Tips Techniques

Shelves holding various houseplants for sale at a garden center.

3 Signs You Might Be Able to Bring a Sale Rack Houseplant Back from the "Dead"

Some plants are goners, but others might just need a little TLC to transform them from compost pile rejects to thriving masterpieces. Here's how to tell which is which.

Molly Williams

Mar 9, 2023

I Tried 6 TikTok Hacks For Better Sleep — Here’s What Worked (And What Didn’t)

I'll be keeping my fridge stocked with a new staple.

Kristen Garaffo

Feb 21, 2023

6 Brilliant Ways to Make the Most of a Narrow Bedroom

There’s small and then there is narrow. A narrow bedroom can be difficult to work with as this space traditionally calls for multiple pieces of furniture, such as nightstands on both sides of a bed and a dresser or armoire that may be difficult to squeeze in comfortably. This shape of room can also be difficult to work with design-wise as extra-long walls on two sides can feel endless and may lack visual interest.

Dabney Frake

Feb 17, 2023

Planning a Bathroom Reno? This Smart Homeowner's Tip Might Save You a Headache

If you only have one bathroom at home, renovating it can be stressful. This tip's worth considering.

Megan Baker Detloff

Jan 16, 2023

Planning Any 2023 Travel? Here's a Useful Guide to Outlets Around the World

HOME PROJECTS

Here's our electrifyingly handy guide to knowing what plugs look like in foreign countries — plus what to know before you plug in.

Sarah Everett

Jan 6, 2023

The Simple (but Essential) Resolution Every Homeowner Should Make This Year

This habit will help you save time and money in the short- and long-term.

Kelly Dawson

Jan 5, 2023

4 Home Remodeling Trends Contractors Secretly Hate

Some home upgrades aren't worth adding to your to do list.

Kelly Dawson

Jan 4, 2023

4 Tips for Completing a Home Reno Project in the Short, Dark Days of Winter

Don't let an early sunset dissuade you from tackling your home improvement checklist.

Kelly Dawson

Jan 3, 2023

DIY Printmaking: How to Make Your Own Linocut Print

With just a few relatively inexpensive items from your local craft shop, you can try your hand at printmaking — a fun process that begins with carving a design into linoleum, and then transferring the design onto paper. Channel your 11th grade art class and set up your own little printmaking studio at home; here’s a quick tutorial!1. Gather your materials.

Sarah Dobbins

Jan 2, 2023

How to Iron Your Clothes with a Hair Straightener

Sleep is good, right? So anything you can do to get a few extra winks in the morning is going to be a good idea. For instance, you could try to combine parts of your get-ready routine to save a little time and effort. Me? I swear by this trick: Before I use it on my hair, I use my flat iron to smooth wrinkles in my shirt.I find that my hair straightener does a great job of smoothing out small creases and wrinkles from my blouses and shirts.

Taryn Williford

Jan 2, 2023

5 Things You Should Know About Living in a Studio Apartment (From Someone Who Has Done It)

A year and a half ago I moved from Houston, Texas to New York, New York, and from a 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom townhouse to a 250-square-foot studio. And you know what? I love my new space, and my new city, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a bit of an adjustment to live in a studio apartment.

Nancy Mitchell

Jan 2, 2023

5 Mistakes You're Probably Making at the Flea Market

Stop doing these things, and you'll be well on your way to fab secondhand finds!

Sarah Lyon

Dec 8, 2022

5 Tips for Making Tidying a Part of Your Life from Marie Kondo’s New Book “Kurashi at Home”

Kondo's new book features stunning photographs, helpful prompts, and family-friendly reflections.

Emma Kershaw

Nov 16, 2022

10 iPhone Email and Texting Tricks You Probably Don’t Know

The really cool thing about smartphones is how updates can happen right under your nose. Sure, you notice the big stuff, like when iOS 6 replaced Google Maps with Apple Maps. But there’s always little changes happening underneath, too.Here’s a list of 10 minor features that have been built in to the iPhone text and email user experience; some we’ve seen, some we’ve read and some we’ve noticed on our own.

Taryn Williford

Nov 14, 2022

15 Ways to Make a Big Bedroom Feel Cozy

Here at Apartment Therapy, we spend a lot of time talking about small spaces: small space storage, small space furniture, you get it. We’ve written a lot about how to deal with a small bedroom, but what if you have the opposite problem: a big bedroom?A giant, cavernous space can be just as much of a design challenge as a tiny, cramped one. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some ideas (and beautiful inspiration photos) for making your big bedroom feel cozy.

Nancy Mitchell

Nov 10, 2022

Everyone’s Painting Their Own Abstract Art, And You Should Too

Don't let your artistic skill-level prevent you from creating your own masterpiece.

Taryn Williford

Nov 9, 2022

6 of the Most Important Tips I've Learned from Renovating 3 Kitchens in 5 Years

Take it from this serial kitchen renovator.

Dana McMahan

Nov 7, 2022

You’re Folding Blankets All Wrong, According to Nate Berkus

The triple Virgo knows best.

Olivia Harvey

Nov 2, 2022

The Dos & Don’ts of Perfectly Matched Paint Touch-Ups

No more scratched, scuffed, or chipped paint!

