Home Projects

There aren’t many items that I can’t think of some way to transform or repurpose, but when it comes to woven or wicker furniture like these barstools, I’m often at a loss…until now. This trio of trashed items received a makeover from Fabio de Minicis that I never would have thought of!Fabio does wonderful things with items that are otherwise considered discarded, junk or trash, and this barstool makeover is no exception.

For some reason bedrooms seem to be left as the last room in the house to be decorated. I’ve seen it a lot in friend’s houses and House Tours. I am definitely guilty of neglecting my own bedroom, as you can see in this before photo. I am the first to admit — that room is hella ugly! But in two days I was able to take this room from a decorating disaster to delightful with a couple coats of paint (and some major purging).

Let’s play Truth or Dare, shall we? Yeah, baby. Are you psyched? Are you scared? I’ll go first. Truth, I say! (You can tell what kind of kid I was—in other words, not the kind to streak across the neighbor’s lawn.) Have I ever dry cleaned an item of clothing and/or cleaned with conventional cleaners? Gulp. Well, one time I… I mean, it was just a… I didn’t think it was. Silence. Can I skip this round?Your turn. Dare, you say? (Whatever.

It all begins with the soil. Worms are the great transformers of landscape through eating and digesting. They can consume a patch of stones and over time turn it into a fertile field. Worms continually pass soil through their intestinal canals, keep anything they can use for food, and then “cast” the rest. With indoor worm composters, these creatures can take your coffee grinds, lettuce scraps and apple cores and turn them into fertilizer castings that your plants will love.

I love this kitchen remodel from Olives and Daisies. It’s definitely green to find ways to make do with what you have rather than buying new or throwing things away, and in this case they did a few simple things that had major payoff: painted the cabinets, took out some upper cabinets, replaced a few doors and worked on the hardware among other things. The transformation is really incredible considering the minimal investment. Well done!

We often talk about the benefits of house plants for indoor air quality. If you’re a pet owner, you might not know that some of the most common plants can be harmful (and even fatal) to Fluffy or Fido. To avoid unexpected vet visits, I’ve compiled a list of some of the most common toxic plants for cats and dogs. I was shocked reading this list because I have many of these plants either indoors or out and have not personally encountered any problems.

When we remodeled our kitchen last year, we decided not to install a garbage disposal. Sure, it’s a quick way to get rid of potato peels or that forgotten container of leftovers, but do you really need one?Garbage disposals use water to help grind food into small pieces. Not only does this increase your own personal water consumption, but these small pieces then become part of the wastewater system which often requires even more water to get it to the treatment plant.

Late last year, Edgaroso shared his “Brave Bathroom Renovation” with Apartment Therapy. Well, he’s back with another room makeover in the small home he inherited from his grandmother — this time he tackled the sweetly retro kitchen on a truly miniscule budget.

An organized nightstand could not be complete without a water carafe. While they’re super practical — they help keep you hydrated and keep the occasional hangover at bay without having to get up in the middle of the night — they also help inject a little bit of luxury into your bedside style. Checkout some of our favorite vessel and cup sets after the jump!

The laundry area in my new home is much more compact than it was in my old rental, resulting in the purchase of a stackable washer/dryer unit. One thing I’ve encountered that I didn’t with the traditional side-by-side units is a persistent vibration during the spin cycle of the washer. After some research, I learned a few new things about proper care of my appliances that I thought were worth of sharing. 1.

If you’ve got a difficult bathroom space with windows over your sink, rather than the traditional mirror, take a cue from the team over at Young House Love and hang a mirror in front of that window.Not only does it provide the much needed mirror over the bathroom sink, it adds privacy to a very open, very vulnerable space in the house. I love how it opens up the potential for the various use of spaces in front of windows.

More often than not when we talk about going green renovations, we’re talking about the installation of eco-friendly items into new construction. Even when we’re talking about updating the old, the strides seem small — at least in comparison to this Ottawa residence and business. All we have to say is… wow!

