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The Latest: May 2019

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Hallway transformation with chandelier, wooden floor, and kitchen view. White dog near kitchen counter.
Before & After: From an Awfully Awkward Floorplan to a Seriously Sophisticated Space
Eric and Joel’s new apartment in Prospect Heights had a lot going for it: generously sized rooms, lots of light, proximity to dog parks. What it didn’t have going for it: an incredibly awkward floorplan where a closed-off kitchen adjoined a mostly useless ‘dining foyer’ — an orphaned bit of space that was too wide to be called a hallway and too narrow for anything else.
Nancy Mitchell
May 3, 2019
Before & After: A Musty, Dated Bathroom Turns Around
If you’re one of those people who hates words like ‘moist’, Joel’s description of his former bathroom is going to make you shudder. Besides the dark, dated tile and fixtures, the bathroom “always smelled damp and musty because the floor and walls were finished with absorbent limestone tiles.” Ew. To add a little extra space to the bathroom, Joel and his partner Eric chose to incorporate part of an adjacent hallway.
Nancy Mitchell
May 3, 2019
The New Morning Routine: Why Stretching is Worth It
Think about your morning routine—you probably get up out of bed (possibly after pressing snooze a few times), brush your teeth, maybe make breakfast or coffee, and start getting ready for work. If that sounds about right, there’s one thing you might be leaving out: stretching. For those of you who aren’t serial stretchers, the whole practice might seem pointless, but there are actually quite a few benefits you can get out of incorporating an AM stretch session into your day.
Brittney Morgan
May 3, 2019
Flower Arranging Advice from the 1940s: “A Fascinating Hobby”
There’s never enough time given to understanding the past, and to how it’s shaped and influenced our thinking now. In “The Specimen Jar”, we’ll try to correct that deficiency by considering a variety of designers and their works, from many different periods. Because a beautiful and intelligently designed home is a living response to not just our own moment, but to history and to our hopes for the future.
Maria Bustillos
May 3, 2019
Before and After: A 100-Year-Old House Gets Rejuvenated
Meg and Joe are both graphic designers. They bought this house in Detroit about a year ago. Though their budget was small, they were able to refresh the whole house thanks to fresh paint. And they made the home their own by adding in personal objects with history, as well as art made by themselves or friends. The couple says the entire house is still a work in progress, but that’s what they like about it: They’re making the house their own home. “Be patient and take your time.
Diana Paulson
May 3, 2019
Part Art, Part Storage: 6 Genius Ways to Store Accessories When You Have No Room
When you live in a small home or apartment, figuring out how to store your scarves, handbags, necklaces, sunglasses and other accessories is a challenge. We can’t all have giant walk-in closets full of open shelves, now can we? The secret, folks, is to turn your jewelry, hats and other items into functional decor, especially if you live in a compact space. Here are some ideas for attractive ways to display and store your things in non-cluttery ways.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
The Effective (and Totally Free) Rug-Cleaning Secret I Learned from My Dad
Most of my housekeeping habits come from my German mother. She is the queen of clean and the reason my home is mostly spick-and-span. (Although it will never be as tidy as hers, ever.) Still, I have to give credit where credit is due: My favorite trick for ridding rugs of dirt, dog hair, and whatever else ends up embedded in my treasured carpets comes from my dad (who is Irish and English, if that matters). To say that my dad has a penchant for nice rugs is an understatement.
geraldinemcampbell
May 3, 2019
Before & After: From Burgundy to Bunnies, Custom Wallpaper Transforms a Feature Wall
When Danielle and her family moved into their home, they knew which room they wanted for their daughters nursery but felt it needed some major restyling. After switching up the color scheme with paint and wallpaper, replacing the chandelier with something a little more kid friendly and adding all of the cute touches that make a nursery, they have an adorable space for their daughter that is a fry cry from the original room.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 3, 2019
Alice, My Husband’s Pee Gets on the Walls
The bathroom I share with my husband smells constantly like old urine. He says that it’s because he’s tall, and his pee therefore hits the water in the bowl with enough velocity that some must splash out and escape his notice (especially during middle-of-the-night bathroom trips). Have other people encountered and solved this problem? It is driving me crazy.
