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The Latest: Jul 2020

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Small bathroom with brown shower curtain, beige walls, wooden vanity, and toilet. "Before" label in orange at the bottom.
Before & After: World’s Ugliest Condo Bathroom
I was sitting around the other day, thinking about pairing gold kitchen cabinet hardware with stainless steel appliances, and I suddenly remembered: I never showed you all any photos of the finished World’s Ugliest Condo bathroom!These photos were taken with an iPhone, but you can still see the what’s what. Enjoy.
Dabney Frake
Jul 17, 2020
This Weekend: Prune & Purify Your Personal Purgatory
If open shelving keeps you honest and un-cluttered, junk drawers are the organizational opposite: a hidden spot where random things are stuck and linger until later used, relocated, thrown out, or recycled. It’s your own personal purgatory and a sanity-saving catchall, so don’t resist it entirely. Just hit the reset button periodically and bring it back under control…and accept that it will fill up again.
Dabney Frake
Jul 17, 2020
One Super Simple Way to Make Your Hanging Planter Look High-End
This fix is cheap, easy, and super luxe-looking.
Erin Johnson
Jul 17, 2020
Design Inspiration: Making the Most of a Bay Window
A window niche is design feature many would welcome. While this naturally lit offshoot of a room appears dreamy and wonderful, it can also be difficult to furnish. Finding a balance between maintaining functionality of the space while also integrating it into the rest of the room can be quite a challenge.Here in San Francisco, Victorians with bay windows can be found at every corner.
Lindsay Tella
Jul 17, 2020
Before & After: Old Fence Posts Transformed With String
It’s been raining buckets throughout much of the Midwest for the better part of the weekend and it seems as though my galoshes have never seen so much use! Although I’ve previously mentioned using a baking sheet as a quick boot tray, check out this DIY that all started as a scrap pile of used fence posts!
Sarah Rae Smith
Jul 17, 2020
Bold Living Room Decor Ideas That Are Easier to Pull Off Than You Realize
No matter what kind of budget you have, what your DIY skill level is or what kind of architecture you’re working with, a boring, blah living room doesn’t have to be anyone’s fate. These bold living room decor ideas don’t just look great, they’re easier to pull off than you realize… You don’t have to have an expensive art collection to fill a wall with framed art.
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 17, 2020
Andi’s Kitchen Renovation: The Big Reveal
Before: The kitchen, although graced with beautiful large windows, left a little something to be desired. After: A new kitchen from the studs inward, including a new Kohler sink and industrial task lighting above the windows for more functionality.From Andi: Possibly the most luxurious thing is the increased square footage (we went from 95 to 170 square feet).
Guest
Jul 17, 2020
Claire & Jeffrey’s Kitchen: The Big Reveal
For all of us who have been following along with Claire and Jeffrey’s renovation, the ultimate moment has finally arrived. That’s right — the kitchen is finally complete, and it’s time for the big reveal. Before: The space viewed from the living room entry. After: Now, the kitchen is wide open, with an uninterrupted view of the window to the backyard.From Claire:We spend all of our free time in this room.
Guest
Jul 17, 2020
Renters Solutions: 7 Real Life Examples of White Walls that Work
Renters everywhere face a common enemy: the dreaded white wall. But should you have walls you cannot paint, fret not! These Apartment Therapy renters work with the white wall, not against it. Granted, we are not all blessed with crown moldings or 15 foot ceilings, but the principles ring true for many a space. The key element is natural light. Jesse’s Modern Bachelor Pad House Tour – Jesse’s space is a veritable tutorial in how to get the most out of a rental.
Elisabeth Wilborn
Jul 17, 2020
Bring the Outdoors in With These Stylish Wood Slice Tables
These wooden tables are the perfect natural refresh for your home design.
Danielle Blundell
Jul 17, 2020
The Introvert’s Guide to Entertaining
Are you an introvert who’s sworn off entertaining after too many exhausting events? Not everyone is cut out for every kind of hosting, but just because you’re not a social butterfly doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time with guests; you just have to do it the right way and play to your strengths. Here’s how.
Jennifer Hunter
Jul 17, 2020
Urban Outfitter’s Latest Bedroom Collection Is An Updated Take On ’70s Boho
Once upon a time, Urban Outfitter’s home section was a place to go for inexpensive sleeper couches and duvet covers and not much else. Recently, however, the retailer has expanded its line to include a number of looks at affordable prices. The new Modern Boho collection is one such example. Rather than the “downtown loft” vibe of the UO days of yore, this is all sun-drenched Laurel Canyon bungalow.
