Modern house with green roof, large patio, outdoor dining set, and surrounded by trees.
Await The Apocalypse In This (Surprisingly Stylish) Virginia Bunker
Well, the US presidential election is a mere four days away, and no matter what side of the political divide you’re on, you probably believe the end of the world is coming, should the other candidate win. Perhaps it’s time to take shelter in this partially underground concrete home in Virginia. Built by architect Donald Reed Chandler in 1977, it’s one of the country’s first modern earth roof and berm homes.
Nov 4, 2016
6 Modern Ways to Take Your Gratitude Practice to the Next Level
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to kick your gratitude practice up a notch. Gratitude is a super tool for living a happy life, and the modern way to do it is nothing like the gradeschool-style hand turkeys marked with notions like “I’m thankful for my mom and Lego.
Nov 4, 2016
Before & After: Long Neglected Chairs Finally Find Time To Shine
Patience is a virtue for both Faith and these poor little ripped up chairs. After waiting a few years, they finally got their day in the sun — and boy was it worth it. From Faith: Back when I first opened my shop in the later part of 2012 I was in a real junk-hungry state. Possibly it stemmed from being overly optimistic, like that pathetic chic who still sees potential in her boyfriend even though he’s in jail, again.
Nov 4, 2016
Decorating Black Holes: The 7 Most Easily Forgotten Spots
Your windowsills are just the beginning.
Nov 4, 2016
What it Costs to Rent a 2000-Square-Foot Apartment in 5 Different U.S. Cities
Two thousand square feet is massive in almost anyone’s book, so you can expect that apartments in this tier are going to fetch top dollar in any region. But “top dollar,” it turns out, is quite different depending on where you happen to be apartment hunting. Although SLC and NYC don’t seem all that different when you abbreviate them, living in a rental in the former would be about $6,000 cheaper than the latter.
Nov 4, 2016
A Playful & Colorful Cambridge Home
Name: Jossie & Kenny Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts My husband Kenny and I have rented this apartment for about one year. It’s around 800 square feet, is one of six units in our “double triple decker,” and is surrounded by other houses on all sides in our dense neighborhood. Luckily, the surrounding trees make it feel private and tree-house-like.
Nov 3, 2016
5 Trader Joe’s Discoveries From a First Timer
(Image credit: Michaela Cisney) From Kitchn → 5 Things I Learned the First Time I Went to Trader Joe’s
Nov 3, 2016
The Secret to Happiness at Home is Hygge — Here are 9 Ways to Practice it this Winter
Finding the words to convey sentimental feelings can be hard sometimes. Yet, the opposite is true when it comes to the Danish term “hygge.” Although there is literally no single translation for the concept (pronounced hoo-gah or hue-gah) the Danes use hygge to describe the warm feelings of happiness, comfort, and coziness—not unlike our idea of holiday spirit—they strive to achieve during the cold weather season.
Nov 3, 2016
Before & After: A Simple Yet Dramatic Guest Room
Courtney and John felt that they could take a leap of design faith in their guest room. A dark and daring ceiling and some funky, textured decor helped shape the room into an interesting and inviting space. From Courtney & John: In our opinion, a guest room renovation is the best kind of renovation! Though you want the room to be cohesive with the rest of your home, you don’t have to live in it everyday, so you can afford to take some risks.
Nov 3, 2016
Partner
Sleek New Speakers in a Classic Brownstone
Full disclosure: I am not musically inclined by any stretch of the imagination. But music is how my home stays connected with our multitude of friends and family around the world. I’m currently completely into Life’s Blood, the latest album of my friend Patrice who is based between Paris, Brooklyn, and Cologne. Disney’s Queen of Katwe soundtrack is also a backdrop in our home.
Nov 3, 2016
Tips for Keeping Your Nonstick Cookware in Great Shape
(Image credit: Emma Christensen) From Kitchn → Tips for Taking Better Care of Your Nonstick Cookware
Nov 2, 2016
My Pantone Color of the Year Predictions: My (Mainly Green!) Guesses for 2017
Let’s leave aside, for a minute, all discussions of how “color of the year” became a thing that I spend my time thinking about, and focus instead on the wonders of what I’ve come to embrace as Color Season. Benjamin Moore announced recently that Shadow, a deep, rich amethyst, is their color of 2017. Sherwin-Williams went with Poised Taupe, a neutral which perfectly straddles the warm/cool divide.
