Laura Schocker

Chief Content Officer

New York, NY

Laura Schocker is an editor, writer, and homebody with more than a decade of experience in lifestyle and digital journalism. Before Apartment Therapy Media, she worked as the digital director at Real Simple and the executive healthy living editor at The Huffington Post. Her writing has also appeared in Conde Nast Traveler, BBC.com, Prevention, TheBump.com, and TheNest.com, among others. Laura is a three-time Webby winner and was chosen as one of Folio's Top Women in Media. She has a bachelor's and master's degree in Magazine Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She lives in NYC's Upper West Side with her husband, daughter, and two plants.
I Tried 3 DIY Grout Cleaners — And One of Them Blew Me Away
I tested out three methods: a combo of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, water and baking soda, and warm water and vinegar.
Oct 8, 2024
8 Tips for Taking Better Photos of Your Home
House tours and house calls — where we get to see inside real homes — are the heart of Apartment Therapy. We’re honored when you choose to share your personal space with us (and readers!). It’s not only inspiring, but plenty of smart lessons on storage, organizing, and small-space decorating can be found within these real homes. First, the difference between a house call and house tour: They’re both glimpses into inspiring real homes.
May 1, 2023
My Mom’s Magic Routine Saved Me From My Biggest Laundry Catastrophe
Now that I’m a parent myself, I’ve had to seriously level up my laundry game — I’ve called my mom to ask how to deal with everything from smeared raspberries on pajamas to vomit stains on the rug (welcome to motherhood, eh?).
Aug 27, 2022
And the Grand-Prize Winner of the Small/Cool Contest 2022 Is…
You voted, and the verdict is in!
Jun 21, 2022
Dawn Dish Soap Just Got a Major Makeover — And I’m Strangely Excited
This one's for the tired parents out there.
Jan 12, 2022
This September Is “Transformation Month” on Apartment Therapy
For the third September in a row, we are celebrating transformations all month long on our site.
Sep 6, 2021
This August Is “Throwback Month” Here at Apartment Therapy
I sometimes struggle to find the line between what items are sentimental… and what items are sentimental clutter. I have trouble getting rid of things that no longer suit my life or style because I remember the happy day I acquired them, or the people I was with, or the life stage I was in at the time.
Aug 2, 2021
This Month Is All About Colorful Spaces on Apartment Therapy
A few years ago, I read a tip that said if you’re feeling stuck on your decor style, you should look in your closet.When it comes to clothes, it’s always been easy for me to decide what I like (and what I don’t). But when it comes to interior design, I used to choke. What paint could possibly be worth committing to 100 square feet?! How can I choose the sofa color I want to look at every day for years?!But when I opened my closet door, my personal style shone through.
Jul 12, 2021
The Power of Community: A June Letter From the Editor
June is Apartment Therapy’s third annual Community Month!
Jun 1, 2021
The $25 Space-Saving Solution New Parents Need
If you have a new baby and a tiny home (and kitchen), then this is for you.
May 18, 2021
On Loving—and Leaving—My Apartment: A February Letter from the Editor
For the last two years, I’ve written my February editor letter about how much I love my home — it only felt natural in a month with a big romantic holiday right in the middle. “The 10-plus year relationship I have with my one-bedroom apartment has been one of the most rewarding in my life,” I wrote last year.
Feb 1, 2021
6 Things 3 Years at Apartment Therapy Have Taught Me About Home
This past Friday, Dec. 4, was my three-year anniversary as the editor at Apartment Therapy. This year has been uniquely challenging in so many ways, but one thing I definitely know about 2020 is that home has become even more important than I ever could have imagined.
Dec 7, 2020
This November Is “Family Month” Here at Apartment Therapy
I haven’t shared this here yet, but one good thing that’s come out of this very-not-good year? I’m having a baby girl in February.Of course, I’m terribly excited, but I’m also terribly anxious—starting with the idea that we’re planning to stay in our one-bedroom apartment, at least for the first year. I could barely fit my husband’s stuff in here when he moved in five years ago, how on earth will we fit a third human being?!
Nov 2, 2020
20 Gifts for People Who are Always Freezing Cold
If you can't crank up every thermostat in town, perhaps you can gift one of these thoughtful finds.
Oct 28, 2020
This October Is “Money Month” at Apartment Therapy
Our hope is that this month’s content can begin to help with some of one of life's major stressors.
Oct 5, 2020
How My Apartment Slowly, Sneakily Transformed In 2020: A September Letter From the Editor
This month, the site will be full of plenty of transformation inspiration.
Sep 8, 2020
An August Letter From the Editor: This Month Is All About Comfort
Get ready for a month filled with Comfort Decorating, which is like comfort food, but for your home.
Aug 3, 2020
