Partner Content

There’s intimacy, and then there’s quarantine intimacy. Whether you’re cohabitating with a spouse, an SO, or roommates, living together has taken on a whole new meaning this past year. We’re learning a lot about sharing space with people we love — and not all of those lessons are fun.

Throughout the past year(-ish) spent mostly at home, we hope you’ve taken some time to celebrate the little wins that have made your space a happier place. Scouring your bathtub! Dusting your floorboards! Cleaning out your fridge drawers! A year ago these things might not have seemed nearly as exciting, but right now — in honor of spring cleaning — we 100-percent believe that every tiny task that makes your space a bit cleaner and happier is worth celebrating.

Now that 2021 is here, we’re making little improvements at home that help us stick to healthier habits. Getting the year off to a good start could mean something as simple as reorganizing your spice rack, giving your apartment a deep clean, or treating yourself to a bouquet of fresh flowers each week. Whatever your resolutions, there’s one area of your home you should definitely consider improving right now to set you up for a better year: your sleep space.

Holiday celebrations may require a little more creativity this year, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be memorable. In the latest installation of Apartment Therapy’s Style School, home design maven Sandra Morgan Downie — who shares her warm, serene style at Sandra Morgan Living — walks us through creating a festive holiday bar setup in an unexpected place: a plain old cabinet. That’s right!

While this year certainly has its challenges, here’s a silver lining: People across the country now working at home have saved an average of 54 minutes on their daily commute. That’s nearly an hour saved each day from the grind of gridlock. Before you pile another meeting or errand on your schedule, consider this: What if you used those 54 minutes just for you?We love a good sheet mask as much as the next person, but don’t be afraid to think bigger.

When we can’t go out and the company holiday party is a 45-minute Zoom call, is the holiday season still worth celebrating? We say, emphatically: YES! This feels like the right time to celebrate what you do have, to enjoy the company of family and close friends, and to discover new possibilities in your home.

It can be hard to stay calm and organized in a year that’s felt anything but. But for all the curveballs virtual learning and working from home have thrown us, there is the occasional bright spot. Case in point: People across the country have saved an average of 54 minutes on their daily commutes. Stop right there! Resist the urge to pile more meetings and must-dos into those minutes. We believe they should be spent doing something for you.

After the year we’re having, we could all use a break—and perhaps no one more so than parents. As it turns out, it’s impossible to keep a tidy house when everyone is always home living, working, and virtual learning in it! While it can feel like there’s never enough time to pack in everything on our to-do lists, here’s some encouraging news: Based on data from the U.S.

Our home projects editor Megan loves a good DIY, and she loves a good challenge. So Megan has asked some of the most clever DIYers if they’re up for making over some everyday object on a budget. We call it Megan’s Mystery Makeover! For this edition, Megan’s making things festive for the holidays. Will today’s DIYer be up for the challenge?

As the weather cools down and we’re hunkering down, there’s a silver lining to this season: cozy date nights in. With a little planning, you can create an experience that’s as good or even better than a night out. Pour a fancy cocktail, put on some music, and enjoy!Many great dates start with great drinks, so start out by getting your home bar in order with all the right ingredients for treating yourself.

While spring might be the traditional time of year to do a deep clean, the slower winter months are great for tackling regular maintenance and home improvement projects that will get your space in tip-top shape for the year ahead. This could mean anything from giving your carpets a deep clean to installing a new lighting fixture; and in many cases, you’re probably going to want some help from a pro.

If you’ve ever shopped for upholstered furniture, you may have noticed that upholstered furniture is really expensive. One of our favorite tricks for getting a high-end look at a less than high-end price is this: IKEA sofa + slipcover.

Here at Apartment Therapy, we’re firm believers that art shouldn’t be just an accessory or an afterthought: It’s the heart and soul of a space, the thing that gives it warmth, personality, and feeling. More than anything else, your art is what makes your space really you. So when you’re ready to make an investment in something that you’ll keep for a while, where do you go to find art that is beautiful, that’s unique, that will last for a long time?

