Decorating

It’s no secret that streamlining is in right now. Many of us are carefully evaluating everything from our wardrobes to our kitchenware and enjoying feeling lighter as we let unneeded belongings go. And with that, it’s no surprise that we’re more and more drawn to a streamlined look when it comes to furniture and decor, too. Take bed frames and headboards, for example. Gone are the days of tufted, upholstered numbers and in are sleek, simple wooden options, like the ones below.

I'm a lifelong renter and IKEA products have come to the rescue for many of my rental conundrums over the years.

Some people can look at an empty room and visualize where every furniture item will go, what fabric will work for the curtains, and what planter they should buy for the corner by the window. Others need real, tangible inspiration—spaces they can shop like you might buy clothes off of a mannequin. And while there are showrooms for that, they can feel cold and uninviting—it’s hard to picture living in a showroom. Enter: the shoppable stay.

A sale is just a swipe away!

Sometimes you want your home to feel like Kate Winslet’s English cottage in “The Holiday,” and sometimes you want to go full Great Gatsby and drink champagne in your Art Deco-era settee. If you’re in need of some extra glamour in your space (who isn’t after this dull winter?), there are plenty of ways to do it, including adding gold accents with furniture and decor.

Amid the natural beauty of the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, sits El Cosmico, an 21-acre camp in the Chihuahuan Desert, a mystical place where time seems to stop. It’s this spirit of “dolce far niente,” the sweetness of doing nothing, and the bohemian-inspired trailers, yurts, and teepees at the off-the-grid retreat that draws visitors each year to experience that feeling of blissful freedom in Marfa, Texas.

We pay special attention to lighting. The glitzy chandelier featured in that historic house tour. Those coastal-inspired pendants along the bar at that airport restaurant. The single Edison bulb that illuminates your favorite hotel’s bedroom. “Lighting is one of the most important parts of a design—both the physical fixtures, as well as the quality of lighting,” says Dan Mazzarini of BHDM Design.

Looking to well, switch, your plain plate and outlet covers for something a little more stylish? It’s one of the easiest ways to update your space in mere minutes with minimal effort. And we’ve got you covered with these eight products, with options to please each member of the family. Oh, and the best part? Everything in this roundup is under $20. Add a stylish dose of on-trend brass to your home with this sleek cover. It won’t even set you back a full five bucks.

Last year, I decided it was time to get new bedroom furniture. Up until then, all of my furniture had been inherited from people I subletted from or friends leaving New York. While all the pieces were fine and functional, together they were creating a disheveled vibe. I craved cohesion. One of the things I was most eager to replace was a IKEA LEKSVIK Semainier dresser. It had five medium-sized drawers and a small hutch on top.

In a quiet East Austin neighborhood, newly-constructed homes sit side-by-side with the time-weathered structures in need of a fresh coat of paint, homes where overgrown grass reaches out to touch the cracked sidewalks. But, along with the apparent signs of gentrification, there is also something quite unexpected hiding behind a fenced-in backyard: the first permitted 3D-printed house in the world.

Wallpaper has been in and out of style over the last few decades. People might think that wallpaper could never be “in” again but it is making a comeback. Goop has decided to put their hat in the ring for their first-ever wallpaper collaboration. Goop has teamed up with DIY textile brand Tempaper to release a non-toxic, floral wallpaper.

Growing up, we had a few trunks in my house from my mom’s and grandma’s childhood days. They were worn-looking and covered in stickers from summer camp and travels, but they didn’t exactly catch my eye. As I grew older and started decorating my own apartment, I began to spot brass trunks all over Pinterest and fell for them, hard. Unlike the black, weathered trunks we’d had in our basement, these were shiny, glam-looking, and much more my style.

Springtime is the season to make big home changes and invest in larger furniture items—it’s that “out with the old, in with the new” vibe in the air. You don’t need a lot to refresh your space in small, subtle ways, but if you’re ready to commit to a piece of quality furniture, allow us to direct you to Interior Define.

Thanks to the evolution of residential spaces, the term “house-hopping” has gained an alternate meaning. Case in point: Berlin startup Cabin Spacey’s prefab tiny houses. Singularly known as the Minimal House, the conservatively-sized structures are designed to accommodate so-called “urban nomads” who are in search of instant housing.

