Temporary Outdoor Accessories & Decor All Renters Should Know About
You can still have the backyard or patio of your dreams, even if you rent. You just need to use temporary, removable accessories or decor that you can take with you at the end of your lease. Easy peasy. Outdoor Decking: Temporarily mask the ugly tile on your patio with these deck tiles that can move with you. The above photo is from a Swedish apartment seen on Dust Jacket Attic, but you can buy those tiles from IKEA. 32 square feet will cost you about one hundred bucks.
Jul 5, 2015
Sanja’s Modern Art-Filled Chicago Apartment
Name: Sanja Kerr Location: East Lakeview, Chicago, Illinois Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Size: 550 square feet Clean lines and a feast for the eyes are what you get when you combine cool mid-century simplicity and an eclectic art collection. Sanja Kerr’s charming one bedroom Chicago apartment in the Lakeview neighborhood is full of striking, well-executed design decisions that took careful planning and multiple attempts to get perfect- you can’t use black paint on just any wall!
Jul 5, 2015
Before & After: Bathroom Gets a Touch of Farmhouse for $109
Carrie’s small bathroom was lacking style, with a basic vanity and overpoweringly avocado walls. For little more than $100, she brightened the space with a farmhouse twist: The fresh white paint and rustic wood touches really make the small space feel welcoming. Carrie added a plank wall on the left using plywood, and gave the vanity a distressed look with chalk paint.
Jul 5, 2015
Flirting with Minimalism or Downsizing? These TED Talks May Just Talk You Into It
It remains to be seen whether downsizing and minimalism are going to be a cultural shift or just a cultural fad, but these ideas are certainly in the air and on a lot of minds. If you’re feeling a tug toward simplicity and paring down, here are some excellent TED Talks to watch on these topics from people who are already “walking the walk.” With one exception, these TED Talks come from Tedx events – TED-sanctioned but independently run events.
Jul 4, 2015
A Collector’s Hollywood Bachelor Pad
Name: Sweatson Klank Location: Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 10 years; Rented As soon as you walk into Sweatson’s home, the living area is spacious, inviting and warm. My first observation is that Sweatson is an artist who has a knack for collecting things.
Jul 3, 2015
Clashist’s New DTLA Office
Name: Heather Lipner / Clashist Location: Downtown Fashion District; Los Angeles, CA Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: Less than a year; Rented Clashist is a fun fashion line that emblazons everyday wear with sentimental pop culture throwbacks. Their t-shirts, leggings, and accessories honor icons like Joan Rivers, Beavis & Butt-head, Bill Murray and so on. Welcome to their new digs in Downtown LA!
Jul 3, 2015
Make This Gorgeous Summer Berry Sangria
(Image credit: Kimberley Hasselbrink) From The Kitchn → Recipe: Summer Berry Sangria
Jul 3, 2015
Before & After: Mediocre Melamine Cabinet Gets a Total Transformation
If you remember this Before & After project, then you know Kristen of The Painted Hive is not messing around when it comes to furniture transformations. She’s especially good at taking run-of-the-mill laminate furniture and turning those pieces into polished projects you’d be proud to have at home. After prepping the cabinet, Kristen resurfaced the entire face with small wooden hexagonal squares, added a base, and painted the sides black.
Jul 3, 2015
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Decorating For Two: Living Together in Style
Prize: $2,000 to spend on stylish furniture From: Value City Furniture Value: $2,000 You’ve made it! You’ve decided to live together, merging your two households into one. But figuring out how all your stuff can live together, from your grandmother’s nesting tables to his battered but beloved recliner, well, that can be a tiny bit more challenging.
Jul 2, 2015
Before & After: A Free Kitchen Cart’s Sunny Save
Depleted after a long distance move, Bryna was thrilled with this free kitchen island. It proved the perfect piece to practice her DIY skills and also add an unexpected hue to her space: From Bryna: It turned out to be the perfect piece to try my hand at rehabbing furniture; since I didn’t know what I was doing, I would have been too afraid to experiment (read: potentially ruin) with a piece I’d purchased.
Jul 1, 2015
How To Make Fancy Jello Shots
(Image credit: Faith Durand) From The Kitchn → How To Make Layered Jello Shots
Jul 1, 2015
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Getting Hitched? We’ve Got You Covered.
Jul 1, 2015
A Comfy, Colorful Mix: 330 Square Feet in the East Village
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.
Jun 30, 2015
Before & After: Beat Up Cabinet to Bold Blue Bar
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.
Jun 30, 2015
Before & After: Fireplace Fix That Was Almost a Fail
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!
Jun 29, 2015
The 10 Commandments of Decorating Your Rental
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.
Jun 29, 2015
20 Things You Can Do to Make Mondays Suck Less
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.
Jun 28, 2015
Joyce’s Modern West Oakland Loft
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.
Jun 28, 2015
Before & After: Folding Chairs Go From Boring to Balcony-Ready
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.
