Person sitting on a red sofa with arms outstretched, surrounded by colorful laundry hampers.
How To Get Rid of Stuff (and Simplify Your Life)
Whether you’re about to move or just trying to simplify your life, ridding yourself of clutter can be an uphill battle. Tackling a whole pile of stuff (or even just one messy room) can be pretty intimidating. And once you’re actually holding something in your hand, it can be hard to pull the trigger. “But I used to really like this!” “But maybe I will use this… someday.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 24, 2019
Meaningful Minimalism on Manhattan’s Upper West Side
Name: Michelle & Jeffrey Alves de Lima-Miller (plus Amélie & Lester, our cats) Location: New York, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; owned. In a beautiful old building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side live Michelle, Jeffrey, and their two cats. Soon they’ll be adding a new little one to the mix, and moving to a larger and more family-friendly apartment in Brooklyn. But just a few days before their move, they welcomed me to their lovely home.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Jessica & Milo Living Large in a Small Space
Name: Jessica, Milo, and the world’s floppiest cat Location: Carroll Gardens; Brooklyn, New York Size: 325 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Two people and a cat in a 325 square feet might seem like a bit of a squeeze to some people.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
A Clever, Urban Industrial Brooklyn Loft
Name: Danny and Joni Location: Williamsburg —Brooklyn, New York Size: 690 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years How do you make 690 square feet feel absolutely enormous? Add tall ceilings, lots and lots of windows, and some clever DIY storage solutions. Danny and Joni have come up with plenty of creative solutions for living in an apartment that is essentially just a single room — and that only has one closet, which also houses the water heater.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
A 325-Square-Foot West Village Studio Feels Much Larger Than It Is
Name: Jennifer Pade Location: West Village, New York, New York Size: 325 square feet Years lived in: 17 years You may know Jennifer’s apartment from her Renovation Diary, where we chronicled the transformation of her tiny kitchen from a crumbling disaster to a sleek, modern space. After all the dust settled, Jennifer graciously invited us back to get a look at the rest of her space.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
A “Rebellious Chic” Tiny 224-Square-Foot NYC Apartment
"My inspiration is based on my constant search for peculiar elements in objects I find from places everywhere."
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Kate’s West Village Charm
Name: Kate McKeon Location: West Village; New York, New York Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Welcome to Kate’s light-filled, colorful home in New York’s West Village. This small-ish apartment is home to Kate and her Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Lady, and also serves as her office (she works from home).
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Cozy Color & Creativity in Brooklyn
Name: Giverny Petitmermet and Mara Gannon (plus Eloise the cat) Location: Carroll Gardens/Gowanus, Brooklyn, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years (as of house tour photo shoot)/1.5 years (at time of A-Line video shoot); rented In Brooklyn, on the top floor of a charming little building located just across the street from the elevated subway tracks, is Giverny and Mara’s apartment.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Allison & Matt’s East Village Synergy
Name: Allison + Matt Location: East Village (Alphabet City); New York, New York Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 9 months Allison and Matt moved into this one-bedroom apartment, their first as a couple, nine months ago. Together they’ve created a space that’s a perfect reflection of their roots (he’s from Tennessee, and she’s from Seattle), their mutual love of travel, and their new life together.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Dramatic Decor in a Traditional Brooklyn Brownstone
Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 3,900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years This Brooklyn brownstone is pretty much perfect: tall ceilings, ten-foot doors, all those glorious moldings, and floors to die for. But it wasn’t always this way. Working through endless rounds of renovations—and living in the house while it was updated—was a real labor of love for the owner.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
A Minimal, Modern Brooklyn Apartment in a Former Pencil Factory
Name: Esteban Montes & Carolina Cabal Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years What happens when two designers move in together, and discover unexpected bits of history in their lovely, modern Brooklyn condo? As Esteban and Carolina’s stylish Brooklyn home proves: something very special.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Brett & Betsy’s West Village Ingenuity
Name: Brett & Betsy Leonhardt (and Suze and Lola the bulldogs) Location: West Village; New York, New York Size: 515 square feet Years lived in: 2 We’re continually impressed by the ingenuity of apartment dwellers who manage to fit a huge variety of functions into a very small space. Case in point: Brett and Betsy’s West Village apartment, whose main room multitasks as a living room, dining room, workspace, and kitchen, all without sacrificing style.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Taylor and Wes’ East Village Eclectic
Name: Taylor Fimbrez and Wesley Moon (plus pups Squid & Marbles) Location: East Village — New York, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 5 years Do you remember when you were little, and you’d go to a friend’s house, and just want to spend hours looking at all their toys and their delightful stuff?
