Woman in denim shirt and shorts leaning on a white piano with sheet music, surrounded by fall decor and greenery.
Here’s How To Decorate for Halloween Like a Grown Up, Thanks to Emily Henderson
(If you want to, that is.)
Tara Bellucci
Sep 5, 2019
Henrybuilt’s New Sister Company Helps You Design Your Dream Cook Space
When it comes to kitchen design, there have really only been two options: cookie cutter IKEA or cost prohibitive custom—and not much in between. While the former is getting a lot nicer with the recent crop of third-party sellers creating design-forward cabinet fronts and various other elevated touches, the latter hasn’t seen much in the way of innovation or accessibility.
Tara Bellucci
Aug 28, 2019
The $11 Space Saver That Keeps Clutter Off My Bathroom Floor
When you live in a small space, every inch counts.
Tara Bellucci
Aug 17, 2019
Sherwin-Williams On What Color Palettes Will Take Us Into 2020 and Beyond
2020 will be all about wellness.
Tara Bellucci
Aug 15, 2019
Killing Eve’s Set Designer Talks About Creating a Psychopath’s Apartment
Plus, an exclusive behind the scenes clip of the making of Villanelle's apartment.
Tara Bellucci
Aug 10, 2019
Mrs. Meyer’s Created A New Flower For the Best Reason
So sweet.
Tara Bellucci
Aug 8, 2019
7 Genius Small Space Organizing Tips to Steal from the 2020 IKEA Catalog
When it comes to decorating—and organizing!—small spaces, IKEA is one of our go-tos. And for good reason: not only are most storage products affordable and customizable, the annual catalog is a treasure trove of smart solutions for storing your stuff in a beautiful way. Here are seven tips from the 2020 IKEA catalog. One of the easiest ways to maximize your space is to look up.
Tara Bellucci
Aug 6, 2019
9 Clever Painting Ideas to Steal from the 2020 IKEA Catalog
Paint is one of the easiest ways to transform your home. And while simply picking a new color and rolling it onto your walls will do the trick, sometimes you're looking for something a little more exciting. Thankfully, the 2020 IKEA catalog dropped this week, and it's full of great ideas for your next home project.
Tara Bellucci
Aug 1, 2019
8 Trends That Will Be Huge in 2020, According to the IKEA Catalog
Flipping through the new IKEA catalog each year gives us more than a just peek into what new products the retailer is adding to shelves; it's a window into what will be big in interiors in the next 12 months. The pages are packed with inspiration, and this year we narrowed it down to eight trends we expect to see a lot more of in 2020.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 31, 2019
Before & After: ‘Fixer Upper’ Totally Transformed a Rundown Houseboat
Chip and Joanna Gaines have spent four seasons helping Waco residents realize their shiplap-filled dreams, and you’d think by now they’d seen it all. On last week’s episode, though, they took on a whole new challenge—a houseboat. Even if you’re not a devoted Fixer Upper fan, trust us—you’ll want to see this transformation. The design duo started with a landlocked 1970s double-decker houseboat with a pontoon bottom.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 29, 2019
The 2020 IKEA Catalog Is Here—These Are Our Favorite New Products
Remember the excitement when the [Sears/JCPenney/Delia*s/American Girl/insert your favorite childhood catalog of choice here] arrived? For me, that feeling is still alive and well. Last week, I eagerly awaited a certain special delivery, and I was not disappointed. In my mailbox I found an advance copy of the 2020 IKEA catalog, and today I get to share it with all of you. The catalog theme is Save Our Sleep, and it’s not hard to imagine why they’ve chosen that focus.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 29, 2019
Before and After: ‘Queer Eye’ Completely Transformed 4 Rooms in 3 Days and We’re More in Awe Than Ever
We have a special behind-the-scenes bonus from our favorite Fab Five design guru, Bobby Berk.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 24, 2019
This Stunning 29-Acre Scottish Island Is For Sale
They're entertaining offers over $427,000.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 24, 2019
This Artist Created Music Specifically For Watering Your Plants
Most plant parents know that a regular watering schedule is key to keeping your leaf babies thriving. Perhaps you already pump the jams while tackling this important task, but now there’s a soundtrack made specifically for giving your thirsty stems a drink.Created by artist Past Palms, the eponymous EP “is a sonic reflection of yearning for nature in a nature-less place.
Tara Bellucci
Jun 21, 2019
Netflix Just Announced the ‘Queer Eye’ Season 4 Premiere Date and It Comes Out So Soon
All things just keep getting better, because our favorite Fab Five are returning to Netflix with an all new season of “Queer Eye.” Fresh off a cameo in Taylor Swift’s new music video for You Need to Calm Down, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Karamo Brown, and Antoni Porowski will be making a return to your TVs sooner than you might think.
