Vacuum cleaner with hose on a patterned rug next to a small plastic bottle.
The Brilliant Reason We Put a Squeeze Bottle Top on This Vacuum
Believe it or not, squeeze bottle tops—you know, the inexpensive plastic ones you use on bottles of condiments—are actually quite versatile. Along with dispensing ketchup, mustard, or salad dressing, we’ve discovered an unexpected way to use them to better clean your home, too. These commonplace bottle tops can make deep cleaning your home a whole lot easier if you use them like a makeshift vacuum attachment.
Dec 4, 2018
6 Reasons You’ll Want a Can of Cooking Spray in the Bathroom
Turns out that your favorite go-to canola oil spray for non-stick cooking, like Pam Cooking Spray, also has some pretty stellar uses outside of the kitchen, too. Don’t believe us? Read ahead for a handful of surprisingly savvy ways to use cooking spray in your bathroom—yes, your bathroom—no skillet or cookie pans necessary. Who knew cooking spray could tackle soap scum buildup in your bathtub, shower, and sink?
Nov 27, 2018
7 Designers Predict the 2019 Pantone Color of the Year
It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year. You know, when the color experts at Pantone will be announcing the 2019 Color of the Year, which will likely happen any day now. We’re on the edge of our ultra-violet seats waiting to see what hue it could be. To help ease and abate our anticipation, we called on some of our favorite interior designer friends to find out what shade they could see Pantone choosing as the Color of the Year.
Nov 21, 2018
7 Daily Home Habits That Will Boost Your Creative Energy
Creativity starts at home. That’s why it’s important to know what kinds of things you can do around the house to get your creative juices flowing. We called on two of our favorite creative experts: Rahti Gorfien, Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and ACCG at Creative Calling Coaching and Danielle Raine, a U.K.-based creativity coach for advice on everyday habits that can help improve our creativity from the privacy of our own place, and they had lots to share.
Nov 8, 2018
Turns Out, Cheap Dinosaur Toys Can Make Shockingly Stylish Decor
If you thought those cheap plastic dinosaur toys from your youth would only come in handy when you babysit, it’s time to think again. Turns out those colorful cuties can be repurposed into some surprisingly snazzy home decor items—it just takes a little imagination. Read ahead for a few fun ways to upcycle those old plastic dinosaurs you and your cousins used to play with. The only thing better than a charming succulent planter is one that you made on your own.
Oct 31, 2018
6 Things You Can Clean Right When You Get Home (Still in Your Work Clothes)
Look, we know when you get home after a long day of work the last thing you want to think about is cleaning, but like it or not, it’s a great time to get a little light housekeeping done. If you commit yourself to cleaning a small handful of things before you change out of your work clothes, you’ve got yourself some instant motivation and the opportunity to set yourself up for a calm (and clean) evening of chilling at home.
Oct 30, 2018
Our Favorite Household Cleaners for $5 or Less
A good household cleaner can make housekeeping a breeze. But a good household cleaner that only costs five bucks or less? Well, that’s a game-changer for your home. To help make your housekeeping endeavors go more smoothly (and affordably), we rounded up the best commercial cleaning products under $5.
Oct 27, 2018
Amazon’s Hidden Feature Lets You Easily Budget Your Spending
If you’re anything like me, a.k.a. prone to compulsive late-night Amazon Prime purchases (especially after a couple glasses of wine), then boy do we have the solution for you. Amazon Allowance is a feature on Amazon that allows you to fund your shopping (or someone else’s) with gift card credits you set aside ahead of time—so you can shop to your heart’s content without ever sharing your credit card info.
Oct 24, 2018
8 Small-Space Living Room Layout Ideas We’re Stealing from IKEA
A well-organized living room can be a game-changer for your entire home. Not only do they look sleek and stylish, a thoughtful living room layout can offer up loads of unexpected storage space. Case in point: IKEA’s gallery of streamlined living rooms—which is overflowing with small space-friendly furniture arrangements and storage solutions.
