Green Porno: Isabella Rossellini Reveals All…
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Time to expand your green knowledge. We must admit that we had actually never seen an episode of Sundance’s Green Porno until recently, and now we’re totally fascinated! Leave it to Isabella Rossellini to make the sex life of insects (season one) and marine animals (season two) feel like a walk
May 4, 2009
Tech Myth: Holding the Car Remote to Your Head Increases Its Range
This entry comes to you courtesy of the fact that I’ve heard this maybe-myth told to me more than once in the past few weeks my friends and complete strangers alike. My car’s keyless entry remote, for lack of a better word, sucks. I practically have to be next to the car to get it to work. Alas, plenty of the aforementioned people have given me the tip to hold the remote to my chin with my mouth slightly open to increase the range of the remote signal.
May 4, 2009
It’s Cleaning Time! Kitchen Cleaning Tips and Inspiration
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Your Kitchen Cure assignment this week is to clean up the kitchen and finish restocking, reorganizing, and doing whatever your kitchen needs to be ready to get cooking next week. Cleaning isn’t the sexiest topic, but we still love to talk about it. A clean kitchen is a healthy kitchen, so
May 1, 2009
Small Space Crib Review: The Stokke Sleepi
My husband and I decided we’d allow ourselves one splurge purchase for our baby. We had admired the Stokke Sleepi crib, but decided it was just too expensive – not just for our budget, but in principle. But when we started trying to figure out how to incorporate a crib into our home office space, the smaller Stokke started looking better and better.
Apr 24, 2009
Close-Up: Über Organized Craft Room with a Touch of Tech
click for more picsCrafty IntentionsShe painted the space from a harsh purple to Jamaican Sea from Behr, then installed Ikea Lack shelves to hold all her crafty goods including, rhinestones, sequins, little fabric trim, beads, metal and wood accessories, etc. pom poms, tools and glitter.The bottom shelf includes stair-like levels Megan got at Lowes. These allow her to store more small jars in the space.
Apr 8, 2009
House Tour: Nicole’s “Vintage Comfortable” Townhouse
Name: Nicole ZieglerProfession: Graphic Designer/Art DirectorLocation: Wicker Park, ChicagoType: 700 sq ft rented 1 bedroom brick townhouseYears lived in: 9 months >> A lot of Nicole’s finds come from family and near her Scranton, PA roots, creating what she calls her “vintage comfortable” apartment.
Apr 6, 2009
Kitchen Spotlight: Lori’s Serene Farmhouse
Look at this simply lovely farmhouse kitchen from Lori in Long Island. She just finished renovating this old farmhouse kitchen on a budget, using a mixture of modern, serene colors and old-fashioned industrial fittings. • Click here for full post: Kitchen Spotlight: Lori’s Serene Farmhouse
Mar 18, 2009
Before & After: A Modest Galley Kitchen Makeover
Let’s just say the kitchen was not what attracted us to our new home. Country rooster decor was in abundance and so were peeling vinyl floor tiles, 80s lace valances, and honey-stained cabinetry — not exactly our dream kitchen. However, coming out of grad school, we weren’t really in a position for a total dream kitchen remodel, so we prioritized our list of essential updates, enlisted a handyman friend, and went to work…FIRST ROW• 1 Before & After views.
Mar 13, 2009
House Tour: Emily’s Crisp & Contemporary Studio
Name: Emily BallardProfession: Gallery Assistant/ Appraisal SupervisorLocation: Lincoln Park, ChicagoSize: Roughly 300 sq ft rented studioTime lived in: 7 months >> With solid bones and some interesting history, Emily has been able to make her Lincoln Park studio an open, light, whimsical yet thought-out home in just a few months. In a building that used to be a hotel, the (small) floor plans of each unit replicate those of vintage hotels.
Mar 12, 2009
Look!: Alexis’ DIY Spice Rack
We were having girls night at our friend Alexis’ house last week when we spotted her DIY version of a spice rack. Her kitchen occupies quite a small space, not to mention her husband is a chef (meaning they have every spice and cooking utensil known to man). Since they were out of space but needed a handy spice rack, Alexis to matters into her own hands.Picking up a handful of drawer dividers from The Container Store, Alexis went to town.
