The Latest
2019
December
December 20

The Latest: Dec 20, 2019

Welcome to the hub for accessing all our latest posts! Easily sort through content by date to quickly find what you’re looking for — you’ll never miss out on the latest updates here.
Storage Secrets from a Pro Organizer’s Own Tiny Studio Apartment
Designer and organizer Amelia's current home is short on space, but rich in smart small space storage ideas
Adrienne Breaux
Dec 20, 2019
A Professional Organizer Reveals Two Tasks to Do Each Day to Stay More Organized
Professional organizer Rachel Rosenthal reveals what most people get wrong when it comes to getting their home organized.
Adrienne Breaux
Dec 20, 2019
Apparently, Cats Love Climbing in Christmas Trees, and These Pictures Prove It
Cats climbing in Christmas trees takes the idea of a “cat tree” to a whole new level (perhaps literally).
Nicoletta Richardson
Dec 20, 2019
These Under $15 IKEA Finds Will Cozy Up Your Home for the Holidays and Beyond
Get your hygge on at home on the cheap.
Kelsie Schrader
Dec 20, 2019
The 2 Best Changes I Made to Simplify My Cleaning Routine this Year
I'm set to make 2020 my most streamlined cleaning year yet.
Shifrah Combiths
Dec 20, 2019
A Renovated Condo Features the Perfect Mix of Scandi Boho Christmas Decor
Holiday decorations stick to a neutral color palette of soft colors derived from the outdoors, and dominant materials are natural, too.
Adrienne Breaux
Dec 16, 2019
5 Seasonal Command Hook Hacks to Make Holiday Decorating Easier
Is it just us, or has this holiday season felt extremely short? If you're worried you've run out of time to turn your home into a holiday wonderland, look no further.
Sarah Lyon
Dec 20, 2019
This Non-Profit Is Building 3D Printed Tiny Houses for Families in Rural Mexico
There’s a non-profit out there whose work is changing the way we tackle homelessness.
Tyra Wilkes
Dec 20, 2019
Before & After: A Dated ’80s House Is Unrecognizable After This Cheery, Modern Remodel
And it features some sleek, clever built-in ideas for the kitchen and bathroom you'll be inspired by.
Adrienne Breaux
Dec 20, 2019
Before and After: A Dark, Dated Bungalow Gets an Unrecognizable Bright Makeover
It looks and feels so much larger!
Adrienne Breaux
Dec 20, 2019
A 1930s Cape Cod-Style House Gets a Beautiful Makeover, All While Retaining Its Original Charm
Despite the beige walls, pink bathroom, and yellow kitchen, Jenna and her husband saw potential in this 1930s home.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Dec 20, 2019
A Remodeled Condo Is Modern, Minimal, and a Marvelous Home for This Creative Couple
After remodeling, this condo is now a serene living space.
Adrienne Breaux
Dec 20, 2019
Before & After: This Already Charming 124-Year-Old House Just Got Better—Thanks to the Power of Color
The home's history and character were clearly a big selling point.
Adrienne Breaux
Dec 20, 2019
Before & After: A Dated 1970s House Got a Jaw-Dropping Modern Remodel, Is Now Totally Unrecognizable
After quite a few months of casually house shopping, a 1970s house in a great location came up and this couple had to go for it; it just had too much potential.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Dec 20, 2019
This Rental Apartment’s Rainbow Color Palette Will Lift Your Spirits
Color is healing and transformative and rainbows are fun and uplifting.
Adrienne Breaux
Dec 20, 2019
A Sprawling 132-Year-Old Renovated Victorian Is Filled With All Our Favorite Details (And 8 Fireplaces)
This 132-year-old Victorian house is brimming with amazing details like eight fireplaces, 11-foot ceilings, inlaid floors, a six-foot clawfoot tub, a brass lion's head door knocker and more.
Dana McMahan
Dec 20, 2019
This Life Coach’s Small and Serene NYC Apartment Boasts Modern Furniture, Family Antiques, and Art by Women Artists
This mindset coach has called the same Manhattan apartment home for more than a decade... and as she has evolved, so has her apartment's style.
Minette Hand
Dec 20, 2019
A Major Renovation Revealed the Architectural Beauty of This Now-Stunning New Orleans Home
When Cali toured this 103 years old house for the first time it, everything about it screamed of the 1970s, down to the vinyl wood paneling dirty shag carpeting to find original wide-plank wood floors, but she knew it was an architectural gem just waiting to be uncovered.
