Decorating by Room

Take versatility to a new level.

Time to really own your morning coffee routine.

Let’s go on a journey, shall we? We’re going to pretend we’re having an outing at the movies together. Now let’s pretend the movie theater we choose is some hip and innovative spot that has double beds instead of chairs. That’s exactly how date nights can go now at the new “VIP Bedroom” theater located in the Cinema Pathe movies compound in Spreitenbach, Switzerland.

The brand is best known for its colorful, retro 1950s-style refrigerators.

Matching dining room sets are overrated.

Thank you for being a friend, ladies.

Yes, even tiny bathrooms can benefit from a storage cart.

During an incredible visit last week to the White House (for a sneak peek at the new Obama state china service), I swung by the kitchen and snapped all the photos I could manage while hearing about the upcoming State Dinner from the two talented women who are in charge of all things culinary for the Obamas. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the kitchen of most famous family in the nation (which was much more compact than expected!

Name: Faith Location: Arlington, VA Room: Dining Room Size: about 140 square feet Own or Rent: Own This is an update from the #MakeoverAmerica road trip! We’re traveling across the United States to tell people about Complete + Happy Home, and while we’re at it, we’re saving the country, one room at a time! Design Prescriptions are hour-long visits where Maxwell offers advice on what readers can do to improve their homes.

Let’s face it: For as much as we depend on table lamps for bedside lighting, they tend to take up a lot of valuable nightstand space. Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to create a superior bedside lighting scheme without employing a bulky table lamp. We did some digging around Amazon and discovered an assortment of sleek bedside lights that will streamline your bedroom in seconds.

Look, interior designers are professionals and more than happy to answer your questions, but there are a few they really wish we all would stop asking.

Here at Apartment Therapy, we’re big fans of Man Repeller, the online destination for smart, quirky fashion and smart, addictive writing about life, culture, and everything else. Last year, founder Leandra Medine partnered with Decorist to redesign her NYC home — and this year, she worked with Decorist designer Chloe Redmond Warner to transform Man Repeller’s New York offices.

You want the workstation to flow with the rest of the decor of the room, but you also want the area to feel professional enough so you can pull up a chair and get into a business frame of mind.

You'll never think your toothbrush is boring again.

If there’s one room you should consider refreshing regularly, it would definitely be your living room. Whether you’re Netflix and chilling with your significant other or having a bunch of friends over for wine and cheese, your living room is probably one of the most trafficked places in your home.

“We have to go to a party tonight,” Beanie Feldstein declares to her best friend, Kaitlyn Dever, in “Booksmart.” “Nobody knows that we are fun. We didn’t party because we wanted to focus on school and get into good colleges.” To prove just how fun they are, the dynamic duo decide to live it up for one evening.

Name: Maxwell Location: Austin, Texas Room Size: 200 square feet My favorite nurseries include a mix of old and new, handmade pieces and family heirlooms. Baby Maxwell’s nursery is a perfect example. With a trendy triangle accent wall, a classic Jenny Lind crib, vintage dresser/changing table, and loads of DIY projects throughout the space, the space feels like it was put together over time rather than lifted from a showroom floor. How would you describe the look and feel of this room?

If picking out a paint color was easy, we’d all do it a lot faster. Instead, we agonize over paint chips and swatches, hoping that we don’t make a mistake. Paint may not cost a ton, especially if you’re DIYing the job. But who wants to waste time putting the wrong color up on their walls? That’s why I went straight to the pros to bring you a handful of go-to, no-fail living room colors. Spoiler alert: There are a lot of white and gray shades in the mix.

In the interior design world, trends come and go faster than you can say, “mid-century modern”—but you can bet they’ll eventually make a comeback.Take cane furniture, for example. Wickered furniture has been around since ancient Egyptian civilizations, and caning has been having small resurgences since the 1600s (psst… you can check its entire history here). Now in 2019, centuries after cane furniture burst onto the design scene, we’re seeing it everywhere.

Okay, so here’s the skinny. A friend of ours told us that she r e a l l y w a n t e d one of these for her and her husband, but they were pricey, so they built one. Then we opened the New York Times and found out about a couple that ordered “The Sex Chair.

Name & Age: Zadie, 4 months old Location: West Virginia Zadie’s mom, Beth, channeled Tim Gunn while creating her daughter’s bedroom: I see the space as a mix of modern and “make it work” because we really just had to use the resources available to us here in West Virginia with our limited budget.

Far too many of us have had unfortunate encounters with bed sheets. From searching high and low for soft sheets that don’t pill to finding an affordable high thread count set that doesn’t force you to shell out more money than the actual bed, the sheet struggle is real. But for those of you who are thisclose to sleeping on a bare mattress with a blanket and a pillow, an innovative new bed sheet named Beddingo hopes to put an end to all of your bedding nightmares.

