Decorating

You don’t have to be a design aficionado to know clean, sleek furniture and design are all the rage these days. But discerning whether a piece is minimalist, modern, or contemporary? Now, that’s another story. Chances are you’ve been using minimalist, modern, and contemporary interchangeably for years, without thinking twice about whether or not they’re the same. It’s okay, you’re not alone.

You’re probably aware that bar carts are the de rigueur piece of furniture right now, but if you’ve been wondering how to actually style them, we’ve got your answers right here. Styles can range from minimalist to overly bedecked with all manner of fanciful liqueurs and glassware, so let our guide below show you the plentiful options available. Take a page from Sabrina Tan of Gypsy Tan and outfit your bar cart with decidedly unexpected pieces.

Once an alternative living solution, tiny homes are now firmly in the mainstream. Their minimalist and functional designs have become inspiration for apartment dwellers and owners of larger homes alike. You know the look—bright white walls, creative storage solutions, multipurpose furniture, and as much natural light as possible. It’s an undeniably effective way to style a small space, but it’s starting to feel a little bit cookie cutter.

It’s been a big month for IKEA. First, the beloved Swedish furniture company debuted their 2019 catalog in stores on August 1, and now, they’ve released a slew of new products (some of which make an appearance in said catalog) that look surprisingly high-end. Of course, IKEA’s always been on top of the trends, but for a budget retailer some of these products really took me by surprise with their luxe touches and expensive appearance.

At Apartment Therapy, we believe that your home is your sanctuary—and you should treat it as such. After all, where else can you retreat to after a long day at work, bad date, or busy vacation and just relax? But before you KonMari your space or invest in some soft, dreamy sheets for your bedroom, you should decide on your home’s color scheme.

The 2019 IKEA Catalog is the gift that just keeps on giving. Beyond serving up tons of eye candy, painting ideas, and new collections, the IKEA catalog is a great place to go for a sneak peek at the home trends that will take the decor world by storm in the coming year. Ahead: A look at a few of our favorite home trends we spotted throughout the catalog. Get ready to see these everywhere in 2019.

Having little to no closet space is every renter’s nightmare—if you don’t have a proper place to store your clothes there’s always the fear they will eventually take your bed hostage or end up piled all over the floor. While the possibility of a permanently cluttered bedroom is a real fear, there are plenty of creative and innovative ways that you can carve out extra clothing storage.

We hate to break it to you, but bar carts are so yesterday. Today, interior decorators and design fans are taking their love of libations to the next level by turning their extra closet space into a wet bar. If you ask us, this is one trend that’s here to stay. Not only will you have plenty of space to store bottles of bubbly, glassware, and other accoutrements, you have the opportunity to turn something as mundane as a hallway closet into a bonafide design moment.

Good news for farmhouse style fans: Chip and Joanna Gaines’ latest collection of Hearth & Hand with Magnolia is hitting Target stores this weekend. We have your exclusive sneak peek at everything new, plus tips from Joanna, below. There are over 50 pieces in the new collection, with prices ranging from $3.99 for a kitchen towel to $55.99 for a pouf, with most under $25.

It’s only natural to experience some design fatigue after living in the same space for a few years. You know, that irksome feeling you get when your once perfectly curated home feels stale, old, and uninspired? Bobby Berk, interior designer and co-star of Netflix’s Queer Eye, is the master of transforming a space, and he shared his tips for curing a case of home design-itis. Turns out, hitting the refresh button is easier than you’d think.

The right accessories can really make or break your living room. Sure, the big ticket items—your sofa, rug, chairs, etc—are what set the tone in the space, but it’s the littler pieces that really make it feel like you. Your side table and its accompanying lamp may not feel like the centerpiece of the room, but that doesn’t mean you should sideline this important design aspect.

Living in just one room doesn’t have to mean seeing your bedroom from the front door. These smart studio dwellers created cozy bedroom areas despite the fact that their homes don’t have walls. Elaine Burns had the unique idea for her studio apartment to create a plantation shutter faux wall to hide the bed and separate it from the entryway. She reached out to American Blinds to have the wall custom built.

If you weren’t already hip to Airstream rentals, now’s the time to smarten up. Sort of similar to glamping—but indoors—Airstream trailers and campers are essentially mobile mini-homes you can park (and rent) in just about any location (the desert, the beach, and so on). It’s no surprise that Airbnb is brimming with cool Airstream rentals in dreamy destinations all over the globe.

