Sarah Rainwater

Name: The Design OfficeLocation: Downtown Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 750 square feetYears occupied: 4.5 — rentedWhile working from home offers many benefits like a short commute and being able to spend all day in pajamas, it can also get a bit lonely.

Name: Elizabeth DuvivierLocation: Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 1,200 square feetYears lived in: 5 months — rented Elizabeth’s 2-bedroom apartment embodies all the those ephemeral qualities that transform an empty shell of space into a real home — it’s artful, personal, comfortable and above all, designed for actually living.

Name: Ben & Aja BlancLocation: Steel Yard/Monohasset Mill — Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 1,900 square feetYears lived in: 2 — rentedCoaxing the cavernous boiler room of a former rubber mill to feel like home is no small task, but sculptor and designer Ben Blanc and his wife, Aja, an educator and herbalist, manage it with ease. They’ve filled the space with large-scale artwork, oversize furniture, and homey details that refuse to be dwarfed by the soaring industrial ceiling.

Name: Jackie, Paul, & their 3-year-old son GrahamLocation: Rochester, New YorkSize: 2,300 square feetYears lived in: less than a year — owned After 15 years in New York City, Paul and Jackie’s small, but gorgeous 5th floor walk up in Nolita was no longer practical for their growing family. But finding a new home upstate in Rochester they could love just as much presented a challenge.

I’m the kind of DIY-er who imagines elaborate and wonderful furniture re-finishing ideas and is consistently too busy, lazy, or pre-occupied to execute them. But in desperate need of bedroom dressers I dropped $70 for a pair from craigslist that had good bones, but were grimy, scratched and in need of help.

For every home I’ve lived in, there has always been a room that steadfastly defies decoration, opting instead to act as repository for odds and ends and lack of style. Up until a couple of weeks ago, that room was our bedroom. But thanks to a fortuitous score while photographing a recent house tour the space is finally good for more than jumping on the bed.

This headboard was inspired by an Apartment Therapy post on how to combine IKEA Mandal headboards to create a dramatic wall installation, but not wanting to seriously damage the walls of their rental, Jeremy and Joe came up with a solution to create a more temporary setup.

Name: Chancie, Dan, and Clark Meehan Location: Mt. Washington — Los AngelesSize: 2,000 square feetYears lived in: 9 — owned Chancie and Dan have worked hard to update and expand their tiny hillside starter home and the result of their efforts is a surprisingly harmonious mix of modern, traditional, rustic, and quirky — a combination that aptly reflects the home’s inhabitants and its setting.

Medical supply sources have long been a well-kept secret source for affordable shower curtain tracks. We spotted this tasteful example of the idea put into practice at a home designed by architect Risa Boyer Leritz.The custom-made curved track and curtain rang in at less than $200 from the Los Angeles-based Salsbury Industries, which ships throughout the US.

If there’s one thing Small Cool month reminds us, it’s that even a small space can pack a dramatic punch. Beth Beattie, who owns a PR, branding, and event planning business, tackled her tiny office transformation on a tight budget without sacrificing high style.After!Beth’s aim was to create a space that was comfortable and feminine with just the right amount of glam.

Name: Risa Boyer Leritz, Nick Leritz, their 3-year-old daughter Harper, and two catsLocation: Alameda — Portland, OregonSize: 1720 square feetYears lived in: 2.5 — ownedThe process of buying a house is already tough on the nerves, let alone going into escrow on a serious fixer-upper — sight unseen — in a city almost 1,000 miles away from home.

Name: Joel & McKenzie Taplin, and their 14-month-old daughter GereLocation: Monohasset Mill — Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 2,700 square feetYears lived in: 11 — rented, then owned One of over 30 live/work spaces in the Monohasset Mill building on Providence’s West Side, Joel & McKenzie’s loft evokes a feeling of cozy farmhouse minimalism despite its expansive size.