Name: “the newborn baby sister” (that’s what her brothers call her)Age: Coming this week!Location: Oklahoma If you told us this nursery was put together by an interior designer (it wasn’t) we’d be impressed. If you told us this nursery was put together by a mother with three young boys underfoot (it was) we’d be really impressed. If you told us this nursery was put together by a pregnant mother of three boys expecting her first daughter any day now (it was!

Name: Phoebe Rose Age: due any day! Location: Ann Arbor, MI >> Like her friends, we’re amazed that mom-to-be Emily made almost everything in her daughter’s nursery: toys, quilts, cross-stitch, burp cloths, chair slip cover, bird mobile…the list goes on! Although not yet lived in, this nursery speaks volumes of love and attention, originality mixed with vintage pieces, and has “Phoebe” creatively written all over it (both literally and figuratively).

Name: Norah Age: 4 monthsLocation: Utah Norah’s mom Caroline says she smiles every time she walks by this room and we can certainly see why. The aquas, yellows, reds, oranges and pinks manage to be both vivid and soothing at the same time to create a feeling of warmth and calm.

A friend and apartment dweller recently asked us for small play kitchen suggestions for her daughter’s Christmas present. We tried talking her into some DIY ideas, but she is more the DI-Buy type. If you’re in the same boat, here you go – fifteen small play kitchens (under 31″ H) so your kids can play “dorm room” and “flop house” too. My Portable Cooker by Wonderworld ($55.

If you live in an old building or a rental, you’ll understand where we’re coming from: our last apartment’s bathroom opened up directly into the kitchen, as did our apartment before that. In fact, we grew up in a home where the toilet room (just the toilet.. the sink and bathtub were separate) was basically in the dining room, a few feet away from the table…and our guests eating dinner. For anyone entertaining or on a date, this can be veeeerrrrry awkward.

The other day, I was talking to some friends about our dream bathrooms. A sunken tub, said one. A shower for two, was another vote. His and Hers sinks, was on a third friend’s wish list. Top of my list? A towel warmer. I got that one covered, said my sunken-tub-wishing friend. Really? I’d been to her house recently and I didn’t remember any towel warmer or even any space for one. She shared.

No matter where you are and what you are doing, there’s always a way to hack something in your kitchen so that you can prepare almost any dish. While a rice cooker isn’t really made to be used as a slow cooker, it can double as one if you don’t have anything else that will do the job.Recently, I had bought a gigantic pork roast that I planned on cooking. Currently I live in Asia, and our apartment doesn’t have an oven.

After a collection of heat-wave-days getting a good night’s sleep can be almost impossible. Even if it cools down in the evenings, some homes remain infected with a lingering warmth, making dream time a bit of a nightmare. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up to help me cope, but please share your own —for the summer has only just begun!Clearly, there is no A/C in my humble apartment, so scratch that from the list.

Names & Ages: Phia, 12 and Anthony, 5Location: Yonkers, NYRoom Size: Approximately 200sf Sara has a knack for organizing and zero tolerance for clutter. Both of these traits are clearly evident in Phia and Anthony’s shared bedroom. It’s no easy task to divide a room between a twelve-year-old girl and her five- year-old brother but a combination of cleverly arranged shelving units, distinctive paint colors and a few good-natured children make it all work wonderfully.

Kids: Unknown; foster kids expected any day, one or sibling pair ages newborn – 5 yearsLocation: Nashville, TNRoom Size: 10′ x 11′ Martina and her husband Jason were in a unique position when designing the kids’ room for their house. They still don’t know how many, what gender, and what ages the children they foster will be.

Name: Tripp (6 weeks)Hometown: Dallas, TXRoom size: 19″ x 13″ Red is the color of love, vitality, fire trucks, and cherry sours, so what a perfect accent color for a nursery. Tripp’s mom, Jennifer, went all out with the red pops to create a bright, happy place for her new baby boy. We love the fire engine red crib and daybed, the vintage plumbing valve dresser knobs, and the bold, graphic alphabet wall.

It happened by accident but I am now using an old oversized armchair as my desk chair. Carpal tunnel experts and physical therapists may gasp in terror but so far I love doing work in this unconventional cocoon of comfort. I feel like I have upgraded to First Class. Meanwhile, in my old workspace (the TV room), my ergonomically correct black high-tech monster of a desk chair spins alone.

