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Gregory Han

Los Angeles, CA

A Los Angeles native, Gregory’s interests fall upon the relationship between design, nature, and technology. His resume includes art director, toy designer, and design writer. Co-author of Poketo's "Creative Spaces: People, Homes, and Studios to Inspire", you can find him regularly at Design Milk and the New York Times Wirecutter. Gregory lives with his wife Emily and their two cats—Eames and Eero—in Mt. Washington, California, curiously investigating the entomological and mycological.
6 Affordable and Easy Ways to Add Lighting to a Closet Without Wiring
The renter-friendly solution to dark closets.
Gregory Han
Nov 14, 2023
Trio of IKEA Salad Bowls Turned Into DIY Nautilus Audio Speakers
B&W Nautilus speakers are legendary, both for their audio performance and their iconic cabinet shape. No surprise, audiophile loudspeakers like this are for rare and expensive, probably the reason IKEA Hacker, Damir Paco of Denmark, dreamt up a much more affordable DIY version using a trio of IKEA wood salad bowls and some BAREN clothes hooks…The inspiration? The Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus are fashioned after the beautiful marine creature with the logarithmic spiral shell.
Gregory Han
Oct 14, 2022
Gregory’s Refreshed & Refreshing Home Office
Name: Gregory Han
Location: Silver Lake, California
Size: Home office measuring 60″ width x 106″ length
Years lived in: 4+It’s been awhile since we last had a tech tour, so I thought I’d offer my own newly updated home office today. Let me begin describing what my home office first looked like before the redo: the small narrow sun room was filled with a hodge podge of vintage, IKEA, and miscellaneous items.
Gregory Han
Oct 12, 2022
How To Remove a Stripped Screw Without an Extractor
image:e4471c14063691b3b4999905f48d87bfe81e71bd w:540 s:"fit" class_name:"mt-image-center" show_pin_button:"true" show_image_credits:"true" Almost everyone who has worked on a DIY or renovation project has applied too much torque and stripped a screw head clean. It can feel like a frustrating dead end, especially if you don’t have a specialized extractor kit on hand.
Gregory Han
Sep 29, 2022
This Bull Horn Ship Model Reminds Me Of My Father’s Memory and My Mom’s Sacrifice
Comfort Decorating
It's a mid-century design that's more tchotchke than heirloom—but I consider it possibly the most valuable item in my possession.
Gregory Han
Aug 18, 2020
Look! DIY Litter Boxes Hidden Inside Bookcase
Ask any cat owner with an ounce of decor-savvy what is amongst their top “pet peeves” and litter boxes will likely be high up there (right next to surprise phantom hairballs). Most litter boxes aren’t much too easy on the eyes, and some are just crazy contraptions that forgo any apparent forethought about decor-friendliness (we did roundup our favourite cat litter boxes not that long ago, so all hope is not lost).
Gregory Han
Jul 17, 2020
The 10 Best Natural Pillow Alternatives
Picking out a pillow must be one of the most subjective and personal choices one can make for their personal well-being. It’s just a pillow, but it makes a huge difference between having a good night’s rest and one tossing and turning. Another consideration for many is allergies. Although goose down is considered the premium choice, there are many out there who’d suffer dearly sleeping on the soft filling.
Gregory Han
Jul 17, 2020
Jonathan’s DIY Rain Gutter Cable Management Desk
image:6c9bbd7d3c5d21c069c8dc7c58eb34a00f196797 w:540 s:"fit" class_name:"mt-image-center" show_pin_button:"true" show_image_credits:"true" Unplggd reader Jonathan Crossman sent us his DIY desk with a rain gutter cable management hidden underneath built with reclaimed table legs and a stained wood top. At 8’x2′, the expansive desk should serve Jonathan for years to come, with the satisfaction he built it himself and that visible cable mess won’t be much of a worry.
Gregory Han
Jul 17, 2020
Using a Hair Dryer to Remove Paint and More
Last week we discussed about getting started on wrangling our cords and cables in our home office, a project that required us to get moving on painting the interior before installing the cable channel guides we purchased. And painting we did!
Gregory Han
Jul 17, 2020
The Home Theater Mistake We Keep Seeing Over and Over Again
As stone countertops and stainless steel appliances are to a kitchen, a large flat panel television (and a comfy couch) in the living room is to a typical American household. But there’s one continuing trend we’d like to see people stop doing doing: hanging flat screen televisions over the fireplace.
Gregory Han
Jul 17, 2020
The 10 Best in Small Space Home Tech
Whether it’s a minuscule Austin studio apartment, a slightly more spacious Boston pad, or a still modest duplex for a family in New York, there are plenty of inspiring, smart examples of tech working together with home decor from our Apartment Therapy house tour archives.
