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2019
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The Latest: May 2019

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An Organic Modern Melbourne Home Was Beautifully Designed on a Budget
Name: Dan and Prue and 2 young children Location: Coburg, Melbourne, Australia Size: Around 1,075 square feet Years lived in: 10 years, owned Dan and Prue’s home is a work in progress. They purchased the house 10 years ago and have renovated over time slowly—room by room—when they have had the spare time. Impressive, as many parents know there isn’t a lot of spare time to work on big projects when there are two young children around!
Natalie Jeffcott
May 15, 2019
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What Are the Colors of 2013? Paint Trends from Room for Color
This year’s Room for Color contest, sponsored by Chip It!™by Sherwin-Williams, is notable for the boundless array of different palettes. So much variety! We love seeing readers’ personal styles shine through their use of colors in so many creative ways. And though each entry is unique, some trends are becoming apparent. Here are some trends we’ve spotted—let us know what we missed in the comments!
Sponsored Post
May 15, 2019
The Best Plant for You, According to Your Birth Order
My generation grew up being told things likethere’s only one you. But I have to admit that it’s been jarring to discover—through astrology, enneagram types, and other fun personality quizzes—how much parts of me can be so eerily similar to everyone else.And isn’t that the value of personality frameworks? They give us parameters for understanding how we tick and help us navigate life with others and life in general.
Shifrah Combiths
May 14, 2019
5 Overlooked Plants That Can Survive In The (Almost) Dark
Live without much natural light? These off-the-radar options are for you.
Laure Joliet
May 15, 2019
4 Ways to Get Rid of Your High-Maintenance Grass Lawn
You've got four options.
AnnaMaria Stephens
May 14, 2019
What They Don’t Tell You About Exposing Hidden Brick
It’s hard to resist the siren call of exposing hidden brick. When you know it’s tucked away under drywall or plaster, just begging to make a big statement, you’ve just got to do it… right?It sounds so easy when you tell friends your plans: “Yeah, we’ll just tear out the plaster and expose the brick. It’ll be amazing.” And if it were a TV show and you could fast forward to the finished product, it would totally be amazing.
Dana McMahan
May 14, 2019
The Best Bedroom Paint Colors, According to Real Estate Agents
Unlike your kitchen cabinets and front door, your bedroom’s paint color has no sway on your home’s selling price, according to Zillow’s 2018 Paint Color Analysis. But that doesn’t mean you should go ahead and order that neon yellow paint. It’s likely you’re looking to style your space to promote some R&R. And, fact is, there are certain paint colors that do that better than others.
Lambeth Hochwald
May 14, 2019
This Brooklyn Apartment Is for Fans of Fashion Photography (and Brick Walls)
Name: Brigid Andrews Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 4.5 years, renting Brigid Andrews, a merchandising director, has been a part of the fashion world for 15+ years. And her Brooklyn apartment reflects this experience… as well as her love for eye-catching visuals. Stacks of fashion magazines cover the top of the credenza in the bedroom, transforming it into a show-stopping feature.
Chinasa Cooper
May 14, 2019
The Broke Person’s Guide to Making Your First Place Feel More Adult
Moving apartments is often bittersweet, no matter the occasion—adjusting to a new neighborhood, routine, and floor plan can be both inspiring and challenging. Relocating to your first adult place—whether it’s post-college, post-gap year, post-high school, or just when you feel ready—comes with its own level of excitement and ambiguity, and often, no two newly-minted adults are exactly the same.
Sarah Lyon
May 14, 2019
An Organized 305-Square-Foot Studio Apartment Features Superb Space Maximizing Ideas
Architectural and interior designer Francis Dominguez has designed a 305-square-foot studio apartment beautifully.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 14, 2019
Before and After: Bold Color Gives a Shared Girls’ Room New Life
White doesn’t have to mean trite. Paired with a joyful neon color scheme, a white room can be an honest delight. Gill gave her girls’ “small and dark” room a colorful makeover to make the space feel entirely modern—and still kid-appropriate. “It is a shared room for our two daughters, and while we were desperate to lighten and brighten the space, we also wanted to ensure it appealed to both a 6-year-old and a 6-year-old,” Gill says.
Jamie Wiebe
May 13, 2019
You Can Now Rent Art, So You Don’t Even Have to Commit to that Gallery Wall
When it comes to shopping for art, the potential purchasing conundrums are endless. From getting a piece home only to notice that it doesn’t work with your overall aesthetic to obsessing over a print that’s too far out of your design budget, art lovers can all attest that choosing that perfect print isn’t always the simplest task.
