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

How To Make Fresh Flower Gift Tags — Studio DIY

Kate Legere — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

I came across this sweet wrapping tutorial from Studio DIY, and I cannot wait to recreate it. It's the perfect wrapping idea for all of those summer bridal showers and birthday parties. You can clip a few flowers from your garden, or use it as an excuse to buy a pretty bouquet from the farmer's market.

Small Scale Landscaping: Reel Mowers

Jason Loper — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

Spring showers and abundant sunshine bring beautiful green grass ... and that grass is going to have to be mowed. Small yards are ideal for old fashioned reel mowers, which rely on blades powered by your own energy. Reel mowers are smaller than bulky gas and electric mowers and you can pretend it's the 1950's while you push one around.

The Ultimate Used Furniture Cleaning Kit

Tara Bellucci — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:30:00 GMT

With the season of flea markets and antique fairs now upon us, I'm prepping for the summer influx of secondhand furniture finds and putting together the ultimate used furniture cleaning kit. With most of these household items already in your kitchen, you'll be ready to get any grimy piece sparkling in no time.

Room Inspiration: Shared Office & Guest Rooms

Rachel Wray Thompson — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:00 GMT

Of all the rooms in my house the "second bedroom" has been the hardest to resolve. Yes, I'm grateful for the extra space, but rather than be efficient with it, the room has mostly become an oversized storage closet — all the miscellaneous stuff gets thrown in there, including a desk, old couch, drying rack, books, etc. I'd really love for it to be a true combination home office and guest bedroom. But is it even possible? Here are few inspirational photos that give me hope.

Build Your Own Raised Garden Beds In Less Time Than You Think — Chris Loves Julia

Linda Ly — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

DIY bloggers Chris and Julia Marcum (of Chris Loves Julia) finally got to working on a project they've been meaning to for years (hey, we've all been there!):

Grain Launches New Furniture & Textile Collections at ICFF — ICFF 2013

Kate Legere — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Grain is a design studio based in Bainbridge Island, Washington that is dedicated to social and environmental responsibilities. They introduced two new houseware collections at ICFF this past weekend: the first is a line of hard goods that includes the Dish Table, which was inspired by hand carved African stools, new stitched mirrors, and new candle stick holders. The second is a natural dye collection of cotton pillows and woven towels.

Meet the Maker: Derek Chen

Jason Loper — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

We're plenty familiar with Derek Chen and his work. In addition to being profiled on Apartment Therapy, he was also one of our Fall Color Judges back in 2007. While he's making the rounds to promote his newest project in collaboration with Newton Vineyard, he sat down to answer our Meet the Maker survey.

Nightwood — Store Profile

Kate Legere — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:00 GMT

Nightwood is a Brooklyn based furniture, textiles and interiors outfit that was founded in 2011 by Ry Scruggs and Nadia Yaron. All of their furniture and textiles are hand crafted one-of-a-kind works of functional art. Inspired by "old things, primitive practices, creative reuse and natural materials", they incorporate both salvaged and scrap wood into their wood furniture, and they use organic, sustainable fabrics, as well as woven scraps, in their textile-based products. More

The Best "Grown Up" Futons — Small Space Solutions

Rachel Wray Thompson — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Growing up, the only type of couches my family owned were futons. I thought they were the coolest — you could change the covers, they expanded for sleepovers, and they seemed much more modern than an overstuffed sofa. Nowadays futons are more often associated with dorm rooms than cool furniture. However, there's no denying a futon's small space convenience. Here are a few convertible options for your post-collegiate home.

Reworx Collective — Store Profile

Jason Loper — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

You've heard of the three R's: reduce, reuse, recycle. Reworx collective believes in the ten R's: reclaim, reuse, recycle, rethink, repurpose, refresh, reinvent, refurbish, rediscover, reissue. The group of artists that make up this Connecticut collective all create furniture and housewares from discarded items.

How To Make an All-Natural Ant Killer — Apartment Therapy Tutorials

Kate Legere — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Since I moved to Brooklyn, ants have been invading my kitchen for several weeks each spring. Usually I buy commercial (and toxic) ant bait traps from my local hardware store, but this year I opted for an easy solution using two ingredients I had in my kitchen pantry. Here's how to make your own non-toxic ant killer.

5 Unique Ways to Store Makeup

Kathleen Luttschyn — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

No room for a makeup drawer? Brushes getting jumbled in your bag? Looking for a pretty way to dress up your vanity? One of these clever solutions should be able to help you out.

