apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Scrolling through one of our go to design blogs the other day, Desire to Inspire, we came across this picture. Hey, isn't that the Knappa lamp...but in orange? We know a spot where this would be perfect so we clicked over to the Ikea website, credit card at the ready. No go. Hmmm, perhaps in Ikea Australia? Nope...

No, you're right. There's nothing particularly novel about using a heavy glass vase as a trashcan and yet we like it. Suddenly you are more aware of what's being thrown away than if it's hidden away. The trash becomes part of the decor and it's not always pretty. So you stop and think...

There are big changes you can make in an effort to "go green" but the ones we'll try to implement this month are simple changes that, while easy, can have a big impact on the environment while having little impact on your lifestyle. Like turning off the water while you brush your teeth...

Green month here at ATLA has happily coincided with our decision to try out Bokashi composting. We've always wanted to try our hand at composting but traditional composting requires a solitary corner in which to accommodate a pile of moldering vegetable matter (challenging when you live in an apartment complex) and worm composting requires...well...worms. Bokashi composting requires neither worms nor an understanding of what matter is carbon and what is nitrogen. Plus, you can throw in meat and dairy, no-no's in traditional composting...

In the quest for an unlabeled, streamlined life, dispensing dish soap into an attractive container is a first step that goes back to Martha. But the decorated dispensers she suggests are a little too frou-frou for us. We've been using the Karim Rashid designed soap dispenser (we know it's vehemently disliked by many but we like that we can use it with one hand) filled with Trader Joe's soap. We've had half an eye open for a replacement and we think we've finally found something we like...

Keeping a bathroom inviting and neat is a constant challenge, especially if it's a small one. Add one, two or more people into the mix and keeping it clutter-free can turn into a giant headache with messy towels a common complaint. Although keeping your towels neat is an easy way to avoid visual clutter, keeping them folded is a job unto itself and when everyone has a different method, chaos, and argument, often ensue...

Earlier today we blogged making a garden path of stepping stones. Surfing flickr, we came across another intriguing pathway, this one made from bottles that have seemingly been pressed into the ground, leaving their bottoms up. It's a pathway in Bella Madrona, the five-acre Oregon garden of Jim Sampson and Geoff Beasley that is the inspiration for the Pink Martini song, The Gardens of Sampson and Beasley. We also think, as we move from Garden Month here at AT to Green Month, that it's the inspiration for what can be done with found objects and imagination...

There's something inviting about a path of stepping stones that speaks to adventure, to mysterious lands, to unexplored places. Even if their path leads you no further than from the driveway to the front door, there's something magical about them. Installing one and puzzling out irregular slabs of stone in a pleasing arrangement that mimics something honed to perfection by the collaboration of Father Time and Mother Nature is a lot less magical. For something a little closer to presto chango, consider this option...

A few months ago, when the weather was cooler, we moved our ceiling fan into the kitchen. We used it sporadically -- to disperse the smoke during stovetop grilling, to move the heat around the house -- and we were careful to keep the cabinets closed during its operation. But now with the hotter weather, the fan's been getting more use and this weekend it was on almost constantly. We opened up the cabinet to get at a little-used platter...

Although we tend to be big champions of colour here on AT, we can also find the beauty in a neutral room. If that's your bent, the key to making sure this kind of space doesn't look beige and boring but beige and beautiful is by layering on texture. Hard, soft, flat, woven, rough, smooth can be used with all the dexterity of colour...

What's on your to do list? Do you do all the household errands or, if you live with roommates or a significant other, do you split them up between you? Do you ever go out for the day and realize you forgot your list at home? How many arguments have you had because someone forgot to pick up the stuff on their to do list? Here's a novel way to keep the peace...

If your small space has no green space, you might want to consider going very small and grow a garden in a bottle. Instructions after the jump...

The other day, in preparation for green month here at AT coming up in July (next week!), we stopped at Debra's to pick up our new Bokashi Composter. She invited us into her garden to demonstrate how our new toy worked. We noticed this very tempting bowl of fresh produce and assumed she'd just come from the farmer's market. We were very surprised to learn that it had all just been picked from the French-inspired formal garden we were standing in. More on Debra's garden, and a slideshow, after the jump...

One of the projects we're considering for the long weekend next weekend is re-grouting our kitchen tile, a project we've been meaning to get around to for a long time. It's not that we haven't read up on how to do it (we have), so we know that re-grouting is different from grouting. And next weekend, with three and a half days off, seems like a reasonable block of time to get it done...

Although we don't have AT Pet (yet...), we're sure that if we did this would be one of the first places we'd check out for a house tour. Or, we might see it in the Smallest, Coolest...

We've blogged William Morris's credo before about having nothing in your home that you do know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. We'd like to add a codicil: "or that makes you smile or even, laugh out loud." We believe that in decorating, as in life, a sense of humour is definitely key. If your own home doesn't make you smile, then you might want to consider inviting Dutch designers Niels Van Eijk and Miriam Van Der Lubbe over...

In the garden or on the deck, dining is an informal affair and an extra guest or two is not unusual. Finding room for everyone along with large platters of food, drinks, plates and cutlery can be challenging. No one wants to be running back and forth from the house to the kitchen. To find a place for everything, consider levels...

We've blogged numerous techniques for transforming furniture, including decoupage, liming and staining. These techniques are not limited to furniture. They can also be used to transform walls, floors and ceilings. Patience and a eye for color and composition can take these techniques from the ridiculous to the truly sublime, transforming your home into an interactive work of art and your furniture into true objects of beauty, unique and personal...

In designing an outdoor space, shade is as important as light: to provide a respite from the midday sun, a cool spot for an alfresco lunch, a spot for reading the paper or shelter from a sun shower. A patio umbrella offers both the flexibility and mobility to handle all of these occassions. Most of them, however, are pretty plain Jane...

We're all familiar with using a big bowl of citrus fruit in our living rooms. A big bowl of oranges, lemons or limes is a familiar sight in decorating magazines. And green apples have become de rigeur in catalogues. Why not try it with other produce?

We hate to toss the corks from the wine we drink. We like to keep them as an informal record of what we've drunk. But where to keep them? Here's one idea we saw the other night while dining at The Little Next Door on Third Street...

The other night we had dinner at The Little Next Door. The bread was served in delicate boxes made of poplar wood...