So, all evidence to the contrary, it seems I am actually a man. Every morning I wake up with a quarter inch of sheet over one ankle and I am practically sweating. My husband is lying under his portion of the duvet and my portion (which I have flung over him during the night) plus the occasional pillow covering his torso. And he is perfectly content.

Remember when we discussed whether or not it’s OK to close off air vents to unused rooms? The answer was that, yeah, it’s OK to do—in moderation. But do you know the most effective way to close off those air vents? Here’s a quick trick that will have your vent sealed up in no time—all you need to do is make a trip to the craft store.Think you need a screwdriver or super-tiny fingers to shut down your extra, extra bedroom for the winter? Nope.

I’ve been in love with galvanized stock tank gardens for a long time and posted a roundup of my favorites last summer. Finally, I’ve gotten the chance to exercise my green thumb and take the first, small step to adding a little style to the exterior of my home.After nearly a year of renovations to the interior of my home, I’ve finally had the chance to start adding a little curb appeal.

We all put great thought into our home’s design and décor, especially in our bedrooms. We want to dwell in an environment that supports healthy living. And so, it’s during the winter that we’re once again challenged: “Generally, humidity levels are higher in the summer and lower during winter months…Humidity that’s too low or too high can cause problems,” reports The Mayo Clinic.

Here’s another argument for small, cool spaces: Tiny apartment dwellers always brag about how tiny their power and gas bills are. With less square footage to heat up or cool down, they’re saving bucks compared to the people and families living in McMansions. But what if you’re in-between? If you have a little more space than you use every day, it it OK to shut off the air vents in unused rooms? We have the answer.The short answer?Yes.

When it comes to sprucing up the outdoors, it can be hard to rationalize spending big bucks on designer products. After all, things will get used and abused, walked on, sat on, and beat up by the elements. That’s why I love this transformation so much. It gives a big designer look for very little cash!This entryway has been spruced up with some simple black paint. It now coats the front door and has been stenciled onto an inexpensive indoor/outdoor rug from the local hardware store.

With only 75 square feet to work with these homeowners decided to go up with their renovation rather than out. Using light colors and simple lines has transformed this room incredibly. Check out the beautiful before and after here.With thoughtful design and an ability to take advantage of light incredibly well, the folks over at Design with ADD have make a dramatic impact on their tiny kitchen.Here are their thoughts on the design: Because we opted not to move the 75 sq. ft.

Over 150 patterns and tutorials to make your own, adorable felt food.

If there was a single dream that every child (adult?) in America, dare we say the world has, it’s to become a Muppet. You can have favorite characters, but when it comes right down to it, you’ve always wondered what you’d look like Muppet-ized. You no longer have to wait, in fact, you can order a Muppet that looks like each and every family member. Above, we’ve Muppet-ized the boss lady, Carrie and isn’t she soooo cute?!For $99.

I was looking for treasures yesterday at The Antique & Artisan Center in Stamford, Connecticut when I came across the most unusual shower I’ve ever seen.Turns out the rib cage (or needle) shower was a luxurious bath fixture made of chrome in the early 20th century that featured such technological advances as lower shower sprays and a temperature gauge.

If you don’t subscribe to the “every little bit counts” idea for saving money and living green, we suggest you turn away now. This tip is going to have such a small dent in your monthly hot water bills that it almost won’t seem worth it. In fact, we wouldn’t even suggest it to you—but it is so. incredibly. easy. to do.

image:3217373e2e548c21cfbe57119baaadf60c448185 w:540 s:"fit" class_name:"mt-image-center" show_pin_button:"true" show_image_credits:"true" These are some of my favorite picks this year among holiday gifts for the botanically inclined. Some of them are profoundly impractical trinkets; others are implements your plant-and-flower-loving friends will use for years. There are gifts for those who just like to gaze at plants and flowers, and gifts for those who like to work with them, most under $100.

