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The Latest: Jul 2014

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Worn wooden desk with three drawers on a blue and white checkered floor, labeled "before."
Before & After: A Damaged Desk Gets a Dramatic Change
Beth tells us she’s found some “doozies” on Craigslist but this one takes the cake. The previous owner had tried to strip the wood in order to repaint it…with a chisel. We kinda can’t believe Beth was able to make it look so fantastic. She used that gorgeous paint to cover the damaged wood and save this classic piece. Great job. From Beth: It was a miracle I could even get the wood to look as good as it did. Even the veneer was peeling on the side panel.
Jennifer Hunter
Jul 7, 2014
Jenn’s Ever-Evolving Los Angeles Apartment
Name: Jenn Deese Location: Pico/Robertson Area, Los Angeles, California I live in a large one bedroom apartment (about 900 square feet) in Los Angeles’ Pico/Robertson area. I’ve been here for about a year, and my apartment has been ever evolving since I got here! One amazing feature of my apartment is the fact that I’ve got an incredible amount of natural light that comes in through big bay windows in the front of the apartment.
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 6, 2014
Before & After: An Upholstered Stool Gets Stylish with Hand-Stamped Fabric
It might be just a small stool, but this little piece of furniture turned out to be an inspiring project to tackle for Katie, who took her time finding the right new finish and then designing and implementing a fun, hand-stamped pattern for new upholstery! From Katie: I was hoping that the wood under the paint would be salvageable. Rather than using a chemical paint stripper – the last time I tried it ended with disastrous results – I decided to sand off the black paint.
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 6, 2014
Before & After: From Stale Stereo to Sassy Sideboard
This old vintage console stereo looked like it had seen better days, but Luann saw potential in transforming it into a bold and useful furniture piece to be used in another part of the house. From Luann: Primed and painted with high gloss oil based paint in cobalt blue. Made false door fronts and drawers in center section, covered with ikat fabric. Finished up with new hardware. Now a stylish sideboard with plenty of inside storage for linens, dishes, even a bar! Thank you Luann!
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 6, 2014
Kimber Lee’s Charming Cherrywood Studio
Name: Kimber Lee Falkinburg Location: Cherrywood Neighborhood, Austin, Texas My studio is 505 square feet of travel inspiration located in the Cherrywood neighborhood of Austin, Texas. Navigating the sea of concrete islands amidst Austin’s Greenbelt and Town Lake, I ultimately chose the East Side neighborhood of Cherrywood for the artistic nature of its residents hoping to immerse myself in a culture of creativity as I prepare for my round-the-world journey in 2015.
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 5, 2014
Before & After: A Sideboard Gets Diagonal Color for a Dining Room!
From Samantha: I chose to paint it grey. But when we put the sideboard inside, hubby looked at it and said “its too boring, too serious.” So I decided to do something different! We just love how you personalized this piece you found for free to fit into your home with your personality! Thank you Samantha!
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 5, 2014
Christina’s Comfortable, Collected Austin Abode
Name: Christina Simon, co-owner of Feathers Boutique, interior designer at Mark Ashby Design and graphic designer with clothing line through Alchemy Design. Shares home with partner Ed Davis. Location: Windsor Park, Austin Texas Size: 1100 square feet Years lived in: Owned 10 years Christina wears a lot of hats. She’s an interior designer for a high-end residential design firm in Austin. She’s personally tackled some hip commercial spaces like Stubbs, Trinity Hall and Emos Austin.
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 3, 2014
Amanda’s Favorite Room
Name: Amanda Location: New York, New York This room is seriously my favorite of the whole apartment. I managed to make it sleek enough that I can have guests over for wine and cheese, yet comfortable enough for my husband to plop down on the couch and watch a game. I conquered this mission by : 1. Sticking with a neutral color palette of grays and whites 2. Choosing sleek and simple furniture – like white Barcelona chairs and a chrome legged coffee table 3.
Janel Laban
Jul 3, 2014
Basic Befores and Awesome Afters: 3 Rooms, 3 Total Makeovers
If you are an Apartment Therapist, you most likely love a “before and after” (who doesn’t?) and nothing (nothing!) beats the reveal of a full top-to-toe room decorating redo. Paint, fabrics, lighting, artwork, furniture…these three rooms are out with the old, and in with the new, new, new! To create the accent wall, Katja first painted it a light turquoise. Then, strips of painter’s tape were placed vertically every 14 inches.
