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The Latest: Feb 2016

Welcome to the hub for accessing all our latest posts! Easily sort through content by date to quickly find what you’re looking for — you’ll never miss out on the latest updates here.
Here’s Why We Think of Pink as a Color for Girls
We have strong associations with the color pink: most people think of it as a ‘girly’ color. But have you ever stopped to think about why that is? It might surprise you to learn that this strange association of color with gender can be traced to just one person: 1950s First Lady Mamie Eisenhower. The post – World War II era, in America, was a period of unprecedented prosperity.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 29, 2016
A Healthy Dose of Drama: Kitchens that Use Antique Furniture in Lieu of Wall-Hung Cabinets
Gisbert Pöppler via Dustjacket Attic Kitchen cabinets: they’re necessary, but let’s face it—they aren’t always the most interesting pieces of furniture. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case! Here are imaginative kitchens that make use of large, antique pieces of furniture in addition to regular kitchen cabinets. They’re drama-filled, glamorous, and practical. Read on to find out why you may want to give this trend a try.
Carolyn Purnell
Feb 29, 2016
Before & After: An Easy & Affordable Counter Fix
After moving into her new home, Sara realized her design non-negotiable was living with her old, stained, formica countertops. With a little research she was able to find a fast and affordable fix to tide her over till it’s time for a renovation. From Sara: My husband and I moved into my grandparent’s old house a year ago and we’ve been making slow progress in each room, but I’ve really been focused on the kitchen lately, specifically on appliances and the counter.
Nora Taylor
Feb 29, 2016
10 Ways to Repurpose Wine Corks
The Kitchn Editors
Feb 29, 2016
Drinking More Wine May Help You Lose Weight
(Image credit: Jill Silverman Hough) From The Kitchn → Research-Backed Excuse to Drink More Wine: It Could Help You Lose Weight
Apartment Therapy
Feb 29, 2016
Life Lessons from Fearless and Fun New Orleans Homes
New Orleans is a city of mystery, magic, music and a whole lot of style. New Orleans homes just have that je ne sais quoi. There have been quite a few stunning peeks into the homes of New Orleanians on Apartment Therapy in recent years, and I can’t help but notice all the lessons about designing fearlessly — with color, pattern and yes, sometimes a little weirdness! There’s nothing that fills a home with personality like lots of art, the more the better.
Adrienne Breaux
Feb 28, 2016
Amber & Ryan’s Downtown LA Loft
Name: Amber & Ryan Location: Downtown — Los Angeles, California We ended up with a lease on this massive two story industrial loft inside a 1900s factory building completely by chance 18 months ago, when our best friends had to move out unexpectedly after investing thousands of dollars into building it out as a living space. They just wanted their investment to stay in the family.
Nora Taylor
Feb 28, 2016
Holly & Ryan’s Modern Vintage Mix
Name: Holly and Ryan, daughters Stellan and Kinley, and German Shepherd Dublin Location: Peterborough — Ontario, Canada Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned When you walk into this family home, you are overcome by a sense of happiness. It’s one of those spaces where you can feel the amount of love and care that has been put into it. It also happens that the people who live in the home are just as warm and welcoming as the physical space itself.
Lauren Kolyn
Feb 28, 2016
Kate & Todd’s Colorful French Quarter Escape
Name: Todd and Kate Novak Location: French Quarter — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 675 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned New Orleans is known as a city that loves color, and Kate and Todd Novak embraced that notion with a touch of “understated” bordello in their French Quarter getaway. Though they call Marin County, California, home, Kate and Todd’s love of New Orleans stems from their time at Tulane University.
Paul Zansler
Feb 28, 2016
Before & After: Updating the Kitchen in “The Ugliest House on The Block”
As a young married couple (and now toddler parents!), we’ve relocated 3 times in five years with Justin’s company. Our last move brought us home to Greenville, South Carolina, where the real estate market in our dream neighborhood was insanely competitive. Since we were relocating from Northern Maine, we couldn’t be on site when a potential home would go on the market so we ended up in multiple bidding wars on properties that we had only seen via FaceTime.
Nora Taylor
Feb 28, 2016
Steve & Debbie’s Barn-Inspired Home in South Africa
Name: Steve and Debbie Cotton and their dogs, Baxter and Kiko Location: Western Cape, South Africa Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Debbie and Steve have a keen eye for color and a unique style which is evident as soon as you enter their lovely house. Full of personality, warmth and quirky touches, the space makes one feel at home right away.
