Decorating

Name: Sarah, Craig, and son, Maceo Location: Jamaica Plain — Boston, MASize: 1099 square feetYears lived in: 8 — own It’s fun enough to be around one homeowner who beams with delight and pride for her home. But when it’s a couple and it’s apparent that they equally love their home and they genuinely share an aesthetic without much need for compromise, it’s even sweeter. Such is the case at Sarah and Craig’s delightful treetop home.

Name: OliverAge: 9 monthsLocation: Brooklyn, NYRoom Size: 11′ x 14′ Can you imagine what the nursery of the first born son of Parents Magazine Lifestyle Director Amanda Kingloff would look like? Well, it’s even better. Modern and vintage, fresh and playful, colorful and light, this room exudes happiness. And even though it was featured in the June issue of the magazine, there’s nothing staged, stiff, or pretentious about it. It’s a real space for a real baby.

Name: AvaAge: 6 yearsLocation: New JerseyRoom size: 14′ x 13′ Recently, we featured a fabulous white nursery designed for Sebastian, the young son of one of the founders of Sissy + Marley, a boutique baby planner and design service firm. And now, they’re back with a fantastic tour of a bedroom that they designed for their little six-year-old client, Ava. The room mixes bohemian chic with girly pink for startlingly beautiful results.

When tiling a kitchen or bathroom floor many people spend days agonizing over the choice of tiles: What kind of tile (e.g., ceramic or glass); what shape (e.g., hex or penny round); and what color (neutral or colorful). Selecting the grout that will divide and frame the tiles is often a mere afterthought. But grout deserves more attention and respect… … says David Goodman, a tile contractor for This Old House.

Name: Anna Bautista & AJ CalomayLocation: West LA/T-Lofts &mdash Los Angeles,CASize: 1,000 square feetYears lived in: 1 year — Own Anna and AJ have are the first residents in this brand new loft apartment. They have taken on the task of giving it a full makeover with new decor and furnishings, and the brains behind the operation is the interior design duo of Natalie Younger and Sayre Ziskin.

The other day we looked at a bunch of rooms that went unexpectedly without rugs or carpets, embracing a relaxed bare-floor look. Today let’s go in the opposite direction: what does it look like when one rug just isn’t enough. The most common look for layering rugs seems to be an animal hide (faux or no) over a sisal — this is probably the most neutral option. Other examples mix patterns and colors, sometimes creating a bohemian wonderland of textiles.

When people step foot into my funky home, one of the first things they ask is, “Where do you find all of this stuff?” After I tell them that most of what we own has been found at thrift stores, they then beg me to take them with me next time I go. But I assure the visitors in my home — just as I assure you now — that successful thrifting doesn’t involve any black magic or top secret tricks. Just a few practices that when used consistently, pay off over time.

The elegant lines of George Nelson’s Case Study bed have ensured its place as a modern classic, with many clean-lined successors also on the market. One big plus of these beds is their versatility — they look sculptural when adorned only with minimal bedding, but are also a good canvas for artsy, bright bedding. As these bedrooms show, as long as you don’t cover up their shape, Case Study beds look good in almost any bedroom.

Oh, to have a guest room! Instead, many of us have an office, a studio, a nursery or another dedicated space in our homes (if we’re lucky enough to have the extra square footage, that is). Unless you’re blessed with huge rooms, chances are a full-size bed or even a standard sleeper sofa wouldn’t fit in an already defined space like an office. That’s where the daybed comes in!

Did you know that whenever you rearrange a room to eliminate clutter and make yourself feel better that you’re essentially practicing Feng Shui? Yep, it’s true; Feng Shui has a rep as one of those woo-woo things that you can either buy into or not, but it’s actually just the practice of making positive changes to your environment to produce positive changes in your life.

There are many reasons to buy faux leather furniture. It’s cheaper and animal friendly. And, there are many reason not to buy faux leather furniture. Real leather ages well and looks more expensive (because it is). If you’re thinking about buying new furniture and you’re torn between faux and real leather, here are a list of some of the pros and cons. Faux leather comes in many forms and some are better than others.