Tara Bellucci
Jun 18, 2019
The Best Home Advice We’ve Ever Gotten From Our Dads
We asked Apartment Therapy staffers for the best home tips they've ever gotten from dear old dad (and other father figures in their lives).
Tara Bellucci
Jun 14, 2019
5 Travel Pillows, In Order of Increasing Ridiculousness
Though they’re pretty ubiquitous now, the first guy to tote a U-shaped travel pillow on a plane probably got a few sideways glances. Alas, it’s not a perfect design, and many gadgets have since hit the market to try to maximize comfort during increasingly uncomfortable flying conditions. Here are five such products, silly though they look, that might just let you get some sweet, sweet sleep.
Tara Bellucci
Jun 13, 2019
Create a Tidy Open Closet (Without Tossing All of Your Clothes!)
Do you roll your eyes at those staged closets in catalogs with their 4 dresses and 2 pairs of shoes? If you don’t have enough closets — or any — you can still create a tidy exposed closet without getting rid of your wardrobe.Matchy, matchy. When your closet is exposed for all to see, the easiest way to create a seamless look is to have matching storage solutions. Shoe boxes, hangers, shelves, etc, should match each other, if not follow one color scheme.
Tara Bellucci
Jun 5, 2019
Design Prescription: Faith’s Arlington Dining Room
Name: Faith Location: Arlington, VA Room: Dining Room Size: about 140 square feet Own or Rent: Own This is an update from the #MakeoverAmerica road trip! We’re traveling across the United States to tell people about Complete + Happy Home, and while we’re at it, we’re saving the country, one room at a time! Design Prescriptions are hour-long visits where Maxwell offers advice on what readers can do to improve their homes.
Tara Bellucci
Jun 4, 2019
Not Your Grandma’s Murphy Beds: IKEA’s Latest Line Is the Future of Small Space Furniture
IKEA has always been a go-to retailer for small space dwellers. Now, the inventors of flat pack furniture have revealed their next innovation, and it might just change everything about how we live. At their annual Democratic Design Days event on Tuesday, IKEA announced ROGNAN, an automated furniture system that is basically a Murphy bed on steroids. The unit is basically a movable wall, and can contain a combination of beds, closets, sofas, or desks.
Tara Bellucci
Jun 4, 2019
These Are the Most Popular ‘Game of Thrones’ Houses by State
At the onset of the final season of “Game of Thrones,” Joybird created a quiz so that you could finally figure out which of the nine main family houses—Stark, Targaryen, Lannister, Tully, Tyrell, Baratheon, Greyjoy, Arryn, and Martell—you belonged to. Are you a ruler who craves power or the love of your people? Would you be loyal to your friend no matter what, or ask questions before sticking your neck out for them?
Tara Bellucci
May 16, 2019
Wingardium Leviosa! It’s Time for Good News
Welcome to Good News, a new column that’s part-link roundup, part-community gratitude journal where we can all share the feel-good moments from the past seven days and end our week on a high note.Congratulations, you made it to Friday! It’s Tara, your News & Culture editor, here to start your weekend off with some grade-A good news.
Tara Bellucci
May 17, 2019
What It Means to Be a ‘Regular’
Is there somewhere you’re a regular? A place where, when the bell jingles as you walk through the door, you instantly feel at home? A spot where you’ve found your people? To find out what makes a regular, we’ve asked friends and Apartment Therapy staffers to tell us about their favorite haunts. Some folks love the personal attention of their “regular” status, while others are more contented by the vibe of a familiar space.
Tara Bellucci
May 17, 2019
Before & After: A Teenage Bedroom is Completely Transformed into a Coastal Library
My mom is always happy to see me. But the last time I visited, she was also a little nervous; I was about to tear up the house and disrupt her space for several days while keeping the plan shrouded in secrecy—all for a surprise Mother’s Day room makeover. As I’ve gotten older, I find Mother’s Day feels woefully inadequate. The person who raised you and sacrificed for you, for the better part of two decades (and beyond), deserves more than a text or card.
Tara Bellucci
May 10, 2019
How Kristen Bell Spends Her Perfect Night In
Perfect Night In is a series where we ask actors, artists, entrepreneurs, and beyond how they’d spend the ultimate luxury—a blissful evening at home.Whether you know her best as shrimp-loving Eleanor on “The Good Place,” spirited younger sister Anna in “Frozen,” or from her total Mom status on Instagram, one thing is for certain: We love Kristen Bell almost as much as she loves sloths.
