You may have plenty of ideas for the backyard of your dreams, but those infinity pools and sunken fire pits and outdoor kitchens — well, they cost money. We've got some ideas for budget ways to get the features you crave, so you can enjoy your outdoor space without spending a ton of cash.
You may think you've maxed out the storage potential of your small apartment — but there may be some spots you aren't considering. Here are seven oft-neglected places to eke out a little extra storage.
Almost a year ago, my husband and I moved back to our hometown of Long Beach, CA. We found a gorgeous two bedroom 1930s apartment in our favorite neighborhood. Our landlords updated the space with grey floors and fresh paint. It was almost perfect . . . except for the terribly outdated entryway. It's the only carpeted, unpainted space in the entire home, and the first thing you see when you arrive. I thought, "Why not do something that's special but can still be reversed when we move out?" We got approval from our landlord, and got started....
Sure, we all remember our first childhood crush on a human, but what about the very first time your heart pitter-pattered for a house? No? Don't recall? Well, by all means, take a stroll down memory lane and peruse this list of our top 10 favorite homes from the movies that filled our VHS collections.
Name: Jamee Jones (and his six housemates)
Location: Oak Tree — Oakland, California
Size: 1,691 square feet
Years lived in: Rented 2 years
When Jamee greeted me at his doorstep before his Apartment Therapy photoshoot, he had just finished his daily commute from San Francisco, where he works at Urban Outfitters as a social media manager. He didn't have time to pick up around his bedroom or common areas, and living with six other creatives in an Oakland home means the space would likely be bursting with stuff at every nook. But those are the things that make Jamee's space relatable—this is what it often looks like when young, creative people live together.
What do you do when your wall space is bigger than your (umm, non-existent) art budget? Here's one solution: shop your home for found art you already own. Start to look at your belongings through the lens of a collector, and suddenly that rug looks a lot like a wall tapestry and those handmade ceramic plates look like little works of art. Before you start scouring the attic and digging through drawers, check out our list of wall-worthy finds.
Sometimes, you've just got to take a chance. When Pati's sister offered her a large and somewhat underwhelming dresser, she was on the fence. Pati decided to go for it, and with some smartly selected paint, turned this dresser into a gorgeous credenza.
We regularly ask readers to share their experiences with various household activities and home projects. We hope this collective information proves helpful to anyone needing to get a basic sense of how much certain items cost, how much you can expect to pay for a service, how long a project takes, or how often you should be doing something.
How Much Does It Cost To Install New Storm Windows?
A bucket of paint is one of the most powerful tools in a DIY decorating arsenal, and it's also one of the most affordable. For under $100, you can craft a strong statement that's bold, unexpected, and totally makes a room.
We're getting to that part of the summer where you stop being excited because it's warm outside and start being exhausted because it's really, really hot outside. How to deal? Well, you could immerse yourself in a pool somewhere, or pull down all the shades and crank the A/C and never leave your apartment. Or you could feast your eyes on these beautiful rooms, in some of the most beautiful shades of blue, and think soothing thoughts. Ahhhh.
As you're snapping back into your fall routine, you're going to need a calendar to keep you on track—and to make your desk look pulled together, too. Some of these calendars will inspire you to get creative (there's an origami-a-day option!), while others leave plenty of room for jotting down appointments. There are 17-month calendars that will carry you into 2017, a perpetual calendar you can use for years, and a few sneak-peeks for next year that work as wall decor in the meantime.
I love having a well-stocked craft cupboard (or room, tote, or closet), but find myself locked in a never-ending battle with my craft supplies. A box from IKEA holds all my embroidery supplies except my oversized hoops, my twines are all in a tangle, and there are pompoms everywhere. Here are a baker's dozen ways to keep your stash organized, accessible, and even aesthetically pleasing.
Audiophiles, time to geek out. This week, Crate & Barrel announced The Listening Room, a collection that includes furniture, audio equipment, and a collection of classic albums on vinyl in partnership with Capitol Records.
Small space or not, you will likely glean some inspiration from Morgan and Andrew's Atlanta home. They've kept their small home feeling peaceful and surprisingly spacious while chock-full of plants, textures, and light at the same time.
Name: Ana Elena Garuz
Location: Panama City, Panama
Size: 522 square feet
Years lived in: Owned 9 years
There are amazing people around the world; people with extraordinary talent. Ana is one of them. This incredible Panamanian woman has great energy and knows how to transform it into beautiful art pieces. She's a woman with good taste and she's committed to everything she does.
What if you stopped thinking of your backyard as a tiny bit of lawn, trapped by a fence, and instead began thinking of it as an outdoor room, with dirt for a floor and the sky for a ceiling? This is an approach that works particularly well for townhouse backyards, and it can work for you, too. Here's a little inspiration.