Name: Ira Rakatansky & Lenore GrayLocation: East Side — Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 4 bedroomsYears lived in: 52 — owned This tour is a rare treat — a peek into the home of modernist architect Ira Rakatanksy, who designed and built the house in 1958 and still lives there, more than half a century later. Incredibly, the space seems almost as modern now, both in structure and décor, as it must have over 50 years ago.

Name: Bruce and Melanie RosenbaumLocation: Sharon, MassachusettsSize: 4 bedrooms, 5000 square feetYears lived in: 10 — owned Steampunk means different things to different people, but to Bruce and Melanie Rosenbaum whose home is a perfect whimsical ode to the style, it means fusing a modern sensibility with industrial antiques from the Victorian period to create a space that showcases the couple’s passion for antiquing, history, art, and technology.

Name: Alfred & Rachel Atlas VendittoLocation: College Hill — Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 3 bedrooms + mother-in-law in converted atticYears lived in: 10 — owned The home Rachel & Al share with their two children, ages 3 and 5, and their dog in a former church meeting house is cozy and whimsical — filled with unusual and inspiring collections of natural objects and artwork.

Though we often showcase ways to hide TVs, the truth is that your average flat screen is pretty great-looking and doesn’t take up much real estate compared to all the equipment that goes along with it. We loved seeing architect Dan Herchenroether’s many innovative solutions for renovating his small cottage yesterday and here’s one more clever DIY — a compartment hidden in the fireplace to conceal his TV’s wires and accessories.

Name: Dan & Sarah Herchenroether Location: Newport, Rhode Island Size: 1,176 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years Dan used all his experience as an architect and whole lot of elbow grease to transform a small cottage on a quiet street away from the tourist hustle and bustle of Newport, Rhode Island from drab and dated (think tons of wood paneling) into a sweet and contemporary family home.

Clearly a pattern can’t be claimed strictly for male or female use and sometimes a reference to the opposite sex can add an element of surprise to a space, but these patterns have a long-standing connection to the masculine, both in fashion and design.Pin Stripes: A favorite fabric for suits and baseball uniforms, pin stripes represent men at work and at play.Paisley: At home on business men or cowboys, paisley is a remarkably versatile pattern that manages to be both manly and playful.

I’ve always thought of wood burning as something I failed at miserably during Girl Scout Camp, not as a true art form, but these burned wood pieces by Boston artist Cecilia Galluccio are a surprise in their beauty and charming folk-art inspired intricacy.Galluccio draws her designs directly onto furniture, serving boards, and adorable sets of spoons, making each piece totally unique.

Name: Julie & Richard RoseLocation: Pawtucket, Rhode IslandSize: 1,300 square feetYears lived in: 5½ Richard & Julie’s loft in a former Pawtucket, Rhode Island mill achieves the kind of tasteful sophistication that many of us can only aspire to and though each element is carefully selected and styled, the space never loses the warmth of a home or the personality of its owners.

Name: Briana Horrigan and Teddy (her dog)Location: Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 500 square feet, 1 bedroomYears lived in: 1 A small apartment filled to the brim with a collections ranging from records to shoes to taxidermy could mean catastrophe at the hands of someone less skillful, but Briana Horrigan, an artist, vintage clothing dealer and self-proclaimed “curator of junk” has created a charming space that overflows with personality and a quirky sense of humor.

I’ve avoided many tempting furniture finds on eBay and craigslist that would have to be shipped because I assumed that having them sent on a Greyhound bus would be a huge headache. But when I spotted the perfect chair on AT Scavenger San Francisco, I swallowed my fear and decided that I wouldn’t let a few thousand miles stand between me and my heart’s desire.