You have to love a project that not only makes over a sad old chair but also reuses old coffee sacks. This creative re-use project not only features repurposed fabric but also looks great too! Check out the fantastic results after the jump.Many of you have seen similar chairs using grain sacks selling for a pretty penny, this step by step tutorial by Doesn’t Cost the Earth shows you how you can get the look for much less using organic coffee sacks.

There is nothing more satisfying than watching an orchid send out its flowering spike — knowing that when you see the glorious blooms, it was you that helped it thrive to do so. And while we’ve shown you how to repot your houseplants before, orchids, well they’re a different sort of breed. Unlike your typical houseplant, potting orchids in soil will lead to root rot and one dead plant! Orchids are either terrestrial or epiphytic.

Name: Zum Clean Aromatherapy Laundry Soap (Sweet Orange)Price: $21Rating: Strong Recommend* Although we’ve talked about great eco-friendly laundry options in the past, but I’ve never really been a convert to any one in particular… until now. I’ve tried them all and haven’t found one that I truly preferred over the others.

我们都知道一个可以提供一些花an instant fix to a dull space. A fresh bouquet lights up a room and fills the air with a sweet aroma. But, the joy is always temporary, and eventually the flowers wither and die. Here are some easy tips for keeping those beautiful buds alive. The most simple, yet least followed, tip to keep your flowers alive: Change the water!

Ashley sent in the results of her just-completed upholstery project &mdash and it’s crazy! This afternoon I re-covered a set of four dining room chairs that my husband and I received from his GREAT grandmother, all the way across the Atlantic from Bermuda. It’s a lovely set — but the fabric in which they arrived was dirtied and dingy and was in desperate need of a change.

As someone who’s obsessed with citrus fruit, I can’t imagine not having fresh satsumas or Washington navels during the holidays. The scent of the blossoms alone will instantly put me in a good mood. For those in less ideal citrus climates, you need not feel left out! You can grow the dwarf varieties of these trees indoors and reap the benefits by following a few simple steps: 1. Buy the right tree.

Q: Can I use house plants to improve my home’s indoor air quality? There is data and research on the value of outdoor plantings and the positive effect on air quality through natural transpiration. It would seem that the same would be true of indoor plants, if well maintained, both in terms of overall humidity levels, and in terms of potential CO2 reduction and biofiltration.Sent by TomEditor: Here’s what our friends at Green Home Guide have to say.

Product: Mint Automatic Floor CleanerPrice: $249Rating: Recommend* It was at the Las Vegas Convention Center at CES earlier this year we first encountered the white Yves Behar designed Mint prototype, merrily sweeping up dust and dirt purposely spilled by the Mint staff, impressing a curious crowd with its friendly design and navigation system.

问:什么是最好的解决方案来阻止浪费水while waiting for hot water to reach the kitchen? My kitchen sink and dishwasher are a long way from the hot water heater. What is the best solution to stop wasting water while waiting for hot water to reach the kitchen: a tankless water heater under the kitchen sink, an on-demand recirculating system, or something else?Sent by SandraEditor: Here’s what our friends at Green Home Guide have to say:Answered by Alex Georgiou, Recurve Inc.

We can install our own surround sound and hack wires to do what we need, but somehow, the microwave still eludes us. Yes, our microwave has a “beverage” button. No, we don’t know exactly what it does. Instead of living life in the dark, we wanted to find out exactly what all those crazy microwave settings are designed to do.If you’re equally confused by your own microwave, the first step is going to be reading the manual.

Felt wall planters are everywhere these days. They provide an excellent way to add green to walls and small spaces, but if one wants to plant in multiple planters the cost be somewhat prohibitive. With a few modifications from the original, one can make a cost effective felt planter to add green to your outdoor space.Martha McQuade of Uniform Natural is an architect and clothing designer. Inspired by the ubiquitous Woolly Pocket, Martha decided to tackle her own felt planter.

