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The Latest: May 3, 2019

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The 5 Books You Don’t Want to Miss This Summer
September is fast approaching—don’t let Labor Day pass without catching these great beach reads. Amazon MEM by Bethany C. Morrow 18 Buy now Let’s start with a book that showed up around Memorial Day weekend, and now you can read it over Labor Day. In this inventive dystopian story, a scientific breakthrough means humans can have memories removed from their brains. These extracted memories, also known as Mems, experience that memory on loop until they expire.
Samantha Zabell
May 3, 2019
8 Reasons to Consider Bringing Plaid into Your Home
I know it’s hard to think about fall right now, when it’s 100 degrees outside. But this crisp, yet not quite chilly, colorful season is on its way, folks. And with it comes a shift in decor. Home trends don’t move quite as quickly as fashion ones do, which may be one of the reasons plaid is, yet again, everywhere in major retailers’ and smaller home designers’ collections alike. But there’s another reason: Plaid is pretty rad.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
5 Cheapskate Ways to Reupholster Your Furniture for Less
Get a brand new-to-you sofa or chair for college-kid prices.
Shaila Wunderlich
May 3, 2019
The 5 Design Books I’ll Always Keep on My Bookshelf
As the House Tour editor here at Apartment Therapy, looking at a wide range of homes is a requirement (and a delight!). And while many of those spaces I see online, I still have a penchant for flipping through the pages of a good coffee table design book for inspiration.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
Get the Look: Crazy Rich Asians”Palatial Family Compound
“Crazy Rich Asians” is sparkly and colorful; the story is heartwarming and heartbreaking; the acting is joyful, and the fact that this is the first entirely Asian cast of a major studio film since “The Joy Luck Club” makes its success all the sweeter (a sequel is already in the works). It also happens to be visually stunning. The majority of the movie is set in Singapore, which main character Nick Young’s family basically owns.
Anita Shriver
May 3, 2019
5 Things You Should Do Before Deciding on a Paint Color
Are you nervous about pulling the trigger on a possible new paint job? It’s only normal to have a bit of decision paralysis on such a seemingly big decision. What colors do you choose? What happens if you change your mind once it actually dries on the wall? What happens if–gasp–you don’t like it? We consulted several of our favorite designers to ask them what exactly you can do to prevent any paint-related disasters from occurring in the first place.
Karen Marsala
May 3, 2019
8 Smart Ways to Scale Furniture to Your Home’s Square Footage
We’ve all been there. You just bought the sofa, bed, desk—whatever—of your dreams, only to find out that it doesn’t fit in your space. Or worse, in your doorway. And it goes both ways. A too small piece can be just as annoying to deal with, time and energy-wise. Instead of hoping for the best when you’re unboxing or waiting for that white glove delivery, take matters into your own hands.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
How to Decorate Your Home to Promote Mindfulness
Being in the moment and at ease is tough, even within your own walls. But there’s really no place like home for mindfulness, which is why we rounded up a few tips and product picks to help you feel more at peace in your space. No crazy scientific claims here—just some pretty gear and strategic design moves so you can be your best self in the place that matters most.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
Check Out These Other Books By 2018’s Most Buzzed About Authors
Whether you’re on an eternal library waitlist for this year’s hottest novels, or you’re already through 2018’s most popular books, the reading doesn’t stop there. In fact, if you liked what you read this year, you’ll be happy to know that many of this year’s buzziest authors have written before! I’ve rounded up a few favorites.
Samantha Zabell
May 3, 2019
This Easy Art Hanging Idea Is the Update to the Gallery Wall You’ve Been Looking For
Ahh the gallery wall. It’s an efficient way to display a lot of art and take up a large swath of wall real estate, making a big visual statement. It’s an awesome design solution when you have an awkward space to fill. It’s a classic, timeless, and beautiful way of showing off your art collection. But it’s been done before. In unexpected arrangements. In these 50 different ways.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
Peek Inside Meryl Streep’s Manhattan Penthouse for Sale
Meryl Streep’s home, like Meryl Streep, could be or do anything. It could be a designed in the Grecian bohemian styled laid back vibe like her persona in Mamma Mia, all the way to the more proper and posh digs of her character in Florence Foster Jenkins. In actuality, the Tribeca home—a penthouse in the River Lofts at 92 Laight Street—is somewhere in between, and it’s been listed for a whopping $24.6 million.
