Apartment Therapy Archive: Jun 2015

Name: Mark and Emily (and Kally the cat) Location: East Village; New York, New York Size: 330 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Emily and Mark’s East Village apartment may be small, but it’s bursting with light and color. They make small space living look easy — somehow they’ve managed to squeeze all the things that two people need to live (and work!) into 330 square feet, and still create a cozy, beautiful home.

When it comes to bedrooms, I’ve always thought that less is more. Clutter and color have just never done it for me in the room that supports oh-so-essential sleep. Instead, and especially in the summertime, I’m loving Scandi-inspired bedrooms: crisp, clean, and fuss-free. But what’s the bare minimum you do need in a bedroom to create that perfectly zen zone? Great Bedding Let’s start with the basics, shall we?

Jason & Jeff love to entertain. Jeff, a biologist, is the resident mixologist, and Jason, the office manager for Facebook Boston, is a born host. Their Cambridge galley kitchen had this small eat-in area, but with their dining table in the multipurpose entry just behind, this space sat unused as their limited kitchen cabinets overflowed with glassware and spirits. On their first-ever trip to Brimfield Antiques Market, Jason & Jeff found this gem of an industrial cabinet.

Trying as hard as you can but just can’t seem to manage to leave the house on time to get to work, an event or well, anywhere? The punctual-ly challenged aren’t destined to be late for the rest of their lives; they need only steal these five secrets from people who always manage to leave their house at the time they set out to. The best part?

Some design mistakes can be fixed easily and in one day. See if your home has any of these common design mistakes happening currently and have a better-looking house by the end of the day with these fixes.

Another weekend, another wedding- sound like your summer? Soon all those lovebirds will be moving into their love nests and there will be another reason to celebrate. Leave all the really practical gifts for the family to buy and instead bring something unique and fun to the housewarming party. Whether the happy couple is starting from scratch in a new place or consolidating two spaces into one, it’s nice to have a few new things that really mark the space as ‘theirs’.

Sometimes it’s just more fun to let a little piece of paper make a decision for us, be it paint color, vacation spot, or dinner delivery. You might remember these paper fortune tellers (also known as cootie catchers, chatterboxes, salt cellars, or whirlybirds) from your grade school days, made to pass time and bring a laugh or three. They’re great to play around with for nostalgia sake, or when you just can’t make that really “difficult” decision on your own.

Promise!

This home was owned by the same family since it was built in the 1950s, so when Kelly and Dave purchased it a few years ago, there were lots of updates to be made. One such project was bringing the exterior of the home up to date. Removing the shutters was “a big deal”: a decision that came after much consideration by the new homeowners. We think they did the right thing- look how much lighter the new facade looks!

My husband and I are in the process of saving for a house. We’re among the last of our friends to buy their first place and, since friends know we’re looking, we’re getting some great advice about home ownership. The people in our lives have been very forthcoming about their budgets and payments, something that’s tremendously helpful as we figure out exactly how much house we can afford.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) While the work triangle may be the most efficient way to organize a kitchen, your space might not permit it. If you are working with a small space, aligning all your cooking space and appliances on one wall can make your kitchen feel more efficient. Here are 10 examples of single-wall

Let’s say you’ve just bought a beautiful midcentury home, a little gem designed by famed architect A. Quincy Jones. You want to go about fixing it up, making it right for a modern lifestyle, but you also want to be respectful of the things that make this particular house unique. That was the challenge faced by architect Bruce Norelius and his partner, Landis Green, recent transplants to California, in remodeling their Brentwood home.

Welcome to “The A Line”! In every episode of this new video series, we visit two homes that have an identical floorplan – and see how its inhabitants use the same space in different ways. Today we travel to Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, where two growing families struggle to adapt their space and make room for their changing lifestyles. Ana and her husband have two kids and have chosen to live in their space for a while before they decide what renovations to make.

Dear Alice, I just moved into a new apartment last month and I recently met my next door neighbor and sparks flew. We’ve actually chatted quite a bit over the last few weeks and even hung out on our building’s roof one night. You can probably already tell that I have a huge crush on him. But getting involved with my neighbor seems like a bad idea since I know I’ll be living here for at least 11 more months (and hopefully way longer).

I used to be a serial plant murderer. Walking the halls and rooms of my home was a disturbing graveyard tour of dried-out plant husks and yellowed, drooping leaves. Sad empty pots calling attention to themselves and my infinitely black thumb. But fast forward to today, and I’m practically a botanist compared to my old life. I’ve turned course on my black thumb and have now successfully kept plants alive…and discovered some tricks that work for me.