窝是奇怪的东西。他们拿起一个伟大的deal of space, and although they display your collectibles well, unless the vibe of the piece really fits your home, they feel monolithic and out of place. So when Brooke’s friend passed along a hutch from her Grandmother, she set out to make it her own and all we have to say is, “Wow!”Brooke over at The Crafting Chicks really did a bang up job on this transformation.

Just like a charcoal water filter, charcoal briquettes can be used to absorb moisture and remove odor from the air in your home. You may know that you can use charcoal to remove fridge odors, but they also work in other rooms. We’ve found them particularly helpful for “old apartment smell” if you’re in an old building or moist smells in basement-level units.As for how to distribute them, you can simply lay a few out in a metal tray.

Name: Freezer Compost Bin from FuccilloPrice: $60Rating: Recommend* I’m a city dweller who lives in a 2nd floor apartment with no outdoor space or garden to call my own. While I have plans to start my own indoor worm composting system at some point, for now I drop my compost off at my weekly CSA pick-up, where it’s then given to my neighborhood community garden. So that means that I’m always looking for a better way to store my scraps.

Found everywhere, dioxin is public enemy number one. To give you an idea of how common dioxin exposure is, consider bleached coffee filters. The EPA says that 40% to 70% of the dioxins contained in bleached coffee filters get transferred to your coffee. Therefore, the simple routine of using bleached coffee filters results in a lifetime of unsafe exposure to dioxin. According to the World Health Organization, dioxins are highly toxic.

Product: Black & Decker Electronic Pest RepellersPrice: $29.99Rating: Strong RecommendIt’s no secret that we are not a fan of pests. Lately we have been combing our archives trying to find ways to deal with the sudden influx of mice and roaches. After trying a few things we have finally discovered a solution that we are a huge fan of, the electronic pest repeller. We put the electronic pest repeller to the test and we’re here to share the results.

Name: Gene, Heidi and Baby WyethLocation: Downtown — Brooklyn, New YorkSize: 1,285 square feetYears Lived In: 2½ years Gene recently shared his home through a House Call Gene’s Graphics & Color: Geometric Art Collection — and I couldn’t wait to share more! A perfect kick-off to our Art, Craft & Collection month, this Brooklyn family’s loft is oozing with exciting art and Gene shared one of the most extensive resource lists (including all the art!

Designer: Jen ChuClient: ChiLocation: Fort Greene — Brooklyn, New York My friend, Chi, grew up in this room. She moved out for college, and when she came back, the room seemed to need a face lift more than ever. The dingy paint with the poor lighting made the room unbearably drab. The lack of storage made it impossible to maintain a tidy space. Fortunately, her room had great bones with plenty of wall space and nice hardwood floors.

One of our tips for “How to Know When to Replace Your Dishwasher” was to check that your dishwasher is draining properly by looking out for water leftover after it runs a cycle. But the truth is, not all standing water is a bad sign. After a few awesome commenters asked about their own water woes, we’re here to help set the record straight.How much water should there be?Anywhere around 1 cup of water leftover after a cycle is normal.

在这个世界上有两种类型的人:那些who use toasters, and those who use toaster ovens. Sure, both have the same basic function. But the toaster and toaster oven have considerable differences—things that some consumers might not think about before they head out to buy. Check out our list of things to think about when choosing your toasting tech, and weigh in on which works best for you.

Shacking up with friends is a great way to save money on rent. Sharing a place always works out cheaper than if you rented the place yourself, right? And together, you can find an apartment or house with as many rooms and bathroom as you guys would need—but no matter what, there’s always only one fridge. Whether you’re a post-college professional or a high school grad getting ready to head to the dorms, here’s a few rules for sharing a refrigerator.

A few days ago, I took some food scraps out to our happily rodent-free compost bin in the back yard. It was a quiet morning, and I heard a soft noise coming, I thought, from the neighbor’s yard. Then I realized that noise was emanating from the compost bin. And the compost was bobbing up and down. So I carefully peered in, afraid of what I might find…And yep, there they were.Grubs.

