apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Fire, earthquake, flood. No one's immune (even Oprah's home was in danger of being consumed by fire this week). It could happen to you. It happened to friends of ours -- a recent fire forced them to evacuate from their home and they had less than ten minutes to do it. They got out with their pets and that was it. Luckily, their home was unharmed and they were able to return. After the jump, a plan to get you out safely, and with everything you love and need...

With two weeks to go, it's time to slow down. This week, we're moving into the touches that add coziness and luxury to your home. We're taking a look at our lighting and working on our bathrooms. We're eating at home more, using our homes more and taking better care of ourselves by shutting out the distractions of the outside world (Some of us are even considering a media fast and a morning bath.) Our home is becoming a haven. This week, we'll consider other ways of pampering ourselves: better bath products, scents for the home, improved lighting...

How are you coping with the housing crisis? Some of our friends have sold their homes and moved into rentals, some have taken in roommates, some have moved back home, while others have postponed moves and are coping with crowded circumstances by re-purposing rooms for double duty or to sleep children who, under different circumstances, might be expected to have their own rooms. This week's Los Angeles Times Home & Garden section examines these circumstances as well as offering a round up of storage furniture and bunk beds to help make the best of challenging space situations. Links, pics, and more, after the jump...

Entertaining? Lighting is key. Nothing spruces up a dull home like a good lamp. But, instead of going out and spending money, why not make one yourself? Clean out those glass vases you've collected over the years, save some of the bottles from the wine you're drinking, repurpose that bowl you found at the flea market and make a lamp! Here are some of the "how to's" we've blogged. Make one this weekend and send us your pix with AT Lamp in the subject line...

Thanksgiving, a dinner party, an out of town guest is one thing. You know in advance how many people are coming over beforehand and have days, even weeks to prepare. But, what about the friend who calls when she's in the neighborhood, the neighbor who rings the door bell, the work buddy who stops by at dinner time? We like to have an open door policy. Here's how we keep from going insane...

Recently, an article on MSN clued us in on what to spend money on in our wardrobes. Save on evening and activewear; splurge on jeans and handbags. We thought about how to translate the same principles to our home decor budget. Our suggestions, after the jump...

In this month's Domino, editor-in-chief Deborah Needleman points out that time is the true luxury. We agree. While we love a beautiful home, what we love even more is a home that is beautiful and low maintenance. Not just easy to clean but easy to live in. When your home works, it supports your life. There's a place, and resources, for all of your activities, so you can spend more time doing the things you like (like entertaining friends, reading, crafting, relaxing, sleeping) and less time doing things you hate (paying bills, cleaning). After the jump, 7 tips that have helped us to create more time in our life...

When you're ready to make a change in your home (and, after this week, we're feeling the strong winds of change blowing through every aspect of our life), where do you look for inspiration? Many of us look to public spaces -- hotels and boutiques -- to inspire the changes in our private spaces. This week's feature story in the Los Angeles Times Home & Garden section on Trey Russell illustrates how to do this successfully. That Trey is also the owner of the gift boutique, Aris, in Laguna Beach and that both his store and his home are on constant display has no doubt helped him to hone his eye. He offers up 12 tricks that work in his small space home and that clearly underline his philosophy (and ours) that small size is no hindrance to big style. More, links and pics, after the jump...

• Cure Clock: 4 weeks remaining
  
• Assignment: Read Chapter Seven, declutter all media and create a master shopping list
  
• Flicker Pool: Southwest Cure Pool. See how everyone is doing! Upload your progress photos! Share your success!

So, here we are at the end of the week, halfway through. How's your living room? Decluttered or getting there? This weekend, we want you to go into your kitchen, make yourself a nice hot beverage and take it into the living room and just sit there for ten minutes and survey the room. Then make a list of everything you've accomplished in the last four weeks and pat yourself on the back. Woo hoo! You're doing a great job. Revel in your accomplishments and please share them with us in the comments...

When we were kids, we wore them on our teeth and around our wrists, shot them at friends, used them to corral the pencils and pens in our schoolbag and hold our hair back (ouch!). Now we pile the ones we receive with our dry cleaning, our broccoli and our mail in a drawer or we wrap them around a piece of tissue to create a ball. But, as with vodka, velcro, blowdryers and used dryer sheets, we like to find economical ways to reuse them around the house. Some thoughts on how to put them to good reuse, after the jump...

Though we think of the focus of "This Old House" as being homeowners, renters enjoy their time in the spotlight too. One editor documented the changes she has made over the years to her small 550 foot studio rental. Inexpensive and simple, they're applicable for anyone looking to add livability and practicality to their small home with minimal time, effort and money. Do we see a show of hands?...

• Cure Clock: 5 weeks remaining
  
• Assignment: Read Chapter Seven, declutter all media and create a master shopping list
  
• Flicker Pool: Southwest Cure Pool. See how everyone is doing! Upload your progress photos!
  
• Quote of the week: "Holding on to old books [and media] doesn't allow you to create space for new ideas and ways of thinking to come into your life"

This week, the deep treatment takes us into the living room. Here, we confront the books and media we often store there. Doing the one room remedy? It's time to start your shopping list

During challenging economic times, escaping into a bit of fantasy is a fail safe coping mechanism. Many of us went all out last night; this morning, over at the LA Times Home & Garden section, the dreaming continues. The feature story on the Greystone Mansion Show House kicks it off. Unlike other years, where it's been a dijointed series of rooms, this year, presenter Veranda Magazine asked the designers to make it feel like a real home, albeit one that Jay Gatsby would have felt at home in, where rooms are furnished with the best in design, by the best in design. Links, pics and more, after the jump...

With the economic downturn, many people are cutting costs and downsizing. A smaller home can mean a smaller rent or mortgage, less of an incentive to accumulate and the possibility of living debt free. Recently, on CNN, we noticed a video tour of the homes of two Californians who shared their small homes and why they made the change...