Make room in your official collection of all things Harry Potter for a new wizardly addition: Board game and puzzle manufacturer USAopoly recently announced the forthcoming release of a new collaborative game. HARRY POTTER: Death Eaters Rising is based on the fifth book/film, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” The game, which will be available in Fall 2019, pits players against the infamous Death Eaters on a quest to ultimately corral and conquer Lord Voldemort.
While I do enjoy cooking and baking, what I don’t enjoy is rummaging through cluttered cabinets and drawers to corral all of the bowls, measuring equipment, and other tools required for meal prep.
New York’s Metropolitan Opera House has thought of a unique way to bring opera to the masses without putting anyone’s health at risk. Met stars will be performing audience-free recitals via live stream from incredible locations worldwide, and anyone can attend.
I have always loved the look of an origami lampshade — the simplicity and graphic nature makes it a statement piece in any home. When my friend Erin showed me her new book Paper Parties, I couldn’t believe how easy it was to replicate one of these at home, for a fraction of the price you will pay in the shop, and you get to choose any pattern you would like!
Whether it happens at the laundromat, the laundry room, or just a tiny corner of your apartment where you stash the washer/dryer, Tide wants to take laundry day off your plate. This week, the detergent giant launched Tide Cleaners, an on-demand laundry and dry cleaning service “aimed at giving people the option to spend more time on life and less time doing laundry.” Although cleaning the bathroom is America’s most hated chore, doing laundry isn’t exactly loved.
Dimmer switches are great, not only do they provide opportunity for mood lighting and ambiance, but also save money due to reduced power usage. Almost all the lights in my home are on a dimmer switch, except for the bedrooms, where we’d actually like to have them the most.
Plants are everywhere these days, and there’s no better time to become a first-time plant parent. But actually choosing a plant can be intimidating if you’ve never bought one before. Here’s what you need to know about navigating the whole experience. Related: 5 Things to Know When Becoming a First-Time Plant Parent Odds are good that you’ve seen beautiful plants on social media. Bookmark a few options to show the sales associate when you get to the store.
We’ve all seen those deceptively gorgeous houseplants on social media. You know the ones everyone drools over—the glamorous fiddle leaf fig, gem-like string of pearls, elegant maidenhair fern, and cascading rosary vine. They all look amazing in photographs, but there’s a lot more to caring for these plants than meets the eye. If you’ve fallen victim to Instagram plant envy, learn these tricks of the trade and keep your plants alive longer.
As any regular reader of design blogs knows, accent colors never fail to add some pizzazz to your decor. In the world of houseplants, you’re pretty much stuck with green as your main color scheme, but you can still add a pop of color here and there. There are actually a fair number of plants whose leaves are all or primarily purple, and these can add some visual interest to an otherwise monotone grouping. Plus, they’re freaking purple! What’s not to love?
Most of the plants we grow in our homes come from the tropics. That’s because, from a plant’s perspective, our climate-controlled houses more or less resemble the year-round warmth of a jungle habitat. However, there are some universal challenges to growing tropical plants indoors, namely, humidity and water. Jungle plants are used to high humidity, so they can have a hard time thriving in the dry indoor air of North American homes, particularly during the winter.
What can’t you do at IKEA? You can furnish a whole house in one trip. If you don’t find something you like, you can hack any number of IKEA offerings. You can get an entire meal or stock up on specialty groceries. Hey, I even know moms who spend rainy days at the superstore, because it keeps their kids entertained for hours at a time.
Do you have a love/hate thing with your window A/C unit? Love overfloweth when it’s hell hot in the summer, and then the hate kicks in during winter when it’s nothing but an ugly appliance that lets in cold air. Let yourself get excited when it’s finally time to either: a) remove it from the window entirely; or b) cover that baby and forget about it for awhile. Store or Insulate Your Window Unit: The gaps around air conditioner units cause major energy loss.
Ellen is on the move. The comedian, TV host, and designer has listed the Santa Barbara villa that she and wife, actress Portia de Rossi, bought in 2013. Originally built in the 1930s by famed architect Wallace Frost for himself, it was inspired by his years living in Italy. Frost emulated the style of Old World villas with stone walls, a classic barrel-tiled roof, terra-cotta surfaces, wide wood flooring planks, rustic exposed ceiling beams, and 18th century Italian tile.
Ellen is back (and so are our recaps)! We’re super excited that the furniture design competition returns tonight (Monday, January 18), so here’s a look back at the New Year’s Day casting special. We get a taste of what’s to come on season 2 of Ellen’s Design Challenge, we meet the cast, and two people are gone before they got the chance to really compete. Too bad, so sad. Want to meet the cast?
If you’re an artsy couple, you’d probably be psyched to incorporate some of your love of painting and illustration into your big day. But even if you’re not, these creative details might be just the thing for you, too. After all, a little color and texture never hurt anybody. Make each piece a little work of art. If they’re particularly beautiful, it can double as a favor to take home. Art-inspired invites are everywhere these days.
