Apartment Therapy | Saving the world, one room at a time

Vacation Inspiration: The Masserias of Southern Italy

Eleanor Busing — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:15:00 GMT

You know how going on holiday is relaxing and refreshing, but sometimes also opens up a whole new can of worms? Since visiting Puglia in southern Italy with my sister earlier this month, I have a new compulsion, and it involves obsessively researching every masseria in existence, and planning a fantasy/someday trip that somehow hits them all. As you can imagine, this takes up much of my time (and quite a chunk of my future earnings, I'd reckon).

Freedom Room: Prisoners Help Design a Better Small Space — Good

Tara Bellucci — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:30:00 GMT

Prisoners can teach us a lot about small space living. A group of inmates at a high-security facility in Italy helped create the Freedom Room, a room the size of the average prison cell, into a modular, multi-functional living area.

Next Month in Milan: EDIT by Design Junction

Janel Laban — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:00:00 GMT

A sneak preview of the soaring space for EDIT by Design Junction 2013 in Milan.

Next month, I'll be packing my camera and laptop and heading to Milan for one of the biggest weeks of the year for international design. Designers, retailers, manufacturers and (very lucky) press people will be heading to the Fiera for the Salone Internazionale del Mobile. But those in the know will also be heading to La Pelota on Via Palermo, for a fresh take on what's next - Design Junction's festival within a festival, EDIT.

Vertical Forest Coming to Milan — Design News 01.11.13

Tara Bellucci — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:45:00 GMT

There's a breath of fresh air coming to two apartment towers in Milan. The Bosco Verticale are buildings that have staggered concrete platforms along the facade for planting vegetation that will help with dust & CO2, as well as support micro-ecosystems. The addition of the 730 trees, 11,000 ground-cover plants, and 5,000 shrubs that will green the building has begun, with the whole project finished later this year.

In other news, check out structures carved from freezer buildup, and send Mark Zuckerberg a Facebook message — for $100. See the headlines after the jump. More

Adopt-a-Spire to Help Restore Milan's Duomo — Design News 11.26.12

Tara Bellucci — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:45:00 GMT

The fourth largest cathedral in the world, the Duomo di Milano took 600 years to complete, but age and lack of budget are threatening its 135 impressive spires. The management is campaigning for private donations, and while any amount is welcome toward their €25 million goal, a sum of €100,000 gets your name engraved in marble under a spire.

In other news, a hotel room forgoes interior walls, and James Franco works at a pop-up art shop. See the headlines after the jump. More

Brutalist Chic: Adding Depth & Texture with Tile — Cersaie 2012

Janel Laban — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Using tile to add interest to a space is nothing new, but at this years Cersaie, I noted many examples of tiles that had a decorative bent based less on color or strong visual pattern, but rather on high texture and a certain rough-hewn chic. More

On Trend in Europe: Rounded Edges & Circular Forms for the Bath — Cersaie 2012

Janel Laban — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:00:00 GMT

For years, it has seemed that for something to be considered very modern or contemporary, it should be hard-edged. Crisp, sharp angles and straight lines were the norm. This year at Cersaie, while there is still plenty of beautiful, more angular sinks, toilets, bidets and mirrors for the bath to be found, the truly fashion-forward form factor is round, curvy, smooth and circular. More

Bathroom Design Ideas to Steal from the Stylists at Cersaie — Cersaie 2012

Janel Laban — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:30:00 GMT

Cersaie is a trade show that is all about tile, which means many of the showrooms are showing you exactly that, and nothing more; just gorgeous tile on the walls, floors and displays, with no other furniture or fixtures to distract you. But, some showrooms go the other route, creating vignettes that show how the tile may work in rooms at home. Here are five ideas that I thought were worth a second look from the stylists at this years show... More

Design Standout: New Azulej Tile Collection by Patricia Urquiola for Mutina — Cersaie 2012

Janel Laban — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:30:00 GMT

At the recent Cersaie tile show in Bologna, I saw beautiful tiles all day long. High quality, thoughtful design, being shown in booths designed to highlight best features, described by knowledgeable representatives. But, no matter how fantastic the overall show, personal favorites are bound to emerge. For me, at Cersaie, Mutina's new collections, Azulej (shown here) and Tex (post to follow), were two of the standouts. More

On Trend in Europe: Gray & Black...for the Bath — Cersaie 2012

Janel Laban — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 18:00:00 GMT

I'm just back from Cersaie, the massive tile show held each year in Bologna, Italy. After viewing booth after booth displaying of some of the most beautifully, carefully crafted tiles in the world, you start to see some trends emerge… More

Unexpected Combo: Gray Sink/White Faucet — Cersaie 2012

Jason Loper — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:30:00 GMT

Janel continues to send back reports from her visit to Cersaie, the massive exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings in Italy.

Print Happy: 2 Poppy Patterns — Cersaie 2012

Jason Loper — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 11:45:00 GMT

These photos of patterned tiles that Janel sent back from Cersaie stopped us in our digital tracks. This modern print is fun but the traditional pattern after the jump may be more suited for a long-term installation. More

Italian Interior Inspiration: White Done Right

Bethany Seawright — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 17:00:00 GMT

I like white, I really do. But lately, I've been suffering from achromatic overload. Too much white is leaving me cold, and I'm craving more contrast with my lightness these days… More

Vincenzo Amato: How to Make an Italian Caffe' — Apartment Therapy Videos

Rebecca Blumhagen — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:45:00 GMT

The first thing you are likely to be offered when you enter Vincenzo's art studio is a delicious, authentic Italian "Caffe". This is the first in a series of coffee rituals that connect people to their space. If you have a coffee tip or ritual, please submit it below! More