The Latest: Jul 2017

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A Boldly Colorful, Mediterranean-Influenced Home in the Hudson Valley

Name: Ayanna and family Location: Woodstock, New York The basics: Under a year, owned — 2, 600 square feet Ayanna’s home is both timeless and contemporary. Well-chosen vintage pieces of different eras mingle against very of-the-moment paint colors. Also, get ready for some major bathroom envy. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’ve lived in Brooklyn since 2008. I’m originally from Westchester, New York.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 23, 2017

Betsey Johnson’s Mexican Villa Is For Rent on Airbnb

Want to vacation like American fashion designer and icon Betsey Johnson? Well now you can — and it looks pretty fabulous. The 74 year-old Johnson is offering fans and vacationers alike the chance to live her whimsical lifestyle at her Mexican villa. Johnson’s pad, located in Zihuatanejo, Mexico is now available to rent on Airbnb for $618 per night. It’s a pretty reasonable alternative should Gwyneth Paltrow’s Mexican villa be out of reach at $8,000 a night.

Marni Epstein-Mervis

Jul 23, 2017

A Plant Filled, “Lofty Atrium” on the Lower East Side

Name: Jean and Jeff Location: Lower East Side — New York, New York The basics: 1 year, rented — 750 square feet Jean and Jeff’s apartment takes high ceilings to the next level. With an almost unheard of amount of New York sunlight, they’ve filled their apartment with plants and funky vintage finds, making the whole place feel like a swinging tree house.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 22, 2017

Why First-Time Homebuyers Should Think Twice Before Applying For A Mortgage Online

Online mortgage programs are becoming increasingly popular — and it’s not hard to see why. With an application process that takes less than five minutes, they can almost be thought of as an “express lane” for a loan. But while some prospective buyers, particularly those who have been through the process before, may appreciate their speed and ease, those same features can feel overwhelming to first-time buyers.

Tara Mastroeni

Jul 22, 2017

Historic Italian Villa Cornaro Is On the Market for $45 Million

In the complete opposite direction of budget living, renowned architect Andrea Palladio’s Villa Cornaro is officially on the market. Designated as “one of the most influential buildings in the world” by the New York Times, the sprawling Italian home is the stuff of real estate dreams. In 1551, the villa was designed and ultimately named for Giorgio Cornaro, a member of Italian society’s upper echelon.

Kenya Foy

Jul 22, 2017

Partner

Introducing: The Little Black Dresser

How a plain little dresser turned chic and marvelous.

Tim Minerd

Jul 22, 2017

From Über-Ambitious to Super-Simple: Privacy Fences & Screens You Can Make Yourself

Got some outdoor space — a teeny balcony, deluxe patio, humble patch of grass, or minimalist concrete pad? Congratulations! Now that you’re part of the landed gentry, you’ll want some privacy. Block prying eyes, wind, and sun with these DIYs, ranging from projects requiring power tools I’ve never heard of to tutorials that amount to basically, “zip a zip tie” and “dig a hole.

Tess Wilson

Jul 21, 2017

Cowhide Rugs: 10 Rooms That’ll Turn Any Skeptic Into a Believer

Whether fo' real or faux real, cowhide and cowhide-style rugs might just be what your interior needs.

Arlyn Hernandez

Jul 21, 2017

Before & After: A Coffee Lover Orders Up a Fresh IKEA Hack

After a move that left her with more square footage, but less counter space, Stephanie was on the hunt for something to house her all important espresso machine in a stylish and functional way. Realizing that a good old fashioned IKEA hack was in order, she set about giving her soon-to-be-java-cart a new look. And I think we can all agree, it’s a grande idea! From Stephanie: While most people style kitchen carts into bar carts, we knew our cart had to be for cappuccinos.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 21, 2017

IKEA Just Released More Photos From Their HAY Collaboration

If, like us, you’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the collaboration between IKEA and Danish design brand HAY, well, we have some great news. The Swedish retailer just shared some additional photos of the collection. Here’s what we know so far. Dezeen published the new photos of the YPPERLIG collection on Wednesday, which gives us a more complete look at the 30-plus piece line.

Tara Bellucci

Jul 20, 2017

If you’re thinking of buying a home, you’ve likely given a lot of thought to what style suits you best. Are you drawn to the sleek lines of modern architecture? Or are you a sucker for Craftsman style? If your answer happens to be the modern American ranch, well, you’re certainly not alone—according to a 2016 Trulia study, it’s the most popular pick in 34 states in the U.S.

Julie Sprankles

Jul 20, 2017

The Best-Looking Bathroom Trash Cans Under $15

A good-looking bathroom trash bin is hard to find. That’s why most of them wind up stashed near the toilet or under the sink. Sure you can invest in a fancy one that looks great, but who wants to drop serious cash on something as small and well, trashy as a garbage can? Lucky for you, we did our research and it turns out the web is filled with some surprisingly sleek and inexpensive bathroom receptacles.