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Jeanine & Bryan’s Beautiful Brooklyn Style
Name: Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason, founders of Aphrochic Location: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 18 months When Jeanine and Bryan moved to New York from Philadelphia 18 months ago, they were drawn to this apartment in Crown Heights because “it just felt like Brooklyn”.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Tereasa & David’s Grown-Up Tree House
Name: Tereasa Surratt & David Hernandez Location: Camp Wandawega — Elkhorn, Wisconsin Year built: 2011 There are two kinds of people in the world; those who had a treehouse growing up, and those who wish they had. At the center of the Wandawega Lake Resort, aka ‘Camp Wandawega’, proprietor Teresasa Surratt and some very loyal, talented friends have built a beautiful, adult-sized treehouse that appeals to the kid in all of us.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Lori and Jeromy’s Stylish Family Home
Name: Lori and Jeromy Murphy, accesibility consultant with ACI, plus their two daughters Location: Heights Area; Houston, Texas Size: 2,480 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Lori and her husband Jeromy are both architects. These days, she looks after the kids and he’s an accessibility consultant, but the house they built together has every bit of the ingenuity and style you would expect from the home of two designers.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Mark’s Comfortable Contemporary in Houston
Name: Mark Salvie, plus roommates Rob and Jeff and dog Bubs Location: The Heights; Houston, Texas Size: 2,188 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Mark is the guy with all the cool stuff. Everywhere you turn, there is something interesting to look at. The thing about Mark’s house, though, is that it doesn’t feel cluttered or crowded. It is, as Goldilocks would say, just right.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Jose & Oliver’s Lofty Living in London
Name: Jose Campos and Oliver Herbert, co-owners of SUPERMERCADO SHOP (plus pet finches Selena and Harry) Location: Converted Victorian Tram depot, Southeast London Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Jose and Oliver can attest to the fact that finding a flat in London isn’t easy.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Will & Rebekah’s Traditional with a Twist in Paris
Name: Will, Rebekah, & Liam Hasting Location: Paris, France Size: 1,400 square feet; 3 bedrooms Years lived in: 8 Months In Paris’ 14th arrondissement, not far from the Place Denfert-Rochereau, is a little family home with a lovely view.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Laurence & Fabrice’s Friendly Eclectic Mix in Paris
Name: Laurence Guilloud & Fabrice Le Dantec, photographer and journalist for the blog L’Instant Parisien Location: Paris, 9ème Size: 755 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Rented One minute you’re in a busy shopping district, and then you turn into a quiet side street and find yourself in front of Laurence and Fabrice’s building.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Sophia’s Rooftop View Over Paris
Name: Sophia Hansjacob Location: 11th arrondissement, Paris, France Size: 355 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Sophia Hansjacob lives in what might be the perfect Paris apartment. This little flat has it all: beautiful details, huge casement windows, wood floors (in the bedroom), and the very best part: a balcony with a view over the rooftops of Paris.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Erin & Jeff’s Texas Cool
Name: Jeff and Erin Mooney, and Hank the dog Location: Rice University Area, Houston, Texas Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Erin and Jeff’s apartment, which occupies the second floor of a duplex in a neighborhood not far from Rice University, has all the spaciousness you would expect from a much larger home. They’ve judiciously filled their home with just enough furniture to make things cozy, while still leaving the space room to breathe.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Functional Yet Fabulous Style in New Hampshire
Name: Tanya Lacourse Location: New Hampshire Size: First floor of a two-family home; Tanya’s part is 1100 square feet, and there’s also a large yard. Years lived in: 5 years When Tanya purchased this little house in New Hampshire five years ago, she had no idea of the time, elbow grease, and persistence it would take to make it into a home. But persist she did. And after all the hard work, Tanya has a ton of renovating experience — and a beautiful place to call home.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Kim’s Sunny Small Space in Paris
Name: Kim Laidlaw Location: Paris, France Size: 40 square meters (approx. 430 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years Kim, a freelance writer and the author of Unlock Paris, an insider’s guide to the City of Light, may be an import from London, but her home feels quintessentially Parisian. It’s small by American standards — only 430 square feet — but blessed with floor-to-ceiling french doors that open onto a balcony which overlooks the city.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Emily’s Small but Mighty Houston Home
Name: Emily Moore, founder of Moore Design Works, and Xia, Loyal Yellow Lab Location: Museum District, Houston, Texas Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented The first thing you’ll notice about Emily’s Houston apartment is probably the boldly painted blue walls in the living room.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Amandine & Amaury’s Lovely Little Loft in Paris
Location: Paris, France Size: 452 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned. Amaury and Amandine’s Paris apartment is proof that it’s possible to have it all, even in a tiny footprint. Their 452 square foot space has a cozy bedroom, a beautiful kitchen, and plenty of space for eating and lounging. And, thanks to tall ceilings and generous windows, it still feels incredibly spacious.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