Jacqueline Marque
Dec 20, 2019
Disney Decor Abounds in This Colorful Rental Apartment
Name: Carrie, Patrick and Nacho D. Cat Location: Los Angeles, California Size: 1,750 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting Longtime Apartment Therapy reader Carrie and husband Patrick discovered their apartment five years ago, when the desire for a bigger bed made them realize they needed a bigger bedroom.
Bethany Nauert
Dec 20, 2019
How To Make a Friendship Necklace for Your Bestie
Here’s a fast and easy DIY on how to create fun, colorful friendship necklaces for you and your best friend(s). Give them as gifts for Galentine’s Day and tell your girls how much you love having them in your life! Sculpey Polymer Clay Small Eye Hooks Necklace or Ball Chain Heart-Shaped Cookie Cutter Small Rolling Pin or Wooden Dowel X-Acto Knife 1. Take off a section of clay and start rolling it with your wooden pin onto a clean, dry surface.
Dabney Frake
Dec 20, 2019
How to Remove Stickers & Labels From Glass
Depending on your personality, peeling a label off could be the best or worst possible way to spend a half hour. If it’s your worst nightmare, we’ve got a great tip for you that will have your vessel sticker-free in just a few short minutes! Turn your hairdryer to high heat and hold it over the sticker for about 45 seconds. After 45 seconds of direct heat, test a corner of the sticker and see if it peels away easily.
Ashley Poskin
Dec 20, 2019
How To Grow Cucumbers
Cucumbers are one of the most refreshing things to eat straight out of the garden. Technically a fruit, this hydrating treat is made up of 95% water and can help keep you going on a hot day. Cucumber seedlings can be planted outside two weeks after the last spring frost. They love the hot sun, so be sure to make room for them in a bright area with fertile, well-drained soil. Plant a second crop one month after the first. Cucumber seedlings Organic compost Organic fertilizer Garden tools 1.
Ashley Poskin
Dec 20, 2019
The “Rustic Hunting Cabin to Cozy Family Home” Makeover
Project by: Stella and family Location: Quebec, Canada Do you ever dream of a simpler life? Living with your family somewhere quiet, close to nature, maybe next to a pond, with a farmers market close by to visit on the weekend? Here’s the story of one family who made that dream a reality, one DIY challenge at a time.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
How To Spray Paint Vinyl Upholstery
Sometimes, chairs come into our lives. It’s all very casual: we don’t really love them, but we kind of like them, and they were just there at the yard sale, and they were cheap and we could kind of see potential… So we bring them home with us only to realize that we will never actually pay the price to have them reupholstered—they get stashed away in the basement or the garage. But if they are vinyl, it doesn’t have to end there!
Ashley Poskin
Dec 20, 2019
How To Make Your Own Pasties
Looking to turn up the sexy this Valentine’s Day? Last week, I was invited to learn how to make nipple pasties by Rogue Burlesque, and I’m here to tell you, it’s just as fun (and not as hard) as you might think. You’ll be shaking your sparkly bits in no time. Brandy Wine is the de facto pasty artist for Rogue’s burlesque dancers, and she also makes bedazzled bowties for those who’d prefer their sparkle north of their nipples.
Tara Bellucci
Dec 20, 2019
How To Make Curtains from Vintage Scarves
A vintage scarf from a flea market or yard sale can be a hard thing to pass up. So hard, in fact, that you might find yourself with quite the collection. If your scarf stash is getting a bit out of control, this could be the perfect project for you! Once you measure your windows and decide on the configuration of your scarves, the actual sewing goes by pretty quickly.
Ashley Poskin
Dec 20, 2019
The “Just Isn’t Me” $500 Kitchen Makeover
Renovation by: Kristyn Location: Pittsburgh There was nothing WRONG with the kitchen when I purchased my first home except that it wasn’t me. It didn’t fit the 1920s Tudor Revival style of the house or my preferred bright, colorful, organic modern look. Although I don’t love bead board, there was no reason to replace the clean and sturdy cabinets. So I embraced it, adding more to the side and back of the island that separates kitchen from dining room.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
The “See You Later, Princess” Kitchen Makeover
Renovation by: Patti Location: Phoenix, AZ We moved into our fixer-upper exactly one year ago and finally finished the last room – the kitchen. I think the previous owner must have fantasied about being a princess because every single room was painted pink (including ceilings and doors!) and had wall to wall purple carpeting.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
The “From Gutted to Gothic Glory” Living Room Makeover
Renovation by: Laura Location: Oak Park, Illinois My husband Michael and I just purchased this 1892 gothic Victorian home in outlying Chicago’s historic Oak Park. (land of Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace.) I own a jewelry boutique called Gem Jewelry Boutique and Michael is a general contractor. The home is perfect with its nearly 10 foot high ceilings and elegant moulding, original marble fireplace and gothic windows.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
The “Present for Grandpa” Living Room Makeover
Renovation by: Katie Location: Canada For Christmas this year, I decided to update my grandfather’s living room as my present to him. My grandmother passed away last February, and he needed a change – something that he could see everyday that would make him happy to remember his life with her. They had kept their 1960s furniture in near perfect condition, so I knew I would just need to update the styling of the room with fabrics and some interesting wall art.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
The “Darkly Dreary to Modern Minimal” Master Bedroom Makeover
Renovation by: Heather and Mike Location: Phoenix, Arizona We are Phoenix, Arizona natives that have never left our little neighborhood of Arcadia. Born and raised in such a gorgeous and historical area of the city, we decided to buy the perfect ranch-style home (in serious need of some TLC!) in our citrus-filled area of town 8 years ago. We’ve had some serious adventures in renovations, and the master suite was the last piece of the puzzle!