Lana Kenney
Feb 27, 2016
Before & After: “Elsie” The Trailer Gets Road Ready
After growing weary of their home state of Nebraska, Carson and Mel needed a change. Recalling an old pipe dream of theirs to travel to every state and file stories from the road, the couple started scouring Craigslist and abandoned shelter belts for vintage travel trailers they could rehab. They met ‘Craigslist Ray’ in a parking lot in Stuart, Iowa, where they purchased the trailer — soon to be known as Elsie — for $1,300.
Nora Taylor
Feb 27, 2016
Perfect Bathrooms That Play With Pattern Like a Pro
Combining multiple patterns makes for interesting and layered spaces, and one of the more fun parts of pulling together a room — once you’re comfortable with doing it. It’s creative work in part, but there are also some guidelines to make it easier for us non-professionals. These bathrooms can teach us all the art of mixing it up.
Dabney Frake
Feb 26, 2016
Tara & Thierry’s Charming Cottage
Name: Tara and Thierry Broucqsault, their son Henri, dogs Lola and Junebug, Maverick the cat, and Bobby the Gecko Location: Santa Barbara, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; Owned Set high above the street, Tara and Thierry’s charming cottage is a place where family, pets and guests can truly feel at home.
Sarita Relis and Carrie Bluth
Feb 26, 2016
High & Low: Bar Cart Style
Cooler months mean more entertaining indoors, and nights out become nights in with cocktails. There’s something about a bar cart that makes a space feel grown-up, don’t you think? You don’t have to have a bar cart to be a great host, but it sure is convenient, and, let’s be honest, it’s so much fun to style! There are as many bar cart styling options as there are cocktails, and there’s no shortage of inspiration, including this past roundup we pulled for you.
Melissa DiRenzo
Feb 26, 2016
Before & After: Look at The Legs On This One
I had promised not to remodel anything else, since the house is getting a bit packed, but this guy caught my eye. This little sad cabinet had belonged to a 1960s bookshelf that was long gone and was laying about in the quietness of a my grandparents garage. Legless, scratched and with some water stains, it needed some TLC. After some deep sanding, it was time to give it a new structure. So, as a totally inept carpenter, I did what any girl would do: call her father.
Nora Taylor
Feb 26, 2016
7 Creative Ways to Repurpose a Bar Cart
The Kitchn Editors
Feb 26, 2016
Let’s Talk About Closing A Bag of Chips For A Second
(Image credit: Faith Durand) From The Kitchn → You’re Closing Your Chip Bags Wrong
Apartment Therapy
Feb 26, 2016
Monica’s Well-Traveled “Silver Girl”
Name: Monica Location: Seattle, Washington Hi! My name is Monica Bennett and please let me introduce you to my Silver Girl — my beautiful 2012, 27′ International Signature Airstream travel trailer. This beauty accompanies us on all of our Pacific Northwest non-stop outdoor adventures. She offers up a cozy and relaxing retreat after a day spent outdoors trekking through lush green moss carpeted rain forests, to fly fishing some of the most crystal clear rivers.
Nora Taylor
Feb 25, 2016
13 Ways to Decorate Around a Piano
It’s a unique problem, but no less worthy of attention than how to dress a gallery wall or what to do when your kitchen’s too small. The presence of a piano in the room can be seriously demanding on decor. Here are more than a dozen rooms who’ve mastered it. Do you have a piano at home?
Taryn Williford
Feb 25, 2016
Real Small-Space Closet Solutions: How To Hang Your Clothes Out in the Open Without it Looking Like a Mess
No closet? No problem. You know how Edward Sharpe says “Home is wherever I’m with you”? Here’s your new motto: My closet is wherever I keep my clothes. Let’s just grab a sturdy garment rack (or make one from scratch) and set up shop in the living room or bedroom. It can look great, with the right inspiration. Flank a garment rack with a dresser on each side, like shown above in Jeanette & Mikul’s Airy, Sunny and Minimal One-Room East Bay Loft.
Taryn Williford
Feb 25, 2016
Lauren’s Antique Urban Fantasy Mix
Name: Lauren Pirie Location: Bloorcourt — Toronto, Ontario Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Rented When I first entered Lauren’s apartment, I was immediately captivated by all of the art that covers the wall of the long corridor; Lauren’s work is truly enigmatic and delicate. The corridor then led me to the kitchen/living room/studio space.
Marie-Lyne Quirion
Feb 25, 2016
Before & After: This Update Will Floor You
Maria made some kitchen magic happen in her rental. Her new floor is classic, cute and matches the most vital of household accessories, her cat. From Maria: I made an AMAZING kitchen floor makeover a month ago. The floor really looked like S when I moved in to my rental apartment in Gothenburg. SO I decided to get the floor in black/white that I always dreamed about. I was really SHOCKED how different, more bright and even bigger my kitchen became.