Mar 6, 2009
House Tour: K & R’s Seaside Retreat
Name: K & R’sLocation: Kalk Bay, Cape TownType: Apartment Size: 900 sq.ft.Years lived in: 7 months, renting. >> R & K have created a peaceful retreat in the beautiful town of Kalk Bay. It feels like a weekend getaway, yet they live here full time.
Mar 5, 2009
House Tour: Margaret’s Recession Proof Home
Name: MargaretLocation: Fort Greene, BrooklynSize: 775 sqft. 3-room rentalYears lived in: less than 1 year >> Last time we met Margaret, she was unpacking. Since that house tour, Margaret has worked hard and it shows! She painted and purged, found a place for all her things, bought and installed strategic lighting, and rearranged to make the best use of a somewhat unusual layout.
Mar 4, 2009
House Tour: Steve’s Mancave
Name: SteveLocation: Sydney, AustraliaSize: 650 sf (including mezzanines) Years lived in: Rented for 6 years, owned 6 month >> Normally we write a short blurb about our own impressions of a home we’ve been invited to house tour.
Feb 20, 2009
House Tour: Crafty Kelly’s Studio Apartment
Name: KellyOccupation: self-employed, consults from homeLocation: Adams Morgan, Washington DCSize: about 450 sq.ft.Lived in: rented for 2 years >> found chair.> Kelly combines found objects and store-bought items with her own artwork and finishing touches. None of the furniture in Kelly’s studio cost more than $200. Kelly is not afraid to make bold changes to her decor and furniture and is constantly replacing places and making them over.
Feb 12, 2009
House Tour: Frank & Jill’s Frajil Farm Renovation
Name: Frank & JillLocation: Mont Vernon, NHSize: 1200 square feet per floor, 2 floorsYears lived in: 35 years We’ve spent many family holidays at Frank & Jill’s farmhouse so we have a warm place in our hearts for this inviting space. Having extensively renovated the home — expanding and completely overhauling nearly every room — Jill and Frank have successfully injected their distinct personality into every nook.
Feb 10, 2009
Matt’s Eclectic Luxury
Name: Matt Sams Location: HelMel (Heliotrope/Melrose) Los Angeles, CA Size: 900 sq/ft Years lived in: 1 year >> Matt’s sunfilled apartment with its mix of hollywood regency formality and boho accents had us at Hello.
Feb 6, 2009
Frugal Flowers: How To Choose Flowers at the Supermarket
We’re no professionals when it comes to flower-arranging, but here a few more tips on choosing the best grocery store blooms to bring your arrangements to life. I’ll deconstruct the arrangement above, which is sitting on my dining room table this week. This was a slightly more expensive splurge on my part, since the roses were a bit more pricey than the flowers I usually buy.
Jan 26, 2009
House Tour: Oliver’s Moroccan Riad
Name: Olivier Van Reeth Occupation: M.D. specializing in Sleeping DisordersLocation: Marrakech, MoroccoSize: 3000 sq.ft.Years lived in: 8, owned. This is his holiday home, he usually spends his time between Brussels and Rome >> When Oliver visited Marrakech 8 years ago, he instantly fell in love with the city and its people. Back then, Morocco was unexplored by the masses and buying property as a foreigner almost unheard of.
Dec 11, 2008
House Tour: Laura’s Pared Down Perfection Relocates
Name: LauraLocation: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Size: 250sqftLived in: 5 months >> (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Laura is a professional organizer and it shows. We last visited her in her former shrine to utilitarian yet soothing living a couple of years ago. Since then, she was forced to relocate to a smaller home that was in much worse condition upon arrival. Laura did not despair. In fact, she took on the challenge with gusto.
Nov 12, 2008
House Tour: Paola & John’s Converted Switch House
Name: Paola and John HoskinsLocation: Waukegan, IL Historic DistrictSize: 8,100 sq. ft.Years lived in: 6 monthsType: Converted 1920’s AT&T Switch House >> I know Paola because she works at the Design Within Reach showroom closest to my home. We met years ago at an Apartment Therapy event and after a few conversations, I inquired about her place (I’m always on the hunt for good House Tours!).