Ask Alice
May 3, 2019
How to Make Kokedama: Hanging Gardens Perfect for Small Spaces
If you’ve never seen a kokedama—a Japanese moss ball—let me introduce you to the ultimate small-space garden. Floating in midair, these plants don’t take up surface space, or even wall space. Plus, you don’t have to shell out money for a pretty container, as each plant is contained in its own moss-covered pod and is suspended from the ceiling using inexpensive twine.
Katie Holdefehr
May 3, 2019
Before & After: A 5 Day, 2K Rental Kitchen Makeover (With All the Budget Details!)
Name: Ana and Patrick Kamin Type of Project: Kitchen Update Location: San Francisco, California When we moved to San Francisco and started looking for apartments, 85% of the kitchens we saw were not acceptable by my terms. On the one side, you have the ones that are newly updated, but the landlord chose the countertop and cabinets straight from the ’70s. Or you have the kitchens that are totally rundown — and the renovation will cost a fortune.
Ana Kamin
May 3, 2019
If You Haven’t Been to West Elm Lately, Here’s What You’re Missing
Two years ago, I moved into a new apartment, and, upon reporting my change of address to USPS for mail forwarding services, the onslaught of store catalogs littering my mailbox began. I’ve since tried to cancel most of them to no avail (having the worst luck with a store I won’t name, but let’s just say it rhymes with Lottery Yarn, of which I now get two copies, rather than zero). There are two, however, that I receive with glee, one being West Elm (the other, Anthropologie).
Arlyn Hernandez
May 3, 2019
Here’s How I (Painlessly!) Purged 80 Percent of My Closet
The realization that I had way too many clothes hit me the way it usually hits us: When we’re running late for an appointment and all we can do is stand in our underwear in front of our closet and glare. The whole situation made no sense to me. I had more sweaters than a Gap mid-season sale, too many skirts to count, and there were so many shirts stuffed onto shelves that one literally tumbled out and plopped in a heap in front of my toes. And yet, nothing in there was doing it for me.
Marlen Komar
May 3, 2019
Before & After: A Tiny Kitchen Gets a Fresh Look (& More Storage!)
The ‘before’ kitchen in this Upper West Side two-bedroom wasn’t in terrible condition, but it was plagued by a few issues common to small kitchens — teeny tiny appliances, and a serious lack of cabinet and counter space. The dark finishes and awkward, chopped-up blocks of cabinets made the small space seem even smaller.
Nancy Mitchell
May 3, 2019
My Bare Backyard Is a Wasteland of Dog Poop, Weeds & Sorrow
Oh where to begin? My backyard is a pit of earthly despair, good for only three things really: dog waste, weeds and my own tears. I had good intentions when I first created the space, but my installation was poor to begin with, and then ongoing maintenance was not my friend. Ultimately, the grass didn’t stand a chance against all the dog abuse and my own neglect, so weeds and mud moved in, choking out any chance of happiness.
Dabney Frake
May 3, 2019
Rejoice! I Finally Found a Chemical-Free Way to Combat Weeds
I’ve reached a new state of being, and I owe it all to my front yard. I call it “peak curmudgeon.” Because there’s one soul-sucking Sisyphean home task that drains me like no other — the endless loop of pulling weeds. I try to keep on top of them, but no matter how often I deal, they are there waiting for me again the following week. Weeds leave me muttering and cursing mess.
Dabney Frake
May 3, 2019
The One Thing First-Time Homeowners Do Better Than Repeat Buyers
We shop around for furniture, cars, even food bargains. So why is it that when it comes to saving on a mortgage, many people don’t bother to look around for the best deal? Of course, it’s not everyone that’s ignoring the possibility of shopping around. A new study conducted by LendingTree found that it’s actually first-time homebuyers who are more likely to shop around for better mortgage loan terms, versus repeat buyers.
Megan Johnson
May 3, 2019
This Portland Home is a DIY Dreamland
Name: Maria & Family Location: Portland, Oregon The basics: Owned for 1 year | 2,574 square feet We love Maria’s fun and funky design. Her home is full of rich color and whimsical DIY projects that fill it with life and character. And the style doesn’t stop when it comes to the kids’ rooms as she’s created spaces that are charming and functional.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 3, 2019
The YouTube Videos That Changed My Sleep Life
I often fall asleep listening to YouTube videos of a stranger speaking softly while she pretends to braid my hair (or make me tea, or massage my scalp). Or while she whispers about the candles she’s making, the starchy shirts she’s crinkling slowly, or the towels she’s folding. What matters most to me about these videos isn’t what she says but rather the quality of her voice (calm, soothing) and the attitude she projects (do I trust her? does she seem genuine?
