norm: This plant-topped garbage and recycling station hides bins while also disguising itself under a green top.

I just turned 28, checking into the same age range as the grown-ups I looked up to as a kid. It’s painfully clear to me now that “adults” don’t really exist. They’re just kids who’ve gotten bigger and started paying taxes. But while I definitely feel like I’m playing pretend at this whole grown-up thing, there are certain milestones I’ve passed in building a home that make me feel like I’m tiptoeing into adulthood.

Name: Tamasyn Gambell Location: Bow; London, United Kingdom Size: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath Years lived in: 3 years; owned Who else lives here: Tamasyn’s boyfriend Jamie and their baby Stepping into the home of Tamasyn Gambell, the first thing you notice are the patterns and collections, but go deeper into the home and you will see that her use of pattern and color is united by nature themes which lend a tranquil feel to the home.

Project by: Susie Ho of Mend Location: Long Beach, California When I started this nursery project with parents James and Jaclyn Munzer (Founders of Tide & Pool), this space was a guest room that didn’t get very much light and lacked personality. This room still needed to function as a guest room when necessary, but it also needed to be a room that the baby could grow up with.