Oct 30, 2008
House Tour: Summer and Josh’s Pumped Up Traditional
Name: Summer and Josh ThorntonProfession: Summer – Owner, Summer Thornton Design, Josh – AdvertisingLocation: Lincoln ParkSize: 700 square feetYears lived in: A little over 1Type: 1 bedroom condo in 1890’s brick and greystone >> Those of you who joined as at our last Design Meetup know Summer. She was one of our guests, giving us the scoop on what it is like to run her own design business in Chicago.
Oct 9, 2008
House Tour: Amy’s Vintage-Modern Nest
Name: Amy (and Janis, her Maltese)Profession: Editor & Founder of Venus Zine and venuszine.comLocation: Humboldt Park, Chicago Size: About 500 square feetYears lived in: 1 year, ownedType: 1920s brick apartment building-turned-condos >> Amy is a wiz at working from the ground up. In college, she started a black-and-white stapled fanzine that evolved into Venus Zine, an internationally distributed full-sized glossy that covers women in pop culture.
Sep 18, 2008
House Tour: Adam’s Cat-Haven Condo
Name: AdamLocation: Dupont Circle, Washington, DCSize: 625 sq ft condYears lived in: 7 years, ownedResidence Type: condo building designed by architect Harry Wardman in 1916 Adam shares his condo with his two cats, Jonas and Ezekiel (named after the Indigo Girls’ song). Always a neat-freak, Adam had to make some concessions when he adopted his two cats. Adam designed a cat tunnel, which leads the cats from the hall to their litter box in the closet….
Sep 8, 2008
Product Review: Bo Concept Spaze Sofa Bed
Bo Concept recently let us test drive one of their more popular sofa beds to see what we thought of it. After 2 weeks of giving it our all, we have our verdict:Bo Concept is a European Furniture maker that falls somewhere between West Elm and Design Within Reach. Marketed as affordable luxury, their furniture is modern, sleek and often perfect for small spaces.
Sep 8, 2008
How To: Make a Captain’s Bed on the Cheap
This is a small space DIY that’s clever, easy, and cheap. AT:SF reader Killorn wrote to us and told us how she turned an IKEA LACK shelf into under-bed storage. Before She says: I could not find a suitable storage bed in my budget that fit in the 64″ x 88″ alcove in my tiny apartment (450 sq. ft.), so I decided to build a plywood stage around a rolling LACK shelf to give the bed the appearance of a built-in.
Aug 29, 2008
How To: Hang Picture Frames With Two Hooks
Hanging frames on your wall can either be a walk in the park, or your worst nightmare (which depending on your nightmares, could be one in the same, but I digress). See how to hang frames with the dreaded “two hook” back, easily and on the first try after the jump.Hanging frames on the wall is relatively straight forward unless you are dealing with something tricky like plaster or concrete.
Aug 28, 2008
Web Worms, Bag Worms and Eastern Tent Caterpillars: What’s the Difference?
Outside of using them for composting, worms just haven’t been on our radar. That is, until they invaded our Walnut tree (worm jerks!). So we sat down with our old friend Google and tried to find out exactly what was taking over our tree and how to make it stop. Were they web worms? Bag worms? Or the Eastern Tent Caterpillar? Find out the differences on each and how you can keep your trees in check after the jump.
Aug 27, 2008
House Tour: Dave’s Surf-themed Loft in Bklyn
Here is Keehnan’s final post! Comment away…Name: Dave D.Location: East Williamsburg/BushwickSize: 1534 sq ft in total-2 floors divded with a wooden stairwell, lower level bedroom-the bedroom is 500 sq ftYears lived in: 8 years since the building’s inception >> Dave, in addition to living downstairs from us, works from home. While he designs tees for his own line and plays a part in other ventures, clearly his first love is surfing.
Aug 27, 2008
How To: Make Your Stainless Steel Sink Shine
Cleaning Stainless Steel Sinks has always been a pet peeve. Once it was discovered how clean and shiny they REALLY could be, the OCD about keeping them that clean….hasn’t stopped. And why not when it’s so simple to do? Click through the jump to check out how to use common household items to clean even the dirtiest sink naturally and in under 5 minutes. Stainless Steel sinks always seem to deceive you.
