Dark gray living room with decorative fireplace, round mirrors, eye chart, potted plant, and bookshelf with books and decor.
5 Ways I’m Making Sure I Don’t See Another $700 Heating Bill This Year
When I moved into a sprawling old Victorian in Louisville, Kentucky three years ago, my neighbors terrified me with their tales of four-digit utility bills. I’d swapped an under-900-square-foot bungalow for the three-story, 1890 behemoth, and was so scared of the bill the first year, I chose to freeze rather than turn up the thermostat.
Feb 2, 2019
5 Amazing Bohemian Makeovers For the Maximalist in You
These spaces now burst with life and good vibes.
Feb 2, 2019
7 Things Real Estate Agents Wish You Knew
Ask real estate agents and they’ll admit that they’re just as frustrated about some quirks in the home buying process as you are. Here, seven things that bother them the most: Usually it’s no one’s business but yours if you’re messy or tidy—but when your place is on the market, your cleanliness habits can affect how quickly your home sells: “It should go without saying, but I have to say it all the time: Tidy up!
Feb 2, 2019
5 Reasons I Love Buying and Selling Furniture on Facebook Marketplace
I have a confession to make. I used to be fully committed to and head-over-heels in love with Craigslist, and only Craigslist, when it came to buying secondhand furniture. The deals on there were just too good. That time I scored a Lucite console table for only $25? Gold. The scorched bamboo side table I snagged for free? Yes, please! Ok, I’d used LetGo a couple of times and was always curious about the other resale apps out there, but 99 percent of the time, Craigslist had the goods.
Feb 2, 2019
Get Your Galleons Ready – Harry Potter Fans Can Officially Visit Gringotts This Spring
Harry Potter fans, get ready to dip into your little sacks of money and pull out all of your Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons. You’re going to need some money for the newest addition to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. It is official, you can now visit Gringotts Wizarding Bank! Warner Bros. Studio Tour London opened “The Making of Harry Potter” back in 2012, as a way to preserve set pieces from the Harry Potter films for fans to experience for many years to come.
Feb 2, 2019
How to Clean an Iron, 6 Different (Easy!) Ways
If you've ever ruined a fancy blouse with an iron that sputters icky water, you're smart to be a little paranoid.
Feb 2, 2019
7 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Buying My Fixer-Upper
When my husband and I finally started looking for a home (after years of renting a barn loft that was short on insulation and long on character), our budget led us to two options: a newer home we would reluctantly call “nice,” or an older home in need of some major updating but one that we could definitely see becoming ours.
Feb 1, 2019
20 Questions You Should Ask Your Landlord Right Now
Even if you read your lease line-by-line (you deserve a juris doctorate!) when you signed, you’d probably like clarification on some policies and have some questions about your rental—whether you’ve resigned twice or just moved in. Have there ever been bed bugs? Ghosts? If my lease ends at the end of the month, what’s the absolute latest time I can move out? What’s my best option for pizza delivery?! Speaking of deliveries, where do my Amazon Prime packages go?
Feb 1, 2019
A Cozy 500-Square-Foot Brooklyn Home Is Inspired by Travel
By visiting flea markets wherever they travel, the couple finds unusual objects to create a warm, romantic, and textural style throughout their home.
Feb 1, 2019
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2019 Trends Are Emerging, and Comfy-Chic Is In
Even if it feels like winter will never end, 2019 is already barreling along, and several of the year’s trends are beginning to crystallize. We’re seeing people work new texture, line, and scale into their spaces in ways that emphasize comfort just as much as style. In short, comfy is in. These three mood boards show some of the themes of what’s trending, and they’re shoppable so you can get the look. charset="utf-8" src="https://d30bopbxapq94k.cloudfront.
Feb 1, 2019
5 Modern Tiny Houses You Can Buy on eBay, Starting at $20K
Looking to make a major lifestyle change? It’s as easy as clicking your mouse–thanks to the many prefab houses available on eBay. (Okay, maybe you’ll need to send a couple e-mails back and forth and send in some paperwork.) Here, five modern-looking tiny houses you can buy on eBay right now, which encourage a minimal lifestyle and are typically eco-friendly to boot. And just a quick caveat: know what’s included when you buy (and what’s not).
Jan 31, 2019
These Are The Best Cities for First-Time Homebuyers in 2019
If you’re thinking about buying a home this year, you’ve probably already come to terms with leaving city life behind to take advantage of those sweet suburban prices. But if you can’t bear to part with walkability, public transportation, a lively food and entertainment scene, or any other of the many benefits to living in a city, there is hope: Some cities are more hospitable to those entering the real estate market than others.
Jan 31, 2019
This Bright Spanish Home Is Nordic Style Pastel Perfection
Name: Sofia Gil, my husband and two daughters: 1 and 4 years old Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 1184 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting We are a Portuguese family living in Valencia, and we love it here. Our flat is very bright, and my husband and I decided to use pastel colors for the decor. A lot of the furniture is second hand and painted with chalk paint; we love to combine old and new.
