Making The Bed: Pillowcase Ends Facing Inside Or Out?
Traveling back to LA last week from our road trip out of town, we took advantage of the hotel’s free newspaper service. We attempted the crossword puzzle, perused the business section and finally, read Dear Abby. In this particular article, a husband writes in wanting Abby to solve a debate between him and the wife. The couple is at odds with pillowcase end placement on their king size bed.
Jul 29, 2009
Long Table Inspiration from Outstanding in the Field
When we heard Outstanding in the Field is coming to our hometown soon, we headed on over to their website to learn more. While there, we were bowled over by the varied arrangements of long outdoor dining tables that are so emblematic of their productions… • Click here for full post: Long Table Inspiration from
Jul 27, 2009
Dacor Millennia Microwave In-A-Drawer
We’ve always had a love-hate relationship with microwaves. They’re admittedly a very convenient kitchen appliance for certain situations, but they tend to be poor at cooking foods from a culinary perspective (though they seem to get better every year) and they take up a lot of space. We’re not sure how well the Dacor Millennia
Jul 24, 2009
House Tour: Alex’s Granny Chic
Name: AlexOccupation: owner of dog-walking company Loyal CompanyLocation: U Street Corridor, Washington DCSize: 1,200 square feetLived in: rented for 4 yearsOther Occupants: Louis, a 4-year old Italian greyhound >> Each room of Alex’s shotgun apartment has its own decor theme: the Diane Vreeland-inspired red living room; the green room; the calm bedroom; and the “bruised” hallway. The long, shotgun apartment layout lends itself well to different decor in each room.
Jul 23, 2009
Good Question: How To Update Kitchen?
Heather and Johnny sent in a good question: We are moving house next month and while our new kitchen is MUCH larger and more functional, it’s ugly! I am particularly bothered by the peninsula and the dark wood cabinets. Without painting the cabinets (we will be painting every other square inch of the apartment), what
Jul 16, 2009
House Tour: Pete & Sandy’s Minimal Farmhouse
Name: Pete and SandyLocation: East Washington, New HampshireSize: 1660 square feet (includes porch)Years lived in: 36 Years; Fully Restored 2006-2008 We first featured Peter and Sandy’s amazing minimal farmhouse last July. Since this quaint New Hampshire town is one of our favorite weekend escapes, we thought it would be a treat to revisit our good friends’ home.
Jul 14, 2009
The Rule for Guests: How Many? How Long?
Summer’s the prime time for visiting friends and for them to visit you. But, as my grandmother used to say when my family would visit her, she was happy to see us come and she was happy to see us go. It wasn’t that she was inhospitable; she loved having us over. It was that she understood the rule of visiting. There’s a rule about how long guests should stay that she often quoted…Fish and guests, she liked to stay, smell after three days.
Jul 14, 2009
Close Up: Adam’s Sleek Basement Office for Two
Name: Adam SelwoodLocation: Melbourne, Australia Now here’s inspiration to clean out that basement or attic and make better use of the space. Adam was kind enough to share his work-in-progress renovation, a DIY conversions of a basement once stuffed to the brim with typical “stuff” into a sleek and multi-use home office for both him and his wife.
Jul 10, 2009
A Traveling Feast: 70 x 7 The Meal by Lucy and Jorge Orta
We read about Lucy and Jorge Orta’s project, 70 x 7 The Meal, in the latest issue of Print and were immediately obsessed. The Paris-based contemporary artists have staged communal meals in cities throughout Europe and the U.S. where guests are served seasonal dishes prepared by local chefs on limited edition Royal Limoges porcelain plates
Jul 10, 2009
Good Question: Is Comet Eco-Friendly?
I have been using Comet for cleaning my tri-ply cookware and the stove. But right from the day one, I have had this nagging feeling to check if this product was eco-friendly. Any idea on that? If it is not, what other eco-friendly options do I have? • Click here for full post: Good Question:
Jul 7, 2009
How to Make Your Own Sun Jar and Save Money
You’ve seen the Sun Jar and you love it. The trouble is the price. You can’t just fathom paying $45 for each solar light. You’d be paying almost $500 to light up your garden and your rooms. That just doesn’t make any sense! Thankfully, here at Unplggd, our readers were quick to point out that you can easily assemble your own Sun Jar for a fraction of the cost.We love the Sun Jars, but they are a bit too expensive for what they are worth.
