Apartment Therapy Archive: May 2015

The way your day starts is so important to setting the tone of your entire day. But no matter how much you want your morning to be calm and peaceful, if you have kids, you know this won’t happen without some planning. As a working parent, I’m also concerned with not letting the impression that I leave with my kids before we leave each other for the day to be one of stress and chaos. Here are some things that you may want to try if you are looking to make your mornings less chaotic.

Name: Cedrick and Sunny Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada We moved into this 1938 bungalow in mid-town Toronto’s East End in September and immediately tore up the old shag carpet to reveal original oak floors. The house has lots of original character, from the original wood burning fireplace to leaded windows to dark wood paneling throughout the dining room and we love the tension of vintage. Mid-century modern furnishings against traditional details.

Have you ever moved and just been completely baffled by all the stuff that you have? Save yourself a little pain by purging these 5 things that everyone seems to have around the house — but no one really needs. Florist vases. I have not looked in the cabinets of every house in America, but I feel fairly confident that if I did I would find a collection of fake cut glass vases that came with various floral deliveries long ago. If you’re actually using these, good for you!

Name: Holley Simmons and Audrey Matthias Location: Mt. Pleasant; Washington, D.C. Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented In September of last year we introduced you to the beautiful decor and fashion sense of friends and roommates Holley Simmons and Audrey Matthias. The duo recently remodeled the dining room of their apartment in Mt. Pleasant, NW D.C, and we can’t help but admire the mix of modern textiles and vintage furniture.

You’ve probably heard of Marie Kondo, the thirty-year-old Japanese woman who has become a powerhouse of the home organization industry and sold two million copies of her book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” Aren’t you wondering how she decides exactly what to bring into her home after all that decluttering is done? I found out. She recently went shopping — of all places — at Anthropologie with The New Yorker to show us how it’s done.

If you share my love of Scandinavian design, you have probably noticed a kakelugn lurking in the corner. You may not have known what they were called, or even how they came to be, but these tiled stoves are a prominent feature in old Scandinavian buildings. Read on to learn a bit about these stoves and to click through a gallery of images featuring these beauties in both classic and modern interiors.

Name: Erin Location: Denver, Colorado My husband and I moved to Denver from Chicago almost 2 years ago. It was an adjustment going from big city life to a smaller town vibe with the necessity of a car. But, we love the sunshine, mountains and west/southwest decor style. I have quickly adopted a love for western textiles and ceramics. We have also been MCM fans for years and many of our pieces are from thrift shops, flea markets and estate sales.

There’s no wrong way to picnic, so here are four very right ways to go about dining out-of-doors. From the Fancy Pants Tea Party-Style Picnic to the Adults-Only Midnight Picnic Jamboree, and from the Classy Drunk to the Everything-Free Feast, there’s a style for every picnicker… Do Day Drinking Right Of course Apartment Therapy does not condone outdoor alcohol consumption where prohibited… but if you’re going to spike your picnic, do it with style.

Each room in your home serves a different purpose but that doesn’t mean that certain spaces have to be all function and no fun. You should be able to enjoy each area of your home and these five things will make sure that everywhere you go chez toi has that little something extra to make you feel right at home. Some rooms are all about lounging, but everywhere you go at home should have a spot to stop for a sec and take a load off!

I recently stumbled across this image of Iris Apfel, standing near buckets of paint in a fur coat and lighting her cigarette in a fireplace. I stopped in my tracks, admiring her nonchalance and moxie. If I wore my finery near paint and fire, I’d be a nervous wreck. But there she is, smiling away, blissfully content in the fullness of the moment. I’m not advocating that you own a fur coat or even that, if you do, you should be careless in your treatment of it.

You’ve seen DIY art projects on Apartment Therapy before, and you’ve probably seen some on Pinterest, as well. You might even have a board you’ve been collecting DIY art projects on for “one day.” Well consider that day this weekend: Find your inner artist and DIY an art piece to display proudly in your home! DIY an art piece to display in your home. You don’t have to be Picasso to create something that you can display as art in your home.

It’s that time of year when a lot of people are graduating, and striking out on their own, and moving into their first real ‘adult’ home or apartment. It’s an exciting, and maybe also a little intimidating, time, full of possibilities and pitfalls. Here are a few of the things that I wish I had known when I was a fledgling decorator, all those years ago. 1. Don’t buy everything all at once.

