Decorating In Design

Here's how to overcome the daunting task of forging distinct areas inside a lofty, wall-less space.

Fake fanciness, without looking cheap.

For those who have small living rooms, picking out paint colors can be a little tricky. On the one hand, painting the whole room white can open up the walls and make the small room feel a little more airy. On the other hand, limiting yourself to just one stark color can put a cramp on some people’s creativity.

If you compulsively follow #TinyHouse and #TinyLiving on social media or consider yourself a full-fledged follower of the Tiny House Movement, it can be easy to forget that tiny houses aren’t just a social media phenomenon. It can be hard to remember that people actually live in these teeny, tiny spaces. Truth is, it can be a wonderful way to have the house of your dreams—without spending a fortune. Of course, tiny houses aren’t all Instagram likes and easy, breezy living.

It’s time to ditch this classic living room item.

Because looks are just part of the equation. You gotta be able to drink from it, too.

It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year. You know, when the color experts at Pantone will be announcing the 2019 Color of the Year, which will likely happen any day now. We’re on the edge of our ultra-violet seats waiting to see what hue it could be. To help ease and abate our anticipation, we called on some of our favorite interior designer friends to find out what shade they could see Pantone choosing as the Color of the Year.

When you’re curled up inside on a gross, snowy day, the last thing you want to see more of is gray. Escape into a wonderful world of color — without leaving your couch. These bold, beautiful Instagram feeds showcase ultra-radiant homes stuffed full of funky, colorful accessories. Neon accent walls? Hot pink furniture? These designers and home lovers do it right. Liven up your life by following these 11 striking feeds.

The old adage is to take off at least one accessory before leaving the house, but that doesn’t ring true when it comes to house decor. When it comes to art in your home, sometime more is really more. Floor-to-ceiling gallery walls not only bring a touch of color and busy-ness into a room, but it also lets you flex your creative muscles, allows you to bring character into the space, and lets you show your personality through the paintings and prints you choose. So why not layer up on it?

When I moved from a two-bedroom townhouse in Houston to a 250-square-foot studio apartment in New York, I was ready to do without. What I didn’t know, at the time, was what that would look like. I was all idealism, sure that I could blaze new trails, go bravely without things many Americans couldn’t imagine giving up. Three years in, this is what the reality of that transition looks like.

Living in a small space sometimes isn’t as fun as all those Instagrammable tiny houses make it look. With square footage at a premium, smaller apartments and houses come with their unique hurdles that make it challenging to decorate your space. Where are you supposed to put all your clothes? How do you fit an entire dining room into an area that’s as big as most people’s closets?

Minimalism and functionality are two key elements that can take a hum-drum, cluttered kitchen and turn it into a beautiful space to cook and entertain in. As I mentioned in this Scandinavian-style house tour round-up last month, perhaps the greatest feature of Scandi-inspired style is that it can be interpreted and used in so many different ways.

With all the focus on varying shades of pastels these days (we’re looking at you, millennial pink!), it can be easy to forget that bright colors are still a consistent design trend, too. Sometimes a simple, solitary pop of color is all you need, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, try pairing two (or three!) together to really pull the room together.

And here's how to decorate it at home.

The incredible thing about super small homes is their genius isn’t limited to their square feet. A space might be tiny, but it can teach you a lot. Constraint sparks creativity, after all. All of these homes are 400 square feet and under…and the folks who live in them have advice to share.

Of course, before mid-century modern there was shabby chic, and before that there was that awful oversize Tuscan villa-esque furniture that looked like it was made for giants, but no style has had quite the staying power that mid-century modern has. When I graduated college, in 2005, we were talking about it, and 13 years later, we still are. This, of course, means that people like me are always trying to predict what “the next” MCM is. Is it Italian Modernism? Is it Victoriana?

Manhattan has notoriously teeny apartments and I’m always fascinated by how people make them work. I mean, you have to be clever to figure out how to fit in a place to sleep, a place to eat, a place to hang out, a place to cook and a place to you know, store all of your stuff, all in about 300 square feet. Even more impressive? When someone figures out how to do it stylishly in about half of that footprint.

And just like that, you can reclaim your nightstand.

Welcome to Design Doctors, our new series in which two designers offer expert prescriptions to readers who need help with a room in their home. These are not full renovations being suggested, but rather approachable, generally affordable changes that can be made by laypeople. The doctors are in! In this second installment, we have a basement that the owner describes as, “A half-timbered dingy cream stucco kinda tavern.