Winter has settled in, and it’s time for hot cocoa, good books and snuggling up in our favorite reading nooks. There is nothing better than finding that perfect cozy blanket to wrap yourself in as the days grow colder.Finding the perfect blanket can be difficult, especially if you’re not familiar with the fundamentals of heat retaining properties of certain materials. Some fabrics are warmer than others, but knitting is also important in determining warmth.

Name: Charlie and Henry Age: Charlie: 8 Henry: 10 Location: Los Angeles, CA Room Size: 15′ x 15′ Bunk bed love! Charlie and Henry share a room, but each have their own area in the shared space. Designer Kristen Panitch designed built-in bunk beds and a bookcase/desk, which helped maximize the space and keep the room organized. The design of the room is definitely all-boy, but check back in tomorrow for their sister’s (Jane) pink bedroom.

Name: JaneAge: 8 (she’s Charlie’s twin)Location: Los Angeles, CARoom Size: 15′ x 15′ When Jane moved into her brother’s room (her brothers now share a room), she wanted to have a say about decorating her new bedroom. Interior designer, Kristin Panitch, helped her realize her dream space. The chalkboard wall was left over from when it was her brother’s room. Like many girls, she wanted light pink walls and all the artwork in her room is her own.

Name: Kenzie Francey (3.5)Location: US Rachelle is a cool hunter extraordinaire of all things stylishly kiddie. So naturally when it was time to design her own daughter Kenzie’s room, it was going to be, well, cool. The result, with so much white and a number of references to snowy mountain tops, is a stylish, colorful, quirky room epitomizing a proverbial breath of fresh Swiss Alps air.

Name: Mila (6 weeks)Location: Glendora, CaliforniaRoom Size: 9 1/2′ x 14′ Designing the perfect nursery can be a little overwhelming. Alex and Jackie decided to let interior designer Jenika Kurtz take over the process. Jenika has experience designing nurseries for friends, so they were really excited to get her help and advice on their special room.How would you define the style of the nursery design?Parents: Contemporary and super cool!

Name: Aiden (14 months)Location: Stevenson Ranch, CaliforniaRoom Size: 11′ x 11 1/2′ Interior designer, Jennifer Hsu, recently finished a project for a very special client – her son. I have heard many interior designers say that they are their toughest client. Jennifer and her husband put in the extra care to make sure everything was just perfect for their little man. I am in love with the results; so calming and so perfect!

Names: Oscar (2 years) & Boots (4 years)Location: Mar Vista – Los Angeles, CaliforniaRoom Size: 150 square feet When your dad’s an artist and your mom’s an art producer + blogger you’ll probably grow up surrounded by incredible paintings, photography and sculptures. This tiny bedroom is shared by two boys, Oscar and Boots, where they share a custom made bunk bed and are surrounded by creativity.

Names: Lauren & Miranda (18 months)Location: Edmonds, WARoom Size: 12′ x 13′ Sure, kids love animals and parents love designing kids’ rooms with animal themes. But this nursery design is a mean modern interpretation of the well used safari theme and has something very special going on. By day, it’s bright, friendly, and modern. By night, the pièce de résistance is revealed when this safari sanctuary is transported under a sea of stars.

Name: Cameron (5)Location: Sherman Oaks, CARoom Size: 16′ x 16′ Now that Cameron is five years old, he wanted a cool, big boy room. The room is definitely all boy and the graphic wallpaper and bold colors give it a more modern aesthetic. The space is pretty large for child’s room, so his parents were faced with the challenge of dividing up the room into different play areas. Designer Shirry Dolgin helped bring the design together to create a special room for Cameron.

Kids: 6 year old girl, 5 and 2.5 year old boysLocation: Madison, WIRoom Size: 10′ x 10′ Meg is the creative force behind the popular blog Elsie Marley and the creative mom behind the three siblings who live in this room. We loved it back when it was just a little nursery for one, then Meg made space for another child, and then another. Sharing a 1,000 square foot two-bedroom home in Wisconsin, this family of five has done more than simply making do with a small space.

Name: “Bebe Pelanne”Location: Manhattan, NY When we found out we were pregnant the search for a larger one bedroom or upgrade to a two bedroom began. However, if anyone has opened up the NY real estate section lately you will find the rent prices have soared. We decided to stay in our one bedroom, and divide the room. The actual space is 6′ x10.5′, which was surprisingly enough space for a nice nursery.

Name: Ruby (2)Location: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, AustraliaRoom Size: 10′ x 12′, 120 sq ft How to make a minimalist nursery still feel fun and inviting? Add color, texture, and a dash of whimsy. That’s exactly what Ruby’s mom, Danielle, did when she designed this space. The clean and simple design lends itself to easy changes as Ruby grows, while the hand woven hemp rug, crocheted pouf, colorful accessories, and wood floors add warmth and character to the space.

