History

The Secret History of the Closet
You probably think of a closet as a little room where you hang up your clothes. But for much of its history, the closet has served a completely different purpose entirely. Come back with me, if you will, to the Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages having a bedroom was a bit of a privilege — most common folks slept either on the floor of the great hall of the manor where they lived, or in the single room that served them as kitchen, living room, dining room, and bedroom all in one.
Nancy Mitchell
Apr 24, 2016
A Quick History of the Annual Chore-Fest We’ve Come to Know as Spring Cleaning
Spring is here! All over the Northern Hemisphere there are telltale signs that spring has sprung: Trees are showing their first green of the year; flowers are appearing in our neighborhood gardens, rooftops, and window sills; and across the lands if you listen carefully you can hear the whirring of vacuum cleaners and the beating of dust from a thousand hallway runners. Yes, for many of us with the season of new life comes the annual chore-fest we’ve come to know as Spring Cleaning.
David Telford
Apr 19, 2016
Real Life Design: Homes with Serious Mid-Century Style
Whether you lived through it (and loved it) the first time around or fell in love with it when Mad Men brought it back, the truth is that mid-century modern design elements have transcended trend and become a classic look that many people use in their decor, in doses big and small. This post isn’t about mixing in MCM details with your existing decor to achieve an eclectic look.
Adrienne Breaux
Apr 11, 2016
A Brief History of Memphis, The Design Group that Defined the Look of the ’80s
Whether you think of this as good news or terrible news, in the world of design, the ’80s are back in a big way. So we thought this would be a good time to do a brief dip into the history of the Memphis Design Group, an Italian design and architecture collective whose wild, colorful, postmodern style defined the look of the 80s.
Nancy Mitchell
Apr 6, 2016
Vintage Charm: Tour 10 Beautiful 100-Year-Old Homes
There’s a reason that people herald the charm of really old homes. Stepping into one of these homes – built between 1890 and the 1910s – is like stepping back in time. The details, the fixtures and the architecture will transport you to a different place, captivating your attention (and certainly your envy). So hop into the Apartment Therapy House Tour time machine for a tour of some of our favorite turn-of-the-century homes.
Taryn Williford
Mar 31, 2016
An 85-Year-Old ‘Tiny House’ in the Style of Frank Lloyd Wright
We often talk about tiny houses and small space living as if they’re a new thing, but the truth is that little houses have been around for years (and were, in fact, once the norm for a majority of Americans). Case in point: this 85-year-old home, built by one of his disciples in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, whose compact 552 square foot floorplan provides plenty of inspiration for the small houses of today.
Nancy Mitchell
Mar 28, 2016
Here’s Why We Think of Pink as a Color for Girls
We have strong associations with the color pink: most people think of it as a ‘girly’ color. But have you ever stopped to think about why that is? It might surprise you to learn that this strange association of color with gender can be traced to just one person: 1950s First Lady Mamie Eisenhower. The post – World War II era, in America, was a period of unprecedented prosperity.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 29, 2016
The Rise and Fall of the Heart-Shaped Hot Tub
It’s Valentine’s Day, which means that the two-lobed shape that we somehow recognize as representing a human heart is suddenly everywhere. There are heart-shaped candies, cards, chocolates, even heart-shaped pizzas. And many years ago, one man had the idea of building a heart-shaped hot tub… and a movement was born.
Nancy Mitchell
Feb 14, 2016
10 Things To Know About Your Eames Chair
So you bought an Eames chair because it was cool. It’s okay—so did I. But now when people come over and say, “I like your chair, where did you get that?” it’d be nice to tell them a little more than, “It’s from a designer.” Here are 10 fun facts about your chair that you can throw around at the next cocktail party, because, you know, knowing stuff is also pretty darn cool, too. 1.
Alison Gerber
Feb 3, 2016
The Mysterious History of the Fourth Meal – and Why it Might Be Coming Back
Most of us eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But this isn’t true all over the world, and it hasn’t always been the case even in America. Several historical references make mention of a mysterious fourth meal — a second or ‘reve’ supper. Although we may think of our standard of three meals as the norm, it’s not just hobbits who eat more than three meals a day.