Blue and white ginger jars have always had a special place in decorators’ (and grandma’s) hearts, but Chinoiserie has had a massive boom in searches on Pinterest lately, meaning it’s going mainstream. And that spike is only part of a much larger trend of old, antique, and retro aesthetics coming back into vogue. Not only are ginger jars having a moment, but so are sputnik lamps, velvet upholstery, and rattan pieces, among many others.

Tired of doing the same-old, same-old? Here are some super personal out-of-the-box ideas.

New year, new you, new home! While you’re busy thinking of resolutions for the new year, slip a few home-related ones onto the list. From promising to hack your organization to giving yourself room to take bolder design risks, ahead are a few ideas to get you brainstorming. Every year we collect a mountain of clutter, usually without realizing it.

There’s a new term roaming the corridors of the internet that made our ears perk up the second we heard it and we think you’re going to like it, too. It’s called a “pajama lounge”, and we want one. The idea is nothing new, though: growing up in suburbia, you may have had an upstairs loft or living room where the kids studied, watched TV maybe before heading down to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal if your home was spacious enough.

8 easy-to-execute ideas to maximize your limited bedroom floor plan.

Laurel Kinney more than helps people look their best; she helps them look more like themselves! As a professional personal stylist, a big part of her job is also helping clients organize and sort their closets. Before, she’s shared the four biggest ways you get in the way of looking your best and questions you should ask yourself now (so your closet doesn’t end up full of clothes you never wear).

A classic circular wreath is pretty much the physical manifestation of infinite holiday joy, so why limit it to your front door? The possibilities for indoor wreaths are as infinite as their iconic shape, so today we’ve rounded up 6 of our favorite wreath locations that don’t require front door real estate. No mantel? No problem. Hang a wreath (or two, or three) on a blank wall for a celebratory look.

Some of the most beautiful homes I saw this year were from The Netherlands. From houses in Amsterdam’s bustling urban center to organic modern homes full of history in bucolic country settings, each home perfectly embodies the personality and spirit of the person living in it. But while each space is wholly unique, I noticed a series of three important things that folks living in Dutch homes seem to “get right” when it comes to design.

One of the most charming things about holiday decor are the stockings lined up across a mantel—but what happens if you don’t have a fireplace? Ah well, then of course you dot your staircase banister with them. What? No staircase either? Never fear! This clever idea taking over Pinterest works for everyone, no matter your architectural shortcomings. Decorative ladders in living rooms have been a big trend these last few years, usually used to hang blankets and throws.

Decking your halls with holiday decor can be tricky when you’re on a budget. That’s why it pays to be resourceful when it comes to spreading holiday cheer throughout your home. Luckily, some of our most humdrum home essentials actually offer ample decorating opportunity. With a little imagination, you can turn everyday items—like puzzle pieces, newspaper, and houseplants—into seriously stylish trimmings.

I did not grow up in a house that delicately opened gifts on Christmas morning. My mother did not collect all the intact gift wrap, fold it carefully and stash it away for another use. We were savages that ripped open presents with abandon. The more shreds I could get out of each box, the longer the unwrapping lasted, which made me a happier child. (My mother did, however, always save gift boxes—the kind you put shirts and pajama sets in—as well as gift bags because she was no fool.

In a day and age when social media and inspiration-heavy sites like Pinterest make you feel like everything you create for your home or how you decorate for the holidays has to be (literally) picture perfect and super chic, there are rays of hope that sometimes the internet is up for something slightly ridiculous. Case in point: the recent obsession with not-the-least-bit-elegant-but-maybe-pretty-great giant balloon Christmas lights.

Say goodbye to the tree skirt and hello to this unexpected accessory.

For the longest time, I thought there was only one solution for rugs in the bathroom: the traditional bath mat. I always struggled to find something I liked enough. Everything was either too fuzzy and nubby, or too bland in terms of design, as I like to add a punch of color via rugs in my all-beige bathroom to liven things up. That is, until I refreshed my space this past summer and went in a completely different direction. The “area rug as bath mat” concept is not a new one.

