This Tiny House Builds Up Instead of Out
As small space living gets more and more popular, the tiny houses and micro homes have become sleeker, smarter and well, taller. This skinny micro home was designed by Dutch firm Ana Rocha Architecture and was given the extra appropriate name, The Slim Fit. It looks sort of like a sexy Lincoln Log and offers 538 square feet of living space, spread out across three floors. The exterior is covered Ayous hardwood, which was laid out vertically emphasizing the length of the building.
Mar 11, 2018
10 Items in the IKEA Kids Section You’ll Want for Yourself
Before I had kids, I would typically hightail it through the children’s section of IKEA watching to be sure my toes didn’t get squashed by a rocking moose. But with two kids at home, I now know my DUKTIGs from my LATTJOs and my FLISATS from my MAMMUTs. And, I can tell you, there are some good grownup finds in there that you might be overlooking. Let me show you a few… IKEA was smart to design a very basic dollhouse, the FLISAT ($29.
Mar 11, 2018
9 Simple Sponge Hacks Everyone Should Know
For such an unassuming object, kitchen sponges are kind of rock stars. In addition to being responsible for getting our dishes and utensils clean, these thirsty squares can be repurposed in ways we haven’t even thought of yet. But, rest assured, the ways we do know of prove pretty darn ingenious.
Mar 11, 2018
This ‘Invisible’ Tiny House Blends Into Its Surroundings
Becoming one with nature is the supporting theme behind COULSON’s “Disappear Retreat,” a sustainable structure that completely blends in with its surrounding environment. Constructed to withstand extremely cold climate locations like Chicago, Seattle, Buffalo and Calgary, the tiny structure’s harmonious design is highlighted by various eco-friendly elements that ensure its living footprint remains at “zero energy, zero waste, zero water.
Mar 10, 2018
These May or May Not Be the Best Cities for First-Time Homebuyers
Mortgage marketplace Lending Tree recently ranked its best cities for first-time homebuyers, and the results are, well… let’s just say it’s great news if you’d like to live in Little Rock, Ark., which Lending Tree found to be the most hospitable U.S. city to first-time home buyers. Birmingham, Ala., Grand Rapids, Mich., Youngstown, Ohio, and Winston, N.C. rounded out the top five.
Mar 9, 2018
This Is a Baby Name Expert’s Top Guess For Chip & Jo’s Fifth Child
It’s not just the sex of Chip and Joanna Gaines’s new baby that’s causing quite the discussion. Now that the Waco duo has revealed their baby’s gender, the world is plotting away trying to determine what the little boy’s name will be. As any Fixer Upper superfan would know, the Gaines family already has two boys: Drake, 12, and Duke, 9. (There are also two little girls, Ella, 11, and Emmie Kay, 7.
Mar 9, 2018
Before and After: An Easy, Low Risk Way to Go Bold and Big in a Small Bathroom
Here’s a perfectly fine, perfectly plain bathroom! The sink is cute, the walls look like they’re freshly painted, everything is fine—but could this bathroom perhaps become something beyond fine, maybe even fabulous? This is so fun! Small bathrooms—this is a half-bath—are the perfect place to go bold and go big.
Mar 9, 2018
A Classic LA Art Deco Apartment Gets a Furniture Switcheroo
Name: Amanda Location: Beverly Grove — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 17 years, renting My apartment was built in 1926 and has that classic Los Angeles Art Deco architecture and history that I adore. I live there alone and I work from home, so we spend a lot of time together. Honestly, it sort of does feel like this place is its own character. She’s gone through a lot of reinventions, but this latest one is definitely my favorite.
Mar 9, 2018
Mattel Releases New Role Model Dolls for Women’s History Month
In honor of International Women’s Day, Mattel just announced that they will be releasing a run of new Barbie dolls modeled after inspiring women. Along with adding dolls to their Shero collection, Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo and Katherine Johnson have all been given the Barbie treatment for the new Inspiring Women series. I am truly honoured to be part of the Barbie family, celebrating International Women’s Day.
Mar 8, 2018
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Thinking About Renovating? Think About This First
We love a good kitchen reno: the Pinterest boards, the paint samples, the Instagram feeds full of possibilities. But it’s easy to get so hung up on your dream look that you forget you’re making it a reality—and reality means looking past the finishes. There are two words you need to think about before starting your next renovation, and they’re not subway tile. So, let’s talk about universal design.