There are fewer household pests more annoying than fruit flies. While different kinds of roaches may terrorize your countertops or sinks and annoying ants might find their way to your sugar container, fruit flies can be particularly tricky—and determining their source can be especially vexing. But, you can catch fruit flies thanks to a quick homemade trap.

Just as the markets started crashing in September of 2008, Lisa Hoffman and her husband bought their first house in Oakland, California. Thankfully, they weren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves, dig in, and do most of the work themselves—all on a very tight budget. The photo above is the sad-looking living room prior to their renovation. (Check out that wallpaper!

I’m in a traveling, outdoor mood, largely because I’m stuck inside an air conditioned office and longing to be outside. To soothe myself, I want to revisit a home we visited last summer — Margaret Roach’s year round retreat in upstate New York. I’ve included new pictures, and I think you’ll get a lot of vicarious pleasure out of this visit. Enjoy!

Stuck without air conditioning again this season? No problem. While you may think you’re doomed when sweltering temperatures hit, if you have a fan and a freezer, you’ve got yourself a DIY cooling machine.

If asked to design the perfect world, many would eliminate the presence of the mosquito. We’re sure they serve some purpose on the food chain, but right now, they’re just pissing us off. Every time we turn around we have a new bite! To beat the bite, try a basic bar of soap for quick relief instead of pricey over the counter products.

I’ve never been a fan of the bi-fold doors on our bedroom closet. My biggest complaint is that when the doors are open, as you see in the second photo, portions of the closet are almost inaccessible. And with two vain men sharing one small closet, we need all the space we can get! Rather than install new doors I decided to convert these bi-fold doors into swing-out doors.

Michael found a vintage Steelcase bench from the 60s and decided to replace the ripped vinyl upholsery — with Missoni! Michael chose a thoughtful mix of Missoni Kew and Missoni Claremont to totally transform and update the steel bench.Missoni upholstery-weight fabric is not cheap — but it elevated the bench to great heights!After purchasing the Missoni textiles from Amara, Michael hired a local upholsterer to do the magic.

The biggest problem with fruit flies is the rate that they breed and take over your kitchen or compost. It seems like they’ll never go away once you have them, and it can be incredibly frustrating and disgusting to walk into a room when dozens of flies scatter in every direction. Here are five tips and a roundup of previous posts on how to deal with fruit flies without using harmful pesticides.

Attention, all you renters out there: this is an easy, affordable, and ultra-stylish way to upgrade your dingy rental floors. We have been meaning to do something like this ourselves for quite some time, and seeing this project by Orlando Soria on Design*Sponge totally got us all jazzed up to copy her.

Name: PennyLocation: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York One of the reasons we chose this condo when we moved from Manhattan, was the potential of the garden. We promised a garden to our dog Sasha and we delivered.We inherited it as a pit of tenacious weeds, specifically Japanese Knotweed, that had to be dug out and removed by hand before any planting or sod laying.

It’s around this time of year we always get a little jealous of everyone’s outdoor spaces, full of lush green plants and veggies. We’re plant killers, through and through, and are always on the lookout for advice on how to grow anything. We called a popular nursery in Austin and asked them for their five hardiest plant species that can withstand heat and black thumbs.

你爱一个池塘的想法,但没有一个吗actual yard to place one in? No fear — you can cultivate a mini watery paradise on your balcony or terrace with very little effort by creating a container water garden. By selecting a variety of plants and containers, you can create a customized water garden in any outdoor space that receives six hours of sunlight every day (a little bit less if you are using bog plants).

What if the box you sent in the mail was more amazing than whatever present you put inside? The Life Box is a new type of cardboard box that’s filled with hundreds of tree seeds that you can easily grow. It’s the brainchild of mushroom expert Paul Stamets, one of the most inspiring speakers at the recent Sustainable Brands conference.The seeds are interlaced with beneficial fungi to help them grow better.