The past seven days of my life have been shrouded in secrecy—like NDA-level secrecy—but I can finally open up and shout the big news from the rooftops (well, from Apartment Therapy, at least). The 2019 IKEA Catalog is officially here, and it’s a good one! Especially considering it’s the Swedish design giant’s 75th anniversary year.

"Keep Calm and Please STOP IT."

For a comprehensive reminder of just how wonderfully left field Snarkitecture has gone with its designs since its inception a decade ago, you’ll definitely want to check out the New York-based studio’s Fun House exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

Although the need to change up your home now and then is perfectly human and natural, it’s not always feasible. These free decorating ideas indulge your need for something new, without putting a hit out on your wallet. Here are four great strategies to have in your back pocket, whenever you feel compelled to shake things up on the cheap. If you’ve done any painting lately, or ever, you most likely have a some leftover in a can somewhere in your house or garage.

We still have a long way to go with prioritizing accessibility for people with disabilities. On the bright side, there are extraordinarily inventive minds like industrial designer Nour Malaeb, who is working to amend this widespread issue with projects like Relay, a fully customizable, voice-activated, table-ottoman combo. Malaeb came up with the idea after observing his best friend with muscular dystrophy struggle to maneuver with tasks around the house during the their days as roommates.

More and more, it’s becoming increasingly normal to hear stories of people learning to acclimate themselves to living in seriously small apartments. Cities are practically bursting at the seams so for many metropolitan dwellers, creatively maximizing a small living space has quickly become a modern-day survival tactic.

We might try to walk into Target with good intentions. The plan is to pick up that one thing we need, responsibly tossing it into our baskets before popping through self checkout, paying a respectable amount of money, and going on our ways. Sure, good intentions are great and all—but we also know that no one is safe from the lure of Target.

Le Koroc is a floating paradise designed for enjoying summer lake life in Canada with minimal impact on the environment—handcrafted from the ground up (or pontoon base up, anyway) to help its owner “explore nature differently” with a solar-powered, off-grid vessel that’s half fishing boat and half luxury tiny house. Crafted entirely by hand by a Canadian woodworker on a pontoon base, this is a tiny home for the lake-lover in all of us.

While we like shiny, new objects as much as the next design lover, we also have a soft spot for all things vintage. Mixing the old with new—be it a sofa from the sixties, art deco drinkware, or linens from the 19th century—can add a cool, one-of-a-kind flair to your home.

There’s no faster way to bring interest to a room than with texture—but there’s no reason to limit that design trick to fur rugs or velvet sofas. While an artfully placed knit throw on an armchair makes a space feel more “finished,” and a sheepskin rug underneath a planter lend sophistication, those same principals can now be applied to walls. There are plenty of genius ways to add texture to your walls, but be warned: they may not be for the faint of heart.

Belgian company BuzziSpace teamed up with American designer Cory Grosser to create a nature-inspired solution to noise reduction. Trying to soundproof your space so that it’s completely devoid of noise can be rather tricky, but outside-the-box thinking led Cory Grosser + Associates to using preserved reindeer moss as a main material for his series of geometric framed wall panels.

If you’ve ever seen furniture designed by Rick Owens, then you can already picture the interior of his Venice penthouse. The fashion designer began creating pieces for the home in 2007 with his wife, Michèle Lamy. MR PORTER recently toured their Italian home, the first public feature of the space. Indeed, you’ll see quite a bit of his brutalist designs around the space, peppered with the occasional antique, like a set of Eliel Saarinen high-backed chairs.

We found out everything you need to know about your favorite piece of furniture.

Artist Wassily Kandinsky once said, “Color is a power which directly influences the soul.” Yet, finding a color combination that’s cool, modern, sophisticated, and complementary is easier said than done. For years, yellow and gray fit the bill. Easy and unexpected, the two hues were an unstoppable duo for gender neutral nurseries and cheery rooms alike.

A well-styled coffee table can be a game changer for your home. Not only does it offer up a little extra space for stashing stuff, when thoughtfully organized, your coffee table can double as an artful living room centerpiece. To prove our point, we scoured our house tours high and low and rounded up nine of the most beautifully styled coffee tables we could find. From a full-blown bench display to an airy Scandi-style scene, here are some of the chicest ideas for organizing your coffee table.