Mar 8, 2018
19 of the Most Stylish & Inspiring Studio Apartments
Living in just one room with no walls to divide your bed from the kitchen or the living room is not easy. And when that one room is on the small side, it’s even harder. This collection of stupendous studio apartments aren’t just mentioned because they’re stylish. They make the list because they people dwelling in them have found clever and beautiful ways to create visual divisions between the functional areas of their one-room home.
Mar 8, 2018
Why It’s Smart to Put a Pair of Tights On Your Vacuum Cleaner
Size doesn’t matter. We each possess a few tiny things (earring backs, a sentimental ring, an important LEGO piece, a single minuscule screw that apparently is supposed to hold your entire IKEA table together) that, if lost, would bring about certain ruin. OK maybe not ruin — but losing them would definitely put a kink in an otherwise pleasant day. So file this tip away for later.
Mar 8, 2018
This Compact Yin & Yang House Was Designed for Maximum Plants
Generally speaking, when building in a small space, something always has to give — and in an populated area, most often the “give” is in sacrificing outdoor spaces, especially gardens. But one Beijing- and Austria-based design duo has found a genius solution in the plans for this “Yin & Yang House” currently being built in central Germany.
Mar 7, 2018
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Join Our Panel of Trusted Tastemakers!
At Apartment Therapy, we are constantly talking to top influencers and style experts about the biggest trends in home design. But often the best ideas of all come from you – our readers, who have made this site what it is today. That’s why we’re recruiting a panel of new “tastemakers” who can be our go-to insiders for sponsored opportunities.
Mar 7, 2018
Before & After: A Small, Blah Hell’s Kitchen Co-op Gets a Helluva Makeover
Name: JM Chilgren, my Boston Terrier, Betty, and my boyfriend, Matthew Location: Hell’s Kitchen — New York, NY Size: 450-475 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned I’ve owned my one-bedroom apartment in The Whitby (a charming co-op pre-war building, designed by Emory Roth and built in 1923) since 2012, and it’s changed a lot since I moved in.
Mar 7, 2018
The Weird Hardware Store Find You Need in Your Kitchen
Until you know how to harness its power, you won't appreciate this mysterious concoction for all it can really do.
Mar 7, 2018
This 400-Square-Foot North Carolina Cottage Is All Sorts of Cute Inside
Built in the 1940s, it has the nickname "The Honeymoon Cottage."
Mar 6, 2018
Peek Inside This Tiny Treehouse For Sale Nestled In the Smoky Mountains
If there’s one thing better than a tiny house, it’s a tiny treehouse. Luckily for you, we’ve found a particularly charming example that even comes with six picturesque acres in the Smoky Mountains for $239,900. Once part of the Butterfly Gap retreat, this 600 square foot one bedroom one bath treehouse is located in Maryville, Tennessee, a mere 30 minutes outside of Knoxville.
Mar 5, 2018
This Hollywood Hills Mansion Has a ‘Human Aquarium’
When it comes to incredibly expensive and extremely luxe Los Angeles real estate, a pool is pretty standard. At this point, two pools are pretty standard. But this $28 million dollar spec house has raised the aquatic stakes with its in-living room pool— aka a human aquarium. The infinity pool is glass on three sides, so that people can look into the pool (and out into the LA skyline) from the living room or movie theater.
Mar 5, 2018
It’s Pisces Season: Here’s Your March Home Horoscope
Slip into some sweet silk sheets and get ready to drift away, mystic mermies. For most of this month, the Sun is in touchy-feely Pisces, and the prescription is pure surrender and shell-colored shades of allowing. Think of the possibility of simply “melting” into every area of your life. No hard focuses. No musts or shoulds. Just a sense of moving with and alongside the tidal shifts exactly as they are.
Mar 5, 2018
Before and After: This $200 Peel-N-Stick Kitchen Redo is All Sorts of Amazing
This project has so much going for it: it was done for less than $200! It was done in a rental! It features faux DIY granite countertops and a covetable KitchenAid! (Mixer obviously not included in the $200 total.) Click through and get dangerously inspired. I love this! The pink + celadon + white + gold combination is comfortingly and charmingly vintage, but the clean lines of the cabinet doors, handles, and subway tiles keep things modern.
