Styles & Trends Decorating

Bring the outdoors inside. You won't regret it.

Hint: It has to do with tile!

They're not just for schools and churches!

Shiplap, faux taxidermy, and millennial pink—get ready for a trip down memory lane!

Talk about fringe benefits.

Welcome to Interior Design 101.

Because minimalism shouldn't mean sparse and cold.

It's complicated—but don't throw away your Eames chairs yet!

Bathroom carpeting is never a good idea, people!

Here’s some good news: the lived-in, perfectly imperfect look is much more engaging than a totally flawless space.

Make the most of your cook space by picking the right layout when you renovate.

Barnett launched the Black Artists and Designers Guild, which she describes as a necessary step to bring about the change that the design world is so desperately overdue for.

We spoke to the designer about designing beautiful spaces that are custom-tailored with accessibility and comfort in mind (and certainly look nowhere close to a hospital), the future of the design world, and how Arizona has influenced her design style.

If you're asking, how can I get the "Game of Thrones" look in my own home, but without all the murdering and dirt? We got you. [Spoilers for season 8]

Who: Lora Appleton, founder of Kinder Modern design gallery Nominated by: Jaime Derringer, artist and founder of Design Milk Where to follow her: InstagramApartment Therapy’s Class of 2020 Design Changemakers is a specially-selected group of the 20 people in the design world everyone should know about by next year. We asked experts (and you!) to tell us who they think should be included—see the rest of the nominees here.

Wagner is known for her blog McMansion Hell, but her reach spreads far beyond that.

Thank u, next.

One look at Alexandra Gater's YouTube channel and you'll find a special corner of the internet that's packed to the gills with quippy and cheerful Millennial-geared decorating content.

Name: Jared Johnson Location: Eliot; Portland, Oregon Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Carefully crafted and thoughtfully designed, Holiday Customs’ distinct aesthetic is the perfect marriage of sleek modern shapes and raw vintage character — all packaged into a ridable work of art. Jared Johnson is the one-man band behind Holiday Custom Motorcycles. After outgrowing his small garage, Jared found a 1800 square foot warehouse in Northeast Portland.

If you take a look at Carmen René Smith's eclectic, warm, no holds barred design-style, it may not come as a surprise that she attributes a mermaid coffee table as one of her earliest inspirations.

Velvet isn't going anywhere, and we're not mad about it.

Humphrey's use of ops of color (read: no all-white kitchens), punchy patterns, and a little dose of humor all encompass his modern cosmic Americana style—because, as he explains, design should never be taken too seriously.

Ly, who is the sole principal of Alda Ly Architecture and Design, has designed Rent the Runway's first retail stores and The Wing locations around the country, among other spaces that define a modern aesthetic.

These are tours of the homes of people who took big design risks... and those risks paid off beautifully.

After fleeing the commune, Bow and her family find a new home in her grandfather’s rental house, which production designer Greg Grande conceptualized for the small screen.

The paint company just debuted twelve hues for the coming year, in case you'd like one for each month of 2020.

We're giving you a crash course in interior design excellence.

Traditionally, Halloween is all about orange and black, but it need not be. In fact, spooky season has gotten a softer makeover, according to Pinterest.

Take your space to the next level with these design trends.

As we prepare to enter a new decade, one paint brand is looking back to a century another. Today, Sherwin-Williams announced its 2020 Color of the Year, and it's a shade that's inspired by Art Deco and the roaring '20s, as well as nature. Any guesses?

Don’t hold your breath for Glidden’s color of the year: The popular paint brand has announced its decision to opt out of choosing a 2020 hue. While many consumers look to the annual practice for design inspiration (choosing a paint color can get pretty stressful), folks shouldn’t to worry because Glidden’s decision stems from a desire to better prioritize the decorative needs of DIYers who are anxious to get going on their last home makeover projects.

“It’s lovely,” says a smiling Beth Ann as she arrives in front of her new home—a Mediterranean-style mansion—with husband Rob. Not only “lovely,” the property plays a central role in the dark comedy-drama “Why Women Kill.”