Caroline Biggs

Jul 20, 2017

This Tiny Houseboat Packs A Lot Into 360 Square Feet

Houseboats definitely float our boat around here. This one in Boston packs a ton of amenities into a tiny space, and it costs less than $50,000. This 1986 Chris Craft Catalina 362 power boat is just 360 square feet, but manages to squeeze in two bedrooms and two full baths!

Tara Bellucci

Jul 20, 2017

In-Reach Real Estate: Affordable Cities Outdoorsy People Will Love

You can read a million lists about buying a home—and I could prattle on for days about the process myself—but the best advice anyone can probably offer is this: buy a home in a city that you love even more than the house itself. Never does this ring more true than when it comes to outdoorsy people.

Julie Sprankles

Jul 20, 2017

Partner

The Reveal: See Pablo and Sophie’s Best Coast Bedroom Fix

When we last saw Pablo and Sophie, they were falling in love with L.A. after moving from New York. But as two independent creative professionals — Pablo is a photographer, Sophie a designer — they had a ton to do while they acclimated to the Best Coast lifestyle. As they put together their new sun-drenched digs, they wanted the bedroom to be an earthy and serene oasis from all that hectic excitement. Just one problem: The warm Cali nights were heating up their memory-foam mattress.

Creative Studio

Jul 20, 2017

3 Smart Ways to Make the Most of Your Kitchen Counters

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) From Kitchn → 3 Smart Ways to Make the Most of Kitchen Corners null

Apartment Therapy

Jul 20, 2017

Before & After: A Terribly Cute Vintage Trailer Makeover

How cute is that little guy? My goodness! Adorable on the outside, but leaky and damaged on the inside, this trailer needed some upgrades to make it safer. While making some of the less sexy fixes (apologies to all those window sealing fans out there) Meredith took the opportunity to give the space a style boost as well. From Meredith: My husband and I decided to buy a vintage trailer and after a brief search, we purchased a 1976 Boler trailer.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 19, 2017

House Hunting Dealbreakers: The 3 Things to Never Compromise On

You’ve heard it before: “No house is going to be perfect. Even your dream home will have a few compromises.” That’s true. When you’re house hunting, it’s important to keep an open mind rather than getting stuck in one vision of what you’re perfect home will look like. However, there are a few instances where it’s okay to put your foot down.

Tara Mastroeni

Jul 19, 2017

Before & After: Built-In Bookshelves Get a DIY Hack & Style Upgrade

We absolutely love our apartment; it has so much character and light, but when we moved in, one thing in particular I knew I wanted to upgrade were the bookshelves. At first glance they seemed fine, but once we started putting our books on them we realized that the positioning of the shelves — with 20″ height between shelves — was not only an inefficient use of space but just looked odd with so much extra height above the books.

Ashley Poskin

Jul 19, 2017

You Have To Cer-see Inside Lena Headey’s $1.945 Million Home

While Cersei Lannister keeps her eyes on the Iron Throne, Lena Headey is on the move. The British actor is selling her Sherman Oaks home for $1.945 million (we’re not sure how much that is in Gold Dragons). Headey purchased the property in 2014 for $790,000 and has made some extensive updates in the past three years.

Tara Bellucci

Jul 19, 2017

This Is the Cleaning Tool You Really Need in Your Kitchen

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) From Kitchn → The One Cleaning Tool You Really Need in Your Kitchen null

Apartment Therapy

Jul 19, 2017

Pack Your Bags (And Scuba Gear) For These Wild Winery Experiences

Europeans have been doing the wine thing so well for so long that it’s no shocker they felt the need to take things up a notch. Dig deep and (literally) dive into these two wild new wine experiences.

Melissa Massello

Jul 19, 2017

Decor Superhero: A Perfect Lighting Solution for the Bedroom

Never underestimate the power of a good wall sconce. Not only will these beauties save you tons of space, they allow you to customize a unique lighting scheme to suit your specific needs. Unlike bulky table lamps, a properly placed sconce or two can offer loads of reading light without taking up any valuable nightstand space. Because we believe in showing and telling, here are nine of the chicest bedroom wall sconce scenes we could find on the web.

Caroline Biggs

Jul 19, 2017

9 Things Design-Obsessed Cat Lovers Need in Their Home

From aesthetically pleasing litter boxes to posh kitty beds, the pet industry is starting to cater more and more to the design-loving cat person and their menagerie. If you’ve ever brought home a carpet-covered cat tree only to have your cat look at it in disdain, or witness your tabby scratching up your tired-looking furniture, you must know it’s a sign. As a discerning species, your cat naturally deserves the best—and, so does your home.