Edith Zimmerman
May 3, 2019
Worry-Free Plants That Won’t Poison Your Pets
We love our pets, even when they are annoying little troublemakers. So when our furry friends start munching on our plants and digging around in the dirt, it’s our job to keep them safe (even when we want to strangle them). Being the human in the relationship means doing the research and only populating our homes with non-toxic varieties of plants. We’re making it easy for you. Below are some of our favorite pet-safe plants that are non-toxic for both dogs and cats.
Dabney Frake
May 3, 2019
Alice, Can I Get My Landlord to Pay for a Broken (New) Appliance?
Is it appropriate to ask my landlord to pay for an appliance that broke in my new apartment? My window A/C unit was fried because a previous tenant decided to DIY some of the electrical wiring in the apartment without notifying the landlord. Here’s a little background: I installed my window A/C unit in my new apartment. I bought the unit two years ago, having saved up and researched the most cost and energy efficient model. The unit fried as soon as I turned it on.
Ask Alice
May 3, 2019
Do You Tsundoku? Beware If You’re a Book Lover
Hoarding is more like a spectrum than a binary classification, and most of us fall somewhere between KonMari and get this person a TLC special. In fact, collecting needless things is such a common human experience that the Japanese have developed a very specific word for my particular favorite flavor: hoarding books. Yep, it’s true: The Japanese word “tsundoku” originated as a slang term to define the habit of buying books and letting them pile up without reading them.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
Living in the Future: “My Plant Waters Itself”
Okay so I’m admittedly a bit of a black thumb. For starters, my apartment—like most in New York City—has windows that directly face the brick exterior of a neighboring apartment, which means natural sunlight is, well, reserved for time outdoors. Throw a busy schedule and life in the mix and remembering to water your succulents is not as easy as it sounds . So although it’s upsetting that I can’t even keep an air plant alive, it’s not terribly surprising.
Caroline Biggs
May 3, 2019
21 Modern Wedding Bands for a Minimalist Bride
There’s nothing plain, boring, or basic about modern wedding bands for the minimalist bride. Whether you’re after something beautifully crafted, ethically sourced, or perfectly embellished, we’ve got you covered. From simple silver bands to more sophisticated, and dare we say, even a bit sparkly options, there are terrific rings across the minimalist spectrum.
Tabitha Abercrombie
May 3, 2019
How to Think Like a Florist When Choosing & Caring for Fresh Flowers at Home
As an event florist, keeping flowers alive and looking good is a pretty integral part of my livelihood at Winston & Main. I often joke that all design and artistry aside, I’m really more of a triage nurse for my floral friends. I assess their condition and get them stable, so they can leave my watchful eye and make their beautiful way in the world.
Tabitha Abercrombie
May 3, 2019
This Is Exactly How Much Time Running Adds To Your Life, According to Science
If you haven’t laced up those running shoes since January (hey, no judgement), this news might motivate you. New research has calculated just how much time a jog adds to your life. A paper published last month in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases takes a look at just how much running increases longevity. The study states that in general, “runners have a 25-40% reduced risk of premature mortality and live approximately three years longer than non-runners.
Tara Bellucci
May 3, 2019
Lauren Graham & Alexis Bledel Talk About the Gilmore Girls Revival & the Possibility of More Episodes
On Sunday, Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel were on a panel together, and naturally, all anyone wanted to talk about was Gilmore Girls. The actors behind everyone’s favorite verbose mother-daughter duo chatted about the Netflix revival and the possibility of more episodes.
Tara Bellucci
May 3, 2019
Learn How to Block Print (The Easy Way)
Meet Liz Corkery, a Sacramento-based artist who founded and runs Print Club Ltd., an online source for fine art silkscreen prints. Through Print Club, Liz works with other artists to create and sell limited edition works on paper, but she also has a deep love for cooking and entertaining so has combined those interests in this beautiful set of hand-printed napkins.