Nora Taylor
Feb 25, 2016
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Prize: Carmela Upholstered Bed in grey, tan or navy linen, complete bed frame along with a Signature Sleep mattress Total Value: $1000 From: DHP You might not know them by name, but DHP is the company behind some of the most stylish pieces you’ll find at Target, Overstock, Amazon, Walmart and Wayfair – some of our definite go-to sources for small space living. Their unique pieces consistently pack a serious style punch but are surprisingly affordable.
Sponsored Post
Feb 25, 2016
5 Common Freezer Stocking Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
(Image credit: Gina Eykemans) From The Kitchn → 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Stocking Your Freezer
Apartment Therapy
Feb 25, 2016
Robin’s Cambridge Meets “California Cool” Home
Name: Robin Location: Cambridgeport — Cambridge, Massachusetts What can I say about our home… in short our home is our dream home but funny enough it started out as a space that we expected to be living in only a few years. We purchased our home, a 1700 square feet, three bed, three bath condo in a converted school (from the early 1900s) right after the birth of our first son. We bought the space pre-construction and sadly let the developer make most of the decisions.
Nora Taylor
Feb 24, 2016
Before & After: An Old Parisian Printing Factory Becomes a Creative Family Home
When Adrienne and Benjamin bought this old Parisian printing factory, the space was raw, dark, and badly in need of a renovation, but the volumes were beautiful and they knew there was potential. They took the challenge and after three months of renovations, an atypical, two-story open space was born. They changed the floor, brought in some light, built a stairway and did so much more.
Fabienne Ayina
Feb 24, 2016
On Trend: Matte Black Kitchen Goods
The Kitchn Editors
Feb 24, 2016
Rachel’s Lucky Find Bed-Stuy Apartment
Name: Rachel Location: Bed-Stuy — Brooklyn, New York In the fall of 2014, my husband Eric and I started planning a relocation from Houston to Brooklyn so that I could take a job as a Senior Lifestyle Editor at BuzzFeed. We were going to be finding a place to live pretty much long-distance, but we looked at apartments in the city on a trip there in October of that year. We found a place in Harlem I really liked — it was a high-rise modern, spacious, had nice views.
Nora Taylor
Feb 23, 2016
Quick Fixes To Redo Kitchen Before the Baby Arrives?
Q: Hi! I hope you can help me with my kitchen dilemma. My husband and I are expecting our first child in 8 weeks and we plan to move into our new townhouse in just 4 short weeks. There’s just no way I can update the entire place in time before the baby arrives, but I would like to tackle the kitchen [see photos below]… I know our life will revolve around this part of our home and I want it to feel like our kitchen and not the previous owners’.
Tess Wilson
Feb 23, 2016
Dare to Bare: 7 Rooms with Empty Walls (and Why They Work)
We’ve always said that art is one of the most important elements in a room, one of the things that helps it feel complete. But this, like a lot of other decorating mantras, is more of a suggestion than a commandment, and as with a lot of other rules there are plenty of exceptions. Case in point: these eight rooms with no art (or very minimal art) and almost completely bare walls. Instead of seeming boring or incomplete these rooms read as balanced and delightfully minimal.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 23, 2016
Stephen’s Dramatic & Sultry Pied-à-Terre in Morocco
Name: Stephen di Renza Location: Old Medina — Fes, Morocco Size: 56 square meters (600 square feet) Years lived in: 4 years; Owned After years of dwelling in various locations — New York, Paris, London, Hanoi— it is in Morocco that American-born Stephen Di Renza came to a halt and settled.
Fabienne Ayina
Feb 23, 2016
16 Ways to Cure the Winter Blues
The Kitchn Editors
Feb 23, 2016
23 Make-Ahead Work Lunches
(Image credit: Faith Durand) From The Kitchn → 23 Make-Ahead Lunches to Get You Through the Work Week
Apartment Therapy
Feb 23, 2016
You Can Do It: How To Go to an Event Where You Won’t Know Anyone
Was one of your resolutions this year to connect more? (That’s smart of you). Whether you’re new to a city, trying to find new friends or need to network more for your career, the task can seem Herculean if you know you won’t know many (or any) people at the event you want to attend.
Adrienne Breaux
Feb 22, 2016
Danielle & Ryan’s Light and Crisp Vancouver Home
Name: Danielle & Ryan Location: Fraser/Main — Vancouver, British Columbia Our overall style is minimalist and clean but comfy. We are most inspired by mid-century modern pieces and shapes but like to add bohemian touches for warmth. We also love to freely mixed silver, gold, and brass for a casual and unpretentious feel.
Nora Taylor
Feb 22, 2016
DIY Bicycle Rack Built For Two
Jacob’s DIY project features a few more steps than most of the projects we feature, but just look at the super cool result!