Accent tables can do a lot to make a room feel finished, but for such a small piece of your room, they can end up being surprisingly expensive. Fortunately, one of our favorite online retailers, Amazon, offers an impressive assortment of accent tables that are both super stylish and inexpensive. From a pair of nesting end tables to a two-tiered coffee table, here are some of the best accent tables under $50 on Amazon. The only thing better than a sleek and space-savvy end table is two of them.

Because offering advice on small space living is kind of our thing.

It's taking over home design, one line at a time.

Sometimes it’s just more fun to let a little piece of paper make a decision for us, be it paint color, vacation spot, or dinner delivery. You might remember these paper fortune tellers (also known as cootie catchers, chatterboxes, salt cellars, or whirlybirds) from your grade school days, made to pass time and bring a laugh or three. They’re great to play around with for nostalgia sake, or when you just can’t make that really “difficult” decision on your own.

When you hear pop-up accommodations, you’re probably thinking of a tent. AccorHotels has something a bit more glamorous in mind that maintains that connection to your surroundings in an eco-friendly way. The travel and lifestyle group that manages more than 4,300 hotels, resorts, and residences in 100 different countries has entered the commercialization stage for Flying Nest, its mobile hospitality concept.

Think poufs are overrated? Not so fast. There’s a reason these guys keep popping up in room after room. After all, they’re portable, comfortable, colorful, and stylish… certainly not every piece of decor fits this description. Need a little more convincing? Check out the ways in which 14 different homeowners and renters styled poufs in their spaces. Ah, the classic moroccan pouf.

Am I the only one who wants a complete makeover every time another birthday rolls around? There’s just something about starting a new year that feels like the perfect time to try out a fresh look. My own is coming up next week and I’m already planning to dye my hair a new color and maybe get another ear piercing. And it turns out, IKEA furniture is a fan of the new year, new me mantra too.

Colorful front doors are all the rage right now—just take a quick scroll through Instagram and you’re bound to see dozens. The best part is that you can’t really go wrong shade-wise, so now is the time to be creative. Feeling shy? Try transforming an interior door with a pop of paint and you’ll be amazed at how much brighter your space will look. Feeling a little more bold? Slap a fresh coat of paint on your exterior door to really make a statement.

What is it about minimalism that always makes us a little weak in the knees? It doesn’t matter if it’s one of Philip Johnson’s iconic glass houses or a set from our favorite movie, there’s something about those clean lines, pared-down details and neutral color palette that makes us feel like we’re in a stylish sanctuary.

For as clean and unobtrusive as all-white bedding can be, it’s also a bit, well, boring. So we searched our home tours high and low for eye-catching bedding–that isn’t plain white—to show just what a little color and pattern can do in a bedroom. Here are eight bedrooms that might make you rethink your all-white bedding. A little color goes a long way in an all-white room.

How long have you been living with that wallpaper you hate? If you answered “too long,” read on—we just might have the inspiration and know-how you need to get going on your long-awaited project. We recently moved into an 1870s home that was covered—with the exception of one room—in wallpaper. It was mostly Victorian (1980s Victorian), and we couldn’t wait to get in there and remove every last bit.

This simple DIY trivet is perfect for tea-brewing winter months and a great gift for design lovers. Not only does it embody two of my current obsessions— geometric shapes and color-blocking against unfinished wood—but it also is super practical and can be separated into three individual trivets. Here’s how to make your very own: 1″ Wood beads (I used 39pcs) Cording Paint Tools Paintbrush Palette ScissorsPaperclip or large needle (optional) 1.

Happy New Year! During the month of January, one assignment at a time, you are going to get your home in great shape. The effort put in over the next few weeks will pay you back with interest over the course of the year ahead. Each assignment you complete will absolutely add to the momentum of positive change that lasts long after the Cure wraps up. Now, you got that little pep talk because it’s the first weekend of the Cure, time to hit the gas and speed forward.

Day 17: Friday, January 24….and the weekend of January 25 & 26 Assignments: Bring home some Friday flowers, empty your outbox, clean your living room and take a look at your lighting Yes! Here we go: the last full (and yes, busy!) weekend of the January Cure. This time next week, we’ll be done. This final stretch is when things should start coming together, as you spruce up your living room for your gathering and start the big emptying of the outbox.