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
Before & After: A 100 Year Old Bathroom Gets a Makeover
We recently moved into a charming 1913 American Foursquare home in Joplin, Missouri. Our first major remodel was the upstairs bathroom. It was replete with plumbing issues (missing a sink), sporting stick on floor tile and press board wall “tile.” Our desire was to make things functional and restore it what it may have originally looked like, while adding our own sense of flair. From start to finish, the project took about a year and cost $2500.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
Before & After: The “Oops, You Got Us in Trouble” Bathroom Makeover
Sometimes a little unexpected “trouble” can go a long way toward creating a beautiful room. You start out with the plan of simply changing up a few decorative elements and find yourself in the middle of a full-on makeover. It happened to Renato, and he not only lived to tell the tale, he’s got a great looking room to show for it. Take it away, Renato… Tired of living with a bathroom falling apart, one day I woke up with design school ended, no jobs and nothing to do.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
Before & After: Goodbye Basic Fireplace, Hello Custom Built-Ins
Project by: Holly Location: Portland, Oregon Holly had the perfectly nice fireplace shown above in her new place, but she had a vision of how the room could be really something special and decided to make it a reality. It involved a bit of demo and the building of a bunch of built-ins but it was worth it – the “after” looks great.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
Before & After: No Excuse for a Naked Window
Makeover by: Jennifer Location: San Diego Moving into a new place means lots of little unfinished spots that need solutions, which means spending both time and money. Jennifer dressed up this window corner quickly, stylishly and for less that you would think possible. Check it out… Jennifer added triangle vinyl decals to a plain rolling shade that she picked up at Home Depot.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
Before & After: Becky’s BOOOR-ING Bath Gets Some Oomph
Becky sent in before and after shots of her master bath makeover. She writes: Our house was beautifully renovated about 15 years ago, long before it was ours. All the important stuff was done perfectly, but a few aesthetics left something to be desired. Like our master bathroom. BOOOR-ING. Square tile on the walls, pinkish-peach square tiles on the floor, builder grade sink top and vanity. Cheap, boring fixtures. And GIANT wall-encompassing mirror.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
Before & After: An Architect’s Own Creative Kitchen Renovation
Renovation by: Takbir Fatima from DesignAware Location: Hyderabad, India This kitchen had been through a lot of wear: the original construction was faulty, causing leakage in the floor, the original design allowed for almost no natural light to enter the kitchen, and previous tenants’ lack of maintenance had made an entire wall stubbornly greasy. Before moving in, I brought down the wall separating the kitchen and dining areas, opening up the space.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
Before & After: The Amazing 6-Day RV Makeover
Renovation by: Carissa Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma My husband and I renovated our R.V. to make it more livable and cozy before taking it on a cross country trip to Yellowstone. We did the entire project in 6 days, which was crazy, but fun! We changed the dated woodwork by painting it a “modern greige” color then ripped out the old seating and replaced it with a couch from IKEA. We also replaced the dining room chairs with some more modern chairs from IKEA.
Janel Laban
Dec 20, 2019
Try This DIY Project!: Turn an Old Box Spring Mattress into Stand Alone Bed Frame
This DIY project is a great use for older box springs, and an affordable way to have a “brand new” bed. It only requires about four yards of upholstery fabric, and can be done in just a couple of hours… Katy from The Clever Bunny had a hand-me-down mattress which was relegated to her guest room. In lieu of a bed frame she chose to cover the box spring with fabric and add legs.
Dabney Frake
Dec 20, 2019