Jul 29, 2008
How To: Fix a Broken Toilet Handle Using Zip Ties and a Key Ring
The handle broke off my toilet a few weeks ago, right at that time when it’s too late to go to the hardware store but too early to wait until the next day to fix it (my boyfriend and I are both night owls so are often up into the early morning.) Sticking our hands into the tank every time we needed to flush seemed . . . unappealing, so we rigged up a temporary solution that we happen to think is pretty great.
Jun 23, 2008
LA House Tour: Lindsey’s Perfected Sophistication
Name: Lindsey DannLocation: Los Angeles, CASize: 1620 sq/ftYears lived in: 4, OWNED >> We met Lindsey Dann via a coffee table we were both coveting. Although it turned out that the table wasn’t for sale, we knew we’d found a kindred spirit. When she emailed us the pictures she’d had taken of her own home, we asked if she’d mind sharing them with our readers at AT.
Jun 13, 2008
LA House Tour: Anne & Jacob’s Curiosity Shop Meets MidCentury Modern
Name: Anne Faith Nicholls & Jacob Arden McClure Location: Los Angeles, CA Size: 1,200 Square Feet LoftYears lived in: 4 Months >> Built in 1905 in the Richardsonian Romanesque and Beaux Arts style, the Pacific Electric Building located at 6th and Main Street was LA’s first skyscraper, constructed for use as a terminal and office building for the downtown streetcar operations of The Pacific Electric Railway Company.
Jun 6, 2008
LA House Tour: Danielle & Lakshan’s Comfy Modern
Name: Danielle & Lakshan, and Mortimer the Bulldog Location: Glebe, Inner City, Sydney Australia Size: a little over 800 square feet + deck and small roof terraceYears lived in: 5 months >> You might be wondering why this house tour looks so familiar. It’s because you’ve got a great memory and are recollecting the home of two folks who’ve recently entered our 2008 Smallest Coolest Apartment Contest, representing Sydney, Australia in our #7 International category.
May 23, 2008
Look! DIY Platform Bed With Storage
David tells us his DIY platform bed project isn’t yet complete, but we think he’s done such a spectacular job with his bed/storage to this point, we wanted to go ahead and share what’s he’s completed thus far… The bed frame is a platform filled in with sheet-rock compound. “…there’s a few things left to do to the bed before it’s complete.
May 8, 2008
SF House Tour: Gehry and Lanya’s Life Meets Art
Name: Location: Size: Years Lived in: >> “The apartment is special and worth honoring,” says Lanya. Both Gehry and Lanya love to travel and have an incredible knack for creating community. Their home is the nexus of those interests and is seeped in the impact of the people they have met around the world and around the corner.
May 6, 2008
SF House Tour: Lynn and Leif’s Paris Hotel Home
Name: Lynn Goldfinger-Abram & Leif AbramLocation: San FranciscoSize: 1550 sq. ft.Years lived in: 10>> (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Remember when we blogged about Paris Hotel Boutique? And we begged Lynn to let us do a house tour? Well, she graciously agreed, and here’s her beautiful home! >> AT Survey:Our style: Hollywood Glamour meets Paris Hotel with a modern twist!
May 1, 2008
House Tour Boston: Jeanine’s Sun-Filled House
This is from our Boston finalist, Jeanine. Comment away!>> I’m going to get it from you guys, but this House Tour is of my house. Believe me, its not that I think my house is the best I can come up with, but my friend Deborah is out of town, Dorinda has to work, and Camilla says I can’t photograph her house until she does something about the kitchen.>> I’m a Somerville gal who moved to Wellesley last year.
Apr 2, 2008
Why You Should Keep Your Used Dryer Sheets
While you may have thought dryer sheets have little use beyond the laundry room, there are actually a surprising number of ways they can be used around the home. In fact, they’re phenomenal static reducers, excellent polishers, and perfect for scrubbing grime away from windshields and pans that have spent a day too long in the sink.If you use dryer sheets to keep your clothes lovely-smelling and static-free, don’t throw them away.