Name: Olivia Ellen (3)Location: Copenhagen, DenmarkRoom Size: 107 sq ft When your mother is a professional stylist you know you’re going to end up with an amazing room. Rikke Graff Juel designed this space for her daughter, Olivia Ellen, in much the same Scandinavian style as the rest of her home – white walls, plenty of vintage wood pieces combined with fresh modern colors and accessories.

Name (Age): Hayden (12 weeks)Location: Seal Beach, CaliforniaRoom Size: 15′ x 11′ One wouldn’t generally think a room with white walls, furniture, and bedding could ever be called colorful, but add a few pops of neon here and there and what was once a monochromatic space suddenly leaves a very colorful impression. That’s exactly what Andrea decided to do in her littlest one’s nursery.

Child: Malcolm (4)Location: Oakville, OntarioRoom size: 10′ x 12′ Canadian designer, painter, and blogger Christine Dovey is constantly on a quest for the perfect score for her nearly perfect home. Yet she keeps perfection just out of reach, because what will she do when she’s done? Oh, perhaps she will take care of her three (soon to be four!) children. There’s that, too.

Name: Baby GLocation: United States When I began planning our baby’s nursery, I knew I wanted a clean, elegant look. My husband and I decided not to find out the gender of our baby before he was born, so we tried to keep everything gender-neutral. The theme of this nursery was inspired by the handmade linen cloud mobile I discovered from an Etsy shop. I wanted a cloud themed nursery, but not to the extent of painting them on the walls.

Name: Pippi Location: NSW Australia Room Size: 172 sq. feet When I came across the space that Emily had created for her daughter, Pippi, I was instantly smitten by the playful patterns and vibrant colors. Her goal was to create a fun and flamboyant space for her toddler, and I’d say she hit the nail on the head. The room exudes the playfulness and joy of childhood. Read on to learn more about this whimsical wonderland: How would you describe the look and feel of this room?

Name: BenicioLocation: Silver Lake- Los Angeles, CARoom Size: 125 Square Feet When you’re the child of a very talented interior designer such as Rosa Beltran, founder of Rosa Beltran Design in Los Angeles, you’re guaranteed to have a pretty awesome nursery. 15-month-old Benicio has an incredible room chock full of fun and inspiration that he’ll get to explore as he grows.

Name: Tyler (2 years) & Lucas (8 months)Location: Los Angeles, CARoom Size: About 10×12 ft Joy Dolan was just starting her interior design business when she and her husband Mike decided to add adoptive children to their family of 4 biological children. When they fell in love with a sibling pair from the Los Angeles foster care system, they fostered them and completed their adoption in about one year.

Name: Cooper, 4 1/2 years Location: Pacific Palisades, CA Room Size: 350 sq ft When Morgan Simonds and her husband needed to decorate their kids’ rooms, they turned to fantastic L.A. interior design firm Jackson Paige. Kristine Paige Kamenstein, one of the co-founders of the company, took on the project and helped the Simonds turn their kids’ rooms into livable, beautiful spaces.

Name: Charlie Location: Echo Park – Los Angeles, California Room Size: 120 square feet Charlie was just a baby when she made her first Apartment Therapy debut in her family’s house tour. Her itty-bitty room barely fit a crib and a small play area and I was very curious how her room would transform as she grew older.

Name: Elke Location: NSW AustraliaRoom Size: 10×10 square feet After sharing her older daughter Pippi’s space a few months ago, I waited with baited breath to see what amazing space Emily of The Beetleshack was going to come up with for her new baby, and she didn’t disappoint. Inspired by Rebekka Seale’s stamped bumblebee walls, Emily set about getting a similar look with removable wall stickers, and it made the space.

Name: Martina & Lola Location: Madrid, Spain Room Size: 49 square feet When Bea first saw her home, she fell in love with this room – the biggest in the house – and decided to give it to her daughters Martina and Lola. She had always dreamt of a big and bright room for them, and set about filling it with the things they loved – festive garlands on the ceiling, a little seating area for reading bedtime stories, and a lovely light-filled art corner.

Name: Sienna Location: Los Angeles, CA Room Size: 13’x12′ The first time I laid eyes on Sienna’s nursery, I was blown away. Jen Campbell, editor of Green Wedding Shoes, wanted a girly nursery that was still modern and fresh. To achieve the look she paired bold, graphic designs with a soft color palette and added a dash of sparkle. The result is a stunning space for her new baby girl. How would you describe the look and feel of this room?

