The Latest

One of the best things about Apartment Therapy is the community of real voices weighing in on real-life design dilemmas and challenges. No matter how (relatively) easy it is for me to dish out advice to others about interior decorating and layout, I find I can get stuck in a decorating rut when it comes to some of my own spaces.Sometimes, all it takes is getting fresh, new perspectives on a room to overcome design challenges, especially when it comes to layout and furniture placement dilemmas.

I love the blank slate presented by Ikea’s Lack table — one simple design, endless possibilities. And I particularly love this creative hack from blogger Naomi Stein of Design Manifest, which reminded me of my childhood love for origami.That’s right — origami. Naomi took paper — specifically, some grasscloth wallpaper left over from another project — and used it to cover her Lack table and completely change its look.

I have a confession: I’m a design writer who, until recently, had never actually painted a room. I’ve spent countless hours staring at fan decks, and I’ve memorized more shade names that I care to admit, but as someone who has hopped from rental to rental, rarely staying put for more than a year at a time, painting never quite seemed worth it. But as of this month, I’m proud to say that my neophyte status is no more.

Stripping paint often proves time-consuming, frustrating, and sometimes even dangerous — but just as often, it’s worth the effort! This dresser (seen here without its drawers) was found with layers of paint — a thick coat of white being the most recent.The Crafty Canadian (from Crafty in Canada) did some research on the manufacturer and made an educated guess that underneath the layers of paint there would be beautiful solid walnut.

David needed to replace his rotted out farmhouse shed and wanted to go for a more modern look. Instead of shelling out the big bucks for a readymade modern shed, he took a stab at building one of his own for a quarter of the price. I have to say I am in awe of his results.For $3000, David demoed, hauled and started building from the ground up. It only took him a few days and some hard work.

From the moment she saw it, Melanie loved the quirky lines of this solid wood desk. The piece had obviously been left outside to endure the seasons; the top had essentially been stripped of any protective finish. What many would see as a fault Melanie considered a benefit — less work to strip the piece down to ready for a makeover!Melanie wanted a masculine finish for her college student son, and even considered painting the entire desk black.

A client recently asked if I could paint over furniture — he was sick of the look, but the piece was functional and he didn’t want to throw it out. Why not?You could take your furniture to a shop and have it sanded and sprayed and spritzed in a dust-free environment and perhaps it would last for all time, but that sounds a lot like expensive restoration to me. Or for Plan B, try this:Give your sideboard a light sanding (220 grit), dust it off and paint over it in an oil-based paint.

It is clear from the photo above that Lesli has the kind of yard sale luck that most of us can only dream about, even on our best day. When she arrived at a local yard sale, she immediately saw the perfect bed for her daughter, a bed that had somehow been overlooked by antique hunters earlier in the day. When she saw the price tag, a whopping $25, she paid immediately and accepted the help of the seller to load up her car.