Apartment Therapy Archive: Jul 2018

What better way to express your summer style than to look to the stars for a little decorating direction? If you’re in the market for some fun accouterment to liven up your space, let your sign be your guide. Whether you’re a fiery Leo or an Earth-bound Virgo, it’s time to trust the stars (and the internet!) to illuminate that perfect finishing touch! You are adventurous, enthusiastic, and nothing if not courageous, so why not be bold with some wild statement wallpaper?

Name: Clayton Brant, husband Keith and two little boys, Fischer and Ford Location: Carlisle, Pennsylvania Size: 2022 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned We found a four-acre property right outside of town with beautiful trees in a very quiet neighborhood, and built a house on a very strict budget. We were committed to keeping our footprint relatively small (around 2,000 square feet), so we designed the interior of the house to use space very efficiently and functionally.

Attention crafters, makers, DIYers, and creators of all sorts of thingamajigs: there’s a magical new TV show called “Making It” that will delight you more than a trip to the craft store. “Making It,” NBC’s new crafts competition reality show, embraces all things handmade and it debuts on NBC on Tuesday, July 31 at 10/9c.

Forget gray and yellow. This summer, we’re loving the fresh combination of all manner of bright pinks (think fuschias and corals) contrasted against a more traditional navy. Whether accenting furniture or adorning a wall, it can bring a crisp pop to your summer décor. We love how this navy blue sofa is accented with blush pillows and multi-hued pink artwork. Few other colors make an appearance in the living room above, so the navy and fuchsia tones make an even bigger impact.

The right accessories can really make or break your living room. Sure, the big ticket items—your sofa, rug, chairs, etc—are what set the tone in the space, but it’s the littler pieces that really make it feel like you. Your side table and its accompanying lamp may not feel like the centerpiece of the room, but that doesn’t mean you should sideline this important design aspect.

Applying for an apartment is hard. First you have to find one that’s moderately nice and within your price range, and then you have to get all of your documents together really, really fast. This would be easy if you were organized and had time set away to sort through your papers. But this is life and we’re not as organized as we’d like to be; it’s likely that you have a job and thus have limited time to collect your bank statements from the last six months.

Name: Gianni Ruggiero, his wife Valeria Dubin, and their two daughters Olivia and Mila Location: Barcelona — Spain Size: 2,153 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, renting This big open Barcelona loft has seen a lot over its lifetime. In the 1960s, it was a photography studio, welcoming lots of models and colorful characters into its airy interior. When that photographer retired, he moved out and let his son rent the place: Gianni, an architect who appreciates simplicity in things.

We all know that catalogs aren’t real life, but they can be excellent sources of inspiration to mine for your own home. IKEA has one of the best ones out there, and their 2019 edition (out this week!) is chock full of ways to add color, interest, and texture to your walls. Here are some clever and creative painting ideas to steal. Here, IKEA uses two complementary paint colors for the walls: a dusty blue and pink.

You’re looking at a pretty standard-fare bathroom, one part of a mostly unrenovated 1950s house where Andrea lives with her family. Since she’s a renter, she decided to make one big temporary change—something warm and fun—that works with the pink tile in the bathroom shower. I think we can all agree this is very fun, and very bold.

There’s nothing quite like finding the perfect vintage piece for your home. It can immediately elevate your space and add a timeless touch that you just don’t get with many modern furnishings. The downside? Needing to comb through innumerable vintage stores to actually find what you’re looking for. But now, IKEA is changing the game.

Harry Potter was different from other children—magical and muggle—for many reasons: Obviously there’s the whole “destined to defeat the Dark Lord and save the world” thing, but there are some other, less dramatic differences, too. Harry Potter did not look forward to his birthday and he dreaded coming home from school for the summer. Both of these facts make sense when you consider that Harry was (not) celebrating his birthday and living with the Dursleys.

Get your plant shopping done from the comfort of your home.