Is it just us, or do all living rooms kind of look the same? It doesn’t matter if they’re large or small, minimalist or maximalist. most living rooms follow the same cookie cutter format. There’s always a cozy couch, maybe an accent chair or two, a few coffee and side tables, and a nice, big television. It’s a bit of a snooze, but what’s the alternative? Turns out, there are plenty of ways to shake up your living room layout.

Just because shelves are utilitarian in nature doesn't mean they have to look it.

Do us a favor and look up at your ceiling. What do you see? Nothing? Yeah, we kind of figured. For years, the ceiling has been the most overlooked, and under-appreciated, part of every room. Sure, you might’ve used some adhesive, glow-in-the-dark stars when you were a kid or added a statement light fixture to the mix, but that’s probably the extent of your ceiling design chops. Or so you thought. Recently, it seems like the design tides are changing.

If the kitchen is the stomach of your home, the living room is definitely its heart. It’s where you can curl up with a book on a lazy Sunday, catch up with some friends over a glass of wine, or spend the entire weekend binge-watching whatever’s on Netflix (hey, we’re not judging). Your living room is such an important part of your home, it’s important to keep it looking its best at all times.

Who doesn’t love a good record player? They’re functional, stylish, and keep popping up in home tour after home tour. If you’re worried about adding one to your own place without making your houseguests wonder if they’ve been transported back to 1962, fear not. The rooms below prove that these babies can look just as cool now as they did way back when. Placing an antique-inspired record player on a trendy storage cart helps combine past and present.

With more and more people committed to adopting a nomadic lifestyle, the case for making permanent living spaces out of campers continues to grow stronger. Recently, we’ve seen a family of four living in a Mercedes sprinter van and even received an up close and personal look at this newlywed couple who transformed a retro van into a cozy tiny home to travel cross country.

For every home trend that people are obsessed with today (patterned cement tile, industrial lighting, brass fixtures), there are hundreds that we’ve long forgotten about. But like fashion, design is cyclical, and many of the choices that people loved back in the day are bound to make a comeback. Check out some of the iconic moments of the past 90 years or so, and see if your birth decade’s “in” is on the upswing again.

Anthropologie’s latest collection has gone to the dogs. Available as of February 19, the boho retailer released Bone Appetite, its tableware collaboration with Philadelphia artist Jay McClellan, most known for his lively dog paintings. Bone Appetit will feature 11 items in total, among them mugs, dessert plates, dishtowels and platters.

Name & Location: Nicolas in Florida My Favorite Room: Bedroom Specs: 100 Square Feet What did your bedroom look like when you were 16 years old? If you were anything like me, it had walls covered in posters, a floor covered in piles of clothes and a mix of furniture from when I was a kid. To say this teenager’s room impresses me is an understatement! From Nicolas: I gained an interest in vintage Mid-Century furniture about two years ago when I was around 14 or 15 years old.

Making design decisions for your home doesn’t have to be a hand-wringing experience. But there’s something about choosing paint colors for your walls that can seem impossible. With so many options out there, it can make you want to turn to someone else to make the final choice. Today’s Frequently Asked Home question: Which color should I paint my walls?

ICYMI: Living in a small space isn’t all Instagrammable tiny houses or fun D.I.Y. projects from Pinterest. Sure, small spaces offer the unique challenge of maximizing your design chops in a teeny, tiny space, but the truth is it can be really frustrating. Not only do you have to find sneaky ways to make your small space look bigger, but you also have to figure out clever ways to store your stuff without turning it into a cluttered mess. But hitting the refresh button on your small home?

I keep a small plastic rectangular basket in my medicine cabinet. It holds the super essentials: toothbrush and toothpaste and contact lens case. I pull it out at least twice a day (if I’m good about putting it back). This past weekend, I noticed that not only did I have the aforementioned essentials in there, but I had a ridiculous number of “backup” contact cases. Like eight! I was victim to the bathroom black hole of clutter.

And you need to peek inside right meow.