It dates all the way back to ancient Egypt.

Feng shui is all about creating harmony between your inner self and the world around you, but if we’re being totally honest, incorporating it into your home is hard stuff. Similar to the latest trends in tech, fashion, or design, the definition of good feng shui is constantly evolving, which means your home should follow suit. Ugh. “It can be intimidating—even for us consultants,” says Laura Cerrano, founder and CEO of consulting firm Feng Shui Manhattan.

If you’ve ever stayed in an Airbnb, you know that those homes can pack a seriously stylish punch. And with the newly launched Airbnb Plus, you’ll see even more of that. All of the homes are a new tier of breathtaking listings, inspected and verified in person against a 100-point checklist for quality and comfort to ensure a premium experience for guests (AKA us). Here, a look at the top wish-listed Airbnbs on Airbnb Plus and the design takeaways you can use in your own home.

You live and die by Amazon. You’ve been a Prime member for years, you know all about that secret $2 section, you head to Amazon Handmade whenever you need a unique gift, and you even give preference to hotels with rooms equipped with Alexa. But did you know Amazon has a whole host of private labels? Amazon launched its first private label in 2009; five years later they slowly launched 11 more; today Amazon has approximately 76 private labels.

Summer-proofing your home happens like clockwork. Once the temperature rises, you add an air conditioning unit and screens to your windows, trade in your woodsy candle for a beachier scent, and swap out your flannel sheets for some lightweight linen ones. But, if we’re being honest, we never know what to do with our duvets. On the one hand, duvets are comfortable and a great extra layer for when your AC is on full blast.

Minimalism and functionality are two key elements that can take a hum-drum, cluttered kitchen and turn it into a beautiful space to cook and entertain in. As I mentioned in this Scandinavian-style house tour round-up last month, perhaps the greatest feature of Scandi-inspired style is that it can be interpreted and used in so many different ways.

When the thought of a wooden retreat comes to mind, it immediately accompanies images of solitude and a discrete place that blends in with its surroundings. However, this modern tiny house in upstate New York meets at least half of those criteria due to its bold structure that allows it to stand out against a natural backdrop.

From their iconic Bean Boots to their once-famous lifetime guarantee return policy, LL Bean has been synonymous with outdoorsy lifestyle goals for more than 100 years. So—while Amazon recently tried—if anyone was going to truly bring the outdoors into the office by creating the first ever outdoor coworking space, of course it was going to be one of America’s favorite recreation brands.

There’s something about a well-designed kitchen that makes me want to abandon my takeout-loving ways and transform into the type of person who hosts dinner parties on the regular and whips up delectable meals with ease. Or at least someone who plays the part on Instagram. And nothing piques my interest more than a light, airy kitchen with a few pops of pastel. Coincidentally that seems to be exactly the aesthetic of most popular Instagram influencers. The secret to their style?

With all the focus on varying shades of pastels these days (we’re looking at you, millennial pink!), it can be easy to forget that bright colors are still a consistent design trend, too. Sometimes a simple, solitary pop of color is all you need, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, try pairing two (or three!) together to really pull the room together.

IKEA has been at the peak of their collab game lately, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they have another batch of design goodies up their sleeve. This time around, the retailer has announced their new social entrepreneurship collection, TILLTALANDE, which coincides with World Refugee Day (June 20).

I admit it: I am a kitchen appliance junkie. I have been for more than a decade, since I fell in love with cooking. I want to buy nearly everything that comes on the market, but actually only buy the ones I know I will use on a regular basis. I make sure that the ones I do buy are the best value for the money no matter how inexpensive or expensive they may be. And then I love them to no end. I have a few high-speed blenders (because is one really enough?

For every 3D-printed project that pops up, there appears to be endless groundbreaking feats that are infinitely more ambitious than the last. Case in point: Plans for the world’s first 3D-printed concrete housing project are officially underway in the Dutch city of Eindhoven.

For all intents and purposes, you’re an adult. You have a job, car, rent or mortgage, and, in some cases, an entire family to care for. But that doesn’t mean you can’t embrace your inner child every now and then—especially when it comes to decorating your home.