Living in just one room doesn’t have to mean seeing your bedroom from the front door. These smart studio dwellers created cozy bedroom areas despite the fact that their homes don’t have walls. Elaine Burns had the unique idea for her studio apartment to create a plantation shutter faux wall to hide the bed and separate it from the entryway. She reached out to American Blinds to have the wall custom built.

How often do you clean your pet’s bowls? Are you washing them daily in soapy water as hot as you can stand it, followed by air-drying them, and also sanitizing them once a week? No? Well, according to Dr. Jerry Klein, an emergency and critical care veterinarian in Chicago and chief veterinary officer for the American Kennel Club, it’s time to up your pet bowl game. Here’s the thing. Pet bowls are disgusting. DISGUSTING.

Greetings, Earthlings: today’s real estate gem is an out of this world “spaceship” house. And this might not even be the first time you’ve laid eyes on this otherworldly dwelling. That’s right, we featured the 1969 sculpted house in La Selva Beach, California as a House Tour back in 2016. Now, it’s currently listed with Coldwell Banker for $1.4 million.

Throw pillows are an easy way to add flair to your bedroom decor, but what exactly are you supposed to do with them when it’s time to go to sleep? We reached out to prop stylist extraordinaire Kaylei McGaw for her advice on how to handle your extra pillows before you hit the hay, and she had lots to share. Read ahead for five ways to style your throw pillows when it’s bedtime (other than tossing them on the floor). “There are plenty of uses for a bench at the end of your bed.

Thou shalt not buy something that doesn't fit your room or lifestyle.

If you weren’t already hip to Airstream rentals, now’s the time to smarten up. Sort of similar to glamping—but indoors—Airstream trailers and campers are essentially mobile mini-homes you can park (and rent) in just about any location (the desert, the beach, and so on). It’s no surprise that Airbnb is brimming with cool Airstream rentals in dreamy destinations all over the globe.

We’re no stranger to IKEA hacks at Apartment Therapy, though usually, we’re the ones (or you!) that are doing the hacking. But with the release of its latest limited edition collection, IKEA is fully embracing that creative spirit. IKEA asked Dutch designers Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings to hack two of the company’s most popular products—the KLIPPAN sofa and the POÄNG chair.

In the world of interior design, it can be easy to start taking things just a little too seriously. Some of the most beautiful interiors get it right by incorporating playful or nostalgic pieces alongside more timeless design elements. In the spirit of letting loose, we’ve chosen some of our favorite pieces from Target’s children’s line Pillowfort that you’ll want to decorate with yourself.

As of 2016, almond milk was the most popular milk of all milks in the United States. And even with all the newcomers — cashew milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, oat milk — we’d guess it’s still the darling of the “mylks.” But does it deserve its spotlight in the non-dairy section of your supermarket? Here are a few things you should know about almond milk. Like all the other non-dairy milks, it’s lactose-free.

The Yale Avenue home might be simple from the outside, but the interior is chock-full of impressive updates. 118 Yale Avenue Located in Salt Lake City, Utah $279,000 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom To be perfectly honest, this house on Yale Avenue isn’t the most glamorous from the outside. The 1925 bungalow is cute enough—with a solid brick exterior and a pretty porch—but it’s the inside that truly impresses.

Name: Kellie Brown Location: Sugar Hill — Manhattan, NYC Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting Even Kellie Brown—lifestyle blogger and founder of AndIGetDressed—admits that her blog started out as just a way to show off what she’s wearing… but it has turned into so much more. Especially after starting her YouTube channel (over 33,000 subscribers and counting), where videos feature her infectiously positive energy, fashion tips, and more.

Jell-O is already one of the most fun foods. It’s just so jiggly! No matter how old you are, that wiggle is amusing. That’s why we have things like Jell-O shapes, Jell-O shots, and Jell-O wrestling. Now Jell-O has just come out with the coolest new idea: Jell-O molds that let kids make edible blocks they can stack into cars, buildings, and animals, and still eat afterwards. Technically it’s designed for kids, but I am definitely going to need to play with these.

