Your Key to Good Sleep Lies with Scandinavian Bedrooms

Welcome to Scandi Week—Apartment Therapy's seven-day focus on all-things Scandinavia (often defined as the countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway). Sometimes it seems like the whole world is obsessed with trying to copy this corner of the globe, from its timeless style aesthetic to its now-famous coziness rituals. For the next week, we'll take a look at all of it—cleaning, pop culture, and of course tons of eye-popping design inspiration. Pull up a blanket and get hygge with us.

Bedrooms should be calming spaces, where it's easy to cast off the stresses of the day. Look to Scandinavian bedrooms, with their limited palettes, organic materials, natural light, and verdant plants, for inspiration when creating a sleeping space that helps you relax and catch some quality ZZZs.

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9 Go-To IKEA Products Designers Buy Again and Again

Do you ever walk into a stylish space and mentally try to decipher storied or custom pieces from those that were shipped in a flat pack from IKEA? That's a cool game to play, right? IKEA, arguably Sweden's finest contribution to the 20th and 21st century (I kid…?), has become a mecca of sorts for the broke-twenty-something-who-has-no-furniture folk to the high-caliber tastemaker fold, and for good reason: there is literally something for everyone.

If you're like me and get your kicks from decor guessing games, then you'll probably be interested to know what pieces interior designers turn to time and time again, whether to meet a budget or because the pieces themselves really are that good (hello, the Stockholm Series!). Here, eight interior experts share their IKEA go-tos and weigh in on why they just can't quit these perennially versatile and accessible staples.

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This Anthropologie Collection Is All Over Mandy Moore's Home

If you aren't following Mandy Moore on Instagram, you should be! She's been living it up in her gorgeous mid-century maison and even graced the cover of Architectural Digest showing off her new digs.

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Amazon Could Be Planning Pre-fab Smart Homes

Picture it, the year is 1999, you are settling down on the couch with your best friends with snacks and soda, getting ready to watch a DCOM. The movie of the week is Smart House, which is about a house is so smart, it can do anything you want, like do your chores for you. It is the dream home (minus the minor meltdown the house has after some unplanned reprogramming). That might all seem like it could only ever be the premise of a movie, but smart homes are much closer than we think.

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Experts Reveal the 10 Big Mistakes First-Time Homebuyers Make

You've been squirreling away dollar after dollar and finally have a pile big enough to consider buying your first home. That's the good news. The not-so-great news: First-time buyers are prone to making some pretty big mistakes.

"Home sales have gone up and many first-time homebuyers are coming down with a case of home-buying FOMO," says Tanya Hobson-Williams, an attorney in Jamaica Estates, New York. In fact, 68 percent of millennial homeowners said they felt buyer's remorse after purchasing their home, according to a Bank of the West study published in July. "They will put the deposit down, move in, and then feel that case of buyer's remorse because they realize that it's not the house they wanted," says Hobson-Williams.

All the more reason you should take your time. Read on for the 10 things you should never do in your quest to find your first home sweet home.

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The Best Bookcases and Shelves for Every Budget, Space, and Style — The Best List

The books we hold onto say something about us. Sometimes it's because the characters, places, or plots are still a part of us, even after we turn the last page—and we're not quite ready to donate, or pass along to a friend. Other times, they're like to do lists: the titles we've been meaning to get to. Or maybe they're just something you're proud to display: Those books that telegraph something about your personality, interests, or convictions.

No matter the reason, book collections are really important. But the reality is that they also take up precious real estate, especially when storage is tight (and when isn't it?). If you've got stacks everywhere, it's time to invest in a bookshelf. No matter your style, budget, or collection, we've rounded up solutions that will suit.

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How This Works

Every week we research new product categories and bring our final picks into the office, where we haggle and decide which ones make the final list. Everything is based on quality, appearance and price. These are what we could choose for our own home.

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Here's One Way to Tackle The Dreaded Bedroom Clothes Chair

If you're running short on closet space or lack the motivation required to hang up your clothing (no judgment here), designer Zhihao Guo created a transparent vinyl chair case with your space and energy-challenged existences in mind.

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