Apartment Therapy Archive: Dec 2017

Most of the time baking soda is our go-to basic cleaner, but not for these items.

Here’s one eye-catching rental that you couldn’t miss even if you tried. Italian/Portuguese firm Mezzo Atelier designed a dazzling pink holiday rental on the island of São Miguel in the Azores, and we’re eager to join the visitor’s list. We already count pink as one of those rug colors that will work practically everywhere, but as it turns out, the vibrant hue also does wonders for a home’s exterior.

While Amazon sells a plethora of things these days (yep, even tiny houses), they started with books. Here’s what people read the most—and the fastest—in 2017. According to Amazon Charts, people couldn’t put down the following titles.

Name: Alana and Kristopher Location: Upper West Side — New York City, NY Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Successfully pulling together a space that is a minimalist sanctuary, but also interesting (and one that still feels decorated), is surprisingly hard to do. Which is what makes this New York City couple’s Upper West Side apartment so impressive.

Many stars were on the move this year, but some have yet to sell their old places. These pedigreed properties came on the market in 2017, and if you have a few million, one of them could still be yours. The over 7,000 square foot house with beach access and a waterfall came on the market this year for $81.5 million. While it hasn’t found a buyer yet, the property is much like it was when the king of late night TV was still alive.

Medina and her husband Vince inherited this built-in closet when they moved into their current rental, and had to find a way to make it work — especially since the tiny bedroom doesn’t allow for much more storage. They removed its ugly outdated doors early on in their tenancy, but that just left them with this awful view of red faux wood grain, which Medina especially couldn’t stand.

It’s the eve of new year, and today, many minds are turning toward picking resolutions for 2018. One person who won’t be making them, though, is soon-to-be duchess Meghan Markle. It’s no secret that Meghan already has a stellar 2018 on deck—she’ll be marrying Prince Harry in May, and after having spent Christmas with the in-laws, she and her beau are jetting off to start the year on vacation. And, she’ll be sans resolutions.

If it seems like everyone you know has the flu, well, you’re right. The Center for Disease Control released data on Friday that shows just how widespread the influenza virus is already this season. Whether you’re just getting over the bug or trying to prevent it, here are some precautions you should take to keep your home healthy. The CDC data shows that flu cases spiked rapidly in the week before Christmas, and is now widespread in 36 states.

She's been cleaning out her attic on Instagram.

With the New Year right around the corner, now is the time to reflect on the past twelve months and contemplate resolutions for the future. Whether it’s eating more healthily, paying off credit card debt or flossing, setting goals helps you create a life filled with actions or accomplishments that reflect your values. If only it was that simple. Ever gone into January with the best of intentions, only to toss them aside or forget about them come February?

We saw a lot of interesting and fun things hit the market this year, and we saw a whole host of interesting things hit the almost-market on Kickstarter. We decided to take a look back at all the innovative and independent options that wanted us to clean better, sleep better and drink better in 2017. After a new study came out to tell us that our towels are basically never, ever clean, these Kickstarter towels started looking mighty, mighty good.

While a coffee table is by nature low—the right height to set your drink (and perhaps your feet) without blocking the television—an attractive coffee table display will have subtly varying heights (as well as properly organized zones for decor and useful items like remotes and coasters). → Make It Beautiful: How To Style the Perfect Coffee Table The key to handling disparate, not-particularly-attractive elements is corral, corral, corral.

Name: Jim Manning Location: Nashville, Tennessee Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 15 years, owned Some homes just have a story. In this case, Jim’s two-bedroom East Nashville home has quite a few of them! He is one of just three owners and has lived here for 15 years, which is very unusual for Nashville these days.

From breakups to break-ins, the paparazzi captured all the highs and lows of 2017—including the aftermath of some of the most costly celebrity robberies. Multiple Hollywood stars made headlines as their homes were robbed and thieves made off with millions of dollars in valuables. Here’s what you can learn from their mistakes. With so many high-profile break-ins this last year, it begs the question: what security measures are in place and is it enough?

The New Year is right around the corner, and with it comes a new burst of energy that makes people want to roll up their sleeves and organize their lives. And what better place to start than our over-stuffed, bursting-at-the-seems, stress-inducing, messy closets? If you’re getting stress sweats just thinking about your own wardrobe, stick around. Ahead is a roundup of our (*picks up megaphone*) best closet cleaning advice of all time! Let’s tackle this together.

You'll feel so much better about 2018 when you do.

When Queen Elizabeth II sits down to make her annual holiday address to TV cameras, she takes a cue from her lively collection of family photographs on her desk. Turns out, she’s not playing favorites with the photos that are displayed. According to people.