Q: Help! I’ve been looking everywhere for a sofa that my two lovely cats won’t totally destroy! Because of their clawing and fur, it needs to be leather. Because of their history of throwing up a hair ball (or two) on my previous couches, it needs to be pigmented leather (very stain resistant)… I’ve found some options but it seems like most sofas that fit those requirements look like they belong in a bachelor pad.

(Image credit: Rachel Joy Barehl) From The Kitchn → How To Clean Your Gas Grill

Kelly’s new home was trapped in the 80s; In the family room, the fireplace stuck out— literally. As you can see, there were two protruding brick supports that perhaps once held a mantel. When Kelly decided to get rid of them and update its look, she made it worse before it got better. But get better it did—much better. Can we also talk about that bold choice to hang art under the window?? Loving it!

Certain types of jeans, like those made of raw denim, are not supposed to go through the washing machine. So how should you clean your jeans? By throwing them in the freezer! Watch the video to learn more. From Apartment Therapy → How To Clean Your Jeans Without Water (In the Freezer!

We all want to be healthier (with as little actual effort as possible), so why not let your home give you a hand? Setting up the conditions for good health will make it so much simpler to follow through and make real, positive changes in how you feel. It’s so easy. You know sleep is so important to how your body and brain works all day long and getting the right set-up for a great night’s sleep is so easy. Noise keeping you up? Try a team of earplugs and a sound machine. Too bright?

Feeling like your bedroom needs a bit of spice? Interest? Wit? Check out these nine stylish real-life sleep spaces that have something to say, displaying the written word in different decorative forms. You could use their words or take inspiration for your own stylish statement. Simple black letters comprise the three stacked words of “Hang in there,” an appropriate phrase to read on a particularly tough-to-wake-up-to morning or after a really bad day in general.

Want to glam up your rental bathroom and get your security deposit back when you move out? Need to primp your powder room without it devolving into a Lucy and Ethel, Paperhangers debacle? Temporary wallpaper is the product for you. The closest removable wallpaper to the gorgeous orange number above that I could find is Scallop Hills in Mandarin by The Lovely Wall.

Home accessories- anything from artwork to decorative pillows, vases, and lamps- are essential to making rooms feel cozy, personal, and stylish, but how do you go about deciding which pieces you want? Here are some starting questions to ask yourself before making that purchase. 1. Why do you like it? Take a moment to consider why you like a particular item. Is it because you gravitate towards that same style every time? Or is it because it is trendy?

Decorating a rental home can often seem like a minefield of decisions, forcing you to weigh the financial risk and aesthetic payoff at every turn. How much time and money to invest in a temporary home? Which areas to focus on and which to learn to live with? Read on for 10 Commandments to decorating your rental home. 1. Thou Shalt Decorate First things first- you should actually decorate your rental, even if it’s in small, temporary ways.

(Image credit: Karen Biton-Cohen) Depending on how they’re prepared, grilled vegetables can be tender and succulent, or unevenly cooked and charred. Add some color to your grilled menu and avoid disappointment with these five vegetable grilling hints! From The Kitchn → 5 Tips for Grilling the Best Vegetables Ever

Name: Logan Sommers Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, CA Size: 400 square feet With an eye for detail, visual display artist and former New Yorker Logan Sommers has outfitted his cozy studio apartment with panache. He currently resides in Los Feliz, one of the few quaint and walkable communities situated in the heart of the sprawling expanse that is Los Angeles.

Looking to add a little color to your home, but not sure which color would look right in your space? We’re looking for readers who want to experiment with virtual paint colors this summer. We’re working with an advertiser to help our readers explore and test different bold, exciting paint colors in their homes.

(Image credit: Jessica Fisher) From The Kitchn → 6 Ways to Host Without Going into Hock

Ahhh… Mondays. For most of us, they’re the start of the work week, bringing with them a bleak realization that the weekend is definitely over. But if you want to live a happy life, you’ve got to start looking on the bright side of things! Monday is just another day, with tons of opportunity to live, laugh, and explore. Changing your outlook on Mondays isn’t hard, it just requires a few small tweaks to your routine.

I’ve ruined a lot of great clothes in my life and most of them could have been saved had I known a few handy laundry facts before I embarked upon my trial-and-error method of clothing care. Official warning: don’t make my mistakes! Don’t do this stuff anymore.

Name: Joyce and her fiancé Location: West Oakland, California My fiancé and I share a loft space in West Oakland. The space used to be an old tile factory before it was converted to six apartment units. The foyer, kitchen and living room are downstairs and our bedroom is upstairs. When my fiancé first moved in the apartment was an empty concrete box — the challenge of decorating was to preserve the character of the space but also to make it feel warm and homey.