This year, the words “eat, drink, and be merry” have a different flavor. As we all prepare to spend the holidays at home, many of us could use some good cheer — and a stiff drink. Why not indulge your loved ones in some extra care with a gift that caters to their taste? This gift guide mixes home bar essentials with little luxuries that will lift their style and spirits. To pull together these gift lists, we started with one foundational ingredient.

We love a good DIY any time of the year, but we really love seeing how people dress up their DIYs for the holidays. That’s exactly what inspired this special holiday edition of Megan’s Mystery Makeover! That’s our series where our home projects editor Megan sends a DIYer some humdrum object and asks them to transform it into something bespoke and beautiful — all within a $25 budget. And today, Chelsea from Lovely Indeed has accepted the challenge.

There’s a new year around the corner, and while we don’t exactly have a crystal ball to predict the top living room trends that will become the design stars of 2021, there are three styles we’re betting will continue to be perennial favorites. Modern farmhouse, Scandinavian, and mid-century modern living rooms are on course to remain popular styles in the New Year — and AllModern has the best of every modern style, in one easy-to-shop spot.

This year, as we celebrate the holidays from the comfort of our own homes, we have the opportunity to make new memories and start new traditions. We’re going all out, creating cozy and festive spaces throughout our homes. And we’re leaving no surface bare, including our tabletops.Gatherings will be smaller, but they can still be plenty festive. We plan to make our holiday tables feel elegant and special, incorporating trendy-yet-timeless decor from Garnet Hill.

Like all things 2020, the holidays are going to require some creativity. We’ll be forming new traditions and making new memories. While it may not be the holiday you pictured, it can still be plenty special. And that starts with making your home merry and bright. Since we’re celebrating from the comforts of our own homes — emphasis on the comfort — we’re leaning into all things cozy and adding joy everywhere possible.

There’s nothing we love more than discovering new finds to add to our houseplant collection — and we’re not just talking about plants. From containers to watering cans, the accessories that make plant care so much easier can also make it way cuter. Greendigs is known for its curation of design-forward houseplants, but their eye for style doesn’t stop there: They’ve curated some very attractive accessories, too.

Houseplants add instant warmth and energy to a space, but they can be intimidating: Am I watering too much? Not enough? What the heck is indirect light, anyway? Don’t worry! There are plenty of pretty plants that deliver green vibes — and bonus style points — without requiring a degree in botany. We picked seven favorites that will look great in any room.

Houseplants make any room a little warmer and more visually interesting, but we especially love them in the bedroom. Plants can help create a healthier sleep environment by generating oxygen and repelling bugs, and is there a better sight first thing in the morning than lush leaves sparkling in the sun? Whether you’re working with a little space or a lot, we came up with three styling ideas to make your bedroom greener — and the plants to pair with them.

The most functional room in the house, the kitchen can be an uninspiring place for design: Especially if you’re living with a rental kitchen, it might be the one spot you feel unable to really make your own. But there’s an easy way to instantly brighten up this workhorse room, and it works anywhere: a mini garden. It’s no surprise that plants make a space happier. In the kitchen, they do even more than that.

If you’d initially planned on working from home for just a few weeks, then maybe a few months, and now. . .well, for much longer, chances are your WFH setup is a little ad hoc. But, take comfort in the fact that you’re definitely not alone. Interior designers and decorators have seen a huge surge in requests for home office space upgrades this year and, for lots of us, a solid WFH setup has transitioned from a “nice to have” space to an absolutely essential one.

Many of us have probably started to feel the, how shall we say, familiarity that comes with doing everything from our homes. When the place where we live is also now the place where we work, homeschool our children, spend nearly all of our time, and even process the weight of a sometimes difficult time, it can be hard to carve out a space to relax. So let’s take a minute and focus on that. What would make your home a little better-suited for you to take care of yourself?

Our homes have been doing a lot of multitasking lately. For a lot of people, home and office are now the same space, and for those of us with kids, home might be a school as well. Your home might also be serving as a gym, meaning that this one space — which hasn’t gotten any bigger — is playing a lot of roles. As the new normal becomes increasingly more normal, it might help to have your office and school and gym properly outfitted.

It’s been an unusual year, and this holiday season is shaping up to look a lot different than previous ones. No matter your situation, there’s a good chance you’re looking at spending less in-person time with friends and loved ones. When you can’t be nearby (or even when you can), there’s nothing like a thoughtful gift to let someone know you were thinking of them during a tough year. And there’s no denying that getting gifts in the mail is really, really fun.