Jul 6, 2009
Kudamemo Fruit Sticky Notes by D-Bros.
Because sometimes you don’t really need an excuse to bring “cute” into our lives, Japanese company D-Bros. offers sticky notes arranged like sliced fruit. These kawaii note pads even come packaged in the foam protective netting often seen at asian supermarkets to protect the most choice of fruits. We’d say these are deserving of the
Jul 6, 2009
Green Style: Old and New Green Kitchen
So, maybe we’re taking the “green” part of our daily style post a bit too literally, but oh well. As we wrote about earlier today, sometimes the best way to be green is reusing what’s already there — working with the bones of your original/traditional home. We think that’s what they did here in this
Jul 2, 2009
How to Make a Glass Desk Mouse Friendly
Ever since Ikea made glass desks really affordable, they have been popping around everywhere. We bet that you know quite a few people who have glass desks. Do they like them much? One thing is for sure, if you are using a glass desk as you computer desk, you may hit a problem or two when you try activating your mouse. Modern optical mice work almost anywhere. It’s kind of strange to realize that they don’t work on glass.The thing is that glass desks look so good.
Jun 29, 2009
Look! A Pallet Plate Rack
Besides the gorgeous kitchen, the thing that really caught our eye was the pallet plate rack in Katrin Arens’s home. It’s lovely and simple with a twist of rustic. Katrin Arens, who has furnished her home with some amazing reclaimed pieces, states she has “dedication to the reclamation and re-use of materials, combined with unusual
Jun 26, 2009
Hot Tip: Can It All
Canning has become quite the buzzword these days. People are canning up a frenzy across the nation, and co-op groups are popping up all over the place. Raise your hand if you thought pickles and tomatoes were your only options. We were of the minimal canning school of thought until yesterday, when we delved into
Jun 25, 2009
Henrybuilt Backsplash Tools & Kitchen Organization
Maxwell and Sara Kate used Henrybuilt cabinets in their kitchen renovation a few years ago and the Seattle-based cabinet and furniture manufacturer has added a line of design-conscious functional kitchen accessories that complement their backsplash collection and help with organization, efficiency and easy kitchen cleanup. Though the name Workspace Component Group leaves us cold, the
Jun 22, 2009
Inspiration: Jasna’s Evolving Kitchen
Eclectic and cozy, Jasna documents her evolving kitchen for all to see. Embroidery hoops in progress, a kitchen table that was once country white is now seafoam green… • Click here for full post: Inspiration: Jasna’s Evolving Kitchen
Jun 18, 2009
Plywood in a Parisian Loft
We’ve sung the benefits of plywood before — it’s low cost, can be purchased from almost any hardware store and there are options for sustainably harvested wood and low-chemical composition. This renovated Parisian loft that appeared in LoftLife used plywood as design element to unite the space… • Click here for full post: Plywood in
Jun 17, 2009
Partner
Sherwin-Williams: Get a Paint That’s Easy to Clean!
When you’re getting ready to paint your child’s room, a few questions always come to mind: what color should you pick? Is it low or no VOC? How much are you going to need? But you might not always think how easy is it to clean? Children’s rooms are activity dens! Moving, playing, jumping, falling, spilling… you never know what’s going to happen. Sherwin-Williams knows this.
Jun 11, 2009
Coffee Mug Displays
We love a good coffee mug—the way it warms your hand, the weight of a well-made ceramic cup, the way they look stacked on a shelf. Whether they’re a coordinated collection or a hodge-podge, mugs bring character to a kitchen. We’ve rounded up a few examples of ways to show off your favorite coffee mug…
Jun 10, 2009
5 Green Reasons to Use an Ice Cream Maker
Anyone else craving a large bowl of something ice-cold? As summer approaches, we find it’s happening more and more. We love our hand-me-down KitchenAid stand-up mixer for its myriad uses. Over the weekend, we added yet another attachment to our collection: the ice cream maker. You may remember our argument for using a bread machine.
