apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I am always clamoring for extra storage. And while my dream house always featured walk-in closets the size of my current living room, a few of these built-in beauties might make an appearance as well. All of this space would be perfect to store that divine collection of vintage linens and china for all the holiday dinner parties I would host.

Plants do not generally fare well in my home. In fact, I've never met a plant I didn't kill. I would love to have a home accented with oxygen emitting greenery, if only I could remember to water them. Lechuza has answered my flora filled dreams with their attractive self watering planters.

Do you love the shape of Jean Prouvé's EM Table but hate the price that starts with four and ends in thousand? Are you looking for a large dining room table with a small budget? Crate and Barrel's Strut Work Table might just be that cost effective alternative for which you've been searching.

It's the time of year where you are inevitably either playing host or guest. Whether at your home or someone else's, extra coasters are always appreciated. These coasters, from the curated design collection at Supermarket, will not only save the Nakashima Splay-Leg Coffee Table from water spots, they will look great while doing it.

Influenced by his work in the offices of legendary designers Eero Saarinen, I.M. Pei and Kevin Roche as well as the movement toward a more expressive form of Modernism in the 1960s, Warren Platner designed his sculptural table base made from steel rods in 1966. The table and its collection have been in production by Knoll ever since.

If you live in the Bay Area, eschew the traditional shopping frenzy at the box stores this Friday in favor of retail therapy with some local independent businesses. Pull out your plaid in honor of Plaid Friday and take advantage of special offers at many participating stores. Plaid feels so much more festive than black anyway.

Most of us are familiar with Angela Adams thanks to her colorfully patterned rugs. Beyond making your floors lovely, she also has designed some birch veneer trays and frosted patterned glassware to bring color and whimsy to your tabletop.

Tuesday, we listed a bunch of different cotton tea towels for use in the kitchen. With so many great varieties of design, it would be easy to end up with a surplus, but thanks to their versatility, they can be much, much more than a dish drying towel. Here's a list of 5 other uses for our favorite kitchen cloth.

Two years after Barnaby Grist and Ellen Goldberg bought their Noe Valley Victorian, they were ready for a change. Opting to keep the classic façade and the front rooms of the home as is, they enlisted the help of Samaha + Hart Architecture to completely transform the rest of the space. Their modern, spacious and inspiring remodel is after the jump.

Last week, we posed a question about whether or not the home office should ever enter the bedroom. Some readers didn't think a designated workspace was necessary in this era of laptops, but for those who fancy a desk here's a roundup of those that won't take up much more than 3 feet by 2 feet of your valuable space.

We spend much of our time over here talking about ways to make our homes more inviting, cozy, warm, stylish, clean, comfortable, chic, energy efficient, et cetera, but we rarely discuss how to make our homes more fun. While many of you may have already seen this video, it still begs the question: How often do we choose function without thinking about fun?

A few weeks ago, we featured a roundup of colorful pendant lamps. However, most renters lack the ability to update their light fixtures. Here are some solutions where the only requirements for installation are a plug and a hook.

Furniture design is an art form and the relatively young British furniture designer Toby Howes already seems to be an old master. Making something beautiful and functional is no easy task, but Toby successfully marries the two in his Wishbone Rocking Chair. Its wonderfully curvaceous lines serve to enhance both the design and the functionality of the chair.

Tea towels seem to be the kitchen towel du jour, but as Susie recently pointed out, not all towels are created equally when it comes to absorbency. Based on her advice, here's a roundup of 100% cotton tea towels. Some are from flour sacks others are organic, but all are cute enough to grace your kitchen when not in use.