Amelia Lawrence
May 3, 2019
The Tamagotchi Is Back and the ’90s Renaissance Continues
Children of the ’90s, the nostalgia hits keep coming. Japanese electronic toy company Bandai has re-released everyone’s favorite pixelated pet, the Tamagotchi. Here is what we currently know about it: Bandai’s exciting news coincides with the 20th anniversary of the OG Tamagotchi, which was launched worldwide in May 1997 (it was available in Japan earlier, in 1996). There are a few differences from the original.
Tara Bellucci
May 3, 2019
Before & After: A Small Suburban Bathroom Goes from Taupe to Timeless
After living in New York for 11 years, Diana Marsh was ready to move back to her home state of Michigan and design a beautiful nest. As the proprietor of the downtown Ann Arbor store Thistle and Bess, Diana stocks up and offers one-of-a-kind treasures for those seeking a luxurious lifestyle. And not surprisingly, she was looking to create a luxurious lifestyle in the 1890s house she bought.
Diana Paulson
May 3, 2019
Where Do You Fall on the Odor Wheel?
Forget the Wheel of Life (and our home-oriented Life Balance Wheel) — or, don’t forget them, but after you maximize those wheels’ utility, there’s a new wheel in town: the Historic Paper Odor Wheel, developed by a team out of the University of London to more precisely describe and categorize the smell of old books.
Edith Zimmerman
May 3, 2019
Before and After: A Brooklyn Brownstone’s Living Room Opens Up
Nicole and Dan’s house tour of their Park Slope brownstone had me green with envy. A large space, it was lovingly renovated and beautifully decorated. The way in which they designed the home — to maximize light, to embrace color and pattern — is impressive enough. But wait until you see what the living room and entryway looked like before they renovated.
Minette Hand
May 3, 2019
Dream of Getting Married at an Art Museum? This Couple Did
Bride & Groom: Martina Kolobara and Shea Slater Wedding Date: May 21, 2016 Venue: Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska Number of guests: 250 They say that the best thing about having a big wedding is being surrounded by all the people (and things) you love. And in this Nebraska couple’s case, that includes a couple of pups and a whole museum full of modern art.
Taryn Williford
May 3, 2019
6 Get-Moving Benefits of a Fitness Tracker You Might Not Have Thought Of
While fitness trackers help count your steps and sometimes make for chic wrist candy, they actually do a lot more than people give them credit for. If you’ve grown bored with yours and thrown it into a junk drawer, the reason might just be that you haven’t used it to its fullest potential. Read on to learn about the cool and not-so-obvious ways you can use your fitness tracker. Every activity is more fun when you have the chance to kick butt, including your daily steps.
Marlen Komar
May 3, 2019
Peel-and-Stick Tiles: A Cautionary Tale (Or, I Tried Peel-and-Stick Tiles and They Almost Drove Me Insane)
There’s a certain home blogger, who shall remain nameless, who has moved a bunch of times over the past few years — meaning the makeovers just kept coming. In one of her kitchens, she artfully laid faux marble adhesive tiles over an ugly linoleum floor. They weren’t exactly dead ringers for Kim K. solid calacatta marble or anything, but they made a big difference. “The best thing about it,” she wrote, “is that you just peel off the back and stick it down.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
The Next Trend in Sofas is a Game Changer on Netflix Nights
You’re probably familiar with L-shaped sectionals—they’re kind of a living room staple. Unlike traditional roll arms, settees and other formal sofa situations, more than one person can lay on them in a fully horizontal position, thanks to their shape and oversized proportions. That’s kind of a game changer when you think of all the Netflix binge watching and movie marathoning that goes on nowadays.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
Before & After: A Kitchen “Held Together with Tape” Gets an Overdue DIY Remodel
Every square inch of this kitchen was ripped out and lovingly put back together — this time in a much more functional and stylish way — by the homeowners themselves. As designer Michelle Gage writes on her blog: “The floors were dirty and sticky. The appliances appeared to be original to the house. The counter tops were held together with tape.” It took two years to save enough money to finally tackle this outdated kitchen’s remodel.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
The Real Reason No One Can Shut Up About Millennial Pink
One of the most exciting (and most alarming) things about the internet is the speed with which information travels, and the speed with which ideas catch fire, achieve full saturation, and then become passé, often within a matter of weeks. Case in point: the strange phenomenon known as millennial pink. Perhaps you’ve never heard of it, or perhaps you’re already tired of it. I know I am. And yet, here I am.
