Name: Hilton CarterLocation: Baltimore, MDSize: 3,200 square feetType of home: American ColonialYears lived in: 1, ownedAs Apartment Therapy’s Plant Therapist, Hilton Carter is the first person we turn to when our snake plants are looking sad or our pothos needs propagating. His deep knowledge about all things green, his fresh sense of style, and his warm, you-can-do-this attitude have helped many a plant-filled home flourish. Including his own.

Name: Kate ArendsLocation: St. Paul, MinnesotaSize: 5,500 square feetType of home: Colonial ramblerYears lived in: 2, ownedWhether she’s transforming her kitchen, styling effortlessly chic outfits, or fielding questions about relationships and parenting, Kate Arends lives up to the name of her popular design and lifestyle company: Wit & Delight. Like your friend who always thrifts the coolest finds, Kate adds her relaxed and irreverent style to everything she touches.

Relaxing in nature is one of the most serene activities you can do — except maybe for relaxing in a home inspired by the calming power of the great outdoors. Sound soothing? We think so too. That’s why we designed a paint palette of rich greens and organic accent colors. Together, these hues create a soft, grounded look that feels like a quiet walk through the forest. Meet Verdant Vanitas.

Subtlety is nice, but this year we’re more into style that shouts a bit. For those who don’t shy away from color, we created a paint palette that will add a little shine and sparkle to your home. Full of lush jewel tones and vibrant pastels, it’s like a treasure chest of baubles — a.k.a. the perfect accessory. Meet the color palette we’ve named Crown Jewels.

Lush and organic decor, full of natural materials and rounded shapes, is having a moment. We’re bringing the trend into high-def with a paint palette that plays off its most captivating colors: verdant greens, sunset pinks and oranges, and soft neutrals. Together, they’re a combination of energetic and calm that makes any day — and any room — feel breezy and inviting. Meet the color palette we’re calling Mint Julep.

When you’re a renter, it can be challenging to make your home a true expression of yourself. But Cyn Moreno has a knack for adding personality to any home. She created a bright and utterly distinct apartment by focusing on DIYs that add individuality to her Los Angeles rental — without putting her security deposit at risk. And she teaches others how to do the same. “If you’re an apartment dweller, you have so many limitations on what you can do,” Cyn says.

Our design styles are always evolving, but perhaps most of all in our mid-twenties. That’s when we start to look around at the random furniture, family hand-me-downs, and sidewalk scores we’ve gathered since our first apartments and say to ourselves: “Huh?”Samantha was ready to swap her assortment of furniture for new pieces that felt more cohesive and sophisticated.

We don’t believe in rules when it comes to design, but we do believe in some tried-and-true principles that have never let us down. And if you feel like your space needs a little extra something to feel complete, they just might help you get there.That was the case for the cozy Chicago apartment that Samantha shares with her roommate. The home had so many great elements — exposed brick! natural light!

A delicious home-cooked meal is one of life’s greatest joys. And though Samantha and her roommate had a modern and bright kitchen in their Chicago apartment, one important ingredient was missing: a place to eat.With a small open-concept kitchen and living area, they usually ate meals on the sofa. And they didn’t do much entertaining, since there wasn’t a good spot for friends to gather. So Samantha set out to make their kitchen and dining area more functional.

We’ve all been there: that moment in your twenties when you feel like an adult, but your home feels like a mishmash of everything you’ve thrifted, inherited from your parents, and rescued from the sidewalk. It’s not quite a dorm room, but it’s not not.That’s how Samantha and her roommate felt about their Chicago apartment. “Our furniture style could best be described as ‘nonexistent,'” she says.

Studio apartments aren’t big on space, but that doesn’t mean they’re short on possibility. When Peggy and Anthony found their alcove studio in Queens, NYC, they knew they had enough room for exactly what they wanted: a cozy, stylish space where they could work from home, entertain friends, and unwind together.The trick was to design their new home in a way that created distinct mini “rooms” (walls not required).

When you live in a studio apartment, making your bedroom feel restful is especially important — and can be especially challenging. For Peggy and Anthony, who just moved into an alcove studio apartment in New York City, the goal was to make the “bedroom” feel as separate from the living space as possible.The couple turned to The Home Depot’s online collection of furniture and decor for assistance.