Tara Bellucci
May 6, 2019
Before & After: Marji’s Transformed Tool Storage
Anyone else have a garage, basement, or storage space that looks like this? There’s hope: Marji was fed up with the clutter in her tool shed, and she decided to first purge and then create a clever system that works for her.From Marji: As you can see, our tool shed was an unbelievable, disorganized mess.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Francis’s Transformative Gallery Wall
In late 2011, I looked at my living room wall and decided I need to refresh it. So I decided to do a small project by taking photos of the flora that surrounds my home since I am living near one of Singapore’s best Nature Reserves, The Bukit Timah Hill. I have been running on the forest trail for quite a while, enjoying the peace in contrast to the hectic city life. With inspiration of 18th century botanical illustration, I decided to do a modern interpretation.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Brook & Fran’s Labor-ious Kitchen Remodel
By the time we were completing construction on our kitchen, I was nine months pregnant. Nothing will motivate a contractor to wrap things up faster than his client going into labor before his eyes. I waved away an offer to be driven to the hospital and said between deep breathes, “I just need it done!
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Lilly’s Laminate to Butcher Block Kitchen Counter Upgrade
From Lilly: When we were shopping for our home and walked through what is now our kitchen, I was really taken aback by the dark and cheap looking laminate counters and back splash. However, I thought the ceramic tile floors and off-white cabinets could be a great base for an update.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Corinna’s Garden Shed to Teen Retreat
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) (Image credit: Anna Robinson) (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) (Image credit: Apartment Therapy)We love the cool loft space and the laidback vibe of the renovation, plus those antler sconces are so chic.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Erik’s Empty Attic to Marvelous Master Bedroom Suite
This was a transformation from a minimally heated, dark, unlivable attic-like space to a bright, modern master suite. The main features include the headboard wall with wall hung sinks on the back side, gas stove, library, skylight, built in bench seat, walk-in closet, and the spacious bathroom. One of the primary design goals was to keep the space wide open while still offering subtle boundaries and separations between functions.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Megan’s Renovated & Rearranged Bathroom
From Megan:  Our whole house was a mess when we bought it. Nothing had ever been updated properly. The bathroom was our first major interior project and not being very handy, we hired someone to do it for us. It was completely gutted because there were rotten joists in the floor and there wasn’t anything salvageable in the room. It also had a very cramped feeling, so we changed the layout at the suggestion of our contractor.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Ainhoa’s Stenciled Upholstery IKEA Armchair
How do you add some personality to a plain Jane chair? If you’re like Ainhoa and can’t sew, try painting a pattern on it! The after has us practically buzzing:From Ainhoa: My aunt gave us an old accent chair she no longer had room for. My initial idea was to make a new cover out of a fun patterned fabric. The problem? I don’t really know how to sew, so I’d either have to learn, or ask someone for help. My next idea was to dye it.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Maria’s Craigslist Cane Chair Makeover
After scoring these sweet cane back chairs from a Craigslist seller, Maria wondered what to do with them. Well, inspiration struck, and she shared her chic transformation with us.I’m a sucker for a DwellStudio fabric, so I must applaud Maria’s good taste (and cute styling)!From Maria: Way back in June, I found two great cane back chairs on Craigslist for a great price. The seller was so anxious to get them out of his basement that he even delivered them right to my door.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
The Ultimate Used Furniture Cleaning Kit
With the season of flea markets and antique fairs now upon us, I’m prepping for the summer influx of secondhand furniture finds and putting together the ultimate used furniture cleaning kit. With most of these household items already in your kitchen, you’ll be ready to get any grimy piece sparkling in no time.  Baking soda. Mixed with water, baking soda forms a paste that polishes silver, lifts coffee and tea stains from ceramic and porcelain, and removes mildew and grime.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Kelly’s Staircase Remodel on a Budget
Beige carpet and a half wall kept this staircase closed off and out of date. Check out how Kelly and her boyfriend brightened the space on a small budget. From Kelly: My boyfriend installed the hardwood and used melamine (cheap and easy to clean) for the stair risers. Spindles were on sale for $5 each, and we spaced them out a bit. He also made the newel post and even the newel cap!
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Erin’s Chair Refresh on a Budget
Bargain shopper Erin haggled this chair from an estate sale down to $10. It sat in her home, patiently waiting for a refresh, until she found the perfect fabric. See how she made over this chair for under $50 total:From Erin: I am an Architect Technologist by day and sewer/DIYer/furniture upcycler by night. I am a thrifty shopper, and limit most purchases to no more than $20.00. If it’s in the trash, even better!
