Decor & Accessories Decorating

You’ve probably noticed that Halloween decorations have seen a definite uptick in recent years. When I was a kid, the decorations in our neighborhood were limited to jack-o-lanterns on front porches, and maybe the occasional skeleton or creepy spider web. Now, it’s not unusual to see entire neighborhoods decked out in black, with witches, faux graveyards, and even Halloween lights. How did we get here?

Let me start this by just saying: this is about to get a little uncomfortable, because there’s really no way to write a toilet paper review without it feeling a little strange —for both of us. But hey, you clicked on this, which means you’re either morbidly curious or you’re really interested in a more sustainable toilet paper option—either way, totally valid. So, let’s get started, shall we?

Before getting down to business, I would like to say no disrespect to any of the prints featured in this article. They are all wonderful motifs in their own right, but for reasons ranging from over saturation to too many knock-off versions, 2017 may be the year to put down the palms. What do you think? I reached out to a couple of well-known designers to get their take on prints they think are too trendy or tired.

Over the years I’ve come to realize that one of the keys to a well-functioning, uncluttered home is having an entryway that works well. It’s a spot to gather up all the things that you’ll need when you go out into the world, and also a sort of buffer zone to keep unwanted clutter from entering your home. Maxwell has really explored this with his idea of the landing strip, which is worth checking out.

We picked the brains of five purveyors of vintage goods to see what people can't stop buying.

I’ve long been fascinated by toile. Toile, if you’re not familiar, is the name first given to the cotton fabric produced in the town of Jouy, in France, and then to the pattern of charming vignettes, usually printed in a single color, that covered its surface. Traditional toile, like the wallpaper that covered the walls of our bathroom in the house where I grew up, features scenes of provincial life: shepherds driving sheep, lovers meeting beneath trees.

If you suffer from decision fatigue, these time-tested tips could serve as a jumping-off point for designing your home with confidence.

Vintage art always feels unique, personal and it carries a lot of history and whimsy — which is what makes it so fun to hunt down. One of our go-to sources? Etsy, though it takes a lot of sifting. To get you started on where to look, we gathered some great sellers of vintage art; they carry everything from maps and oils to old-school movie posters.

Some rugs are so beautiful, banishing them to the floor seems like a tragedy. Filling your vertical space with texture, color and warmth, rugs are the perfect three-in-one design solution for any blank wall in need of a boost. Go big and bold or small and understated, just make sure you hang them properly so gravity doesn’t take its toll on your woven works of art (tips ahead). Jungalow maven Justina Blakeney is no stranger to using rugs in unconventional ways.

Blogger and freelance stylist Ruth Matthews shares her beautifully designed London home with her husband Dan and son Ted. Each room is filled with an array of vintage and modern furniture, textured woods, clever art, energetic patterns and bold color. But it’s how she’s deftly arranged her home — each room and the vignettes within — that deserves extra attention.

We’ve all heard it before: small but mighty, tiny house = big style. But, in this petite stunner it was all about lifestyle taking precedence over every design decision, which left this city dweller even foregoing a conventional sofa. The Williamsburg apartment belonging to Sarah Ashley Schiear, chef and founder of Salt House, is a strong lesson in style and function conveyed in just 635 square feet.

Whether fo' real or faux real, cowhide and cowhide-style rugs might just be what your interior needs.

Traditionally, an interior designer’s job is to help you find out what you want from a space and then work with you to create a personal decor solution that suits your room, style and budget. But in years to come, will interior designers be replaced by clever robots who can conjure up our dream schemes and know us better than we even know ourselves? Maybe — if the decorating tech that’s on the horizon (or already here) is any indication.

Blank walls are BORING. To turn that situation around, don’t just stop after a coat of paint or a piece of art. Keep layering until you get a composition that adds visual excitement to the room. I recently saw a perfect example of a beautifully layered feature wall, and it’s a design formula anyone can use to turn a blank wall into a sensational statement wall.

Browsing through the photos of Rene’s Chicago studio, you’d never guess it was only 320 square feet. This little place has all the style and grandeur of a much larger home — and Rene has managed to fit a queen-sized bed, two seating areas, and tons of accessories (including a fish tank!) into a very small footprint. Here’s why it works. Maximalism isn’t a direction people often pursue for small spaces.

