apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Posts By Sarah Coffey

Grain Sack Style

The humble grain sack has made a comeback in recent years, elevated to the status of upholstery, throw pillow covers, and even a stair runner. Plain or striped sack cloth works well with French country style and can be used just about anywhere you see fit.

Decorating with Newspaper

If you still get a hard copy of the newspaper, you may want to save some of it from the recycling bin this month to make wreaths, baskets, or paper logs for the fire. Or, you can undertake a non-holiday craft project and make wall art from your old newsprint. Click below for ideas and How-To's.

Restyle a Basic Wooden Dining Table
Five Ideas

Sick of your plain wooden dining table? Before you consider shopping for a new one, think about how you can work with what you've got to make something new...

8 Things To Recycle As You Declutter
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Rather than fall cleaning, we usually embark on a couple weeks of fall decluttering. We round up any unwanted items that have been collecting over the last few months and send them on their way. For those who are cleaning out the junk drawer or hauling donation boxes out the door, we've rounded up a list of common household items that can be recycled...

Chairs Made from Clothing

This is the flip-side of our earlier post on bikinis, dresses and socks for chairs. Whereas those pieces were made to (literally) dress up furniture, these designs are upcycled from old jeans, belts, jackets, and sweaters...

Vintage Perpetual Calendars

There's something about perpetual calendars that's at once comforting and unnerving. Maybe it's the physical representation of time continuing to move forward, in the words of David Byrne, "same as it ever was." When you look at a calendar that's been counting the days for fifty years or more, you really feel the march of time...

Illinois Dedicates $242 Million to Home Weatherization

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Here in Chicago, the cold winters can make for high heating bills and lots of energy use, so we were happy to hear Governor Pat Quinn announce that a chunk of federal stimulus money will go to Illinoisans who need money to weatherize their homes. Projects that could qualify for funding include insulation, weather-stripping, and repairs to windows and doors. To find out how to weatherize your home (even if you don't live in Illinois) click below...

Found & Salvaged: Extra-Large Wall Art

Large-scale art can anchor a room, act as a great conversation-starter, and even make a small space seem bigger, but it's not always affordable. If you're looking for ways to make a big impact on a small budget, get creative and look for found objects that be repurposed as wall art...

7 Ways to Use Rope Light

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What's not to like about rope light? It's cheap, easy to install, and available in energy-efficient LED format. If you're looking for a way to light your kitchen cabinets, add some ambience to a bedroom, or make your own party decorations, it's one of the simplest tools you can use...

Small Space Solutions from a Tiny Prefab Cabin
CERSAIE in Bologna, Italy

Last week at Cersaie, we were intrigued by the projects on view at "Green Street," an exhibition that highlighted the way landscapers and architects are (or in some cases aren't) addressing sustainability in Italy. The "Violetta" cabin, designed by Italian firm Cibic & Partners in collaboration with Dogtrot and H16, is an experiment in living with a minimal amount of stuff...

Home Office in a Shed by BillyOh

This standard-looking shed is only about 9 x 7 feet, but it's large enough to house a desk with double screens, a generously sized cabinet, and a task chair—everything you need for a functional home office...

Vintage Furniture Becomes a Bar

Now that the days are getting a little cooler, we're looking forward to entertaining at home and warming up our guests with a nicely stocked bar. Instead of buying a brand new liquor cabinet, why not go green (and maybe save some cash in the process) by repurposing a vintage or thrift store find into a home bar?

10 Ways to Use Tin Cans

We always forget what a nice, industrial look tin cans have when they're stripped of their labels. Before tossing them into the recycling bin, think about repurposing a few of them for a project...

Amazing Tents & Tipis

Yesterday was the first (official) day of fall and we're past the time when we should be writing about tents, but we're feeling a little wistful about the passing of summer. As we cross the threshold into autumn, we're taking a glace backward at some inspiring outdoor structures...

Ideas for Decorating with Plants

Plants are one of the most multi-purpose things we can bring into our homes. They improve our air quality, bring color and life to a space, and sometimes even provide us with food or flowers. They're also a great way to decorate an empty corner or an open space that needs a boost...