The Great Escape: Amazing Vacation Rentals Close to NYC
Getaway. Escape. Whatever you want to call it. Your summer vacation need not be an extravagant European adventure in order to be relaxing. In fact, it’s better if it isn’t. When you really need to take a break from city life, you probably want something close, affordable and, above all else, like a home away from home. These 5 vacation rentals fit the bill, if you’re a New Yorker.
May 31, 2017
A Cozy Oasis in a West Village Walk Up
Name: Melina Location: West Village, New York — New York The basics: 9 months, rented | 300 square feet If you’ve spent anytime hunting for housing on Craigslist, you know that “cozy” spaces so rarely are. Not so in the case of Melina’s West Village studio. Like something out of a TV show with an excellent acoustic soundtrack, her studio is welcoming, warm and totally charming.
May 31, 2017
See How This Couple Dramatically DIY’d Their Tiny Rental Kitchen
From Apartment Therapy → This Couple Dramatically DIY’d Their Tiny Rental Kitchen & Now It’s Awesome null
May 31, 2017
Is This Really the Smartest Way to Hang Kitchen Curtains?
(Image credit: William Strawser) From Kitchn → Is This the Smartest Way to Hang Kitchen Curtains? null
May 31, 2017
Warmth, Charm & Architectural Details in this $1.5m Multi-Family Home in Historic Stuyvesant Heights
This two-family home in Stuyvesant Heights is straight out of central casting and represents all the things we love about older Brooklyn homes like hardwood floors, fireplaces, decorative molding and exposed brick. The 1.5 million price includes an owners’ duplex and a garden-level rental unit (to help pay the mortgage). The home’s architectural details are in keeping with the historic neighborhood’s posh past and exude warmth and charm.
May 31, 2017
Designing With Lucite (For Every Budget)
I absolutely love Lucite. Though technically an umbrella term for clear acrylic, as is the case with Band-Aid and Kleenex, sometimes the brand name becomes synonymous with describing an item in any form.
May 31, 2017
IKEA’s Innovation Hub Is Hosting a Future Festival
IKEA is imagining what the future might look like. The Swedish brand’s external innovation hub, SPACE10, is hosting a three-day festival to explore how we can create a more positive future. The first ever Made in Space will be held June 15 through 17 at SPACE10’s headquarters in Copenhagen and will feature three days of programming across the fields of design, art, architecture, anthropology, philosophy, and social entrepreneurship to brainstorm “alternative futures.
May 31, 2017
Empowering Design Lessons From a Stunning Rental Living Room (That Non-Renters Should Take to Heart Too)
Isabelle’s house tour is endlessly inspiring to me, for starters because it’s just flat out gorgeous but also because it so clearly illustrates how all of the small choices we make can add up to something wonderfully, personally beautiful. And for those of us who are renting, that is pretty damn empowering. Ok, first thing’s first: Isabelle’s rental living room is not exactly problematic to begin with. In fact, it has supermodel-level good bones for a rental.
May 31, 2017
Before & After: A Rental Bathroom Upgrade with a Vintage Portrait Gallery
Megan’s rental bath makeover is low key awe inducing. Without making any major upgrades, it’s like she helped her bathroom leap forward into modern styling, while also time traveling back to the time of glam powder rooms. From Megan: The walls of our bathroom were decked in a puzzling color scheme with one brown wall and the rest purple. It was flat paint so it felt pretty dingy and not very practical in a bathroom.
May 31, 2017
Partner
Pablo and Sophie’s Best Coast Bedroom Fix
Former New Yorkers Pablo, a photographer, and Sophie, a designer, are loving life in Los Angeles: sunshine, new chapters of their creative careers and, of course, new digs. All that action makes for hectic days, though. Between being in business for themselves and making their new house feel like home, the couple needs a bedroom that feels like a real respite. The centerpiece of their restful retreat? A dreamy new mattress suited to their summery new temps.