As someone who used to work as an architect and now writes about small spaces, I love seeing how a clever design can completely transform a tiny space. At first glance, this little Italian apartment did not seem very promising. Its 317 square feet (29.5 square meters) were awkwardly chopped up into a tiny bedroom, barely large enough for a bed, an oddly placed bathroom, and a combination living room/dining room/kitchen that was strangely shaped and a bit cavernous.

Inspiring rooms your guests will feel like sinking into and staying awhile.

The fireplace might have been an ignored home feature during the warm days of summer, but fall gives us a very good excuse to turn our attention to the mantel, and beyond. Though some heartily embrace fun Halloween decor here, there are other ways to say “fall” besides black-and-orange accents. The easiest? Adding a few small pumpkins and a festive wreath to your current mantel accessories, like the fireplace of Chris from Just a Girl.

Let's focus on another time-honored living room pastime: conversation.

Some trends come and go, while others come, stay, and leaving us saying, “wait, why wasn’t this always a thing?”. With a simplicity and softness that feels timeless in its appeal, we think trendy round mirrors are here to stay. If you’ve been on the fence about “rounding out” your mirror collection, here are two nearly identical round brass-framed mirrors in two not-so-identical price points ($50 vs.

When I started my hunt for the perfect tiny New York apartment, I knew that it would probably come with a tiny kitchen, too. I got lucky: my kitchen actually has a full-sized fridge, and it even has an oven. (Yes, there are people in New York who are paying lots and lots of money to rent apartments with no oven.) And while my kitchen is small—it only has two and a half feet of counter space—I saw others that were even smaller.

Or as the actual (but too long) title to this post should read: How to Pull Off Painting Your Living Room Black and It Not Look Like an Angsty Goth ’80s Teen Is Gearing up for a Halloween Party While Their Parents Are Out of Town. I’m here today to let you know it is possible to rock super dark paint on the walls, ceilings, shelving, mantel, fireplace, etc. and not look like you went on Trading Spaces with The Addams Family.

Ask anyone who’s ever lived in a studio apartment what their least favorite thing about it is, and chances are that (after the size) they’ll complain about their bed being out in the open, in sight of the living room/dining room/kitchen. It can make it feel like you’re living in a dorm room versus an actual adult home. But, with smart decor elements and design tricks, you can make your bed feel like its own area, improving the way your studio looks from any angle.

If you’ve ever lived in a particularly small space, especially a studio apartment, you may have noticed that your bed takes up a significant portion of your square footage. Some people choose to loft their bed to open up floor space, but this strategy is not without its own problems.

Entryway in need of some TLC? We have a dozen ideas to try on for size.

Did you catch this rad house tour from Buenos Aires? Each room was bursting with bold design elements balanced and mixed to perfection. But something about the living room really stuck out to me: it’s an excellent example of the versatility of a black and white color palette. In other words, if you’re someone who gets tired of the same look after awhile and you like to mix it up, take some notes from this home.

We’ve heard it time and again: the bedroom is often the last place you tackle decorating because it’s behind closed doors (and it seems more practical to devote your energy and dollars to the more public areas of your home). However, just because you’re not ready to take a deep dive into reimagining your sleeping quarters doesn’t mean there isn’t something you can do to spruce up the place in the meantime…sort of like a pre-makeover.

If you’ve had it when it comes to dreary home office spaces, listen up. Those who are short on space or privacy (i.e. roommates) needn’t look further than the room you sleep in for home workspace, and while writing emails may not be high on your list of favorite bedroom activities, these nine bedroom office nooks are so good they’ll have you reducing your commute time in big way.

Not all bathrooms are created equal, and that’s fine by us. Some may see a small bathroom as a storage nightmare, but we see it as a challenge. Here are nine genius DIY bathrooms that prove no storage situation, or lack there of, can’t be tackled. Here, Rebecca Williams shows us how her boho maximalist home in Western Australia maximizes storage. Rebecca uses unoccupied wall space to store her toiletries on hanging shelves and a hanging planter repurposed as a storage basket (genius!

White walls seem to be a designer secret weapon: they open up rooms of all sizes (make small rooms seem larger, large rooms appear…even airier) and look incredibly crisp and cool; plus, it’s easy to match your room’s decor to the snowy hue (because, well, white goes with everything). You know what other color is just as easy to work with (even if you might not think so at first glance)? Hint: It’s the complete opposite of white.

