Reader Submissions

Name: Shawn Location: Echo Park — Los Angeles, California The basics: 4 months, owned — 1,111 square feet Shawn’s funky cabin is full of warm wood, natural light and a ton of texture. From the wood floors to the planked ceiling the home has tons of laid-back California cool that makes you want to take off your shoes and relax.

We’ll be honest, this post is little more than an excuse to look at cute kids in cute costumes. We asked for your favorite, most adorable, most out-there childhood costumes and you delivered. Revel in all this glorious Halloween nostalgia. Shout out to all the creative parents who made some really impressive costumes and let their kids commit to some of the more out-there ideas. We’ve got home made masterpieces, repurposed recital costumes and some truly great masks.

Interior designer Maggie Burns describes her Williamsburg rental apartment’s style as “Modern, Eclectic, Cozy, Urban, Minimal.” But I would describe it as a beautiful way to keep a home light and airy by using warm, cozy beige and cream tones (rather than a just all-white palette). Beige has (quite rightly) gotten a bad reputation over the years (mostly due to bland, builder’s grade homes).

Hello again bold and intrepid readers, thank you for joining us for another chapter in this oh so spooky anthology. Today we bring you a fright of shorter, but certainly still scary, reader stories. From Molly in Maine: My grandparents have lived in a really old house on the Maine coast since my mom was about 10 years old, and our family gathers there every summer. It was built in 1800 (and is in the National Register of Historic Places)!

Name: Sally Averill Location: Notting Hill, London Size: 360 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned After putting in a few failed offers on flats in the Notting Hill area of London, Sally discovered this mini and modern home and knew it was love at first sight. “I’ve lived in Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and Australia — I love the light and knew I wanted somewhere full of light but also bold colours.

In this installment of Apartment Therapy Readers Scare the Bejeezus Out of You, we have KC. KC’s unwanted visitor mostly stuck to your standard spooky stuff, moving items around, turning things off and on again, until one important night. Scary, but also kind of heartwarming, her story might make you a little empathetic towards her ghost. From KC in Kansas: The first house my (now-ex) husband and I bought 26 years ago had an unwelcome occupant.

Name: Sarah and Max Location: Miami, Florida The basics: 4 months rented, 750 square feet Sarah’s Miami apartment is colorful and fun and full of little surprises. Every picture has a fun detail, full of cool art and funky patterns. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband Max and I actually just moved from Indianapolis, Indiana to Miami four months ago.

We’re back with another scintillating and scary reader ghost story. This time we’re taken to New Jersey, where a colonial inn turned restaurant plays host to a family of ghosts. From Rachel in New Jersey: When I was in high school and college I worked at a restaurant that was originally an inn from the 1700s. One Sunday afternoon, I picked up the phone at the hostess station and had a chilling conversation with someone who had visited the restaurant over the weekend.

Name: Vincent Location: West Village — New York, New York The basics: 2 years, rented — 700 square feet Vincent’s West Village home is classically urban and warmly welcoming, perfect for his supper club, Mr. Jones. His home is both personal and public, well curated with plenty to look at without feeling staged. And with the exposed brick and natural light, he hit the apartment jackpot!

Michael moved into a blank slate of a bedroom and after jumping across the pond for a bit, set about making it his own. Using antiques and souvenirs he transformed the room into a unique and grounded sanctuary. From Michael: I moved into the apartment this July! It’s a renovated multi-family home in Woodlawn, New York. This bedroom was the living room of the original house before it was updated and turned into multiple units. All in all, the room took about three weeks to complete.

We asked to hear some of your creepiest, spookiest ghost stories and boy did you all deliver. After spending time combing through your tales of unexplained phenomenons and otherworldly visitors, we’re bringing you the top tales that kept us up at night. First up, C.G shares the story of the haunting of their childhood home. Turn on a little Beethoven and dive in. From C.G.

Project by: Ashley Scott of Scouted Home Location: Santa Monica, California Ashley’s clients basically handed over a large blank canvas and she made a masterpiece. Blending of-the-moment looks like large floral wallpaper with classic vintage looks, she created a space that is heavy on visual impact but not overwhelming. From Ashley: We recently completed this project for a couple who are new to L.A.