Name: SebastianAge: 19 monthsLocation: Brooklyn, NYRoom size: approximately 150 sq. ft. With a boutique baby planner and concierge service behind its conception, this minimalist, white nursery was born out of a love for great design and a desire to blend seamlessly kids’ and adult decor.

With so many foreign brand names, designers, and terms, the world of interior design and home decor can be a linguistic and phonetic minefield. How do you pronounce the German appliance company Miele, for example? What about famed furniture maker Michael Thonet? Up until this week I said MEE-lee and Tho-NAY — not any more!Identifying the authentic pronunciation is only half the battle, of course.

Name: Savannah Farris-GilbertLocation:West Hollywood — Los Angeles, CaliforniaSize: Studio apartment Years lived in: 1 — rent Savannah, a Graduate student in the Architecture-Interior Design program at UCLA is perfecting her love of Interior Decorating. I think it must be a craft she honed in on very early — as she told me her mother often helps her hunt for new pieces for her apartment.

That’s me. And that’s my credenza. which probably weighs in somewhere around 300 pounds, maybe more. I’m not kidding — it’s a monster. And I weigh about 105 wet. But I was able to move it from one end of the room to the other without breaking much of a sweat and without ending up in the hospital or with residual back pain. How’d I do it? I have a few tricks up my skinny arms.

Whether you dislike using the dryer for environmental reasons or simply have a wardrobe full of “lay flat to dry” labels, finding easy ways to dry clothes in a small apartment can be extremely challenging. Though draping clothes over every available surface is a tried and true solution for some, there are better alternatives to help you air dry your laundry.The Leifheit Tower 190 is designed with 62 feet of drying space, enough for 2 machine loads of clothes.

Names: Jeremiah, Samuel, and Augustine Ages: 6, 4, 2 Location: Texas Awhile back we featured a room that took all of us here at Ohdeedoh by surprise. Jaws were dropping, we were forwarding the link as fast as we could to friends and family — we were flat out amazed. We’ve since gone behind the scenes and today you can see more of this room filled with color, hanging bunk beds and the opportunity for extreme fun!

Black and white checkerboard floors first appear in European paintings in the 15th century, but the pattern’s origins lie long before that, in ancient artifacts from Iranian ceramic vessels to Roman paved floors. Here is a quick look at the history of checkerboard floors.

Name: Hali & Philip DurhamProfession: Architect – www.studiodurham.comLocation: Soulard — St. Louis, MOSize: overall building 9,600 square feet, Residence 5,400 square feetYears lived in: 7 — owned It never hurts to be an award-winning architect. Most people in Saint Louis pass decrepit warehouses for years, writing them off as mere evidence of urban blight.

Jason and J.R.’s Well-Connected Home Many people associate posters with bachelor pads, dorm rooms, or childhood bedrooms. But posters can also be collectible, artistic, or meaningful additions to a space. Here are a few thoughts on hanging a poster in your home as a grownup: Vanessa’s New Oakland DigsFrame it. That is, treat it with the level of care you wish for it to project in your home. That might mean framing it behind glass.

It’s a proven fact that our home plays a significant part in how we feel emotionally. Although if not kept up it can make us physically sick, it can also make you a little down in the dumps. Having a healthy space is key and aside from participating in the Apartment Therapy Home Cure, you can check out these ideas on lightening the mood at home!

Today is December first! For many people, the end of this past weekend also marked the day when they put up their holiday decor. The other night, I stopped by the home of a friend who’d proudly put up her tree. Despite the small footprint of her living room, the addition felt homey rather than crowded. If you’re determined to put up a full-sized tree, here’s a few ideas to make sure that you and your decor can coexist in peace!

Although we haven’t conduced an official study of how many folks have a fireplace and how many don’t, we’re going to guess that more people are looking for creative ways to hang their stocking during the holidays than not. We happen to be part of that crowd, so without further ado, here’s 7 festive ways to display your stockings!1. Ladders: Vintage, worn or broken ladders are easy to come by at estate sales, auctions, antique stores and Craigslist.

Green and blue is an all-time favorite combo of ours. It can go very springy, but darken it up a bit and tame it down with dark olive greens and dusty blues:The kitchen up top exemplifies this color combo, with muddy green cabinetry and crisp blue walls.