Oct 24, 2018
7 Common Ways You Can Go Wrong with Window Cleaner
Window cleaner can be a game-changer for your housekeeping routine. Along with cleaning everything from your windows to your shower tile, this bright blue household staple is slightly less abrasive than most other multi-purpose sprays—making it great for use on more fragile surfaces. Unfortunately, however, there are some things you should never use window cleaner on, no matter how contradictory it may seem.
Oct 22, 2018
11 Surprising Ways to Stay Clean and Organized with Silicone Cupcake Liners
If you thought reusable cupcake liners were only good for baking, then think again. Turns out those colorful silicone cups, like these rainbow-hued cuties by AmazonBasics, are awesome for cleaning and organizing stuff around your home, too. Don’t believe us? Read on for a bunch of ways you can use (and reuse) silicone baking cups outside of the oven. Searching for a cute and inexpensive way to streamline your workstation?
Oct 11, 2018
This $4 Organizing Secret Works in Every Room of the House
Keeping your home organized on a limited budget is never easy. But what if we told you that we’d discovered a $4 buy on Amazon that can instantly create extra storage space in just about every room of your home? Believe it or not, suction holders for sponges, like this one from Amazon, can work wonders for over-cluttered and storage-deprived areas throughout your home, all it takes is a little imagination.
Oct 7, 2018
The Best Instagram Accounts to Follow If You Love Granny Chic Decor
Granny-chic decor is having a moment. You know, the heavy floral prints, patterned wallpapers, retro furnishings, and other kitschy decor items you used to see around your grandma’s place. Recently, these kinds of nostalgic interiors are popping up all over the ‘gram, and we’re here for it. Don’t believe us? Read ahead for seven Instagram accounts you must follow if you’re a fan of all things kitsch and granny-chic. 1.
Oct 4, 2018
Why We Write “IKEA” in All Caps (And Yes, You’re Pronouncing it Wrong)
Let’s be real: We’ve all spent several hours inside an IKEA store, or on the IKEA website, or figuring out how to put a piece of its furniture together. But how much time have we devoted to learning the story behind our favorite affordable Swedish home goods brand? Chances are that you have purchased at least one item from IKEA, but do you even have the slightest clue what their name means? Don’t worry my Scandi-design loving friends, I didn’t know either.
Oct 4, 2018
7 Creative Ways to Decorate and Stay Organized with Used K-Cups
Are you addicted to single-serve coffee? We can’t blame you. It’s fast, convenient, and of course, delicious, but unfortunately, also super wasteful. (Even the inventor of the Keurig K-Cup has expressed regret over inventing the technology in the first place.
Sep 16, 2018
The #1 Mistake People Make When They’re Cleaning
Believe it or not, there’s a big mistake most people are making when they clean. Not cleaning your home from top to bottom—a.k.a. dusting first and leaving sweeping and mopping for last—can have some major consequences for your housekeeping routine. Don’t believe us? We called on cleaning expert Kadi Dulude, owner of Wizard of Homes NYC, to help us break down the benefits of cleaning your home from top to bottom. Read ahead to see what she had to say.
Sep 2, 2018
Questions We All Ask: Is There a Difference Between Flannel and Plaid?
With the cold weather season fast approaching, it’s time to finally address an age-old debate in the decor world: Are there really any differences between flannel and plaid? The answer, simply, is yes. So to further breakdown the distinction, we called upon textile aficionado Annie Selke, CEO and President of The Annie Selke Companies, for help. We asked her what really made plaid and flannel all that different and she spelled it out for us.
Aug 29, 2018
Famous Address: Life in the Dakota Apartments
The most famous apartment building in New York City has a history that's almost as legendary as its architecture.