Nancy Mitchell
May 3, 2019
Before and After: An Itty-Bitty Bathroom Goes From Sad to Rad
A small bathroom is bad enough to live with. But when your small bathroom is windowless and boring? Well that’s just sad. Designer Mary Lee wasn’t going to stand for a tiny, depressing bathroom. So she worked her DIY remodel magic on this part of her Seattle studio apartment, and the result is inspiring! I just loved Mary’s advice for decorating that she shared in her house tour: “More isn’t always better when it comes to stuff and space.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
Before and After: From a Gutted Airstream To a Perfect Tiny Home
Brandon and Gabi aren’t just living a dream life — traveling around and enjoying the beauty of our country — they’re doing it while living in this dreamy Airstream trailer. As we showed in their house tour, tons of thought went into the DIY details of their tiny mobile home, from storage to lighting and more. And while the end result is certainly beautiful, it took A LOT of work to get it there.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
Before & After: Savvy Solutions for a Seriously Small Bathroom
As bathrooms go, the bathroom in Lauren’s Brooklyn Heights studio wasn’t in the worst shape. Aesthetically, it wasn’t much to write home about (and the odd, alien sink seemed ready for takeoff), but we’ve seen much worse. The real problem in this small space was storage. As in, there wasn’t any.
Nancy Mitchell
May 3, 2019
You Can Now Stream Britain’s Most Popular Home Design Show on Netflix
First there was Downown Abbey. Then there was Sherlock. Now you can add another British television import to your list, America. Rejoice, design lovers! Britain’s favorite home design show is on Netflix. Grand Designs, which features wacky and ambitious builds and renovation projects, is one of Britain’s longest running property shows (17 seasons!).
Marni Epstein-Mervis
May 3, 2019
7 Brown Kitchens That Are Definitely Not Dated, Dark or Depressing
If we saw these while scrolling through Instagram, we'd be quick to double tap.
Danielle Blundell
May 3, 2019
The 5 Most Useful Essential Oils
While natural beauty guru Rachel Winard (of the cult-favorite brand Soapwalla) and I were talking about good, easy facials to make with food that might currently be in your kitchen, I also asked her for pointers on how to start an essential oil collection. Essentially: What are the essential essential oils? She suggested these five (for which you could come up with your own mnemonic, too — my first attempt is “let little ponies eat … tea trees.
Edith Zimmerman
May 3, 2019
The Science-Backed Guide to the Best Nap of Your Life
Everyone needs a nap now and again, but if you’re feeling sleepy and you’ve got things to do, you definitely want to maximize your time, right? Naps work in different ways, and the truth is, it’s all about timing and understanding how the body’s sleep cycles work. Before you doze off for 45 minutes and hope for the best, you should know how they work and what kinds there are—here’s what you need to know.
Brittney Morgan
May 3, 2019
How a Chef and Baker Share the World’s Smallest Kitchen
It’s impressive when a couple shares a tiny home together. But even more extraordinary is what Devon Loftus and her chef husband Brian Loftus have managed to pull off in their super small, 320-square-foot tiny house: cook, bake and entertain, despite having a kitchen that’s only 18 square feet! How do they do it? The couple generously shared their small but successful kitchen dwelling secrets.
Adrienne Breaux
May 3, 2019
Vertical Garden DIY Ideas Using a Wooden Pallet (Plus, a Tutorial!)
Vertical gardens are an exciting outdoor project because they show off your flowers and plants beautifully and aren’t difficult or expensive to make. In fact, they can easily be made out of mostly recycled (and recyclable) materials. Vertical gardens are also especially well-suited to small outdoor spaces so no worries if you don’t have a whole yard or deck to work with. Below are the basic instructions for how to make a vertical garden planter using scrap wood and a pallet.
Jen Wang
May 3, 2019
Here’s What the Homes in Annie Hall Are Worth, 40 Years Later
Annie Hall is 40 years old this month. Ever wonder what the property in the film costs now? Let’s investigate. Annie Hall came out in April 1977. Winner of four Academy Awards, including those for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Diane Keaton, it’s always been one of my favorite romantic comedies (up there with When Harry Met Sally) and certainly my favorite Woody Allen film.
Jon Gorey
May 3, 2019