Forty square meters (or 430 square feet) is not a lot of space to work with, but the architects of this tiny German apartment managed to squeeze a lot of living—and a lot of personality—into a very small home. Another thing they managed to fit in? Room for lots and lots of books. The centerpiece of the apartment is the so-called “inhabitable wall”, a bookcase that stretches the length of one wall of the living room, and all the way to the ceiling.

Some days I’m a boss lady beast, working from sunrise to sunrise getting shit done with perfect posture while I eat three square meals. Other days, I’m amazed if I can even get out of bed and remember to wash off my makeup at the end of the day. All that is to say: Sometimes life gets away from you. Accomplishment keeps you going on those days when you have it together.

Anyone who lives, breathes, dreams design will understand the following: sometimes, you become fixated on something design-y, and then —like learning a new word that you start to hear everywhere — you start to see that design-y thing everywhere (much to your delight, but also much to your chagrin because you WANT.IT.) Well, that is me currently with colored glass and mirrors.

Rugs can be a royal pain. While they most definitely can pull a room together, deciding on the right one for your space can sometimes tear things apart (i.e. your cleaning routine, your finances, your chill about pets and kids). If you’re on the hunt for a rug that meets all of your indoor needs but doesn’t break the bank, listen up. Using outdoor rugs inside is a great option for a select group of people, and there’s a good chance you might be one of them. You like patterns.

Plus, price-conscious combos to get the layered look in your own home.

“Like a great dinner party you want a varied guest list…someone is larger than life, another is quiet but fascinating, another brings beauty, or brilliant conversation, or humor,” artist Judith Bigham says, describing her philosophy of decorating. “If a piece of furniture or art doesn’t work because it’s too big or too exaggerated for a room I often say ‘oh she’s the loudest girl in the room!

As someone who currently has a desk-nightstand-vanity hybrid, trust me when I say that I get any and all of your small-space living woes. That’s why I’ve turned to the wise voices of the Internet to find the essential tips and tricks you’ll need to make your home feel open and welcoming, no matter what the size. Everything’s better with some support, so let’s navigate this big journey through small spaces together. Spring for built-ins.

Bookshelves are a wonderful thing to have, because who doesn’t need more storage, especially the kind that takes advantage of vertical space. But as I’ve discussed with some of my colleagues here at Apartment Therapy, bookcases can also be particularly difficult to style.

Working at Apartment Therapy and being on the internet all day, well, let’s just say I’ve seen my share of out there design. Much of it, though, pales in comparison to the work of Porky Hefer, a South African artist and the mastermind behind some seriously unorthodox seating. Today, Brittney came across this hanging chair—reminiscent of a gas mask—while trying to source a photo from Pinterest (a task that accounts for roughly 95 percent of our time).

I’ll be honest, when I got the brief for this article, I took one look at the title and thought: no way. I’ve gone on record around here as a rug-size militant, and one who believes that bigger is nearly always better. But before dismissing the idea completely, I decided to have a hunt for rooms breaking traditional rug rules and still managing to look good. Lo and behold, what I found was eye-opening to say the least.

What happens when an architect and a stylist meet, fall in love, and tackle the renovation of a 500-square-foot London apartment together? Some really beautiful details—and some really clever small space solutions. The innovations begin in the entry hall, which passes between the apartment’s bedroom and bathroom on its way to the main living space.

Here's a reminder to us all that good things—including genius design ideas—really do come in small packages.

Name: Clients of Marie Flanigan Location: River Oaks — Houston, Texas So often spaces specifically designed for guests can feel cold and unwelcoming. Not so with this warm and relaxing space! It manages to feel special and serene while still having personality and function. With a strong focus on the natural light available and smart lighting choices, the whole space feels ready for a visitor!

One of the biggest downsides to studio living is feeling like you live — and entertain — in your bedroom. But even though that might physically/technically be true, it doesn’t mean you can’t use design to make it feel like it’s more than just a studio. These smart and stylish studios — all under 500 square feet — employ three of the most successful ways to make a studio apartment feel bigger than it is.

Design by: Veronica Koltuniak of Verokolt Architect: Ben May Design Home Builder: Bryer Construction and Installation, LLC Location: Austin, Texas Scratch-n-sniff wallpaper isn’t usually the first jumping off point in a design plan, but when Veronica Koltuniak of Verokolt lucked out with such a cool client—a self-confirmed bachelor who prefers a home filled with friends, music and late night jam sessions—requesting such rarities, she couldn’t believe her luck.