Kenya Foy
May 13, 2019
Look Inside: A Blue Beauty (with a Screened-In Porch) in Houston for $420K
From the den to the dining room—everything is oversized in this Texas home.5623 Mcknight Street    Located in Houston, Texas$419,0003 bedrooms, 2 bathroomsThis house is love at first sight. The sprawling blue beauty, built in 1957, is set among a lush lawn with big, shady trees.Step right up along the paved brick walkway. (Now, don’t forget to notice those lovely shutters wrapped around that big window!) Just walk through that punchy green door and… you’re in!
Anne Roderique-Jones
May 13, 2019
Hoteliers Turn a Cozy NYC Apartment into a Moody, Hygge Paradise
Name: Timothy Griffin and Nico Fournier Location: Lower East Side — New York, New York Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Timothy and Nico, both hoteliers, have created an apartment full of mood and atmosphere. They both wanted to try and create that feeling of hygge, and they did it thanks to cozy textiles, moody colors, and atmospheric light choices.
Chinasa Cooper
May 13, 2019
The 9 Most Lovable Mother-Daughter Duos on TV
While moms deserve kudos every day all year round for the hard work they do, Mother’s Day gives us the opportunity to go all out in their honor. It’s also a good excuse to reminisce about our favorite on-screen mothers and daughters. Sometimes, they make us laugh and other times, they make us cry. The best mother-daughter duos make us appreciate and love our own mothers that much more.No matter what they’ve endured separately or together, these duos prove that love prevails.
Jennifer Nied
May 13, 2019
Why Is Cane Furniture Suddenly Everywhere?
In the interior design world, trends come and go faster than you can say, “mid-century modern”—but you can bet they’ll eventually make a comeback.Take cane furniture, for example. Wickered furniture has been around since ancient Egyptian civilizations, and caning has been having small resurgences since the 1600s (psst… you can check its entire history here). Now in 2019, centuries after cane furniture burst onto the design scene, we’re seeing it everywhere.
Kelsey Mulvey
May 13, 2019
How Furnishing My Apartment Taught Me to Love My Neighborhood
I slept horribly my first night at 5427 Avenue de L’esplanade. Like most Montreal apartments, it was located in a decades-old building—and despite all the beautiful touches of its age, like crown molding and gorgeous hardwood flooring, it lacked air conditioning and was uncomfortably hot during the summer.
Audrey Carleton
May 13, 2019
This Tiny 310-Square-Foot Home Is One of the Loveliest Studio Apartments
Name: Kylie Repasy Location: Harlem — New York, New YorkSize: 310 square feetYears lived in: 9 months, rentingSince 2008 I’ve lived with 27 different roommates in four different cities. From “forced triple” dorm rooms to Tanzanian homestays, these spaces house so many of my most treasured memories and nurtured environments that cultivated some of my strongest friendships.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 13, 2019
7 Cheap Tiny Houses to Rent, Starting at $39/Night
If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge and live in a tiny home full-time, how about renting one out for a getaway?
Kate Streit
May 12, 2019
The LastSwab Is a Sustainable Alternative to Q-tips
They raised 200% of their Kickstarter goal in under an hour.
Elizabeth Entenman
May 12, 2019
The #1 Reason Why People End Up Moving
Moving. UGH. Packing your entire apartment and schlepping it across town? I’d much rather use those cardboard boxes for just about anything besides moving. (Fort building competition, anyone?) But, alas, people do move. In fact, about 35 million Americans do every year. So why do that many people put themselves through all that labor and legwork? Well, Porch, a company which connects homeowners with home-oriented professionals, asked more than 1,000 people just that.
Megan Johnson
May 12, 2019
Here Are the Home Trends Reddit Thinks You’ll Regret
Ah, Reddit. You can always be trusted for unfiltered opinions (and a lot of snark). When Redditor tomandjerry0 posted a question about the home trends we’ll regret in 20 years in the ever-popular r/HomeImprovement subreddit, some 2,400 posts came in fast and furious. Setting aside the topic of PEX, some consistent themes and hot topics emerged. (Shiplap, for one, still had enough defenders that it didn’t quite make the list).Another DIY that should be a DIY-don’t?
Laura Lambert
May 12, 2019
Before and After: Watch This ‘Sad Fern’ Transform Into a Thriving Plant
Every week, our resident “plant doctor” Hilton Carter, takes us behind the scenes into his own home jungle to answer questions about plant care and tips. But we thought it could be fun to, er, grow the series: sending him into real homes where the plants aren’t always quite so healthy. Today we’re launching House Calls with the Plant Doctor.First up is Aaron Nachmann, who is our director of ad operations here at Apartment Therapy.
