Posts

Showing posts from April, 2015

12 Stellar IKEA Hacks That Organize Your Entire Kitchen

Image
If you think you don't have space for an island, spice rack, or extra chairs, you're wrong. Courtesy of IKEA Hackers Add Extra Drawers Sometimes shelves just don't cut it. Sure, they're great for storing tall appliances, but when it comes to clunky canned food, it's so much easier to pull your storage out. These IKEA-hacked drawers allow you to customize your pantry as you see fit. Courtesy of Tatertots & Jello Wrangle Under-the-Counter Space While these tin cans were originally created to hold spatulas and serving spoons, they work just as well for your not-so-cute under-the-sink tools, like dish scrubbers. Use adhesive tabs to hang them on the inside of your cabinet so they're easy to reach. Store Extra Pantry Items The RASKOG cart is handy in just about every room — and in the kitchen it's a convenient place to store overflowing pantry foods, like popcorn kernels and soda. Expecting company? Wheel it out of the room and into hiding with ease. C

Step Inside This Colorful, Charmingly Retro Camper

Image
Apartment Therapy Talk about lucky: When Mia Cefkin and her husband David decided to splurge on a camper for their traveling adventures, they stumbled upon a camper outfitted with charming vintage appliances already in place. Mia was inspired by the tiny camper's original appliances, and took the opportunity to outfit the rest of the space with bright and quirky interior decorating finds. The couple, who own a log cabin in Franklin, North Carolina, recently acquired the vintage camper and now park it at the foot of their homestead's hill. The '70s camper, which they affectionately dubbed "Sweet Dreams Camper," features bold turquoise blues and bright cherry reds throughout. From the appliances to the curtains, to the seat cushions, and even the throw pillows, everything is adorned in bright colors and polka dot patterns. We have to imagine that it would be hard not to have a good time while hanging out inside this camper! Note to Mia and David: If you ever need

9 Small-Space Decorating Rules You Need to Break

Image
We think this project by Los Angeles-based Taylor Jacobson proves that you can live large within size limitations. Here are the rules Jacobson "broke" and why you should follow suit. Amy Bartlam "Don't use dark colors." When used properly, a deep hue can enhance architectural features. In this living room/library, a dramatic blue contrasts the red back panels of the built-in bookshelf. This rich juxtaposition gives the room dimension, creating depth that makes the room feel a little bigger — yet more intimate. Amy Bartlam "Shy away from patterns." Many automatically dismiss patterned wallpaper for fear of overwhelming a room. Yet the allover pattern draws the eye up and around, adding interest that can distracts from the tiny space. Amy Bartlam "Use only small-scale furniture." Tiny furniture throws off the proportion of a room (and can be a little uncomfortable). Instead of fitting in a lot of furniture, focus on a few full-size pieces.

You Can Dress Your Home in Lilly Pulitzer for Target, Too

Image
Courtesy of Target When Target announced that its next collaboration would be with Lilly Pulitzer, women across the country got excited about filling their closets with the designer's preppy and pretty prints — at much more palatable prices than Lilly outfits usually go for. But when Target released the line's look book this week, we blew past all the garden-party-ready dresses (which, of course, are as lovely as we would have hoped) when we realized that home items were also in the line-up. From plates to pillows, there's a way to add an inspired touch to every spot in your house. The products hit stores and online on April 19, 2015, so make your shopping list now, lest you get lost in the fray as everything flies off the shelves. Here are some of our faves (see the full line here): 1. Floral Napkins These pom-pom trimmed cuties can double as placemats. Set of four, $$ 2. Pretty Plates Serving dessert has never been quite this lovely. Set of four, $$ 3. Woven Basket

A New Brand May Give IKEA a Run for Its Money

Image
Greycork via Dezeen.com IKEA's reign as the leader in inexpensive, build-it-yourself home furnishings may soon be over. That is, if Rhode Island-based furniture company Greycork has anything to say about it.  Greycork released its first line in 2014, according to Dezeen, which was comprised of two tables and a bench, and now, the company is poised to roll out its second collection. This time, Greycork will be offering enough items to decorate a full living room, including a sofa, chaise, bookshelf, coffee table and side table. Greycork's pieces come in a convenient flat-pack box and are intended to be built by the consumer in four minutes or less, without any tools, and without the stress IKEA furniture tends to cause. Dezeen reports that the company will soon be taking pre-orders for the new line, which is currently priced from $$ for a side table to $$$ for a three-person couch, on the crowd-funding site Indiegogo.com.   And while only time will tell if this startup wil

A Graphic Designer Created a Kit to Help You Go Off the Grid

Image
Nora Kaszanyi Imagine yourself spending a day with no Wi-Fi whatsoever. No, this isn't the start of a horror story. In fact, this could actually be the start of a very productive day. Graphic designer Nora Kaszanyi hopes so. Kaszanyi designed a simple activity kit called the "No Wi-Fi Survival Kit" to encourage people to take a break from their worrying about their internet connections and unplug for a bit. (It would also come in handy though in the event of an unplanned Wi-Fi outage.) Nora Kaszanyi Everything in the kit is designed with minimalism in mind, and there are only two steps required to get started with the activities inside: disconnecting, and choosing the activity you will use to "discover life outside the internet." Nora Kaszanyi A puzzle? A book? Hand-writing letters to your friends and family? There's even a shopping list and a tea bag to help you relax. The uncomplicated pastimes are a way to remind us all to enjoy life's simple pl

You Won't Believe the Masterpiece One Man Found in His Attic

Image
Dominic Currie, 58, of Kircaldy, Scotland, was cleaning out his attic when he pulled a rolled-up canvas out of an old suitcase. "We had to tease it open because it had been curled up for decades," Currie told Fife Today. "We started looking at it seriously and were absolutely dumbfounded. It was a bizarre, surreal moment." The oil painting contained a striking signature on the bottom right corner: Picasso. Kelly Muir The suitcase, which once belonged to Currie's mom, Annette, also held handbags, travel papers, clothes, Russian money, and a photograph of a man in military attire. Currie, whose grandparents raised him, had grown up believing that his mother was his sister. It wasn't until the late '80s that he learned the truth. Then, two years before her death in 2000, Currie's mother revealed that Dominic's biological father was Nicolai Vladimirovich, a Soviet soldier whom she had met while on vacation in Poland at age 19. Currie's mom a

A Closer Look at Mad Men's Amazing Props

Image
Courtesy of AMC Man Men was a unique show, thanks to its vivid characters and mesmerizing storytelling — but also its commitment to sets that were uber authentic to the midcentury time period. The show had spot-on, stylish props that were almost as fun to look at as the actors. The series recently ended, much to the chagrin of die-hard fans, but there's still bits and pieces of the Mad Men universe to go around. On July 31, 2015, over a thousand props will be auctioned off the public — and the selection is a vintage lover's goldmine. A word of warning: Though the bidding starts low (like, $,500 Cadillac low), we imagine prices will rise quickly, and there's a steep buyer's premium to boot. Still, it's fun to window shop. Here are some of our favorites from the group. Ah, memories... 1. Joan's Bar Cart If there was one trend that Mad Men certainly reignited, it was the mandate that every home have a gleaming bar cart. ScreenBid 2. Don's Silver Barware