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Regina Yunghans

Regina is an architect who lives with her husband and children in Lawrence, KS. As a LEED Accredited Professional and longtime contributor to Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn, her focus is on healthy, sustainable living through design.
    Removing Old, Bulky Shower Doors Is Much Easier Than You Think
    We see a fun, fresh bathroom in your future.
    Regina Yunghans
    Oct 20, 2022
    Trick of the Trade: Sectional Sofas in Small Spaces
    It’s a common misconception that small spaces can’t handle large furnishings. One large piece can do a lot to make a small room inviting, anchored, and even feel bigger! Take the sofa, for instance. Arranging a small sofa in a tight space with a couple of other chairs can make a space feel over-full, with little spots of furniture all over the place (not to mention all of those legs!).
    Regina Yunghans
    Oct 12, 2022
    How To… Safely Dispose of Dry Ice
    While a box of lobster tails sent from a friend is a much-appreciated gift, you may be wondering what to do with the dry ice it was packed with. Some helpful tips follow, and it’s important to heed them because misuse of dry ice can harm your home and your health. Bottom line: let that dry ice evaporate outside, not inside. Dry ice is solidified carbon dioxide. As the -109°F substance absorbs heat, it turns directly into a gas, releasing carbon dioxide into the air.
    Regina Yunghans
    Sep 30, 2022
    How To Clean a Washing Machine
    It had been two years since my machine was cleaned well. Pro tip: Don't wait that long.
    Regina Yunghans
    Sep 27, 2022
    Charcoal Briquettes for the Smelly Home
    Just like a charcoal water filter, charcoal briquettes can be used to absorb moisture and remove odor from the air in your home. You may know that you can use charcoal to remove fridge odors, but they also work in other rooms. We’ve found them particularly helpful for “old apartment smell” if you’re in an old building or moist smells in basement-level units.As for how to distribute them, you can simply lay a few out in a metal tray.
    Regina Yunghans
    Sep 9, 2022
    Regina’s Cure: Landing & Preparing for Takeoff
    When I set up our landing strip during last year’s January Cure, I mentioned wanting to add a trash bin in the opening just below the little shelf niche. Junk mail makes its way to the kitchen countertop far too often, a problem that could so easily be avoided if we nipped it in the bud at the entryway. So today I’m adding a trash bin. We’ll see if it helps prevent junk mail from infiltrating the house.
    Regina Yunghans
    Jul 17, 2020
    5 Habits To Steal from Preschoolers for a Happier Home
    I chose my son’s Montessori preschool in part because of the order and beauty of its environment. I agreed with the practices of the school and while many of these practices were things we already held important at home, I also picked up a few new take-aways and they are ones that any home can adopt: This is an important practice at my son’s preschool for keeping the indoor environments clean. Every student has indoor slippers to change into when they come in from outdoors.
    Regina Yunghans
    Mar 11, 2020
    Kids’ Room Inspiration: White Walls + Statement Curtains
    If you’re looking to add color, pattern, or texture to a kids room in a rental, don’t despair! Even with requisite white (or bland beige) walls, statement curtains can come to the rescue: 1. Arden’s White & Black Wonderland achieves a sophisticated look (and good nap time dimming) with black curtains. 2. Bright, Colorful Abode owes its name, in large part, to its golden yellow curtains. 3.
    Regina Yunghans
    Mar 11, 2020
    5 Tasks to Check Off Your Thanksgiving To-Do List a Week Early
    If you’re preparing to host Thanksgiving dinner this year, you may be feeling like this week is the silence before the storm. Rather than let nerves build to a day-of crescendo, here are some things you can check off of that Thanksgiving to-do list a full week in advance, freeing up time on the holiday itself: Make a shopping list. Depending upon what’s on your list, you might be able to even get your shopping out of the way now, before stores are overcrowded.
    Regina Yunghans
    Mar 11, 2020
    Small Space Lessons: Floorplan & Solutions from Jason’s Charm & Potential
    When you see the photo of Jason’s Charm & Potential above, can you believe this whole apartment is only 250 square feet? This could just as well be a detail shot from a full brownstone. I love how nothing is sacrificed in this small apartment. Sure, it’s tiny, but it’s got serious style — not at all dorm-like as the square footage might lead you to imagine.