Name: Reed Location: Boston, MA Room Size: 10′ x 12′ When I found out that my friend Dina was pregnant with her second baby, I knew it was going to be a showstopper of a nursery. You see, Dina is a DIY maven with an amazing eye. Although the nursery looks like a million bucks, she managed to put her DIY touch on nearly everything – from the curtains to the artwork to the showstopper ceiling.

Name: Ruby Marlowe Location: Highland Park/Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California Room Size: 12’ x 11’ So often you see a space and can instantly give it a label – modern, Mid-Century, Scandinavian, vintage, glam – you get the picture. But the minute I saw little Ruby’s room, I thought, now that’s something different.

Name: Vivi & Brigette Location: South Georgia Room Size: 12′ x 13′ Lay Baby Lay is a wonderful place to find nursery and kids’ inspiration, so I was beyond excited to hear that the website’s editor Joni was designing a shared space for her girls at her family’s farmhouse. Joni is a master at mixing styles to create a cohesive look. This space is a mix of vintage, modern, and classic pieces, while the accessories and wall panels give it a whimsical, campy feel.

Name: Lula Location: Mission District in San Francisco, California Room Size: 9′ x 11′ When your mother is a French illustrator and paper artist, you know you’re going to have a truly special room! Mom Chloé Fleury has created a modern space for her daughter Lula that is equally warm and whimsical.

All a little reader really needs is a book, but a soft place to curl up, a light and maybe even a bit of privacy doesn’t hurt. I love the trend of repurposing kids closets as reading nooks. You can keep the door to make a secret reading hideaway or take the doors off to make small rooms seem bigger. Here are ten examples to inspire you: TOP ROW: 1. Miss G’s Closet Book Nook by Mama.Papa.Buba 2. Closet Nook for a Brother & Sister by Life with Daugs 3.

Name: Finn Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado When we moved cross-country for the third time, we knew that Finn HAD to have some serious attention paid to his own space. The poor guy has watched us remodel bathrooms, a kitchen and his sister’s room; but he was never the star of the show. My husband wanted to theme the dickens out of Finn’s room, but I was pretty stringent on sticking with something that could easily grow and evolve with the little guy.

Name: Emerson Location: Renton, WA Room Size: About 8′ x 10′ My first introduction to this beautiful nursery was the colorful chevron pouf. Once I saw that, I knew there had to be more fabulousness to come. And I wasn’t wrong! Megan Kane designed this nursery for her little girl, Emerson, and the hand crafted details make every inch of this room special. Megan is a DIY kind of gal, and it shows in the decor of this room.

Sleep is a key building block of health and happiness, yet it’s often hard to get and stay there for one night, let alone a string of several nights at a time. Here are five common reasons your bedroom isn’t working, and eight small changes to help you fall asleep, keep snoozing throughout the night, and ultimately function better the next day. PROBLEM #1: ALLERGIES Is your stuffy nose keeping you from getting shut eye?

Name: Olive Sydney Location: Florence, Alabama Room Size: 12′ x15′ I’m often conflicted when it comes to children’s spaces in that I love the clean, bright aesthetic of a white space, but I’m also partial to bold color. So when I came across this room from parents Tera and Wes of Armosa Studios, I was thrilled to find the best of both worlds. How would you describe the look and feel of this room? The look of the room is bright and happy.

It’s no news that green hues soothe and relax, particularly when used as wall paint, surrounding a room, its furnishings and its inhabitants in a calming color. But how do you keep from choosing the wrong green and making your space look lame? Easy: Choose greens that are a little bold and different, but still relaxing. Here are six successful paint color picks from house tours.

Name: Eden, 6 months Location: Denton, TX Room Size: 12′ x 12′ We first saw Anna Tovar’s design skills when she shared her son Axel’s nursery with us. Now, we’re delighted to see what she’s put together for her new daughter, Eden. The design made the very most of a tight budget with thrifted and repurposed pieces and a keen eye for detail.

Name: Cruz Stanton Barros Location: Murrieta, California Room Size: 13′ x 10′ When I learned that Priscila Barros, editor-in-chief of Babiekins Magazine was pregnant, I knew that an amazing nursery was in the works. By combining modern geometric patterns with warm colors and textures, she and decorator Amy Fjeldsted created a cozy vibe for her son Cruz that is perfectly on trend.

Name: Aidan Location: Northern Germany in Hannover Room Size: 4.7 x 3.2 meters (15 x 10 feet) I’m a long-time fan of the work of Holly Becker of Decor8, so I was thrilled to find out she was pregnant and working on a nursery. By choosing the main focal points first, like the stunning Kite wallpaper by Ferm Living and the gorgeous crib by Oeuf, Holly was able to work from there to create a dreamy and cohesive gender-neutral space for baby Aidan.