Nora Taylor
Feb 22, 2016
How To Double Your Closet Space for $51 and One Trip to the Store
Closet too small? Join the club. It’s called “everybody.” But good news! There are two ways to battle a too-small clothes closet: One is to get rid of some of your stuff (in that case, you’ll want to check out this three-part capsule wardrobe series). The other is to get smart about storage. It doesn’t take a lot of time or money. In fact, all you need is one fifty-dollar bill, some sofa cushion change, and an afternoon at your local superstore.
Taryn Williford
Feb 22, 2016
Cool Color Combo: Mustard & Pink
You guys. It’s February, the days are dark, and I really need some color in my life right now. I saw the photo above pop up on my Pinterest feed, and it was an immediate panacea to my mood: rich mustard yellow and pale mauve-pink is an unexpected, invigorating, and straight-up cheerful combination. Read on for more examples and ideas for this surprising duo.
Eleanor Büsing
Feb 22, 2016
9 Cute & Cozy Breakfast Nooks
The Kitchn Editors
Feb 22, 2016
Eat Better To Sleep Better
(Image credit: Daxiao Productions) shutterstock From The Kitchn → Tips on Eating for Better Sleep
Apartment Therapy
Feb 22, 2016
If You Love Pop Art, You’re Gonna Want to Pin Every One of These Rooms
What we have here is a dozen unabashed, Warhol- and Lichtenstein-inspired rooms that would look right at home in a pop art museum as they do inside these homes. If you love bright colors and retro styling, get thee to Pinterest and save these shots for later. It’s part aspiration and part inspiration. As big and bold as these rooms are, there are some pretty do-able ideas in here. Do you have any pop art-inspired pieces at home?
Taryn Williford
Feb 21, 2016
Joseph’s Bright 300-Square-Foot Studio
Name: Joseph Location: Grand Lake — Oakland, California We live in the beautiful Grand Lake district in Oakland, California, across the street from the iconic Grand Lake Theater. Our studio apartment is about 300 square feet with a lofted sleeping area and we have lived here for about two years. Our neighborhood is full of great shops, restaurants and bars, and an amazing farmer’s market on Saturdays.
Nora Taylor
Feb 21, 2016
Mariska’s Bold & Bright Amsterdam Apartment
Name: Mariska Location: Amsterdam I am about to embark on a new adventure in Amsterdam and would like to share my 117 square meter (1,259 square feet) home, which I completely renovated. I bought it 10 years ago and immediately fell in love with it because it had a fireplace. The house was quite a mess as it had been rented out for a longer period and had not been renovated since the 70s. My style is eclectic, I love collecting art & objects.
Nora Taylor
Feb 20, 2016
Vanessa’s Fabulous and Thrifty (Under $150) Guest Bedroom
Name & Location: Vanessa in Lynchburg, Virginia My Favorite Room: Guest Bedroom Specs: 120 square feet We live in a ranch home in central Virginia and have made it our own in the last year and a half of marriage. The guest room was a huge priority to us but we did not have much in the way of a budget. That was no problem. If there is one thing I can do, it is to use my imagination to create things that I cannot afford. I eagerly took on the project for the guest room.
Nora Taylor
Feb 20, 2016
A Nature-Filled New Orleans Home
Name: Ida Floreak and partner, cats Chuck and Bruce, and Harry the dog Location: Uptown — New Orleans, LA Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Rented Ida’s sunny house in Uptown New Orleans has a lot of great features: a mix of vintage and new furnishings, plenty of art and plants, DIY projects, and happy pets.
Samara Vise
Feb 20, 2016
This Weekend: Spruce Up Your Messy, Tired Entryway
Your entryway is the gatekeeper to the rest of your home, fighting against the road salt, melting snow, and mud tracked in this time of year — not to mention all the people passing through with mail, coats, groceries, and other gear. This weekend, help this hard-working space do its job by giving it a little TLC, clearing it of the mess and dirt. But don’t worry, it won’t take long to make it through this checklist and turn this high-traffic spot into a sparkling clean zone.
Dabney Frake
Feb 20, 2016
Sonia & Jason’s Home Where “Every Nook has its Purpose”
Name: Sonia & Jason Location: Asbury Park, New Jersey We are Jason and Sonia. Jason is a graphic designer and writer, Sonia is a bartender at the local German biergarten and together we are the owners of Nomad, a travel inspired company that rents out vintage travel trailers and European style canvas tents for parties, weddings, etc. We also having a clothing line that we sell at Market at Fifth Avenue, a collective of local and national makers on the boardwalk.
Nora Taylor
Feb 19, 2016