Apartment Therapy Archive: Feb 2018

Amazon’s Goldbox is a location for all kinds of Amazon deals for a limited time. It’s a bit like a digital rummage sale, where you can find everything from sous vide machines to colored pens. We are often sifting through the (literal thousands) of items here at Apartment Therapy to surface the best deals for home. In doing so, we’ve picked up on some trends, like this teddy bear necklace is nearly always on sale.

This week, domestic doyenne and Hamptons entertaining heroine Ina Garten shared her latest home decor acquisition on Instagram, but the reception wasn’t nearly as warm and inviting as her famous kitchen. The contemporary art piece from a French antiques dealer is getting seriously mixed reviews — including from many who wondered: Where was Geoffrey on this?

We’ve all been there. We’re riding high on the adrenaline rush of a great Costco deal on tires, vodka, shirts or whatever, feeling like the savviest shopper to ever shop. You log online to see what’s popping over on Costco dot com when you spot the exact same thing on sale for *gasp* way less. But don’t worry, there’s a way to get in on a sale, even if you’ve already purchased it.

Name: Elyza Brillantes and her husband Austin Location: Denver, Colorado Size: 2,100 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years, owned My husband and I moved to Denver from Jersey City, New Jersey for a change of pace and after getting married the year prior, we were ready to buy our first home. Having lived in small apartments together previously, we knew we wanted a house that had space to entertain and enough yard space for a garden.

While I normally subscribe to the Groucho Marx-ism of not wanting to be a member of any club that would have me, I would happily make an exception for Nap York, a new wellness club that offers stressed out and busy New Yorkers a quick place to nap in peace. The signature experience of Nap York, the Nap York Pod, offers a private refuge to rest, relax, recharge and meditate.

(Image credit: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com) From Kitchn → Former Employees Dish on What You Don’t Know About Whole Foods, Starbucks, and Trader Joe’s null

Is there a word that describes nostalgia for something that isn’t a part of your personal past? Because that’s what I feel when I see pictures of families in the ’50s huddled together around their radios. There’s something about everyone gathered, sharing an experience stripped of every sense but hearing. Maybe it’s the intensely personal imaginations of each listener all blossoming in the same space from a common source.

The bathroom in this tiny house is 10x nicer than the one in my apartment.

As someone who spends a great deal of their time looking at pictures of interiors, I have a strange relationship with decor trends. Some things I like initially, but then grow weary of after I see them over and over again. Other trends kind of creep up on me. Perhaps I don’t care for them initially, but after seeing them in hundreds of homes, I start to think: okay, this could work. Falling firmly into the second category: vintage portraits.

The “perfect gift” can be elusive. But while the recipient, price point, and occasion may shift, I’d argue that a present should ideally be something your recipient would never think to buy for themselves—yet also useful. While this might sound like a tall order, Etsy — with its endless array of one-of-a-kind gifts — fits the bill.

Name: Yvonne Kusters, husband Steven, daughter Faye and their dog Tess Location: The Hague, the Netherlands Size: 3,444 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned The Hague is the third-largest city in the Netherlands and holds the seat of the Dutch government. Originating in the 13th century, it’s rich in history and filled with numerous monumental buildings. Walking past these stately old homes, you would never expect one of them to house a little bit of tropical paradise.

If you’ve ever sipped on a velvety, chewy glass of red wine so delicious that you thought to yourself, “Wow, I could take a bath in this,” then you just might be ready to try the Medieval self-care regimen we didn’t know we were missing — but are totally here for now.

Don't plan your bathroom without looking at this first.

Because Scruffy (and your furniture) deserves the best.

If you’re planning to travel outside the country, you may want to make sure your passport is in order sooner rather than later. The State Department announced that fee increase is coming. Here’s what you need to know. If you’re already a passport holder, the increase may not directly affect you. In a statement released by the State Department, the execution fee will increase $10 on April 2nd. What is an execution fee, you ask?