Many places in the United States are facing an extreme cold front this week, with temperatures much chillier than normal for early in the winter season. While that might means you need to bundle up a bit more for New Year’s Eve festivities, don’t forget about your four legged family members. Here are a few ways that you can protect pets from the cold.

Advice from three people who've done it with success.

We probably wouldn’t have pegged the Queen of England as one of those holiday decor stragglers, but it turns out that Elizabeth II is a February type of gal. According to Architectural Digest, the Queen and Prince Philip keep their halls decked until February 6th every year. That means they’ve got tinsel and candy canes kicking around until almost Valentine’s Day!

Adding to the list of celebrity homes we want to live in but have settled for fawning over, actress and comedian Kristen Wiig recently acquired a new piece of real estate in Pasadena. The $2.96 million, 3,425-square-foot home sits on one-third of an acre in the hillside neighborhood of San Rafael, a picturesque post situated above the historic Rose Bowl. Father and son architect duo Kemper Nomland and Kemper Nomland Jr.

California bungalow-style homes arrived in Australia in the early 20th Century, following a wave of Hollywood popularity, and were soon found across the country. These affordable one-story houses were considered modest and respectable, with charming details and solid craftsmanship — which still makes them good home candidates for young families today. See how this one Melbourne-based beauty recently got a modern update.

Our adoration for tiny homes knows no bounds, and this cozy Canadian earthship-inspired house on wheels is no exception. The construction of the humble abode took place after Steve completed a course on on Earthship Biotecture design and building in New Mexico. The tiny home on wheels is stylish, sustainable and extremely inviting. At a mere 140 square feet, the home comes equipped with a queen-sized bed, a kitchen with a vertical herb garden and a deck.

Do you have some holiday cash or gift cards burning a proverbial hole in your pocket? Good news: a lot of retailers are keeping their after Christmas sales going strong until (and even past) when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. Here are our picks for the best deals.

No rental home is perfect. Perhaps your landlord prohibits you from putting holes in the walls or altering the space in any way, so you feel like all your #housegoals are impossible to achieve. At Apartment Therapy, nothing is impossible! We gathered the best posts of 2017 highlighting how simple changes here and there can really make your home shine, and perhaps make you fall in love again.

Name: Kim and Patrick + daughter Fiona + dog CeCe Location: Brighton, Michigan Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Built in 1940 — with a mint green exterior and eggplant shutters — Kim and Patrick’s Cape Cod style house is steeped in history. “There has only been one owner prior to us and the land for the home was originally parceled from the lot belonging to the house next door.

In the latest issue of InStyle, Drew Barrymore shares her secrets to life, love and keeping things in perspective. The actress and producer reflects on her life in the spotlight and creating a home for her two young daughters—one that she really would prefer not to leave. The spread features a charming set of photos where Drew re-shoots some of her most notable childhood photos.

Bathroom makeovers are unmitigated pleasure — you get all the instant satisfaction of seeing a beautiful new space, without all the painting, tiling and building work. So, if you just want a quick fix this week, or need a little inspiration for your own home projects, take a gander at some of our favorite budget transformations from this year. It’s incredible how much can be done with very little.

New year, new you, new home! While you’re busy thinking of resolutions for the new year, slip a few home-related ones onto the list. From promising to hack your organization to giving yourself room to take bolder design risks, ahead are a few ideas to get you brainstorming. Every year we collect a mountain of clutter, usually without realizing it.

Christmas may be over but that doesn’t mean you have to do away with Christmas-y things entirely. Much like the pine tree that is perhaps still in your living room, the Christmas spirit lingers for days after the holiday has technically in ended. With that mindset, I’d like to invite you to partake in this delightful trailer for BBC One’s Mary, Mel and Sue’s Big Christmas Thank You.

I think many of us have spaces like this one in our homes: crammed with secret stashes of stuff that, over time, get a little out of control. We often don’t even need most of the things in there, which makes it a colossal waste of square footage. This year, Robin and Ed not only cleaned out their 44″ x 43″ closet, but found a completely new use for the little room. Here’s a hint: it’s not storage any more.

Are you a big fan of Apartment Therapy? Proud of your home? Want to show off your style?

Tis the season for gift giving. And chances are, you were gifted with some kind of high-ticket electronic this month. Along with those pricey presents comes product warranties — i.e. the opportunity to get a refund or replacement if you find yourself dissatisfied with the item. And while it’s easy to forget all about warranties when an item is a gift, it’s important to remember in any case that it is there if you need it.

This year’s house tours featured some of the most gorgeous homes yet. Stunning studio apartments were small but beautifully furnished. There were homes that were short on stuff, but big on style. We even saw well-decorated tiny homes…on wheels. Frankly, homes across America AND around the world impressed me with warm, welcoming, unique and lovely interiors. Really the only thing I enjoyed seeing more than the beautiful homes…were the amazingly adorable furry inhabitants!