May 31, 2017
The Best Tool for Cleaning Your Grill Isn’t What You’d Expect
(Image credit: Jeff Roffman) From Kitchn → My Favorite New Tool for Cleaning the Grill null
May 31, 2017
Get Well Soon: 7 All-Natural Headache Home Remedies
From Apartment Therapy → Feel Better: 7 All-Natural Headache Home Remedies null
May 31, 2017
Mizuno Metal Platform Bed
(Image credit: Wayfair) null
May 30, 2017
Airbnb’s Designing Furniture Now — And It’s Modular
Joe Gebbia, the co-founder and chief product officer of Airbnb, is putting his degree from the Rhode Island School of Design to good use. His collegiate interest in furniture design led to the creation of a co-branded line of modular furniture for Airbnb and Bernhardt. Surprising to no one, Airbnb has moved its company office spaces several times in the last few years.
May 30, 2017
A Williamsburg Studio Full of Impressive DIYs & Renter Friendly Fixes
Name: Eva, her fiancée and their cat Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York The basics: 6.5 years, rented | 450 square feet Eva has been in her studio for almost seven years, which is like 64 in renter’s years. But it all makes sense when you consider she’s acquired two of the most covetable New York real estate finds: a space to oneself (at least, until your partner moves in) and a very chill landlord.
May 30, 2017
The Prettiest (and Smartest!) Small-Space Gardens to Try
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) From Kitchn → The Prettiest (and Smartest!) Small-Space Gardens on the Internet null
May 30, 2017
Crate and Barrel for Less: Secondhand Finds in Chicago, LA, NYC and DC
Shopping at Crate and Barrel is a surefire way fill your home with stylish furniture, kitchen gear and decor. Now you can find secondhand Crate and Barrel furnishings for less, much less on Marketplace. For example, the solid walnut Reveal desk normally retails for $899 but is available for $450, gently used. The Crate and Barrel website has the Linea II nightstand priced at $400; a Marketplace steal at $150.
May 30, 2017
10 Events Celebrating Frank Lloyd Wright’s 150th Birthday
June 8 marks the 150th anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright’s birth. If you’re a fan of the starchitect, then there are plenty of ways to celebrate the momentous day. Here are a few of them. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is working with museums and sites across the country for the historic day, which means lots of fun stuff no matter where you happen to be. Excitingly, tour admission to several of the icon’s works will be just $1.
May 30, 2017
Before & After: A Bright Blue “Neat Bohemian” Bathroom
Mel was hired by her clients to breathe some style into this workable, but very dark, slightly cramped bathroom. Using a single piece from the client’s old house as a jumping off point, she identified their style and found solutions for their pain points while giving them the look they wanted. Beautiful blue tile, a subtle yet stylish light fixture and funky accents create a bright bathroom oasis.
May 30, 2017
Pro Designers On the Most Common Decorating Mistakes (and How To Fix Them)
Navigating the waters of home decorating can sometimes be a little choppy. You may find yourself often asking “am I doing this right?” with every decision you embark on. And though most of the time, you’re doing just fine, other times, well…someone with a trained eye (and tons of experience) could easily call out some potential pitfalls.
May 30, 2017
The Best Places to Buy Kitchen Cabinet Hardware
(Image credit: Marie-Lyne Quirion) From Kitchn → Where To Buy Kitchen Cabinet Hardware: 10 Sources for Knobs and Pulls null
May 30, 2017
No More Unused Space: How To Fit More Storage into a Small Bathroom
When it comes to small space living, making the most of all of your available space is everything. Not everyone has sprawling bathrooms with expansive storage closets, but no matter the square footage you have available, we promise, you can make it work. All you need to do is zero in on the often underused spaces that you might be overlooking.
May 30, 2017
Are 1980s Kitchens Making a Comeback?
From Apartment Therapy → Are ’80s Kitchens Making a Comeback?
May 30, 2017
A Minimal, Modern Custom Kitchen That Looks More Expensive Than It Actually Was
There is lots to love about Aine and Eloise’s East London home. The way the floor-to-ceiling doors open up fully, connecting the home to the outdoors. The soothing neutral color palette punctuated with colorful accessories and word art. But of all the elements to drool over in their house, the kitchen deserves the biggest spotlight.