If your home doesn’t contain at least one disastrous closet, I salute you. (And if you only have one closet, it’s even more likely to be overstuffed and overwhelmed!) This doorless closet, which was a catchall for everything from cakestands to lampshades, got a full makeover for less than $100 and is now totally display-worthy.

This soft pastel has some surprising staying power (and works in just about every room).

“Doing a gut renovation on my own—no husband, no boyfriend, just me—wasn’t easy,” admits Sarah Jacobson, of the renovation of her 750-square-foot NYC home. “It was literal blood, sweat and tears (so many tears!). It was many a moment of fear, of thinking I wasn’t good enough, of thinking I didn’t know what I was doing, of thinking I’d bitten off more than I could chew. But guess what? I did it anyway.

(Image credit: Esteban Cortez) From Kitchn → Our 10 Favorite Kitchen Towel Hooks for $20 or Less null

From Apartment Therapy → Want White Countertops?

Designers continue to push the creative parameters of tiny houses. The most recent examples of their ingenuity come courtesy of the winners of Ryterna Modul’s Architectural Challenge 2018. The competition invited the participants to create a tiny house no bigger than 269 square feet, complete with a kitchen, sleeping and living areas and a bathroom. The other rule is that designs must have zero impact on the environment.

Did you have a bad day recently (have you heard Bad Day recently)? How many would you say are bad out of 365? A new study says that this is how many the average American has each year. A survey commissioned by Freeletics, a fitness app, says that the average American has 60 bad days a year. That’s 60 spilled coffee down your shirt, missed your train, got a flat tire, heard some bad news, remembered all of your student loans, saw your ex get married days to reckon with.

Michaels has long been a jumping-off point for every DIY under the sun. But recently, the craft retailer has added another category: furniture. Currently only available online, its home decor range includes everything from lamps and ottomans to patio furniture. And to celebrate the launch, Michaels is currently offering 40% off most of the inventory. There is also free shipping on all orders over $49.

It's the first time Sarah's lived solo...and she's LOVING it.

Nothing gives me a lift like a royal wedding. Since announcing their engagement this past November, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been the talk of the internet. When is it happening? May. What kind of engagement ring will she sport? Custom by Cleave and Company. Where will the newlyweds live?Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace. How will they decorate? Unclear—but we can glean from the Royal Warrant Holders Association what decorating favorites may be on the list.

Tiny house, big vacation? That’s what’s on tap at Tiny Estates, a former campground in Elizabethtown, Penn. that’s opening this spring as a Tiny House resort, the Daily Herald reports. Previously known as the Ridge Run Campground, the property was recently purchased by the Hobson family, who plan to build dozens of tiny homes for vacation-goers looking to get away. Each house will be unique, with its own design.

Conspiracy theory, or straight up clue? Ever since Chip and Joanna Gaines announced back in January that they’re expecting their fifth child, Fixer-Upper superfans have been predicting every single detail about the baby’s arrival. While many fans are already trying to determine Joanna’s due date, some have already moved on to determining the sex and name of the upcoming addition.

(Image credit: suzanne clements/Stocksy) From Kitchn → Our Readers’ Best Advice for Reducing Food Waste null

Name: Sarah Jacobson Location: Lower East Side — New York, NY Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned “Above all, I believe in comfort—in a home that makes you feel more relaxed the second you step through its doors,” describes Sarah of her style. You can feel and see that sense of comfort in features like the two-person breakfast nook or the living room area, at least once you get over the stunning style of the apartment (specifically the kitchen!).

When Robert and Samantha Garlow of Shedsistance designed and built their tiny home in the woods of Yakima, Washington, they created a super cool small space with an impressive amount of room for all of their outdoor gear. Fast forward a few months and they have to make room for another form of adventure: parenthood. The couple spent about $30,000 building the 24-foot long, eight-foot-six-inch-wide, 13-foot-five-inch-tall home.