Project by: Cynthia Ferguson Designs Location: Toronto, Ontario Cynthia was enlisted to help a family of four downsize from their family home into a condo that would better suit their life now. Working with her clients she was able to create a chic space that mixes new pieces with old favorites. From Cynthia: With their two daughters moving on to University, my client decided to take advantage of the crazy real estate market in Toronto and downsize from their family home.

Name: Jessica Location: Eastside — Milwaukee, Wisconsin The basics: 3 months, rented —450 square feet Jessica’s apartment looks much larger than its 450 square feet. Since hosting was a priority for her, and she didn’t want folks playing Apples to Apples on her bed, she decided to divide up her studio to carve out a specific spot for entertaining. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’m a public accountant and photographer.

A couple of months ago we asked you to tell us your roommate stories. You know, those stories you trot out at parties and on dates, the stories about your kooky freshman year roommate or your mostly cool roommate who had one super weird habit. Well you came through and today we’re pleased to present our first 100% true roommate tale.

Name: Hannah Location: Raleigh, North Carolina The basics: 2.5 years, rented — 385 square feet Hannah’s adorable apartment comes complete with an enviable amount of sunlight, which she in turn uses to grow a ton of plants. Green mixes with pops of color and funky finds to create a totally winsome little space.

Kenya’s bedroom was fine, if a little drab. She wanted to add warmth, texture and personality, so she tackled a big upgrade (wood floors) and super personal DIY projects. From Kenya: The bedroom before redecorating and laminate floor installation could best be described as drab. The walls were gray and the carpet was a darker shade of gray. The room lacked texture and color, but most importantly it lacked character. It took about a week to have the floors done.

Name: Sarah, her husband, their daughter and cat Location: New York, New York The basics: Owned, 5 months — 1,100 square feet Sarah and her family have created a sleek, minimalist family home in New York. Full of smartly hidden storage and light maximizing colors, the space feels airy and bright.

Regine’s backyard presented a bit of a conundrum. She wanted to create a space for lounging and hosting, but a large part of her backyard was taken up with the driveway to the garage. Not to be deterred, she got creative and over the course of three summers, created a backyard oasis on a budget. From Regine: Our backyard before was begging to be made into something pretty.

Melanie’s rowhome had a surplus of bedrooms and a deficit of bathrooms so the math was easy to do. The actual renovation, however, was not so easy. After an extended timeline and a few plumbing snafus, they now have one newly remodeled bath and one entirely new one.

Name: Beth and Jake Location: Dallas, Texas The basics: 1 year, rented — 900 square feet Newlyweds Beth and Jake have created a cozy cocoon of a home that is warm, welcoming and perfect for entertaining. Layering textures and eclectic finds, their space is full of funky organic vibes. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband Jake and I recently got married, so this is our first space together as newlyweds, and it has been such an oasis for us.

The exterior of Erin’s home was not only weathered and not particularly stylish, it appeared to be falling apart. They decided to tackle a major exterior overhaul while living in the house, and lived to tell the tell. Five weeks later they had a gorgeous new exterior that pays homage to the historic character of her neighborhood. From Erin: Our two bedroom, one bath, ~1,000 square foot row house previously had a stucco front which had been placed over the original brick exterior.

Sometimes going out of your comfort zone has a beautiful result.

Name: Oksana, her husband and their children Zion and Chloe Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota The basics: 9 years, owned — 1,200 square feet Oksana’s home is a mix of white and wood which keeps the space warm and inviting and maximizes the natural light, a big plus during South Dakota winters. Her philosophy is to take designing her space one corner at a time, and you can tell by the smartly collected moments sprinkled throughout the house.

We took a look at Ayanna’s gorgeous weekend getaway before, but we were really curious to see a little bit more of what the space looked like before Ayanna worked her magic on it. Dark and a bit dreary, but full of potential, Ayanna truly made the best parts of the house sing while giving it the update it so sorely needed. From Ayanna: My partner and I brought the house in Woodstock for two reasons: we love the Hudson Valley and we needed a vacation home.