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

It doesn’t matter how big or how small (or how mobile) a space is — when it works, it works (better yet if you get to see what it looked like before it got to its currently amazing state). Such is the case with Mandi from Vintage Revivals’ 1973 Bell Travel Trailer makeover: A sad, dated, basically uninhabitable “before” and it’s spot-on jealousy inducing “after”. Hello?!?

There was a lot to drool over, design-wise, in James and Kurt’s Chicago home. Contemporary art and cool furniture, and as a bonus, two homeowners that look like they must throw amazing parties. But there’s no denying it’s the color palette that really steals the show. Purple, yellow, blue, green — this vibrant home features a variety of hues that are unexpected and delightful.

Are you tired of minimalism? You've come to the right place.

Built in 1928, this Michigan house came with plenty of architectural charm when Justin bought it, but it needed updating. And that’s just what Justin did, transforming the dated interior into a modern, cozy abode. Every room packs in interior design inspiration, but the living room deserves a longer look. It’s a simple, elegant composition that looks sophisticated and high-end. But you can totally pull this look off on a budget.

If you find yourself constantly yearning for a Nancy Meyers-esque house swap to whisk you away to the English countryside, maybe it's time to bring the English countryside to you.

For most renters, all decorating efforts come to a screeching halt in the kitchen. Whether it’s dated countertops, offensive wood finishes, or lighting that you’re pretty sure was initially installed for a crime scene investigation, most kitchen eyesores require major permanent solutions — or so we thought.

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.

The canopy bed of your childhood dreams has grown up and looks spectacular.

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.

As the bedroom is a place in which you want to be lulled to sleep, its design is typically tackled in ways that could be described as “soothing” and “serene”. Soft colors and delicate patterns are the norm for a “sophisticated” retreat. But what if you want something with more pizazz? A room that’ll get you excited about the day the second you peel your eyes open?

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.

Never underestimate the power of a good wall sconce. Not only will these beauties save you tons of space, they allow you to customize a unique lighting scheme to suit your specific needs. Unlike bulky table lamps, a properly placed sconce or two can offer loads of reading light without taking up any valuable nightstand space. Because we believe in showing and telling, here are nine of the chicest bedroom wall sconce scenes we could find on the web.

It’s a tale as old as time (well, as long as leasing agreements have been around): You find a rental apartment or house you LOVE…but you’re not allowed to paint the walls. Perhaps the walls are white or beige and you find them ho-hum. Or perhaps your rental walls do have color—but not color you like. What’s a rule-following tenant supposed to do?

Some trends stand the test of time for a reason. Case in point: cement tiles. Although they’ve been making waves in the decor scene for a looong while now (historians date some versions back to the 12th Century), these beautiful tiles started to pop up inside the most design-savvy contemporary homes across the globe in recent years in a big way. And it’s not difficult to see why. Along with creating artfully polished displays, cement tiles are crafted from natural materials (i.e.

I’m a big fan of vintage furniture: well-made and well-loved, the right piece can add a focal point to any space. But keeping in mind the old adage of having nothing in your home that isn’t beautiful or useful, you want to be sure that you aren’t just adding vintage pieces for the sake of them being, well, old. Check out the following for examples of vintage being brilliantly repurposed, reused, or just given the right surroundings.

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.

There's a powerful design element at your disposal for highlighting — and creating! — architectural features.

Vintage dressers are a bathroom renovator’s best friend, as they can lend a healthy dose of character to the old W.C. for a fraction of the price of most (boring) made-to-order vanities. What’s more is, if you know how to drill a hole into wood, you’re half way to repurposing your own vintage dresser into a vanity/ sink console.

It’s not just how you work, but also where you work that’s important. Here at Apartment Therapy, we understand the influence that your physical environment can have on your state of mind, and that’s particularly true for the place where you work—whether that work is writing, or catching up on business, or just composing a few emails.

Use a bedroom as a living room? An extra office space as a den? A closet as a bedroom?! Yes—though rooms come with “historical precedent” of how they were used in the past, it doesn’t mean you have to use a space in your home the way it was intended. Not only do you have permission to use your home any damn way you please—it just makes sense to do so. Why not craft a home that functions just the way you need?

What’s your style? Maybe you’re someone who has trouble encapsulating that in just a few words. You know what you like when you see it, but the things you’re drawn to are all across the decor spectrum, not fitting perfectly into any one aesthetic. You’re a mixer. You like the unexpectedness of bringing together disparate and contrasting styles.