Nov 2, 2016
Before & After: Chalk This Pretty Chair Up to Chalk Paint
Krys has a totally understandable addiction to thrifted chairs. This lovely lady got a stunning makeover with the help of some chalk paint and a very glamorous upholstery. From Krys: Confession: I’m a little bit of a chair hoarder. If I see a vintage chair at a flea market and it’s under $20 I usually end up coming home with it.
Nov 2, 2016
We’re Hiring: Join Our Team of Global House Tour Contributors
Love Apartment Therapy House Tours? Want to join our team and share stylish spaces from your part of the world? Well, now is your time! We’re putting out a special call for Tour Contributors. If you’ve got strong photography skills, an excellent eye for style and are inspired by wonderfully designed homes and the people who live in them, read on. We’re looking for people to photograph and write House Tours of homes of all sizes and styles.
Nov 2, 2016
A Fond Farewell to a Smart Small Space
Name: Carlee Location: Templeton, California My husband and I rented a granny unit studio that was 400 square feet. We were just teenagers when we first moved in and couldn’t afford much, which is why we decided to rent it. The perk was that while it was hideous as all get out, our landlord was willing to let us do whatever we wanted to the place. When we first moved in it was covered head to toe in wood panelling and ceiling tiles.
Nov 1, 2016
Before & After: A Foreclosure Remodel Bathroom Brings the Drama
Courtney & John’s bathroom was the height of ’80s glamour: a Jacuzzi tub AND a gold trimmed shower? Choosing not to live in a Gordon Gekko fever dream, they stripped the bathroom down and opted for a space that played up the historic interest of their new home. From Courtney & John: For basic necessity, the master bathroom was the first space that needed to be tackled FAST in order for us to move into this foreclosure property.
Nov 1, 2016
A Dark & Dated Kitchen Gets a Second Chance
Project by: Julie China of Idea Space Architecture + Design Location: Maplewood, New Jersey The wood paneling, formica countertops and dated finishes of this New Jersey kitchen are nothing uncommon to older homes, but they were no longer working for a family of four. Designer Julie China of Idea Space Architecture + Design came on board to open up the space and give it a welcomed refresh.
Nov 1, 2016
A Cozy Swiss Apartment With Stunning Mountain Views
Name: Brittany Location: Leysin, Switzerland Our cozy apartment is roughly 700 square feet and located on the 3rd floor of an older building. It’s in a great location in the middle of our village and only a three minute walk to the grocery store! Our favorite part: The balcony and THAT view! The mountain range located directly across from us (Dents du Midi) is stunning and we never tire of it!
Oct 31, 2016
Before & After: Beautiful Beam for a Bedroom
Liz’s bedroom was already a cozy and serene space with a sloped ceiling and white plan walls, but she wanted to add a little something special. From Liz: To get this project started, I adapted a few ideas from one of my favorite bloggers, Jenna Sue. This girl has added amazing faux wood beams in her home and recently did a bathroom makeover with lace curtains around a clawfoot tub that seriously left my jaw on the floor. It was to die for, you guys!
Oct 31, 2016
5 Things Impeccably Organized People do on Sundays
There’s a subtle shift in the mood of every Sunday that signals the end of kicking back and the beginning of gearing up for the week ahead. Paying attention to this shift can mean the difference between a manic Monday and one that sets the tone for a smooth week ahead. Here are five ways to set yourself up to be on top of it as the week starts.
Oct 30, 2016
Before & Afters on a Budget: Under $1000 Kitchen Renovations
Are you looking to update your kitchen on a budget? This round up will provide you with the motivation and inspiration to make your dream a reality, without breaking the bank. These $1000 (or less) makeovers prove that a little can go a long way to make a space feel new.
Oct 30, 2016
How to Throw a Party When Your Living Room is Also Your Bedroom
Do you want to invite friends over — maybe even have a dinner party — but you’ve been hesitating because you live in a studio apartment and your living room is also your dining room, kitchen, office and bedroom? Though it might feel a bit strange to have guests (good friends or acquaintances) milling about in your sleep space, I don’t think having a small home should be a road block for entertaining.
Oct 29, 2016
Partner
Show Us How You Keep It Clean to Win $5,000 and Star in a Commercial
Stanley Steemer wants to know how you keep your home clean. Whether your mess is the result of kids or pets or…you…what’s your ritual for cleaning house? That’s the question at the center of their #KeepItCleanContest, and there’s a big bounty for showing them how: $5K cash, a starring role in Stanley Steemer’s next TV ad, and (best of all) a year of free deep cleanings.