A July Letter From the Editor: This Month We’re Celebrating Colorful Homes
As we look down a summer, fall, and possibly beyond in lockdown, our second annual celebration of colorful homes still feels timely for July.
Jul 6, 2020
A June Letter From the Apartment Therapy Editor
At the end of last week, I was working on my usual monthly dispatch when I realized that there was really only one thing worth talking about right now. Every day here at Apartment Therapy, it’s our mission to help everyone to live a happy, healthy life at home. But that mission is hollow as long as Black people aren’t safe in their communities and even their homes.
Jun 1, 2020
Small/Cool Is Officially Back: A May Letter From the Editor
Vote on your favorite Small/Cool homes, and attend our virtual event the weekend of May 15!
May 4, 2020
The Easiest Way to Make Your Own No-Sew Cloth Face Mask
Last week, the CDC updated its recommendations to suggest that all Americans wear cloth face masks when they must leave home. Here's how to make your own.
Apr 9, 2020
An April Letter from the Editor: Go Big, Stay Home
Home means something new now—it’s where we’re sheltering in place and seeking comfort.
Apr 6, 2020
Big News: The Small/Cool Contest is Officially Back
For the last few years, our readers have spoken loud and clear: bring back Apartment Therapy’s Small/Cool contest. And so we did—starting today! Small/Cool 2020 is officially here.
Apr 3, 2020
Apartment Therapy Just Created Zoom Backgrounds So You Can Spruce Up Your Place for Free
If you're in need of some serious, well, apartment therapy, we've got you covered—virtually. We rounded up some of our favorite illustrated home backgrounds so you can use them on Zoom.
Apr 1, 2020
Everything You Need to Know to Enter the 2023 Small/Cool Contest
Apartment Therapy’s annual Small/Cool Contest is back again! And we’d love for you to join us as we search for the smallest, coolest real-life homes around the world. If your home is 1,000 square feet or fewer, you can submit your space HERE between May 1 at 9 a.m. ET and May 22 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The first step to enter the contest is to create an Apartment Therapy on-site account — when you go to enter the competition, you’ll be prompted to sign up or log in.
Mar 30, 2020
How to Sleep in the Midst of a Global Pandemic
If you feel like you're sleeping worse than ever, you're not alone.
Mar 22, 2020
A Special Letter from the Editor: What Home Means Now
At Apartment Therapy, our mission has always been to help people create safe, comfortable, and supportive homes. But that message has felt especially relevant in the past week, as the COVID-19 outbreaks have upended our habits and rhythms. There are so many uncertainties right now, but there’s one thing we know for sure: home is more important than ever.
Mar 15, 2020
Introducing Makeover Madness: A March Letter From the Editor
All month long, we’ll be exploring ways to make over what you have at home. Think: little upgrades (like my door), as well as some bigger projects.
Mar 2, 2020
Big News: Small/Cool is Back and Better Than Ever
The Small/Contest entries will open on April 3, and the live Small/Cool Experience will be open April 4-5.
Feb 21, 2020
A Valentine to Home: A February Letter from the Editor
The other night, an overloaded drawer pulled right off the tracks as I was opening it. I told my husband, John, that we had to finally declutter and clean the whole thing before putting it back into place. It was almost midnight, but I knew that if I put it off I wouldn’t get back around to this particular project for months at least. This is our “electronics” drawer, which means it’s half full of old orphan cords.
Feb 3, 2020
3 Little Home Resolutions I’m Making for 2020: A January Letter From the Editor
I love the symmetry of a New Year’s resolution, but it's hard for me to make it work. So over the last few years, I’ve started a different New Year tradition: I share my goals and intentions for the year ahead, along with what I'm most excited for in the year ahead.
Jan 6, 2020
7 Things 2 Years at Apartment Therapy Taught Me About My Own Home
Last year around this time, I published a list of things that one year at Apartment Therapy taught me. A year later, I thought it would be fun to dedicate my December editor letter to the same exercise. So here, in no particular order, are seven things two years at Apartment Therapy have taught me about my own home.
Dec 2, 2019
Confessions of an Uptight Hostess: A November Letter From the Editor
Throughout this month, we’ll be looking at the theme of gathering, from an "Easy
Untertaining" philosophy, to the trend in co-living spaces, all in time for Thanksgiving.
Nov 4, 2019
On Taking Risks: An October Letter From the Editor
When I first moved into my current apartment, I painted over the white bedroom walls and gave them a deep eggplant color. I was working an entry-level job at the time, and a few cans of paint was an easy way to make a big design difference without spending a ton of money. I loved that color: it made my space feel like a dark purple cave, which was perfect for sleeping odd hours through my 20s. But fast forward six or so years later, and I was sick of the eggplant.
Oct 7, 2019