There's something about this woven furniture and accessories that makes any room feel like it's summer year-round.

Don't worry, there's life after the open-concept floor plan.

Pantone's choice of Serenity and Rose Quartz as co-colors of the year in 2016 did a lot to rescue this pairing from the nursery, but this post is not about sweet, pastel shades.

Believe it or not, some of the most common features in our homes are downright wacky to others.

Ready to hit the refresh button on your bedroom? These trends will look good well into the New Year.

Name: Keli Faw, founder of Make*Do*Mend + Drygoods Design Location: Drygoods Design: 5308 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 Years worked in: 2 years Keli Faw, founder of the previously online-only fabric and crafting shop Drygoods Design, graduated into a physical space with the opening of Ballard’s brick and mortar Drygoods Design. Situated behind a coffee shop in an a multi-space building, Faw incorporates two adjacent spaces: the retail shop, and the creative workspace Make*Do*Mend.

If you’ve always felt like something was a little off, it might be one of these things. And the good news is it’s totally fixable.

How to bring the Dutch spirit into your design routine.

Flipping through the new IKEA catalog each year gives us more than a just peek into what new products the retailer is adding to shelves; it's a window into what will be big in interiors in the next 12 months. The pages are packed with inspiration, and this year we narrowed it down to eight trends we expect to see a lot more of in 2020.

Remember the excitement when the [Sears/JCPenney/Delia*s/American Girl/insert your favorite childhood catalog of choice here] arrived? For me, that feeling is still alive and well. Last week, I eagerly awaited a certain special delivery, and I was not disappointed. In my mailbox I found an advance copy of the 2020 IKEA catalog, and today I get to share it with all of you. The catalog theme is Save Our Sleep, and it’s not hard to imagine why they’ve chosen that focus.

They're trendy, pretty, and relatively affordable.

Did someone say hygge?

Trends come and go—and these four fads have already had their 15 minutes of design fame.

Because pride doesn't end with June.

Get inspired for a boho-chic home.

You never forget your first time.

Parents don't always know best... at least, not when it comes to design.

Design experts weigh in on the rise (and fall) of the terrazzo trend.

The look of the kitchen is changing — already granite countertops and dark wood cabinets are starting to look a little late 90s. If you’re thinking of renovating or building a house (or just like looking!), here are five of the top trends for modern kitchens. And the best part? Some of these are things you can do right now, without spending much money at all. White and WoodIt’s modern, but warm — the best of both worlds.

Because we’re not living Pinterest boards and no one gets it right 100 percent of the time, I think we all have certain aspects of home decor and housekeeping that we ace, and other aspects that we struggle to get a handle on. I know I do. Here are 10 common issues that may be diminishing your home’s sophistication along with some easy tweaks to help you self-correct. Rumpled sheets look, well, rumpled.

Turns out, plenty of interior designers use the IKEA’s ultra-practical wares in both decorating projects and their very own homes.

Behr announced their choice for 2019's Color of the Year, and it's a lovely and livable shade.

When “Big Little Lies” premiered last year, we immediately got sucked into the intrigue, the LIES, the depictions of female friendship, and that insanely good soundtrack, but what’s stayed with us ever since are the gorgeous interiors of those drop-dead gorgeous Monterey homes that populated the HBO series.

Writing words in floor tiles is now popping up everywhere.

Forget houses, these stylish RVs and campers will make you rethink living in a van.

Tis The Gift To Be SimpleFrom a religious and social standpoint, Shakers were radicals when they arrived in New York from England just before the American Revolution, in 1774. Like Quakers, they are pacifists. In contrast to the Quakers and most other religions, the Shakers, officially the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Coming, began with a woman leader.

One can never have enough closet space, but those small nooks aren’t just for storage. If you take out all of your coats and piles of shoes, those spaces can transform into micro rooms, like offices and nurseries.

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.

