Newsletters

Sarah Coffey

    16 Colors to Complement Yellow for Your Home
    Here's how to make this bold, cheerful color work for you.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jun 27, 2023
    The 14 Best Destinations for Cheap Picture Frames
    Finally...hang your art without breaking the bank.
    Sarah Coffey
    Mar 30, 2023
    23 Smart Ways to Organize Your Bedroom Closet
    Are you a little obsessed with organizing? We are too.
    Sarah Coffey
    Feb 25, 2023
    10 Real-Life IKEA Kitchens
    It’s no secret that IKEA offers an affordable, off-the-shelf alternative to a custom kitchen. With the flexibility to mix and match finishes and styles, the Swedish store is a go-to source for renovators, but it’s also ubiquitous. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to personalize an IKEA kitchen, and we need look no further than the Apartment Therapy house tour archives for ideas.
    Sarah Coffey
    Oct 13, 2022
    How To: Make a Pegboard Wall Organizer
    Project: Pegboard Wall OrganizerTime: An afternoonCost: $30.00 (more or less) Our DIY home organization project for the New Year involved hanging a pegboard organizer in our tiny kitchen. Although we found lots of how-tos for installing pegboard on the web, very few of them had detailed instructions and supply lists, so we thought it would be helpful to document our own experience in step-by-step form.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 9, 2022
    On the Cheap: 10 Room Dividers Under $100
    Room dividers can be useful in a shared kids’ room, a studio apartment, or a large loft — but they’re often very pricey. If you’re on a budget and searching for ways to separate space, here are 10 options under the $100 mark. IKEA Their thin, sheer panel curtains can be hung from ceiling tracks to create room dividers that separate space but still let light through, and they carry nearly 30 styles and colors.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jan 27, 2021
    How to Shop for an Induction Cooktop
    Recently, Consumer Reports started reviewing induction cooktops alongside electric and gas ranges, while IKEA released their first US model. Welcome to America, induction cooking. Historically, the biggest barriers to buying an induction cooktop were price and accessibility, but as this style of cooking gains momentum, more affordable cooktops are appearing at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sears, and the kinds of stores where most Americans shop for appliances.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jul 18, 2020
    10 Ways to Customize a Rental Bathroom
    Renovation and rental are two words that you don’t hear too much in the same sentence, but even though you might not be able to completely overhaul your rental apartment, there are ways to cover up that old avocado-green tile, add storage to your small shower, or transform an ugly overhead light without making your landlord angry in the process.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jul 17, 2020
    Unconventional Ideas for Bedroom Lighting
    Bedside lamps or sconces are the norm in most homes, but space constraints or a flair for drama might lead someone to take a different approach. Here are ten bedrooms that where the “mood lighting” is tasteful, unique, and inspiring. Liz’s bedroom uses globe lights clustered in a corner to add an ethereal quality to the bedroom. Lighting doubles as artwork over the bed in a North London home.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jul 17, 2020
    Best Affordable Small & Prefab Homes 2011
    It’s taken a few years, but prices on many prefab homes have dropped into the range of affordability, while DIY plans have become more popular, too. Warren Buffet’s company, Clayton Homes, now offers green prefab dwellings under $100k, and new build-it-yourself plans clock in as low as $10 per square foot for materials. Here’s our latest list of the best resources, complete with costs and updated for 2011.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jul 17, 2020
    Checklist: Basic Cleaning Supplies for a Small Space
    Small spaces = less cleaning. It’s one of the best benefits of living in a tiny apartment. The only problem is that living small also means less storage space, so you want to streamline your cleaning supplies into a kit that can be easily stowed in a kitchen cabinet or closet.Here’s our basic checklist for everything you need to keep your tiny home clean… Broom, Dustpan, and Mop: These are the basic tools of floor cleaning. We use a small interlocking broom and dustpan.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jul 16, 2020
    10 Upcycled Uses for Old Things
    As many of us try to curb overspending in the current economic climate, reusing old items can be a great money-saver. Instead of buying a new set of canisters from the Container Store, why not use mason jars instead? It’s not only cheaper, it’s also greener. Below, we list a few ideas for reusing old things.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jul 16, 2020
    How to Shop for Kitchen Cabinets on the Cheap
    Cabinetry usually adds up to about half of kitchen renovation expenses, so if you have a small budget, you’ve got to find ways to cut costs. Shop sales, check second-hand and salvage stores, try a demolition auction, or find ways to get a custom look from big box sources.For kitchen cabinet sources, click here. Home Depot Big box stores like Home Depot have frequent discounts on stock kitchen cabinets.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jul 15, 2020
    Top 10 Designer Fabric & Textile Shops
    Time to take a mini-vacation. From Josef Frank’s Stockholm shop to Liberty of London on Regent Street to Marche Saint Pierre in Paris, we’ve gathered some of the best “destination” textile showrooms from around the world. This is just a starter list — add your favorite high-end fabric shops in the comments. Svenskt Tenn: Stockholm Josef Frank and Estrid Ericson worked together at this fabric and furniture store, which remains today a bastion of Swedish modernism.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jul 15, 2020
    Best Outdoor Furniture Stores: High, Low & In Between
    Paging through our archives, we realized we’d never done a comprehensive “best of” list for outdoor furniture stores. With heat waves happening across the country, it’s now or never, so we scoured our listings for favorite stores and sources, organized into three categories: high-end ($$$), mid-range ($$), and budget ($). Curran Based out of Seattle, this online/catalog retailer has a gorgeous selection of high-end furniture for the yard or patio.