Aug 27, 2018
The 5 Happy Secrets of Effortlessly Positive People
Life can be taxing sometimes. With busy work schedules, family responsibilities, and financial obligations to worry about, staying optimistic throughout day-to-day life often feels all but impossible. But fret not my stressed out friends: There’s hope to be had. We called on life coach Annie Lin of New York Life Coaching for advice on how to keep positive in everyday life, and she had lots to share.
Aug 26, 2018
8 Stain Removers to Stock Up on Before You Need Them
Not only can a good stain remover save your garments, carpet, and upholstery from unsightly spills and stains, they also work to keep your stuff looking fresh and new for longer. That’s why it’s important to always have a handful of solid stain removers on hand, so you can rescue your goods from blemishes before it’s too late. So to help make your life, or at least laundry day, go more smoothly, we rounded up the top-rated stain removers on the market.
Aug 13, 2018
7 Ways to Keep Cool This Summer (Without a Swimming Pool)
Few things make the scorching summer heat more bearable than jumping into a sparkling swimming pool. But what to do when you don’t have access to one? Fret not my sweaty friends, there are still plenty of ways to cool off outside this summer without a proper swimming pool, it just takes a little imagination. From sprinkler balls to water balloons, here are seven H2O-friendly ideas for staying cool this summer—sans the swimming pool.
Aug 7, 2018
These Cleaning and Organizing Finds Are $1 or Less at IKEA
Let’s face it: Pretty much everything at IKEA feels like a steal thanks to their perennially super low prices. But that doesn’t mean we still aren’t stoked to discover that the mega-retailer offers a slew of cleaning and organizing items you can take home for just $1. That’s right. A buck. For less than a cup of coffee, you can score an assortment of awesome housekeeping tools that are every bit as stylish as they are inexpensive. Don’t believe us?
Aug 6, 2018
7 Smart Ways You Can Repurpose a Hanging Closet Organizer to Tidy Up Any Mess
Okay, I admit it: I’d long written off hanging closet organizers as, well, passé. You know the ones—those lightweight foldable things that you used in your college dorm room for storing shoes and sweaters. But truth be told, once you think outside the box, you’ll discover that these inexpensive space savers are actually great for organizing all kinds of things throughout your home. Don’t believe us?
Aug 5, 2018
The 8 Dreamiest Airstreams and Campers on Airbnb
If you weren’t already hip to Airstream rentals, now’s the time to smarten up. Sort of similar to glamping—but indoors—Airstream trailers and campers are essentially mobile mini-homes you can park (and rent) in just about any location (the desert, the beach, and so on). It’s no surprise that Airbnb is brimming with cool Airstream rentals in dreamy destinations all over the globe.
Jul 30, 2018
7 Secrets for a Less-Messy Living Room
Living rooms come in all shapes and sizes, and unfortunately, the smaller the apartment, the harder it can be to keep yours organized. Throw in a busy work schedule and a somewhat active social life and suddenly a tiny living room can turn into a cluttered disaster zone, especially when you don’t have a lot of extra room for storage. But fret not my busy, unorganized friends; we’re here to help.
Jul 23, 2018
8 Money-Saving, Life-Changing Things Hidden on the Amazon Website
If you're willing to spend some time digging, you can find some pretty special deals.
Jul 8, 2018
9 No-Fail Ways to Style Your Coffee Table
A well-styled coffee table can be a game changer for your home. Not only does it offer up a little extra space for stashing stuff, when thoughtfully organized, your coffee table can double as an artful living room centerpiece. To prove our point, we scoured our house tours high and low and rounded up nine of the most beautifully styled coffee tables we could find. From a full-blown bench display to an airy Scandi-style scene, here are some of the chicest ideas for organizing your coffee table.
Jul 5, 2018
7 Ways to Hack Your Way to More Closet Space
Closets come in all shapes and sizes—and often, with not enough storage space. Thankfully, with a little imagination (and research), you can turn your cramped closet into a stylish storage hub, no matter how tiny it may be. To prove our point, we rounded up some of the easiest—and not to mention, affordable—ways to carve out more storage for your wardrobe.