Jun 28, 2015
How to Motivate Yourself to Clean Regularly, For People Who Hate Cleaning
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.
Jun 28, 2015
Féline and Ryan’s Upper East Side Surf Lodge Style
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).
Jun 27, 2015
Before & After: Old Filing Cabinet Goes Industrial
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.
Jun 27, 2015
Before & After: A Busted Backyard Goes Beautiful & Bright
When it comes to outdoor space in the city, you often take what you can get. That was Julia & Bruno’s thinking when they purchased their Montreal home and inherited this dumpy backyard. If you remember their House Tour from last year, you’ve already seen part of the colorful transformation! From Julia: We did all the work ourselves with a small budget of about $3000. The main problem with the backyard was the old and dangerous shed. The first thing we did was to demolish it.
Jun 26, 2015
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The Paint Personality Test: What Your Wall Color Says About You
Moody blues, fiery reds, mellow yellows. It’s long been known that color affects our mood and typically reflects our personality. What do your walls say about your personality? The BEHR MARQUEE Interior One-Coat Color Collection offers an exclusive one-coat color collection that’s guaranteed* to help you quickly achieve a color you love.
Jun 26, 2015
Toss This on the Grill: Summer Squash “Hot Dog”
(Image credit: Jessica Goldman Foung) From The Kitchn → Summer Squash: The New Hot Dog
Jun 26, 2015
Before & After: From Down-and-Out to Outdoor Living
With their family home coming in just under 1,000-square-feet, John and Jami knew they would need great outdoor spaces to act as extra living/dining/play rooms when the weather was nice. Therefore, their messy backyard was one of the first projects they tackled after purchasing their house.
Jun 25, 2015
Before & After: An Outdated Mountain Retreat Opens Up
Arron’s Catskills retreat had great bones, but felt closed off and was in need of updating. The after is a picture of modern rustic perfection: From Arron: The first part of the project started with painting the kitchen cabinets white. We added crown moulding to the contractor grade cabinets to give them a “higher end” look. We replaced the laminate kitchen countertops with John Boos butcher block.
Jun 25, 2015
10 Recipes for Surviving Zucchini Season
(Image credit: Sarah Rae Smith) Now is the Time of the Zucchini. We have sautéed it and stuffed it and sliced it into ribbons. We have had ample slices of zucchini bread and there are enough muffins stashed in the freezer for a month of brunches. And yet, still there is zucchini. When you’ve done
Jun 25, 2015
7 Things To Have in Your Kitchen by Age 30
(Image credit: Claire Bock) From The Kitchn → 7 Things You Should Have in the Kitchen by Age 30
Jun 25, 2015
Perfect Travel Snacks For Summer Vacations
(Image credit: Emma Christensen) There’s just something about travel that brings on the munchies, no matter how long the journey. When planning your next trip this summer, don’t forget the travel snacks. Here are 15 simple sweet and savory recipes that can really go the distance. From The Kitchn → 15 Sweet and Savory Recipes
Jun 24, 2015
Greg’s Remodeled Live/Work Space
Name: Gregory Keith Metcalf Location: Downtown Arts District; Los Angeles, CA Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: Less than a year; Rented Fellow photographer Greg Metcalf and I have been friends for years. A move from the suburbs of Silver Lake to the Arts District of Downtown LA has offered Greg quite a contrast in architecture, neighborhood, and lifestyle. I jumped at the chance to shoot his new place; I love a good loft and this home exemplifies the true meaning of live/work space.
Jun 24, 2015
Before & After: A Pallet Wall Without the Pain
Erica inherited a living room with a sponge-painted fireplace and an olive paint job. She had planned a pallet wall, but realized the time (and tools) it would take was not realistic. Until she found a quicker solution: From Erica: After hunting down a few pallets, I realized that the effort and time (and tools that we didn’t have) to find, dismantle, sand, wash, and then nail the boards to the wall just wasn’t worth it. I was downtrodden until I discovered Stikwood!
Jun 24, 2015
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Consider This Your Official Guide to Custom Framing
Forgotten photos, doodles, blueprints, love letters – it’s quite possible that you’ve dug up plenty of frame-worthy candidates during your recent Spring Cleaning. We think that now is the time to pull these markers of your life out of the shoebox and off of your camera, and into a beautiful custom-made frame. Not sure which frame goes with which mat for that funky piece of art? Consider this your friendly custom framing manual.
Jun 24, 2015
Beat the Summer Heat with 10 Popsicle Recipes
(Image credit: Emma Christensen) From The Kitchn → 10 Popsicle Recipes to Cool off with This Summer
Jun 24, 2015
Ways to Brighten Up a Windowless Room
Here are some smart ideas for adding a little “sunshine” to a windowless room. From Apartment Therapy → Let There Be Light!