    Regina Yunghans
    Mar 11, 2020
    House Tour: Eve’s Warm and Witty Loft
    Name: Eve MartelLocation: Montreal, QuebecSize: 1,167 sq ftYears lived in: Just over a year, Eve is a proud first time owner! >> Eve moved into her Hochelaga, Montreal loft just over a year ago. Her loft is in the La Biscuiterie Viau building: it used to be a candy and cookie factory and was owned by a famous local family. Built in 1906, the factory was transformed into loft units in 2007.
    Regina Yunghans
    Dec 19, 2019
    10 Great New York Small Spaces
    Maxwell started Apartment Therapy here in New York. Lots of folks in this city were in need of design solutions tailored for their specific small-home challenges. Here, let’s take a look at some successful small homes from this capital of tiny apartment living:Most of these are from previous Apartment Therapy house tours, which are brimming with small home solutions that lots of us can take inspiration from. The homes’ locations vary from Brooklyn Heights to Chelsea.
    Regina Yunghans
    Jul 31, 2019
    20+ Pairs of Fruits and Vegetables You Need to Store Separately
    When I bring home a shopping bag full of fresh produce, there is some that goes onto a tray on the countertop and some that goes into the refrigerator’s produce bins. And that’s about where my divisions stop.But when I found that bananas were hastening the ripening of nearby produce (which is sometimes unwanted!), I decided to look further into produce storage and which fruit-and-veggie adjacencies to avoid.
    Regina Yunghans
    May 30, 2019
    Quick Tip #45: How To Clean and Defog Bathroom Mirrors
    Every well-run home is teeming with tricks and shortcuts to keep it humming along. We’re sharing our best quick tips — for cleaning, organizing and repairing stuff at home — to save you time and money. Click through for today’s helpful hint, and links to tons more… Use VINEGAR! First, thoroughly clean the mirror with your favorite product or homemade solution, then wipe it dry.
    Regina Yunghans
    May 21, 2019
    How to Make Your Own Liquid Laundry Soap
    Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap claims 18 cleaning uses in one bottle. One of those is laundry soap. Want to know how to make your own using only a cup of Dr. Bronner’s per 64 loads? Check it out: This laundry soap doesn’t create suds, but it doesn’t need to in order to get your laundry clean. 1 cup Dr. Bronner’s pure castile liquid soap1 cup baking soda2 cups water1/3 cup salt Warm the water and mix with salt and baking soda until dissolved.
    Regina Yunghans
    May 7, 2019
    The Day After: Removing Fireworks Stains from Concrete
    If any of you set off fireworks on the sidewalk or driveway (if you have one) last night, you might wake up this morning to black powder and sulfur stains marring the concrete. Want to rid any concrete surface of them?
    Regina Yunghans
    May 6, 2019
    How To Get Rid of Dandelion Weeds
    Weeds. They’re polarizing little things, met with hatred by some and indifference by others. I, for one, am not loving the dandelions popping up in my yard this spring, as we’ve been working on a grassy (albeit imperfect) area for our son to play in without resorting to chemicals, and dandelions are foes of grass (especially tender new shoots). Once they spread their ground-hugging leaves, they stifle what’s around them, leaving only dirt behind.
    Regina Yunghans
    May 5, 2019
    How To Sew a Reversible Christmas Tree Skirt
    When we decided to have our first Christmas tree above 18″ this year, it seemed the right time to make a tree skirt. It’s not difficult, and making your own means it can be made out of any fabric you choose. Here, I share how to make a reversible one so if your preference changes from year to year it’s as easy as a flip of the fabric: (2) contrasting 1.
    Regina Yunghans
    May 4, 2019
    Clean As You Go and Other Smart, Simple Kitchen Cleaning Tips
    As we all probably know from experience at one time or another, it doesn’t take much for the kitchen to get away from you. Especially if you cook at home a lot, have a particularly small kitchen, or share the space with family or roommates; it’s a room that can definitely develop a mind of its own. Here are some of our best tips for reigning in the beast without becoming a slave to kitchen cleaning: Clean as you go. This is a big one that we had to include prominently in the title.
