New Home

How To Make the Most of Typical Rental Features: The Only Bathroom is Through the BedroomDecorating
Once upon a time, I was flat-hunting in London and found an adorable one. The location was convenient and the space bright and sunny. The problem? The bathroom was located off the bedroom, meaning that guests would have to go past my bed in order to use it. Here’s how to make the most of this sometimes awkward layout: Though I immediately discounted that flat, I’ve since discovered that this layout isn’t as ridiculous (or rare) as I once thought.
Eleanor Büsing
Jul 25, 2014
The Natural Order of Things: How To Design Your Home, One Step at a TimeDecorating
The other day, I was speaking to a friend who laid a design quandary at my feet. She needed a few new items for her apartment and, since every choice she made would affect the others, she was feeling stuck on where to start — the design version of “the chicken or the egg”. Anyone who’s decorated a home, or even a room, knows that the choices you make early on can influence those further down the line.
Eleanor Büsing
May 20, 2014
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: One Year Sharing a Bedroom with a BabyDecorating
Some parents share a room with their baby by choice (especially those who choose to co-sleep) and others by necessity if they live in a small home. Perhaps you have a long-term plan to move into a two-bedroom home, but are staying where you are for now. Or, like my family, you’re not quite ready to have your infant share a room with an older child.
Carrie McBride
Apr 29, 2014
The One Thing Almost Everyone Gets Wrong When Moving Into a New HomeReal Estate
After getting the key and walking into your new, calm, and empty apartment, what’s the first thing you do to make it your own? Move in the sofa? Pack the fridge with groceries? There are a thousand right answers and, according to one designer, one very wrong one. Most people take advantage of an empty apartment to paint the walls before they ever move in, but waiting to paint after you’ve settled in a bit makes for a more cohesive space.
Taryn Williford
Mar 13, 2014
The Neat-Freak Solution to Storing Kitchen Cleanersorganizing-cleaning
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) From The Kitchn → Two Ways To Store Dish Soap and Other Kitchen Cleaners (Besides by the Sink).
Jennifer Hunter
Oct 3, 2013
Building Community: 5 Great Ways to Meet Your NeighborsLife
It’s been only a few weeks since I made the big move south to Atlanta and meeting new people and making friends with the neighbors is very high on my list of things to do. I’ve just moved from a city I love, where I had a circle of friends who lived within 5 blocks, so to put it bluntly, I’m having a difficult time adjusting. I’m struggling with making new friends and meeting my neighbors.
Joelle Alcaidinho
Aug 28, 2013
Walk-Up World: Pros & Cons of Living on the First FloorReal Estate
When you’re looking for a new apartment you no doubt have a laundry list of what you’re looking for and what you’re not looking for. Some criteria you may be uncompromising about (like the maximum price) but there are always secondary criteria that are more flexible. Which floor the apartment is on likely falls into this category and there are pros and cons for each floor. I live in Brownstone Brooklyn where most apartment buildings are 4 story walkups.
Carrie McBride
Aug 20, 2013
Before & After: Heather’s Garage Studio RenovationHome Projects
To save money for a down payment, Heather and her boyfriend lived in her mother’s garage-turned-studio apartment. They did manage to clean it up from this before, and transform it into a gorgeous space! From Heather: My mother’s garage is converted into a studio apartment with a full bathroom and a cute little kitchen.
Tara Bellucci
Jul 8, 2013
How Much Rent Can You Really Afford?Real Estate
Knowing what you want in a rental apartment is pretty easy: space, location, storage, beautiful floors, light, etc. Finding all of those things within your budget can be a bit more difficult. But before you even start contemplating your rental possibilities, you should probably know what your budget is, and fortunately, this step isn’t all that difficult.
Carolyn Purnell
Mar 20, 2013
Real Life Lessons from a First-Time PainterHome Projects
I have a confession: I’m a design writer who, until recently, had never actually painted a room. I’ve spent countless hours staring at fan decks, and I’ve memorized more shade names that I care to admit, but as someone who has hopped from rental to rental, rarely staying put for more than a year at a time, painting never quite seemed worth it. But as of this month, I’m proud to say that my neophyte status is no more.
Carolyn Purnell
Aug 9, 2012
Before & After: Family-Friendly DeckPlants & Yard
It started with a splinter. We’d long neglected the worn, ugly deck off our master bedroom. It contained two chaise lounges, a plant, and a sand table for our toddler, but was still bare and underutilized. Then I got a nasty splinter from it — my third in as many days — and I realized we couldn’t ignore it any longer.It wasn’t a rash decision, so much as an acknowledgment that the deck needed repair.
Kathleen Luttschyn
Jul 31, 2012
9 Things I Wish I’d Known About Decorating a First HomeDecorating
I was talking to a friend who’s about to decorate her first home. She asked me if there was anything I wish I’d known when I went to decorate my first place that would have saved me time or money. There are a few things…1. Buy your big pieces of furniture secondhand: This is not just about saving money, it’s also about how your style will change as you learn what you like and don’t like.
Abby Stone
Oct 5, 2011