A couple weeks ago, we met Julie, Victor, and Teo. The three of them live in an apartment that has great bones — light-filled rooms with beautiful ceiling beams. The problem was that their living room had both nothing and everything. The everything part was courtesy of Teo: His arrival was “the best thing ever,” Julie told us. “It seems like every day we accumulate more things and, in a small space, you really feel it.
Name: T.V. Carpio, Cato Herring, their daughter and three cats Location: Burbank, CA Size: 2,138 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years It wasn’t until T.V. became pregnant that she and Cato decided to become home owners. At first they assumed they wouldn’t need a real estate agent, thinking they’d find plenty of listings online on their own.
OK, so maybe I haven’t been renting for my whole adult life… yet. But in the 10ish years since I first became an official leaseholder, I’ve moved 13 times, lived in 11 different rentals, and have been to more open houses than I can count. So, older and hopefully wiser, here are the seven things I wish I had known before signing my first lease. If you do one thing, do this.
We’re helping Julie and her family freshen up their living room. The project involves de-cluttering her space — a special challenge when you have a one-year-old — and adding some travel-inspired pops of color and personality. We’ve set her up with three style experts, who will each build on what Julie has while adding some fresh inspiration from the TargetStyle Global Collection. Which brings us to design blogger Stacey Blake, editor of Design Addict Mom.
We’re helping Julie and her family freshen up their living room. The project involves de-cluttering her space — a special challenge when you have a one-year-old — and adding some travel-inspired pops of color and personality. We’ve set her up with three style experts, who will each build on what Julie has while adding some fresh inspiration from the TargetStyle Global Collection.
We’re helping Julie and her family freshen up their living room. The project involves de-cluttering her space — a special challenge when you have a one-year-old — and adding some travel-inspired pops of color and personality. We’ve set her up with three style experts, who will each build on what Julie has while adding some fresh inspiration from the TargetStyle Global Collection.
Say hello to Julie, a mom who is trying to balance…everything, really. But the part that we can help her with is making her already gorgeous, light-filled apartment reflect her wanderlusty family, including husband Victor and one-year-old son Teo. Although she loves the character and existing beauty of the space itself, she wishes it would reflect her personality and interests — like her love for world travel — without being too eclectic or chaotic.
When you’re selecting a new set of sheets, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Thread count, right? Fine. However, a luxurious thread count is a moot figure if those threads have been over-processed, pulled from questionable sources, or manufactured in a way that roughs up the planet. There’s a better way to get better sheets and it comes from Coyuchi, the pioneer of organic bedding and towels.
For me, the prospect of working with an online decorator has always felt a little like online dating. But what if instead of only suffering an awkward first date, you end up getting paired with a decorator who just doesn’t get your passion for multi-tonal gray-on-gray and six weeks later you wake up to a living room covered in leopard print and crushed velvet?! These are the things that keep me up at night. Thankfully, Havenly has come up with the way to avoid all that.
Name: Adam, Audrey, and Jules (age 2.5) Location: Eagle Rock, Los Angeles Size: 1,012 square feet Years lived in: Owned 14 months When Adam and Audrey were looking for a good starter home, they wanted a ready-to-go renovation with a few perks (AC and a yard) that their Los Feliz rental didn’t have. Even though they’d been priced out of their neighborhood and nearby Silver Lake, they still wanted an area that was cool, plus safe and family-friendly: Eagle Rock fit the bill.
Name: Nicole, Sean and Warren Bednarz, Betty the dog Location: Oak Forest — Houston, Texas Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: Owned 1 year When the Bednarz family relocated from Austin to Houston so that Nicole and Sean could open a brewery, they were looking for a good bargain that didn’t need major work — a tall order in a new city.
Hardwood floors are so easy to keep clean. That is, as long as your floors never come into contact with paw prints, soccer cleats, tracked-in mud, spills, or humans in general. If your hardwoods do come in contact with, you know, life, our friends at Bona® have made a gentle but powerful deep cleaner that’s designed for quick year-round cleaning whenever you can find a minute in between dog walks, picking cereal up off the floor, and/or just living your real life.