Gregory Han
Jul 16, 2020
Before & After: Vintage Console TV Converted Into Swank Bar
It’s funny to remember how large, bulky, yet sometimes stylish televisions were before the era of HDTVs took displays from the floor onto our walls. We still remember our childhood 80’s RCA floor console TV taking up about the same amount of room as 40″ HDTV flat panels all lined up. Sometimes you’ll still find one of these wonderful relics of TV’s past in basements, garages or thrift stores, many not in working order.
Gregory Han
Jul 16, 2020
Before & After: A Joyous Task Chair Transformation
The office chair above is unfortunately more common than we’d hope. It’s the home office equivalent of the big, dumpy (yet comfortable) big leather couches that weigh down a space. Does form have to be sacrificed for function? “No!” says designer and upcycling blogger, Joy of How Joyful…check out how she gave this chair a whole new personality… Last Christmas my in Laws gave Ken and I matching Desk chairs. We only had one and it was pretty broken.
Gregory Han
Jul 16, 2020
Before & After: The $5 New Upholstery Office Chair Makeover
I just bid farewell to our last task chair review sample, noting as much as I found this and other new models comfortable in different ways, my tried and true task chair I purchased way back in 2008 keeps proving to be the most comfortable. But after years of daily use, the chair has definitely seen better days.
Gregory Han
Jul 15, 2020
Before & After: Wife Gets Creatively Crafty With Husband’s Charging Corner
Gregory Han
Jul 15, 2020
Beware: Toxic House Plants!
Owning a pet, especially those kept indoors, means being diligent about what they’re to eat…and what they’re not supposed to eat. Our cats had the habit of chewing on indoor ferns and palm leaves until we sprayed them with lemon juice; we lost a few plants, but we’d rather lose them than our feline family members.
Gregory Han
Apr 21, 2020
Affordable Small Space Standing Desk?
Q: I’m not on the computer all day, but I do sit in front of a laptop long enough each evening to realize it’s been adding to the muffin top-itis. I wanted to try working for those few hours standing, but the cool standing desks you’ve posted are kind of pricey and take up a lot of room. Is there an “entry level” standing desk you could recommend for a tiny apartment dweller on a budget?
Gregory Han
Apr 15, 2020
Ten Best Space Saving Floating Desks
We’re just like you out there: we live in a small space where making do means optimizing square footage. A home office means setting aside whatever free area that can be converted for optimal workstation duty, with laptops, monitors, printers and peripherals all in mind. One of our favorite solutions is the floating desk; we spied this Sticotti Collection shelving system desk via DWR this morning and thought it was an excellent example of the premise.
Gregory Han
Apr 6, 2020
10 Best Non-VOC, Low-Toxic Interior Paints
Over at ATNY today, Aaron posted about an interesting New York Times article discussing local and federal laws governing VOCs and insight about various “green” paint products. A serendipitous discussion, as I spent a good part of late last evening discussing eco-friendly interior paints with a friend who is moving into her first apartment.
Gregory Han
Mar 18, 2020
Before & After: Molly’s Custom Fit Wall Mounted Shelving Unit
Gregory Han
Mar 12, 2020
How To Make a 2 Ingredient Home Electronics Cleaner
If you had the choice between paying $13.00 or $1.50 for the exact same product, I don’t think there would be any hesitation, you’d opt for the cheaper option. That’s what got me inspired to make my very own household cleaner for electronics after my name brand cleaner finally ran out this weekend…It was really my better half who got me wondering about a no-chemical, affordable DIY cleaning solution to replace the more expensive store bought option.
Gregory Han
Mar 11, 2020
Resources & Recommendations: Setting Up Your Own Backyard Cinema
Is there any finer excuse to have friends over than dining together al fresco under the stars? Yes…sending out invites for dinner and a movie, screened in your very own backyard (tip: match the movie to the meal)!
Gregory Han
Mar 11, 2020
Before & After: DIY Slab Marble Desk
Marble countertops have become part of the renovation/decor vernacular thanks to TV makeover shows (though a distant second to the ever-popular granite countertop). But despite marble’s beauty, it’s rarely mentioned as a material for DIY projects because of its weight and cost, which makes this custom made midcentury inspired home office project unique… Redditor yourpalthomps combined four materials into his very own handsome midcentury-inspired desk.
Gregory Han
Mar 11, 2020
Before & After: Vintage Suitcase Now Packed For Portable Audio
Old leather suitcases or briefcases from decades ago are commonly found in varying states at garage sales, thrift shops, and vintage stores across the nation, popular DIY fodder for an array of upcycle projects like this and this.