Jan 31, 2019
This Is Apartment Therapy’s First-Ever Pattern of the Year
Like all the best trends—velvet furnishings, pastel kitchen appliances, even low-carb diets—animal prints have cycled in and out of style over the years (and centuries). At times they’ve been perceived as luxurious and expensive, at other times tacky, outdated, and even a little scandalous, but they never truly leave the cultural lexicon (most recently, Tom Ford’s 2018 Fall Ready to Wear Collection relied heavily on those wild patterns).
Jan 31, 2019
These Are The Most Popular Listings on Trulia This Month
I spend entirely too much of my free time looking at real estate listings—even though looking at them is a good chunk of what I get paid to do here! But even though I know what I’m looking for, even I get lost clicking through dream homes: “I should move to Detroit and buy this $20,000 fixer upper!” or “If I save now, I can totally can afford this $2 million apartment in Brooklyn by the time I’m 30!
Jan 31, 2019
There Are Only 4 Cities in the U.S. Where A Studio Is Actually Cheaper Than a One-Bedroom
If you’ve been patting yourself on the back for living minimally in a studio apartment in the hopes of squirreling away a couple of hundreds of dollars every month for a down payment sometime in the future, brace yourself: I hate to break it to you, but you might actually be losing money. At least according to a new analysis from HotPads, a Zillow company that focuses on apartment searches, the median price for a one-bedroom apartment in most cities is actually cheaper than a studio.
Jan 31, 2019
The Unexpected Home Update That Almost Always Pays for Itself
If you’re planning on doing some updates around your home this year, you’re probably figuring out which projects are worth sinking reserouces into: Is that subway tile backsplash going to be a waste of money when it’s time to sell? How about those new fixtures in the bathroom? Thankfully, Remodeling magazine puts out a Cost vs.
Jan 30, 2019
This Apartment’s Views Feels Like Living on a House Boat
Name: Miya Kusumoto, my kitten, Poppy Location: Riverside — Jacksonville, Florida Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting The Riverside House—Rochester House as it was originally known—was built in 1869 as a boutique hotel that could accommodate up to 40 guests. Perhaps the most famous guest that stayed at the hotel was Mary Todd Lincoln—reportedly she came down South to recover from arthritic pain.
Jan 30, 2019
The 9 Go-To Stores Real Estate Agents Use for Inexpensive Staging Decor
In case you're wondering, they aren't super snobby when it comes to sourcing decor items—they often shop in the same places with an eye on price—just like you!
Jan 30, 2019
The Only Two Things That Motivate Me to Keep My Kitchen Counters Clean
Kitchen counters are clutter magnets—plain and simple. As I look at my own countertops, I see seven-ish different piles in the works (kids’ art, unopened mail, recyclables on their way to the bin, etc.). It’s never-ending. And despite being a fairly organized, clean-surface kind of girl myself, and literally interviewing dozens of experts on the subject, there are only two times my countertops ever get clean. Oh, is it midnight the night before an article is due?
Jan 30, 2019
Is Buying a Home a Good Investment? Here’s How Experts Decide
You’ve saved a good chunk of money, or at least are on a path to do so. Now, you might be wondering what’s better: Invest in real estate or put your money in the stock market? It’s a question you can wrestle with to no end since several factors come into play. Helping to frame the debate and lend advice below are a host of real estate and finance experts. Here are six questions they suggest you ask yourself if you’re exploring your investment options.
Jan 30, 2019
Mindy Kaling’s Closet Looks Nicer Than Any Apartment I’ve Ever Been In
Anyone who has seen “Sex and the City”has coveted Carrie Bradshaw’s overflowing closet, but at least it was fake—no one could have such a perfect room in real life! Except, apparently, Mindy Kaling. When prepping with her team for this year’s Producer’s Guild Awards, Kaling took a few getting-ready photos in her dreamy closet.
Jan 30, 2019
A 300-Square-Foot Apartment Is Small But Personal and Artistic
Name: Lauren Murphy, cat Tulip Moonbeam, and my dwarf rabbit, Alfee Location: South Norwalk, Connecticut Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: 1 week, renting My name is Lauren, and I am a nanny/graduate student getting my Master’s in teaching. I just moved into this apartment to be a bit closer to my school. Although very tiny, this home allows me to have my first real bedroom since college, which is huge for me!
Jan 30, 2019
A Little Lesson in Letting Go of Stuff
The January Cure is all about refreshing and organizing your home for 2019. We tackle one assignment each weekday throughout the entire month. It’s not too late to sign up, and you can visit the Cure page to catch up with the assignments so far. Sometimes all you need to declutter is a fresh perspective. Once your things are yours, letting go of them can feel like a loss. A loss of money or preparedness or potential. And those are very real feelings.