Katie Holdefehr

Oct 25, 2022

Why You Should Add Baking Soda to Latex Paint

A whole new world of paint will open up to you.

Tess Wilson

Oct 25, 2022

This Genius Holiday Decor Hack Is the Cheapest Way to Add Seasonal Color to Your Home

And on a budget!

Olivia Harvey

Oct 24, 2022

6 Things You Should Always Do When You Shop at Trader Joe's

Living

According to a former employee.

Mackenzie Filson

Oct 23, 2022

6 Things Nobody Tells You About Removable Wallpaper

What you need to know, before you add to cart.

Jessica Dodell-Feder

Oct 22, 2022

This Super Simple TikTok Hack Will Make Your Next Paint Project Much Less Messy

HOME PROJECTS

It's so simple I was actually face palming as I watched it — and all you need is painter's tape!

Erica Finamore

Oct 19, 2022

5 Design Lessons from a Tiny Paris Apartment

Here’s a story that might make you more than a little jealous: Alain Meyer, who works at an advertising agency in Paris, was bored one day at work. He heard some of his co-workers talking about studio apartments, and decided to do a little hunting online. He happened to find one that he really liked — a trim 30 square meters (323 square feet), in the sixth arrondisement, where he grew up. So he bought it. Just like that.

Nancy Mitchell

Oct 15, 2022

Take the Weight Off: 5 DIY Tricks to Make a Heavy Furniture Piece Look Lighter

Do you have a piece of furniture in your home you love, but it’s just a little too “heavy?” We don’t mean weight-wise (though certainly, it could be heavy that way, too). We mean, visually heavy. A piece that feels like it takes up too much room. Like it knocks off the visual balance of a space. Here are five of the best tricks to visually lighten up a heavy furniture piece and still make it look great.

Adrienne Breaux

Oct 14, 2022

Genius Ways to Fix These 5 Very Annoying Things at Home

Living in a house (especially an older house) is a noisy business. Cabinet doors slam shut. Floorboards creak. Doors squeak on their hinges. What to do (besides moving) if you’re a person who loves peace and quiet? We’ve got a few ideas. Most American houses are made from wood, and over time, wood can expand and contract. Squeaky or creaky floors are caused by the wood subfloor separating from the joists beneath.

Nancy Mitchell

Oct 13, 2022

19 Secrets for Getting Good Lighting in Every Spot Around Your Home

Nothing makes or breaks a room quite like lighting. It changes the mood, sets the ambiance, and can help define spaces like living and dining rooms or nooks and kitchens, particularly in open-concept layouts. Plus, why settle for bad lighting when the fun, functional options out there are endless? If you think about it, your bedroom can become a whole different space when you customize it with the perfect reading lamp for staying up to finish that novel.

Melissa Epifano

Oct 13, 2022

The Thrift Store Tipping Point: When to Buy & When to Walk Away

Part bargain seeking and part treasure hunting, shopping at your local thrift store is a great way to save money and find unique items that are otherwise unavailable in the current retail market. I’ve rounded up some tips for navigating the realm of thrifting and please leave your favorite tips in the comments!

Julia Brenner

Oct 13, 2022

A Craigslist Pro Shares His Buying and Selling Secrets

If you’re looking for an easy and rewarding “in” to buying and selling online, there is no better option than Craigslist. Far easier than eBay, Craigslist offers more regionally relevant listings for the sharp-eyed shopper, and as a student with an uncompromising taste in good (and often expensive) design, Craigslist was one of the few venues available to me for furnishing my apartment.

Mike Tyson

Oct 12, 2022

5 Bold Pieces That Will Instantly Amp Up Your Style

Perhaps you’ve been playing it safe, decor-wise, your whole life, and are ready to do something wild. Or perhaps you have a room that you feel is finished, but you’re still just a little bit bored with it. Either way, here are five different pieces that will take your space to the next level, that will have your friends (and yourself) convinced that you are a person of taste, refinement and aesthetic derring-do.

Nancy Mitchell

Oct 12, 2022

5 Secret Weapons of the Frugal Decorator

Smart decorators know that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a home that looks great. You just need a few tricks up your sleeve. 1. Spray paint. Spray paint is a design workhorse, and a great way to give something a new look without actually buying anything new. Use it to rescue finds from the thrift store, to customize IKEA pieces, or just to give something you already own a bit of an update.

Nancy Mitchell

Oct 12, 2022

The 7 Most Potent Stylist Skills to Master For Stand-Out Rooms

After you’ve picked out the architecture (or are working with what you’ve been stuck with) and after you’ve chosen the major furnishings and the paint colors, there’s the other thing that can make a room sing: skillful styling. This year, make each room pop like never before with these potent styling tricks for stand-out spaces! Add visual height to your spaces — all of them.

Adrienne Breaux

Oct 12, 2022

5 Redecorating Steps for the Recently Consciously Uncoupled

Breakups are hard. It doesn’t matter if you were the dumper or the dumpee, if you hyperventilate at the thought of your ex, or if you are firmly resigned. Either way, if you once lived as a couple, you now need to dismantle the evidence of the home you worked to create together. At times the process might be soul-crushing. Other times there are practical considerations. And ultimately, there’s a new glorious opportunity. Here are five steps to regroup at home: 1.