Oct 29, 2016
How To Have Fun When You’re Staying Home on Halloween
Going out on Halloween night is always a good time, but if you live in a neighborhood or apartment complex where kids go trick-or-treating on Halloween, sometimes it’s fun to stay home and pass out candy instead. And if you have kids or want to have some fun with your nieces and nephews, taking them around to go trick-or-treating can be a good time too, if you really get into the spirit.
Oct 28, 2016
Before & After: A Totally ’80s Dining Room Gets an Eclectic, Glamorous Update
Project by: Whitney Jones of Whitney J Decor Homeowner: Coletha Kennedy Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Coletha Kennedy’s dining room in her New Orleans home was in desperate need of reinvention. Dated wallpaper and dingy wall-to-wall carpeting just wouldn’t do for the mother of two, who owns a fashion boutique in town. Designer Whitney Jones of Whitney J Decor stepped in to help her bring her maximalist, glamorous dream to life.
Oct 28, 2016
Before and After: Six Kids and a Bright White Kitchen
When tasked with updating a kitchen for a family with six kids, Syd and Shay of Studio McGee wanted to create a “next level” monochromatic kitchen, that could still house a large brood. From Studio McGee: When it comes to a bright, monochromatic kitchen, it’s all in the details. All-white kitchens are the number one request we receive. You might see a lot of people churning out white kitchens, but it’s the subtle design decisions that can take a kitchen to the next level.
Oct 28, 2016
10 Containers That Will Help You Pass Out Halloween Candy in Style
(Image credit: World Market) From Kitchn → 10 Cool Containers for Passing Out Halloween Candy
Oct 28, 2016
Budget-Busting Red Flags to Look for When Buying an Older Home
Wooed by its close proximity to our favorite beach, my husband and I bought an older home in Charleston, SC, last spring. One year and tons of cash later, we’ve learned the hard way that it isn’t always the big, glaring problems with older homes that’ll bite you right in the butt—er, budget. In our experience, it’s the little red flags that sneak up and rob you blind before you can close the front door.
Oct 28, 2016
Partner
What Does It Take for a Small Space to Work?
A smaller space can actually be an urban homeowner’s dream: a beautiful, functional answer to the busy chaos of everyday life. With an eye for efficiency, square footage becomes irrelevant — and the old adage “less is more” becomes decidedly modern. So what does it take for a small space to work? When it is intentional.
Oct 28, 2016
A Spanish Style LA Apartment Full of Warm Wood & Salvaged Finds
Name: Meghan & Jesse Location: Los Angeles, California Our Apartment is a 1920s Spanish Studio in an older neighborhood of Los Angeles. We fell for the roof beams, dark hardwoods and french doors in the apartment immediately, as we’d been looking for an older place with charm, and it had even more than we’d have hoped (especially for LA). It’s around 550 square feet and has a lot of old, fun details like a pull-down ironing board and a stained glass kitchen pendant light.
Oct 27, 2016
Why is Vinegar Such a Cleaning All Star?
(Image credit: Gina Eykemans) From Kitchn → What Is Vinegar and What Makes It a Good Cleaner?
Oct 27, 2016
Halloween Decor Done the Chic, Grown-Up Way
Oct 27, 2016
What is Castile Soap? Here’s the Scoop…
(Image credit: Amazon) From Kitchn → What Is Castile Soap and How Does It Work?
Oct 27, 2016
High & Low: What It Costs to Rent a 1200-Square-Foot Apartment in 5 U.S. Cities
Anyone who’s ever started on an apartment search knows the basic math of renting, delivered here à la Biggie Smalls: Mo’ money, mo’ square footage. If you have more dollars to spend, you can get yourself into a bigger apartment. Much bigger, in some places. From the deep South to deep in Manhattan, here is what it costs to rent five 1200-ish-square-foot apartments across the U.S.
Oct 27, 2016
A Bay Area Apartment Full of “Timeless Eclectic” Style
Name: Ellen Location: Oakland, California I don’t know if our home can be pinned down to any one style! It’s a mash up of what I like most from many different eras. Timelessly eclectic! We have a lot of inherited antiques from my parents. My father was an antiques dealer and ran a very successful estate sale business. I grew up rummaging through estates with him, and over the years I have acquired many treasures.