Name: Judah Location: Glasgow, Scotland Judah is 2 years old and looking for a good time. Luckily his mum, Lorna, and dad, Jack, both talented stationery designers (eyilove.com) are sympathetic to his needs. Judah’s space in their 2 bed Victorian tenement flat, a home that is warm and filled with color and personality, is wholly his own (though with another baby on the way it will soon be a play den for two).

Name: Kristin, Derek, and their children, Jackson and Luella Location: Hollywood Hills; Los Angeles, CA Size: 1500 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned Nestled amidst the storied hills of Laurel Canyon, Kristin and Derek’s rustic home is every bit as charming as you can imagine. Laurel Canyon is famous for its past musical residents,- Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, David Crosby, Graham Nash, the list goes on and on.

From Apartment Therapy → The Great Debate: Cloth or Paper Towels?

Project by: Lisa of Lisa Zager Interiors Location: Nashville, Tennessee The designer says: This bedroom was re-done for a 10-year-old boy, who loved bold patterns and colors. We wanted this space to be very graphic and modern for him, something he can grow up in, with a hint of sophisticated style. The juxtoposition of bold black and whites against his neon, bright colored toys and accents in the room is one of our favorite elements.

There are certain awkward discussions that are frowned upon by “polite” society, but we think it’s time to bust that wide open. Why shouldn’t we talk about this stuff? In our pretend-to-be-perfect world, are we just afraid we won’t measure up? Does it just feel funny? Either way, let’s give it a try. Aren’t you curious?

If anyone can teach you to get the most for your money and how to choose the very best pieces for you, it’s someone who shops for a living! So what are the secrets? Here’s what designers know that you should know too! You never know when or where you will stumble across the perfect piece for your project so always be prepared!

(Image credit: Kelli Foster) From The Kitchn → How To Make Thai Iced Tea

Project by: SHIFT_DESIGN Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Client: Family of six When you live in a city, there’s perhaps no other luxury quite as coveted as outdoor space. This family had a long, narrow plot behind their home in Philly with lots of potential and they hired a design studio to transform the space into a lush escape from city life complete with saltwater pool, outdoor shower and fire-pit.

Project by: Decorist Location: San Francisco The client, Kristen, had a great upholstered bed and a fantastic classic chair in her guest room, along with some ultra-vibrant apple green walls. While the bold color was a definite wow, it wasn’t exactly tranquil, which is what she was hoping for in this space, so it had to go. She went the makeover route in hope of ending up with a more pulled together, cohesive and welcoming room.

Dear Alice, My (otherwise great) roommate is taking a painting class and producing a lot of…errr… questionable art. It’s not just about bad technique (which I would understand since she just started classes), it’s more the subject matter that I object to. She likes to paint sort of violent or just weird stuff. I don’t know if she thinks that putting images of guns and needles is edgy or artistic or what, but I don’t want it hanging on my walls.

Chances are, you’ve heard of Marie Kondo by now. Her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, seems to be everywhere these days. If you haven’t heard of Kondo’s philosophy, in a nutshell, it promotes cleansing your life of all the things that don’t give you joy. In the spirit of spring cleaning, my friends and I recently had a Marie Kondo party to collectively motivate ourselves to clean out, tidy up, and share some joy.

What lasts longer than fuji spider mums? Paper fuji spider mums! Spider mums are so fun to make (especially if you have fringe scissors)—they’re large and it really only takes a few to give you a nice, full bouquet. And there’s just something about their minimalist look that lets them fit in to any home with any decor.

It can be a challenge to host more people than your guest room can handle. Instead of turning on your No Vacancy light, consider some creative options to offer your friends and family when your guest room is full to capacity. During our first month in Denver, my husband and I hosted 13 people (singles and families) in our 700 square-foot 1 bedroom shotgun. We were always happy to take in our friends but made sure to let them know about the size of our accommodations ahead of time.

When Jelena wanted to create a place to work from home, she turned to the garden shed. Using colorful and fun coworking spaces as her inspiration, she transformed this storage space into an energizing place to get stuff done. From Jelena: Looking for a solution to solve that problem I resorted to the Internet and came across a few solutions that I could adapt to my own situation.