A “Maximalist Rich Lady” Style Brooklyn Studio
Name: Margaret Meehan and Tim Monaghan Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 8 months Margaret and Tim’s Brooklyn loft is a dream of an apartment: Although it’s only 650 square feet, its high ceilings and ample light make it seem much bigger. Their building, which in a past life was a pencil factory, has plenty of interesting details: exposed brick, concrete floors, richly texture wood ceilings.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Tanika & Brian’s NYC Newlywed Nest
Name: Tanika and Brian Hochhauser (plus George the turtle and Tansy the dog) Location: Long Island City, New York, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 6 months You might recognize Tanika and Brian from the Love Videos, where they shared the charming story of how they met (and of their spur-of-the-moment wedding). The home they share is just as charming as they are, a beautiful Long Island City aerie with breathtaking views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the East River.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
It’s Truly Amazing How Much Fits in This 200-Square-Foot New York Studio
Name: Jessica Sirls Location: NoLita, New York, New York Size: 200 square feet Years lived in: less than 1 year 200 square feet isn’t a lot to work with — but one New Yorker has managed to squeeze in a full-sized bed, an 88-key keyboard, and a table that can seat up to six people, all while maintaining the spacious, relaxing feel you would expect from a much larger apartment. Here’s how she does it.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Artist Matt Austin’s Beautifully Crafted World in Brooklyn
Name: Matt Austin, of Matt Austin Studio Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 5 years Artist and designer Matt Austin’s Brooklyn apartment and studio is maximalist in the best possible way: There’s so much to see, look at and explore, but somehow everything comes together so perfectly and seemingly effortlessly, as if all these fascinating little bits and bobs wanted to be together, in this place, exactly where they are.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Warm, Creative & Eclectic Style in Brooklyn
Name: Andre Hueston Mack and Phoebe Damrosch Location: Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 5 years Andre Mack has a lot on his plate these days—sommelier, winemaker, author, graphic designer, and father to three charming boys. He and his wife Phoebe have created a beautiful family home in Brooklyn, where styles merge and creativity abounds. Our Style: Belongings with a soul and a story.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
A Designer’s Graphic Gray & Red Modern-Minimal Brooklyn Abode
Name: Simone Tobias, designer/owner SIMONE TOBIAS swimwear Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,250 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years Simone’s apartment, on the 29th floor of a tower that overlooks the East River and the Williamsburg Bridge, has some pretty impressive views, but if you visit you might be so taken with the things in her apartment that you hardly even notice the ones outside.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
A Novelist’s Layered, Lived-in Brooklyn Home
Name: Bethany Chase Location: Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 5.5 years Bethany Chase is a woman of many talents. Besides being an interior designer, she’s also the author of two novels, including Results May Vary, which was just published this fall. Her Brooklyn apartment reflects her love for both literature and design, and her understanding of the deep importance of the places we call home.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 20, 2019
Amy Sedaris’ Apartment Is Just as Quirky as She Is
If you love Amy Sedaris’ quirky, madcap style of humor, then you’ll really love her West Village apartment. New York magazine recently recently published a video tour from Wendy Goodman of the space, which Amy shares with her rabbit, Tina. Commenting on YouTube, user VillageKevTalks described it thus: “it’s like if Barbie, a cat lady, and Wes Anderson shared a home together.” It is! And it’s every bit as delightful as that sounds.
Nancy Mitchell
Jan 17, 2019
4 Appliance Mistakes Experts Say Will Make Your Home Harder to Sell
Unless you’re planning on staying in your house forever, chances are good that, when planning home improvements, you have at least one eye on resale value. Today we’re tackling a tricky subject: can new appliances increase the value of your home? As most appliances don’t come cheap, is it worth the expensive upgrade? Turns out, the answer is: it depends. For the most part, expecting a significant return on appliances is a risky proposition.
Nancy Mitchell
Jan 1, 2019
Before & After: A 7-Hour Makeover We Can All Feel Good About
The holidays are a season of giving, and since today is Christmas, we wanted to highlight a Before & After that perfectly captures the spirit of the season. In just a few hours, Emily Henderson and her team transformed the living and dining room of a deserving family, treating them to a brand-new space as a holiday surprise. Last month, Emily put out a call on her website for readers to nominate someone they felt really deserved a free makeover.
Nancy Mitchell
Dec 25, 2018
Want to Make a Tiny Apartment Feel Huge? Go Up, Not Out
How do you make an home that measures just 484 square feet seem positively palatial? In the case of this Amsterdam apartment, the answer is: with really smart use of vertical space. Heren 5 architects, the designers behind this very modern pad, have managed to fit in a living room, dining room, kitchen, lofted bedroom, and even a walk-in closet and a hidden second bed.