When Peggy and Anthony moved in together, they knew they needed to get creative to make their alcove studio work as both a home and a co-working space. That’s right: They both work from home, and home is one big room. In a studio apartment. In New York City.To help them make the most of their space — while giving each other space — Peggy and Anthony made some smart design moves.

All of our homes do double and triple duty these days, but Peggy and Anthony’s apartment is really working overtime: The newly cohabitating couple share an alcove studio in Queens, NYC with an open living space and bedroom nook — and they each work from home.With such cozy quarters, Peggy and Anthony had to be intentional about arranging their space to support independent work days, chill couple time, and dinner parties with friends.

When I moved into a new place last year, I set out to make it as “me” as possible. I was living alone for the first time in a long time, and I wanted to decorate intentionally — especially in the bedroom, which I wanted to feel extra supportive and grounding.I knew of a few accent items — a shaggy area rug and soft linen sheets — I could use to start building up my new, cozy, organic aesthetic.

Three years ago, when Danielle Guerrero and her husband bought their first house — a new construction with basic, builder-grade furnishings — she was a DIY novice. That didn’t last long: Danielle started tackling projects like adding shiplap and installing new flooring, and she hasn’t stopped. Along the way, she amassed a collection of power tools, a lot of know-how, and a community of folks eager to discover their own DIY skills.

Here’s a riddle: What makes your home bigger overnight? Spring!Once the weather warms up, all that outdoor space is just another room to hang out in. And this year, we’re redecorating. It’s time to turn that yard, patio, rooftop, or patch of grass into a vacation-worthy spot for sunny days and warm nights — whether you want to host friends, play games, or lounge with a good book.We’re setting the whole scene with the latest seasonal finds from Walmart.

We’re not scientists, but we’re pretty sure that food tastes better outside. A warm evening, a freshly prepared meal, a chilled bottle of wine, a table full of family and friends soaking up the last rays of sun — sounds extra delicious, no? That’s the magic of dining al fresco. And when spring arrives, it’s time to seize every opportunity for it. Put down the paper plates: We found great deals for setting the table for a season of memorable everyday feasts.

When those first beams of springtime sunlight pour through the windows, our homes start to sparkle with possibility. (And a little dust. But mostly possibility.) Suddenly, we’re energized to jump into all the projects and DIYs that we’ve been daydreaming about. After the snowy days of winter, it’s finally time to change things up, get outside, and make this the best, brightest, most fun-in-the-sun spring yet.

Here at Apartment Therapy University, we can’t help you pass Organic Chemistry or tell you how to find the student union, but we can help you design the coolest collegiate space around. Whether you’re living the dorm life or moving into your first off-campus apartment, having a comfortable, stylish home base will inspire you all semester long.

College is a rite of passage into adulthood: Managing your own schedule, keeping up with your coursework, and creating your own home — even if it’s a dorm room. Whether you’re a freshman or grad student, living on campus or off, the start of a new school year is the perfect time to upgrade your living space into a stylish hub for studying and socializing.You don’t need a degree in design to make it happen: Bed Bath & Beyond® can help.

Back-to-school shopping isn’t only about freshly sharpened pencils and color-coded folders (though we’re always ready to talk organizational systems). It’s also a great opportunity to make sure your space is set up to be chic, comfortable, and conducive to a new year of hitting the books.

There’s nothing more exciting than a new home — and nothing more stressful than moving into one. But don’t get your packing tape in a twist: While we can’t make all those boxes disappear (sorry), we can keep you from feeling overwhelmed and underprepared on your first day in your new place. And that goes double for first-time movers.

College is one of the best times of your life — and one of the busiest. From group projects and cram sessions to 10-page papers and pop quizzes, you need a home base that feels calm and cozy when the school day is (finally) done.Whether you’re living in the dorms or an apartment off-campus, you can create a relaxing respite from all that scholastic hustle.

