apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Q: As newlyweds, my husband and I have set about making our house a home. My question for you is regarding our living room (larger photo below). We have been trying to find a rug for quite some time, and cant seem to agree on anything. He gravitates towards things that are very masculine, and I feminine. He likes warm, I like cool. The walls are a pale blue, and the furniture black leather. Oh, we have a black haired dog as well (she wanted to make sure she was in the picture)...

Last night, we attended the opening cocktail party for the annual fundraiser at the Merchandise Mart, Dining by Design. It's a three day industry event that raises funds for DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). In between the chatting, sipping and snacking, we snapped a few photos of some of the always interesting tablescapes put together by local designers and firms for the event...

In the Apartment Therapy Classifieds, a Room & Board Portica Table is available in Edgewater for $550. Jump below for links to this and more good finds:

British designer Kelly Hoppen's townhome (enviously located near London's Portobello Road market) was a gut rehab. It's featured in the upcoming December issue of Metropolitan Home and naturally, it's pretty amazing. We love how Hoppen does black, white and silver. She gets them to look amazingly warm and rich - in this house, its all about the reflections...

Q: Seeking help from Apartment Therapy's colour gurus! This grim khaki room (above, left) has depressed me ever since we moved in five years ago - it rises two floors up, making it even more oppressive (it looks darker than in the photo). I'd paint it white except I'm dealing with other colours on two opposite walls (above, right)...

The home goods that are ALWAYS on sale in November are quilts and blankets - something warm to make your bed even harder to get out of on the increasingly chilly mornings. We took a quick look at a few shops to see if this old retail adage is true and found some good deals...

In Niles, an Antique German Wall Clock that "keeps good time" is available for $145. Jump below for links to this and more good finds:

THIS WEEK
• Jayson Home & Garden Warehouse Sale
• Tabula Tua Anniversary Sale
• Gus Modern at I.D.
• Container Store Demonstrations
• Haute Living
• Snow & Graham at Virtu
• Green Home Chicago
• J. Robert Scott
COMING UP
• Modern Vintage Holiday Market
• Luxury Sample Sale
• 1154 Lill Studio Holiday Market

I've been intrigued by the work of Tony Duquette since getting the (very lucky!) opportunity to visit his home in Los Angeles in the late 1990s. Last year, Baker, Knapp & Tubbs came out with a line of reproductions of pieces by the late great designer and while the prices are stratospheric, they are faithful...

Q: My husband and I just bought this house (larger photo below). Cute brick bungalow, right? Wrong. The brick is veneer and is literally falling off. It's an older home, so the opportunity to insulate the house well when we redo the siding might actually be a blessing. However, we can't decide on a siding color...

Thanksgiving is coming up quickly and If you are hosting this year, chances are you'll need some more spots to seat guests. Anthropologie makes some great looking but pricey ($198 each) upholstered folding chairs - we've got a step by step DIY to get the look for much less ($20 each!)....

In the Apartment Therapy Chicago classifieds, Anne is selling her Teak Four Poster Bed by Ralph Lauren for Henredon for $1150. Jump below for this and more:

Name: Lissa
Location: Cleveland

Lissa sent us some photos of her home in Ohio. She writes: In September 2006, we purchased our home in Pepper Pike, a leafy suburb of Cleveland. Built in 1958, it was full of lovely architectural details but in need of some speedy sprucing....

Q: I learned to ride a motorcycle this summer - its simply amazing! In the winter most riders store their bikes in garages or storage facilities. I was wondering if its possible to keep it in my unit so I can stare at it all season. I live in a loft that I own, a real loft, not psuedoloft-like apt. It's the Shoemaker Building in Avondale (Belmont and Pulaski). I realize that in order to keep my living room from smelling like gas/oil I will need to drain the liquids, but...