Last week, a few readers were upset when we wrote about repurposing old books as stationery. While we’d rather see a book creatively reused than thrown in a landfill, many of our books are our most precious possessions and we would not want them to be destroyed. Here are some tips to help your books last longer.1. The spine of a new hardcover book can be stiff and might crack if it is forced open.

image:b6fbf9068d49e6c45a5acfa4215f7f7216e03dbd w:540 s:"fit" class_name:"mt-image-center" show_pin_button:"true" show_image_credits:"true" Home Hacks month has inspired us to undo all of the bad DIYs left in our home by previous inhabitants. For example, the 4-foot-long vintage mirror in the bathroom was callously splattered with paint when someone constructed a questionable homemade shelf next to it. Luckily, removing the paint was easy, non-toxic, and didn’t damage the glass at all.

Yesterday we wrote about how to set up a multi-functional workout space, which included putting wheels on our ottoman so that we can move it out of the way easily when it’s time to jazzercise. Here’s how we did it.Materials1. Ottoman: Ours was $99 at Homegoods 2. 4 Casters: Approx. $5 each from Home Depot. We went with plain old casters that don’t lock, but if you are worried about your ottoman moving around too much then invest in some lockable ones.

Name: Christine & Vijay ChitnisLocation: Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 1,684 square feet, 3 bedroomsYears lived in: 1 The home of Providence writer, blogger, crafter and Fall Colors finalist, Christine Chitnis and her husband, Vijay, does resemble a typical New England farmhouse: it’s over 100 years old and their fridge is filled with eggs freshly laid by the chickens that roam their backyard — the only thing missing is the rural setting.

The demise of so many of our favorite magazines last year made us feel significantly less guilty about our gigantic periodical collection even though it has a tendency to overflow our shelves. We constantly reference past issues of our favorites that have passed away and treasure the arrival of the few that are still alive.Here are some tips and solutions for keeping and storing your magazine stockpile.TOP ROW:1.

Weather in the Northeast being what it is, our in-wall thermostats, radiators and air conditioners are usually only used for a fraction of the year and the rest of the time they serve as unsightly additions to our décor. Here are a few ideas ideas for hiding or disguising the offending boxes and we want to hear your tips as well.Hide it in plain sight: We love how the thermostat blends perfectly into Chancie’s family photo wall (image 1).

Name: Chris & Hannah GarrisonLocation: Woonsocket, Rhode IslandSize: 1,900 square feetYears lived in: 9 months The entrance to Chris and Hannah Garrison’s loft is inauspiciously located between a wiener shop and a karate studio in downtown Woonsocket, Rhode Island — a former mill town about 20 minutes north of Providence that has seen its ups and downs. But inside and up the stairs is a breathtaking space, restored using reclaimed materials, many of which came from local sources.

We’re not the first and we certainly won’t be the last to rue the high price tag attached to Josef Frank’s splendidly graphic and surreal fabric designs. Unable to pay upwards of $200 per yard, but yearning to add some of his Swedish modern aesthetic to our home, we searched for a few inspired alternatives that won’t break the bank.1. Josef Frank’s vegetable tree fabric, available from Svenskt Tenn for 890 SEK, plus shipping.

Name: Jen & Rob French, Hank & Dexter French (twin 2-year-old boys)Location: Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 2,200 square feet | 3 bedrooms Years lived in: 1½ They may have dark-colored walls and a few dead things displayed here and there, but Jen & Rob French’s 1920s bungalow is still bright and full of life — thanks to a carefully curated art collection, a whimsical sense of humor, and the happy squeals of their twin two-year-old boys, Hank and Dexter, echoing through the house.

It’s an icky reality, but with the muggy late summer heat comes fleas … sometimes LOTS of fleas. Here are a few (mostly) chemical-free tips for keeping an infestation at bay.A QUICK NOTE: We called these solutions mostly chemical-free because many of them involve the use of soap which can contain chemicals, but there are plenty of natural, eco-friendly options out there. Just be aware of any essential oils in the soap that might be harmful to your pets.

After taking a big hit to the security deposit at our last apartment because of all of the holes we left in the wall (and knowing we would only be in our current apartment for a year), we set out to find a solution that would allow us to hang some artwork and make the place feel like home without causing much (or any) wall damage.