Marissa Hermanson

Jul 18, 2017

Emma Stone & Glenn Close Are Just Two of the Former Stars To Live In This Chelsea Townhouse

Wondering where New York’s A-list lives? This townhouse in Chelsea has had quite the celebrity past, and now it’s back on the market—this time for $18.75 million. 6sqft reported Monday that the Greek Revival townhouse is back on the market, with a million dollar price drop (it was listed for $19.75 million back in January).

Tara Bellucci

Jul 18, 2017

A Restored Italian Seaside Apartment

Name: Maria Teresa Location: Siracusa, Ortigia, Italy The basics: Less than a year, owned — 80 meters (860 square feet) Maria Teresa’s apartment is a perfect sea side get away. With low key furnishings that blend old and new and keep the space feeling light, the whole apartment has a breezy feel to it that just invites you to relax.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 18, 2017

Unexpectedly Chic: 6 Super Stylish DIY Ideas Using Bungee Cords

Flexible and fun inspiration for your upcoming DIY projects.

Amelia Lawrence

Jul 18, 2017

Before & After: An Overgrown & Underused Backyard Gets a Second Chance

"We knew that with this aggressive timeframe and extent of the work to be done, we would need to do a combination of DIY and DIFM (do it for me)"

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 18, 2017

Partner

What to Consider When It’s Time to Cohabitate

The prospect of moving in together opens up a lot of questions. How soon is too soon? Who should pay for the new couch? Whose spaghetti strainer should we keep and whose do we toss? There are a million things to consider when putting both of your names on the mailbox for the first time. We rounded up a panel of seasoned cohabitators to share their moving-in stories and helpful cohabitating tips.

Creative Studio

Jul 18, 2017

Before & After: All it Took Was $20, an Afternoon and ’90s R&B for the Perfect Dresser

Amy was on the hunt for a dresser but it had to fit both her budget and her new space. As luck would have it, her neighbors were selling this long and lean lady and Amy scooped her right up for a first class DIY treatment. From Amy: I found this dresser at a garage sale last month and immediately knew I had to have it!

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 17, 2017

A Cute, Compact Home for a Brewer, Wedding Planner and their New Baby

Name: Lisa, Colin, their baby Eliot and two cats Location: Italian Village — Columbus, Ohio The basics: Six years, owned — 1,084 square feet Lisa and her family have rooted down into this eclectically furnished home. With soft colors and carefully collected pieces, it is a warm and welcoming space infused with plenty of charm.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 17, 2017

These Are The Best Kitchen Organizing Hacks on the Internet

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) From Kitchn → The Best Kitchen Organizing Hacks on the Internet null

Apartment Therapy

Jul 17, 2017

Plant Love: Colorful DIY Boho Fringe Planter Makeover

Plant ladies – and gentlemen – unite! Every houseplant is unique, so shouldn’t their planters be unique, too? With some simple supplies, a spare hour or two, and an itch for creating cool color combos, you can easily craft a playful new look for all of your plants. The coiled cotton piping offers the ultimate neutral base for all of your favorite embroidery floss hues, and it makes this DIY perfect for pairing with all things textured, natural and bright.

Amelia Lawrence

Jul 17, 2017

A “Light and Bright” Hawaiian Home

Name: Kait, Dane and their two chocolate Labs Location: Central Oahu, Hawaii The basics: 1 year, owned — 1,400 square feet Kait and her husband had to hustle through the competitive Hawaiian housing market to find a home that met all of their needs AND the needs of their dogs (i.e. a yard). Settling on an adorable home, a quick ride from the beach, Kait has decided to take her time decorating, finding pieces that are right for the home and not just right for right now.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 16, 2017

Before & After: A Brooklyn Kitchen Opens Up

Dating in New York is notoriously brutal, and so is buying real estate, which lends itself to a robust market for fixer-uppers. After living for six years in a rented apartment in Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights neighborhood, Jill and Aaron were ready to buy — but everything they could find in their desired neighborhoods, within their price range, was less than appealing.

Nancy Mitchell

Jul 16, 2017

One of a Kind Style: A DIY Tree Branch Floor Lamp

Numerous studies support the fact that being surrounded by nature is good for your health, but who knew that getting out into the wild and foraging about could also up your home decor game? In a Chicago home brought to life by two artists, we saw homeowner Caroline Robe design this genius foraged-turned-functional floor lamp out of an untouched tree branch, causing us to wonder, “why didn’t I think of that?”.

Jessica Isaac

Jul 16, 2017

Are You Making These Common Furniture Layout Mistakes?

Furniture buying is hard; even harder still might be where to put it all and how to arrange a room. You might be inclined to just throw everything up against the wall, or set up your stuff the way your parents did in your childhood home. And though it might not seem like rocket science, the littlest tweaks in flow and placement can really make a colossal difference in the way a room feels and how you live in it.

