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Name: Brandon Kleinman Location: West Hollywood; Los Angeles, CA Years lived in: 4 years; Rented Bachelors may have a reputation for maintaining less-than-desirable living quarters, but as the founder and CMO of online interior design firm Laurel & Wolf, Brandon Kleinman refused to fall victim to such stereotypes.
When Clare and Mike bought this 1950s house in Toronto’s Leaside area, they had just five weeks to transform it into the ideal home for their family of seven. This crowded dining room was too busy for their modern taste so they got to work re-designing the space, starting with the walls. Goodbye wainscoting and French doors, hello clean, modern white! “When we bought the house there was a large, rather ugly kitchen island and cabinets as well as unattractive, dated flooring.
As marketing manager for Eventbrite, Sara is a professional social butterfly. She’s fun, fabulous, and loves to entertain, but her apartment in Boston’s Beacon Hill didn’t exactly reflect that. And, since she works from home, she wanted a space that inspired her. Sara decided to work with designer Victoria Solomon to add some style and cohesion to her place.
Name: Timothy Location: Bed-Stuy; Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,680 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned A home with global flair doesn’t necessarily have to mean a visually noisy space or an overwhelming, over-the-top collection of knick-knacks. Nomad-inspired homes can be tidy and effortless, and I can tell you that after this house tour you’ll want to book an around-the-world ticket to source beautiful material and wander in some faraway markets.
Name: Ricky & McCary Location: Carroll Gardens/Gowanus; Brooklyn, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented What do you get when two people with great taste move in together? A beautiful apartment like this one, where two design sensibilities (she loves prints and patterns, while he’s a bit more minimal) merge seamlessly to create a new, completely unique style. Ricky and McCary are also the stars of the sixth episode of Apartment Therapy’s A Line video series.
After the moving trucks have left and you’ve located the closet grocery store, pharmacy and other essential locations, the reality of a new neighborhood can sink in. It’s exciting to have a new place to explore, sure, but it can also be a little confusing and disorienting. After you settle in a little at home, consider a trip around your new ‘hood to locate these places that will make your transition into a new area a lot more enjoyable.
So you somehow got roped into a family camping trip this summer. If the word camping inspires a particular feeling of dread in the pit of your belly then you need our help. You CAN get through your ordeal vacation. Follow this guide. Maybe you think sleeping on the ground is for suckers or maybe you don’t fancy the idea of being shower-free for multiple days. These problems have solutions!
Name: Maura & Katarina Location: Financial District, NYC Twenty-one floors above it all, our home is our daily respite from NYC cacophony. Cheerful yet serene, and never without fresh flowers – it is my favorite place to recharge, host friends, work, eat, sleep, you name it! The style of our apartment – our first shared space as a couple – was born of the merging of two very, very disparate tastes.
Name: Amanda Holstein and her dog, Auggie Location: Greenwich Village; New York, NY Size: 400-450 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Amanda lives on a great street in Manhattan, full of life and energy. When you walk into her apartment, you are immediately transported from the iconic Greenwich Village neighborhood to somewhere calm and relaxing. She has fit her colorful, laid-back style into a classic New York apartment beautifully.
An old piano bench and a rug destined to be donated came together to make a stylish statement piece. Just goes to show that you might want to take a second look in your outbox! From Letisha: For step by step photos, check out Blue Eye DIY. Thank you Letisha!
Name: Sallie Location: Tulsa, OK I’m Sallie, and I live in a updated 1950s home in Tulsa, OK, with my husband, Andrew, our puppy Lola, cat Fitz, and 6 backyard chickens. Our home is right around 1,000q ft, which is perfect for our family! We live in the heart of our town, which makes traveling to our favorite hang out spots a breeze.
While buying a home often seems like the mark of adulthood and stability, there are plenty of reasons home ownership is not all it’s cracked up to be. So whether you aren’t in a position to buy a home at this point or you just aren’t sure about taking the plunge, here are some reasons to celebrate your non-homeowner freedom. If you buy a home, get ready to take on the management and expense of every single thing that goes wrong.
With a shared driveway behind her home, Anne had no private outdoor space to relax and entertain. This overgrown side yard might not scream outdoor oasis, but that’s what Anne created: From Anne: Thank you Anne!