A long and narrow bedroom can be a nightmare for furniture arrangement. A great way to utilize the space is by placing the bed on a shorter wall, leaving room for furniture at the foot of the bed. Maybe even a sofa!I’ve always wanted a bench at the foot of my bed, but haven’t found the right one for the right price yet. I do, however, have a spare sofa that is small enough to fit perfectly at the foot of the bed.

The saying “opposites attract” goes well beyond human relationships — and the affair between orange and gray mingling to create a stunning balance is a perfect example. Depending on the tones, the duo can be youthful and whimsical, eclectic and bold, moody and sophisticated, or masculine and sleek, and any combo in between!

A girlfriend of mine recently referred to her “fat mirror” (one that made her look wider and shorter) and her “skinny mirror” (one that elongated her frame). Is this a red flag for some major body image dysmorphia or is she on to something? For me, buying a mirror has always been about its frame and its shape. It never occurred to me that some mirrored reflections could be more accurate than others. And, really, who cares? What matters is what is on the inside, right?

Name: Darian DarlingLocation: Queens, New YorkSize: 800 square feetYears lived in: 2½ — rented Taking a break from her busy and glamourous entourage duties on Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour, lifestyle blogger, makeup artist and nightlife hostess, Darian Darling, graciously gave us a peek into her glittering abode. A direct reflection of her glitzy and engaging personality, Darian’s unique and inspirational home is full of eye-candy in every corner.

Name: JaimeLocation: Wicker Park — Chicago, ILSize: 1400 square feetYears lived in: 3.5 — Owned Jaime, an esthetician at the much-lauded Maxine Salon, is the enviable type of person who’s innately stylish and who seems to get along with just about everyone. Her casually glamorous, jewel-hued Wicker Park home reflects both these aspects of her personality.

Name: Mike of Unplggd & Other Communications and Sadie the cat.Location: Rittenhouse Square — Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaSize: 360 square feetYears lived in: 1.75 years Studio apartments are common in a city like Philadelphia. The thing that sets them apart are the fantastic bare bones of the spaces that studio dwellers are given to work with. Original architectural details are a gem, but when you’ve got a knack for design like Mike does — they hold their weight in gold.

Name: Annie and PaulLocation: Upper West Side — New York, New YorkSize: 390 square feet — 1 bedroom Years lived in: 2½ — rented “We both roll with the same taste,” explain Annie and Paul when I ask if it was hard to design their first home together. Architects who met while learning their trade, Annie and Paul had each lived, previously, with roommates whose priorities diverged from home making.

Although dry erase boards are rather handy tools, we have one problem — the markers. They’re smelly, expensive and easily get lost in sofa cushions. Well good news, you can ditch them all together and use crayons instead. No really!There are a few companies that have caught onto this idea and have started marketing specific products to those parents who would like to give the idea a go.

We spent a fair chunk of Labor Day weekend lazily stretched out on picnic blankets, engaged in imaginative cloud gazing with our son. There’s a hedgehog, a Lego guy, a banana. But yesterday we were in the mood for some more, and not a single patch of condensed water vapor to be seen. So we did the next best thing – we fashioned our own to hang indoors. They took literally minutes to put together, and the effect was surprisingly transporting.

Repairs are expensive. New microwaves are cheap. But you don’t have to spend a dime on either. If your microwave turntable stopped spinning, here’s an easy way to try and fix it. And all you need is some warm, soapy water and your own two hands.You don’t have to be an appliance expert to troubleshoot a seemingly broken microwave turntable. You might find that all your little Zappy needs is a checkup and a good, thorough cleaning.

In all of our travels across the country and all of our rental apartments and homes I’ve only had the chance to paint in a few spaces. The problem is, by the time you’ve spent enough time in your space to get the feel for light and how it effects color — it’s time to move! We’ve lived with some of the uuuugliest walls ever for most of our lives and we’ve learned a few tricks to work around them.