You bet I left the sexiest room—the bedroom—of these Love Letters from the Editors for Valentine’s Day. Whether you use your bedroom for love-making, watching TV, sleeping, or some combination of all three, chances are it’s one of your favorite rooms of your home. Who doesn’t love curling up in bed and waking up refreshed? The bedrooms in this list are the best of both worlds: They’re cozy enough to be relaxing but stylish enough to be inspiring.

While she’s not on TV at the moment, Joanna Gaines has been busier than ever. The “Fixer Upper” star just partnered with Anthropologie for the boho collection we didn’t know we needed. Available online as of February 14, Joanna Gaines for Anthropologie is a collection of 19 pillows (starting at $48) and rugs (starting at $68) that reflect the Magnolia founder’s “gathered” approach to decorating.

We know that you can design a home that supports your priorities and goals. So what does a bedroom built for better sex look like?

Think you just don’t have room for an area rug? We’re not so sure. These tiny houses prove that even the smallest of homes can benefit from a bold rug, whether you prefer something plush or are drawn to colorful kilim. Take a peek at these beautiful setups; we guarantee you won’t look at your bare floors the same way again. No room for a coffee table? Try placing a rug in front of the sofa instead. It’ll add extra warmth and encourage guests to plop down as they please.

A highly utilitarian space, bathrooms don’t always receive the same level of decoration as the rest of the home. But I think that’s why the bathrooms in this list all stand out so much; these are functional rooms where you can get your business done, but they’re also stunning spaces where you can unwind, relax, and get away from it all. Let this list of our favorite bathrooms from house tours inspire you to create your own spa-like space at home.

These white kitchens are packed with personality.

Once upon a time, hearing the word “cabin” instantly prompted images of a primitive dwelling that required its occupants to rough it in the absence of modern home staples including electricity, running water and decor. Thanks to the abundance of luxe glamping sites, that outdated notion has been turned completely on its head. The latest eye-catching small space to pop up on our radar is this tiny cabin in a Brazilian forest, which appears just as alluring as it sounds.

This Valentine’s Day I’m celebrating the special kind of love many of us feel for gorgeously decorated homes. I asked my co-editors here at Apartment Therapy to divulge their favorite rooms from house tours have been… of all time. It was a hard task for us all (there have been so many gorgeous tours throughout the years), but we’ve managed to narrow it down to those rooms that make us swoon the most. Today enjoy the picks of some of our favorite living rooms ever.

According to the experts.

Allswell has become known for their luxury “bed-in-a-box” mattresses that are new to the saturated market and have already made some serious noise. As of today, the Walmart brand launched another risky but bold endeavor to stand out in the home space: selling their own custom-made tiny houses.

There are any number of color “rules” you can follow when you’re picking out your home’s palette. The classic 60-30-10 Rule is a place to start. You can lean on the smart suggestions of a color expert. Those looking to add dark colors in a small space might even want to consult some online guidance. But the six stunning homes in this post prove that you can play around with what some might consider “clashing” color combos and pull it off beautifully.

Reason one million and one why LEGO will forever remain relevant. In addition to being classic toys and reminders of the best of our childhood days, they serve us in the most unexpected ways. There’s the extremely eye-catching LEGO kitchen island, and the 6,000-piece Hogwarts set made entirely out of the colorful building blocks to satisfy your inner wizard. At the intersection of art and functionality are the LEGO repairs by street artist Jan Vormann.

The New York apartment of actor Jon Hamm is now available to rent. After recently purchasing a home in California, the Mad Men star decided to rent out the two bedroom, 1,000 square foot penthouse—for $14,995 a month. Recently renovated, it still has plenty of pre-war charm and, most importantly, offers you a connection to Jon Hamm.

Psst…you can order ‘em all from the comfort of your couch.

When I moved to New York City last year I approached the prospect of furnishing and decorating my first “real” apartment with excitement and, in typical Virgo fashion, a vision. My main goal was to create a cozy abode that would be my refuge from the insomnia and nonstop hustle happening outside.

I have a confession to make. I used to be fully committed to and head-over-heels in love with Craigslist, and only Craigslist, when it came to buying secondhand furniture. The deals on there were just too good. That time I scored a Lucite console table for only $25? Gold. The scorched bamboo side table I snagged for free? Yes, please! Ok, I’d used LetGo a couple of times and was always curious about the other resale apps out there, but 99 percent of the time, Craigslist had the goods.