Mar 5, 2018
Pink, Patterned, Plant Perfection in a Designer’s Eclectic 1940s Bungalow
Name: Kelly Shannon and “a sh*t load of plants” Location: Costa Mesa, California Size: 1120-ish… like my SATs Years lived in: 14 months, owned When buying this house, the idea was to keep it uniquely quirky. There’s a (very slowly) rotating carousel and a giant vintage street lamp in the garden, and a few hidden nooks around the property. The bones of the house were incredible, but it needed a ton of work and updating.
Mar 5, 2018
Ranches Are No Longer the Most Popular Home Style in America, New Data Says
Your typical ranch home is no longer the most popular style of architecture in America, thanks again (groan, boo, hiss, yawn) to the changing tastes of millennials — the majority of whom have now entered their prime settle-down-and-start-a-family (or just build equity) years.
Mar 4, 2018
Peek Inside Jimmy Kimmel’s Hollywood Hills Home, Courtesy of Rihanna and Britney Spears
Late night fixture Jimmy Kimmel will be coming into our homes tonight as the host of the 90th Academy Awards. So it’s only fair that we get to go into his. Let’s take a look at Jimmy’s style throughout the years, courtesy of real estate listings and a little help from two very big pop stars. Jimmy bought this house in the Hollywood Hills in 2002 for $925,000 and completely remodeled it, adding the gourmet kitchen and that bar with a view.
Mar 4, 2018
This Whimsical Boho Caravan Is a Wes Anderson Meets Oregon Trail Fantasy
A little bit Wes Anderson, a little bit California Boho and a little bit traveling fortune teller, this caravan is wholly unique. Musician/photographer/designer Steve Areen built the Unity Wagon by hand and by using almost all recycled materials. Two of Steve’s friends own a farm outside of Melbourne and invited him to hang out as their “artist in residence.
Mar 4, 2018
A Designer & Diplomat’s Global Chic NYC Rental
Name: Laura Hur and her husband Location: Chelsea — Manhattan, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting My husband is a diplomat and I am an interior designer. My husband’s job has us moving often to far flung spots on the globe, and our home tells the story of our experiences, travels and shared life together. Moving every couple of years presents a host of interior design challenges, but luckily I am always up for the task!
Mar 3, 2018
This Santa Monica Beachfront Home Was Owned By Cary Grant
A luxurious Santa Monica vacation home that once belonged to Hollywood royalty is up for sale for the first time in 40 years. Built in 1929, the home was previously owned by Cary Grant and Western star Randolph Scott. Over the years, the spiffy digs were frequented by stars like Grace Kelly, Howard Hughes, Sharon Tate and George Gershwin. Buyers tempted to follow in those fancy footsteps can do so for $11.995 million.
Mar 3, 2018
This Underwater Hiking Trail Is Otherworldly
When it comes to the average hiking enthusiast, not even unfavorable weather conditions could keep the intentional wanderers from setting out on foot for a mind-clearing, calorie-burning jaunt. However, a park guide in Brazil recently captured footage of an underwater hiking trail that would stop even the most persistent walker in their tracks.
Mar 3, 2018
11 Mini Weekend Makeovers Anyone Can Pull Off For Cheap
It doesn't take a lot of time, or a lot of money, to make a big impact.
Mar 2, 2018
7 Sneaky Ways Your Stuff is Stealing Your Time
Sometimes your stuff gets in the way of, well, life. Whether it’s not being able to find your keys when you’re already running late for work or missing a train because you took too long digging through your purse for your transit card, searching for everyday essentials can have a major impact on your daily routine.
Mar 2, 2018
The Real Estate Listing So Dreamy, I Wrote a Rom Com About It
Sometimes you see a New York apartment so dreamy, so swoon-worthy it deserves to be the impossibly perfect apartment of the protagonist in a romantic comedy. This is one such apartment, so I took the liberty of writing a treatment of one such rom-com. NOHO-MANHATTAN. INTERIOR-EVENING. Rain patters on the expansive skylight in the solarium, creating a cozy atmosphere. The protagonist, LADY WITH GLASSES, is on the ladder of her massive floor to ceiling bookshelf.
Mar 1, 2018
This 400-Square-Foot Studio Apartment Above a Museum is Dream Home Goals
Name: Kyra Markosian Location: Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting My living situation is quite unique. I live on the grounds of Strawbery Banke Museum, a multi-building local history museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. My apartment is in one of the museum buildings with exhibits on the ground floor and living spaces upstairs.
Mar 1, 2018
Ina Garten’s New Wall Hanging is Causing a Stir on Instagram
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?