Name: Ashley Location: Silverlake, Los Angeles, California I bought my home in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles about two years ago after a really long and exhausting real estate search. I was just about to give up entirely and rent forever, and then by some fluke I landed this place. Some things are totally meant to be. It’s a three-bedroom, two-bath Craftsman house originally built in 1914.
Name: Max Shay and Emily Billings Location: Western Massachusetts Size: 3,200 square feet Years lived in: 9 months; Rented Max and I moved to Western Massachusetts on a whim after deciding to close the book on our city-dwelling life in Boston. We stumbled upon the 1930s stone farmhouse set up on a steep hill through Craigslist. After hearing about the history of the property through the homeowners, we were sold.
Big or small. Traditional or modern. All homes have different styles, but they all have similarities at the heart of them, too. And these four pieces of universal advice can be applied to just about any home you’ve lived in or will live in. So print them out and keep them around. This works for just about any decision you’ve got to make. From which home to choose when you’re on the search, to which sofa to buy, to what color to paint the walls and more. Decisions are tough.
Name: Aki & Chris Location: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn My husband and I live on the second floor of a pre-war brownstone in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. Our apt is a 1.5 bedroom, 950 sq ft, cozy space with an open floor plan. We’ve lived in the building for almost 11 years but have only been in our current unit for under two years.
Live with a mate? Thinking about moving in with your better half? Know that in life and in love, arguments are inevitable. In fact we’d bet that these six types of arguments will almost certainly take place with just about any couple sharing a space together.
Living in a small living room, like living in a small home, is a delicate balance of aesthetics and sacrifice. Your living room is often the central hub of your home, and so should have special attention paid to it, particularly if it’s on the small side. Instead of (or in addition to) a wall collage of art, use mirrors to expand the space, reflect light and make the space feel livelier. → 10 Ways To Use Mirrors To Make Your Space Look Larger.
Brooklyn homeowner Ketrina loved her new condo… but as time went by, she became more and more disillusioned with the tiny, cramped kitchen. The cabinets weren’t properly installed, nothing was level, and whenever the refrigerator opened, it would chip away at the kitchen doorway. To make things worse, water leaks from the apartment above were taking their toll on the walls and cabinets. It was time for a change.
There’s no question about it: adding a little color is one of the easiest ways to bring some happy into your home. But what are the happiest hues out there? We partnered with the color experts at BEHR Paint to sift through the swatches and find the happiest paint colors around. Can you guess the happiest hues? Yellow is, predictably, our #1 happy color. We love how this home used Amber Brew to bring some sunshine into their space above the beautiful chair rail molding of their entryway.
Having a summer party that looks like a million bucks doesn’t have to mean spending a million bucks. Here are nine easy DIY ideas that will make your next outdoor party especially memorable… and that won’t break the bank. Above: A wheelbarrow makes a great impromptu drink cooler. Spotted on Style Me Pretty. DIY low table (cinderblocks and plywood perhaps?) + blankets and pillows out on the lawn = an unforgettable outdoor dining experience. Image from Eye Swoon.
Shawn had installed windows on his enclosed front porch, effectively creating a sunroom. But it still sat unused and became a magnet for old furniture, that is, until stylist Carlton Ellis created a cozy spot in which to relax, entertain, or sip morning coffee: From Carlton: The first thing I did was plan the space. I thought it could be a nice area to read and have coffee in the morning so I decided on a settee and bench around a round table.
Name: Josie Location: South East London Our Edwardian flat in South East London was the ground floor of a house that was sort of split into flats when we bought it. We converted it from a one bed to a two bed flat, which involved a lot of wallpaper stripping (like, from every room) and a few unexpected discoveries along the way.
Name: Erick Millan Location: Burbank, California Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented When Erick hired me to shoot his home for his new interior design portfolio, I immediately wanted to share it as a house tour because it exemplifies how easy it is to bring beautiful organic style to maximize a modest-sized home. It is his first completed design project and it is very, very special.
Name: Kaelie, Andrew, and Zootie the cat Location: Top of the Tower, Heritage Hill; Grand Rapids, MI Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Tyler from the Musical Chairs House Tour texts me on a random Saturday: “I have a referral for you!” His friend Kaelie and her husband live in a “sweet Heritage Hill apartment.” I email Kaelie and once we determine a day, she suggests I photograph their home in the early evening to capture the best light.