Eleanor Büsing

Jul 16, 2017

A Serene, Coastal-Style Home in Charleston

Name: Morgan, Sean, Cici the beagle mix and Bear the cat Location: Charleston, South Carolina The basics: 1 year, owned — 1,890 square feet Morgan and her husband put in an offer on their house with lightning speed, and once they got it, set out updating the ’90s kitchen and pulling in the peaceful outdoor feeling into their space. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband Sean and I bought our home one year ago.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 15, 2017

Before & After: Smart Choices for a Small Kitchen

One of the biggest challenges of living in a tiny apartment is the tiny kitchen. After purchasing her studio apartment in Brooklyn, Kelly was determined to create her dream kitchen from what was originally a less than dreamy space. Although square footage was limited, lots of smart choices resulted in a kitchen that’s colorful, beautiful, and has the functionality of a kitchen many times its size.

Nancy Mitchell

Jul 15, 2017

Before & After: A Muddy Junk Pile Find Gets a Stylish New Life

Honestly, we’re shocked Kyle was able to pick anything out of this muddy furniture pile. Not only does he have the greatest eye in the history of curbside finds, he made an absolutely stunning piece of upcycled vintage furniture. From Kyle: I found this literally in the trash on the side of the road. It looked like someone had cleared out their back shed and threw this, along with many other old pieces of furniture, into the mud. This project took me many months to finally commit to.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 15, 2017

A Couple Shares a Sharp Apartment in an Old Colonial House

Name: Diecelis, Art and their dog Meatloaf Location: Providence, Rhode Island The basics: 4.5 months, rented — 975 square feet Diecelis and Art met while living in two different cities, New York and D.C., and after a quick stint in D.C. decided to build a new home together in Providence. Their apartment is largely black, white and gray but still feels cozy and interesting.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 14, 2017

Before & After: A Couple Moves In Together and Merges Styles and Stuff

When your boyfriend makes a bar cart from an old TV, he's a keeper.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 14, 2017

The Way We Decorate Our Homes is About to Change

Traditionally, an interior designer’s job is to help you find out what you want from a space and then work with you to create a personal decor solution that suits your room, style and budget. But in years to come, will interior designers be replaced by clever robots who can conjure up our dream schemes and know us better than we even know ourselves? Maybe — if the decorating tech that’s on the horizon (or already here) is any indication.

Ellie Tennant

Jul 13, 2017

Brightening Up a Manhattan Condo with Patterned Tile and Built-In Storage

Project by: Zach Rockhill for Hatchet Design Build Location: NoHo — Manhattan, New York The team for Hatchet Design Build worked with their client, Marika, to turn her apartment into a light-filled and texturally interesting space. With stained floors, envy-inducing tile and stylish yet inviting furnishings, the space surprises us by playing with our expectations of what a historic New York condo should look like.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Jul 13, 2017

From People Who’ve Been There: Home Sellers’ Top 5 Regrets

The saying “hindsight is 20/20” can apply to most major decisions in life—you often don’t know how you could’ve done something better until it’s already been done. And in the case of selling your home, it definitely rings true. So what is it that home sellers wish they could’ve done differently, knowing what they know now? A recent Zillow report asked home sellers (both first-time and repeat sellers) to share their biggest regrets about the process.

Brittney Morgan

Jul 13, 2017

This $8M Private Island in Maine Has a Working Farm and a Helipad

Sometimes, against all odds, against all logic, we still hope…that someday we’ll own our own private island and leave the worries of the world behind. For one lucky owner with deep pockets and a penchant for privacy, that day is now: the entirety of Hope Island, just off the coast of Portland, Maine, is currently on the market for a cool $7.95 million.

Melissa Massello

Jul 13, 2017

Real-Life Renters With Vividly Colorful Homes…Despite a “No Painting” Rule

It’s a tale as old as time (well, as long as leasing agreements have been around): You find a rental apartment or house you LOVE…but you’re not allowed to paint the walls. Perhaps the walls are white or beige and you find them ho-hum. Or perhaps your rental walls do have color—but not color you like. What’s a rule-following tenant supposed to do?

Adrienne Breaux

Jul 13, 2017

The Cement Tile Trend is Holding Strong (& We Couldn’t Be Happier)

Some trends stand the test of time for a reason. Case in point: cement tiles. Although they’ve been making waves in the decor scene for a looong while now (historians date some versions back to the 12th Century), these beautiful tiles started to pop up inside the most design-savvy contemporary homes across the globe in recent years in a big way. And it’s not difficult to see why. Along with creating artfully polished displays, cement tiles are crafted from natural materials (i.e.

Caroline Biggs

Jul 12, 2017