Video: Maxwell Spreads the Indoor Gardening Gospel on GMA Live

Janel Laban — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:00:00 GMT

This morning, bright and early, Maxwell visited the crew at GMA Live and shared simple yet soul-enhancing ways to bring a little green goodness to any size space. Check out the video and then jump below for info on the featured ideas...

Garden Remedy: Homemade Pest Control Spray — Organic Gardening

Kim R. McCormick — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:30:00 GMT

The recent discovery of aphids camped out on the big rose bush in my backyard got me Googling "organic pest control." While I read about many different methods (beer, ladybugs, strong sprays of water), I was intrigued by this spray concocted by the editors of Organic Gardening.

Handwoven Summer Blankets

Kate Legere — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

This past weekend I packed up my wool sweaters, and I got out my summer dresses and sandals. Next weekend I hope to tuck away my winter blankets and swap them out for lightweight ones. If you are in the market for a new summer blanket, here are five pretty handwoven ones.

Great Idea: Brooklyn Grange’s Flower CSA

Elizabeth Licata — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:45:00 GMT

Joining a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program is a great way to get regular fresh vegetables from a local source. And as fresh vegetables are good at maintaining a body’s health, fresh flowers are practically essential to making a home feel all healthy and energized, which is why the idea of a CSA for flowers is just so darn brilliant.

3rd Annual Small Project Architecture Award Winners — AIA Chicago

Rachel Wray Thompson — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:00:00 GMT

One of our favorite annual architecture awards is the AIA Chicago Small Project Awards. It's an opportunity for small firms to recieve recognition for work that might otherwise be shadowed by larger offices. The AIA awards innovation, low budgets and small firms — this year there were 15 winners, ranging from a table on two wheels to a studio renovation in the Hancock building.

First Impressions: Door Mats with Personality

Angie Cho — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:00:00 GMT

Since you only get one chance to make a good first impression, make guests smile with a charming welcome mat. Whether you're greeting guests with a simple "hi" or a silhouette of the four-legged member of your family, a good door mat and a handsome door will put your best foot forward.

Balcony Gardening Q&A with Isabelle Palmer

Claire Bock — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:00:00 GMT

If you don't know of Isabelle Palmer already, you will soon enough. Isabelle Palmer is the talented founder of the online shop The Balcony Gardener and author of The Balcony Gardener. With the spring and summer seasons upon us, it feels even more important to make a small green space in the city. Isabelle was kind enough to answer a few questions to help urban gardeners create green spaces to call their own.

Quick, Easy, Homemade Deodorant...that Actually Works — Apartment Therapy Tutorial

Lauren Pavao — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Looking for a natural deodorant sans parabens, aluminum, and other yucky toxins? If so, you may have discovered that it can be difficult to find an effective brand. With a handful of ingredients that you may already have on hand, you can make your own effective, healthy deodorant in about five minutes. I get that it sounds crazy, but once I started making my own deodorant several years ago, I never looked back.
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Riverside Retreat: A Minihouse in France — Marie Claire Mason

Kathleen Luttschyn — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:00:00 GMT

It used to be a boathouse. Then Jacques and Agnès Choï found this building and cleverly converted it into an elegant, back-to-basics cabin.

Upcycled Style: Quirky Colorful DIY Bench — Camille Styles

Linda Ly — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:00:00 GMT

What to do when you've got a couple of flea market finds (or dumpster scores) that you're not really crazy about? You combine them into this crafty project that doesn't even look like the original. Can you guess how this bench was made?

Small Space Gardening: Indoor Hydroponic Planter for Herbs, Flowers, and Produce

Julia Brenner — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:45:00 GMT

Modern Sprout planters are stylish, simple-to-use hydroponic planter boxes that grow organic plant life indoors. Check it out!

Vertical Gardening Inspiration

Kim Lucian — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:30:00 GMT

With all of the recent focus on gardening here on Apartment Therapy, it can be easy to feel left out if you are, like many city dwellers, without any real outdoor space. Enter the vertical garden, perfect for the balcony or fire escape with the smallest of footprints.

Gardens on Shelves: The New Vertical Garden Trend? — The Gardenist

Rochelle Greayer — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:00:00 GMT

I've been noticing a trend in the garden world that is loosely related to the ubertrend of vertical gardening. Shelf Gardening (as I am calling it) solves the same challenge of creating a lot of planting space in very little square footage, but provides a whole new range of options for adding your own sense of style.