Dabney Frake

Oct 12, 2022

Small Bedroom Decorating Ideas: Desks Doing Double Duty as Nightstands

Most conventional advice recommends keeping work outside of the bedroom to boost calm and serenity within a sleeping space. But apparently most conventional advice givers have never had to make it all work with just 550 square feet. The bedroom-plus-office combo has always been a solid solution for tight quarters, and here’s one more tip to keep a dual duty bedroom comfortable. With space at a minimum, corners have to be cut — four of them to be exact.

Taryn Williford

Oct 11, 2022

Don't Throw Out Your Rice Water, It Could Help Your Plants

News

Pasta water, too.

Inigo Del Castillo

Oct 4, 2022

5 Tips for Living Life Without a Dryer

Although the idea of living without a dryer might sound itchy and scratchy — for many, it’s just a way of life. My husband and I don’t currently have a dryer in our home and aren’t big on drying things at the laundromat. Here are a few tips we’ve picked up along the way to end up with clothes that dry quickly and end up super soft! And guess what? Follow these suggestions, and your clothes can be hang dried and still soft, too!

Sarah Rae Smith

Oct 3, 2022

Here's What to Look For at Estate Sales to Score Big, According to Experts

Estate sales are full of vintage gems. You just need to know what to look for to score big.

Kelsey Glennon

Sep 29, 2022

Window Sill Extender Ideas for Maximizing Every Inch of Space

Windowsills are usually nothing more than a space for plants or forgotten tchotchkes, but they provide plenty of opportunity, especially if you can find a way to make them larger. Windowsill extenders may sound like a funky contraption, but they enable you to make more out of the smallest ledges.This can be as simple as scooting a bench or shelf in front of a window or extending your space outside through the use of a window flower box.

Melissa Epifano

Sep 28, 2022

How To Clean Burnt Pots & Scorched Pans

If you've ever experienced the pain of a burnt frying pan, I bring good news!

Sarah Starkey

Sep 22, 2022

How To Make a Bed at Home Like a 5-Star Hotel

Hotel bed sleep is the greatest sleep, and it's not just because you can crank the AC without worrying about your electric bill. But what's the secret formula to a 5-star bed?

Arlyn Hernandez

Sep 21, 2022

10 Simple Things to Make You Happier At Home

It's amazing how a few tweaks to our daily habits can become a catalyst for meaningful, positive change.

Jackie Ashton

Sep 20, 2022

Diatomaceous Earth Is The All-Natural Way to Save Your House (and Plants!) From Pests

It's the chemical-free way to combat spider mites, aphids, silverfish, ants, roaches (and more of your other favorite bugs) at home.

Rebecca Straus

Sep 16, 2022

Creepy Carnivorous Plants Actually Make Great Houseplants

Meet Audrey III, IV, V and VI.

Rebecca Straus

Sep 14, 2022

A Magnet Damaged My $2,000 Fridge

A cautionary tale.

Dana McMahan

Sep 8, 2022

This Viral TikTok Shows You How To Transform Your Sliding Closet Doors

You've got to see the final result.

Olivia Harvey

Sep 8, 2022

Read This Before You Paint Your Old, Peeling Radiator

You might just be wasting your time.

Sarah Rae Smith

Sep 8, 2022

Rental-Friendly Ways to Refresh Your Space, According to a Magnolia Network Star

"If there’s anything that you should invest in, it should be your home and where you live," she says.

Lillian Brown

Sep 5, 2022

How to Approach Your Landlord About Minor Renovations, According to an Expert

"Rental Redo" host Keyanna Brown suggests that it's always worth it to ask your landlord about renovations.

Lillian Brown

Sep 5, 2022

Silverfish: How To Get Rid of Them and Prevent an Infestation

Look familiar? Here's what to do if you spot one.

Dabney Frake

Aug 11, 2022

I Tried These Three Moving Hacks From TikTok For a Peaceful Move

Who would've guessed that socks are a good method for protecting glassware and mugs?

Noella Williams

Aug 13, 2022

Give Thrift Store Frames a Glow-Up Using These 3 Ideas — All for Less Than $100

Who says you need to spend a lot of money for a gallery-worthy finish?

Trisha Sprouse

Aug 4, 2022

6 Things You Should Know Before Starting a Bathroom Remodel, According to Reddit

Want to give your bathroom a new look this summer? Read this first for advice homeowners wish they'd known before embarking on their own bathroom remodels.

Kelly Dawson

Jul 20, 2022

How to Pack Lamps for Moving (Without Breaking any Bulbs!)

Here’s what the experts say to do.

Jennifer Billock

Jul 16, 2022

I Asked 5 Self-Proclaimed Sweaty People How They Survive the Summer Heat

Here's how to go "AC hopping" this summer, according to summer heat haters.

Sarah Magnuson

Jul 10, 2022

7 Ways I'm Childproofing My Home With A Second Baby On The Way

Children are like little genius robots — but these home hacks help keep them safe.