Here at Apartment Therapy, we love a colorful kitchen. But we also recognize that painting your kitchen is a little different from say, painting your living room or bedroom. It feels a little more scary, a little more permanent. It can also affect your home’s resale value. If you love color, but these things have you feeling a little trepidatious, why not consider blue?
I’ve always been a huge fan of pink and green together, and the current trend towards more somber, desaturated colors has put a fresh new spin on this classic combo. Hunter green and dusty pink are beautiful on their own, of course, but they’re even better together. This kitchen from Little Greene pairs a pink that’s just a wee bit bubble gummy with a dark green (and an oak worktop) that balances it out nicely.
Be prepared, upon diving into this slideshow, to be uncomfortably jealous of babies, toddlers, and teenagers. These 15 rooms, home to kids of all ages, are utterly delightful: playful yet sophisticated, orderly yet inviting, and lovingly designed without being fussy. The thoughtfulness of the decor means that these nurseries and kids’ rooms will accommodate their young occupants as they grow—and that there are plenty of design ideas to steal for our own grown-up rooms.
In a modern world currently intrigued by minimalism, there’s something that all three adult generations can agree on: the problem of dealing with the collections curated (hoarded?) by our family members. From younger boomers and Gen X’ers sandwiched between their aging/dying parents and their own children to millennials trying to gently manage expectations (and their own limited budgets and storage space) without hurt feelings, the message is crystal clear.
Marie Kondo is more than a household name. She’s crossed over to the next level and has become a verb for those of us who write, think and obsess about all things home. Yes, “KonMari-ing” and “Kondoizing” are things now. We need our socks to spark joy if we are going to keep them around; why should we settle for anything less?
You know who I'm talking about. The people who show up at the office bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, every day, like clockwork, eating the kind of food you made resolutions about.
So, I’ve got this client. He’s a single guy in finance with a BIG budget, and he really needs to upgrade his large SoHo apartment so that it doesn’t look like a dorm room anymore. We stain the floors, repaint and buy beautiful, sophisticated furniture that he will be able to keep with him for years. But when it comes to the bedding, I don’t want to present him with overpriced Italian sheets or anything feminine. I want masculine. I want modern. I want luxury.
Dragging furniture from one home to the next is pretty standard practice. And as your most-used furniture finds its new home in your living room, dining room and bedroom, have you ever noticed there’s sometimes perfectly-good-so-why-get-rid-of-it “leftover” furniture that you always struggle to find a place for? For me it’s a handful of chairs.
Name: Graeme & Rebekah Molloy Type of Project: Kitchen Remodel Location: Chautauqua Park, Des Moines, Iowa Type of building: 1920 Tudor The Renovation Diaries are a collaboration with our community in which we feature your step by step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style. See all of our Reno Diaries here. Rebekah and Graeme are now totally in the thick of their kitchen reno.
Not all sliding mirror closet doors are created equal. For example, our new home is equipped with mirrored sliding doors, and while they’re not awful, we definitely want to revamp them (or take them out altogether). Our 5 ideas for dealing with sliding mirror closet doors (and don’t forget to weigh in with your suggestions). Apply vinyl decals like these or these to distract from the look of mirrored closet doors.
In your first year of owning your own home, every new day brings on a new challenge. And thanks to that fresh and dewy homeowner glow, you’re poised to tackle them all. Who cares if the wall is crooked and the kitchen is in disarray—they’re yours. Owning a home isn’t all good feelings, though. And people don’t seem to want to discuss all the bad vibes that can frequently come along with buying your own first place… What if the neighbors are horrible?
Inspired by the folks who described their own homemade cleansers in our green cleaner comment thread yesterday, we remembered this list of simple and safe homemade metal cleaners in Real Simple Cleaning, and pulled it off the shelf this morning to take a look. Perfect for keeping your kitchen or bath faucets shining bright without chemicals!1. Ketchup brightens copper. According to Real Simple Cleaning, the acetic acid in ketchup dissolves the oxide tarnish that makes copper look cloudy.2.
Saving up to buy a home next year? You might need to put aside a little extra to keep up with rising home costs. According to a recent report from Zillow, the national median home will be worth $6,275 more a year from now—meaning that, on average, U.S. homebuyers will need to save an extra $105 a month (a total of $1,260 for 12 months) to keep up with the cost of a 20 percent down payment.
It’s no secret that we’re into succulents. They’re easy to take care of, cheap, easily propagate, don’t need much water and come in tons of beautiful colors and textures. Looking for some fresh succulent inspiration? Want to expand your succulent knowledge and find a new love? Discover our favorite succulents for ground and container planting after the jump. The beauty of succulents is that they can take full sun and can live in a container or in the ground.
Kate’s West Village Charm This weekend, in a search of a lost item, I ventured into the no-man’s land of one particular area of my kitchen and was aghast at what I found there. Even though it’s a little-seen area, that doesn’t make it any better in terms of the dust accumulation and the total ick-factor I experienced when I realized what kind of filth I had been harboring. So where was all the grossness hiding?