When robot vacuums first started gaining popularity, I thought I would never buy one. They were pretty expensive, missed dustballs tucked away in corners and crevices, and had a tendency to throw themselves down the stairs. Fast forward a decade, and they’re more affordable, more efficient, and much less likely to take a tumble.

Name: Kirk, Shanice, and Tatum BrownLocation: Atlanta, GASize: 2,074 square feetType of home: TownhomeYears lived in: 2When education professionals Kirk and Shanice Brown decided to make the jump from renting to buying in the fast-paced real estate market of Atlanta, they knew they wanted to stay on the city’s East Side. They loved the convenient location, eclectic neighborhoods, and top-notch restaurants.

We all have at least one person on our holiday gift list who values practicality above all else. Regardless of whom you’re shopping for — your dad, your plus one, or even yourself — practical gifts are often the trickiest to get right. You want to find something that’s useful but unique, fun and functional.If you’re stumped for ideas, QVC has a huge selection of gifts that feel thoughtful and festive, but are still extremely practical.

Entryways can be tricky when it comes to decor. We want them to greet us with warmth and make a great first impression when entering our homes. But on the other hand, they’re generally some of the smallest, narrowest spaces we have to work with — and still need to be uncluttered and functional. That’s where an RIY can help.

Tiny spaces call for big ideas, and that’s especially true this time of year when many of us are looking to make things festive but don’t necessarily have the square footage for a Christmas tree. In our Instagram Stories, we asked about your biggest holiday decorating challenges. The top response? How to make a small space sparkle.This calls for an RIY: a quick “refresh it yourself” project you can complete quickly and without the investment of a typical DIY.

Perfect Night In is a series where we ask actors, artists, entrepreneurs, and beyond how they’d spend the ultimate luxury—a blissful evening at home.Gerri Phillips loves to connect with people. The Louisiana-based lifestyle maven and mother of two has built an enthusiastic following, empowering women with her warm, motivating posts and covering everything from parenting to personal style.

Name: Samantha Klein and Aaron KleinLocation: Glendale, CASize: 1480 square feetType of home: Spanish ranchAfter an unhappy stint in the Bay Area, creative professionals Samantha and Aaron couldn’t wait to get back to Sam’s native LA, with its beautiful beaches and warmer weather. They were devoted Los Angelenos—and Sam’s colorful, playful style is 100-percent SoCal—but they thought that buying a home was a few more years down the line.

Creating your wedding registry is one of the most fun parts of being engaged. It’s an opportunity to build a foundation with your partner and get excited about your new chapter together. But what items should you actually add to your wedding registry? It depends on your needs, wants, and future plans — especially when it comes to setting up a brand new kitchen. It’s smart to strategize, both for your own sake and for your guests’.

When Apartment Therapy’s Lifestyle Director Taryn Williford and her husband got married, registering at Crate and Barrel was an obvious choice. It turned out to be one of their best wedding planning decisions — and one of the most fun parts of the whole experience. She’s here today to answer your questions about what to add to your own Crate and Barrel wedding registry. We asked three couples what wedding registry questions are currently stumping them.

Just like everyone else who’s been working from home for most of this year, lots of us here at Apartment Therapy realized our WFH spaces could use a little attention as soon as we started spending eight hours a day in them. And while we always try to help you with fixing up your space, this time, it was you who came to our rescue! We asked our Instagram followers to vote on colors and patterns for four of our staffers.

If your dining room has been doing double-duty for the past six (has it only been six?) months, functioning as both a dining space and a home office or a classroom, we wouldn’t be surprised if you’re starting to feel like it needs a little refresh. That could be something as simple as a new tablecloth or place settings that make mealtimes feel special again, or new lighting that transforms the entire space.

Name: Liz Kamarul and Tim KamarulLocation: Central City, New Orleans, LASize: 1,600 square feetType of home: Double shotgun converted to a single-family homeYears lived in: a little over one yearArtist and interior stylist Liz Kamarul and her husband, Tim, fell in love with New Orleans on a road trip from the West Coast: The stunning architecture, quirky charm, and friendly people inspired the couple to sell their Portland, OR, home and move to the Crescent City.

