Decorating

Bean bag chairs and all.

We're craving spicy tuna right about now.

The hunt for the perfect pillow ends here.

You can virtually tour the top museums and galleries around the world! No ticket required.

We’ve had freezing temperatures in San Francisco this week, which is way worse than getting them in, say, New York. Our windows are old and drafty and not insulated for this kind of weather. In fact, I’ve lived in two apartments with no heat at all. It’s not uncommon here, where temps don’t tend to dip below 50. But this season, my Chilean boyfriend turned me on to the hot water bottle. I hadn’t used one since I was a kid with the flu.

Here's what to keep an eye out for!

Don't give up on this pink-toned metal just yet!

Bippity-boppity-book your stay!

Whether it’s a piece of furniture you found for free on the side of the road, a hand-me-down you’ve had for ages, something you found in a really affordable big-box store or just something that feels cheap looking to you, there are some successful things you can DIY to make a piece of furniture look a lot more expensive (and personal!) to you. Splurge on some seriously rad hardware like pulls or handles and remove the less impressive ones that the furniture piece came to you with.

It seems that, increasingly, it’s becoming the norm for kids to have their own bedrooms, especially if there’s adequate space for it. But what if you have two rooms, two kids, and no playroom? Is it a better use of the space to have the kids share a bedroom? In my experience, young children don’t feel much of a need for a private bedroom. They would rather have ample space to play.

Piet Mondrian used reds, yellows, blues, and blacks. Donald Judd’s palette has included green, pink, and orange. Carl Andre relied on the colors of specific materials like wood and metals. And yet somehow, the term “minimalism” today calls to mind an image of a pure, clean, and orderly space with white as the dominant color. Why, despite seeing color everywhere, do we still tend to associate the minimal and the modern with whiteness?

Modernist company KitHAUS recently debuted a new line of prefab homes.

Many of us probably have an idea of what will be in anyone’s bedroom. A bed, nightstands, some clothes storage. Maybe a lamp for reading. But sometimes the most amazing bedrooms are the ones with unexpected elements! Consider including some of these (admittedly outrageous, but totally worth the effort) design ideas for your bedroom. You don’t just have to use a plain old table as a nightstand.

When you hear the word “cabin,” what does it conjure? Wood, trees, taxidermy, leather? Going through our tour archives, I noticed that we’ve featured many a cabin here on Apartment Therapy, and while some of them adhere to the usual expectations for a cabin, many of them offer unexpected takes on rustic decor. TOP ROW: 1. Nancy, Ethan, Ohle’s 1903 Cabin in the Country 2. David Bethany’s Abode in the Woods 3. Keith Rebecca’s Cabin of Worldly Delights 4.

Sticking with all-white in an interior space has a lot of advantages. Light and airy, you’ll be left with bright spaces that feel refreshing and peaceful. Those who rent will find solace in being able to work with can’t-paint white walls. Not having a lot of colors in a space allows the people to become the paint that splashes colorfully on your home’s palette. But creating stunning all-white rooms isn’t as easy as simply leaving out the color.

Looking for fresh ideas for revitalizing the same old bathrooms you have in your home in this new year? This year, it’s all about taking old ideas and translating them in an accessible (read: easy, affordable and quick) way to give your bathroom a fun, fresh look without a ton of work. We’ve got 15 ideas to try out (one at a time or combined with others!). Why stick to just one bathmat?

Part of my motivation behind doing the Style Cure this year was to reclaim our main living space. It has been a whirlwind of a year for us and we pack a lot of living into not a lot of square footage. Unfinished projects, leftovers from our wedding and all of the (amazing) gifts from our guests left us with an apartment that felt like it was always almost there, but not quite.

Do you have a small, dedicated room that you enter into from your front door, that pleasantly greets guests, that houses all the things you need for the day? Yeah me neither. What I do have is a front door that deposits me and my guests directly into my living room and a list of every day items that continually threaten to take over the entire home.

I don’t know about you, but when I think of a shared kids’ bedroom, my mind immediately goes to two twin beds side by side, or maybe bunk beds. (Or if you’re as unlucky as my sister and I were, a shared full bed. We often daydreamed about building a wall right down the middle of the bed!) If you let yourself start to think outside of the box, there are so many creative solutions to a shared kids’ situation. Here are a few of my favorites from our archives: Short on space?