We will never not be excited about choosing paint colors. It’s literal magic! Whatever mood you’re looking for — calm, creative, serene, sophisticated — a coat of paint can create it instantly. Paint has the power to transform and transport us to places that inspire us to be our best selves. And we want to give your block a paint makeover.We teamed up with Benjamin Moore to give away paint makeovers to four worthy community spaces in a neighborhood like yours.

For their entire seven years together, Abby and Vic had always wanted a dog. “Most couples dream of having kids, but we dreamt of having a house full of golden retrievers,” she says. It never seemed like the right time to take the plunge. When the couple relocated from California to Dallas, away from family and friends, life suddenly felt a lot quieter. And then they met Ollie.“Ollie was such a quiet and shy puppy. We looked down, and he was staring up at us.

Living alone for the first time is a special milestone: an opportunity to find out not just what you like, but also what you can accomplish. For Emily Sanchez, a San Diego business owner and content creator, moving into her first solo home has been a journey of growth and independence. She’s learned a lot about herself — and she’s learned a lot of skills, too.Decorating a small space on a budget means that Emily is constantly using her creativity in new ways.

Having a work-from-home space that merely works isn’t enough. We need them to also look and feel great to be in — and not just to show off on video calls. Spending eight (or more) hours in a space that expresses your personal style is one of the perks of working from home, plus it tends to be more energizing than sitting in a cookie-cutter workstation under fluorescent lighting.

Most houses don’t start out as your dream home — and we think that’s part of the fun. Take the home that Ashley Quintero and her family recently bought in Fort Worth, Texas: Beautiful but outdated, the 1950s house has a long list of projects to tackle and features to upgrade. Luckily, that’s where Ashley shines.Ashley is a self-taught — and seriously skilled — woodworker and DIY maven.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Nothing transforms a space like a fresh coat of paint. It’s an affordable, weekend-able DIY with as many possibilities as there are colors. And whichever you choose, you’ll enjoy it for years to come (or whenever you decide to change things up again).But while painting is a manageable project, there are common pitfalls that can keep your hard work from looking its best.

When Ashley Quintero and her family moved into a lovely-but-dated midcentury home in Fort Worth, Texas, there were projects to tackle everywhere she looked. Luckily, Ashley has the skills: The healthcare worker-turned-DIYer is known for her amazing and approachable woodworking projects, which she breaks down to her followers on TikTok and Instagram.But not every upgrade requires busting out the table saw — especially when your whole house is a work in progress.

Part of the fun of interior design is that your home’s style is constantly evolving. That also means that occasionally a piece you love doesn’t really work anymore. We like to think of those moments as opportunities for more creativity.There are few design bloggers more creative than Amanda Walker, who can turn old televisions into art and awkward corners into cozy reading nooks.

Our tastes change as we settle into our spaces, and that’s a good thing! Style is something that evolves as we gain more life experience. Sometimes these changes lead to big dramatic before-and-after affairs, but more often it’s little fixes along the way that allow our space to grow with us. DIYer and interior decor creator Zenia Olivares has figured out how to make a space feel different with little more than a single trip to a home improvement store.

One of the best things about moving into your first apartment is having a home that really feels like yours: a well-curated ode to all the style and personality that only you possess. But much like Rome or a fine wheel of Parmesan, your dream home can’t be built in a day. You’ll feel much more at home when you take your time, reflecting on what you want your space to be and then bringing in only the decor that speaks to you.

Happy Place is a brand-new editorial series dedicated to helping you live your happiest, healthiest life at home. Every week for 4 months, we’re sharing quick, doable, and not-at-all-preachy tips that wellness pros, home decor experts, and Apartment Therapy editors actually use (really!). Sign up now to get 16 weeks of actionable advice in your inbox. This issue of Happy Place is presented in partnership with Yogi Tea.

Happy Place is a brand-new editorial series dedicated to helping you live your happiest, healthiest life at home. Every week for 4 months, we’re sharing quick, doable, and not-at-all-preachy tips that wellness pros, home decor experts, and Apartment Therapy editors actually use (really!). Sign up now to get 16 weeks of actionable advice in your inbox.This issue of Happy Place is presented in partnership with Yogi Tea.

