The Latest: Jan 2017

One of the perks of having a mother who was very into both garage sales and interior design was growing up in a house filled with wacky old design books from the 1960s and ’70s. In their pages, I was exposed to many strange and wonderful things, not least among them supergraphics, the crazy stripes and arcs and rainbows that covered every surface of a room, irrespective of walls or floors or furniture.

While everyone was ogling at the new PS 2017 collection that debuted last week, IKEA also released another line, a collaboration with fashion designer Kit Neale. SPRIDD is full of bright colors and bold patterns, and is inspired by youth culture and music. The SPRIDD collection features pieces that are lightweight and meant for an on-the-go lifestyle—think dorm living and music festivals.

After my roommate moved out and took almost everything (save many candle stubs and decorative dish rags), I was left table-less. And since there’s nothing more depressing than eating a microwaved dinner in bed, hunting down an appropriate kitchen table became my number one priority. The point of this sad tale is that for something as important as eating and entertaining, you need to find the right dining setup. ASAP.

Sarah likes a visually interesting home, as shown by the eight patterns in her living room. “I like each room to have pops of color and pattern to keep things fun and eclectic as you move from room to room,” writes Sarah. “I like to mix and match patterns so they relate, but also contrast for visual interest.” Sarah shared her pointers for mixing patterns in her fearless living room.

All Mondays are tough, with the last Monday of January even more so. Who can remember those resolutions we made weeks ago or even what warm weather feels like? Don’t allow the mundane routine of start of the week get to you; let your imagination run wild as you browse the Apartment Therapy Marketplace. Scoring one of these new listings is a surefire way to make your Monday just marvelous. Swedish Westnofa Leather Chair Statement chairs like this one don’t come around every day.

When I first met my husband and would visit him at his apartment, it felt like I was hanging out in a college dorm room. He was very neat and tidy and everything had its place (thank goodness), but we were surrounded by “Kill Bill” movie posters and the bedspread reminded me of Zack Morris’ from “Saved By The Bell” circa 1992. When we decided to move in together, I wondered how this worked.

One man’s trash is another man’s tiny house. With $800, the scenic boulders of Florence, Arizona and a whole lot of vision, Jamie and Brad Bigelow purchased a dumpster in hopes of turning it into a 176-square-foot vacation home. “Our family goes out there a lot so we wanted a little house as a base that we could stay at,” Jamie told TODAY Home. “We just love going out there and stargazing.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that anyone living in an apartment in New York must be on the hunt for a better apartment. Since moving to the city, my mild interest in real estate has grown into a bona fide hobby…if you can call shopping for things you can’t afford a hobby. Knitting is a hobby, which could result in sweaters and blankets and baby socks.

Anytime IKEA announces a new line of furnishings and home accessories, we find that cause to celebrate (or at the very least squeal with delight). Available this February, the PS 2017 collection speaks to what we know and love about the Swedish retailer; each piece is playfully and smartly designed, most doing double duty.

When decorating a kid’s room, designers (and design-minded parents) tend to give themselves more creative license to let loose and fill the space with their most whimsical and imaginative ideas. To borrow some of these bold ideas and inventive uses for little spaces, we’re scouting out children’s rooms with style lessons to spare. Class is in session.