Around here, we like to give you tips for your home and we also like to talk about living your life. To that end, there are some basic life skills that are easy to identify but can take a lifetime to master. Guess it’s time to get started. Your body needs nourishment to stay alive. The kind that comes from food that looks like food, not solely from food that comes out of a package. Your soul needs stimulation to feel alive, too.

Anna had these basic folding chairs and wanted to use them on her balcony, but they needed some style first. Using a colorful oilcloth as inspiration, check out her quick and budget-friendly makeover: From Anna: The whole project took 8 hours: 3 hours to separate the seats and the backs from the aluminum frame 2 hours to paint the frame 2 hours to change the fabric of the seats and the backs 1 hour to put together the chairs. It cost €29.58: – 4 spray paint cans X €3.

Name: Allison Reijmer Location: Wicker Park, Chicago Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Within a few minutes of entering Allison’s apartment, I was struck by three fantastic elements: 1) Lofted ceiling! 2) Gorgeous fresh flowers! and 3) The outstanding Bloody Mary I was offered within 5 minutes of meeting her! That’s like the Triple Crown of House Tour welcomes and a great first impression that perfectly matched Allison’s warm and stylish home.

Judy & Don’s Treehouse in the City Your home is truly a reflection of yourself, and mine definitely says, “I hate cleaning”… at least it does right this minute. See, I’m more than capable of getting my home totally tidy (and I love it when I do), but keeping up a regular cleaning routine is a tough task for me.

While new bed frames and DIY headboards are a great way to spice up the bedroom and make your bed feel brand new, you don’t always have to go so dramatic with your changes to make a visual difference. If you want to add a little bit of fun and intrigue to your bed today but don’t particularly feel like painting or sanding, try one of these five small but potent ideas instead. Choose a bench, a few floor pillows, a couple of side tables, a trunk…heck get creative!

The word “paver” isn’t particularly glamorous or exciting, but the things themselves can play an essential role in creating the outdoor space of your dreams. From outdoor dining rooms and poolside paths to chessboards and labyrinths, pavers pave the way to outdoor living. Unite The Zones: The regularly-placed pavers throughout Sofia’s yard invite one to hopscotch between the different zones: dining area, lounge area, grill station, vertical garden, and fireplace.

Galvanized stock tanks and troughs are essentially huge tubs which can be turned into or reused as any number of things. Depending on the context, they can read modern, industrial, or farmhouse. Learn all the ways you can hack them and create something spectacular and useful for your home. Bathroom Tubs: Jayme used a large round tank as a bathtub in her in warm and inviting modernist home in Philadelphia.

Name: Féline & Ryan Location: Upper East Side, New York As soon as we decided to move in together we had a very clear vision of what we wanted our home to look like. We are both insanely crazy about that big vast space which we call the Ocean, everything about it… the salty smell of the wind, the turquoise water, the seashells, the sand, the sound of the surf…It’s one of the very first thing that we bonded over (the second is whiskey).

This $10 filing cabinet didn’t look like much, but Jordan had an idea. Its rusty paint job was not up to snuff, so he stripped it down and gave it some style: From Jordan: The cabinet was in great working order, but the facade was pretty beat from the wear and tear over the years, and had some rust damage to boot. After seeing the cabinet, I decided to go a more industrial look.

Name: Kelly and Dave; son Litton (“Lit”) Location: Lawrence, Kansas Size: 3,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned When Kelly and Dave purchased their split-level home back in 2012, there were months of renovations ahead of them. The neighborhood is what initially drew them to a house that, as Kelly put it, “was an ugly eyesore! Asbestos tiles! Wood paneling EVERYWHERE! I have some before pictures if you care to see,” (which we will share in more posts to come).

This will be one of our broadest Weekend Projects yet (and therefore will require a little brainstorming on your part before you can start) but it’s an important idea to tackle. Not only is this type of project fun (and the perfect thing to do on a particularly hot or rainy summer day), you can (perhaps most importantly) save money — for summer plans or things you want to add to home.

Q: My bedroom in my rented apartment only has one set of electrical outlets, which is very inconveniently placed given the layout of my room and amount of gadgets I need to plug in… I currently have one extension cord plugged into a power strip where everything I need is connected. This horrible set of cords is hidden behind my mirror, and is always a tangled mess!

Now that sunshine and warmth have arrived, it’s time to start hosting BBQs, parties, and outdoor hangouts. If you’re looking for some activities to jumpstart your gatherings, here are ten DIY ideas that will liven up any lawn. Top Row: 1. Yard Toss Game via A Subtle Revery: Bright colors make this yard toss set even more fun. 2. Giant Jenga via Momoluv on Instructables: If the blocks seem unwieldy, you could also use a rubber mallet to nudge them free. 3.

A few lessons from real-life studio apartment layouts, created by real-life studio apartment dwellers like yourself.