Nancy Mitchell
Dec 17, 2018
Your Complete Guide to Really, Really Big Wine Glasses
A glass of wine is a unit of measurement (technically, just five ounces), but it’s also a state of mind. For the days that call for a more generous pour, there’s a surprisingly robust selection of wine glasses that push the boundaries of ‘really big’ right into the land of “freakishly large.” If you want a wine glass that will make you feel really tiny and really tipsy (but seriously, drink responsibly), we’ve got a few options.
Nancy Mitchell
Nov 27, 2018
This Tiny Camper Pops Up in Just 30 Seconds
When I was little, my sisters and I had a pop-up Barbie camper, and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. This real-life camper is just like that, right down to the kitchen in a slide-out drawer—and unlike the Barbie version, it can be ready to go in just 30 seconds. This one, called the iCamp, is a design of Dutch company Udo Camp. Making Barbie’s camper move-in ready required painstakingly fitting together a series of teeny-tiny connectors and support poles.
Nancy Mitchell
Oct 31, 2018
Partner
My Day at Brooklyn’s Huge New Design Destination
Remember when shopping was fun? Remember when a trip to the mall was something you’d get excited about, connect with friends over, plan a whole day around? You just might want to revisit that as an adult at Industry City, a new design destination in Brooklyn where you can score a deal on a Saarinen tulip table, grab a vegan banh mi and a beer, and play miniature golf—all in the same place. Really. On a recent afternoon, I headed over to Industry City to see what it had to offer.
Nancy Mitchell
Oct 26, 2018
Partner
One of Our Favorite Sofas Just Added to Its Family
Did you know that Apartment Therapy’s founder is also a furniture designer? Last year, as part of his continued collaboration with Interior Define, Maxwell created Ms. Chesterfield, a modern take on the classic Chesterfield sofa. It kept the Chesterfield’s iconic form but replaced some of its stodgy (and uncomfortable!) trappings with more streamlined details. It was a hit. And now the Chesterfield family has grown to include the Ms.
Nancy Mitchell
Oct 25, 2018
11 Questions to Ask Your New Roommate (Before You Move In)
A couple years back, the New York Times published an article about the 13 questions you should always ask someone before getting married. Which got me thinking about another kind of relationship, one possibly even more fraught than marriage, and one that people enter into with perhaps even more unwarranted optimism: that between roommates. Here are a list of 11 questions you really ought to be asking your potential roommate, before you move in.
Nancy Mitchell
Oct 24, 2018
Five Things I Don’t Miss After Downsizing (and One Thing I Do)
When I moved from a two-bedroom townhouse in Houston to a 250-square-foot studio apartment in New York, I was ready to do without. What I didn’t know, at the time, was what that would look like. I was all idealism, sure that I could blaze new trails, go bravely without things many Americans couldn’t imagine giving up. Three years in, this is what the reality of that transition looks like.
Nancy Mitchell
Oct 23, 2018
10 Free (or Very Cheap) Tiny House Plans
So you’re going to build a tiny house. It may be small, and it may be cute, but you’ll still need a plan to build from, just like with any other house. Even if your tiny budget doesn’t allow for an architect, there are plenty of free (or very inexpensive) tiny house plans available on the internet. Here are some of our favorites. This tiny home has a distinctly modern look, and the inside is filled with light.
Nancy Mitchell
Oct 20, 2018
This $13 Gadget Saves a Ton of Counter Space in My Small Kitchen
When your kitchen is as small as mine, every bit of countertop space counts, no matter how small. You want to have as few things occupying those precious few square feet as possible, to maximize the space for actual food prep. Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite space-saving kitchen solutions: the cabinet-mounted paper towel holder.
Nancy Mitchell
Sep 12, 2018
A Cocktail Blogger’s Palm Springs-Inspired New Jersey Home
Name: Natalie Jacob and Ethan Urban Location: Jersey City, New Jersey Size: 1,000 square foot apartment in a row house Years lived in: 1 1/2 years, renting Natalie Jacob has great taste across the board. As the beverage consultant and blogger behind Arsenic Lace, she knows good cocktails. Her colorful, playful interior design aesthetic—think ombre stairs and flamingo print in the back of a china cabinet—reaches every corner of the New Jersey home she shares with Ethan Urban.
Nancy Mitchell
Sep 10, 2018
10 Things to Make a Dark Apartment Feel Brighter
While dealing with a tiny apartment can be trying, there’s something that’s possibly even more frustrating: dealing with a dark apartment. I’m lucky enough that my little studio apartment has two big, glorious windows (and two smaller ones, which I am also grateful for), but I’m still very aware that, particularly in a space this size, it’s important to maximize the light you have.
Nancy Mitchell
Sep 4, 2018
We’re Calling It: Tiny Greenhouses Are the Next Big Thing in Backyards
Your backyard needs this.
Nancy Mitchell
Jul 9, 2018