Name: Danny and Joni Location: Williamsburg —Brooklyn, New York Size: 690 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years How do you make 690 square feet feel absolutely enormous? Add tall ceilings, lots and lots of windows, and some clever DIY storage solutions. Danny and Joni have come up with plenty of creative solutions for living in an apartment that is essentially just a single room — and that only has one closet, which also houses the water heater.

Newcomers to my home can’t ever find my paper towels. That’s because they’re hidden in the pantry so the cloth towels and rags I have are the first line of defense against spills and messes that need to be wiped. Here’s how I use cloth and when even I reach for a paper towel. When and Why I Use Cloth I use a rag for wiping off the kitchen counters and the table.

(Image credit: Leela Cyd) From The Kitchn → Discover the Kitchen Style for Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type

Sam spotted this dollhouse on the street, and even though she had no homeless dolls, she decided to rescue the shelter and turn it into storage. From Sam: I didn’t really want a house-shaped storage cabinet, so after a lot of hammering from my (lack of) arm muscles, my project was starting to take shape. Next step was to give this baby a good coating of white paint. It’s crazy how big of a difference a bit of paint can make! Next step: pizzazz.

After three years of living in this “builder basic” house, the homeowners hired Krista to help personalize it. On the agenda was adding some style to this blank 2-story wall. Now that fireplace is really a focal point: From Krista: The homeowners decided when buying their custom home to hold back on upgrades until they lived in the space which allowed them to truly understand how they lived in it and what they would need.

Three and a half decades of city living left me completely unprepared for the importance that mulch would someday have in my life. Now that I have vegetable and native flower gardens, I find myself stalking the local municipal “free wood chips” pile, filling truckload after truckload, pricing out hay bales, and other dirty jobs.

Tiny bedrooms don’t have to be a bummer; in fact a small bedroom can up the feeling of coziness, making your sleep space a stunning and stylish spot to float off to snoozeland. But if you’re worried about not being able to add your personality or feeling a little too claustrophobic, stick to these five stylish and real-world tested ways to thrive in a tiny bedroom.

Beautiful wood tones in no time.

Name: Sarah Smith & Jeremy Ballard Location: Carrollton; New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Rented When Sarah and Jeremy met in Savannah, Georgia, they bonded over a shared love of collecting vintage toys, oddball objects and natural specimens. She was studying painting at Savannah College of Art and Design and he was a glassblower working at a new studio in town. Their dates consisted of hunting for treasures in thrift stores and junk shops.

Furnishing an apartment from scratch is daunting, especially when you’re just starting out and there’s little left over in your paycheck after rent and food. One of our 5 Strategies for Outfitting Your First Apartment is savvy shopping so here’s an example of the basics of a whole living room for a little more than a thousand dollars.

When it comes to a messy house, these areas are the repeat offenders, returning again and again to commit the crime of clutter. Closets, stairs, counters all attract stuff, and never seem completely clear of accumulation. We’ve got tons of tips and strategies for dealing with these trouble spots.

Two months ago, I began a concerted effort to create the habit of rising early. Following a bit of a struggle, I can now happily say that, yes, I’m an earl(ier) riser. Here’s what worked for me as I worked toward my goal as well as how I plan to go forward. Rising early makes you go to bed earlier.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) From The Kitchn → 7 Kitchen Storage Spots You May Be Missing

The quickest and easiest way to change the look of a dresser or cabinet is to swap in new knobs or pulls. It’s also affordable – usually a few dollars per knob. Go from something traditional to something modern and edgy or vice versa, just by changing our the hardware. Here are ten knobs and pulls to give you an idea of the range of styles you can use to update your cabinets, dressers and drawers. Like color but only in small doses?

Maybe you’ve wondered, as you flipped through tours of impossibly uncluttered, impossibly small spaces on sites like ours: where is all the stuff? Do these people really not own anything? And if not, where does it all go? Of course, there are all kinds of different answers: extreme minimalism. Clever storage solutions. A little bit of cheating (aka mini storage).

Gardening season is here, which means planting, weeding, watering, and bidding a fond farewell to free time— I’m so glad I watched all that television during the winter! Gardening is a lot of work, so here are 25 tools to help you get the job done quickly so you can get back to watching Peaky Blinders… Bittergurka Watering Can, IKEA, $9.99 Finger Knife, Kaufmann Mercantile, $9.90- everyone needs a finger knife. Pocket Snips, Terrain, $10 Seed Keeper, Terrain, $18.