apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Ugh. I feel that Apartment Therapy has lost sight of its mission to help declutter apartments when it promotes worthless consumer junk like this. Seriously, wipe the bottom of your vases with a dish towel before setting them down. Do you *really* need to buy a product that was likely manufactured in China (at great cost to the environment), packaged (at great cost to the environment), shipped halfway round the world (at great cost to the environment), and stored in a C&B warehouse ... I could go on (and I did, here: http://www.vladcole.net/?p=25).

I'm assuming you're this hostile towards drink coasters as well.

No, because drinks sweat. There's no cure for that.

I have to say I share vladcole's sentiments when I see a lot of these gadget posts.

These are the kinds of household ephemera that clog thrift stores, garage sales, and landfills as soon as they get chipped or go out of style, and promoting them doesn't seem to jive with the stated ethos of this site.

It starts to feel as if A.T. has some sort of contract with C & B and other companies to mention them in posts at least x number of times a week.

I second Volvoguy and Marlo. I come here looking for ideas (and once in a blue moon I get one). But its more about over priced junk and little about the home. Now the contest is in play I may have some insperation.

I use one of those round ones for a coaster. It was in the candle section at BB&B in multi colors. I tried hard to think of a use and there was a very good one. Even if it chips, it'll continue to serve a good purpose.

I have a bunch of these from the useless Christmas/holiday/party gifts I get when people come over.

I use them as soap dishes, sponge dishes, and as a catch for jewelry in the bathroom.

or you could use them as candle plates

The brilliance of Apt Therapy (and I don't mean this ironically; I'm a fan) lies in the way it combines an emphasis on decluttering, ethical responsibility, and environmental concern with America's favorite pastime: shopping.

I always enjoy it when the promotion of some little gadget sparks a debate that reveals this clever and ironic combination. I'd prefer it if the little gadget didn't come from a hideous megastore, though.

The AT mission:
Helping people make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online. (and yes, I know there are 3 more paragraphs in the "about us" section.) I come to AT for the hard work THEY do scouring the design world so that I don't have to. No one says you have to buy this stuff.
Thanks AT!!

Interesting how that mission has changed with time. Here's AT's founder from a September 2004 interview with the Washington Post:

""The overriding ethic, here and everywhere," said Mr. Gillingham-Ryan, who speaks in a cool, hushed tone that tends to lower the pitch of any conversation, "is to get rid of any excess: clothes, furniture, doors. I find that most doors, particularly closet doors, you can do without."

Now they're pushing candle coasters. I'd say the advertisers have been given too much and the readers too little.

2002: Apartment Therapy* is a New York City company that serves people's apartment and office needs and seeks to provide environmentally sustainable solutions. Dedicated to the belief that clean, attractive, well organized spaces are crucial for personal health, vitality, and effectiveness, we help people with: decorating, decluttering, furnishing, plants, organization, cleaning (we only use environmentally safe products), moving...

2003: Apartment Therapy* is a New York City consulting company that serves people's apartment and office needs and seeks to provide environmentally sustainable solutions.
We are dedicated to the belief that clean, attractive, well organized spaces are crucial for personal health, vitality, and effectiveness.

Jan 2004: Transforming living and working environments into beautiful, healthy and organized spaces is what we live to do.

Feb 2004: Apartment Therapy was founded because we want to change the world, one apartment at a time.

2005: Like many design blogs, Apartment Therapy acts as a cool hunter and arbiter. "I trust Maxwell to not sell me stuff when they make a recommendation, unlike when I go to a store," said Mary Hawkins, 27, a Manhattan resident.

Ah, yes. "Cool hunting" without selling. Decorating while decluttering.

Me, I'm enjoying, but not purchasing.