    Sarah Coffey
    Apr 22, 2020
    In Search of the Perfect Office Chair: 10 Sources
    Comfort and durability — that’s what most people want out of an office chair, since such a huge percentage of time is spent sitting in it. If a chair is attractive as well, so much the better. In case you’re shopping for a new seat, here are 10 good sources to check out. Steelcase Store They’ve been making office furniture since 1912, and their office chairs are well made, with a 10-year limited warranty.
    Sarah Coffey
    Mar 11, 2020
    Best Sources for Small Bathroom Renovations
    Dehlia’s tiny bathroom is typical of a city apartment: a 4 x 6 foot space that benefited from a functional, small-scale redesign. The floors are slate, the walls are seaglass, and the fixtures are well proportioned for the room. It can be difficult to find small tubs, toilets, and sinks for a bathroom renovation, but combing Dehlia’s source list as well as a few good posts from the Apartment Therapy archives, we’ve found some relevant resources.
    Sarah Coffey
    Mar 11, 2020
    How To Fit a Dining Room Into Small Spaces
    Whenever we ask readers why they don’t entertain more often, lack of space inevitably crops up as a recurring reason. Although space can definitely limit the types of parties you host (it might not be a great idea to have a kegger in your studio apartment), it shouldn’t keep you from inviting smaller groups of friends over for a dinner party. Here are five ways to make room for a dining table, even if you live in a few hundred square feet. 1.
    Sarah Coffey
    Mar 11, 2020
    Organic Modern Living Room: Get the Look
    Lyndsay and Fitzhugh are talented designers who renovated their Brooklyn home and built much of the furniture themselves from reclaimed wood. Even if you’re not gifted with the ability to throw together a handmade sectional sofa, you can still be inspired by their accomplishments… and you can rely on our shopping guide for a similar look.
    Sarah Coffey
    Dec 19, 2019
    Jean-Luc Godard: Style Icon
    Last month, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences phoned Jean-Luc Godard to tell him that he would receive an Honorary Oscar at their November 13 Governors Awards event. Characteristically, the French film director (who’s been known to scoff at Hollywood before) seemed not to care — so much, in fact, that he didn’t return their phone call.
    Sarah Coffey
    Aug 10, 2019
    10 Things to Save on When You’re Setting Up a Home
    Anyone who’s ever moved knows how quickly costs add up when you’re setting up a new home — especially if you’re starting from scratch. Here are 10 places where you can get a chic or custom look without spending too much cash. Headboard: Put off having to buy a new bed for a little longer by pairing a plain old bed frame with a DIY headboard. Use a screen, some framed fabric, a strip of wallpaper, or just paint a headboard on the wall.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jul 31, 2019
    SoHo, New York: Neighborhood Shopping Guide
    Visiting SoHo for a shopper is sort of like visiting the Louvre for an art lover — all the big names are spread out before you in one walkable place. It’s crowded, totally commercial, and lots of fun if you like hopping from store to store, weaving between people with shopping bags, and finding just about anything you could want for your home. Although most stores tend to be high-end showrooms, there are still enough eccentric holes in the wall to satisfy the adventurous shopper.