Name: Graham Age: 7 weeks Location: Michigan Room size: 10’x10′ At first glance you might not guess that this creative, colorful space is primarily a mix of Ikea and diy projects, but it’s true. Amy and her husband Andy transformed a guest bedroom into a bright, perky, modern space for their newborn son, Graham, and we’re entranced by the results.

Metal framed beds often get a bad wrap, and not without due cause. Pillows are always slouching through the headboard bars, and metal is certainly no match in comfort with its plush upholstered counterparts. Thankfully there are a few easy ways to work around their flaws or change their look without breaking the bank.

So we’re just going to get right to the point with this post, because no graceful intro or set up can counterbalance the idea behind this new product. It’s called the “Better Marriage Blanket” and that’s only because calling it “The Fart Trapping Blanket” seems well… too obvious.The Better Marriage Blanket retails between $29.99 and $59.99 (Twin-King) and is available in white and beige shades.

Name: HarperAge: 18 monthsLocation: Gig Harbor, Wa. “Choose things that you love, and it will come together,” says Harper’s mom. And this room certainly has come together- not in a forced, overly planned way, but in an organic way with lots of special touches from mom and dad.

If you are lucky enough to have a dishwasher, well, aren’t you spiffy. I, on the other hand, can’t remember the last time a machine did my dishes for me. I guess living in an old San Francisco apartment has its sacrifices. Since some of you undoubtedly share this plight, here’s a roundup of dish racks that should meet a wide ranging set of needs.System Dishrack by simplehuman.

Many of us are all for composting, even if we don’t have a lick of outdoor space to call our own. Some have the luxury of slightly larger kitchens of cabinet space, but others are doing good if they can open their oven and refrigerator doors at the same time. If your kitchen feels a little small, here’s 5 places to place a compost bin and a few of our favorite resources for making it happen!1.

Normally we offer a variety of options or techniques to hide the eyesore of cable/wire clutter. But what if you’ve got an awkwardly positioned outlet and a cable or wire is just something you have to live with? Instead of hiding it, why not make it something more visually amusing/pleasant, as shown here with this adornment by PA-Design.The design also reminds us of Shunsuke Umiyama’s vine inspired Midori AC Adaptor.

If you are taking on some small projects around the house but don’t necessarily have a shop full of tools, it might come in handy to have a few alternatives if you find yourself in need of clamps.Clamps can be useful for holding things in place while your hands are busy with other parts of a project. They’re also handy when you’re gluing something that needs to be held together for an extended period while the glue sets up.

With the city festooned in red and green for the holiday season, it seemed like an appropriate time to wonder how these colors came to be associated with Christmas, how blue and white became the official colors of Hanukkah, and what symbolism black, green, and red have during Kwanzaa. The Christmastime significance of the color green is partly related to the evergreen tree, seen as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection and eternal life.

The monthly club is an old-school approach to gift giving that’s usually associated with fruit baskets or popcorn tins, but the Internet has advanced beyond the Harry and David catalog and into the 21st century. Subscription gifts are available now for everything from artwork to movies and, if it’s what you want, you can still sign up for the scented candle of the month club, too. 1) 25 Colored Pencils for 25 Months. That’s 500 pencils! In 500 different colors!

Name: Andrew FlynnLocation: Chandler, ArizonaType: Home office When we saw Andrew Flynn’s amazing home office, we knew that we had to do a tech tour of his place. The great DIY features really set this home office apart from all of the rest. A faux-wall to hide cables and wires, a Mission Control center console to hide and store peripherals, and three floating monitors are what makes this home office quite ingenious.

We recently gathered some ideas for 5 Small Nightstands Under $5. The solutions were for small budgets. But what about small spaces? We’re now gathering four more nightstand ideas that will fit into a 12″ wide space next to the bed… Many of us with small bedrooms have just enough space at the bedside to squeeze in and make the bed. What are some nightstand ideas for those slender spaces?

Name: Chris NguyenLocation: Houston, TexasSize: 500 square feetYears lived in: 2 months There’s big and then there’s Houston BIG. In a city known for embodying the idea of gigantic Texan proportions, Chris Nguyen’s extremely modest sized 500 square foot apartment is an anomaly.