May 29, 2017
Meet Lil Blue, The Tiny House Parked on a Farm in Iowa
Name: Sarah and Jordan Location: Elkhart, Iowa The basics: 2 years, owned | 160 square feet Sarah harbored tiny house fantasies. She and her husband turned her dreams into reality. The pair set up shop in an adorable tiny home, finding cute ways to maximize space at every turn. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband, Jordan, and I live in this 160 square foot tiny house, which we’ve dubbed Lil Blue.
May 29, 2017
Jon Stewart’s Former NYC Penthouse Is For Sale For $20 Million
Former The Daily Show host Jon Stewart used to call this Tribeca penthouse home. The property is once again on the market, now for $20 million. The 6,280 square foot duplex features five bedrooms, five and a half baths, as well as a “loft like” 37 foot long living room, a media room, and a library. The open kitchen is “expertly equipped,” has a pantry, and a “grand counter as a focal point.
May 29, 2017
Before & After: A Colorful Update for a Cluttered Kitchen
Prior to the renovation, Cybele described the kitchen in her Park Slope apartment as “Functional, but…a little worn”. It was still getting the job done, but the kitchen had seen better days. There were giant holes in the walls behind the cabinets, the electrical was outdated, and a dark countertop and backsplash sucked the light out of the room. The mosaic tile floor, with its miles and miles of grout, was a nightmare to clean.
May 29, 2017
The Million Dollar Question: Which of These Homes Would You Choose?
Let’s pretend for a moment that we all live in the same world as those couples on HGTV’s House Hunters. The ones where the husband is a part-time web designer and the wife is a stay at home mom and somehow they have a budget for their new home around a million dollars. That’s your life now! You can take on any job, from any place in the country, and you have a cool million to find yourself the home of your dreams. Where would you live?
May 29, 2017
Before & After: A Loving Kitchen Update That Would Make Grandma Proud
Tarah lovingly updated the kitchen in her family home, holding onto history while creating a space that meets her needs and matches her style. She’s kept pieces of the old kitchen throughout the new one, lending a true vintage charm to the room. From Tarah: My grandparents built the kitchen of my grandma’s dreams when they installed indoor plumbing in the home for the very first time in 1958. They also put the bathroom behind the kitchen .
May 29, 2017
Peek Inside a Tiny House Turned Bookstore That Is Traveling Across France
Is there anything cuter than a tiny house? The answer is yes, and it’s a tiny bookstore. One pair of teeny home builders just made a structure that’s booking it across France—as a traveling book shop. How novel! The young couple behind tiny house company La Maison Qui Chemine just completed something a little different—a mobile book store.
May 29, 2017
Is Your Landlord Overcharging You? Legal Limits on Security Deposits
As a renter, you know what your price range is and what you’re looking for in an apartment, but do you know your rights? Last year when I was apartment hunting in Brooklyn, I was shocked to learn that it was possible that a potential new landlord might ask for 6 months’ rent up front for my security deposit (luckily that didn’t end up being the case, but still!).
May 29, 2017
What First-Time Buyers Should Know About Big-City Real Estate
A (sort-of-serious) theory: The ease with which you can get around your city without a car is inversely proportional to how easy it will be to get your hands on real estate. When you live in a massive metropolis with a few million other people, trains can be easy to come by, but affordable starter homes are not. But if you know that homeownership is something you want for yourself—and you’re not willing to move out of the city to do it—all hope isn’t lost.
May 28, 2017
Calling All Green Thumbs: There’s a Plant Themed Amusement Park in France
If you’re the type who loves nothing more than digging around in fresh soil, harvesting food and flowers you’ve grown yourself, and just generally enjoy being surrounded by greenery, then we’ve got a suggestion for your next vacation. Terra Botanica is a plant themed amusement park located in France. If Disneyland Paris isn’t your cup of tea, then there’s another amusement park you can check out on your next trip to France.
May 28, 2017
Why These New Yorkers Don’t Pay Rent (And How You Can Do It Too)
Much like finding out your new boyfriend is actually the heir to the throne of a small European country, living a life without rent is something that most of us will only dream about. But there are actual, real, human people living that life—who eat, sleep and work in the five boroughs without spending their hard-earned cash on their apartment. How do they do it? They’ve managed to co-opt the conventional “hard-earned cash” equation and cut out the middle man.
