apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Perhaps it's partially because we're at the tail end of our work day, or because we've been running on empty the last few weeks with a hectic work schedule...or maybe because we're just a little strange to begin with...but this web advertisement from IKEA has had us mesmerized with its peculiar combination of pre-animated dancing against the backdrop of IKEA catalog items. Each character moves according to the sounds/beats of the music, which you can choose or change to an uploaded option. Use your keyboard to add your own defined beats or influence the spastic activities like a demented puppeteer with your computer's microphone. Check out some screen grabs below...

Dear Apartment Therapy, my partner and I just moved into a condo with a skylight in the kitchen and also in one of the bathrooms. We absolutely love how they provide natural light during the day, BUT, we noticed a most unruly foul fowl has spoiled our upward view with one of their most unreasonable deposits (a considerable amount considering their size). Could you recommend some tips for cleaning a skylight? What may be as easy as a task as getting up there and wiping seems as unclear as our view for us new skylight owners. Sincerely, Viggo.

The Calendar by Yurko Gutsulyak

Name: Carter Residence; Bruce Bolander
Location: Brentwood, CA
>>>View Slideshow

Here's a bit of a flashback of an interior space we found ourselves revisiting via a Los Angeles magazine article from 2004, which showcased a modern rendition of the California ranch house designed by architect Bruce Bolander. Situated within a scenic hillside in the tony Brentwood section of Los Angeles, the Carter Residence is luxurious and large, but architecturally engaging. We personally love the home for its interior/exterior interplay with the surrounding natural elements just outside its windows, with stairways both inside and out that mimic the elevation changes of the landscape itself and a colour palette that takes cues from nature itself. Take a visit below...

Stephanie & Bob Walker, Silver Lake, CA

Maxwell's recent AT newsletter made note of three of our top October house tours from the Southwest region, with an East Coast perspective: "The sunlight and the generally more airy spaces are super inviting, while the eclecticism and humor of the inhabitants will make you think differently about your own home. It will make you want to try new things." Take a peek below, take in the sunlight, be inspired to try something new and find out which house tours were our most popular last month (with page view stats, for those of you who like to keep a tally)...

Hello LA Apartment Therapy! I'm on the lookout for a beautiful side table that I saw in the FLOR (carpet tiles) Winter 2008 catalog.  I was wondering if someone in the Apartment Therapy community may know where I can purchase this table. Thanks for your help! Love your site! -Cocoa

November Sales...

Grand Opening and Holiday Sales of blik surface graphics' SHOW-OFF SHOP on Abbot Kinney Blvd in sunny Venice. 15% off Show-Off Shop sales through December 23rd and 15% off online sales through December 15th (sales code: ARTISAN). 1733 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Suite B

Harbinger, Nathan Turner and Hollywood at Home are all participating in a Holiday Sale at Almont Yard. Up to 50% off Nathan Turner for Elite Leather Samples, including sofas, chairs, ottomans, and more. Up to 50% off at Harbinger including furniture, fabrics, lighting and accessories. Up to 70% off at Hollywood at Home including furniture, fabrics, lighting and accessories. Fri-Sat Nov. 21-22nd

The Green Life is having a 20% off all bath and beauty products until today. 2409 Main Street, Santa Monica.

Starting Nov. 21 at Soolip Bungalow 75% off housewares, clothing and women's accessories including Hadley Pollet handbags, Niesha Croslend pillows and vintage African pieces.

Michelle wants to hear feedback from owners of an IKEA piece she's smitten with:
I am looking for a new chair for my apartment and LOVE the Karlstad swivel chair and ottoman from Ikea. Curious of the quality? Looking for a chair with a contemporary/interesting shape. Any suggestions of something else out there with the same price point? I prefer online shopping sources as an option. Thanks!

We've posted about Kwikset's previous keyless entry solution, the Kwikset Keyless Fingerprint Scan Door Lock. Amongst some of the criticisms mentioned about the finger scanning entry opposed to the good ole key and lock tech of last generation was the eternal issue of criminal workarounds. In this case, people were able to just use gel imprints and photocopies of fingers prints to trick this too-smart-for-its-own-good locks. Taking one step back in the cool factor, but two steps forward in security, the new Kwiksets now offer a battery powered keypad code entry...

Name: Christian, aka Bigboy Cheng
Location: Manila, Philippines
Collection: Vinyl collectible toys
Size: I don't count my toys but i have approximately 800 pieces of designer toys.
Value: For me its priceless. all the effort on getting all the toys is hard specially when your here in Manila.
>>>View Slideshow Here

Description: Christian has been collecting vinyl collectible toys since 2003, amassing over 800 individual pieces that are all beautifully displayed throughout his Manila home. As someone who was once bitten by the vinyl collectibles bug ourselves (we ran out of room, so I stopped), this collection is like a dream realized. What's most striking besides the sheer amount of Christian's vinyl collectibles is how tastefully they're all displayed throughout several sections of his home. Christian was kind enough to send us some photos and give us some insight about how he keeps his display looking tip-top...

Abby just emailed me to wish me a happy World Toilet Day (she's considerate that way), as reported this morning on NPR (It's to bring attention to the problem of waste & sewage in lesser developed countries). So in honour of the unusual topic of today's festivities, here's a roundup of some our best commode posts from all of our sites and around the world...

Michael is looking for a local interior decorator who can help him with his small space decoration challenge:
How can I find an interior decorator with a mid-century modern aesthetic to help me decorate a 375 square foot L-shaped living/dining room. The only thing in the space now is a recently purchased dining table from DWR. I need help with everthing from wall color to window treatments. The problem is my budget is $15,000 and I can't find a designer who will take on a small project. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Image: Sharilyn's sewing space]

We're not sure which costs more: holiday cards or inkjet printer cartridges. But if you're looking for a quick, easy and free (besides the ink) resource for some stylish-modern holiday cards, you might want to get an early jump on holiday preparations and head over to Dwell to take a gander at making your own cards from a selection of ten designs ready to download and print...