Janel Laban
Jul 3, 2014
Update Honey Oak Kitchen Cabinets With Liming
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) From The Kitchn → How Liming Can Save (and Update) Those Honey Oak Cabinets
Jennifer Hunter
Jul 3, 2014
The Best Sources for Unfinished Wood Furniture
From Apartment Therapy → The Best Sources for Unfinished Wood Furniture “Unfinished wood furniture is great for a bunch of reasons. It’s often more affordable that pre-finished furniture.
The Kitchn Editors
Jul 3, 2014
Before & After: From Blank, Black Bedroom to True Oasis
There’s just something intriguing about a completely empty room; it’s so full of possibilities. Astral’s bedroom started out like this and got a punch of personality you won’t believe. Wow! We’re loving all the color and drama she packed into this space. From Astral: I recently redesigned my bedroom. I wanted a fun, yet sophisticated & chic space. I painted the walls black using Behr’s “Black Suede” latex paint.
Jennifer Hunter
Jul 3, 2014
Before & After: An Acid Bright Kitchen Gets Toned Down
From Apartment Therapy → Before & After: An Acid Bright Kitchen Gets Toned Down
The Kitchn
Jul 3, 2014
Janine’s Beautiful Baltimore Home
Name: Janine Location: Lauraville, Baltimore, Maryland I live with my boyfriend, Michael, in a three story 2200 sq ft 1914 colonial located in the historic Lauraville neighborhood of northeast Baltimore. Though I’d been house hunting for years, I discovered our house by accident when I went to the previous owners’ estate sale, sourcing items for my online shop Guermantes Vintage. Right away I fell in love with all the historic details.
Janel Laban
Jul 2, 2014
Practical Travel Souvenir Ideas for Design Lovers
From Apartment Therapy → Practical Travel Souvenir Ideas for Design Lovers “Like many of my fellow design lovers, I try to live with a mindful amount of stuff around me.
The Kitchn Editors
Jul 2, 2014
Ali & Dustin’s “Beach House Getaway” in Downtown Denver
Name: Dustin Audet and Ali Elman of Rust & Varnish Location: Lohi, Denver Size: 961 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Although Ali & Dustin, the dynamic design duo behind Rust & Varnish made their home in Colorado, their California roots and their insatiable love for the beach inspired its design to be reminiscent of the sandy shores of the West Coast.
Kathryn Bacalis
Jul 2, 2014
Before & After: A Dusty Dresser Gets Dressed Up With Wallpaper
Usually we get project submissions that have a certain linear progression: start with a beat-up original and make the appropriate changes. Well Annie works a little differently than most. She spotted some must-buy wallpaper and let the material influence the makeover. Any way you slice it, she still got some pretty stellar results. That is stunning. We see why she fell in love with that gorgeous patterned wallpaper. And what a unique way to use it.
Jennifer Hunter
Jul 2, 2014
Before & After: Jumbled Playroom Gets Organized
It doesn’t take long before kids toys totally take over a playroom. This room was actually a pool house that had gotten out of control and the parents brought in Miki Steiner to turn it into an organized and enjoyable playroom. Miki tells us: I am a self taught interior designer, working in the Bay Area. My clients are mostly renters who seek to improve the interior of rooms on a very tight budget.
Carrie McBride
Jul 2, 2014
One More Use for Vinegar and Oil: Stainless Steel Appliances
(Image credit: Gina Eykemans) From The Kitchn → How To Clean Stainless Steel Appliances with Vinegar and Oil
Jennifer Hunter
Jul 2, 2014
Video: The Making of IKEA’s BILLY Bookcase
The Kitchn Editors
Jul 1, 2014
Before & After: What To Do With A Grimy Garage Sale Side Table
Nicole found this side table at her neighbor’s garage sale for practically nothing. Because it was so small (and cheap) that she wouldn’t feel bad if she messed it up, she took the opportunity to experiment with some new DIY techniques. We think the risks really paid off big time. There’s so much going on here and it somehow it all works together flawlessly. Great job!
Jennifer Hunter
Jul 1, 2014
Before & After: A Kitchen Goes From Garish To Gorgeous
Yellow kitchens can be cheerful and sunny or they can leave you feeling kinda queasy. Katrin, who blogs at Taking Notes, found herself with an acid bright kitchen that fell firmly into the latter camp. But armed with a paint brush and various shades of white and grey paint, she has worked a magical transformation.
Rebecca Bond
Jul 1, 2014