Jun 9, 2009
My Great Outdoors: Art and Chel’s Modern Balcony Kitchen
My balcony is an extension of my kitchen and home. I have experimented with all kinds of furniture arrangement, surfaces and growing over the past two seasons, and this season I am finally satisfied with the layout and look. Chelsea and I (and Porkchop) enjoy our balcony in the warm months by cooking and relaxing
Jun 9, 2009
Would You Decorate With Fake Food?
The fake food in these images can be found in the Restaurant District of Tokyo in Kappabashi Market — the Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo has an entire street dedicated to restaurant and cooking supplies (like New York’s Bowery, only bigger). Though the stores that are full of knives, take-away containers and ceramic bowls are fun
Jun 4, 2009
How To Make Your Own Backyard Bubble Solution
You may think the only thing required for summer bubble fun is buying a few bottles and small plastic wands at the drugstore. While these certainly work, there’s a whole world of bubble recipes that can create longer lasting, bigger, and better bubbles–and often require ingredients you already have in your home. These sturdier formulas can even allow you to DIY wands out of string for truly giant bubbles that will even impress jaded adults.
Jun 2, 2009
Simple Green: Focus on Reusables for Picnics
This gorgeous spring weather makes us resent having to be inside for any length of time — which is why we’re dreaming up the perfect picnic. We’re thinking blanket, homemade bread, local veggies, a book, and the dog for company. While packing a lunch and enjoying it outdoors is a great way to go green
Jun 1, 2009
Test Lab: Earth Friendly Product’s Dishmate – Almond
Not gonna lie, the almond smell of Earth Friendly Product’s new hand dishwashing liquid really threw us off at first. We tend to go for the more citrusy varieties. But, because they sent us a sample, we felt compelled to give it a shot. And we’re glad we did … • Click here to read
May 29, 2009
House Call: Gregory & Christine’s Custom Chicago Style
www.apartmenttherapy.com chicago house-tours house-callgregory-christines-custom-chicago-style-085583> click thumbnails for larger picsNames: Gregory & ChristineLocation: Chicago Some classic Chicago style arrived in our inbox recently. Here is what Gregory had to say about the home he shares with Christine: Our two bedroom condo in Chicago, IL – full of antique furniture, painted wall murals, and custom built shelves.
May 26, 2009
How To: Cover Your Box Spring
As newlyweds with a clean slate &mdash meaning, an empty, unfurnished apartment &mdash we decided to buy a platform wood bed frame before anything else, but then were left with the question of how to cover the box spring.
May 26, 2009
Top 10 Gifts To Bring to a Summer BBQ
This past weekend, we hosted a barbecue/ping pong tournament at our home to celebrate a birthday in addition to Memorial Day. None of our guests showed up empty-handed either–we have enough beer, booze, and chips for the next barbecue! However, one couple brought over a gift bag full of fun and functional things that we could definitely use over and over again for future summer parties which inspired us to create our own shortlist of barbecue-themed gifts…1.
May 26, 2009
High and Low: Kitchen Carts
Carts can be a very efficient way to add counter and storage space to your kitchen, especially if they’re topped in a butcher block. At the high end, butcher block cabinets from manufacturers like John Boos offer chef’s quality surfaces and very sturdy construction, while at the low end places like IKEA and even hardware
May 26, 2009
House Tour: NataniĆ«l’s Blank Canvas
Name: Nataniël Location: Irene, Gauteng, South AfricaOccupation: Singer / Author / Food Writer / Entrepreneur / Ambassador of Child Welfare – South AfricaType: HouseSize: 2,300 square feetYears lived in: 4Entering Nataniël’s box is a magical experience, the all-white interior is only the first layer of many dimensions.