Tim Latterner
May 3, 2019
Before and After: This 900-Square-Foot Condo Reno Has a $30K Price Tag
This condo’s new owner loved a lot of things about it—high ceilings, good bones, amazing natural light—but felt that the kitchen and living room were “dreary and grungy.” Nearly a year later, this “standard-grade apartment” could be mistaken for a gallery.
Tess Wilson
May 3, 2019
Accio Wallet: Three New Harry Potter Books Are Being Released in October
Talk about the name that keeps on giving to its Muggle fans. Just in time for Halloween, Insight Editions is releasing new Harry Potter books that will add to the ever-growing brand. However, these aren’t just any ordinary books (as none of them are), but unique reads that you’ll love to make room on your coffee table for. Amazon Harry Potter: Creatures: A Paper Scene Book 29.
Nicoletta Richardson
May 3, 2019
11 Cute Decor Pieces That Also Solve Small Space Problems
In a small space, every inch counts. There’s quite literally no room for frivolous decor items that don’t also provide a function. But the items in this post—spotted in real homes from recent house tours—are hardworking and good looking. Melina Peterson’s 300-square-foot New York studio apartment is not just small, it’s an odd shape.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
Project Runway Winner Erin Robertson and Designer Nicole Fichera On Life After Reality TV and Why Instagram Isn’t Real
After the cameras turn off, some reality TV winners never find their footing. Not so for Erin Robertson, who wowed the judges and took home the grand prize on season 15 of “Project Runway.” Now, the designer has teamed up with her neighbor, interior and product designer Nicole Fichera, to open Hourglass, a pop-up boutique and content studio filled with new designs and vintage finds in Boston’s famed Fenway neighborhood.
Megan Johnson
May 3, 2019
Pottery Barn’s New Harry Potter Home Decor Has Us On Platform 9 ¾
Great news, Potter fans: You no longer have to attend Hogwarts to feel like a wizarding student. Following the success of last year’s PBteen Harry Potter collection, Pottery Barn has announced its official home decor expansion that involves the company’s entire trifecta (Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, and PBteen). The new whimsical products have us spellbound, to say the least.
Nicoletta Richardson
May 3, 2019
Glass Front Kitchen Cabinet Doors Aren’t Just Beautiful
One of the most popular (and also one of the most controversial) kitchen design trends of the past few years has been open shelving. Replacing your upper cabinets with open shelving gives your kitchen a lighter, more open look, and it’s a great way to put beautiful dishware on display. On the flip side, it can look a bit chaotic unless you edit rigorously, and then there’s the issue of dust and grime collecting on your dishes.
Nancy Mitchell
May 3, 2019
Before and After: A Closed-In Kitchen’s Now Bright and Open
Gina and her partner Max remodeled a small San Francisco house, and while every inch of the home got a makeover, one of the most dramatic spots to see a transformation was the kitchen and great room they created when they removed an interior wall. Gina writes: “The combination of kitchen, dining, and living room is the perfect open concept. While it’s not the largest it is comfortable and most importantly, functional.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
8 Home Renovation Lessons Learned From ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’
This month, we celebrate 15 years since we joined Frances (Diane Lane), a writer going through a terrible divorce, in leaving it all behind and living the dream: buying a villa in Tuscany. “Under the Tuscan Sun” is typically categorized as a romantic comedy, which is true—but it’s not really about the hot Italian man Frances has a brief tryst with, nor is it about the handsome American writer who shows up looking for her at the end.
Maggie Fremont
May 3, 2019
Dutch Boy’s 2019 Color of the Year Is a Garden-Inspired Green
As we inch closer and closer to 2019, the 2019 Color of the Year predictions have started steadily rolling in. The latest contender? Garden Patch, a grassy green from Dutch Boy Paints. While announcing the shade as their choice for Color of the Year, Dutch Boy described the hue as “not too deep and not too primary.