Jun 23, 2015
Eight Ways to Make Steamed Vegetables More Delicious
(Image credit: Emma Christensen) One of the simplest ways to prepare fresh or even frozen vegetables is to steam them over simmering water. If you find steamed vegetables too plain, don’t want to smother them in butter, or would just like to infuse them with extra zing, here are eight things you can add to
Jun 23, 2015
A Mid-Mod Bungalow in North Carolina
Name: James and Shanna Location: Durham, NC Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: Renting less than one year James is a production manager for Merge Records (you may know some of their artists – She & Him, Arcade Fire and Caribou, to name a few) and Cleveland Browns enthusiast. Shanna is the Director of Marketing for InMotionNow, a work management solutions company for creatives.
Jun 23, 2015
This is Real: The Baby Cage
1930’s London wasn’t known for its plentiful fresh air or sunshine but for a quick minute, these babies got to soak up as much as they could of both…while dangling high above the city streets in a wire cage. Guess that’s one way to get your kid to play outside. This incredible invention was brought to our attention courtesy of an hilariously tongue-in-cheek recent Gothamist article.
Jun 23, 2015
Before & After: Updating 1950s Kitchen in a 1920s Bungalow
John and Jami’s 1925 Craftsman had a kitchen that hadn’t been updated in any significant way since the 1950s. The couple hired local tradespeople to renovate the room and acted as apprentices on the job to keep costs down and acquire some renovation skills… First up: the cabinets. Upon moving into the house, there were mouse droppings in the uppermost cabinets and it was apparent to John and Jami that new cabinets were the way to go.
Jun 23, 2015
4 Ways to Save All That Fresh Mint
(Image credit: Jayme Henderson) From The Kitchn → 4 Ways to Preserve Fresh Mint for Later
Jun 23, 2015
Laura’s Lovely Apartment in a Banker’s Mansion
Name: Laura Location: London, Ontario – Canada Our apartment is in an old bankers mansion that was built in the late 1800’s. The house is split into 7 units. The main living space of our unit used to be the formal dining room of the home and has very unique and beautiful hardwood floors that were installed at the beginning of the twentieth century (which are still in amazing shape for their age).
Jun 22, 2015
Tiffany’s Modern Meets Sentimental in New Orleans
Name: Tiffany Napper Location: Uptown; New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned When Tiffany Napper was house hunting in New Orleans five years ago, she couldn’t get her mind off the first place she saw. The little white shotgun, located near the Mississippi River, was previously owned by a 93-year-old woman who had been born in the house and lived there until she died. It had drop ceilings, faux wood paneling, and dirty wall-to-wall carpeting.
Jun 22, 2015
Before & After: Overhead Light Gets Luxe Starburst Treatment for $13
In terms of basic overhead lighting, Alison’s fixtures were unoffensive and unobtrusive. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want more style from them.
Jun 22, 2015
Jennifer and Hans’ Bright Amsterdam Apartment
Name: Jennifer and Hans Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands My boyfriend, Hans and I, Jennifer have been living in this apartment together for two years now. After studying Fashion Design at ArtEZ in Arnhem and traveling through South America, I moved to Amsterdam in 2011. Here I founded Studio J|A|A|F, a design label that focuses on material and color combinations. Besides the design label, I am also an interior stylist. Hans has almost finished his PhD in chemistry.
Jun 21, 2015
Before & After: A Tiny Paris Kitchen Gets Double-Duty Solution
Maïla’s tiny Paris apartment was lacking both a dining table and counter space. When her woodworker father heard she was thinking of going without a proper place to eat for more prep area, he came up with a genius small space solution: From Maïla: I am a keen cook and I pointed out to my dad (a woodworker by trade, and a very skilled one at that) that I’d rather have more counter space and storage and eat on the sofa.
Jun 21, 2015
These Studios Prove That One Room Living Can Be Super Stylish
In most of the glamorous homes you see on decorating websites, the living room, dining room, kitchen, and bedroom are all separate spaces. So what are you to do when you’ve living in an apartment that is really just a single room with a stove and a sink on one end? Take inspiration from this collection of super stylish studio apartments. As these spaces prove, living in one room doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style.
Jun 21, 2015
Cat and Matt’s Lovely London Home
Name: Cat Location: London, UK My name is Cat and I live in London with my Texan partner, Matt, and our scrappy ginger kitten, Chutney. We are both terribly boring lawyers in our day jobs, but we are also the couple behind Take Courage Blog, a London-based lifestyle blog which we’ve been running for four years. Living in London isn’t cheap, and we have lived in some horrendous, tiny rentals over the years.
Jun 20, 2015
Before & After: Accent Wall Goes from Yawn to Yarn
Inspired by string art, Ryan took this blank wall in his loft and transformed it into what looks like a wireframed wood of birch trees: What a great use of a little wall! Here it is up close: From Ryan: A quick look on the internet showed my friend’s cute little Ohio-shaped project was all over Pinterest. I wanted to take mine to the next level and create something that was fresh, beautiful, and had never been done before.
Jun 20, 2015