In the many rentals I’ve lived in over the years, I’ve never looked at any of them as permanent homes. I didn’t plan on staying in any of them for more than a year or two, so there are many things I never did, which is a shame because taking time to upgrade your rental can definitely increase your level of happiness and peace within the home.
I live in Germany, and while I happened to be working during the World Cup match last night between Germany and Brazil, I was able to keep up with what was going on, thanks to the honking and cheering from the street outside. While that particular street noise was fun and helpful, other outside noises can be terribly annoying, but there are some things you can do about it. Nothing absorbs noise like a fat wall of books.
We asked mortgage lenders and other financial experts: “How much should you have saved—beyond your down payment—before purchasing a home?” Here's what they said.
Even though it feels like the gates of hell are opening every time you step outside, remember it’s still technically spring until June 19th. So if you’ve managed to – oops! – totally neglect any kind of spring cleaning routine, consider the next few days like a grand, omnipotent snooze button. There’s still a little bit of time left!
The really cool thing about smartphones is how updates can happen right under your nose. Sure, you notice the big stuff, like when iOS 6 replaced Google Maps with Apple Maps. But there’s always little changes happening underneath, too.Here’s a list of 10 minor features that have been built in to the iPhone text and email user experience; some we’ve seen, some we’ve read and some we’ve noticed on our own.
From studio apartments to tiny, odd-shaped bedrooms to every other small space in between, tiny homes require a gentle touch, lots of planning and a willingness to learn from your mistakes. And we’ve got eight you might be making in designing your small space. But don’t worry — we’ve also got suggestions on how to change! We’re looking at you, vertical space, under-the-bed space, over-the-door space and more.
Packing for a trip is tough enough. (How many shoes should I pack? How many times can I wear these shorts before they’re considered dirty?) By the time you’re at the bottom of your packing list, your suitcase is full, and you’re not thinking about all of the things you’ll need before you even arrive at your destination. Tucking away a few tiny luxuries for the road—er… air—will make your airport experience go smoothly and efficiently.
One of the best moments of the Cure is when that oh-so-virtuous feeling when you’ve just completed a big weekend assignment kicks in and you can relax, just basking in the glow of your job well done. This weekend, we’re moving into the bedroom for a deep clean. It’s one of those jobs – like the first weekend’s floor assignment – that sounds (and is) very unsexy but has a powerful effect on the space (and you!) once you’ve done it.
How does one craft the kind of work week that soothes the soul, flows smoothly and leaves you energized by the time the weekend rolls around again? By taking advantage of a built-in good mood and tackling a few key home to-dos on Sunday. It’s not about aiming for perfection or scrubbing every surface — it’s about setting yourself up to win starting on Monday morning to stay strong through all the conference calls, traffic commutes and PTA meetings.
Building your own home can come with a lot of perks. Walk-in shower or soaking tub? When you custom build, it’s your choice. Plus, you get to be the first person to ever step foot into said shower or sink into that sudsy bathtub. But, some challenges come with building and moving into brand spankin’ new homes.
Living in the city has it’s advantages—none of which are awesome McMansions with pre-fab home theater spaces. But if you’re a movie buff, you can still fake that luxe home theater look. All you need to do is take on a few quick fixes in your living room.Get the theater vibe by painting your room with dark colors, like burgundy or navy blue. As a bonus, the images on your screen will look better because the light won’t reflect off your new dark walls.
Here at Apartment Therapy, we spend a lot of time talking about small spaces: small space storage, small space furniture, you get it. We’ve written a lot about how to deal with a small bedroom, but what if you have the opposite problem: a big bedroom?A giant, cavernous space can be just as much of a design challenge as a tiny, cramped one. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some ideas (and beautiful inspiration photos) for making your big bedroom feel cozy.
It’s hard enough making any big move, but add in actual living things like pets and plants, and the stress of moving gets even tougher to handle. You might already be thinking about how to keep pets happy during the journey to a new home, but have you considered the well-being of your botanical friends, too? Here are some great strategies for making sure your plants survive the long trip to a new home and stay happy and healthy along the way. Prep your plants.
It brightens white fabrics, gets rid of mold and mildew, and can be trusted to disinfect all kinds of germs. But there's one stain that bleach can't handle.
GoCleanCo's genius tips involve using their go-to cleaner on almost everything at home: bleach and powdered Tide. But here are a few cautions to keep in mind before you whip up a batch.
I’m always a little ashamed to admit this, but I hate to clean. I really hate it. I mean, there are so many more interesting things I could be doing. And the annoying thing is that when you clean something, it just gets dirty all over again. Cleaning is a horrible, boring, thankless task, but you know what’s worse than cleaning? Stressing out all the time because your house is filthy. What’s a lazy woman to do?
The key to cleaning a room quickly is an understanding of which tasks to tackle first and knowing which tools you need before you start (so you don’t have to walk back and forth through your house a million times), as well as possessing a simple list of instructions in the order you need to go in to ensure that not much thinking is required. Below is everything to know in order to quickly clean your bedroom!
If you find you’re becoming restless with your furniture, consider updating the hardware. This simple fix can majorly transform dressers and cabinets, taking them from blah to mwah! New hardware can make inexpensive pieces look luxe and bring vintage pieces closer to the modern realm. Mismatched furniture? Bring the look together with coordinating hardware in hardly any time at all. Knobs and drawer pulls range dramatically in price, you can find them from as little as .
It’s clear that stainless steel appliances are not going away any time soon. I love the way they look— stainless steel appliances add instant modernity to any kitchen, and their reflective surfaces make smaller kitchens look bigger. One of the things I don’t enjoy about it, however, is how easily stainless steel appliances get dirty with fingerprint smudges, so I decided to research and try out a handful of techniques.
So you’re on a high from last night’s Oscars and finally ready to set up a proper home theater, huh movie buff? Well, you’ll need more than a projector and comfy chairs. It’s a common misconception: You can’t just aim your projector at a bare white wall and drool over your $1,800 projector’s stellar picture. To get the best viewing experience in your home theater, follow these tips for painting a projection wall. Paint it proper.
Our bedroom TV has been in need of a little upgrade for several years now, so we’re using the excuse of hosting a Super Bowl party to finally take the plunge. We’ll grab a new, compact HDTV for the bedroom—but first, it will pay its dues by supporting a sports-bar-style 2-TV setup in our separated living space. Stoked? Sure, but we know that we’ll have to troubleshoot a few things to make sure we’re getting the best image from our new TV.
One of the very best parts of the Cure each January are the comment threads. This year is definitely no exception; you are all really creating a community and it’s super fun. Just check out this comment by Dulcibella from today’s assignment for a perfect example of how the Curers are making a little humor go a long way to help move the cleaning and organizing along: 1) Optimism – Day #5 What a great assignment!