Try implementing some of these tips to give your modern dry-walled digs an extra helping of soul.

This week marked IKEA’s Democratic Design Days, the event where the Swedish retailer announces its upcoming collaborations. At the end of the day on Thursday, the company dropped that they’ll be working with Saint Heron, the multidisciplinary cultural hub founded by none other than Solange Knowles.

IKEA is known for simple, staple rugs that can go with just about everything—like the classic black-and-white Stockholm that has graced many a first-apartment floor for under $200. But on Thursday, the retailer announced that they are majorly upping their rug game—with eight new designer collaborations for this year’s IKEA Art Event. The rugs will be available for a limited time in 2019.

My husband has a seriously convenient knack for putting together IKEA furniture. Seriously, sometimes I (half) jokingly suggest he start side hustling as a TaskRabbit for a little extra income. But the thing is that he actually enjoys it—and when I ask him why he says it’s like building LEGOs for grownups. Well, now he might actually be able to build an IKEA LEGO, or something like it.

Target fans rejoice! The Bullseye is launching another new home brand and this time it’s all about getting back to the basics (without sacrificing an ounce of style). We already know and love Target’s other home lines—Opalhouse, Hearth & Hand with Magnolia, Threshold, and Project 62—and their personality-filled aesthetics, but Target has always been known for its basics, so we are beyond excited for the new Made By Design line.

We were so saddened to hear that Kate Spade was found dead by apparent suicide today. Her influence on the world of design and fashion is immeasurable and we will so miss her iconic style. From her handbags to her home goods, Kate brought delight into our lives by approaching simple items with a sense of joy and whimsy.

The thing about design styles is that when they become a ubiqutious trend—like the mid-century modern look or the ’70s style bohemian resurgence this year—is that they take on a life of their own after awhile. What starts as a decor movement anchored in traditions and classic elements can evolve and reshape itself with every home it touches.

The first official day of summer won’t arrive for another few weeks, but as far as we’re concerned the sunny season is already in session. And what better way to ring in three glorious months of carefree fun than with an awesome summer blowout? Many hosts will tell you a well-stocked bar is key for a great party, which is why an outdoor bar cart is one of the best investments you can make this season.

We all love IKEA for its simple, Scandinavian design and reasonable prices, but that versatility and affordability often makes decorating your home painfully ubiquitous. Instead of unearthing a one-of-a-kind piece—and feeling like a total design pro—you end up with the same furniture as your coworker, best friend, old college roommate, and your favorite influencers. Ugh. But just because you (rightfully) love IKEA doesn’t mean your space needs to fall into basic territory.

If you’re anything like me, your Instagram feed over Memorial Day Weekend was filled with FOMO-inducing photos of friends camping out in nature’s splendor across the country—whether shot from the rear windows of a camper van or RV or from within the confines of a glamping resort. ‘Tis the season to rusticate and sleep under the stars, and these tiny glamping pods are the new objet d’envy.

We got the skinny on the polarizing trend.

If you’ve found yourself gravitating towards colors reminiscent of outdoorsy vacations this year, you’re not alone. In their first ever social media study, the Pantone Color Institute quantified our collective wanderlust with the four most popular colors of 2018. In the 2018 Colors of Travel study, conducted by HireInfluence, Pantone analyzed a mix of outdoor adventure and lifestyle travel photos with high engagement from dozens of the top travel influencers in the U.S.

Red and blue is mostly reserved for summer cookouts, Fourth of July table spreads, or kitschy beach houses full of sand and white rattan, but that’s all about to change. Blue and red is the newest design power couple, but you don’t have to have an Americana aesthetic to pull it off in your own home. The reason it’s rising to the top of designers’ portfolios and pinners’ decor boards is because of how versatile it is: the pairing has range.

If you weren’t already hip to German grocery store, Aldi, now’s the time to smarten up. Adored for its super low prices and wide range of products, the discount supermarket chain now boasts over 1,600 stores in the United States—making grocery shopping on the cheap easier than ever. But wait, it gets better. Turns out Aldi sells more than just inexpensive groceries.

Here’s how to make your dishwasher work harder.