Apartment Therapy
May 12, 2019
How to Style Your Dresser So You Can Actually Still Use It
Dresser styling can definitely pose a bit of challenge. It’s easy to plop a TV on top and call it a day, but that isn’t the most visually exciting option, not to mention, there’s generally not much space left when it comes to actually getting ready. Dresser tops can hold a mix of practical and whimsical items, but the key is to not crowd the area too much.
Sarah Lyon
May 12, 2019
An Artist’s Cozy Apartment Features a Cute, Hand-Painted Wall Mural
This artist's Minnesota apartment is a serene, Scandinavian-inspired, organic modern haven.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 12, 2019
My Great Aunt’s Laundry Trick Makes Coming Back From Vacation Painless
I don't get stuck in re-entry inertia with a suitcase clogging up our bedroom for a week or more
Shifrah Combiths
May 12, 2019
How to Cat-Proof Your Home—Without Anyone Knowing You Have a Cat
Humans love their cats. From their boopers to their toe beans, cats bring joy to apartment-dwellers everywhere with a gigantic personality that fits comfortably in an urban-sized (read: teeny) apartment. But cats are still animals, which means they can claw, bite, knock over, and damage your #apartmentgoals.
Renee Mitson
May 11, 2019
The One Accessory You’re Probably Overlooking When Thrift Shopping
Within the past year and a half, I’ve become an even more active thrift shopper, having found some amazing scores on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and even at the local Goodwill. While searching through someone else’s old stuff with the hope of finding treasure can certainly require some time and patience, it’s so worth it—especially when it comes to lamps.
Sarah Lyon
May 11, 2019
How Unexpected Sexism Took the Joy Out of Buying My First Home
It left me surprised and dismayed.
Chelsea Greenwood
May 11, 2019
5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing a Paint Color
We’re cutting down the confusion once and for all.
Kelsey Mulvey
May 11, 2019
A Modestly Sized Rental Apartment Wows with Fun Fuchsia
Mariah's bold rental apartment is filled with one-of-a-kind treasures she found at thrift and antique stores.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 11, 2019
AT on: Plastic Garbage Bags on Door Knobs
It’s finally happened. We’ve got a garbage bag hanging from our front door knob. This is a sure sign of slipping into real urban slackerdom and more decay. We’ve become one of THEM.One of my pet peeves in NYC is the ubiquitous use of plastic shopping bags for easy garbage disposal instead of using the actual garbage bin. You know what I mean. It’s done all over town because its EASY. We’ve even been in SUPER fancy apartments and seen the same thing.
Maxwell Ryan
May 11, 2019
NY Good Questions: How Can I Hide These Security Bars?
Hello AT, I’m looking for a solution to hide really ugly security bars on my living room window.I need a solution that still allows light to enter the room because the room is dark.Any suggestions are appreciated!Thanks! Emily(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.)Dear Emily,This is a perennial NYC question and one that we wish was answerable by simply saying TAKE THE BARS DOWN, but we know that is not reasonable for everyone.
Maxwell Ryan
May 10, 2019
How To Create a “Dust-Free” Bedroom
Since my husband has asthma, we’re always looking for ways to reduce allergens and dust in our home (although it’s impossible to create a completely dust-free environment). We came across a good resource the other day. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has a step-by-step plan for reducing dust in the bedroom. Some of the tips on the site were for extreme cases. To read the entire article, click here.
Sarah Coffey
May 10, 2019
Quick Tip #35: How to Make Shower Curtains Glide Over Rods
Rub wax paper on your shower’s curtain rod to make rings run smoothly (and quietly) over the metal. The same concept works with metal hangers and closet rod. A single sheet of wax paper is usually enough, but if your curtain is especially screechy, it might take two. The paper will get gritty as it picks up the fine metallic dust.
Aaron Able
May 10, 2019
Before & After: A Teenage Bedroom is Completely Transformed into a Coastal Library
My mom is always happy to see me. But the last time I visited, she was also a little nervous; I was about to tear up the house and disrupt her space for several days while keeping the plan shrouded in secrecy—all for a surprise Mother’s Day room makeover. As I’ve gotten older, I find Mother’s Day feels woefully inadequate. The person who raised you and sacrificed for you, for the better part of two decades (and beyond), deserves more than a text or card.
Tara Bellucci
May 10, 2019
10 Tips for Buying Expensive-Looking Rugs on a Budget
Shopping for rugs with a tight budget can be difficult. Here are some ideas to score one that doesn't look cheap.
Leah Groth
May 10, 2019
How to Get Rid of Gnats
If your apartment is plagued by tiny floating black dots, you might think you’re hallucinating or your eyes are failing. We can’t totally rule those out… but it’s more likely you’ve got a much less alarming but still extremely annoying problem.Gnats.There are a few strategies for getting rid of your pesky new visitors.