Soap scum and water marks are ubiquitous in most showers and baths. So often we treat them as an inevitable nuisance that is hidden from most eyes and that we address when we deep clean the bathroom, have guests coming, or just can’t take it anymore. And then we look for quick fixes and hacks like the baggie method to tackle the clinging grime (nothing wrong with that!).

If you’re excited about getting a glimpse into strangers’ closets, you’re only going to get half the thrill you’re hoping for, because one of these closets has been converted into something a little unexpected. Here’s how the homeowner describes that closets before their makeover: The before photos were from the day we bought the house.

Name: Annie Robertson, husband, two sons (ages 4 and 7) Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 250 square feet Years lived in: 2 months, owned We are in the planning and permitting process of building a house from scratch, and our family faced an unexpected job loss. Rather than give up our lot and move out of inner Portland, where housing costs are ever-rising and we would be hard pressed to get into again, we decided to remodel a two-bedroom fifth wheel trailer! We are stationary on our lot.

One of the greatest gifts the internet ever gave us was fellowship. Your fingertips impulsively tap out a random thought, hit send, and seconds later the entirety of Twitter is liking it and retweeting it in solidarity. Like they’re saying through emoji hearts I know the feeling, too.

The past seven days of my life have been shrouded in secrecy—like NDA-level secrecy—but I can finally open up and shout the big news from the rooftops (well, from Apartment Therapy, at least). The 2019 IKEA Catalog is officially here, and it’s a good one! Especially considering it’s the Swedish design giant’s 75th anniversary year.

Name: Erin Love, husband, two daughters, and two dogs Location: Russiaville, Indiana Size: 2,300 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Our home is set back on a semi-wooded lot in the country. I would describe it as a cozy cottage. It was built in 1977 and has so many cool “older” quirks that won me over instantly. I am drawn to earth-toned colors and pretty textures and patterns.

While it’s fun to shop for planters on Etsy and West Elm (there are sooooo many good ones out there), those suckers can really add up, especially if you’ve got an entire jungle growing in your living room. Here’s an idea: Supplement your pricier buys with cheaper items from dollar stores, which are chock full of items that can be transformed into nontraditional, but great-looking, homes for your plant friends.

It is official! You can now get same-day delivery at Target, thanks to Shipt. Target acquired the grocery delivery service in late 2017 for $550 million and announced their plan to roll out same-day delivery for Target shoppers in 2018. Over the last few months, Shipt has been prepping for this moment and now it is here. If you live in New Jersey, Shipt is now available and offering 50% off the cost of same-day shipping.

The architecture of a city so often becomes an integral part of its branding and identity. The distinguishing image of Paris is the Eiffel Tower and Haussmann apartments. San Francisco has the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, of course. And New York has lofts, brownstones, impressive skyscrapers like the Empire State Building, and quirky modern residences designed by big names like Zaha Hadid and Bjarke Ingels.

Have you ever read something and thought “well, that is enough internet for today!” Us too. We’re sorry to tell you this, but you should be aware of it. Apparently, you can get bed bugs on an airplane. Yup – they’re not just on beds, these bugs like to catch flights too. Bed bugs are little pests that grow to the size of an apple seed. They’re known for feeding off of blood, thus causing itchy and blotchy spots on their human hosts.

I can get behind a design trend just as fast as the next person. Exposed brick? Sliding barn doors? Reclaimed wood? Check, check, and check! I dream of a farmhouse sink and a subway tile backsplash and am about to do the all-open-shelving thing in our kitchen. But there’s one seemingly mandatory design decision that I have zero interest in making: adopting the open kitchen. In our 1890 home, the kitchen is at the back of the house in a textbook-style late-Victorian floor plan.