Like all the best trends—velvet furnishings, pastel kitchen appliances, even low-carb diets—animal prints have cycled in and out of style over the years (and centuries). At times they’ve been perceived as luxurious and expensive, at other times tacky, outdated, and even a little scandalous, but they never truly leave the cultural lexicon (most recently, Tom Ford’s 2018 Fall Ready to Wear Collection relied heavily on those wild patterns).

Anyone who has seen “Sex and the City”has coveted Carrie Bradshaw’s overflowing closet, but at least it was fake—no one could have such a perfect room in real life! Except, apparently, Mindy Kaling. When prepping with her team for this year’s Producer’s Guild Awards, Kaling took a few getting-ready photos in her dreamy closet.

Major blizzards or no, spring is on its way. And the first harbinger of warmer months? Spring collections rolling out at stores. Like a breath of fresh air after a long winter, it’s the perfect excuse to revive your space with pieces that are lighter, brighter, or just plain newer feeling. Urban Outfitters began to quietly roll out their spring collection last week, and while the full collection won’t be online for a few more weeks, much of it is available now.

Few things are more exhilarating than moving into your first real home. But as fun as decorating it can be, it’s also easy to make a lot of rookie mistakes. So to help make the process of decorating your first home go a little smoother, we called on a few of our favorite designers to share the mistakes they (and their clients) seem to always make. From awkward furniture arrangements to picking the wrong paint color, these are the decorating mistakes we all make in our first homes.

If we’re being totally honest, a walk down memory lane can be a very cringe-worthy experience. How many pictures have you looked at in total disbelief that you actually left the house with crimped hair, layers of eyeliner, and a hot pink velour sweatsuit? Yeah, not our finest moments. Looking at pictures of your previous living spaces can elicit the same embarrassment.

Taking your dog out to go to the bathroom during the winter can be a total nightmare. If you live in an apartment or condo, the shared area might be covered in harsh salt to prevent ice and snow from sticking to the ground. The salt is often terrible for your four-legged friend’s paws. The snow is another obstacle that can get in the way, as some dogs absolutely despise the snow.

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

Even the most novice designer understands how easily vibrant colors can make a rather huge impact on their surroundings, and there’s no clearer example of this concept than Magenta, a bright pink tiny home on wheels. Joshua Woodsman of Pin-Up Houses designed the eye-catching residence, which measures a mere 66 square feet and is built atop a flat trailer for those who are perpetually consumed by wanderlust.

The design partnership that encouraged us to farm in our homes are back with yet another innovative home goods product, and you’ll probably want to take the news lying down—in bed, that is. Perhaps that will help you to better visualize the functionality behind British designer Tom Dixon and IKEA’s customizable bed. The aluminum modular bed marks the second offering from the DELAKTIG line, whose inaugural release was the sleek hackable sofa with interchangeable cushions.

If your living room could use a jolt of color, these images are sure to inspire.

Anthropologie just released a new collection and it’s a perfect match for those of us who love florals and bright colors and hate restraint when decorating. The exclusive collection reimagines the work of Paule Marrot (1902-1987), a French textile designer who favored bold patterns and rich hues in her work. Designed in collaboration with the editors of Paule Marrot Paris, the collection includes goods for the whole home, from the bedroom to the kitchen and everywhere in between.

If you love Amy Sedaris’ quirky, madcap style of humor, then you’ll really love her West Village apartment. New York magazine recently recently published a video tour from Wendy Goodman of the space, which Amy shares with her rabbit, Tina. Commenting on YouTube, user VillageKevTalks described it thus: “it’s like if Barbie, a cat lady, and Wes Anderson shared a home together.” It is! And it’s every bit as delightful as that sounds.

Happy New Year to all of my fellow Trader Joe’s fans suffering from super-scaly appendages, thanks to this lovely cold front we are experiencing! It might be frigid and dry outside, but GUESS WHAT? You still have to wash copious amounts of dishes. Perhaps even more than usual. And go outside to brave the cold regularly. Yay! I have four words for all of you: Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream.

*Adds to cart*

While some decorating rules of thumb are definitely worth paying attention to, others are made to be broken.