Rena Behar
May 10, 2019
A Playful Home Shows Off the Power of Pops of Color
Name: Leslie and Gilbert, kids, and pets Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Size: 2,600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Leslie and Gilbert moved to Michigan a couple of years ago and were excited to find a fun mid-century modern house next to some wooded land. They love music, learning, and nature and wanted to be able to bring all of those things together into their home.
Diana Paulson
May 10, 2019
How To…Get Rid of Bleach Stains in the Bathroom
Bleach stains…sounds contradictory, doesn’t it? Well, a few days ago, in an effort to unclog our drain, we followed the advice of one of our friends and poured bleach down the drain. And man, we learned our lesson: Don’t. Do. That. EVER! Even after we rinsed the tub, the next morning we found nasty bleach stains around the tub. After two hours of scrubbing to no avail, we went online to hunt for some kind of remedy… After some research, we tested out a few solutions: 1.
Grace Shu
May 10, 2019
3 Things Ridiculously Organized People Do Before They Move
Moving is one of life’s most stressful events, and it’s no wonder why. It’s expensive. You have to go through all your belongings and decide what no longer sparks joy. Then there’s all the packing. This is all before actual moving day rolls around, which adds physical labor to the equation. It’s not hard to see why the whole thing generally makes people want to pull their hair out.But it doesn’t have to be that way!
Kate Streit
May 10, 2019
How to: Naturally Clean Up Pet Vomit From Carpet
Occasionally our cat scarfs down his kibbles so fast he doesn’t properly digest his meal, undoubtedly resulting in a small pile of partially digested dinner ontop of our rug. Cleaning it fully requires some careful handling, since you don’t want to press in the mess into the fabric and leave a stain…First, use a butter knife or a spoon to pick up the bulk of the mess from ontop the carpet.
Gregory Han
May 10, 2019
This Arizona Home Is Filled With Utterly Fantastic Hand-Painted Florals
Name: Bari and Kevin Ackerman (grown daughters Anna and Emily live here only part time). Pets include Kevin’s saltwater aquarium fish. Location: Scottsdale, Arizona Size: 3,400 square feet Years Lived In: 8 years, owned We moved to Arizona in December 2011 with our two daughters who were in 8th grade and sophomore year of high school at the time. Because we hadn’t sold our house in California yet, we stayed with my parents for a bit. When the house sold in January, we began hunting.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 10, 2019
The Sex Chairs: The Tantric Sex Chair and The Esse Chair
Okay, so here’s the skinny. A friend of ours told us that she r e a l l y w a n t e d one of these for her and her husband, but they were pricey, so they built one. Then we opened the New York Times and found out about a couple that ordered “The Sex Chair.
Maxwell Ryan
May 10, 2019
How To: Hang Art in Groups (Like Kate Spade)
Full disclosure: I think Kate is soooooo much cooler than Andy Spade (and, yes, I’m a guy). Hilary (woman) may lose, but Kate (woman) has won. Her style seems so much more grown up, fun and exciting than his little confused downtown boy club around the corner from her SoHo store. Okay, that’s harsh, but it’s true (his bags are nice, but that’s it). And even though I have NO USE for anything in HER store (bags, glasses, etc), I still go in there and I like it.
Maxwell Ryan
May 10, 2019
Switch Up Your Pillow Covers with These 9 Affordable Options
You can never truly own too many throw pillows, right? I mean, just scroll through these pillow-filled rooms and take a look at how comfortable and stylish they seem! But for those who are short on space or prefer a more minimalist look, I maintain that purchasing a few great inserts and then swapping out covers from time to time is the best bet.
Sarah Lyon
May 10, 2019
How To: Build A DIY Humane Mouse Trap
It appears that my recent house guest was an elderly member of a rodent community underneath our building. Our friend and neighbor found another rodent brought in by her cat in her adjoining unit, and was notified that some workmen discovered a nest of mice living beneath the building in the foundation. She’s been looking to get rid of it, but humanely, but isn’t too keen on traditional traps.
Gregory Han
May 10, 2019
A Classic Rock-Inspired Home Has the Cutest Pink Plant-Themed Powder Room
Name: Andrea Isabelle Lucas, my partner, and two kids, ages 12 and 19 Location: Boston, MassachusettsSize: 2500 square feetYears lived in: 2 years, ownedOur home is just north of Boston, built in 1880. My favorite original feature is the wide pine plank floors. I have a love of classic rock, mid-century modern style, and also do circus arts in my spare time. I could never feel at home somewhere average or plain-looking.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 10, 2019