Ok, this one may not be as cool as the venus fly trap that I spent weeks saving up for in grade school, but it takes the cake for simple genius. A wooden frame, some screen, a little bait, and it’s off to the races!I came across this contraption at a horse farm in Ecuador where the flies are nearly as abundant as the wild flowers. That mountain at the bottom of the cage is the fly accumulation in one week!

I don’t have air conditioning. Most of the time, my apartment, which is on the bottom floor, stays cool. But then there are those nights that are almost unbearable, and I break out the fan. Easy, right? Set it up, so it blows directly on your face. Uh, not so much. Luckily there are some tricks you can use a fan to help make it more effective.Since heat rises, the coolest air in your home will be hovering around floor level.

Driveways with a grass strip down the middle are something we don’t see a lot, but when we do they make us really happy. We just found out they have a name — they’re called Ribbon Driveways.We mostly see Ribbon Driveways on the cape, or in older homes that haven’t been renovated. It’s easy to see how their design evolved and we love how simple they are. Before driveways were paved, a car would have driven ruts into the dirt.

Create your own oasis in the tiniest of spaces.

Live without much natural light? These off-the-radar options are for you.

Is there nothing better than an outdoor snooze? The sounds of birds chirping, leaves rustling in the breeze, a distant wind chime, waves lapping the sand…I’m feeling relaxed just thinking about it. Maybe your favorite spot is a folding chair on your building’s rooftop or maybe it’s in your backyard with a hammock under the trees. Here is some inspiration for you to start putting together a peaceful and restful space this summer.

Using a watering can instead of a hose is a good way to save water when you’re watering plants. We’ve gathered up a list of the best eco-friendly watering cans, from those made with recycled materials to Nicolas Le Moigne’s cool design for a spout that attaches to a reused water bottle. There’s also a DIY project to turn a laundry bottle into a sprinkling can. Details after the jump.Shown above, from left to right:1.

Gardens have always played an important role in literature and movies. Directors love them because they’re visually compelling backdrops flooded with natural light, and writers love them for all the deep-rooted associations they call forth. Here are 10 of our favorites from film. The Great Gatsby: Cool and calm on West Egg. The Godfather: An unforgettable scene with an orange. Pan’s Labyrinth: A very creepy garden with an even creepier faun.

All our friends with summer gardens are looking forward to harvesting bushels of produce this season, and are doing everything they can to ensure a fruitful return. Which means that we’ve been hearing all manner of tips, tricks, and superstitions about growing vegetables lately. Have you ever heard old wives’ tales from the garden?Like beating your tomatoes with a broom?

Q: I recently purchased a small herb garden – my first! But I’m not sure how to care for it. For basic herbs, how often do I need to water? Should I buy fertilizer? And what brands would you recommend? Is there a trusted website I could buy a relatively small amount online (given that my “garden” is so small)? Or do you have any stores in New York you’d recommend?Sent by LeslieEditor: Leslie, congrats on your first herb garden!

For many of us, having access to even a postage stamp sized garden is a blessing. But urban gardens bounded by walls can sometimes feel oppressive. Fortunately, the same principles of refraction that make mirrors a godsend to apartment dwellers, can work in outdoor spaces as well. After all, the only thing better than a pocket of green is two of them!1. Place a mirror next to an outdoor dining area to create ambiance and double the soft glow of candles or lanterns.2., 4., & 6.

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is a nutrient-rich ancient whole grain. It has been a staple of South American diets for centuries and has gained popularity around the world in recent years due to its health benefits. The simple nutty flavour and light and slightly crunchy texture make quinoa a great substitute to white rice. But did you know that quinoa is a hardy plant that is easy to grow in most climates?Growing:You can simply plant organic quinoa seeds from the supermarket.

Name: Beth Knox and Bill Hutchins Location: Takoma Park, Maryland (just over the District line) Size: 2,100 square feet — 4 bedrooms + basement apartment Years lived in: 4 years, owned Other occupants: Tenants in basement, 20-something children from time to time, a variety of guests (extended stay), currently a Congolese pastor seeking asylum.