Anam’s paint splattered, wobbly bookshelf was on the verge of being recycled after some new built-ins took over its role of craft supply storage. But Anam decided to sturdy the piece up and give it a bright, brand new look. From Anam: I’ve had this bookshelf for almost a year and bought it for super cheap off Craigslist.

Anika spotted a daybed on the side of the road, and not being possessing superhuman strength, was forced to leave the heavy daybed but took the drawers as a consolation prize. They lay fallow in her garage for awhile but then she repurposed them into a cute, kicky little bar cart. From Anika: I found these old drawers on the curb almost a year ago. They were actually a part of a daybed which was too huge and heavy to carry home so I brought home four of the drawers instead.

Frances wanted a backyard that she could use for entertaining and her segmented, fenced off space was not quite up to the task. Sacrificing her weekends to the DIY gods, she was able to create a space that is much more welcoming and way less gray. From Frances: When we bought the house the garden was separated into three small sections, so all you could ever see out of the window was a mass of fencing and gates!

Mike and Kate’s home office had slowly morphed into a home office slash dumping ground for stuff. They both work from home and felt that they had enough space for a functional office, but they just weren’t making the most of it. They called in their good friend Christina, and she helped the space do a total 180. From Christina: My friends Mike and Kate had a great space for a home office, but the dark paint and cluttered walls made the room feel tiny, especially for two people!

Name: Emily Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia The basics: 2 years, rented — 900 square feet Emily’s on her own for the first time, so she decided to create the most uniquely “her” space she could. Filling her home with quirky finds, heirlooms and unique collections her space is homey and warm. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: For as long as I can remember my favorite activity has been decorating.

The kitchen in Carrie’s 1950s Chicago bungalow was in desperate need of some updates. By going back to basics and doing most of the shopping at big box stores, she was able to keep the budget to around $15k and save herself the hassle of hiring a contractor. From Carrie: The dark kitchen in our new little home had not been touched in probably 30-40 years. It was horribly outdated, there were soffits galore, and there were a few poorly placed appliances throughout.

Name: Marta, Tadeu and Spock the cat Location: Lisbon, Portugal The basics: 1 year, rented Marta and Tadeu’s apartment is full of tiny bright surprises. It seems to be about 80% a super stylish neutral apartment with 20% colorful and quirky and delightful finds — perfect for a game of interior eye spy. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’m a fashion designer and my boyfriend Tadeu is a photographer.

Krys was ready to upgrade her bar cart situation and was on the hunt for something bigger and better. She found this unit (above) at IKEA but thought it was a bit unforgettable. However, the price was right so she decided to get creative and transform it into the swinging ’60s-inspired bar cart of her dreams. From Krys: I needed something bigger than the bar cart I had been using and decided to look for a cabinet instead and make a sort of cocktail corner in my living room.

Project by: Danielle McKim of TUFT Location: Charlotte, North Carolina Danielle’s client was tackling a major milestone, living alone for the first time. She called in Danielle to help her figure out how to design to her own tastes, and the result is a modern, clean and glam space that mixed vintage treasures with big box finds. From Danielle: My client was well into her successful career but after seven years with a great roommate it was time for her to find her own place.

Never underestimate the power of well placed chalk paint. Iuliana’s kitchen was in need of a new look and a full-blown kitchen renovation wasn’t really do-able — but she would not be deterred. A couple of coats of sunshine yellow later, her kitchen is brighter, cheerier, and her budget remains intact (which we imagine made her feel bright and cheery, too).

Project by: Sarah and Nick Karakaian of Nestrs LLC Location: Seattle, Washington Sarah’s sister found herself with a lovely, slightly imperfect home in Seattle. She called in the pros, aka Sarah and Nick, to help give her house some simple sophistication. A lucky find in the form of a brick wall, a few smart paint choices and a mix of DIY and shopped furniture pieces helped to create a warm and modern home.