Apr 1, 2008
How to: Make a Toilet Roll Extension Cord Holder
We’ve got a drawer full of unruly extensions cords that we’ve been trying to unsuccessfully keep in order with rubber bands and twist ties. While looking for cable management solutions, we found a tip about using a cardboard roll for cable storage and thought we’d give it a try…The version shown on Unclutter struck us as a fine idea, but it was missing a little something-something.
Mar 14, 2008
How To: Strip Hardware with Baking Soda
So the thing about living in a rental is that someone lived there before us. Someone lazy who did not tape off the hardware on the doors or remove it entirely before painting. We are a little frustrated by the fact that all the hardware is encrusted with paint and nothing works correctly. We go to the hardware store and we stare at the shelves and we wonder: which product will best remove the paint?
Feb 29, 2008
NY House Tour: Jack Makes Micro Changes
Name: JackLocation: Times SquareSize: 140 sqft studio rentalYears lived in: 8 yearsIt was over a year and a half ago that we last had the pleasure of a peek into Jack’s micro home. Since, then, if you look very closely, you will see many changes have taken hold…Click below for slideshow & interview See All Pics at OnceTry to imagine Jack’s changes in the context of the space with which he has to work.
Feb 13, 2008
AT Europe: London House Tour – Veronika & Sebastian’s Rooftop Victorian
Name: Veronika & SebastianLocation: London, UKSize: 70m2Lived in: 6 months Austrian expats who’ve lived in London for several years, Veronika and Sebastian have always been shocked by the state of London rental apartments, with their drafty rooms and faulty plumbing. So they were thrilled when they found a top-floor flat in a 1898 building that had just been remodeled from head to toe, modernizing it without ruining its Victorian charms.
Feb 11, 2008
SF House Tour: Monique and Richard’s Apartment at a Glance
(Welcome again to Monique, one of the finalists in our San Francisco Blogger search. Comment away!) Name: Monique and RichardLocation: San Francisco (located between the Mission and Castro Districts)Size: 840 sq. ft. Years lived in: 5 months Monique and Richard moved into their first apartment together back in September.
Feb 7, 2008
SF House Tour: Lena Corwin’s Curated Charm
(Welcome to Leah, one of the finalists in our San Francisco Blogger search. Comment away!) Name: Lena CorwinLocation: Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New YorkSize: 1,800 sq. ft.Years lived in: Almost 3 Personal style doesn’t fall too far from the tree. We recently featured Lena Corwin’s childhood home and it left us wanting to know about this former SF girl’s current digs.Lena probably needs no introduction to most of you.
Feb 4, 2008
SF Mini House Tour: June Schwarcz’s Artful Sausalito Home
A few months ago the Heath Ceramics monthly newsletter had in it a slideshow of a visit that Catherine Bailey made to artist June Schwarcz’s Sausalito home. We loved its passionate, textural mix of arts and crafts, and have often thought of it since then (especially, for some reason, the collection of spoons shown here). Take a look.Read an interview with June Schwarcz here.Thanks, June and Catherine!Images: Catherine BaileyDo you have an idea for a house tour? Let us know!
Jan 15, 2008
How To: Dress a Platform Bed
When we made the switch from a plain old mattress and box springs to a platform bed, we started to change the way we made our bed. Before we had a duvet, and now we prefer using layers of quilts and blankets, neatly tucked and folded under the mattress to show off the bed’s clean, low-slung lines. This image (of the Hubert Modern Platform Bed at TREOmodern) shows the way that layers of bedding in the same family of colors can create a “striped” effect.
Dec 11, 2007
House Call: Molly Meng of 8mm ideas
Molly Meng’s stationery line, 8mm ideas, is a collection of little works of art. We especially love her whimsical handmade collages that often include vintage accents. And, when we got word that her San Francisco apartment is just as charming as her cards, of course we went knocking on her door. Below, Molly gives us a peek at her home and her studio. The ottoman is from Community Thrift, and the pink couch was a gift. A close-up of her celadon collection.
Dec 6, 2007
House Tour: Jim and Kari’s Evanston Modern
Name: Jim & Kari (and Elsa & Henry) Location: Evanston, ILType: split-level ranch house, ownedSize: 2000 sq ftYears lived in: 1 After more than a year of house hunting and several months of updating and renovations, Jim and his family spread their Scandinavian style all over their 1950s split-level.
Nov 9, 2007