Have you ever stayed in a hotel and noticed that everything in the bathroom just felt so much better? I’m talking towels the size of bed sheets and softer than silk. Buttery tub mats and bath rugs that your feet melt right into. Bathrobes that would bring a whole new meaning to lazy Sunday. Well it’s high time to bring that luxe treatment to your own bathroom.
Sectionals are the MVPs of the furniture game: They’re a lazy lounge area or a stylish party spot depending on what you need at that minute. But because of their versatility and the sheer number of sizes and configurations available, finding the right one can be overwhelming. Three easy questions will help you narrow down the choices. Use painter’s tape on your floor to create an outline of the sectional you’re considering and play with table/ottoman arrangements around that.
Sectionals are the MVPs of the furniture game: They’re a lazy lounge area or a stylish party spot depending on what you need at that minute. But because of their versatility and the sheer number of sizes and configurations available, finding the right one can be overwhelming. Three easy questions will help you narrow down the choices. Use painter’s tape on your floor to create an outline of the sectional you’re considering and play with table/ottoman arrangements around that.
What’s the worst part about being a dog owner? Only every single minute you’re not with them. It’s a bummer that there are times in the day when you want cuddles and can’t have them, but it downright sucks when you just want to know everything’s OK and can’t get that. Well newsflash: It’s 2017 and there’s smart tech for your pet’s health and safety. (As for cuddles…not quite yet.
True style is all about personalization, and personalization is all about details. It’s like how that perfect little piece from Etsy turns a space into your space. And when it comes to the bathroom, what’s on the shelf is just as customizable as the room itself. Function of Beauty makes bespoke shampoos and conditioners that are as much “you” as your favorite piece of decor.
While we’ve gotten to know Joanna Gaines and her style over the past few years from HGTV’s Fixer Upper, she’s been at it since 2003 when she and her husband Chip opened their Magnolia Market boutique in Waco, TX. A few years later and two hours up I-35, Loloi Rugs opened in Dallas with the humble vision of designing the world’s most original rugs.
Prize: A $2,000 Blu Dot Gift Certificate From: Blu Dot Value: $2,000 Modern design is so sexy with its clean lines and economy of materials. But when things get too clean or too economic, it can get a little stuffy. Sure, we want a sofa to make a strong statement, but we also want it to invite us to plop down and get comfy. Blu Dot gets it, as seen in their cool modern furniture with a playful wink.
Whether you’re working with a huge living room or the nook of a studio, choosing the right way to situate your rug and your furniture can be tricky: too close and everything looks cramped; too spread out and the whole rhythm of the room is off. There are several strategies you can use to create a happy relationship between rug and sofa. Find the one that makes the most sense for your space and collection for a comfortable rug-to-sofa ratio.
Whether you’re working with a huge living room or the nook of a studio, choosing the right way to situate your rug and your furniture can be tricky: too close and everything looks cramped; too spread out and the whole rhythm of the room is off. There are several strategies you can use to create a happy relationship between rug and sofa. Find the one that makes the most sense for your space and collection for a comfortable rug-to-sofa ratio.
Prize: One CrossWave All-In-One Multi-Surface Cleaner From: Bissell Value: $249.99 Maybe 2016 turned out to be a messy year. But hey, there’s a brand new one right around the corner! Bissell is helping to kick it off with a clean start by giving two readers a CrossWave All-In-One Multi-Surface Cleaner. It’s basically a combined vacuum and mop that lets you deep clean all your floors (and rugs) in one quick swoosh.
Everyone wants to throw the hottest holiday party — just not literally. But between the oven crammed with deliciousness, the party guests filling your living room, and the heat cranked up against the snow outside, things can get toasty this time of year. Never fear: Whether you’re serving a feast for 12 or ringing in the New Year with 30 of your nearest and dearest, we’ve got one simple trick for keeping your house the perfect temp.