In my mission to read as many books as I could in 2017, I explored new genres, new voices, and became the go-to girl for book recommendations. It’s a job I happily accept, as I’ve learned a lot about what makes a good book (and more) from reading so many this year.

A new year means new goals and a renewed desire to get organized. To help you get there, we’ve rounded up our favorite day planners, from the professional to the quirky to the feminine. Even though it’s tempting to just stick with your phone’s calendar app, why not make 2018 the year you move away from the digital and rediscover how much fun and practical having a good old paper planner can be.

Millions of American homeowners this week interrupted their lazy winter vacation days and post-holiday clearance shopping to frantically crowd their county or city tax offices, hoping to prepay next year’s property taxes and dodge a tax bullet. Now the IRS, for whom the Grinch is perhaps not just a seasonal foil but a year-round inspiration, says they may have been wasting their time. Let’s back up a bit.

Has the hustle and bustle of the holiday season inspired you to get away from it all? Well, we might have found the perfect place—if you’re up for a project. Known as Craigencallie House, the property is situated within Galloway Forest Park, which happens to be Britain’s first Dark Sky park, a designation given to places with extraordinary views of the night sky.

I spend a lot of time looking at bathrooms, and in 2017 I saw some very nice ones — but these 13 bathroom stuck out to me as the best and the most beautiful. There’s a lot to see here: interesting fixtures, bold colors, and best of all, lots and lots of tile. Beautiful, beautiful tile. Above, penny tile adds luxurious texture to the walls of a bathroom by GRT Architects. I love the combination of the black faucet and showerhead with the brass light fixtures.

From those put on the market by the star themselves to homes that once belonged to long gone Hollywood legends, we peeked inside some pretty wild celebrity homes this year. There were funky interiors, funky listings, and even one super funky carpet situation. Gerard Butler’s Chelsea loft certainly made an impact. With ceiling frescos, stone lions and even a piece from a cathedral, its tres dramatique style is one for the books.

I set (what I thought was) an ambitious reading goal for myself in January 2017: I wanted to read 52 books. One book every week seemed challenging and exciting, but I was well through my quota by early summer. I pushed ahead, aiming for an even 100 but it’s looking like I will fall short of that renewed goal. Looking for a recommendation? Read Samatha’s picks here: I Read 75 Books in 2017 & These Were My Top 10 Still, a grand total of 75 books (and counting) is not too shabby.

The era of Peak TV shows no signs of slowing down. While it can be overwhelming, having too many options isn’t exactly the worst way to kick off a new year. Here are some of the shows we’re looking forward to watching in 2018: This horror-inducing new anthology series from Stephen King and J. J. Abrams revolves around the fictional Maine town that serves as the backdrop for King’s stories.

You guys seem to have an affinity for anything that can de-lint and de-fuzz, that's for sure.

Name: Courtney, Paul, and (daughter) Redding Location: Corktown — Detroit, Michigan Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned After living in Brooklyn for 10 years, Courtney and Paul relocated to Detroit in 2016 and took a chance on buying a house…without ever walking inside. The couple discovered the property through family: Paul’s cousin moved back to the Motor City a few years before them and found this duplex. Now they all currently live in it!

Earlier this week, the world watched Queen Elizabeth’s annual Christmas message. It’s been quite an eventful year, and the monarch touched upon everything from the Manchester bombing and the Grenfell fire to her 70th wedding anniversary to Prince Philip. But fans of Netflix’s The Crown—which came back for season 2 earlier this month—were feeling some deja vu. [Some spoilers ahead.

Bland rental kitchens and bathrooms are about as common as noisy upstairs neighbors, but at least you can make small temporary fixes to transform your space. Take some serious inspiration from these clever renters, who invested a little bit of time and very little money to make changes they could live with, then reverse when they moved out. This awkward bathroom — with a seashell-shaped sink — got a weekend facelift that only cost $350 (also lead image above).

Christiane Lemieux embodies the kind of effortless chic that my decorating dreams are made of. She always knows the right print to mix with a stripe, and I swear she was one of the first mainstream designers to bring birds onto bedding and upholstery in a big way while at the helm of DwellStudio. Well, this lady boss is back at it with her latest venture, The Inside, which combines on-demand printing with furniture design to create fashion-forward made-to-order pieces.

Think a new kitchen is currently out of reach? If yours is bringing you down, but you don’t have the means to do a full renovation, don’t give up too soon. These budget renovations all cost under $1,000 (and some well, well under that) and prove beyond a shadow of doubt that you don’t need a wad of money to give your kitchen a brand new look. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of paint, a little bit of elbow grease, and some good ideas. Use these five as inspiration.