Nancy Mitchell
Oct 23, 2015
Why Do People in the South Call Lunch ‘Dinner’ and Dinner ‘Supper’?
I grew up in the South, and that means I had a grandma who was an excellent cook, but it also means that, throughout my childhood, I was exceedingly confused about what the word ‘dinner’ meant. Most people I knew used dinner to refer to the evening meal and lunch for the mid-day one, but at grandma’s dinner happened at noon and there was another meal, supper, in the evening. Were my relatives trying to confuse me? What, exactly, did it all mean?
Nancy Mitchell
Oct 20, 2015
A History of New Yorkers’ Love/Hate Relationship with the Fire Escape
They’re a refreshing escape. They’re a terrifying safety hazard. They’re an eyesore. They’re a beloved part of the urban fabric. For as long as there have been fire escapes, there have been mixed opinions about fire escapes. The zigzagging metal stairs that many people associate so closely with the look of New York first started to appear in 1860, when a revision to the state code required buildings to have them.
Nancy Mitchell
Sep 25, 2015
Design Dictionary: Do You Know These 25 Obscure Architecture Terms?
Hobbies come with their own lingo. And around here–while we’re huge into design and life at home–we still find that some terms escape us. Architecture pros will know what an “oriel” is, but the rest of us? Time to brush up. Along with definitions and photos from Wikipedia, here are 25 obscure design and architecture terms you might not know. The dado is the lower part of a wall, below the dado rail and above the skirting board.
Taryn Williford
Sep 15, 2015
11 Amazing Vintage IKEA Pieces We Wish They Would Bring Back
There is some pretty great stuff at IKEA. But it’s hard not to be jealous of IKEA shoppers from the 70s and 80s when you see some of the amazing stuff that used to line the retailer’s shelves. Here are eleven favorite vintage pieces that we’d love to see make a comeback. Above: IKEA’s TAJT, seen here on the cover of their 1973 catalog (via Scraphacker), is a pretty clever design — and maybe the most attractive chair-that-turns-into-a-bed I’ve ever seen.
Nancy Mitchell
Aug 17, 2015
50 Household Terms You Might Not Know Were Brand Names
Many of the terms you use around the house are actually trademarked. (“Grab me a kleenex, will you?”) Or at least they were at one point, before we all started using them as if they were just a regular part of the English language. And actually, a few of the brands on this list have lost the right to enforce their trademark because the term became so commonplace. So here they are in one tidy list (a little ammunition for your next trivia night).
Taryn Williford
Jul 27, 2015
This is Real: The Baby Cage
1930’s London wasn’t known for its plentiful fresh air or sunshine but for a quick minute, these babies got to soak up as much as they could of both…while dangling high above the city streets in a wire cage. Guess that’s one way to get your kid to play outside. This incredible invention was brought to our attention courtesy of an hilariously tongue-in-cheek recent Gothamist article.
Jennifer Hunter
Jun 23, 2015
Long Overdue: The Microwave Needs a Nickname
Ever the romantic gift-giver, I recall with utter clarity the Christmas my father gave my mother a microwave oven. The year was 1984. Its inaugural run was a bowl of water (how’s that for cautious?) How is it that thirty years later we are still sounding out all three laborious syllables: MI-CRO-WAVE? Why doesn’t this ubiquitous appliance have a shorter, widely accepted nickname? It’s time to remedy this oversight!
Carrie McBride
Nov 20, 2014
Garden Design Classics: The Armillary Sphere
Armillary spheres (sometimes referred to as armillary sundials) are a common decorative ornament in many gardens but can most often be spotted in the traditional English garden. Today’s armillary spheres, used as simply a decorative feature instead of a scientific instrument. are primarily fabricated of metal, and have become much more streamlined compared to their ancient counterparts. So what exactly is an armillary sphere, you might wonder?
Kimber Watson
Jun 13, 2014
Color by Decade: The 50s
What bland optimism. Just look at all those smiling, happy white people. If there was ever a more striving crawl towards generic homogeneity, I’d like to hear about it. And if this utopia was built in the 40s and disintegrated in the 60s, then for a moment it existed — for some — in the calm center of the storm of the world, 1950s America. Let’s look at the colors used to sell this story.