If your M.O. up until this point was to pair silver with silver and gold with gold for fear of not “matching,” we won’t tell anyone. But we’ll let you in on a little design secret: Mixing metals is back, and in a BIG way. Should you choose to pair brass with chrome, copper with yellow gold, rose gold with stainless steel, or any combination of the above, your fixtures and decor are sure to pop from the decidedly unexpected complementary metallic finishes.

This massive bathroom was 14 feet long and ready for an update, so one intrepid homeowner DIY-ed literally every inch of it. The room is now a bit smaller but far, far more fabulous. Jess of Bright Green Door, who’s behind this renovation, can explain what’s going on with this hall bathroom: It was 14 feet long, with a door into the hallway, and another door into the kitchen.

Let’s face it: Of all the arduous tasks on our housekeeping to-do lists, cleaning the toilet is arguably the worst. And while certain hacks, like removing the toilet seat, can make the process of deep cleaning your toilet go a lot more smoothly, we discovered a $20 solution that will make it even easier. An easily-removable toilet seat, like this one from Home Depot, will make cleaning your bathroom a breeze.

One of the most talked about celebrity homes just hit the market. Elvis Presley once hosted a party for the Beatles at his Bel Air mansion. We don’t even need to see pictures of the place to know that it is amazing. If you want to live in a home that has seen Elvis, Howard Hughes, and Zsa Zsa Gabor as owners, you’re going to need to drop $23.4 million. That’s a steal for a former home of Elvis! The house was originally built by the businessman, Howard Hughes.

How many times have you wished that you could get paid to take a nap? If we counted on a Monday, that number would be pretty high. Well, it looks like this is actually an option for some select people! Mattress Firm is going to pay their interns $200 to take naps. This is a sweet deal for people looking to gain experience, make money, and take naps. It is basically the dream internship for college students! Seriously, where was this internship when we were in college?

Your next trip to IKEA might be a lot faster than usual. Anyone who has ever shopped at the Swedish retailer knows that you can get lost in there for quite a while. The stores are so big and there are so many things to look at and buy, it is nearly impossible to just walk in and out of the store. However, it seems that IKEA is going to test out some smaller stores. This is a direct result of a 40% drop in profits in the UK.

Name: Marieke Rijksen, husband and two children (11 and 6) Location: Haarlem, The Netherlands Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 4 months, owned Our home was built about 130 years ago on the canals of Haarlem. It features gorgeous ornate original high ceilings and many of the historical features have been preserved. When we bought it late 2017, it needed a bit of love and some extra space. The kitchen was tiny and the second floor was not very practical with a pitched roof.

Free your mind and the rest will follow. Forget what you thought you knew about email mix-ups, plane delays, and endless panic over signed contracts. This mid-2018 Mercury Retrograde season (from July 26 to August 19) is ripe for deep dives into our past narratives, revised relationships to our mission statements, and juicy convos about what we really want. To get to the good stuff though, we’ve got to first be willing to engage in a little myth-busting and self-empowered action.

Welcome to My First Apartment! Whether it’s your first studio, a four-bedroom deep in the city shared with a handful of roommates, or even an entire house (lucky you!), there’s something special about moving into the first place that’s truly your own. In this series, we’ll showcase actors, artists, entrepreneurs, and beyond—asking them to revisit that oh-so-sweet nostalgia of newly-found freedom.

Full disclosure: I’m the last person to give advice about not worrying. I was up half the night last night thinking about everything currently going wrong with my home renovation. Trust me, if it wasn’t that it would be something else. But look, there’s plenty of actual Bad Stuff happening out in the world—none of us need to add to that worry load. So take a look at a few things around the house that I believe we can just strike off the list.

Teardrop travel trailers are by far the cutest way to camp, and one ambitious Reddit user was determined to make one from scratch—even without plans! After investing about 200 hours of work and $3,000, the Reddit user made something charming from nothing. This is the most darling little trailer I’ve ever seen—and it was totally DIY. Reddit user u/ryansanderson04 even built the chassis by hand, out of tube iron.