The Latest: Apr 2018

All of the interiors are luxe.

When it comes to affordable art that still feels unique, Pop Chart Lab is one of our favorites. The Brooklyn-based print company turns charts into art, with cheeky infographics on everything from the taxonomy of typography to a flow chart of all the ways you can make and consume coffee. Prints typically start at around $29, making it an inexpensive way to add some color to your walls. But now through Wednesday, you can do it for even less.

It’s no surprise that moving across the country means that not all of your things can necessarily move with you. For my partner and me, area code hopping from Toronto to Vancouver meant forsaking all of our home furnishings to make room in the car for keepsakes and clothing. So where do you start when you sign the lease and you have nothing but wardrobe changes and some family photos?

Amazon Prime is perfectly great for two-day shipments of everything from granola bars to hairdryers to toilet paper. But if you’re looking for something a little more unique, or even handmade, you’ve probably turned to independent artists on sites like Etsy. In a move to fill this void, Amazon launched its Handmade section last year with more than 80,000 items—and we have to say that we love what we see.

Here at Apartment Therapy, we write about tiny houses a whole lot. Sometimes, I find myself wondering if we’ve reached peak tiny house. Are these adorable little dwellings on wheels just glorified trailer homes? Are they destined for the pages of Craigslist in a few years, once the mania dies down? Or are they a reflection of a cultural shift in the way we look at our homes, where bigger isn’t always better?

Is there anything worse than being tired but not being able to fall asleep? Honestly, your mind is ready to rest, you swear your body is ready too, but then it betrays you and you lay awake at night, tossing and turning. It is the most frustrating dilemma that we can face at night and it can be happening for just about any reason! Did you realize the temperature of your bedroom could be at fault? We’ve all been there.

The trend of tiny living is well, huge. Whether it’s municipalities looking to solve affordable housing crises, or individuals looking to live a simpler life in the woods, tiny homes seem to be the answer to nearly every question these days. Now the tiny living phenomena has inspired equally tiny, yet incredibly functional and beautifully designed, kitchens for modern living.

Some of you may remember this post I wrote, asking you if I should break down and get one of those ugly-as-sin kitchen mats, even though they offend my eyes. (If you haven’t read it, I’ll wait while you do!) Despite the popular advice to just break down and do it, I’ve been hemming and hawing over the decision for months. And I’m glad, actually. Because I’ve just come across something that is a million times more attractive than the typical kitchen mat.

There are no shortage of mattresses you can buy online these days, with prices ranging from a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars. But in an ever-expanding sea of competitors, one bed-in-a-box has managed to make people really happy for not a lot of money. The Zinus memory foam mattress starts at under $100 for a basic twin, but the most popular one is the 12-inch model. Typically priced $239 for a full, it’s currently even cheaper.

A design formula that intertwines the concept of upcycling and modular structures is responsible for producing this absolutely genius pop up bar made out from a recycled shipping container. To date, we’ve seen these containers converted into stylish backyard offices and various residences that range from quirky and tiny to modern and decidedly minimalist.

Sure, we all want to keep up with the latest home decor trends. Since they change so quickly, though, spending a ton isn’t particularly appealing or practical. Luckily, we’ve done the hard part for you. We’ve narrowed down three of our favorite trends of the year and picked out a varied selection of well-priced items for each. With our choices below, you can freshen up your home decor and avoid racking up any pesky overdraft fees or unnecessary guilt in the process.

As far as rental kitchens go — especially rental kitchens in New York City — mine isn’t half bad. The oven door opens all the way (the one in my last apartment didn’t! Read about it here: How I Made the World’s Tiniest, Most Awkward Kitchen Work), there’s decent storage space, and a small skylight floods the room with light during the day.

Ahhh, open shelving. There are some very strong opinions about this kitchen trend. I’m 99% ready to take the leap myself, ditching the looming floor-to-ceiling boxy pantries a previous owner added to our Victorian home. They close in the already small-ish space But it’s a big commitment to move to an everything-on-display kitchen. Sure, they look beautiful on Pinterest, but what’s it really like to live with open shelves?