We’re all about RIYs right now: quick “refresh it yourself” projects that require just a little bit of planning, can be executed in under an hour, and leave you with that same fulfilling got-it-done feeling of a bigger DIY project. In our Instagram Stories, we asked which trouble spots in your homes are in need of a little RIY love. The #1 response? Your home office setup.

Social distancing hasn’t replaced our need for socializing. “How We Gather Now” is Apartment Therapy’s look at how we’re finding safe new ways to get together in 2020, presented in partnership with Absolut Juice. We’ve heard about the simple joys of the front porch; focusing on what you can do; and “discovering” a new spot in your home. Now, Kari connects to celebrate even amidst crisis…This has been one heck of a year.All bad?

Social distancing hasn’t replaced our need for socializing. “How We Gather Now” is Apartment Therapy’s look at how we’re finding safe new ways to get together in 2020, presented in partnership with Absolut Juice. We’ve heard about sunset cocktails on a city roof; the simple joys of the front porch, and celebrating even in times of crisis.

Social distancing hasn’t replaced our need for socializing. “How We Gather Now” is Apartment Therapy’s look at how we’re finding safe new ways to get together in 2020, presented in partnership with Absolut Juice. We’ve heard about sunset cocktails on a city roof; focusing on what you can do; and celebrating even in times of crisis.

Social distancing hasn’t replaced our need for socializing. “How We Gather Now” is Apartment Therapy’s look at how we’re finding safe new ways to get together in 2020, presented in partnership with Absolut Juice. We’ve heard about the simple joys of the front porch; focusing on what you can do; and celebrating even in times of crisis.

If you’ve been wanting to give your space a makeover, now is the perfect time. Urban Outfitters just launched four brand new furniture collections for fall, and we’ve fallen hard for each of them: Styles range from natural to modern, and every piece is dreamier than the last. These new collections have everything from this glamorous chaise lounge to an ’80’s-inspired sofa and lots of accents and accessories (plus plenty of rattan!) in between.

You know how to clean your place. But do you know how to get it really, really clean? The kind of strangely satisfying clean where you can actually see those lines form on the carpet as you vacuum? We’ll let you in on a few secrets that give a room that extra pop.For starters, invest in a high-quality, high performing vacuum that will last for years — aka, one that won’t become less effective after using it for a little while.

Name: Johanna C. DominguezLocation: Buffalo, NYSize: 2,430 square feetType of home: East Lake VictorianYears lived in: 3Before Johanna C. Dominquez bought her gorgeously quirky Victorian in Buffalo, NY, she was living in a rental outside New York City. Between the high rent, utilities, and upkeep, she found herself wondering why she was investing so much in someone else’s property.

Now that we’re spending more time at home, you’ve probably noticed some spaces where a little home improvement could go a long way. We’re here to tell you that DIY projects are always worth it. Don’t let the impossibly perfect “afters” you see on Instagram and Pinterest scare you away — DIYs are a lot more doable than you might think!

It’s already the dog days of summer, and you may have planned to be sipping Micheladas in Tulum or making s’mores in front of a campfire in the Adirondacks right now. So we get it if you’re bummed about a canceled vacation—we are too. But before summer totally sizzles out, consider bringing your vacation to your backyard. Hopefully you’ve been able to enjoy your outdoor space more than ever this summer.

With the back-to-school season looking a lot different this year, you’re not alone if you’re currently rethinking how you’re going to make it work. Whether you’ve headed back to campus or learning from your living room, creating a cozy and productive space to help you conquer the fall semester is a great first step. To help you create the perfect workspace, our stylists came up with three setups for maximizing efficiency in the coming months.

If you’re reading this, it’s probably a safe guess that you love a great Before and After. Obviously, we do too. And sometimes, it’s fun to turn the tables and ask you to decide what becomes of a space in need of a total makeover. That’s just what we did with Carrie’s totally empty dining room at her new home in The Catskills.