    Regina Yunghans
    May 4, 2019
    Tips & Tricks: How To Spot Clean Rugs
    All rugs can use a good overall cleaning occasionally. But if you have a small stain or flaw that you want to address immediately without having the entire rug cleaned, spot cleaning is an important skill to have in your arsenal. Following are spot cleaning techniques for a few different scenarios: Get it while it’s wet. Once a stain dries, it’s much more difficult to remove.
    Regina Yunghans
    May 4, 2019
    10 of our Best Bathroom Makeover Project Posts
    Do you, like me, have a “before” bathroom and dream of an “after?” These projects we’ve rounded up give hope to all of us, whether our makeover intentions are slight or extreme: Pictured above are some fabulous “afters”. Click on through each of their links below to see from what ashes they rose! TOP ROW: 1. Small Bathroom Finally Meets Its DIY Maker 2. A Stylish Bathroom Transformation 3. From Boring Bathroom to Bold! 4.
    Regina Yunghans
    May 4, 2019
    5 Habits To Steal from Yogis for a Happy Home
    Whenever I enter my go-to yoga studio, I am at once calm in body and quiet in mind. So I began to take notice: What elements are there in the studio that I can implement at home? The studio is in a pretty ordinary building, so these tips are take-homes for anyone, anywhere: Once inside, this keeps things clean and make your footfall oh-so-quiet. I’ve even noticed that we use louder voices when shoes are still on, softer voices when shoes come off.
    Regina Yunghans
    May 4, 2019
    An Attic Dressing Room That Frees Up Space in the Morning Rush
    The morning rush can be chaotic in any household. So, what to do when you live in an itty-bitty house with one “Jack-and-Jill” bathroom shared between two bedrooms and three people? Take to the attic! When John and Jami moved into their less-than-1,000-square-foot home, this attic space was all exposed framing and insulation. They finished up the space using inexpensive materials they wouldn’t be heartbroken over should there ever be a roof leak.
    Regina Yunghans
    May 4, 2019
    Before & After: A 1950s Facade Gets an Update
    This home was owned by the same family since it was built in the 1950s, so when Kelly and Dave purchased it a few years ago, there were lots of updates to be made. One such project was bringing the exterior of the home up to date. Removing the shutters was “a big deal”: a decision that came after much consideration by the new homeowners. We think they did the right thing- look how much lighter the new facade looks!
    Regina Yunghans
    May 4, 2019
    Before & After: From Choppy Layout to Open Plan Living
    When Kelly and Dave purchased their home, its layout was in its original, chopped-up form, but what the young family needed was an open plan that would allow views through the living spaces. So when they embarked on extensive renovations, their first plan of action was to get rid of that wall you see in the Before photo above… With the wall gone and two columns in its place, one can see from living room to dining room and kitchen.
    Regina Yunghans
    May 4, 2019
    An Antique Armoire Meets the 21st Century
    When Kelly hauled this antique armoire home, her husband Dave’s initial reaction was less than enthusiastic. But since he wanted a big TV and she wanted a way to enclose it without breaking the bank, Kelly jumped when she spotted this piece on an antiquing trip with her mother, with a price tag of under $200… Of the first time Dave saw the armoire, Kelly says: “It was in the dusty garage, which was full of all kinds of crap from the remodeling project. He absolutely hated it.
    Regina Yunghans
    Aug 10, 2015
    Kelly and Dave Open Up a Fixer-Upper
    Name: Kelly and Dave; son Litton (“Lit”) Location: Lawrence, Kansas Size: 3,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned When Kelly and Dave purchased their split-level home back in 2012, there were months of renovations ahead of them. The neighborhood is what initially drew them to a house that, as Kelly put it, “was an ugly eyesore! Asbestos tiles! Wood paneling EVERYWHERE! I have some before pictures if you care to see,” (which we will share in more posts to come).