Whether you’re sharing a studio or seriously small one-bedroom with a partner or making a tiny two bedroom work with a roommate, sharing a small space presents a whole set of stresses beyond just sharing a space. Here’s how to live a little more harmoniously with someone else in an extra small home. 1. Make a furniture plan What we mean to say is, don’t just meld two households full of stuff into one tiny space and just hope that it’ll work.

So, you’ve decided your kids are going to share a room which means you have two beds (or a bed + crib) to fit into the room. The size and shape of the room may guide or dictate where you place the beds, but it’s worth taking a look at some different bed layouts to see if they spark inspiration for you. Probably the most traditional layout, this formation has a nice visual symmetry and conveys a sense of each child’s claim to the space being equal.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to get away and treat ourselves to a spa weekend, like every weekend? Well, if that dream is a bit out of your reach for financial or practical reasons (we’re all probably in this boat!), there is still something you can reach for: A more spa-like bathroom that melts the day’s worries away or gets you in the best, relaxed mood to face the day. These six ways are affordable and should work in just about any bathroom (even small or windowless ones!

Dehlia’s tiny bathroom is typical of a city apartment: a 4 x 6 foot space that benefited from a functional, small-scale redesign. The floors are slate, the walls are seaglass, and the fixtures are well proportioned for the room. It can be difficult to find small tubs, toilets, and sinks for a bathroom renovation, but combing Dehlia’s source list as well as a few good posts from the Apartment Therapy archives, we’ve found some relevant resources.

When I was growing up our family used blankets and quilts on our beds in the winter so when I was introduced to the concept of a duvet in my twenties it seemed so civilized (and, fancy). You know the basics: a duvet is a fabric sack typically filled with down or feathers, often encased in a removable cover, but if you’re the inquisitive type, these ten tidbits may intrigue you: 1. ‘Duvet’ comes from the French word for ‘down’.

Welcome to our very first Apartment Therapy Weekend Project. This weekend, the project is to fill a blank wall in your home with something you’ve been meaning to hang. Read on and join other Apartment Therapy readers as we all work on this simple assignment that’s sure to create a big style boost in just a little bit of time… Start by deciding which blank wall needs filling. Walk around your home – is there a glaringly blank wall crying out for some attention?

The kitchen: it’s the laboratory of the home, where we “work” to create meals for ourselves and those we live with. Conversely, it’s also often the social hub of the home, where friends gather at parties or even where you might like to hang out solo, just reading a book or listening to the radio. With these dual purposes in mind, it’s often tricky to strike the right lighting balance.

Looking for a very modern way to incorporate a splash of pink in your home? Turn up the temperature and go hot hot pink. Hot bubblegum, hot fuschia, even hot neon pink will work. For doubters, here are twenty examples to prove you wrong: Craving more pink? Try our Color Search tool for more visual inspiration: ROW ONE: 1. Rohde’s “Opportunistic” Design Laboratory 2. Rohde’s “Opportunistic” Design Laboratory 3.

You know how, when you have a new interest, it’s suddenly all you can see? Just as a newly-expecting couple might see babies everywhere they look, so it is with me and bikes. I’ve recently decided to buy one, and find myself checking out others’ wheels 24/7 these days.

I’m a huge fan of huge graphic treatments. And as far as patriotism is concerned, more is more. Whether it’s your native country or just a flag from a land you love, get an instant bohemian world traveler vibe at home by working in an oversized flag on the wall. It doesn’t have to be a country, either. A state flag or naval flag works just as well. Or maybe you’re into something historic.

Hands down the most popular color for kitchen walls is white. But you march to your own drummer, right? Instead of endlessly poring over paint chips, pore over these painted kitchens to see how colors play out in real rooms. And, in case you fall in love with one of the colors, I’ve hooked you up with the paint brand and color name.

The crib is often one of the first purchases a family makes in preparation for welcoming a child home. Some people don’t sweat it and pick something quickly and without fuss. Others hem and haw…and then hem and haw some more. Personally, I love seeing products in real homes before I buy them. A few months ago we showed you the affordable Sniglar crib in ten real homes and now we’re back with the Stokke Sleepi. The Stokke Sleepi is decidedly not a budget crib.

They’re everywhere! From playrooms to nurseries, we keep seeing black wall decals appearing on kids rooms all over. They are affordable, renter-friendly, versatile and chic. Interested in following suit? Click through for a few tips on how these Moms and Dads used black wall decals with style. 1. First up, go geometric. Not just any black wall decal will do. Stick to a simple geometric shape for a modern look. 2. Use black and white elsewhere in the room.