Marshall Bright
Jul 17, 2020
Time to Bulk Up: You Can Now Shop at Costco Without a Membership
The old adage, “I don’t want to be a part of a club that would have me as a member” was clearly coined in the pre-Costco (pc) era. Costco memberships, while reasonable, are often just not worth it for the casual bulk buyer, but boy are they tempting. But good news abounds! You can now shop at Costco without a membership. Thanks to Google Express, you can now shop at Costco, a lone wolf without a membership, from the comfort of your own home. “There must be a catch!
Nora Taylor
Jul 17, 2020
The Home Theater Mistake We Keep Seeing Over and Over Again
As stone countertops and stainless steel appliances are to a kitchen, a large flat panel television (and a comfy couch) in the living room is to a typical American household. But there’s one continuing trend we’d like to see people stop doing doing: hanging flat screen televisions over the fireplace.
Gregory Han
Jul 17, 2020
Good News, Bulk Buying Brides: Costco Now Has a Wedding Registry
Have you ever wandered the massive aisles of your local warehouse store, wondering why you can’t easily ask your friends and family to buy you a 120-pack of coffee pods or a 36-pack of water pitcher replacement filters? Well, now it’s only a click away, because Costco has recently announced its new gift registry.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 17, 2020
Partner
2018’s Trending Color Palettes, According to Our Readers
You’ve been searching, and (not to sound creepy) we’ve been watching. Today, we’re revealing three new Color Search palettes based on your top color searches. Color Search is, of course, our cool tool that lets you look at any image in our House Tours and tells you what Sherwin-Williams paint color will get you that look. Or, if you’re going the other way, lets you tell us what colors you’re feeling and see how other real people have used them in their homes.
Tim Minerd
Jul 17, 2020
5 Things You Can Do On Your Summer Break to Increase Your Home’s Value
You don't have to fully renovate to boost the value of your home, or even its "wow" factor. Instead, tackle these small projects this summer.
Colleen Egan
Jul 17, 2020
Rules to Remember When You Want Dark Walls in a Small Space
Angie Teater‘s Midtown East studio apartment in Manhattan is, quite simply, stunning. There’s plenty of furniture arrangement inspiration for your own studio apartment, but there’s something special Angie aced in her home: She used dark wall paint without making her small (350 square feet, to be exact) apartment feel like a cave.Below, the smart ways she pulled it off translated into “rules” to keep in mind if you are planning on going over to the dark side.
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 17, 2020
7 Kitchens That Are Rocking an L-Shaped Layout
One of the most important kitchen design decisions you’ll make, both for looks and functionality, is the layout. You have a few options—the tried and true U shape, or the elegant and functional galley shape. But if you love entertaining, and love the look of an open kitchen, there’s another kind of kitchen layout that’s worth a look: the L shape. An L-shaped kitchen has just two runs of cabinetry, arranged at right angles to each other. (The name pretty much says it all.
Nancy Mitchell
Jul 17, 2020
Before and After: A $200 Redo Totally Modernizes This Fixer Upper Living Room
You'll want to steal the high-contrast color scheme for your own space.
Melissa Epifano
Jul 17, 2020
Cheap Ways to Make Your Kitchen Cabinets Feel Totally New
New year, new kitchen.
Brigitt Earley
Jul 17, 2020
6 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Moving Into My First Apartment
The sweet taste of freedom after leaving your parents’ house or the dorms for the first time for an apartment of your very own is intoxicating. You can go get sugary cereal in the middle of the night if you want! You’re grown-up! It isn’t all junk food binges and co-ed sleepovers, though. Once the novelty wears off, living in a first apartment can mean learning hard life lessons. Here are six things I wish I had known before I moved into my first apartment.
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 17, 2020
How to Make It Work When You Have No Room for a Home Office: A Round-Up of Ideas & Inspirations
We know that it’s not always easy to visualize the possibilities of adding more into a small home, so here are some of our favorite posts—from roundups to Maxwell’s pro tips to a collection of small space house tours—to help you carve out a home office space when you’re short on space in general. Yes, You Can Fit A Home Office Into Your Tiny Home Try a small desk next to the sofa in place of an end table, as seen on Design Sponge.