Since exotic beach getaways are always high on the priority list (or at least, they should be), here’s a Greek rental house that you’re sure to swoon over. Listed on Glamping Hub, the dreamy ocean-facing tiny house is an hour and a half drive from Thessaloniki on a private beach in Paliouri, Chalkidik, also known as Halkidiki. The exclusive spot promises views of the Aegean Sea and soothing scents of pine.

If you're not completely happy with your home's current look, try implementing these brilliant mirror tricks and you'll be in for a real treat.

Here to help you make the most out of your mobile lifestyle is Santa, Barbara, California-based startup Living Vehicle, an all-aluminum towable trailer. At 212 square feet, the tiny space provides enough leg and sleeping room for six people, plus it’s pet-friendly and comes with a lithium ion-powered solar system that allows it to go completely off-the-grid.

When talking vintage, a fine line surely exists between the vintage item that makes you the envy of your design-eyed friends, and the vintage that makes you question an object’s actual hygienic repercussions on your home. When the conversation becomes about vintage and antique rugs, as most conversations do(!), a whole new myriad of myths, musts and maybes are called into question— questions that are left best to the experts.

That first cup of delicious morning coffee; that afternoon latte; a late night cup of tea [insert long blissfully happy sigh]—arguably the best part of your day, right? It’s those beautiful moments of peace, in the midst of emails and back-to-back meetings, and there’s just you and your caffeine (or decaf) du jour.

Tiny things are cute, right? Puppies, kittens, even babies. When something is little, we all can’t help but coo at it. Just look at how people react to micro pigs! We all squeal. Well, this doesn’t just apply to animals and tiny humans. Apparently, even decor can get the micro treatment and look even better. Nothing stinks more than trying to decorate your space, but you don’t really have any space to decorate.

We turn to our moms for advice on just about anything—how to navigate our careers, deal with relationship issues, recreate our favorite childhood dish… the list goes on and on. As for me, I’ve even been known to ask my mom to help me choose a health insurance and 401(k) plan and I’m 29 years old. The point is, our moms have taught us a lot. In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked designers what their moms taught them about decorating.

If I asked you to imagine something made of denim, I’m guessing you’d probably think of a pair of pants—not a couch. Over the years, this distinctive blue canvas material has become almost synonymous with blue jeans. The idea of using denim in interior decor may seem a bit strange to you—I thought so too, until I saw this striking sofa in actress Denise Vasi’s Los Angeles home and began to wonder: what if?

And here's how to decorate it at home.

It is almost summer, and that means it is almost time for your friends to post pictures of themselves on Instagram, gracefully posed on top of some trendy pool float in some enviable location. Look, the rise of the statement pool float is one of the weirder things about Instagram, but I remember that, as an 8-year-old, I was once very, very excited about a pool float shaped like an alligator, so I have no room to judge.

A quick scroll of Instagram can confirm whether you’re on or off trend, and apparently that includes sussing out the top cities for interior design. Joybird did some extensive hashtag research to compile all of the metropolitan areas in the U.S. that are currently sitting feng shui-perfect and pretty at the top of their style game.

Equal parts charming and eclectic is a most fitting description of this Old Time Caravan from father-son building duo Nick and Aaron Troisi, jointly known as The Unknown Craftsmen. The team constructed the tiny house caravan at the request of a former client who wanted an entirely self-sustaining space. The caravan’s distinct personality shines through in its design features, which include a curved roof, custom woodwork, and round windows.

It’s been 14 years (not a typo, sadly!) since we said goodbye to Monica, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe, Rachel, and Ross, and yet there are still a few lingering questions regarding their departure.

*Disclaimer: Although I practiced for five years, I never actually got licensed as an architect. Becoming an architect is actually really hard. You can read all about the requirements right here, and then, the next time you see one of your architect friends, tell them you’re really impressed with what they’ve accomplished. When I was little, I begged my mother for a Barbie Dreamhouse. It was the toy of toys: utterly huge, insanely pricey. I never got one.

I pride myself on the fact that I have never dropped my phone in a toilet or spilled coffee on it. (My poor laptop is another story. RIP, Lisa’s MacBook!) And I tend to do everything in my power to keep up those bragging rights. But as someone who cooks a lot, following recipes (from Kitchn!) on my phone, it’s not always easy to keep my phone safe. Which is where this plastic bag comes in. I oddly got the idea while treating myself to a manicure.