Three or more kids in one room is no easy feat, but these parents rose to the task with panache. If you, too, have space constraints, or just desire a little extra bonding time for your children, get inspired by these real life rooms for three. Have you tried having more than two children share a room? How did it work, and would you recommend it? TOP ROW: 1. The Figgle Family’s Cozy First Home 2. Something for Everyone in Parker, Monty, and Elliott’s Room 3.

When it comes to design, sometimes you just have to go bold, and small spaces are perfect for giving your imagination free rein. Constraint breeds creativity, and corners, ceilings, closets, nooks, and crannies can all be converted easily into luxurious, dream-like spaces with a bit of verve and paper. Top Row: 1. Patterned hallway in Anna Spiro paper from Adore Home Blog. 2. Wallpapered ceiling in reading area from Caldwell Flake via House of Turquoise. 3.

Just because you can’t actually make a room bigger, doesn’t mean you can’t trick the eye into making it appear and feel bigger. One of the most effective ways to do this is to draw the eye upward toward the ceiling making the walls seem higher and giving the room an air of expansiveness. Here are eight real-room examples—not all of them are small—but you can apply the ideas to your own small room. Embellish the ceiling.

While I absolutely covet many of the elements featured here, I understand that everyone’s taste is a little different, and some people might not choose green tile or wood paneling or shag carpets if they had the choice. But whether you’re renting or buying, and whether you love them or hate them, here are some ideas for making vintage features work with your modern style.

Painting an entire room teal or mustard or charcoal can seem like a lot: a lot of color, a lot of work, a lot of paint, and a lot of repainting if you hate it. But just one wall? One wall is totally manageable. Bold accent walls are perfect for those of us who love color- just not too much color. Here are some of our favorite examples from Apartment Therapy’s House Tours. FIRST ROW: 1. Kristen and Mike’s Mid-Century Oasis 2. A Bright Beautiful Bungalow From An Ohio Trio 3.

In the divide between minimalists and maximalists, I’ve always felt more drawn towards a less-is-more aesthetic, but after touring some wonderfully vibrant homes that are far from minimal, I find myself inspired to add more color, pattern and even some stuff into the mix. Whoa. If you’re thinking of trying out bolder colors or showcasing more of your trinkets or artwork, check out these gloriously non-minimalist house tours for inspiration.

There is a lot to learn from Liz and John’s 1926 Craftsman, especially when it comes to tossing out the rules and following your gut. While this “eclectic gothic-glam” dining room is constantly evolving, we’re going to break down the space to elements that work, and show you how to get the look: 89″ x 98.

It’s in their nature: kids love to hide. Some kids hide under the table, some under a blanket fort. And some really lucky ducks have dedicated hideouts at home. Here are ten examples that we wrote about this past year. They range from the very easy and do-able to the more elaborate and fantastical. 1. A Secret Kids Room Through the Closet2. Playhouse from Lori and Jeromy’s Stylish Family Home3. Grey’s Bed Nook from Jill Dan’s Lighthearted Home4.

For kids, play is all around them, but it is nice if you’re able to allot a part of your home just for them to use for art-making, playing with toys and pretend play. Here’s a look back at ten of our favorite playrooms featured this year.

If you’re looking for a modern countertop surface that’s both beautiful and budget-friendly, consider concrete. If properly installed and sealed, concrete countertops will last practically forever, and the best part is, you can make them yourself. First, some of our favorite concrete countertop inspiration from around the web. TOP ROW: 1. Concrete is perfect for the modern/industrial look. From Sköna hem. 2.

Here’s an easy DIY craft for you: grab some leaves from the backyard, whip out some craft paint or thread, and go to town. If your budget doesn’t allow for buying store-bought decorations, this is a cheap alternative that do-able and fun. TOP ROW: Alisa Burke painted a series of leaves, then strung them up as festive garland. Try painting leaves still on the branch, for a great centerpiece like Rachael’s. Or, simply tape up a collection of leaves like Elsie Marley did.

There are many reasons parents might opt to use a floor bed for their child: following Montessori principles of independence-building, fear of a young child rolling out of a tall bed, saving money on a bed or easy access for a special needs child. If you’re considering going this route, here are fifteen children’s floor beds to check out for inspiration and encouragement.

As the days and nights get chillier, it’s time to talk about layers. Taken literally, this means those extra blankets and throws you pile on to stay warm. But it also means all the decorative elements you add to a room to create interest, texture, and depth. Whether layers increase your physical comfort, please the eye, or hide parts of a room that make you cringe, there are tons of reasons to go multi-dimensional.