Jul 4, 2018
The $13 Way to Take Charge of Your Messiest Kitchen Cabinet
It’s an unfortunate truth of small space living that the tinier the kitchen, the harder it is to find storage space—and worse, stay organized. While some of us invest in new ways to carve out storage space and keep our kitchens tidy, others are forced to forgo their non-essential (and clutter-causing) kitchen wares, especially plastic Tupperware. But fret not my lunch-packing (and leftover-loving) friends, there’s hope for your messy Tupperware cabinet.
Jun 25, 2018
This 3-Word Cleaning Strategy is Your Shortcut to Spotless
When it comes to housekeeping, few people know the ropes as well as Durk Johnson. In addition to serving as the executive director of Vacation Rental Housekeeping Professionals (VRHP)—a national organization that specializes in housekeeping principles and procedures—he has over fifteen years experience in cleaning luxury rentals around the world.
Jun 23, 2018
The Best Decor You Can Buy at Aldi
If you weren’t already hip to German grocery store, Aldi, now’s the time to smarten up. Adored for its super low prices and wide range of products, the discount supermarket chain now boasts over 1,600 stores in the United States—making grocery shopping on the cheap easier than ever. But wait, it gets better. Turns out Aldi sells more than just inexpensive groceries.
May 21, 2018
5 Professional Organizers Share Their #1 Tip for Messy People
Getting your sh*t together isn’t easy. Staying organized is especially hard when you’re a self-proclaimed “messy” person. Luckily, we know some amazing professional organizers to call upon for help. We hit up five of our favorite pro-organizers for the number one piece of advice they’d give “messy people” looking to get their homes—and lives—in order and here’s what they had to share.
May 13, 2018
9 Money-Saving Secrets for Shopping at CVS
What’s not to love about CVS? Not only is it brimming with affordable beauty products and home essentials, it’s by far one of the easiest drug stores to save money at while shopping. Don’t believe us? We did our research and dug up nine awesome money-saving secrets for shopping at CVS that you probably didn’t know about. Read ahead to find out how to score even better deals next time you raid the local drugstore.
May 6, 2018
We Bet You Could Use Some “Lagom” in Your Life Right Now
Lagom is a Swedish lifestyle trend that just won’t quit. Defined loosely as “everything in moderation,” the concept of lagom (pronounced law-gum) is all about finding balance in your everyday life. To help us better understand the concept of lagom, we called on Niki Brantmark, creator of My Scandinavian Home and author of Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life, to break it down.
May 3, 2018
8 Grocery List Hacks That’ll Save Time and Money
Grocery shopping isn’t always easy. Along with the crowds, screaming kids, and long lines, you have to successfully secure a week’s worth of foodstuff, most likely while on a budget. That’s why it pays to plan for your trip to the grocery store ahead of time, so you can avoid draining searches and high prices as much as possible. Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can hack your grocery list to work for you.
Apr 26, 2018
Why “Clearing the Coffee Table” is the New “Making the Bed”
We all know the benefits of making the bed every morning. Along with tidying up your bedroom in a pinch, this neat ritual helps set an orderly tone for the rest of your day. Clearing off your coffee table every day can be similar. As one Apartment Therapy reader put it: “Clearing off the coffee table is the making-the-bed of the living room!” Take a few minutes to clean up your coffee table each day, and you’ll enjoy a clearer mind and set the tone for a cleaner living room.
Apr 3, 2018
7 Resume Mistakes that Might be Hurting Your Job Hunt
A good resume should be clear and concise. As a rule of thumb, hiring managers typically take fewer than 10 seconds to scan an entire resume, so it’s important that yours conveys only the most relevant information to your audience. And since it’s crucial that your resume be quick and easy to read through, it’s important to know what information should be omitted.
