Katie Holdefehr

These spaces might be tight, but they can also be stylish and efficient.

Drinking glasses may be a standard item in any kitchen, but add some color and personality, and you'll make something so commonplace a true household treat.

At the edge of the charming Dutch town of Utrecht, nestled between traditional 20th-century homes and a highway overpass, lies a house that’s all planes, lines and pops of primary color. Built in the 1920s by architect Gerrit Rietveld in collaboration with his partner (in both love and design) Truus Schröder-Schräder, the building does for architecture what Mondrian did for art: It pares it down to form and color.

The kitchen is often the hub of a home, but it can also tend to feel like a stark, cold space (tile floors and an abundance of stainless steel appliances will do that). Luckily, there are some design tricks to warm up the room, while still keeping this area devoted to cooking and eating clean and healthy. With a few design details and accents that add personality, you can inject the entire room with warmth.

As Nancy pointed out recently, there are some kitchen design choices that never go out of style — retro SMEG fridges and farmhouse sinks fall firmly in this category. If they’ve been considered stylish and practical for decades, chances are they’ll still be popular a couple decades from now.

Full disclosure: I’ve never been skiing, or snowboarding, or so much as stepped foot on a snow-covered mountain range. But I’ve seen “Force Majeure” and have taken a virtual tour of Aerin Lauder’s Aspen home, which basically qualifies me as a pseudo expert on the après-ski aesthetic. To get the look (without actually hitting the slopes), here are some cozy ways to work ski style into your apartment that won’t look totally out of place.

So, your rental apartment or newly-built home didn’t come with coffered ceilings or pressed tin tiles? Set your sights above that unsightly popcorn or drop ceilings you’ve been dealt. All eight of these ceiling hacks will lend architectural interest to a boring room—whether you channel intricate European plasterwork or rustic exposed wood beams is entirely up to you. Give the impression of dramatic crown molding with a painted ceiling that extends about a foot down the wall.

The ultimate furniture piece for modern apartment living.

There’s something undeniably appealing about bed-in-a-bag style duvet and comforter sets. Everything arrives in one convenient package and you have a beautiful bed in a matter of minutes, without having to worry about matching your sheets to your shams. Our favorite bedding bundles come in a range of price points and offer a variety of components—some cover everything from the bedskirt to the throw pillows, while others are more basic duvet-and-sham duos.

During the warm days of summer that always seem to creep into September, no material is more refreshing than naturally crisp linen. To cool you down as this glorious season lingers on, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite sources for high-quality linen everything—duvet covers, towels, and notebooks included. Save this list of go-to shops in your design file—these are 8 sources you’re going to want to keep shopping all year long. Why linen, you ask?

If seeing the 10-percent battery alert pop up on your smartphone sends you scrambling for a charger you can never find when you need it, it may be time to give your phone a proper home. Make a small investment in one of these stylish refueling stations—most are $50 or less!—to wrangle the cord chaos once and for all. It’s a charging dock, it’s a vase—it’s your bedside table’s new best friend.

The semi-nomadic life of a renter can make it hard to make a commitment—to furniture, to art, to a real set of knives. And yet, there are some items worth investing in, even if you don’t know where you’ll be living a couple years from now. These are things you’ll want to take with you, even if it means buying some bubble wrap and renting a U-Haul on moving day.

What do you get for the girls who’ve got your back 365 days out of the year? The finest money can buy, of course (as long as it’s less than $30, right?). We’ve scoured our favorite online boutiques for special finds under $100, with half priced under $25, that are guaranteed to charm every friend on your list. This quirky and colorful L.A.-based shop is not only geared toward gift-giving, but it also makes picking out a present almost as much fun as getting a present.

Don’t let its small size fool you, the ottoman may be one of the hardest-working (yet under-appreciated!) pieces of furniture. Especially if you live in a small space, a single stool that acts as an extra seat, a side table, a storage unit, a place to prop your feet, and maybe even a bed is the kind of do-it-all multitasker you’re going to want to keep around.

There are plenty of home goods that are fine to buy cheap (I put shower curtains and bathmats in that category), and then there are those worth shelling out some cash for. These are investment pieces that will travel with you from home to home, and that could one day be given to a loved one. Here are our picks for 5 items you’ll love using every single day, and that you’ll look forward to owning for years to come.

Whether sleek mid-century modern or a crystal-dripping stunner, a chandelier is the crown jewel of a room. Knowing that all this opulence can come at a cost, we’ve rounded up 15 statement-making options that fit a range of budgets, with many priced under $200. Whichever one you choose, it’s sure to steal the spotlight. A simple yet graphic design makes this ring of light the star of any room.