Name: Chris and Madgi Del Moro Location: Los Angeles, CA Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 2 1/2 years; Rented Soulmates Chris and Madgi live to explore Mother Earth. Both artists, they find their inspiration in their travels around the world, and they bring that creativity back home to Los Angeles. Chris is an artist, musician, and professional surfer and his handiwork is abundant in the newlyweds’ home, from the paintings on the wall to the studio he built.
Zachary’s Craigslist bench was showing its age. Instead of simply recovering it, he went woven—and now it’s fit for a (very well appointed!) patio: From Zachary: Thank you Zachary!
Want a cleaner home? One that gets cleaner easier, stays cleaner longer, and doesn’t feel like the act of cleaning dominates your life? There are four habits that can be life-changers; could they change yours? We have provided you with a lot of different cleaning schedules over the years. What they’ve all got in common is that at some point in time you’ve got to carve out time where you pull out cleaning supplies and do a little scrubbing.
Jenny is the owner and designer behind Penny Jark Interiors. The home that she shares with her husband has a small bathroom that as the “before” photo shows, wasn’t exactly bursting with boldness. Then Jenny brought her style to the space. From Jenny: When working with clients I often come to an understanding of what aesthetic they prefer. However when it comes to my own dwelling I go back on forth on style, colors and the overall feeling I’d like in the space.
Even if your home is full of lovely things, you might, occasionally, feel the urge for newness. It’s only human to crave a little variety. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s time to buy new things. You can get the feeling of a new home, without buying anything at all, by mixing up the things you already have. Here are seven ways to do just that. 1. Pull your furniture away from the wall.
Q: My husband and I are planning our guest bathroom renovation and we are at an impasse as to what type of bathtub to choose. I’m all-in on a clawfoot tub. He is not. My argument is based mainly on aesthetics, his on functionality.
Name: Lindsey Grissom Location: Andersonville; Chicago, IL Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Rented Lindsey has lived in her 3rd floor apartment for 5 years, but she’s lived in this same building, in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood for a good chunk of her life. She grew up in the 1st floor apartment where her parents still live, and now shares the 3rd floor with her two tortoises, Yurtle and Olive.
Well, less of a hassle, anyway. Moving into a place can be a lot of fun, but moving out, is nothing less than torture. Here are five laws, that, if you can stick to them, will make moving much less hellacious. What? Okay think about this way. You look around your current home and all the stuff that has to be hauled away and you might mentally decide how you’re going to organize it all in boxes. But back up.
Are you a robot who is always ready for spur-of-the-moment guests? Good for you! The rest of us humans need to fake it once in a while. Here are twenty easy ways to do just that. Make your home look loads better in a hurry with one or two (or more if you’re feeling motivated!) of these low effort, high-impact (and dirt-hiding) tips. 20. Sweep clutter from all visible surfaces. 19. Make the bed. 18. Clean the bathroom mirror. 17. Light a candle. 16. Putting out a store-bought snack?
When New Yorkers first descended underground in the early 1900’s, they expected subway stations to be dark and damp. Instead, they saw gleaming ceramic tiles covering ceilings and walls. The way they reflected the light, and the fact that they looked easy to clean, quickly made the now-classic subway tile a staple of kitchen and bathroom design across the country. Mission Stone & Tile recently took those 3-by-6-inch glazed rectangles of old and made them new and exciting again.
Location: Los Angeles, CA Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; Owned Nestled in the winding hills of Hollywood, this mid-century modern post and beam home was recently snatched up by two art-lovers and transformed into a striking minimalist masterpiece. Natural sunlight flooding in through large, unobstructed windows and skylights reflects brilliantly off the white walls, white cement flooring, and blonde wood furniture inside. Needless to say, this place is seriously dreamy.
The couple’s vast collection of folk art covers the interior walls like a modern day version of the storied Parisian salons. “We like to pile it on thick,” Emily says with a laugh.
Jolie and her husband bought this 1968 Sprite caravan and spent the winter fixing it up. It was in good condition, so the work was mostly aesthetic. It definitely looks more spritely now! From Jolie: The inside is just as cute as the outside, so go check it out over on Vintage Meets Glam. Thank you Jolie!