Few beds are heavy and stable enough to stay in place: most move around, however slightly. When you climb in at bedtime, flop over in the middle of the night, or engage in sexy times, your bed shifts along with you. Maybe it squeaks or makes some noise, or, god forbid, bangs against the wall from time to time. Here are a couple of easy and cheap ways to stop the rocking and the knocking… First off, make sure that, over time, your bolts and screws haven’t loosened.

Last year, Man Repeller’s Amelia Diamond wrote this brilliant article about the weird prescience of the clothing choices in Napoleon Dynamite. The wheel of fashion is always turning, and suddenly, more than a decade after the movie’s release, some of Napoleon’s strange, frumpy getups are the height of chic. Which got me thinking: I wonder if the same thing has happened for the movie’s interiors?

In the latest data-analytics news from Captain Obvious, one new report has quantifiably named New York City the dirtiest city in America — by far. Leading the top 40 cities in the U.S. on combined filth factors as collected by the EPA, the U.S. Census, and the American Housing Survey, the Big Apple was considered especially rotten for its above-and-beyond litter and rodent issues.

When I saw this living room, I crossed my fingers that the ceiling beams and wood-burning stove survived the renovation. Spoiler alert: they did! Just don’t get too attached to that amazing, but undeniably eccentric, hutch. Beams and stove are intact, but the problem now is that they’re utterly upstaged by that astounding floor by Fairwood.

We couldn't be happier to see this weird old trend making a comeback.

Today, Mel (a designer) and Mario (a filmmaker) live in a stunning Spanish apartment they own, having spent the last few years slowly decorating the space to be an open, airy and warm home for themselves and their baby daughter Mia (as well as pups Coco and Marni). But it didn’t always look this good. In fact, this 1950s apartment had NEVER been renovated before.

(Image credit: The Kitchn) From Kitchn → The Section of Amazon You’re Not Shopping but Should Be null

Good news, IKEA fans. One of the most annoying things about shopping at the Swedish retailer online has just gotten way better. No more adding furniture to your cart, just to abandon ship because of those exorbitant shipping costs. On its US homepage, IKEA is currently touting a new delivery fee policy, where large items like sofas will ship for as low as $29.

(Image credit: Rasulovs/Getty Images) From Kitchn → The Most Ridiculous Things Our Pets Do in the Kitchen null

For anyone who was sad to see the final Oh Joy for Target decor collection released this past fall, we have some good news. As it turns out, the whimsical patterns and colors aren’t totally gone from Target stores, they’re just in a new (disposable) form. On Sunday, Oh Joy! For Cheeky launched online and in select Target stores. The line of disposable plates, bowls, and cups come in a variety of prints perfect for spring, summer, and beyond. “I love celebrations.

Forget the splinter-prone two-by-fours and rusty nail playgrounds of your elementary school years. The children of tomorrow are getting something a little bit more colorful. British architectural office Alma-nac is set to create The Upside Down House in Green Park Village, located in the city of Reading, England.

(Image credit: Courtesy of Amazon) From Kitchn → 7 Things You Should Never Clean with Vinegar

Name: Mel and Mario, baby daughter, Mia and two dogs, Coco and Marni Location: Alicante, Spain Size: 2,100 square feet Years lived in: 3 and a half years, owned Mel is a designer and her husband Mario is a filmmaker, and when they decided to purchase a home, there was one thing that was most important. “We knew we wanted a renovation project where we could design everything ourselves.

Chip and Jo have a new addition—and no, we’re not talking about the baby. The Fixer Upper stars’ restaurant, Magnolia Table, opened Monday in Waco, and we’ve got a peek inside. One of the perks of living in Waco is getting to sneak into @MagnoliaTable for their soft opening. And oh my goodness, it’s utter perfection. Truly heavenly food, and every single detail was on point. The tile floors, menus, all the lettering – my typography loving heart be still.