May 28, 2017
Before & After: 3 Months + $3k = One Enviable Kitchen
Now, there’s nothing wrong with a bold color in the kitchen if it’s executed well. Sadly that was not the case for Shannon’s sporadically navy blue kitchen. She made some small updates to the space when she first moved in, but after living with the kitchen for a few years she decided it was time to give the space the true makeover it deserved. From Shannon: When we first bought the house six years ago the kitchen walls and cabinet panels were painted a dark navy color.
May 28, 2017
This Traditional Kitchen with Rustic Touches is the Best of Both Worlds
What’s your style? Maybe you’re someone who has trouble encapsulating that in just a few words. You know what you like when you see it, but the things you’re drawn to are all across the decor spectrum, not fitting perfectly into any one aesthetic. You’re a mixer. You like the unexpectedness of bringing together disparate and contrasting styles.
May 28, 2017
An Airy East Village Living Room That is Bright and Baby Friendly
Project by: Samantha Gore of Samantha Gore Interiors + Design Location: East Village —New York, New York Samantha Gore was tasked with adding some flair to her client’s living room, keeping in mind the demands of the family’s newest addition. Baby-friendly and bright, the living room shows off the family’s considerable art collection without a stuffy gallery feel. Textures mix with sunlight to create a welcoming and open space.
May 27, 2017
Whether Camping or Glamping, This is the Camp Stove for You
Summer is in the air and I’m sure many of you have already made your warm weather travel plans — that said, it’s always nice to be able pack up your tent and sleeping bag and get out under the stars for an impromptu weekend or overnight. I found this camp stove from Biolite a while back and I’ve been hanging onto it, waiting for some warm days to come along before I shared it with you. I’m so excited to finally unbox it today.
May 27, 2017
Home Depot’s Memorial Day Sale: Our Picks For Best Deals
Memorial Day weekend has finally arrived and it’s time to celebrate the unofficial start to summer! Take a break from the celebration with your family and friends and stop by your local Home Depot. They’ve outdone themselves with this year’s Memorial Day weekend sale, offering hundreds of trendy home decor items to freshen up your space, furniture and grills to spruce up your patio and more!
May 27, 2017
Before & After: Little Miss Muffet Reupholstered, Like, a Million Tuffets
This once grande dame of a sofa had good bones, she just needed a little refresh. In swoops Ashley’s mom, Janie, newly(ish) minted upholsterer and true tuffet champion. After three weeks and, like, a million buttons, this beauty was ready for her second act. From Ashley: This 1970s pea green sofa was certainly lovely in its time, but the velvet was worn and stained and its skirt wasn’t doing it any favors.
May 27, 2017
Check Out This Plant-Packed Bedroom Inside the London Eye
Buckingham Palace is usually the U.K.’s most coveted and prestigious address, but earlier this week, TripAdvisor Rentals and Wayfair officially had the Queen beat when they converted a pod inside the London Eye—yes, the world famous ferris wheel that overlooks the Thames River—into a luxury penthouse experience.
May 27, 2017
What Your Coffee Table Says About You
Your coffee table is basically the centerpiece of your living area. Guests gather around it, you lounge in front of it to watch Netflix, maybe you even you push it out of the way to exercise at home—and if you live in a tiny space, you almost definitely use it as a place to eat meals, too (I know I definitely do). And how you keep your coffee table—how you decorate it, if you keep it organized or whether you use coasters or don’t—shows a lot about your personality.
May 27, 2017
Harry Styles’ Hollywood Home Is For Sale For $8.5 Million
Harry Styles fans, we found the ultimate souvenir. The former One Direction singer turned solo artist is selling his contemporary home in the Hollywood Hills, and it’s on the market for $8.495 million. The 4,100 square foot, multi level home above Sunset Strip has three bedrooms, five bathrooms, and an abundance of balconies and patio space for that true Southern California style of indoor/outdoor living—with views of downtown and the Pacific Ocean, of course.
May 26, 2017
This Weekend: Spruce Up Your Home’s Unsung Hero
A few minutes of cleaning, or a quick trip to a home good store will ensure your home's threshold is good to go.
May 26, 2017