Bridget Mallon
May 3, 2019
Here’s the Trick to Picking the Very Best Paint Color For Your Walls
I used to live dangerously, buying paint willy nilly without ever trying it out on the walls first. Who needs samples anyway? Be bold, be daring, and trust your instinct, right?! Once, I even made a choice just by looking online and letting the painter pick it up at the store. Surprise! I made some regrettable choices. In fact, it’s kind of amazing how many times I was happy with my decision without trying out paint first. But how many ways did I find paint disappointment?
Dana McMahan
May 3, 2019
These 5 Questions Will Help You Declutter Any Space in Your Home
Decluttering a space is a gargantuan task, no matter how small the space itself might seem. That’s because the real challenge isn’t how much stuff you have, or how messily it might be lumped around. The really tough part of decluttering is when you pick up a single object in your hand, knowing you have no good reason to keep it, but finding it impossible to let the thing go.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
Here’s One (Nearly) Painless Way to Get Rid of a Big Cluttered Mess
There’s a hard way and an easy way to deal with a big mess of clutter. The hard way is trying to commit to tackling it all at once, mentally planning for a weekend project you know will never come, as you once again sit and dawdle and tell yourself it’ll be easier when the weather’s better, or when things aren’t as crazy in your life. The easy way is to chip away at the mess, little by little until it’s in a good place.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
3 Smart and Simple Methods for Decluttering Your Clothes Closet
I don’t know about you, but what’s inside my wardrobe is nothing like the magical land of Narnia. It’s mostly a mess of clothes that get rarely worn, but saved nonetheless. Because maybe one day I’ll get invited to a gala in the Maldives where that long, lime green bridesmaid dress can finally earn its keep on my hangers. I’m guessing that, while you might not have a floor-length green dress like mine, your closet is full of similar stories.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
20 Things in Your Kitchen You Can Purge Right Now
Kitchen clutter is like a gas: It’ll expand to fit the space allowed. If you have a small kitchen, you probably feel like there’s never enough space for your stuff. Well guess what? Big kitchen people have that same problem, too. No matter how many cabinets you have, or whether your countertop is better measured in inches or acres, your kitchen can probably use a little slimdown. So that’s what we’re going to do today. Do a 20-minute decluttering sweep of your kitchen.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
Here’s a New Way to Think About Your Sentimental Clutter
Emotional attachment to an inanimate object is one hell of a drug. It makes sentimental clutter especially difficult to say goodbye to. And for me, a writer who makes a living helping people with their homekeeping, it’s a very difficult thing to help you with. So I’m not going to tell you to get rid of anything at all. At least not yet. First, let’s open up the closets, drag out the boxes, and let’s find your sentimental stuff. What counts as sentimental stuff?
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
If You Want to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free, You Don’t Need a Junk Drawer
Keeping your home clean around the clock isn’t the work of wizardly magic. It’s just an exercise in focus. You have to commit to give every single thing at home a place where it belongs, even if that place is kind of a zoo. That’s why, if you want to keep your home clutter-free, you don’t need a junk drawer… you need several. Let’s face it, not every object you own is easily categorized.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
Before and After: A Bland Bathroom Gets a Simple Modern Makeover for Just $150
The before version of this bathroom was perfectly functional and updated, but bland. It has great storage, but completely lacked in character. This is the first home I have owned (and lived in) in my adult life. Even as a kid, I grew up in rentals. I’ve always harbored dreams (and vision boards) of how I would customize my future home. None of it was too radical, but they were rarely rental-friendly edits.
Nasozi Kakembo
May 3, 2019
How I Sold My Home for Almost Twice the Purchase Price
After years of renting in San Francisco and Oakland, we bought a home in Walnut Creek (a small city in the Bay Area) for $545,000 in 2010—when the market was relatively slow. The house was the smallest model in a 1960s neighborhood at 1,445 square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. But it sat on a spacious 9,375-square-foot lot. It was a dream cosmetic fixer. Over seven years, we made it our own.