You’ve no doubt heard Auto-Tune — it’s implemented in just about every pop song to both obvious and not-so-obvious effect. You may even be familiar with the term, thanks to performers like T-Pain who’ve made a career and an app out of it. But did you know that Auto-Tune was created by a research scientist who worked in the oil industry? We look at a brief history and also show you where you can download Auto-tune software to use on your home computer.

In a perfect world, you’d have a home worthy of a shelter magazine spread. Each room would have floor-to-ceiling windows (hello, natural sunlight!); there’d be a waterfall shower in the master bath (yes, you’d have more than one bathroom); and your kitchen would be decked out in top-grade, stainless steel appliances.The only thing standing in your way from your dream digs? Your bank account.

I have a confession to make and it’s a doozy: I’m an editor of a site about design (this one) and I don’t know the difference between an interior designer and an interior decorator. In fact, I’ve been using those two terms interchangibly for years. Bad editor! So I decided to educate myself (and you!). Turns out, it’s pretty straightforward but there are some major distinctions.

Adding a graphic element to is a good way to customize a party and make it your own. For Maxwell and Lulu’s Halloween party, we created these easy cupcake plates using ceramics from the thrift store and some clip art. Inkjet Lazertran Image Transfer Paper Blank Ceramic Plate Clear Acrylic Spray Chosen Image Alcohol (optional) Bowl of Warm Water Paper Towel I love this method because it can be temporary if you want to reclaim your plate after the party.

If you clicked on this story, there’s a good chance that, like us, you love astrology. Sure, some people think astrology is a little hokey, but we always feel like or horoscopes just get us. As a result, we turn to the stars for everything—and we mean everything. Which houseplants we should buy, what colors to paint our space, and which room to set up first when we move somewhere new. Now, it’s time to see what type of rule breaker you really are.

For a long time now, white-painted woodwork has been de rigeur in the domestic interior, so much so that it’s almost a foregone conclusion. But this is slowly changing: we’ve seen black woodwork popping up lately, and now grays and bold hues are making their voices heard as well. If you fancy this change but aren’t sure what to go for, let this trim-spiration sourced from around the web be your guide.

Dear Alice, My boyfriend and I have been living together for a couple of years now. Whenever I try to decorate or improve our space, he complains and puts his foot down saying that we don’t need anything. Yet at the same time, he also complains that our place is a mess and that he wishes it looked better. Anytime I try to offer an idea for improvement, I get shot down, which wouldn’t be so bad if he offered an alternative idea, but he doesn’t.

If your furniture is leggy — the great weight of it lifted high off the floor — you may have found yourself wondering if maybe you should put something under it? Like a basket? Or maybe books? Should you put anything? Can you put anything? The answers to your stuff-under-your-furniture questions can be found in this post.

Do you have a basement? Is it being enjoyed? Does it look blah? (Are you perhaps afraid to go down there?) Whether you own or rent, you’ll find inspiration in the end results of these two basements designed by creative couples (one in a rental home, one in an owned home). Each couple approached design in different ways, but the outcomes are the same: A previously unused basement ends up a beautiful bonus space for the home.

In a recent Apartment Therapy ‘Favorite Rooms’ post, someone described their bedroom as “Dark and Stormy.” Perusing through the photos, I agreed with the adjectives; the wall paint color was reminiscent of the greenish blue color of a stormy sea. I realized I had seen several wall paint colors recently that also fit the dark and stormy style. I spot a trend – one that could lead to dramatic and bold spaces.

Once considered an ultra-modern decor choice, waterfall counters are popping up in a variety of kitchen styles these days. They add a sleek, minimal look to any kitchen design while helping to hide appliances and protect wood cabinets. They’re often easier to clean. And’ if you really love your counter material, you can you can show it off more of it when you pick waterfall style.

Remember when “Trading Spaces” shone a light on your budding love for interior design? If you’re like me, you found your teenage self confused by your strong desire to stay home on the weekends and peep TLC’s most riveting home design programming. From Doug’s jungle room to the Jessica Biel episode, we’ve unearthed some of Trading Spaces’ most memorable makeovers, that you probably (some for the best) forgot about.