While the thought of dividing a small studio into even smaller compartments may strike fear into the hearts of many apartment dwellers, there may come a time when the need for privacy and the longing for a “grownup” home wins out. If you’re caught between a studio in a city you love and the kind of multi-bedroom house suburban dreams are made of, these simple room dividers could be all the compromise you need. Hey, backyards are overrated anyway. Above: This hip loft in L.A.

When you need a hammer, nails or other hardware supplies — home improvement behemoth Home Depot is one obvious place to turn. But when you need a dining table, baskets or a bar cart? It certainly isn’t the first place that comes to mind, however the hardware superstore’s growing selection of furniture (especially the Home Decorators Collection) has beautiful pieces if you’re willing to hunt for them. To jumpstart your search, here are 20 of my top picks.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that anyone living in an apartment in New York must be on the hunt for a better apartment. Since moving to the city, my mild interest in real estate has grown into a bona fide hobby…if you can call shopping for things you can’t afford a hobby. Knitting is a hobby, which could result in sweaters and blankets and baby socks.

Textiles are pretty powerful—they can completely transform a space by infusing freshness and interest wherever they’re applied. For uber-cool textile designer Nasozi Kakembo (who also happens to be one of our super talented House Tour contributors), it turns out they can be life-changing in other ways, too. Her array of handmade textiles from her xNasozi brand combine artistry with philanthropy in one fell swoop.

Getting a peek into the creative surroundings of one of your favorite artists is a special treat. Here, we were lucky enough to get a glimpse into the world of Renee Griffith of the naturally thoughtful paper goods brand Heartswell.

I love tiny apartments and Paris apartments, so a tiny Paris apartment is the best of both worlds. Designer Marianne Evennou has a history of bringing a moody, stylish look to even the smallest of spaces, and this little pied-à-terre in Le Marais is no exception. Lofting the bed is a time-honored trick for saving valuable square footage in small spaces, but Marianne takes it one step further by turning the access stair for the loft into a design feature.

Sure, there’s the requisite nativity scene, the ornaments that have been passed down from your great-grandparents, and the Griswold family inspired display of twinkling lights outside. But sometimes all you need is a trip to the grocery store to deck out your house for the holidays (especially if you’ve been procrastinating putting anything up!).

As we’ve seen from her two Halloween decor tours, crafter and blogger Jennifer Perkins takes decorating for the holidays very seriously. And by very seriously, I mean incredibly bold, brassy, colorful and over-the-top! It should come as no surprise that she’s a master at outfitting the crown jewel of Christmas decor: the tree. In fact, she has over 100 trees, so she definitely knows what she’s talking about. Let her decor ideas inspire your own last-minute holiday touches.

If you live in New York, you don’t need another reminder of how outrageously expensive this city is. But while rent, down payments on a house and living costs are undeniably high, Manhattan and its boroughs attempt to make it up to us by being rich in plenty of 100% free-to-enjoy art, culture and design. From art museums, to craft fairs, to gallery openings, this is how starving artists (and designers!) save in the city.

Sometimes, more is more. For many, one of those times is Christmas, and all the decorating opportunities the holiday brings with it. If you’re more of a maximalist than a minimalist when it comes to decking your halls, feast your eyes on the following ideas— they’re a little OTT, but in the best way possible. Above: Why decorate one tree when you can trim six trees?

It’s holiday party season, which means ample opportunities for awkward exchanges with your office crush, your neighbor crush, or your longtime friend crush (huzzah?). Ok, more like blergh. So just for fun, since we’re all design fans, let’s imagine a world where, instead of stilted small talk about craft beers or Netflix shows, we exchanged design-related pick up lines…a world like this: *Okay, no one said these were any good, but please do report back if you try one!

Project by: David Katz of Katz Architecture Location: New York, New York Blessed with beautiful 1920s bones, this gorgeous kitchen just needed to blossom from its cramped IKEA cocoon into a gorgeous custom butterfly. The owner, an architect themselves, turned to David Katz to help this kitchen reach its full potential.

I recently faced the dilemma of finding a pretty rug for my living room that didn’t cost a fortune. As I scoured the web, I found many had way too many shades of brown to count or resembled something thrown over a fence at a roadside sale. But I persevered and have handpicked a selection of pretty and affordable area rugs (all around 5′ x 8′) that won’t break the bank.

Pillows, aka those comfy things on your bed that you spend eight hours a night drooling onto, were first used around 7,000 BC in Mesopotamia. Originally only owned by the rich or upper echelons, with multiple pillows meaning that the owner was wealthy, important, and probably well-rested.