MANSTAD packs a lot of punch — it’s a (1) small scale sectional sofa that’s also a (2) bed and (3) storage. While there are options for sectionals with built in beds, few are this small, this inexpensive and few are designed to take advantage of the full footprint.

Name: Adam SelwoodLocation: Melbourne, Australia Now here’s inspiration to clean out that basement or attic and make better use of the space. Adam was kind enough to share his work-in-progress renovation, a DIY conversions of a basement once stuffed to the brim with typical “stuff” into a sleek and multi-use home office for both him and his wife.

This past weekend, we hosted a barbecue/ping pong tournament at our home to celebrate a birthday in addition to Memorial Day. None of our guests showed up empty-handed either–we have enough beer, booze, and chips for the next barbecue! However, one couple brought over a gift bag full of fun and functional things that we could definitely use over and over again for future summer parties which inspired us to create our own shortlist of barbecue-themed gifts…1.

This entry comes to you courtesy of the fact that I’ve heard this maybe-myth told to me more than once in the past few weeks my friends and complete strangers alike. My car’s keyless entry remote, for lack of a better word, sucks. I practically have to be next to the car to get it to work. Alas, plenty of the aforementioned people have given me the tip to hold the remote to my chin with my mouth slightly open to increase the range of the remote signal.

My husband and I decided we’d allow ourselves one splurge purchase for our baby. We had admired the Stokke Sleepi crib, but decided it was just too expensive – not just for our budget, but in principle. But when we started trying to figure out how to incorporate a crib into our home office space, the smaller Stokke started looking better and better.

click for more picsCrafty IntentionsShe painted the space from a harsh purple to Jamaican Sea from Behr, then installed Ikea Lack shelves to hold all her crafty goods including, rhinestones, sequins, little fabric trim, beads, metal and wood accessories, etc. pom poms, tools and glitter.The bottom shelf includes stair-like levels Megan got at Lowes. These allow her to store more small jars in the space.

Look at this simply lovely farmhouse kitchen from Lori in Long Island. She just finished renovating this old farmhouse kitchen on a budget, using a mixture of modern, serene colors and old-fashioned industrial fittings. • Click here for full post: Kitchen Spotlight: Lori’s Serene Farmhouse

We were having girls night at our friend Alexis’ house last week when we spotted her DIY version of a spice rack. Her kitchen occupies quite a small space, not to mention her husband is a chef (meaning they have every spice and cooking utensil known to man). Since they were out of space but needed a handy spice rack, Alexis to matters into her own hands.Picking up a handful of drawer dividers from The Container Store, Alexis went to town.

During our apartment search last spring, we were surprised by the number of small spaces with a major (and easily avoidable) flaw: in almost every tiny bedroom, the door opened into the small room rather than swinging out into the larger space. The area required for the door to swing in significantly reduced the bedroom’s footprint and in many cases made it tough to fit a full-sized bed inside.

Dwell magazine recently released a slideshow of their favorite barstools. The list has some beauties in it, most of which were over $500 a pop. We decided to focus in on their picks for under $500…Clockwise from top: Onda Barstool by Jesus Casca – $358 – Design Within Reach Sebastian Bar Stool – $49.99 – IKEA Real Good stool – $199 – Blu Dot Viona Barstool – $169.

In a small space, figuring out where to put the sofa is key, but figuring out what to put behind it is equally important. That space behind your couch can be used for shelving, storage, and more if you plan your layout well…Shelving, whether wall-mounted or freestanding, creates a dramatic backdrop behind the sofa. In the middle of a room, you can use open shelving to divide a space and anchor your couch. (This photo is from our old apartment.

Bo Concept recently let us test drive one of their more popular sofa beds to see what we thought of it. After 2 weeks of giving it our all, we have our verdict:Bo Concept is a European Furniture maker that falls somewhere between West Elm and Design Within Reach. Marketed as affordable luxury, their furniture is modern, sleek and often perfect for small spaces.

A sectional sofa is a big investment. Once you add a chaise or additional modular parts onto your sofa, it’s extra hard to find anything under $1,000. Still, there are lots of good options at both the low and high ends of the spectrum. We rounded up 15 sectionals in a range of prices, colors, and configurations.