You’ve sent out the Facebook invitation. You’ve come up with a theme. Now you have to actually host the holiday party. Eek! Hold on, though. You can boil any party down to three manageable ingredients. Broken down like this, good party architecture is nowhere near as overwhelming as when taken as a whole. Just scale each component according to the size, length, and vibe you’re going for. To illustrate our premise, we created an elegant, modern holiday in black-and-white.
If you’re anything like us, this is the time of year when your inner crafter comes out of hibernation. Without fail, every surface is suddenly covered in stickers, grosgrain ribbon, baker’s twine and 12 different varieties of pretty paper. This year, we finally figured out a way to sort through the random supplies, decorate an out-of-the-way corner, and elevate our gift-wrap game in one go.
Name: Joe Location: Santa Monica, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 4 years Joe Rothstein, a speech pathologist, decided he was ready to become a homeowner in 2010. He wanted to live in a neighborhood of Los Angeles County that was close to his clients — and, oh yeah, close to the beach. He found a 1,200–square foot home in Santa Monica that didn’t feel right at first, but would go on to become the home that, with a little help, he’d put up a fight for.
By mid-November, our Saturday nights are booked until 2017. It’s wonderful, but also overwhelming. So, we love to pull out an entirely different trick this time of year: the midweek party. We know what you’re thinking: There is nothing festive about a Wednesday. All the more reason to throw a low-key Christmas fete! Just keep the emphasis on the “low-key.” You don’t need to deep clean your house or cover every surface with tinsel for a chill afterwork holiday hang.
Any pet owner will tell you that there’s nothing like having a furry friend around the house. But even the best-trained animal can be hard on your home, so it’s important to make smart but stylish decorating choices that meet your needs and theirs. Here are four easy tips you can apply to make sure that your décor is pet purrfect. 1. Pick a material you can trust. Not all upholstery is created equal.
Any pet owner will tell you that there’s nothing like having a furry friend around the house. But even the best-trained animal can be hard on your home, so it’s important to make smart but stylish decorating choices that meet your needs and theirs. Here are four easy tips you can apply to make sure that your décor is pet purrfect. 1. Pick a material you can trust. Not all upholstery is created equal.
Prize: One queen-sized platform bed frame from Floyd, and one queen-sized mattress from Tuft & Needle From: Floyd and Tuft & Needle Value: $1,189 “New bed” falls just below “new car” on the list of items I hate shopping for the most. Who can really feel out a mattress in the store? Why can’t I find a well made bed frame that isn’t a headache to assemble? OMG, what kind of sleeper am I? It’s a big purchase with a ton of options and just as many questions.
No fireplace? No problem. Hang your stockings under a modernist “mantel.” It takes 10 minutes to make, and it’s a great way to step up your style this holiday season. (We checked with Santa, and he confirms this won’t impact his deliveries.) Our toolkit: Command™ Picture Ledges and Hooks. They’re easy to hang and even easier to take down when the holidays are over (although we think we’ll keep the ledges a little while longer).
The pros of having pets on the sofa/in your bed/at the table are pretty clear: tons of cuddles, someone to pick up all the dinner crumbs, and no sad puppy dog eyes (or judgy cat eyes) when your loved one feels lefts out. But let’s face it: The hair gets everywhere. So, let’s talk about your pet hair strategies. Vacuums are, of course, the first line of defense if pets are allowed on the furniture.
Full disclosure: I am not musically inclined by any stretch of the imagination. But music is how my home stays connected with our multitude of friends and family around the world. I’m currently completely into Life’s Blood, the latest album of my friend Patrice who is based between Paris, Brooklyn, and Cologne. Disney’s Queen of Katwe soundtrack is also a backdrop in our home.