Jan 30, 2019
Urban Outfitters Is Launching Six Furniture Collections For Spring–Here Is A Sneak Peek
Major blizzards or no, spring is on its way. And the first harbinger of warmer months? Spring collections rolling out at stores. Like a breath of fresh air after a long winter, it’s the perfect excuse to revive your space with pieces that are lighter, brighter, or just plain newer feeling. Urban Outfitters began to quietly roll out their spring collection last week, and while the full collection won’t be online for a few more weeks, much of it is available now.
Jan 29, 2019
7 Decorating Mistakes We All Make in Our First Homes
Few things are more exhilarating than moving into your first real home. But as fun as decorating it can be, it’s also easy to make a lot of rookie mistakes. So to help make the process of decorating your first home go a little smoother, we called on a few of our favorite designers to share the mistakes they (and their clients) seem to always make. From awkward furniture arrangements to picking the wrong paint color, these are the decorating mistakes we all make in our first homes.
Jan 29, 2019
Experts Say These 4 Financial Tips Are Totally Outdated
Sure, there’s plenty of parental advice that will never grow old: Learn to prioritize your time. Follow the Golden Rule. Wear sunscreen. But when it comes to financial tips, some of those age-old lessons fail to fit in with a millennial’s reality.
Jan 29, 2019
The One Spot You Need to Declutter, Based on Your Zodiac Sign
Your personality can help you focus your efforts on a certain thing or category of items, so you can dig in and really start to make an impact in your space.
Jan 29, 2019
The Worst Home Buying Advice Experts Have Ever Heard
Buying a home can be an overwhelming experience. There’s no shortage of advice on the process out there—especially from friends and family members just trying to help. Unfortunately, not all of it is good. Thankfully, three experts have cut through the clutter.
Jan 29, 2019
You are Just One Weekend Away from a Much Better Closet
I purchased my first home a couple of years ago. Like most split-levels from the 1970s, it was built economically, but not luxuriously. The closets throughout the house—which were untouched when I bought it— had flimsy dark-stained doors on tracks that didn’t quite line up reliably. They each had disgusting carpet, and particle board shelves supported by DIY brackets that didn’t cut it.
Jan 29, 2019
The $4 Trader Joe’s Buy That Saved My Dry Winter Hair
As January turns into February, it would seem that the harsh cold weather is here to stay. One day we have temperatures in the 40s, and the next, it’s a frigid 5 degrees. With these fluctuating temperatures comes dry skin and brittle, damaged hair. The winter weather can even take a toll on those who don’t color or use heat tools, or those who already have silky hair. One way to combat dryness is using a hair mask to help keep your locks hydrated.
Jan 29, 2019
One Thing You’ll Find by the Door in Every Clean Home You See
Tidy people have their secrets (like, uh, a whole storage unit), but there's one good home habit they can't hide.
Jan 29, 2019
Look Inside: A Renovated French Summer Château for $454K
This chic French château is straight out of French Vogue. 46800, Montcuq En Quercy Blanc Located in Southwest France €399,000 euro (~$454,000) Three bedrooms, two bathrooms How chic does it sound to invite all your friends to summer at your country home in the South of France? This 19th-century home in Montcuq has been completely renovated with modern interiors that look straight out of French Vogue.
Jan 28, 2019
Social Media Do’s & Dont’s for New Homeowners
Congratulations! You’ve taken the real estate plunge and bought a place of your very own. It’s a scary time, but also a really exciting time. I bet you can’t wait to share the good news on Facebook and Instagram. But wait—before you do, we have some advice for when and how to use social media responsibly while you bask in that new homeowner glow. DO take and share great photos of your new place.
Jan 28, 2019
A Sunny UK Home is Rocking 82 House Plants (and Counting)
Name: Elle Collins, husband John, son Hudson, and British Shorthair cat Mia Location: Knowle — Solihull, United Kingdom Size: 1,264 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned Myself, my husband John, our 2-year-old son Hudson, and our British Shorthair “Blue” cat Mia have loved every second of the last four years in our home. This home was our first purchased together as a couple; we got married and had our first child while having this home so it’s full of memories.
Jan 28, 2019
One Small Push You Can Make Towards a Less Cluttered Kitchen
The January Cure is all about refreshing and organizing your home for 2019. We tackle one assignment each weekday throughout the entire month. It’s not too late to sign up, and you can visit the Cure page to catch up with the assignments so far. It doesn’t matter if you cook every day or once in a blue moon. You might have a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kitchen, or one with more cabinets than you know what to do with.
Jan 28, 2019
The Best Architectural Homes for Sale Right Now, Starting at $267K
Some people were born to fit in. Others were born to stand out. The same goes for homes. For every 100 cookie-cutter McMansions, you might find one home that breaks the mold–which makes such architecturally significant homes priceless in our book. However, you don’t actually have to break the bank to purchase a house that stands out from the crowd.