Marni Epstein-Mervis has been an Angeleno for 11 years now. She and her husband moved to LA's Highland Park Neighborhood nine months ago after a number of years in neighboring Echo Park. Marni's an architecture journalist and owner and Principal of STRUKTR Studios, "where we create content and communications for companies in architecture, design, and real estate." With her love of design, she makes an amazing tour guide of Los Angeles' "vibrant and historic" Highland Park neighborhood. She shows us some of her favorite places to eat, work and play.
Name: Christina Clark
Location: South Austin, TX
Size: 400 square feet
Years lived in: Almost 1 year; Rented
While definitely qualifying as a small space, this newly-renovated apartment makes great use of its natural light and nice flow, making it seem much larger than it is. Tried and true elements including large windows, white walls, dark wood floors, and rich cabinet colors allow for a modern, yet classic appeal.
Storage is — and will continue to be — a beast many of us fight on a continual basis in our homes. No matter the size of where you live, you almost always feel like you're either dealing with not enough or the wrong kind. Thankfully, we live in world and a time where there are tools that can help us survive not-so-ideal existing storage. Make sure you've got these eight storage secret weapons to help you tame your home's storage beasts.
Clutter easily falls under the radar...until it's impossible to ignore. Make a daily habit out of filtering out the bad, and organizing the good by creating a space that you'll want to really use each time you come in to your home. You'll stay ahead of the mail, bills and items coming in to your home and also, feel more coordinated on your way out.
I've always loved my old house and didn't want to change the layout too much, but I definitely wanted to use my design chops to figure out how to make it work EVEN better. When you've lived a long time in a home, you really get to know it and exactly what sort of changes you'd like to make.
I also wanted to make it simpler in design, so that it no longer looked like a suburban house and more like a shingled barn, which are totally native to this part of Long Island. I was also inspired by the long barn shaped museum that Herzog de Meuron had designed for the Parrish Art Museum in Southhampton (pictured below).
Name: Jody
Location: Carlsbad, California
Our mid-century modern home is located in South Carlsbad, California. It was first owned by musician Harry James and model/actress Betty Grable and was a hangout for The Rat Pack. It was later owned by Dustin Hoffman.
Posted To: MBS Commentary
Heading into the close at much stronger levels this afternoon, it would be easy to overlook the fact that bond markets were weaker overnight (following the Bank of Japan's underwhelming policy announcement) and remained in weaker territory right up to the 8:30am GDP release. Who knows how momentum would have shaped up had GDP come in stronger than expected? While a weaker economy is unfortunate, its effect on interest rates is the opposite. Bonds rallied purposefully after the +1.2 vs +2.6 percent GDP miss (not to mention the revision to the previous quarter from 1.1 to 0.8), coasting to a sideways and slightly stronger stop in the early afternoon. Things stayed sideways until 2pm, at which point month-end bond buying momentum took over, nearly matching the strength of the post-GDP gains...(read more)
Posted To: MBS Commentary
Heading into the close at much stronger levels this afternoon, it would be easy to overlook the fact that bond markets were weaker overnight (following the Bank of Japan's underwhelming policy announcement) and remained in weaker territory right up to the 8:30am GDP release. Who knows how momentum would have shaped up had GDP come in stronger than expected? While a weaker economy is unfortunate, its effect on interest rates is the opposite. Bonds rallied purposefully after the +1.2 vs +2.6 percent GDP miss (not to mention the revision to the previous quarter from 1.1 to 0.8), coasting to a sideways and slightly stronger stop in the early afternoon. Things stayed sideways until 2pm, at which point month-end bond buying momentum took over, nearly matching the strength of the post-GDP gains...(read more)Posted To: Mortgage Rate Watch
Mortgage rates enjoyed another strong day, falling to the best levels in exactly 2 weeks. Rates were actually set to move higher early this morning, but a much weaker-than-expected reading on Q2 GDP helped drive demand for bonds. Better buying pushes bond prices higher and rates lower. The strength in bond markets gave lenders the peace of mind needed in order to offer even better terms than yesterday. The most prevalent conventional 30yr fixed rate is quickly returning to 3.375% on top tier scenarios. Next week brings important economic data, including the big jobs report on Friday. The overall tone of that data should help determine whether rates will continue building on the past 2 days of positive momentum. The conservative approach would be to lock in the gains with rates at 2-week lows...(read more)
Posted To: Mortgage Rate Watch
Mortgage rates enjoyed another strong day, falling to the best levels in exactly 2 weeks. Rates were actually set to move higher early this morning, but a much weaker-than-expected reading on Q2 GDP helped drive demand for bonds. Better buying pushes bond prices higher and rates lower. The strength in bond markets gave lenders the peace of mind needed in order to offer even better terms than yesterday. The most prevalent conventional 30yr fixed rate is quickly returning to 3.375% on top tier scenarios. Next week brings important economic data, including the big jobs report on Friday. The overall tone of that data should help determine whether rates will continue building on the past 2 days of positive momentum. The conservative approach would be to lock in the gains with rates at 2-week lows...(read more)
From Kitchn → How My Tiny Kitchen Taught Me to Love Cooking