Stanley Steemer wants to know how you keep your home clean. Whether your mess is the result of kids or pets or…you…what’s your ritual for cleaning house? That’s the question at the center of their #KeepItCleanContest, and there’s a big bounty for showing them how: $5K cash, a starring role in Stanley Steemer’s next TV ad, and (best of all) a year of free deep cleanings.
A smaller space can actually be an urban homeowner’s dream: a beautiful, functional answer to the busy chaos of everyday life. With an eye for efficiency, square footage becomes irrelevant — and the old adage “less is more” becomes decidedly modern. So what does it take for a small space to work? When it is intentional.
The much-anticipated color of the year is here, and it takes a completely new direction from 2016’s Simply White OC-117! One of our favorite things about Benjamin Moore’s big reveal each year is how it speaks to larger design trends; this year’s is unexpected, but on point. The Benjamin Moore design team explains their arrival to this color, “People are growing braver and more confident about working with color.
For a century that’s still so young, the speed of life has changed rapidly. Now more than ever, we’re seeking ways to streamline and curate our busy lives. Nearly 100 years ago, the Bauhaus design movement began as a similar reaction. Its reigning principles, such as the unity of form and function, are still a pillar of modern, purposeful design.
It’s time to start planning your best-ever Halloween party! Your friends will freak when they see your custom-made photo booth and its Insta-awesomeness. Even the ones who didn’t wear costumes will have fun dressing up in boas and Groucho glasses. The best part? It only takes a trip to the craft store and an hour or two to pull this project together, and thanks to Command™ Party products, it takes even less time to pull it down on November 1.
From 1-bedroom apartments to larger houses, the living room sets the tone for the rest of the home. It should be calming for ourselves and our housemates, as well as any visitors we invite in; it should be equal parts comfort and style. With the right pieces, like those available at American Signature Furniture, our houses become homes. So, what should we consider to truly personalize our main living spaces? Ask yourself some basic questions: Do you enjoy having guests over?
Prize: An Aura Frame From: Aura Frames Value: $399 You have hundreds (thousands? tens of thousands?) of pictures on your phone right now. And yet, there they sit in your photos app, a 21st-century shoebox collecting dust in a closet. It’s time to get them out of digital storage and onto an IRL wall. Aura is ready to do that. Now, you may remember digital picture frames being all the rage in the mid-2000s. And you may remember tossing yours out after you used it twice.
From 1-bedroom apartments to larger houses, the living room sets the tone for the rest of the home. It should be calming for ourselves and our housemates, as well as any visitors we invite in; it should be equal parts comfort and style. With the right pieces, like those available at Value City Furniture, our houses become homes. So, what should we consider to truly personalize our main living spaces? Ask yourself some basic questions: Do you enjoy having guests over?
Name: Mindy Lahiri Location: New York, New York Closet Space: Doesn’t want to talk about it This bright, playful apartment is home to Mindy Lahiri of Hulu’s The Mindy Project, but it’s no blah set piece. This season, Dr. Lahiri’s spacious 1-bedroom just doubled in size (you watched the Season 4 finale, right?). Packed with stylish details and cool design choices, this apartment is ready for its close-up, and should probably be negotiating for top billing.
As summer slips into autumn, the return of the hectic schedule is inevitable: taxiing the kids (or yourself) to and from school and sports, working longer hours, squeezing in grocery runs for weeknight dinners. But as fall gets going, don’t forget to make some me-time. To help you remember, we developed this simple Mindful Moments Wall that uses Command™ Strips, Clips, and Hooks to help keep you at the center of your scheduling.
The bed, our dearest place of rest and relaxation, gets a little more appealing when the weather turns crisp. It’s important to make it an inviting place all year, of course — especially considering how much time we spend there — but fall and winter call for some extra-special touches. Like what? Oh, we have thoughts. Serene sheets. One word: flannel.
We can all agree that high-quality sheets are a solid investment. A little splurge pays off for the place where we spend a third of our lives. Key words: a little. It’s one thing to spend some cash on the right bedding, but quite another to make an appointment with a bedding loans officer. Enter Brooklinen, a Brooklyn-based upstart founded to bring people beautiful, comfortable sheet sets at a reasonable price.