Jan 27, 2019
7 Easy (and Affordable) Ways to Adultify Your Home
If we’re being totally honest, a walk down memory lane can be a very cringe-worthy experience. How many pictures have you looked at in total disbelief that you actually left the house with crimped hair, layers of eyeliner, and a hot pink velour sweatsuit? Yeah, not our finest moments. Looking at pictures of your previous living spaces can elicit the same embarrassment.
Jan 27, 2019
You Can Buy a “Litter Box” for Your Dog Who Hates Going to the Bathroom Outside In the Cold
Taking your dog out to go to the bathroom during the winter can be a total nightmare. If you live in an apartment or condo, the shared area might be covered in harsh salt to prevent ice and snow from sticking to the ground. The salt is often terrible for your four-legged friend’s paws. The snow is another obstacle that can get in the way, as some dogs absolutely despise the snow.
Jan 27, 2019
8 Open Concept Layout Mistakes We Should All Stop Making
Here's how to overcome the daunting task of forging distinct areas inside a lofty, wall-less space.
Jan 27, 2019
This DIYed House is Filled with the Coziest Nooks Ever
Name: Rebecque Asher, husband, dog, and cat Location: Columbia neighborhood — Bellingham, Washington Size: Less than 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 7 years, owned We are first-time home owners in Bellingham, Washington. We live a five-minute drive away from the ocean. We were able to buy our small, historic house (built in 1904) through a local organization called Kulshan Community Land Trust. They help low-income families achieve the dream of home ownership in our community.
Jan 27, 2019
The Easier Way to KonMari When You’re Feeling Lazy
I wish that we could all hit pause on our daily responsibilities, welcome the prim and utterly delightful Marie Kondo into the most intimate recesses of our homes, and KonMari all the clutter out of our lives. But Kondo’s method of “tidying up,” popularized (and demonized) once again by her show on Netflix, might not always be accessible to everyone—no matter how inspired they are to speak to their belongings and make mountains of their clothing.
Jan 27, 2019
What $1 Million Homes Look Like in 5 Major U.S. Cities
Ever wonder what kind of a home you could buy if you had a $1 million budget? Will you be able to afford a mansion in Houston or a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan? We profiled five major cities to find out exactly what kind of home a small fortune can get you.
Jan 26, 2019
This WWII-Era Train Car-Turned-Airbnb is Surprisingly Cozy Inside
According to well-traveled individuals, it takes a bit of skill to ensure that you sleep well on sleeper trains, but one way to avoid those problems is to try catching some ZZZs in a vehicle that doesn’t move like a fabulous train car tiny house. Anyone who suffers from motion sickness (plus those who don’t) will be happy to board Platform 1346, a former World War II-era troop car-turned-vacation rental near the Smoky Mountains in Maryville, Tennessee.
Jan 26, 2019
6 Expert Tips for Using Zillow, According to Real Estate Agents
Zillow was the matchmaker that introduced me to my dream home. I had been saving for a down payment and was “just curious” what I could get near Denver in my budget, which led me to casually scroll through listings on my lunch break. I found my three-bedroom row home on the real estate site, and it was love at first site. I then called up a real estate agent my friend referred to me, had a showing the next day, and closed a few weeks later. I’m not alone.
Jan 26, 2019
Before and After: This Carpeted Staircase is No Longer a Death Trap
These stairs were intensely carpeted, too small to be very useful or accessible, and generally less-than-ideal. Rather than simply removing the carpet, which would have been a nice upgrade on its own, the stairs were reimagined completely—and moved. When asked to describe the stairway pre-renovation, the homeowner sums up its character in just two chilling words: Death Trap. Honestly, there is no other way to describe it.
Jan 26, 2019
Snag This Brand New Home Designed by Chip and Joanna Gaines
It’s not always run-down properties that Chip and Joanna Gaines sink their teeth into. The “Fixer Upper” alums just listed a stunning farmhouse-style property they designed for $624,000, and it’s safe to say that it’ll be snatched up pretty quick. Just built in 2018, the four-bed, four-and-a-half bath home, which measures 3,150 square feet, is located in The Preserve, a subdivision in China Spring, Texas.
Jan 25, 2019
Diane Keaton’s Former Lloyd Wright Home Is Back on the Market
We all know that Hollywood stars love architectural landmarks. But it’s not every day that these gems are Lloyd Wright (yep, that’s Frank Lloyd Wright’s son) properties. Diane Keaton, star of flicks like “Annie Hall“and “The First Wives Club,” is a seasoned house flipper, and the Oscar winner’s former property, the historic Samuel-Novarro House, has hit the market for $4.295 million.
Jan 25, 2019