Julia Brenner
Jul 17, 2020
How To Style Bookshelves Layer By Layer
Adding that last layer to a room means arranging and styling surfaces like windowsills, tabletops, and especially empty bookshelves. You can leave these to the last minute, as they are the finishing touches rather than the backbone of your design. Here’s how we tackled Ashley’s bookshelves during the makeover: Before you get started, gather lots of things in a variety of finishes, shapes, textures, and colors.
Dabney Frake
Jul 17, 2020
Why You Should Put Baking Soda in a Salt Shaker
The spillage is real.
Ashley Poskin
Jul 17, 2020
Marble Countertops 101: Yes, They’re a Great Idea!
I’ve always loved white marble countertops and I last wrote about them five years ago (43 comments BTW). They are bright, elegant, add character and are wonderful to cook on, particularly if you’re baking. They can also be one of the cheapest stone solutions if you choose Carrara marble, making them a great choice if you’re on an IKEA kitchen installation budget. However, many people are afraid of them due to the perception that they are high maintenance.
Maxwell Ryan
Jul 17, 2020
This Quirky Art Deco Home In Portland Can Be Yours For Under $600K
Do the Charleston, because this Art Deco inspired pad will bring you all the way back to the roaring 20s. Though it doesn’t actually date back to the style’s heyday; according to The Oregonian, the Sunnyside home was built in 1992 by Paul Wenner, founder of Gardenburger, to resemble an Art Deco skyscraper. And that’s just the outside.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 17, 2020
The Five Steps to a Beautifully Designed Living Room
I spotted the living room above in a recent Brooklyn house tour and instantly loved it. You can immediately see that it’s a balanced, well-appointed space. The arrangement is conducive for conversation, it feels sophisticated, and all the elements marry together beautifully. Not only do I think it’s a living room worth getting inspired by, it’s a living room that could be achieved on a budget and fit with many different styles.
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 17, 2020
Here’s What $1500 Will Rent You in Each of NYC’s Boroughs
Yep, living in New York City is expensive, especially when it comes to real estate. Even $1 million doesn’t get everything on your wishlist. Yet, over 8.5 million people live in the Big Apple, and at least some of them live in relatively affordable, non-rent controlled apartments. So we scoured what’s currently on the market, and came up with ten rentals across the five boroughs for around $1,500 a month. What does that get you in Manhattan versus Staten Island? Let’s find out.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 17, 2020
The Ultimate Decluttering Guide: 130 Things to Get Rid of in the New Year
If the prospect of a shiny new year has you wanting to jump back onboard the KonMari-method decluttering train (à la Emily Gilmore in the Netflix “Gilmore Girls” revival), you’re in good company. The start of 2017 has us reimagining our homes as minimalist sanctuaries, filled only with joy-sparking essentials.
Katie Holdefehr
Jul 17, 2020
How To Fight The Rental Battle of the Beige in Every Room in The House
Between beige walls, brown floor tiles, and oak wood cabinets, most rental apartments have cornered the market on neutral. If your walls are the color of a bandaid, and your landlord has no pity for your palette woes, it’s up to you to take the bull by the horns and deal with it. One of the easiest ways to combat the lack of vibrant color is with really bold bedding and artwork. You’d never walk away from Jen & Kirstie’s happy, welcoming rental and think it’s boring.
Dabney Frake
Jul 17, 2020
7 Clever Painting Ideas to Steal from the 2019 IKEA Catalog
We all know that catalogs aren’t real life, but they can be excellent sources of inspiration to mine for your own home. IKEA has one of the best ones out there, and their 2019 edition (out this week!) is chock full of ways to add color, interest, and texture to your walls. Here are some clever and creative painting ideas to steal. Here, IKEA uses two complementary paint colors for the walls: a dusty blue and pink.
Dabney Frake
Jul 17, 2020
Create More Visual Harmony in Your Home
What is harmony, when it comes to one’s home? Well, in general, it’s a feeling of peace and cohesiveness. It’s more than just feeling like everything goes together — it’s the sense that the whole space is better for every element in it. It’s a way to create a sense of calmness throughout your entire home that makes your life just a little bit better. And here are six ways to add more of it to your home!
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 17, 2020
Beyond Granite: 8 Other Countertop Materials to Consider
Cambria Bold
Jul 17, 2020
Before and After: This Living Room Looks Bigger and Brighter—No Reno Required
Here's proof that you don't have to bust down a wall to brighten up a dark space.