Prize: $500 toward purchase at TempaperDesigns.com From: Tempaper® Value: $500 So you desperately want to update a bland room but you’re: (A) scared of commitment; (B) limited by a strict landlord; or (C) unwilling to spend an entire day prepping and painting (no judgement). Solution? Temporary wallpaper. Yes, it’s a thing — and we’re giving away $500 worth of it to one reader! Allow us to introduce you to Tempaper Self-Adhesive, Removable Wallpaper.
We’ve been fans of the tiny home movement from day one and have loved seeing its evolution as it’s gained momentum. So when we heard about Garnet Hill’s mobile boutique — an upcycled shipping container decked out as a shoppable, livable home store, complete with kitchen, bedroom, and bath — we couldn’t wait to climb inside and check it out. It did not disappoint.
Is there anyone more qualified to find the balance of contemporary style and old-time charm than Joanna Gaines? In designing her exclusive line of furniture and accessories, Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines, she used her unique eye for bringing vintage comforts into today’s homes. Classic, elegant and comfortable, the Farmhouse style of decorating is all about keeping things simple and organic.
Is there anyone more qualified to find the balance of contemporary style and old-time charm than Joanna Gaines? In designing her exclusive line of furniture and accessories, Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines, she used her unique eye for bringing vintage comforts into today’s homes. Classic, elegant and comfortable, the Farmhouse style of decorating is all about keeping things simple and organic.
Home ownership is a goal for many, but when you start listing all the steps involved in transitioning from a rental, maybe renting looks more attractive. But before you give up the dream, get to know Beazer Homes. The company has streamlined the home-ownership process, offering both quick move-in homes and the opportunity for total personalization. Finding your new home should be enjoyable and empowering; by helping you with all the nuts and bolts along the way, Beazer helps keep it that way.
From scooting chairs to high-heeled traffic, having hardwood floors can often mean living in fear of scratches. The truth? Scratches happen. That said, you can keep them to the minimum by switching from defense to offense. We teamed up with Bona® — the final word on cleaning and protecting hardwood floors — to share the only tips you need to keep your boards armored against nicks and knocks. Start outside. No, we’re not telling you to sweep your sidewalk.
Everyone knows the rule: No white after Labor Day. But Coco Chanel completely ignored it, and you can too. If anything, why not use the summer staple year-round to hold onto that feeling of breeziness? White-on-white has reached new heights, from linen shirts to cotton sheets and in myriad ways to mix textures and tones. To get the look, dress your bed the way you’d dress yourself: with the right fit, fabrication and details. It’s how you build an outfit, right?
Ask anyone to describe their dream kitchen (real or fantasy), and they’ll most likely list an island as one of the required features. An additional surface for meal prep, a congregation hub during parties, a place to eat — what’s not to love about the kitchen island? Aside from its multi-functionality, the island can also act as a visual centerpiece for the entire room. So, we decided to pay it its due respect.
The good old accent wall is one of the simplest ways to make an impact in a room. An extension of that strategy is color blocking, which offers infinite possibilities for customization. Go chic in black-and-white blocking, try an understated monochromatic theme, or heck, go all the way with a full rainbow! In the DIY project below, we used Dutch Boy paints to show how to level up the color block wall with a highly personalized look.
Whether you’re upsizing, downsizing or just seeking greener pastures, selling your home can be an emotional experience. Think back to the first time you saw your new place: It felt like a fresh start, a place where you could see yourself and your family growing together. Once you’ve grown, it’s your turn to give that feeling to someone else, all over again.
</p><p> This fall, Joanna Gaines is bringing her eponymous collection of furniture and accessories to American Signature Furniture. The inspiration for Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines comes from Joanna’s love of Old World design that stands the test of time. The collection includes pieces for every room in a variety of fresh, unique design styles, but all unified by Joanna’s belief that “home is the most important place.