Oct 26, 2016
Date Night In Tips From the One and Only Ina Garten
(Image credit: Quentin Bacon) From Kitchn → Ina Garten’s 5 Tips for a Better Date Night In
Oct 26, 2016
The 7 Swoon-Worthiest Shipping Container Homes
I think part of the reason shipping container houses are so appealing is that building a house from shipping containers is like the grown-up equivalent of making a really sweet fort from cardboard boxes — you have succeeded in making something awesome from something that you just found, something that would otherwise be in the trash. (Of course, the actual reality of shipping container homes is a bit more complicated than that — but there’s no denying they have a certain draw.
Oct 26, 2016
Before & After: An RV Kitchen Gets an Update
Katie’s RV kitchen was functional but cookie-cutter. She wanted something that was unique and warm, and she took a chance on black paint in a small space and it totally paid off! From Katie: When we first purchased our RV the interior was in good condition, it just wasn’t our style. Not to mention every single person that owns the same model has this exact kitchen. We needed a space that felt like ours, ya know?
Oct 26, 2016
Before & After: A 1920s Kitchen Gets a Bright & Modern Makeover
Sarah and Nick purchased their 1924 traditional island cottage in 2013, and spent the next five months renovating much of their new home. They were working with a very tight budget and a very real deadline; baby number two was on the way and the couple had made a pact that the kitchen be completed before his birth. Naturally, this made tackling the project a particular challenge.
Oct 26, 2016
Partner
Benjamin Moore’s 2017 Color of the Year Is…
The much-anticipated color of the year is here, and it takes a completely new direction from 2016’s Simply White OC-117! One of our favorite things about Benjamin Moore’s big reveal each year is how it speaks to larger design trends; this year’s is unexpected, but on point. The Benjamin Moore design team explains their arrival to this color, “People are growing braver and more confident about working with color.
Oct 26, 2016
A Black & White Brutalist-Inspired Loft
Name: Alexandre Location: Akron, Ohio In March of this year, my partner Dominic and I moved into a custom built 1,700 square foot loft space after three years of renovation. Formerly a rubber factory in downtown Akron, Ohio, the building features original steel beams and stunning maple floors over a century old, scarred from years of tire manufacturing. The building had been abandoned for years and is now beautifully restored for the first time as a residential space.
Oct 25, 2016
15 Ways to Sharpen Your Kitchen Skills, In 5 Minutes or Less
(Image credit: David Hopler of D Square Photo & Video) From Kitchn → 15 Ways to Improve Your Cooking Life, 5 Minutes at a Time
Oct 25, 2016
5 Chunky Yarn Projects You Can Arm Knit (Besides a Blanket)
Super chunky knits are all the rage right now (we even had Kaitlin arm knit us a blanket on Facebook Live). After watching a cozy throw get knit in just 15 minutes, I wondered what other cool things you could make with this gorgeous bulky yarn. Here are five more projects for your home that you can arm knit in an afternoon: Who can say no to a chunky knit pillow? This is the sort of cushion cover that would cost nearly $100 at a store, but you can make for about $30 in yarn.
Oct 25, 2016
Before & After: The Haunted Mansion Bathroom of Your Disney Dreams
Carrie, a serious Disney fan, has always fancied living Disney’s Haunted Mansion After trying to fix up her small bathroom she finally decided to let it go and follow her dream (which is a wish your heart makes) of a Disneyland-inspired bathroom. With a lucky wallpaper find (definitely not a poor unfortunate soul) and some smart internet shopping that let her remain one jump ahead of the design, even the bare necessities were on brand.
Oct 25, 2016
The Cheap Thrift Store Find That’ll Solve Your Blank Wall Woes
Working within a budget and trying to find affordable wall art? Don't overlook this one common thrift store bargain.
Oct 25, 2016
8 Rules for Bringing Food to New Parents, Sick Friends and Anyone Else
(Image credit: Lauren Volo) From Kitchn → 8 Rules for Bringing Food to Friends
Oct 25, 2016
The Trick to Surviving a Colorful Vintage Tiled Bathroom
Whether you rent and can’t make any changes or just don’t have the funds to remodel, moving into a home with a vintage bathroom can be a challenge. When that bathroom sports vintage tiles in intense colors, it can be especially puzzling to figure out how to decorate. If the tiles have to stay — and the color palette’s been forced on you, for better or worse — try a trick to making vintage bathrooms work.
Oct 25, 2016