Feb 28, 2018
Former Employees Dish on What You Don’t Know About Whole Foods, Starbucks, and Trader Joe’s
(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
Feb 28, 2018
Our 10 Favorite Kitchen Towel Hooks for $20 or Less
(Image credit: Esteban Cortez) From Kitchn → Our 10 Favorite Kitchen Towel Hooks for $20 or Less null
Feb 28, 2018
You Have to See the Winners of This International Tiny House Competition
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.
Feb 27, 2018
Why You Should Put Socks On Your Bed Frame
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.
Feb 27, 2018
Oh Joy’s Latest Target Collection Is All Spring-Ready Paper Goods
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.
Feb 26, 2018
This Upside-Down Tiny House Is Turning the Playground On Its Head
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.
Feb 26, 2018
A New Survey Says People Want to Share Gardens and Wifi, But Not Bathrooms
We’ve already shown that we’d rather share homes and rides and bicycles, and we’d rather rent, borrow, or swap clothes and books and food and even pets than own them outright — just to name a few areas of life that have been “disrupted” by the “sharing economy.
Feb 26, 2018
You Have to See Inside This Storybook Seattle Houseboat
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are great, but, to us, the real star of Sleepless in Seattle was Sam and Jonah’s dreamy floating house. This two-bedroom Shingle Style Seattle houseboat, chock full of character, may be the next best thing. 2019 Fairview Ave E Unit N Located in Seattle, Washington $850,000 830 square feet 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom Seattle is famous for its charming collection of floating houses, but what are they like on the inside?
Feb 26, 2018
A Dreamy A-Frame Cabin in the Forests of the Pacific Northwest
Name: Ryan and Valerie Location: Packwood, Washington Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned Our home is a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom A-frame cabin just a few miles from Mt. Rainier National Park. We’re surrounded on all sides by old-growth forest, with a deck that backs up to National Forest land. This is a second home for my wife (Val), our dog (Emily), and myself. What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home?
Feb 26, 2018
IKEA’s Home Makeover Series Is Coming Back for More Episodes & Here Are Some Of the Best Transformations From Past Seasons
The IKEA Home Squad is back and ready to makeover some spaces. For the fourth season of their home tour YouTube series, the Swedish retailer sent a team of employees to help customers with projects, and if you love a good before and after, you’ll want to tune in. If you didn’t know the retail giant had a home show, allow us to catch you up: a team of IKEA experts hits the road to help people solve real home furnishing challenges, big and small, and transform their living spaces.
Feb 25, 2018
These Unconventional Chairs Will Make You Question What a Chair Is
How many unique chair designs can you come up with? That’s a question we’d love to ask designer Joyce Lin because we’re currently obsessing over her super creative chair designs. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University, Lin’s signature chairs are imaginative enough to spruce up any living space. The San Francisco-based designer works with a variety of mediums, including clay, foam, metal, paint, plaster, vinyl and wood.
Feb 25, 2018
Before and After: A Masterful Master Closet Makeover
This is another in a series of bravely honest closet photos that have been submitted lately—such as this one—and we cherish each and every one. Keep sending your unfiltered closet pics so the rest of us can be wildly inspired by your brilliant closet makeovers! But before we admire the closet now, let’s get a full-length view of the closet before . . .
Feb 25, 2018
8 Unexpected & Creative Ways to Store All Your Shoes
Do you have too many pairs of shoes? It was a trick question! Of course you don’t! You just have to get a little more creative with how you store them. Part of this creative process is deciding whether you want to hide or display your footwear. For example, I have some amazing pairs of shoes that I love showing off, but then there are the dirty sneakers, the old Teva sandals, and the “too-loved” everyday flats that don’t need to be celebrated.
Feb 25, 2018
Miniature Origami May Be The Smallest Art Form In Your Instagram Feed
It’s no surprise that people love tiny things. The Japanese art of origami is objectively already tiny, where square sheets of paper get folded into palm-sized cranes, boats, cups, and other items. But one artist is taking the form to a whole new (miniscule) level.
Feb 24, 2018
How I Finally Broke my Ziplock Bag Habit
We all have our home vices, don’t we? Taryn, our Lifestyle Editor, for instance, went on a “Green Clean” journey to reduce her dependance on paper towels last year — a move that made me take a good hard look at my own wasteful practices in and around my home. I’m pretty good about remembering to bring my reusable bags to the grocery store (and when I forget, I always try to return the plastic bags to the recycling bin at my local Publix on the next trip).
Feb 24, 2018