</p><p> This fall, Joanna Gaines is bringing her eponymous collection of furniture and accessories to Value City Furniture. The inspiration for Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines comes from Joanna’s love of Old World design that stands the test of time. The collection includes pieces for every room in a variety of fresh, unique design styles, but all unified by Joanna’s belief that “home is the most important place.
Preparing your home for children is one of the most exciting, stressful, scary, amazing and joyful times in life. That’s a lot of emotions to pack into that small spare room you’re converting into a nursery or playroom, and they’re all perfectly normal. Just don’t forget to have fun. We came up with three Glidden® playroom palettes that play off these emotions. They’re bright, beautiful and (most importantly) kid-proof.
Prize: Dining table and four matching chairs, sleeper sofa/futon, bed frame and mattress, side table, coffee table Value: $1,500 From: DHP With the school year just around the corner, many bright-eyed undergraduates are about to get a crash course in living off-campus and on their own. (Lesson 1: Pizza boxes cannot double as coffee tables.) Moving from the dorm to the apartment complex can be scary — meal plan, we hardly knew ye! — but a few versatile essentials will go a long way.
There’s nothing like the rush of finding your first-love home — the one where you can be yourself, make your own rules, and pick your own paint colors. Or maybe you’re lucky enough to have found your forever home — the one where all those pinboards can finally go from inspiration to installation.
You know that pair of jeans you pack on every beach trip that are so well worn it’s like they were custom-made for your fit? Or that tissue-thin T-shirt that’s so soft it’s the only thing you can wear when you’re sunburned? What you want from your most comfortable clothes isn’t so different from what you want in a bed. For a room that feels so relaxed it’s like you’re on vacation 365 days a year, try these 5 tips.
Name: Aspen, Huskie/Collie Roommates: Ariel and Andrew Pietrobono Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn Size: 600 square feet Years lived together: 2 years Aspen has lived with siblings Ariel and Andrew ever since Andrew fell in love with the pup at a shelter. The three roommates’ Park Slope apartment is cheerful and warm, with plenty of features that Aspen loves — including a long fetch court/hallway — and some touches to keep his humans happy, too. (Hello, natural light!
Name: Mortimer (Morty), Australian Bulldog Roommate: Danielle Berger Location: Upper West Side, New York, by way of Sydney, Australia Size: 640 square feet Years lived together: Since he was a tiny chubby puppy. Now he’s a rotund 8-year-old! Morty might be Australian by birth, but he’s a New Yorker at heart. His subtly chic Upper West Side digs are the perfect match to his personality: clean, comfortable, and just a bit quirky.
Name: Pimm, Mutt and “Ladypup” Roommates: Stacie and Sean Location: Upper East Side, New York Apartment size: 500 square feet Years lived together: Just over a year It’s easy to see why Pimm loves her eclectic Yorkville duplex shared with her humans, Stacie and Sean, so much. With an open circular layout and no doors, she has the freedom to run around as she pleases. And she does. A lot.
What if furniture could be categorized by personality type? You know, so you could just swipe right when you came across a sexy leather chaise that matched your temperament. We looked at a few of our favorite pieces from American Signature Furniture to decide what their personality types would be — and whom they’re most compatible with. The Mentor Mentors are natural-born leaders and organizers who bring people together, value sociability, and champion education.
Value City FurnitureThe MentorThe DreamerThe EntertainerLIVES Get inspired! Visit Value City Furniture for inspiration, more tips and furniture options. This post is sponsored by Value City Furniture. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Apartment Therapy possible.
Hosting guests on Airbnb is a fun way to get more out of the home you’ve worked so hard on. If you’re ready to get started, bookmark this checklist of simple things you can do to make visitors feel more at home while they’re on the road. Each is simple, but put together they’ll make a big impact. Try them for your next Airbnb crew, and watch your reviews glow. 1.