Some decor styles are easy to pin point, as they follow certain rules. But for the eclectic collector, there are no pre-set design mandates. This artfully cluttered, anything goes aesthetic is all about throwing caution to the wind and filling your home with things you love that you’ve picked up along your journeys, whether from Monaco, Morocco or Minneapolis. To some, pattern mixing is an art form that is learn through trial and error.

A new rug can be one of the most anxiety-inducing purchases you can make for your home. For one thing, even the small ones seem shockingly expensive. For another, once you understand the importance of rug size in creating a comfortable space (spoiler alert: bigger is better here) they become even more so. There’s also room use and orientation to contend with.

The world of prints and patterns is wide. For instance, what you think is simply “plaid” is far more intricate. All tartans are plaids, but not all plaids are tartans, in fact. There are madras plaids, houndstooth plaids, windowpane plaids, and many, many more. So we beg the question: Do you know one from the other? With fall—the high season of plaid—just around the bend, it might be a good time to polish up on your terminology. As always, we’re here to help!

Are you the artful bohemian or a new traditionalist? Take this quiz to find out and don’t forget to share your results in the comments! Antsy for your results? Hang tight…they’re coming! Re-edited from a post that originally appeared 09.06.2017.

If you’ve ever had a roommate, you know exactly what we mean by “dishues.” They’re those petty but persistent issues—think unwashed dishes, stolen Kind bars and late-night commotions—that can only come of an inconsiderate cohabiter. Though trivial, they can prove problematic nonetheless.

Some artists make art not just of their canvases, but their entire homes. Today we’re taking a look at 3 incredibly creative homes of artists and designers, which will have you seeing your whole space in a completely different light.

When decorating a small space, the conventional wisdom is to use light colors to make the space seem as large as possible. But when your small space has high ceilings and great lighting, sometimes you can get away with breaking a few rules — and create a studio apartment with all the style of a much larger home. This Swedish — of course it’s Swedish — studio has a separate kitchen, and a rather large, high-ceilinged space that serves as both the living room and bedroom.

What do you think? Can the SUNNERSTA cart usurp the seemingly unstoppable and ever-popular RASKOG ? Will it capture the hearts of organizing decorators everywhere? It’s pretty darn cute and seems to tick many of the same boxes, including the price point. Designed by Henrik Preutz. IKEA says: Sometimes installing a large kitchen isn’t necessary, or too expensive and time-consuming. That’s why SUNNERSTA mini-kitchen was developed.

Poufs, floor pillows, low ottomans and small stools—these are all great decor elements to add to a living room whenever you need extra seating or more softness. But it’s not always crystal clear exactly where your newly purchased or DIYed pouf or floor pillow should go. In the place of side chairs? As a coffee table? Kind of floating off to the side?

The idea of 3D-printed products for the home is admittedly a little out there, even Jetsons-esque. The gadgets and gizmos a plenty on sale throughout the internet may run the gamut from completely bizarre to actually interesting (and normal), but no matter where they fall on the spectrum, something that came from a printer (that’s not a sheet of paper with words on it) is certainly a conversation starter. We rounded up a handful of things you might actually want to buy for your own home.

While I love minimal, white-walled interiors with occasional bursts of color just as much as the next person, every once in a while it’s nice to spot something different — like this Little Venice apartment by Sera of London. It’s a little bit Bohemian, a little bit Miss Havisham, a little bit crumbly European chic, wholly different, and wholly refreshing.

Even though I now have the tiny, perfect apartment of my dreams, I haven’t stopped being fascinated with other people’s tiny, perfect apartments. And I’m particularly drawn to this apartment in Stockholm, which despite measuring only 193 square feet manages to be everything you want an apartment to be: airy, stylish, cozy, comfortable.

For those collecting maximalists among us—who can’t have just one globe, camera, or milk glass goblet, but seem to amass them by the dozen—here are some creative ways to organize and live with the things you love. All of these ideas keep your most cherished items in sight, incorporating them seamlessly into your decor. This is probably going to become your new favorite spot in your home.

Many of us understand that adding art to a room can drastically alter its appearance. But there are so many ways you can use art to make a visual impact; making the decision on where to hang can be overwhelming. These room gifs represent common art-hanging questions—I’ve removed the artwork from the walls to show you just how powerful art can be when its used in the right place and at the optimum scale. Seeing is believing!