When designing the look of a room, deciding on the color palette can sometimes seem overwhelming. The task of coordinating the decor to the furniture to the flooring to the walls in just the right way can seem challenging. Thoughts of “Where to begin?” or “How” to begin?” can easily takeover.One place to begin is understanding a bit about color theory and how different color harmonies can create the feeling, look and overall tone of space.

AT reader Jessica inherited the decor decisions of a previous tenant and is having problems trying to remove it:“My bathroom downstairs has aluminum foil applied to the walls and I can’t get it off. I think the people who lived here before me applied it with glue and it’s proving to be impossible to remove. Can you tell me the best way to remove it? Thank you.”We think you’ve got several options. The first being the easiest to try, but possibly time consuming.

Reader Courtney Chelo asks:After 5 years with my freshman year standard issue Dell laptop (which is dying a slow, painful death) I’m ready to leave the PC world for a Mac. I don’t need anything fancy… I’m going with the MacBook 2.4GHz… the question is: if I get the white one, will it turn yellow? Some say “YES!” some say “GOD, NO!” and others say “I don’t want to learn to use a Mac and you shouldn’t either!

While most of the time, we just want to chuck our dirty clothes on the floor it’s probably a better idea to put contain the grubbies in a hamper. Here are a few hampers that tickle our fancy. LaMont Bamboo Hamper, $40 White Two Hamper Set, $59.95 Canvas Two-Drawer Hamper by Badger, $33.95 Spongebob Hamper, $14.99Blomus Laundry Bin with Black Wooden Lid, $180Sea Grass Hamper, $99 Korall Skoldpadda, $5.99Jax Organic Hamper, $68Bamboo Lattice Storage Stool, $89Which hamper do you recommend?

If you want to lay down a new floor and want to go cheap, we’ve known quite a few people to reach for IKEA’s Tundra click-lock laminated flooring. At $1.19 per square foot, it beats Home Depots super popular TrafficMaster Allure Vinyl Flooring, but the jury is still out as to which is best.

We can part with our CDs, thin out our closets of clothing, stop coming home with curbside finds… but we must find more room for more books [wild eyed]. Laure’s Book in the Rafters idea and this wrap around ceiling shelving are both efficient uses of overhead space. Corners, stairways, closets and even doorways can be converted into additional storage.

Revisiting this ever-popular post about Home Depot’s Trafficmaster Allure vinyl flooring, we noticed a Home Depot employee left extensive additional comments and details about the product, so we thought we’d repost this with updated information for the many visitors who come to this particular post specifically for TrafficMaster Allure information.Have you ever wanted wood floors in your bathroom but thought otherwise because of concern about moisture?

…besides the bedroom. Dressers are super-versatile pieces that provide a lot of storage, and they don’t have to be relegated to clothes-keeping. In the dining room they can store napkins and silverware, in the family room they can store DVDs, and in a hallway they can store linens. Click below for 8 spots to put a dresser.In a hallway, a dresser can store out-of-season clothes or extra linens.

Seems like the last thing we need to do right now is accumulate anything. But if you relish in post-holiday deals, take a look at CB2 outlet sales, including this great Merimekko cotton sheet set for $14.95-$79.95 (down from $29.95-$109). A few more items shown below (and available online only).Havana pillows, $9.95 each (reg. $24.95) Intersection print, $24.95 (reg. $99.95) Gumball paper lantern, $2.95 (reg. $6.95)More CB2 sales here.

This consumer reports rant is from the lovely, Gari. It is too good not to post: “WEST ELM———you’ve been there. We’ve all been there….walking around in DUMBO trying to find the place …….anxiously waiting for the Chelsea store to open. Well, I’d like to give you fellow West Elmer’s a heads-up on some lame furniture construction and even lamer customer service. I purchased their wood frame bed in August of ’04.

Ever since the outdoor room concept became a phenomenon big enough to spawn countless backyard makeover segments on HGTV, the market for these rugs has exploded. Indoor/outdoor rugs are generally woven from water and stain-resistant plastics and can be cleaned with a hose-down. They’re also increasingly made to be soft underfoot and the designs are attractive enough to be used outdoors — or in — without apology.