Darren and Catherine’s client wanted their new office space to be welcoming, interesting and a reflection of their interests. Going from bland basic office white to a bold orange gave the space an immediate jolt of personality, and then the team layered on vintage and flea market finds, colorful industrial furniture and funky patterns. From Darren & Catherine: The new Senior Dean wanted his office to be a warm and inviting space for students, families and faculty.

Project by: Sophia Shibles of SCS Design Location: Providence, Rhode Island Sophia’s clients had an enviable inheritance of mid-century modern furniture and art that they wanted blended into their older home. With incredibly rich colors and varied textures the space is sumptuous yet playful, striking an impressive balance of artistic nonchalance with classic glamour.

With a wedding on the horizon, Cali knew that she didn’t have a ton of extra money lying around but also wanted to give her bathroom a bit of an upgrade before hosting guests. A well-timed bridal shower gift, a rich dark paint color and three days later, she found herself with a sleek and sexy new bathroom. From Cali: We have wanted to fix up this bathroom since I moved in five years ago.

The previous owners of Karin’s home had used the backyard as something of a doggy dumping ground. After some much needed clean up, Karin called in the professionals to help lay pavers and stone, before attacking the planting herself. Add in a shed and a re-done deck and you have a totally transformed backyard oasis. From Karin: I purchased my house in December, from people who were using the yard as a “doggie daycare”.

Name: Heather, Jeff and their son, Reeve Location: Point Breeze —Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The basics: Owned — 1,693 square feet Heather and her husband have created an utterly enchanting, totally individual space. Heather purchased the home in her 20s and has since made updates to turn the space into a creative and colorful home for a family of three.

Amy saw how the previous owners had set up the master bedroom and decided to go in the exact opposite direction. She created a room that is both cozy and clean, despite having a fairly small footprint. From Amy: The previous owners let their two young daughters share the master bedroom since it was the largest room in the house, hence the bright color palette! And while I love me a little feminine flare, this room was just overkill.

Name: Blandine, her husband, their 3 daughters, 2 dogs, 3 cats and 2 horses Location: Saint Germain au Mont d’or, France The basics: 20 years, owned — 400 square meters/4,305 square feet Blandine’s home is immaculately bohemian. Like pulled straight from the set design of your dreams. With a ton of color and amazing textiles, her farmhouse is spacious yet warm with bold pieces balanced against expansive walls.

Britt picked up this little chair despite its layers of paint and funky (in every sense of the word) vinyl cushion. After some sanding, polishing and waxing she got the frame into pretty good shape, but decided to take the seat in an entirely new direction. From Britt: I did three passes before committing to taking this sad little boudoir chair home.

Name: Diana, James and their chichuahua Herman Location: Edmonton — Alberta, Canada The basics: 1 year, owned — 1,800 square feet Diana and her partner James blended their somewhat divergent tastes to create an awesomely chic home. With one minimalist and one maximalist it wasn’t always easy, but their first shared home is a stylish labor of love.

Naomi’s dining room was cramped, carpeted and questionably colored. After removing the most unsightly elements when she first moved in, she let the room stay as it was while updating other parts of the home. Upon returning to it a few years later, Naomi created a layered and charming space, making the most of some of the elements she initially disliked. From Naomi: When we first bought this house, the dining room was cramped and dark.

Name: Rose, her husband, their two daughters and a puppy Location: Seattle, Washington The basics: 12 years, owned —2,200 square feet Rose’s Seattle home is light, airy and warm, perfectly designed to combat the city’s famous gloom. Blending iconic mid-century shapes with personal touches, the home looks of the moment yet lived in and personal.

Meghan needed a new dresser but couldn’t bring herself to buy one, when her gut was telling her there was a used one to be had floating out in the universe. She found one, and it seems like it had one hell of a previous life, since it was covered in rhinestones and wallpaper. She decided that with just a little love and attention she could spiff the dresser into a piece that was more to her tastes. From Meghan: I found this chest of drawers at the Salvation Army for £10 ($13).

Courtney found herself in a bit of a design lurch when she ordered a new dresser for her daughter, but a month later got word that it had been cancelled. Instead of shaking her fists at the heavens and cursing the retail gods, she hopped in her car, drove to IKEA and snatched up a Hemnes dresser. With a little DIY know-how she transformed the dresser into a totally glam, Old Hollywood-inspired piece. From Courtney: If you are not familiar with it, this is the Hemnes dresser from IKEA.

