apartment therapy

One of the clever editors at AT:SF recently decided to turn her junk mail into something much more lovely. She started out with some of the papers that were cluttering up her mailbox.

To see what she created and learn how to turn your junk mail into something gorgeous, read more

Recently, I spotted this picture of Dwell editor in chief Sam Grawe's apartment on AT:SF. I love the bold, punchy colors and gigantic houseplants in his living room, which are nicely balanced by the white Saarinen-esque tables and bright-white walls. It looks both stylish and easy to live in — my perfect combination for home spaces.
Source

Apartment Therapy Small Cool 2008 contestant Stephanie lined the back of her shoe closet shelves with cork to make use of the space as a bulletin board in her small Chicago apartment. Not only is this an efficient use of her space, but it makes the daily rush to get dressed just a bit more interesting, and can be used as a reminder to get certain activities done that day, like go to the post office, pick up dry cleaning, etc. It also keeps the sort of papers, business cards, and souvenirs that you want to keep, but not necessarily display, private and out of your guests' eyes. Otherwise, a bulletin board in the kitchen or at your desk might look cluttered, or reveal unpaid bills, etc. that you don't quite want to share with the world. Are there any nooks in your home where you can recreate this idea?
Source

Apartment Therapy co-founder, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, recently wrote about a new addition to his dining room that really impressed me with its simplicity. He had a Room & Board Infinity Mirror custom ordered a bit larger than the width of his dining room table. He hung the mirror beside the table and below it, a handsome clock, a little off-kilter. Since it's Small Changes month, I wanted to highlight this simple but effective update, and encourage you to consider it for your home. He wrote that mirrors, "add sparkle, liveliness and a sense of enlarged space in as much time as it takes to hang a photograph," and I whole-heartedly agree. If you didn't catch it, I recently wrote a How-To on opening up a space with mirrors, which gives some tips on this topic, as well as some product suggestions if you'd like to pick up a mirror for yourself. To see what Maxwell's wall room looks like after this small change, read more

Flipping through my blog feed, the apartment of a contestant in AT:LA's Small Cool 2008 contest caught my eye. Yes, it was small, and cool, but that's not why it grabbed my attention. I recognized the zebra print stools in the contestant's living room from a previous Steal of the Day of mine. It's called the Zebra Kilim Stool from World Market. Since the time I wrote that Steal, I got a chance to check it out in person at my local World Market. It's definitely a good-looking piece, but the canvas fabric made it look like a Steal. But, I must admit, it looks much better actually staged in an apartment, and in a pair. If you follow the link to World Market, it no longer seems to be available online, but you can try your local store. What do you think of it? Do you think they work used here like a coffee table?

Do you live in an old house? Maybe a Victorian? If so, you know that between the wainscoting, molding, and built-ins, it's often hard to arrange photos and art. Check out this post from AT:SF for some hints on making everything fit.