    Regina Yunghans
    Jun 27, 2015
    Before & After: From Down-and-Out to Outdoor Living
    With their family home coming in just under 1,000-square-feet, John and Jami knew they would need great outdoor spaces to act as extra living/dining/play rooms when the weather was nice. Therefore, their messy backyard was one of the first projects they tackled after purchasing their house.
    Regina Yunghans
    Jun 25, 2015
    Before & After: Updating 1950s Kitchen in a 1920s Bungalow
    John and Jami’s 1925 Craftsman had a kitchen that hadn’t been updated in any significant way since the 1950s. The couple hired local tradespeople to renovate the room and acted as apprentices on the job to keep costs down and acquire some renovation skills… First up: the cabinets. Upon moving into the house, there were mouse droppings in the uppermost cabinets and it was apparent to John and Jami that new cabinets were the way to go.
    Regina Yunghans
    Jun 23, 2015
    John & Jami’s Small Space with a Big Sense of Place
    Name: John, Jami, Parker and Sadie Location: Lawrence, Kansas Size: 986 square feet Years lived in: 5 years owned The wide skies and rolling plains of Kansas are striking. All of that openness doesn’t lend itself to expensive real estate and tiny apartments, however. Yet John and Jami live in a small space here by choice.
    Regina Yunghans
    Jun 19, 2015
    How To Light a Full Length Mirror?
    Q: What are some good tips on lighting a floor length mirror? Mine is in a weird corner of my bedroom that doesn’t get enough light, but I’d like more light to use the mirror more efficiently. Thanks! Sent by Lindsey Editor: Leave your suggestions for Lindsey in the comments – thanks! • Have a question for our community? Send us yours with a photo or two attached (questions with photos get answered first).
    Regina Yunghans
    Mar 22, 2015
    How To Get Rid of Mice That Don’t Trigger Traps?
    Q: We live in an inner-city apartment. While it’s a great old building, we’ve got a mouse problem. We’ve talked to building maintenance, they put out traps and bait. We’ve put out traps and bait. We’ve caught a total of two mice in traps and caught another two by cornering them and catching them in a plastic cup. Sticky traps haven’t worked — I literally watched a mouse run across one the other day and not leave so much as a footprint.
    Regina Yunghans
    Mar 15, 2015
    Changing Hardwired Light to Plug-In?
    Q: Hello, I have a concrete ceiling in my condo so I’m unable to to install a hardwired light. I’ve found a number of flush ceiling lights that I like and was wondering whether it might be possible to change the light to a plug-in. Has anyone ever tried this before? Sent by C Editor: Leave your suggestions for C in the comments – thanks! • Have a question for our community? Send us yours with a photo or two attached (questions with photos get answered first).
    Regina Yunghans
    Mar 10, 2015
    Kid- & Drought-Friendly Non-Grass Backyard Ideas?
    Q: Like many LA families, we are finding it increasingly difficult and morally shady to keep a grass yard. Any suggestions for kid friendly, non-toxic alternatives? Would love to hear what others have done and what products and plants they have used. Sent by Ish Editor: Leave your suggestions for Ish in the comments – thanks! • Have a question for our community? Send us yours with a photo or two attached (questions with photos get answered first).
    Regina Yunghans
    Mar 2, 2015
    Curtains for Unique Window Configuration?
    Q: I moved into a new apartment two months ago, which I’m still trying to make cozy (and let’s face it, still unpacking). I want to ditch these vertical blinds, but there are a few things going on that make me unsure of how to best hang my living room curtains. How should I hang my living room curtains using what I have and without spending hours or lots of money?
    Regina Yunghans
    Mar 1, 2015
    6 Ways To Make a Large Space Feel More Intimate
    Living in a small space can be quite a design challenge (which is why we’re here, right?). But you embrace it, settle in, and before long, you’re a small-space-living expert! You know just how to entertain guests in a studio, make an office double as a nursery, or carve storage out of just about anything. So what’s one to do when you move out of the charming little apartment and into a house?
    Regina Yunghans
    Feb 17, 2015