Adrienne Robillard
May 3, 2019
Before and After: This Low Budget Kitchen Remodel Was DIYed from Head to Toe
This kitchen’s new owner described it as “functional, but an eyesore” and was determined to make it as pleasant as possible. Nine months and a ton of DIYing later, this “midway” renovation is complete and this kitchen is a totally new room. Reader Erin Corbett was kind enough to submit this project and share details about the issues and inspiration behind it: My little condo was built in 1984 and not much in the kitchen had been touched since then.
Tess Wilson
May 3, 2019
4 Things I Wish I Knew Before My Apartment Was Robbed
Despite being a writer, I’m not a natural over-sharer. The words flow freely enough when I’m talking about design, but I’m much more guarded in my own life. But I realized that most advice is inherently personal and comes from experience, so once I overcame the icky feeling, I knew it was time to write about being robbed. Becoming a statistic isn’t so bad, I figure, if I can help someone else avoid it.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
Here’s What Frasier’s Apartment Would Look Like in 2018
If you can even believe it, it’s been 25 years since our first taste of tossed salad and scrambled eggs. Frasier debuted on NBC on September 16, 1993, and although we all knew the good Dr. Frasier Crane as a patron where everybody knows your name, we finally got to meet and come to love his Seattle family—we also got our first peek into Frasier’s gorgeous apartment (but seriously, that view).
Maggie Fremont
May 3, 2019
This Harry Potter Classroom Will Make You Feel Like a Student at Hogwarts
In this muggle world, there are Harry Potter fans, and then there are Potterheads. And in the case of third grade teacher Tressa Bargella, her classroom layout makes it very clear where her wizarding loyalty lies. This year, Bargella decided to transform her classroom into Hogwarts 2.0, ultimately making her lucky students wizards-in-training. When approaching the classroom, you feel like you’re walking through Platform 9 3/4 with brick exterior and luggage perched in the corner.
Nicoletta Richardson
May 3, 2019
There’s a Reason Why Tile That Looks Like Wood Is So Popular
Love the crisp, clean look of hardwood floors, but know it’s not practical for your space? Or maybe it’s simply out of budget. You could install it anyway (bad idea), you could have a pity party for yourself (no fun), or you could opt for a newly popular style of tile that’s popping up everywhere: porcelain or ceramic “wood” tiles. Why?
Brigitt Earley
May 3, 2019
We Interviewed the Winner of NBC’s Making It
Years before all of America fell in love with Making It‘s romantic, sensitive, and highly skilled quiet man Khiem Nguyen, the master craftsman who captivated judges and fans alike on Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman’s new TV competition for creatives on NBC, I was lucky enough to get to know Khiem and his now-wife Amanda McKeever as fellow DIYers, dog parents, and Boston to Austin expats.
Melissa Massello
May 3, 2019
7 Cheap, Versatile Harbor Freight Storage Items You’ll Use All the Damn Time
Harbor Freight is a great go-to source for inexpensive tools and project supplies—when you need to get something done, but don’t want to shell out a bunch of cash for pricey materials, especially for quick one-off jobs. A brief stroll through the store (or a glance at the website) reveals something else: it’s also an amazing source for cheap and versatile storage you can use in pretty much every room of your home.
Dabney Frake
May 3, 2019
Before and After: This Atlanta Condo Got a Massive $35K Upgrade
This condo had a lot going for it—high ceilings, fireplace, lots of windows, and a spacious feel despite an efficient footprint—but it also bore evidence of its previous life as a generic rental property. Its new owner was determined to give it a bunch of character and a totally personal feel. First, let’s learn a bit about how and why this condo was chosen: When I first bought this condo, It was the cheapest listing in Marietta [Atlanta] that included a fireplace.
Tess Wilson
May 3, 2019
The One Thing You Should Never Leave the House Without
With recent plastic bag bans and eco-conscious movements sweeping the nation, now’s the time to plan ahead so you don’t find yourself in a pinch in the checkout line. Sprinkle your life with reusable bags: Keep one in your car, purse, and office so you never leave the house without one. And while you’re at it, why fill your cabinets, drawers, storage nooks with mediocre bags you only bought last minute out of necessity at the grocery store?