400 square feet may not seem like a lot — but that’s reckoning without the ingenuity of Swedish design. Thanks to a simple but very smart floor plan, this diminutive Swedish apartment makes living small look positively luxurious. It’s located in Stockholm, and was once available for sale (but sadly is no longer) from brokerage firm Husman Hagberg.

In Hong Kong, one of the most densely packed cities in the world, a young couple presented their architects with a seemingly impossible challenge: designing an apartment that would include a large kitchen, a home theater, a bathroom with a tub, and sleeping spaces for the couple and their overnight guests. The space also had to acommodate the couple’s three cats — and all this in 309 square feet.

Exposed pipes and radiators—the bane of apartment, loft, and refurbished factory dwellers everywhere. As if it wasn’t bad enough that they prevent you from nudging your bed directly against the wall, they interrupt the look of a space as they sweep across the wall or ceiling. Here’s some inspiration to help you make peace with your pipes by painting them, wrapping them, even hand-knitting them a colorful cozy.

Somewhere along the way, the trend of hanging, bare-bulb light fixtures went from being a new trend in the bedroom to a look that’s here to stay. Read the reasons why this look has gotten so popular, see inspiration from gorgeous bedsides and find ways you can buy or DIY this look. For one, the bare-bulb look is incredibly versatile; it’s a simple look that works with a lot of very different decor styles.

If you are always on the hunt for bold decor ideas or elements that aren’t yet a trend, then you’ll appreciate this list of eye-popping and heart-stopping design details for any room in your home. Matte black in the kitchen is always sexy. Adding metallic finishes like silver can add sophistication to any space.

Sometimes you fall in love with a piece of art, envision it in a certain perfect spot in your home…and are totally disappointed when it turns out to be too small. Don’t find another place for it just yet! There are four easy ways you can make a too-small piece of art seems bigger and bolder. Like the example above, using items like thick, textured rope or ribbon to “hang” the art can make it feel a lot more substantial than the actual pieces are.

Recently I wrote about a big, beautiful new trend for the home: blooms and branches displayed in big, oversized vases. Many of you loved the look, but wanted to know: where does one find a vase this big? So I’ve rounded up a few options. A few things I was looking for: vases made of clear glass (minimal, works with any decor, shows off flowers well), and that measured 12 inches or more in at least one dimension.

We’ve featured quite a few places by A+B Kasha before: this Paris-based real estate and design firm excels at creating meticulously detailed apartments where just the walls and floors themselves are a work of art. My current favorite project of theirs is a little jewel of a one-bedroom, 270 square feet of perfection tucked away on the top floor of a 19th-century building in Paris’ 6th arrondissement.

What we have here is a dozen unabashed, Warhol- and Lichtenstein-inspired rooms that would look right at home in a pop art museum as they do inside these homes. If you love bright colors and retro styling, get thee to Pinterest and save these shots for later. It’s part aspiration and part inspiration. As big and bold as these rooms are, there are some pretty do-able ideas in here. Do you have any pop art-inspired pieces at home?

Why settle for an oversized piece of art when you could have a piece of art that covers the whole wall? These 11 murals will have a big, big impact—hang one on the wall and your decorating job is pretty much done. A quick note to start: a wall mural differentiates from wallpaper in that it does not repeat. It’s an entire scene stretch across a determined width, while wallpaper matches up and repeats indefinitely.

How much joy does your home bring you? Do you have a lot of design moments that make you smile? Do the rooms in your home showcase things that make you happy? Filling your home with visual joy doesn’t need to be a complicated task; we spotted seven easy (and affordable) ways to celebrate happiness using your home in one of our recent tours. (Pictured above) Pick a corner, any corner! Can be a guest room that you don’t go into every day. Can be a cramped bathroom. The laundry room.

It’s Valentine’s Day, which means that the two-lobed shape that we somehow recognize as representing a human heart is suddenly everywhere. There are heart-shaped candies, cards, chocolates, even heart-shaped pizzas. And many years ago, one man had the idea of building a heart-shaped hot tub… and a movement was born.

Though there are some downsides to living in a studio apartment — not having as much space for your stuff, feeling like you’re living in your bedroom — it can be a cozy and fun living experience, too. Stick to these design tricks when decorating a studio apartment and you’ll love studio living. Don’t have a bedroom but do have a closet you can fit a bed into? Or is there a way to drape curtains around your bed to create a private bed nook?

The LACK wall shelf is a much more versatile piece than you might think. By twisting and turning and stacking it, you can put this $49 shelf to work in your home in myriad ways.