apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Jute rugs have a lot of good qualities. They're durable, inexpensive, and made from natural fibers, but they usually come in just a few solid colors. That's changing as we see more designers and manufacturers working with products made from renewable materials. Click below for a few examples of cheap, chic jute rugs in several patterns...

"Make your own tools. Hybridize your tools in order to build unique things. Even simple tools that are your own can yield entirely new avenues of exploration. Remember, tools amplify our capacities, so even a small tool can make a big difference." - Bruce Mau

Chicagoan Edward Lifson recently posted photos of the installation of MASS Moca's Sol LeWitt retrospective (opening November 16, 2008 in the Berkshires). Through a series of beautiful photos on his blog, Edward shows you how a crew makes a Sol LeWitt Wall Drawing from start to finish. It's an inspiring process that might lead you to think differently about the walls in your own home...

The Chicago Recycling Coalition has a comprehensive checklist for those looking to go green either in the office or at home. The list includes the basics as well as a few less obvious ideas, covering paper usage, office supplies and products, kitchen areas, recycling, transportation, energy and water efficiency, and air quality. Links and more information below...

Lamps can be made from just about anything heat-resistant using a store-bought wiring kit. We've seen them made from glass bottles, ceramic cups, and sometimes even plastic and metal pieces. Since Etsy features a lot of upcycled lighting, we thought we'd round up a few items that gave us ideas for DIY lighting projects...

Although gardening month has come to a close and we're moving on to another kind of green living, we didn't want you to miss this lovely porch garden tagged in Flickr with "apartmenttherapychicago." We love the way that Five Ten has made the most of her typical Chicago deck by lining the edges with planters that sit, hang, and clip to the rails...

A Chicagoland seller has 2 sets of CB2 Envelope Chairs for sale, one pair in black/white and one pair in chocolate/chocolate for $35 per chair or $60 for the set of 2. They also have a set of CB2 Envelope Barstools in chocolate for $40 each or $70 for the pair, and a pair of Ada Table lamps for $20 each or $35 for the pair. Jump below for links and more good finds:

At a recent outdoor wedding in Michigan, we noticed the simplicity and beauty of a garden with white accents. Against a colorful backdrop, white looks bright and clean, and it effortlessly translates from flowers to garden lights to outdoor furniture. Click below for a few examples...

In West Lakeview, a queen-sized platform bed and overlapping squares headboard originally purchased at West Elm is selling for $200. The seller says it is new, with a dark finish. Jump below for links and more good finds:

One of our favorite resources is a slender monograph by Gloria Koenig titled simply, "Eames." Even though their designs have become ubiquitous, the work of Charles and Ray Eames never ceases to inspire us. We often see their chairs today in minimalist environments, but when we look back on their life's work, we see how easily their furniture blends with everything from high modernism to colorful bohemain...

Like many people in New Orleans, glass artist Laurel Porcari lost her foothold after Katrina. As someone who made a living crafting architectural glass and teaching at a university, the immediate post-Katrina economy couldn't support her. She made it a priority to rebuild the glass arts community, working with emergency relief funds to establish a communal space where artists who had lost their studios could come and work...

As Janel mentioned, the best time of the year to get good deals on furniture is upon us. We're already seeing a ton of items marked down at West Elm. In addition to the outdoor furniture that's going on clearance, there are some good rugs, storage pieces, and bedding in the mix...

In Clarendon Hills, these Chinese window screens are being sold for $75 and $55 (the ad doesn't specify which is which). Dimensions are 21 x 29 inches and 17 x 25.5 inches. Jump below for links and more good finds:

If you want to start using organic fabrics in your sewing projects, NearSea Naturals sells organic cotton and wool by the yard. Based in New Mexico, the company uses fabrics milled in the United States, with a few selections from Australia. They also sell organic thread and batting, as well as recycled buttons. Click below for pricing and links...

We snapped this photo a few months ago on a trip to San Francisco, at our friend Mike's apartment. Mike's roommate is a horticulturist, and every tabletop in their apartment is covered in plants...

My husband brought these nesting dolls back from Russia a few years ago. We like them and think they're funny, but they're tchotchkes: those knick knacks that you either love dearly and prominently display or hide away in a closet. We're not sure what to do with these...

Remember this light-filled living room? It's from the prefab LVL home of James and Rui, designed by Midwestern architect Rocio Romero and featured on AT last January. The couple recently hosted an open house, inviting visitors into their home for a day while their friend Traci (author of design blog Girl in the Green Dress) took some amazing photos. Traci was kind enough to share her pics with us - click below for a second look at this warm, sunny living space...

In West Chicago, 30 miles from downtown, this Danish Modern Dresser is selling for $100. The seller says the price is firm. It's in excellent condition and would make a great storage piece for a bedroom, dining room, or living room. Jump below for links and more good finds:

For many people, city living means a lack of personal outdoor space, which is one reason why public parks are so important. In Chicago, we're lucky to have a number of well-cared-for parks. One of them - Millennium Park - boasts the world's largest green roof. Built over a rail yard, the park itself is one big, long-span roof covered in plazas, gardens and grasses...

Like many AT readers, we have a big collection of CDs. My husband is an audiophile and he wants to keep them rather than store our music on the computer, so we've been looking for a good storage solution. We decided to store our music in a line of white boxes underneath our floating credenza, and so far we're enjoying the system...

AT reader (and house tour participant) Kathryn has been on fire lately. Her home was just featured on HGTV and, looking through Flickr, we noticed that her outdoor space is also camera-ready after undergoing a recent transformation. Click below for a mini-tour of her beautiful rooftop deck (and one "before" photo)...

In Paul Krugman's Op-Ed for the NY Times yesterday, he made the case that Americans are obsessed with home ownership to an unhealthy extent. As renters who are consistently asked when we're going to buy, we think he has a point...

We spent Sunday afternoon searching the North Side antique stores for a cool, reasonably priced shelving unit. (We would have loved these orange and yellow shelves from Edgewater Antique Mall, but no such luck...they're for display only.) We left empty-handed, but we did snap some photos of cool stuff along the way. Click below to see our weekend window shopping...

Reading Dezeen, we were intrigued by this Japanese home which uses curtains and lighting to divide the space in unique ways. Click below for links to instructions for hanging curtains this way in your own home...