May 21, 2009
Green Cleaning: Tawashi Dish Scrubbers
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Spring cleaning is not only a good time to give your home a good top-to-bottom clean, but to evaluate how you clean and what you clean with. While we’ll probably keep our Chore Boy scrubber around for some of our tougher jobs, we like the idea of switching to more environmentally-friendly,
May 21, 2009
House Tour: Tom and Justin Gently Shape their Landmark
Name:Tom and JustinLocation: Brooklyn HeightsSize: 1-bdrm, 410 sqft. co-op in a 1918 landmark apartment buildingYears lived in: 6 months >> This is Tom’s first owned home and first renovation. An art dealer, Tom is confident of his tastes and preferences, but never had to think about sink faucets and custom cabinetry configurations before.
May 20, 2009
Paper Countertops: Looks and Feels Like Stone
Solid surface countertops, regardless of the material, are going to last longer since you can have them refinished. Recycled paper countertops are a solid surface material that we’ve featured before, but now there are more options than ever. • Click here to read the whole post: Paper Countertops: Looks and Feels Like Stone
May 20, 2009
House Tour: Scott and Marie’s Perfectly Put Together Home
Name: Scott, Marie & Wainwright Profession: Entrepreneur/Journalist/Shiba Inu Location: Castro Owned/Rented: Owned Size: 2600 sq ft Type: 3 bedroom house built in 1900 Years lived in: 5 >> Ever notice how the homes in most decor magazine photo spreads never look like they are inhabited by actual people?
May 19, 2009
BeoSound 9000 Vs Muji CD Player
Are CD players still relevant? When was the last time that you actually used a real CD player, not the combo drive on your laptop? I can’t really remember, but it seems that these devices are still useful, just like old DVD players. A lot of people still have hundreds of CDs and these CDs can be easily played in a standalone CD player, like these ones. Of course, they belong to different markets. One of them is a standalone player that’s been on the market for years.
May 14, 2009
Inspiration: DIY Food Projects
Remember this post about whether it’s more cost-effective to make or buy various pantry staples? Well, we’ve been conducting a little experiment of our own and have been making everything at home, from bread to yogurt to granola to dog treats. It takes a lot of work, but is very fulfilling in the end. And
May 12, 2009
Re(al)view: ZeroWater
We’ve been using a PUR gravity fed pitcher water filter system in our household for several years now, a decision that has weaned us off a bottled water addiction. Yet, there’s always been this sneaking suspicion that the pitcher’s filter system was only doing a halfway decent job of filtering the water, especially compared to the expensive reverse osmosis systems we’ve occasionally pondered investing in.
May 5, 2009
Recycled Beauty: Boylan Soda Bottles as Bud Vases
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) In Week Three of the Kitchen Cure, part of your assignment was to do something beautiful for your kitchen. Here’s a shot of our dining table over the weekend—not exactly the kitchen, but close. And it uses those recycled soda bottles we’ve been talking about… • Click here to read the
May 5, 2009
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
Being Comfortable In Someone Else’s Home
Have you ever had this situation? A friend comes over to your house. Maybe you go in the other room to put something away and when you come out, before you’ve even said anything, your friend has made themselves at home; they’re opening a bottle of wine, they’re surfing the net on your computer, they’re rummaging through your DVDs, they’re making playlists on your ITunes. How do you feel when this happens?
Apr 23, 2009
Bees Come Home to Brooklyn Beekeeping on a Brooklyn Rooftop
On a very chilly Easter Sunday, together with my bee partner, we picked up our package of bees from our beekeeping instructor, who had driven all the way to Georgia and back with bee packages for some of the New York City Beekeeping Association members. After watching one package installed in a hiving demonstration in
Apr 23, 2009
Getting the Hive Ready for the Bees!Beekeeping on a Brooklyn Rooftop
About this time last year, I ordered a copy of The Urban Homestead by Los Angeles residents Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen. I wanted to take part in growing or raising some of my own food, but chickens or even dwarf goats are too big to incorporate into our lives. Then I got to the
Apr 13, 2009
Simple Green: Two Stovetop Energy-Saving Tips
Growing up, our mother tried desperately to teach us how to cook. Back then, even scrambled eggs were a challenge. Now that we’re all grown up, we’re finally catching on. (Mom’s so proud.) Recently, we realized that heeding two of her tips have actually been saving us energy and money. These two stovetop tips can
Apr 10, 2009