    Sarah Coffey
    Jul 31, 2019
    How To: Clean the Bedroom in 10 Minutes
    The web has how-to instructions for everything…even things you didn’t know required directions. Most people know how to clean a bedroom, but to learn the secret to cleaning it in 10 minutes, we turned to WikiHow: WikiHow’s tips for cleaning the bedroom in under 10 minutes: • Get your cleaning supplies together: garbage bag, surface cleaner, broom, dustpan, etc. • Give yourself a set amount of time for each task. For example, 1-2 minutes per step.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 10, 2019
    How To Create a “Dust-Free” Bedroom
    Since my husband has asthma, we’re always looking for ways to reduce allergens and dust in our home (although it’s impossible to create a completely dust-free environment). We came across a good resource the other day. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has a step-by-step plan for reducing dust in the bedroom. Some of the tips on the site were for extreme cases. To read the entire article, click here.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 10, 2019
    8 Solutions for Bathroom Windows
    Privacy and light are big issues when choosing bathroom window treatments. Natural light is really important in a small space, but bathroom windows need some serious cover-up. Click below for 8 solutions for bathroom windows, whether you rent or you’re planning a renovation… Top: Wooden blinds are a popular choice for bathrooms because they go with a wide range of decors, they’re simple to clean, and they let in light while obscuring the view.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 10, 2019
    How To: Motivate Yourself to Clean
    Do you have a hard time motivating yourself to do the dishes, laundry, sweeping, and mopping? So do I. Right now, my dog is in his biannual shedding cycle, when he transforms from a mild-mannered greyhound into a lean, mean furball machine. Dog fur tumbleweeds are blowing across my floors. With so much cleaning to do, it’s been tough to muster the motivation.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 9, 2019
    10 Ways to Organize Your (Dirty) Laundry
    Anyone else out there have a problem keeping their laundry in one place? It’s tempting to throw your clothes on the floor at the end of a long day, but it’s an express ticket to messy-town. If you’re still looking for the right system to help you keep your clothes corralled, here are a few options for dealing with dirty laundry.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 8, 2019
    Top 100 US Furniture Stores by Sales
    What are the biggest furniture stores you can think of off the top of your head? IKEA, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel? Those were the ones that immediately came to my mind, so I was really surprised when I opened Furniture Today’s 2011 Retail Planning Guide and found a list that included some humongous stores I’d never heard of. Nebraska Furniture Mart? Badcock Home Furniture? Having lived in big northern cities for my whole life, these places have stayed outside my radar until now.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 7, 2019
    Before & After: 5 Gardens by Paxton Gate
    San Franciscans know Paxton Gate as one of the city’s best garden stores, but you may not know that they also do landscape design. Their portfolio is full of inspiring before and after photos, including gorgeous gardens that started out as leveled dirt lots, overgrown backyards, and scraggly hillsides. If you’re the owner of a weedy lot or an unkempt patio, these photos might just be the kick-start you need to plan an outdoor renovation project.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 6, 2019
    Best Stairs & Ladders for Lofts
    I started this guide last year with a bare bones list, and since then, I’ve been collecting resources for loft stairs and ladders. An attic or loft ladder isn’t something one usually shops for, but if you find yourself on the hunt, it can be really difficult to sort through good and bad options. Here are 10 recommended places to start. Arke Arke is a US subsidiary of an Italian company that just recently made their products available in the US through Home Depot and other stores.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 4, 2019
    Modern Table Linens: Smart Sources
    Textiles are a fast and easy way to update a table, and there’s a lot of good stuff out there—particularly if you love modern and contemporary design. From simple Scandinavian patterns to organic cotton tablecloths to spun vinyl placemats, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite designers, stores, and distributors in the field. Here’s how to find them. Crate and Barrel This chain store has a reputation for providing quality tabletop at affordable prices.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 4, 2019
    Space Saving Bedroom Office: High & Low
    Brian’s bedroom office is a streamlined, minimal setup that could easily fit into a living room or dining room nook in a small apartment. The pieces he’s chosen have a simple style that can be recreated for very little money or a whole lot, depending on what you buy and where you buy it.Like most furniture, the price of a folding chair depends on where it’s sold, the quality of the materials, and who designed it.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 4, 2019
    Farmers Market Guide: 20 Cities, Coast to Coast
    When you’re visiting a new city, one of the best ways to spend a weekend morning is at the local farmer’s market, sampling whatever’s in season. If you find yourself in any of these 20 cities, here are our recommendations for good markets, along with hours, locations, and links.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 4, 2019
    Guide to Glassware: 10 Styles & Sources
    Most people don’t have the space for the full scope of glassware, but depending on your drink of choice, there’s a glass or two that fits your needs. Here’s a brief guide to 10 styles and a few places to buy them. There are, of course, other options, and you can read more about the various styles in the “related resources” links below.These are everyday glasses that can be used to serve water, milk, juice, or chilled drinks.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 4, 2019
    How to Shop for Sustainable Lighting
    From CFLs and LEDs to dimmers and sustainable materials, there are many different ways to approach lighting from an eco-friendly point of view. Check out this year’s updated guide to bringing green lighting into your home. Green Depot With locations throughout the East Coast and Midwest and an extensive web shop, this is a good resource for lamps, bulbs, and switches that are designed to save energy.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 4, 2019
    Compact Kitchen Appliances: 12 Smart Sources
    While the average American home size may be shrinking, the trend towards big family-style kitchens seems to stay strong. It’s not always easy to find compact appliances, so in case you find yourself renovating a small kitchen and starved for helpful resources, here’s a good starter list. CompactAppliance.com Based out of Austin, Texas, this online store has pretty much every small appliance on the US market, including washer/dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, and cooktops.
    Sarah Coffey
    May 4, 2019