Mark Chamberlain
Nov 12, 2013
What’s the Deal With Vermilion?
Often called “Chinese Red,” vermilion actually has a long and storied history throughout many cultures of the ancient world. Read on to find out more about this ancient color. It starts with a mineral, the undisputed champion of cool mineral names: cinnabar. Grinding cinnabar produces the brilliant red powder called vermilion, evidence of which was found as early as 8000 BC in the area that is now Turkey.
Jennifer Hunter
Nov 5, 2013
Quick History: Tatami Mats
Tatami mats are a kind of rush flooring used in traditional Japanese homes. Made of woven rush grass around a rice straw core, they are gentle but firm underfoot, and also give off a lovely (I think) scent, especially on rainy or humid days. Increasingly rare in modern Japanese interiors, tatami deserves to be considered as a potential material in all homes. Let’s take a look at its rich history.
Anna Hoffman
Sep 27, 2012
Quick History: Wicker Furniture
Wicker furniture might seem like an invention of the Victorian era, but that’s just when it hit the English and American markets. In fact, wicker is one of the oldest methods of making furniture, common all over the world for thousands of years. But wait, I’ll bet you’re wondering what wicker is exactly, am I right? So let’s define our terms, and take a quick look at the history of wicker.
Anna Hoffman
Sep 12, 2012
Quick History: The Bauhaus & Its Influence
We’ve all seen Marcel Breuer’s famous Wassily chair — the first to use tubular steel for a domestic setting — supposedly inspired by a bicycle frame (image 1). Would you believe this chair, maybe the most famous design to emerge from the Bauhaus, is a grandfatherly 87-years-old? Yes, the Bauhaus turned 93 this past spring, a shocking fact given that Bauhaus design still feels incredibly fresh and current.
Anna Hoffman
Sep 5, 2012
American Style Through the Decades: The Forties
The 1940s were a tumultuous time. It is impossible to understand those years outside of the context of WWII. The war not only defined the decade but from a design perspective, split it virtually in half. During the first half of the decade, new design was halted, as supply shortages and rationing demanded that all available resources — material and otherwise — be directed towards the war effort…Socially, the decade featured a similar split.
Bethany Seawright
Jul 14, 2011
Matt & Zack’s Masculine Mid-Century Home
Name: Matt, Zack, Dexter the Wheaton Terrier and Parker the Miniature Retriever Location: Washington Square — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Size: 980 square feet Years lived in: 10 months We first got a look into the home of Matt and Zack during Small Cool 2010. Their home did so well that we knew a full House Tour would be much appreciated. There’s something for everyone in this home, so pay attention!
Kristen Lubbe
Sep 30, 2010
Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
Name: Ernest HemingwayLocation: Key West, FloridaSize: 3,000 square feetYears lived in: 30 years (1931 – 1961) Nestled in a thick jungle of tropical foliage near Florida’s southern most point stands Ernest Hemingway’s Key West Home. Still situated on the original acre of property, the Spanish Colonial house is where Hemingway wrote some of his greatest works and showcased his many treasures acquired from his adventurous travels.
Guerrin Gardner and Mat Sanders
Sep 20, 2010
Randal’s Regal Rooms
Name: Randal DawkinsLocation: North Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New YorkSize: 700 square feet (approximately 490 square feet pictured)Years lived in: 6 We first featured the apartment that Randal coined his “miniature country house” during our Small Cool Contest. Though situated in Brooklyn, Randal is spot-on with his description.
Annie Werbler
Jul 12, 2010
What Color Is Your Holiday? Christmas, Hanukkah, & Kwanzaa
With the city festooned in red and green for the holiday season, it seemed like an appropriate time to wonder how these colors came to be associated with Christmas, how blue and white became the official colors of Hanukkah, and what symbolism black, green, and red have during Kwanzaa. The Christmastime significance of the color green is partly related to the evergreen tree, seen as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection and eternal life.
Anna Hoffman
Dec 17, 2009