Gregory Han
Mar 11, 2020
Before & After: Old Garage Converted Into Tiny French Home
It’s like an amazing episode of House Hunters International: photographer Jérémie Buchholtz was searching for the rare affordable apartment in Bordeaux, France, but all he could find within his price range was an abandoned and neglected 441 square foot garage primarily used to store an assortment of junk.
Gregory Han
Mar 11, 2020
Before & After: MacBook Dye Project
Got an outdated white Apple MacBook? Here’s a surprising customization project utilizing RIT fabric dye to give the MacBook’s polycarbonate case a whole new colorful life. Considering how expensive professional custom paint jobs cost and the outdated state of these models, we’re pretty impressed with the project’s results… Get a pan (An inch or so deep, if possible.), and fill it with water (4 cups of water per packet, 8 cups.
Gregory Han
Mar 11, 2020
Want to Become a Techorator? Techorating 101
No, we didn’t make the word up. “Techorating” was a catchy term coined back in 2008 by interior designer, Doug Wilson, as a concept for the emergence of integrating home technology and home decor in balance with one another.
Gregory Han
Mar 11, 2020
8 Cool & Compact Futuristic Showers
Sorry if we’re sci-fi geeking a bit, but this Folding Shower shown above looks straight from The Fifth Element, specifically the scene where Korben Dallas (B. Willis) has to push Leeloo (an unforgettable Milla Jovovich) into a hideaway shower. Designed specifically for small space dwellers, this French designed shower is seeking a manufacturer, so it’s not yet on the market, but we think would be perfect for people who decide to convert their spare closets into a bathroom.
Gregory Han
Mar 11, 2020
Before & After: Kim and Scott Wrangle In Their Cables
On a scale of 1-10, organizing cables and cords behind an entertainment center ranks about a .001 on my scale. But when it’s all done and finished, the results are often night and day, not only just improving the aesthetics in and around the home entertainment center, but also possibly making your home a little bit safer thanks to better organized power and wiring.
Gregory Han
Mar 11, 2020
Rebecca’s Loving Living Small Home Office
Name: Rebecca Orlov Location: West Hollywood, California Size: Dining Room/Home Office – 120 square feet Years lived in: 6 weeks Rebecca Orlov is one busy woman. After a stint in San Francisco, she decided to return to Los Angeles, and in just 6 weeks created a home office that would make just about anyone envious. From this glamorous home office for one, Rebecca juggles an assortment of projects: her own design site, loving. living. small.
Gregory Han
Dec 19, 2019
House Tour: Sharon and Spencer’s Danish & Dogs Domicile
Name: Sharon Montrose and Spencer Starr Location: Los Angeles, CASize: 2,000 sq. ft. Years lived in: 3+ years >> When we found the photos of Los Angeles photographer Sharon Montrose, we knew we had to pester her for a house tour.
Gregory Han
Dec 19, 2019
Listen to the Most Relaxing Song Ever
Looking for something to help you relax before bed that doesn’t involve popping a pill? You might want to load up your iPod with a song by Manchester band Marconi Union.
Gregory Han
Nov 25, 2019
Before & After: A MacBook Remade Just For Mom
It was about two years ago, my partner Emily’s 2006 MacBook laptop began showing the visible signs of being well used…very well used. The white polycarbonate front edges cracked after years of palm pressure and the heat discolored the once pristine white laptop to a yellowish hue most often equated with British dental hygiene.
Gregory Han
Sep 6, 2019
How To Make Your Own Military Style Ammo Box Boombox
Tho­dio’s A-Box is a military style inspired take on the boombox, with a 1950’s ammo box con­verted into iPod speaker+dock. They don’t come cheap, setting you back between $307-$430. Of course, there’s a more cost-efficient DIY route, if you’re so inclined to get your Instructables on…The high-end inspiration for this project: Tho­dio’s A-Box.
Gregory Han
Aug 23, 2019
Tips For Growing & Automating Your Own Vertical Indoor Garden
As the last gasps of summer exhaled collar-loosening heat onto LA, it became apparent I needed to get away 120 miles south to temperate San Diego for a weekend getaway (summer here unofficially continues well throughout October). It was while waiting for our hotel room in San Diego that I noticed an impressive vertical indoor garden in the lobby that at first glance seemed composed of fake plants, so vibrant green was the color.
Gregory Han
Aug 8, 2019
Sara and Michael’s Bohemian Salvage
Name: Sara Stanton and Michael Antonacci Location: Silver Lake, CaliforniaSize: About 550 square feetYears lived in: Sara 4 years, Mike 1.5 years Today’s house tour is of special note because it is of a small space belonging to our friends and neighbors, Michael and Sara, a couple whose layout and limitations are similar to our own apartment just next door.
Gregory Han
Jul 31, 2019