Mustard can be a hard color to pin down — yellowy, orangey, golden, ochre-esque, olive-adjacent — but like pornography, I know it when I see it. Here are a few gorgeous mustard living rooms and paints perfect for autumn and beyond. INSPIRATION ROOMS: 1. Post from Paris: Steven and Garth’s Pied-à-Terre 2. House to Home 3. Valerie’s “From Craigslist with Love” Room 4. Martell Home Builders PAINT COLORS TO GET THIS LOOK: 1. Behr Brown Mustard #360D-7 2.

Renters rejoice! We know that you can sometimes feel left out of the color loop because you can’t bust out that paint brush and splash color all over your walls. But fear not – here are 30 fabulous ways to add color to your kids’ rooms (or most any room of the house) without painting the walls: ROW ONE 1. Hang some colorful curtains 2. Paint the bed 3. Use removable wall decals 4. Add colorful seating 5. Add colorful storage baskets ROW TWO 6. Create a colorful book display 7.

I’m a big fan of less common color schemes, and I love bold color in nurseries and kids bedrooms. In honor of color month here at Apartment Therapy, I rounded up some fantastic spaces featuring a relatively underused color scheme: orange and green. 1. This “Small Space Nursery Triumph” is tiny, but the mix of patterns lends it lots of personality and the soothing sage green and carrot orange are balanced by the neutral greys and whites. 2.

I have a bit of an obsession with scarves. I can’t go into a shop without beelining toward the pretty folded squares or colorful looped displays. They’re a year-round wardrobe staple. Though the season for long knitted types will be here before we know it, I’m looking toward the silky square versions for inspiring wall hangings. I’m off to Brimfield for the final antique show of 2013.

Day 18: Monday, August 26 Assignment: Work on your furniture placement only – no accessories, artwork or decor yet! Congratulations to everyone on making it to the last leg of the Style Cure, with an extra round of applause for everyone who tackled the big paint job this past weekend.

The design world has embraced a neon trend in both fashion and interiors. Whether or not it’s here to stay, we’re always inspired by a bold mix that works. A hint of highlighter yellow or a touch of hot pink can’t help but put a smile on your face.If you’re drawn to neutrals but looking to add some color, these homes provide some great inspiration for successfully integrating neon into your space.TOP ROW:1.

The iconic Eames rocker is a well-loved addition to many nurseries that we have featured here. Most nursery rockers and gliders tend towards enormity, but this little workhorse is a stylish small space wonder that’s great for nursing, reading, or just hanging out.Designed in 1948, the Eames’ borrowed techniques for molding plastic from World War II research to create a plastic chair with a more organic, body-contoured form.

The bachelor pads featured here on Apartment Therapy are not your run of the mill man caves. This diverse group of men has a lot to offer in the realm of design. While each home is quite different from the next, they are all inspiring, modern spaces, packed full of personality.From product designer, to food scientist, to set builder, each of these men has developed a thoughtful sense of design derived from their unique experiences.

Our recent roundup of twin beds elicited many comments from readers convinced that twins don’t make much sense because kids might outgrow them. But what about shared rooms and space constraints? My twins share a room and are perilously close to climbing out of their cribs, so we are looking at big kid beds. For our home and needs, it makes sense to buy twin beds that can be converted to bunk beds in a few years. In the course of shopping around we have learned a few things.

My search for the perfect coffee table is endless. Not because of a lack of variety, just the opposite. There are tables in so many sizes, shapes and materials that, as often happens to me while decorating, I’m paralyzed by choice.There are so many beautiful options that each new, amazing find just reinforces my idea that committing to one table will, through the evil influence of Murphy’s Law, lead me down a path to an even more perfect choice.Then there are the rules.

Name: Stella (6)Location: Alamo Square neighborhood, San FranciscoRoom Size: 10′ x 16′ (160 s.f.), not including closet We have featured shared rooms before but they usually focus on how two or three siblings occupy one space. An example which we do not see as much is a shared space between a parent and a child. This is exactly what Tiffanie did in her San Francisco apartment, where every square foot counts.

Back in March, I took the No New Plastic for a Month Challenge, and it inspired me to replace all of my plastic food storage containers with glass, and I haven’t looked back. Below the jump, you’ll find out how I transformed my refrigerator.First, I did some research to find the everyday glass food storage containers I now needed. I opted for Duralex Lys Square Bowls because they are stackable, made of tempered glass, and square in shape.