Not all bathroom projects have to be major upgrades, sometimes a simple change can add a little bit of extra functionality and a lot of charm. Claire needed more storage but wasn’t particularly keen on running out to the store for a quick fix. After fate threw this vintage drawer into her path, it became clear that she was about to find her storage solution. From Claire: This was an old drawer that I had picked out of a dumpster on my daily dog walk.

Project by: Becky Daly of Daly Digs Location: Tampa, Florida Becky’s client wanted to add some oomph to her outdoor space, so she designed a lanai that reflected her passions, style and personality. The space went from standard to stunning with bold and bright furniture, plenty of greenery and surprising accents sprinkled throughout. From Becky: My client friend Jessica wanted to transform her drab lanai into a tropical, West Indies-inspired oasis.

Robin found herself dreaming West Elm dreams while on an IKEA budget. Luckily, she’s an intrepid DIYer so she set out to turn her standard headboard into an upholstered leather masterpiece. All it took was one weekend and a little inspiration to create a chic new look for her bedroom without breaking the bank. From Robin: I started with the IKEA Hemnes bed frame. While it was a great inexpensive bed frame, it needed some sprucing up.

Name: Zane Location: Woodley Park — Washington, DC The basics: 5 weeks, rented — 1,170 square feet As popular CBS sitcom wisdom dictates, a building occupied by three brothers of a certain age should be a mess full of recliners and light-up beer signs. Zane’s crisp and well thought out apartment stands in direct opposition to that particular stereotype, with its muted color scheme and purposeful blend of textures.

When Jessica and her husband moved into their home they knew that they would need to do some serious updating. They took off the Beetlejuice wallpaper in their guest room and when it came time to turn it into a nursery they decided to go full fun. A little bit of Memphis, a sprinkling of Facts of Life, a dash of FAO Schwartz and you have a super cute, very unique nursery.

Chelsea’s master bath was in need of a little love, but funds for a full renovation just weren’t in the cards. Rather than wallow in the depths of an ugly bathroom, Chelsea and her husband decided to make some smart, inexpensive upgrades to give the bathroom a new look without breaking the bank. From Chelsea: When we moved into our fixer upper, I knew we would someday need to tackle master bathroom. It was small, awkward and really hideous.

A big blank wall. It could easily be a source of inspiration or anxiety. For Becky, it was inspiration first, contractor-related anxiety second. She seized the opportunity to use her large amount of blank space as an opportunity to go above and beyond a standard media center and add some built-in charm to her living room. The results are a stunning nod to farmhouse style, will remaining understatedly chic.

Name: Angela, her husband, daughter, and their dog, Ollie Location: Luxembourg The basics: 6 years, rented — 4,000 square feet When Angela and her family moved to Luxembourg from the States, they weren’t entirely sure what to expect. Prioritizing the things that soften the blow of an international move on a family, Angela wanted a home with a great location, access to schools and outdoor space.

Name: Mark Location: Hudson Valley, New York The basics: 6 months, owned — 440 square feet Mark was looking for studio space and in order to get more bang for his buck he decide to look outside of New York City. He found a barn with a long artistic history and new it was the place for him. He renovated a studio apartment underneath the barn, creating a bright and warm home base while tackling larger renovations on the property.

Krys’s DIY project is almost too internet-friendly to be true. An IKEA hack? That’s millennial pink? All for the low cost of $300? Think of all the extra money she saved for avocado toasts and Netflix subscriptions and other things millennials enjoy! In all seriousness, Krys’s project is majorly cool, relatively inexpensive and after a bit of trial and error, pretty easy.

Name: Emily and Gigi the dog Location: Norwood, Ohio The basics: 5 months, owned — 1,067 square feet Emily and her adorable dog roommate Gigi settled into this cute craftsman after a decade of renting. It was love at first site for Emily and after the ink dried on her contracts she set about turning the house into her ideal first home.