How would you feel about letting millions of Instagram followers completely redesign your space, from top to bottom? One of our readers—a very brave one—let us do just that. Earlier this year, Carrie moved from a small 1-bedroom apartment near NYC to a mountain home in The Catskills. We then asked our Instagram followers to choose furniture, decor, plants, and accessories from The Home Depot. The polls have closed, the furniture’s been delivered, and the afters are here!

When Carrie and Matthew moved from a 1-bedroom apartment in the NYC area to a bigger home nestled in the woods of The Catskills, one thing was clear: They’d need a lot more furniture and decor to style their space. To get the job done, we asked our Instagram followers (aka you!) to help decide how to design their living room by voting on which items from The Home Depot deserved a spot in their new place. And the results are in! Here’s how your selections shaped her new space.

If you follow our Insta Stories you might remember that, a little while back, we asked for your help in styling Carrie’s new home in The Catskills by voting on items to include from The Home Depot. After moving from a tiny apartment in the city to a new house in the mountains, Carrie’s new bedroom was a total blank slate. But now it’s totally finished—thanks to you!

The bedroom, the place where you start and end each day, should feel like a haven in your home: energizing and calming, refreshing and comforting. Perhaps no style nails this vibe like boho, with its vibrant patterns, earthy tones, and lush houseplants.Boho is instantly recognizable, but there isn’t just one way to do it. However you decide to translate this sunny aesthetic into your own personal sanctuary, here are three different looks to try with Walmart.

Name: Shavonda GardnerLocation: Sacramento, CASize: 1,200 square feetYears lived in: 4Having grown up in a family that moved a lot, designer Shavonda Gardner wanted to own a place that felt like home to her; her wife, Naomi; and their two children. As soon as she walked into this 1940s bungalow, she knew she was home. The best part? It was about half the size of their current digs. Yep, you read that right: Shavonda wanted to downsize.

With Spring Cleaning for Your Mood, we’re helping you get your housekeeping done no matter what state of mind you’re in. For 20 weekdays in April, we’ll focus on cleaning a new area of your space, with three different ways to get it done—so it’s easy to stay on track even when you’re busy, tired, or away from home. And to make it go even better, enter to win your Your Everything-You-Need Spring Cleaning Tool Kit from OXO at the bottom of the post.

Our heart belongs to boho: From the sunbaked hues and verdant greenery to the layered textiles and free-spirited touches, there’s nothing dreamier than this desert oasis style. Or easier: Creating a beautiful boho space is all about choosing soothing colors, eye-catching patterns, and comfy textures. One reason this style is so appealing is that it easily adapts to pieces you already own. No fuss, all fun!

There are many basic design tenets every pro follows, but great designers know that rules are sometimes meant to be broken. It’s what adds personality and keeps their spaces feeling fresh—not predictable. But you don’t have to be a pro to bend the rules. We worked with The Home Depot to design a space that shows off the easiest design rules to break, using pieces from their vast online-only furniture and decor collections.

You’ve been searching, and (not to sound creepy) we’ve been watching. Today, we’re revealing three new Color Search palettes based on your top color searches. Color Search is, of course, our cool tool that lets you look at any image in our House Tours and tells you what Sherwin-Williams paint color will get you that look. Or, if you’re going the other way, lets you tell us what colors you’re feeling and see how other real people have used them in their homes.

Sure, it would be great to live in a spotless, stainless house that’s magazine-worthy and ready to be photographed at any moment, but nobody really lives that way. (Not even the people whose homes have been photographed.) As anyone who enjoys kids, pets, or parties can attest, saying yes to our messy lives is more fun than being perfect. When you accept that the occasional stain is the price of a full life, a little prep can save a lot of stress.

Mid-century modern is the sweetheart of the design world. But, like any relationship, our love can get a little stale sometimes. We think this style is much longer-lasting than a trend, though. And with a few tweaks, we can easily reignite the spark. We looked at everything we love about mid-century glamour — curved lines! sleek seating! timeless style! — through a fresh lens and put together three new ways to style your living room.

Summer is finally here, and we’re bursting to get outside and enjoy it. This year especially, creating a special outdoor space will pay dividends all season long and for years to come. You’ll feel like you’ve built a brand new living room — one custom-made for al fresco dinners, sunset cocktails, and a place for your kids to play that isn’t seriously-omg-right-under-your-feet.Where to begin?