Just as your local library displays book covers on tables and sprinkled throughout shelves, parents have adopted this display method to entice their young children to pick up a book and, when they do, to make it easier for them to find specific books visually. Here are seven different ideas for creating such a display in your home:Start with SPICE RACKS: Don’t you love it when the simplest solution is also the cheapest?

We love small spaces. We love them for their lower energy and heating bills and because they force us to edit, organize, and reduce our accumulation of stuff. But most of all, we love them because there seems to be no end to what you can do with them given some creative planning! Here are 25 of the top small space living posts we wrote this year.

Sorry if we’re sci-fi geeking a bit, but this Folding Shower shown above looks straight from The Fifth Element, specifically the scene where Korben Dallas (B. Willis) has to push Leeloo (an unforgettable Milla Jovovich) into a hideaway shower. Designed specifically for small space dwellers, this French designed shower is seeking a manufacturer, so it’s not yet on the market, but we think would be perfect for people who decide to convert their spare closets into a bathroom.

Choosing a color to paint your living room walls is a pretty big decision, especially since most people spend lots of time relaxing on the couch or entertaining with loved ones in the space. You might want a paint color that is both unique and eye-catching but that you’ll love even if you change your mind about your furniture or decor choices a few years down the road, which is why you’ll probably be surprised by the top living room color trend of 2020.

After seeing these rooms, we're officially St. Patrick's Day people.

2019 sure is looking bright—at least when it comes to colors. If you count yourself among the fans of Pantone’s just-revealed Color of the Year, Living Coral, there are myriad ways to bring it into your home. The most straightforward of which would be paint, so we rounded up some matches from 7 paint brands so you can grab a gallon and (literally) get rolling on that new wall.

It’s the beginning of the holiday season (Happy Hanukkah!), and for design lovers, today there’s a special reason to celebrate. Today, Pantone announces its Color of the Year 2019. It’s the 20th anniversary of the announcement, and last year, the global color authority went with Ultra Violet, a grape-like purple that reminded people of Monica’s apartment on “Friends” and others thought might have a deeper societal meaning.

It’s no secret that we at Apartment Therapy love color, even (er, make that especially) in small spaces. While the rest of the internet might still be spewing the “paint it white to make it seem larger” line, we know that a bold shade can bring energy and a sense of expansion to a modest room. Have a small bedroom and want some paint ideas beyond white and gray? We’ve got you—and your walls—covered.

If you’re searching for a motif to make your bedroom, bathroom or any other room peaceful and vibrant, turn your eyes to the seas. Nautical decor is a long-standing favorite for a reason: Shiplap, navy blue and rope details are easy to work into any room, and they are likely to conjure up visions of lazy days by the beach. It’s easy to go over the top with nautical decor, though.

The space above a refrigerator is often overlooked and underused. It’s not particularly accessible for oft-used items, but it’s a shame to have the space go to waste, especially in a small kitchen. I looked at a selection of real homes to see how people were using this space. Some of these examples involve clever built-ins, but many will work for renters, too. Simple shelves were installed on the wall above the fridge to hold a few cookbooks and some barware.

Do you live in a small space? Do people sometimes confuse your bedroom for a closet? Can you reach your kitchen sink from your couch? If you’re looking for ways to make your space more livable without spending a ton, you’ve come to the right place. Here are three classic ways to make living little work for you: 1. Lighting Small is one thing, but small and dark is quite another. Almost nothing has the power to transform the a room like good lighting.

Maybe you’re making room for a new baby’s nursery or that cave of collectibles you’ve always wanted. Or maybe you just like living small. No matter what your motivation is for maximizing your space, the best way to do it is by combining two functions into one room. Here are five classic double-duty room combos we see all the time, proving that when it comes to a thoughtful layout, you can kill two birds with one stone. 1.

Homes that layer in different styles are dynamic and interesting. But too much mixing and your eye doesn’t know where to land, and winds up confused and unhappy. The most successful rooms seek some common ground, where everything finds a way to get along. Here are ten ways to mix aesthetics, without getting a raised eyebrow: COLOR: Using a consistent color helps your decor hang well together and look more cohesive.

Name: Lex, Lynn and LucyLocation: Financial District — Manhattan, New YorkSize: About 800 square feet including terraceYears lived in: 4.5 years — ownWhen Lex and Lynn moved into their one bedroom apartment in lower Manhattan, the view of the New York skyline took center stage. Their style was minimalistic — graphic black and white were favored over color for a look of grown up chic. But enter their daughter Lucy, and everything shifted.

Without it looking like an eyesore.