Happy Place is a brand-new editorial series dedicated to helping you live your happiest, healthiest life at home. Every week for 4 months, we’re sharing quick, doable, and not-at-all-preachy tips that wellness pros, home decor experts, and Apartment Therapy editors actually use (really!). Sign up now to get 16 weeks of actionable advice in your inbox. This issue of Happy Place is presented in partnership with Yogi Tea. Calm is a moving target.

Happy Place is a brand-new editorial series dedicated to helping you live your happiest, healthiest life at home. Every week for 4 months, we’re sharing quick, doable, and not-at-all-preachy tips that wellness pros, home decor experts, and Apartment Therapy editors actually use (really!). Sign up now to get 16 weeks of actionable advice in your inbox. This issue of Happy Place is presented in partnership with Yogi Tea.

Cheer is definitely one of the first words that come to mind when we look at Ashley Wilson‘s interiors. With her creative DIYs and palette of rainbow pastels, this home decor blogger fills every room with energy and joy. So naturally, we couldn’t wait to see what she could do for the holidays.We asked Ashley to work her magic with some super cute finds from one of our favorite decor destinations: The Home Depot.

One of the best things about winter is its combination of peak coziness (blankets, sweaters, hot chocolate) and peak festiveness (tinsel, twinkle lights, all the candles). Those layers of nostalgia are part of what makes decorating for the holidays so much fun: Our homes become the warm, cheerful lives of the party. We challenged three style experts to take their seasonal looks to the next level with gorgeous decor from Garnet Hill, and the results literally could not be cozier.

Styling a room is a lot like styling an outfit: Start with a neutral foundation, then layer on moods, colors, and textures for a look that’s part trendy, part timeless. No one exemplifies this approach better than designer (and very snappy dresser!) David Quarles IV.

If you’ve ever locked yourself out of your home or felt the terror of learning too late that your pet sitter doesn’t have the right keys, you’ve probably wished your front door was just a bit, well, smarter. We can turn on lights with our voices, so we should be able to make getting in and out of our own homes more convenient too.Whether you’re a homeowner or renter, the August Home smart lock can up your entryway’s IQ in minutes.

Our love for bouclé knows no bounds: Touchable and trendy, chic and comfy, this looped fabric — which designers have been rediscovering in recent years — makes a style statement that’s also super approachable. We’re fans of the warmth and texture it adds to seating — especially when the seat comes from a collection we already know to be built with relaxation in mind.

At this year’s Small/Cool Experience, we asked 10 of our favorite designers to interpret 10 hot interior trends. Each designer had just 120 square feet, but what their rooms lacked in space, they made up for in style — and color. Whether classical or whimsical, warmly minimalist or gregariously maximalist, these rooms showed us that the right shades can transform the entire mood of any room.

A blank canvas doesn’t mean boring. When you start with a couple of timeless pieces, you can create myriad style statements, looks that can change according to seasons, trends, or just your mood. That’s why we were so excited to ask three of our favorite designers to put their own spins on the same living room.We started with a classic couch and coffee table.

We’ll let you in on a laundry secret: Wash day doesn’t have to be complicated. Most people make doing laundry more difficult than it needs to be with excess products, treatments, and clutter. Try adding some of these clever moves to your repertoire instead. They’ll make laundry day much simpler, plus get your clothes cleaner in the process.Mesh laundry bags are great for delicates like bras, but you’ve already got an excellent alternative in your linen closet.

An unexpected bright spot of the past year is how much joy we’ve found in nature — especially at home. This was the year we grew scallions in glasses of water, sprouted new greenery from our bok choy and carrot scraps, and maybe even got avocado pits to grow roots. Sometimes these plant projects provided food, but they also gave us the delightful magic show that is watching plants grow. Mother Nature has another trick we bet you haven’t tried: peanut plants.

Designing your space is an art that’s unique to you. It depends on your personal style and unmistakable eye. But whatever look speaks to you, there’s one thing we can say with certainty: Every aesthetic looks better with greenery.When you think about it, plants are the ultimate versatile home decor. They come in endless shapes and textures, and their pots and accessories present extra opportunities to show off your style. How to choose? Ummmmm, astrology, obviously!