You see a chair on the curb. It’s sitting right in front of your building and it’s free. Or, you’re at the thrift store and spy a cheap sofa. But something holds you back. You’re just. not. quite. sure. If only there were guidelines — holy reminders if you will — of things to keep in mind while looking at used furniture. How do you decide if it’s the right thing to re-do? Or if you should run in the other direction?
I’ve been in love with galvanized stock tank gardens for a long time and posted a roundup of my favorites last summer. Finally, I’ve gotten the chance to exercise my green thumb and take the first, small step to adding a little style to the exterior of my home.After nearly a year of renovations to the interior of my home, I’ve finally had the chance to start adding a little curb appeal.
Coral can be defined as a reddish yellow, pinkish yellow or a light yellowish red. It’s similar in shade to salmon and tangerine, with the former having a stronger pink undertone and the latter, a stronger orange. Coral is often associated with colors suited for a Caribbean beach house or tropical decor, but with the variety of tones, this bold yet warm color is quite easy to pull off in many spaces.
Updating old laminate countertops without having to completely replace them can be a big challenge. Faux finishes can often look, well… faux, and tackling a DIY project (like pouring your own concrete countertops) can be tricky and exhausting. That’s why I was so impressed with this project from interior designer Kara Paslay.Kara managed a realistic concrete look without the hassle and weight of fully-formed slabs.
Name: Faith and MikeType of Project: Master Bathroom CreationLocation: Columbus, OhioType of building: 1920s, multi-level, single family homeIf you’ve been following along with the master bathroom creation in our home renovation, then today is the big day: you get to see how it all turned out!
Think your home is pretty clean? Maybe you’re doing a good job of dusting the spots you remember to clean on the regular, but we bet there are a few spots that are hiding dust bunnies. Peruse this list, take a quick peek in these spots in your home and tell us if we’re right (or tell us which spots we left off). The purpose of this dust/truth revealing list is not to shame anyone who might in fact have any of these dusty spots (I looked and I had dust in three of these spots myself!
It’s an exciting time to be choosing a kitchen color scheme. Not only have we seen a lot of fresh trends emerge in recent years, but bold and playful hues are ever more welcome in this traditional space. If you’re a color lover looking to branch out in your kitchen this year, you might want to take a peek at this surprising color combo to see if it’s right for you.
If you need a nap in the city that never sleeps, then there’s a new way for you to catch some ZZZs. Casper, the direct-to-consumer mattress company that started the bed in a box craze, has opened The Dreamery, a nap café next to its store in New York. If you’re new to nap cafés, then you’ve been sleeping on a trend.
Glow and Behold. We first saw this sparkling lightscape last year in the now-defunct Blueprint. It’s a lovely neutral and crystalline color palette. Click below for details on how to do this project using Christmas lights and canvas…• Paint a stretched canvas from an art-supply store in your desired color.• Plot out your design in pencil on the back, keeping dots a half-inch apart.
I’m an accessory junkie, it’s true. I like to make, buy and hunt for new accessories and it’s very hard for me to part with old ones. This simple DIY project is a great way to organize some of your trinkets, and also a great use for all those old doilies floating around in the universe. Whether they’re from your local thrift shop or passed down from your family, this project is a great way to give doilies a new fresh life.
If I had a dollar for every time I justified skipping a workout because I couldn’t find the time, well, I’d probably have enough money to cover my woefully neglected gym membership for a year. But the reality is it can seem impossible to devote a decent chunk of the day to exercise. Still, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. Happily, there are about a million sneaky ways to fit in a workout—even when time is scarce.
Most of our Renovation Diary projects involve transforming an existing space. This one was different because Faith and Mike chose to create a bathroom in their 1920s Columbus home where before there was only a sleeping porch. Originally the space was only 7 feet tall, with a sloping floor that would have to be replaced. It was a unique project, and a unique challenge. (You can see many more photos of the original space in the post that introduced Faith and Mike’s bathroom remodel.
Name: Rachael & Cassidy (1-year old Doodle, a Dashchund-Poodle mix)Location: U Street Corridor, Washington, DC Size: 1,025 square feetYears lived in: 2.5 My home is a mini-design lab, where I’ve tried out many of the inspiring ideas shown on Apartment Therapy. I replaced the barn door with sliding bookcases — my version of a secret passageway — and tried out my favorite colors and ideas.
TOP ROW:1. Before & After: A Trashed Curbside Dresser2. Before & After: An Unexpected Upholstery Project3. Before & After: Faux Snakeskin Table4. Before & After: Dresser Makeover5. Before & After: From Trash to Silk Screened Style BOTTOM ROW:6. Before & After: Ottoman Transformation7. Before & After: Salvaging a DIY Dresser Gone Wrong8. Before & After: Trash to Treasure Table in Just an Hour9. Before & After: Restoring a Solid Wood Desk10.
I’ve been photographing house tours for Apartment Therapy for years (I’m the House Tour Editor now). And I’ve been able to walk through and capture homes with beautiful, inspiring and bold interiors. But all the homes I’ve photographed have had more than just good style in common. Many of them have had elements that make them not just beautiful to look at, but enjoyable and comfortable to be in.
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.