Jessica Isaac
May 3, 2019
5 Assemble-It-Yourself Furniture Brands That Aren’t IKEA
I’m not an IKEA hater, and I’ll never be. There’s a reason they’ve become such a success. Their pieces are functional and affordable, and there’s something to be said for that. IKEA also basically put flat-pack furniture on the map, which is a win for all of us. Other companies have followed suit, and if you’re looking for something that might last a little longer than IKEA’s entry point pieces, you’ve come to the right place.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
This Decade Is Slowly Taking the Design World by Storm
Right now in home design and even fashion, it feels like a total ’70s takeover. Some might argue that the ’90s are going strong, too. But the ’90s were the first real throwback to the ’70s, so there you go. This time period had two pretty distinct things going on—boho hippie vibes and glam, glitzy disco feels, which means you can probably find a way to work something ’70s into your home no matter your aesthetic.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
Inside the Wildly Different Homes in Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s New Movie, ‘A Simple Favor’
“I do need just a simple favor,” Blake Lively says to Anna Kendrick in the new movie “A Simple Favor.” Her request is easy enough—to babysit her son for a few hours one afternoon—but then, she suddenly goes missing for days on end. The suburban noir thriller is a gripping cat-and-mouse game of wits between Lively’s Emily, a powerful executive in the fashion world, and Kendrick’s Stephanie, a dismissable homemaker who idolizes her.
Ashley Lee
May 3, 2019
Timeless Furniture You’ll Love for Years to Come
You don’t often hear people complaining about the roll-arm upholstered sofa or white tulip dining table they bought. There are just some pieces that transcend whatever time, space, or style of interior they’re thrown into. Good bones and timeless materials equal design staying power, people! And though quality generally comes at a higher price point, you’d be surprised at the well-priced classics that some of your favorite affordable home furnishing brands offer.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
7 Ways We’re All Burning Candles Wrong
I consider myself something of a candle connoisseur. I’ve smelled a ton over the years and lit plenty, from Diptyque to Yankee and everything in between. Tapers, votives, you name it—there’s some kind of candle in practically every room of my home. But I’ve never given much thought to my burning technique, that is, until a recent trip to Nashville, Tennessee. Turns out the country music capital also knows a thing or two about getting (candles) lit.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
Before and After: This Tiny Backyard is Now a Full-Blown Living Room
While it’s always exciting to have any outdoor space at all, the owners of this particular outdoor space found it to be “tiny, messy, and not functional.” After six weeks of work, this backyard is now the dreamy oasis they were hoping for. Let’s hear a bit more about the inspiration behind this makeover, as well as the challenges it posed: Our backyard is small and on a grade, but we knew we could make it nice. [It] was tiny, messy, and not functional at all for us.
Tess Wilson
May 3, 2019
These 16 Homes Embody Modern Golden Girls Style
“Golden Girls” is a quintessential television show that aired during the ’80s but whose design influenced has lasted long into today. While the original sets of the show had definite ’80s vibes, it’s not hard to imagine what their home would look like today, considering the prevalence of boho style, rattan, and palm leaf prints.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
You Can Celebrate the Winter Holidays At Hogwarts This Year
Turns out that Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London’s ‘Hogwarts After Dark’ isn’t the only festivity we get to look forward to this year. From November 17 to January 27, 2019, muggles and wizards alike will get to witness the Studio transform into a winter wonderland for the second year in a row, thanks to ‘Hogwarts in the Snow.
Nicoletta Richardson
May 3, 2019
How to Bring Fashion’s Neon Trend Home
Trends in interior design don’t move quite as quickly as they do in fashion, but the home market still follows the runways to some extent. And if this past New York Fashion Week and the recent award show red carpets are any indicators, neons are about to come back into the collective color story after chalky pastels, moody indigos, and metallics have dominated for so long.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
This Store’s Great for Cozy, Cheap, Minimal Fall Accessories
Now is about the time that fall lovers start bringing out—or going out and buying—cute home accessories to cozy up their spaces in anticipation of autumn. Whether you already have some fun fall-related decor or you’re starting from scratch, don’t spend a ton of money transforming your home for the season.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019