Mar 27, 2018
7 Times You’re Actually Just Hoarding When You’re Trying to Organize
We’ve all been there. It’s almost springtime and after a long winter spent indoors, you’re ready to get your home nice and clutter-free for the warm weather season. Unfortunately, sometimes instead of successfully clearing out the clutter in our homes, we simply wind up organizing stuff we shouldn’t keep in the first place. While catchall storages bins and closet organizers might seem space-savvy, they often end up helping us hoard things we should be getting rid of.
Mar 22, 2018
3 Ways IKEA Makes It Easy to Recycle
As if the stylish and affordable home furnishings weren’t enough of a reason to love IKEA, the store made it their mission to create a streamlined recycling process for their customers. Along with their chic assortment of recycling bins for sale, the Swedish super-retailer offers several convenient ways for customers to recycle their old stuff—think: glass, batteries, furniture, and more—while they’re shopping. Don’t believe us?
Mar 13, 2018
7 Sneaky Ways Your Stuff is Stealing Your Time
Sometimes your stuff gets in the way of, well, life. Whether it’s not being able to find your keys when you’re already running late for work or missing a train because you took too long digging through your purse for your transit card, searching for everyday essentials can have a major impact on your daily routine.
Mar 2, 2018
These 9 Stores Have the Best Return Policies
Oh, the joys of online shopping. Not only can you bypass crazy long checkout lines and cramped dressing rooms, you get all the stuff you ordered delivered straight to your front door. The only drawback: Returning items that don’t work for you can be trickier when the post office gets involved. That’s why it pays to know ahead of time which stores have stellar return policies, so you can have a totally worry-free online shopping experience.
Feb 16, 2018
Ten Under-$40 IKEA Finds That’ll Double the Storage in Your Bathroom
10 brilliant ideas for your walls, countertops and awkward corners.
Jan 18, 2018
Something Called a Pajama Lounge Is Trending (& You’re Going to Want One)
There’s a new term roaming the corridors of the internet that made our ears perk up the second we heard it and we think you’re going to like it, too. It’s called a “pajama lounge”, and we want one. The idea is nothing new, though: growing up in suburbia, you may have had an upstairs loft or living room where the kids studied, watched TV maybe before heading down to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal if your home was spacious enough.
Dec 23, 2017
The Best Small Space Bedroom Solutions We Saw This Year
8 easy-to-execute ideas to maximize your limited bedroom floor plan.
Dec 21, 2017
You’re Probably Already Paying for Lost Luggage Insurance — Here’s What You Need to Know
Losing your luggage can be a living nightmare. On top of not having access to your stuff while your traveling, you have the daunting task of filing claims and filling out lengthy reports to look forward to—and even then, the safe return of your luggage isn’t guaranteed. It’s no surprise then that more and more travelers are signing up for traveler’s insurance—i.e.
Dec 20, 2017
7 Ways to Upcycle What You Already Have at Home Into (Free!) Holiday Decorations
Decking your halls with holiday decor can be tricky when you’re on a budget. That’s why it pays to be resourceful when it comes to spreading holiday cheer throughout your home. Luckily, some of our most humdrum home essentials actually offer ample decorating opportunity. With a little imagination, you can turn everyday items—like puzzle pieces, newspaper, and houseplants—into seriously stylish trimmings.
Dec 6, 2017
Where to Stack Coats and Bags When You’re Having a Big Party in a Small Space
Nothing is more fun during the holiday season than hosting friends and family for a gathering. But what happens when you love to entertain but don’t actually have a ton of room or even a proper coat closet to store everyone’s stuff? Fret not, friends—a cramped living space doesn’t have to be a problem. Here are five options to consider when deciding where to stow your guests’ things during your holiday festivities this season.
Nov 22, 2017
Readers Weigh In: This is the Room You Should Always Clean First
Getting the toughest room out the way first will help jumpstart the rest of your housekeeping responsibilities.
Oct 16, 2017