Alison Goldman
Jul 17, 2020
A Foolproof Layering Formula for a Dreamy Rustic Glam Dining Room
The dining room — or in smaller homes, the “dining area” — has become a forgotten, cluttered spot in many homes. With our tables piled with old mail collecting dust, many of us eat our meals in front of Netflix or on the go. But whether you entertain guests or cook meals for one, you deserve a beautiful spot in your home just for enjoying eating a meal.
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 17, 2020
Here’s Why We Feel Stressed Ending the Day with a Cluttered Inbox
Inbox zero isn't always attainable, and it shouldn't be.
Arielle Tschinkel
Jul 17, 2020
This Polynesian-Inspired Palm Springs Pad Is For Sale
Want to live permanently on island time, but in the middle of the desert? This two bedroom home in Palm Springs really plays up its tiki culture history. Take a look inside. The 1,289 square foot two bedroom, two bathroom condo is located in Palm Springs’ famed Royal Hawaiian Estates.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 17, 2020
Real Estate Rewind: The Weirdest, Wildest & Most Memorable Houses for Sale This Year
If you’ve ever browsed homes for sale, you know that after awhile, they definitely all start to blend together. However, these nine properties are ones that—for better or worse—we’ll never forget. From untouched time capsules to the sets of our favorite childhood sitcoms, these are the listings that made us smile, laugh, and even cringe this year. This Virginia estate has been in the same family since it was built in 1856.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 17, 2020
There’s a Hidden Top-Loading Washing Machine In this Kitchen!
From Apartment Therapy → There’s a Hidden Top-Loading Washing Machine In this Kitchen!
Cambria Bold
Jul 17, 2020
10 Beautiful Ways to Style a Bar Cart
From Apartment Therapy → 10 Beautifully Styled Bar Carts Worth Throwing a Party For A bar cart is more than just a place to store your booze and drink accessories — think of it as a way to show off your sense of style! Here are 10 ways to to outfit and decorate your bar cart!
The Kitchn Editors
Jul 17, 2020
SMEG Adds Even More Appliances That Are Actual Works of Art
It’s Design Week in Milan and SMEG and Dolce & Gabbana are back with even more appliances turned art. If you thought the fridges were extra, just wait until you have a hand painted oven and range hood to match. The collection, called Sicily Is My Love, started as an exhibit at Milan Design Week in 2016. The fashion brand enlisted artists to paint traditional imagery on one hundred of the appliance maker’s hugely popular retro style refrigerators.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 17, 2020
Watch How This Simple Change Makes a Dramatic Cabinet Difference
They may be some of the smallest details in a kitchen, but a change (or addition) of cabinet hardware can totally update a room’s entire look. Available in a disorienting array of finishes, shapes, sizes and materials, the sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing what to adorn your cabinet doors and drawers with. But perhaps you’re not entirely convinced that a few knobs can make a big visual difference in a kitchen? Check out the Photoshopped images below.
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 17, 2020
Tamara’s Before & After Photos: The Sunroom Reveal
I am beyond thrilled with the result of my Style Cure and today I share my “after” photos! We went from a gloomy, unused, unfinished sunroom to a bright, open, and warm lounge area and office. There are so many elements in this new space that make me extremely happy, but just the fact that I can edit the photos for this post while sitting at a real desk in front of cheerful windows is enough to send me over the moon.
Tamara Gavin
Jul 17, 2020
How to Know If You Have Hard Water (and What That Even Means)
As long as the tap turns on, you don’t really think about your water. But you may have a problem that shows up in other ways, and hard water is one you should definitely pay attention to.
Dana McMahan
Jul 17, 2020
This Totally Rad Airbnb Will Transport You Back to the ‘80s
No DeLorean required.
Elizabeth Entenman
Jul 17, 2020
Small Space Secrets: Swap Out Your Bookcases for Wall Mounted Shelving
When you’re living in a small space, every detail counts. But sometimes those little things — the things that elevate a place from not quite right to effortlessly chic — can be hard to identify. Our first bit of advice? Swap your freestanding bookshelves for wall-mounted shelving. It’s an approach that was recommended by Maxwell in his “Apartment Therapist” column for Better Homes & Gardens.
Nancy Mitchell
Jul 17, 2020
6 Rules For Practical Dining Room Rugs
The Kitchn Editors
Jul 17, 2020