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Jenna’s Revamped Planter Stand
Jenna found this planter at a junk store for just $2. Though it was in rough shape, she saw its potential. See how she transformed it into a totally cute vessel for indoor planting.From Jenna: My apartment is small and I have lots of terrariums around the house, but am always looking for fun ways to bring more greenery inside. I found this planter stand at a junk store for $2 — a new coat of paint in a herringbone print, plus some jars I had lying around and voila!
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Jérémy’s Painted Vintage Fan
Today’s Before & After comes from Jérémy, a very talented 16 year old designer from Canada. Here he transforms an old vintage fan from boring to bold with just a paint job. From Jérémy: Old machines are phenomenal artistic works, provided with the refurbishment if they need it. Here’s how an old Eagle Aire fan can be rejuvenated after 50 years without losing its “vintage look.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Margaux’s Night & Day Table Makeover
Margaux inherited this table, solidly built but in bad condition, from a friend. She began by sanding the top of the table, but when she discovered just how many times the top had been repainted, Margaux came up with an alternate idea:From Margaux: A friend of mine gave this table to me when she moved. It was really solid but looked pretty bad. I started by sanding the top, only to find there was about 10 coats of paint and wax.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: A Rental Gets Color in the Living Room Without Painting
How do you add color to a rental without painting? That was the challenge this client posed to Lisa of Olive Juice Designs. She responded by creating an inviting living room, perfect for entertaining, without pulling out a single paintbrush. From Lisa: A single apartment dweller in San Francisco contacted me to help her with her living room. She admitted that her apartment was lacking in many areas, and she was embarrassed to have friends over.
Tara Bellucci
May 5, 2019
Before & After: Narrow Glasgow Bathroom Gets Gutted
This old Victorian bathroom is typical of Glasgow tenement buildings —super narrow and definitely hard to maneuver in. Since the original tub wasn’t salvageable, Anne scored a couple more square feet from its removal: From Anne: The bathroom is a very awkward long and narrow shape typical of Glasgow tenements—making it particularly hard to photograph! The end result, £2000 later, is a complete difference.
Tara Bellucci
May 4, 2019
Before & After: TV Stand Turned Play Kitchen
Not many would see this old media stand and think “play kitchen,” but ChiWei used what she had and came up with a pretty fantastic result for under $90: From ChiWei: I got tired of pulling my 1 year old daughter out of the dishwasher and drawers where she liked to pull out Ziploc bags from the package one at a time. I thought if I gave her her own kitchen, she’d leave mine alone!
Tara Bellucci
May 4, 2019
Before & After: A 70s Chair Returns to Its Vintage Glory
This vintage chair was in rough shape, but when the Craigslist seller ended up living across the street, Vanessa knew it was meant to be. With some patience (and a lovely surprise!), the chair has a new life: From Vanessa: I found this worn-out vintage chair on Craigslist and when I found out the seller lived across the street from me, I knew it was meant to be!
Tara Bellucci
May 4, 2019
Before & After: Bathroom Gets Brightened & Brassy Remodel
While not totally her taste, Meaghan’s bathroom was functional. The tile floor had been cracking though, so she waited until it was time to replace it to brighten up the rest of the space and add her own touches. From Meaghan: There was nothing functionally wrong with our bathroom and it was generally nice to look at, so we did not really need to do a complete remodel.
Tara Bellucci
May 4, 2019
Before & After: Living Room Goes From Bland to Beachy
Merci bought her San Francisco condo a couple years ago, and has been turning it into her dream home. See how this staged space went from dated to modern: From Merci: I bought this San Francisco beach condo about two years ago and worked over the first year to decorate with minor renovations to make it the home that I’ve dreamt of. Wanted to feature how color can make a difference in changing a home and low cost renovations to home (e.g.
Tara Bellucci
May 4, 2019
Before & After: Louis Chair Gets a Royal Makeover
Tranae picked up this Louis chair in good condition, but was less than excited about its outdated fabric. She paired it with a cheery modern floral that’s more suited to her style: From Tranae: After months of looking for a Louis chair at yard sales and thrift shops, I finally found one for $40. The chair was in good condition but I hated the fabric. First, I removed the old fabric and padding using a staple remover and pliers.
Tara Bellucci
May 4, 2019
Before & After: Plain Dresser Gets a Heroic Makeover
Amanda’s boys had defaced this plain Jane dresser, so she decided to give it a heroic update with some super fabric: From Amanda: After years of carrying around these boring dressers that my children had graffitied, I figured it was time for a new look. A random stop into Walmart yielded the motivation I needed: 2 yards of Marvel comic book hero fabric. A little mod podge and some bright color paint was all I needed to make the magic complete.
Tara Bellucci
May 4, 2019