apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Not long after we moved into our new abode, we took a friend with us to Gray's Paint while we picked up some more paint. When we left, she said that she was surprised that the employees were so friendly and helpful. It turns out that another paint store on the Peninsula always treats her in a condescending manner and even tries to steer her away from the more eco-friendly paints. We've been going to Gray's for several years and are used to their amazing selection and great service, so it was interesting to hear her reaction.

A couple of weeks ago AT:LA blogged Sure Fit's Ugly Couch Contest. Well, the votes are in, and Julie Lee of San Francisco is the winner! Can you guess which of these 20 semi-finalists has been crowned ugliest of the ugly?

Annual Sample Sale/Open Studios at Heath Ceramics

November Sales...

• Heath Ceramics
  • Annual Factory Sample Sale - Everything 20% off: Fri., 11/21-Sun., 11/30
  • Open Studio: Sat., 11/22-Sun., 11/23
  • Sausalito

Guests coming for the holidays? You might want to consider this Design Within Reach Sliding Sofa. Jump below for links to this and other good finds.

We meant to blog this collection of colorful kitchens during Colors Month... oops. Oh well, we still love the apple-green cabinets, stainless steel countertops, mismatched chairs, and the silver wallpaper used on the ceiling of this kitchen.

We've loved this Keyring by FredricksonStallard ever since we first saw it at CITIZEN:Citizen's old online store, so we're glad to see that it's still available at their new online store. Handmade of porcelain and stainless steel, it's lovely in its simplicity...

On the off-chance that you don't yet have a table for next week's festive dinner, this Beautiful DWR Dining Table is looking for a new home. Jump below for links to this and other good finds.

Name: Stef and Mike
Location: Seattle
Size: 1,800 sq ft
Years Lived in: 1 year and 11 months

>>Enter slideshow

We've been reading Stef's blog for years now, and were thrilled when she purchased a house and started posting about it from time to time. Now, she's been gracious enough to pull some photos and information together for a House Tour.

We love how Stef and her husband, Mike, have managed to achieve that often elusive balance of style and comfort while also choosing pieces that reflect their personalities. One look through her photos and we were wishing she'd invite us over to hang out in the Tea Nook.

At-Six Architecture prefers to build out rather than up when adding an addition to a house. The homeowners don't have to move out during construction, old framing and construction don't have to be reinforced, and the new addition can be totally separate from the original house. San Francisco architects Jason Langkammerer and John Barone also like to make the addition striking, as in the case of this West Berkeley home...

This Mocha Daybed is actually the Lubi Daybed from CB2 -- and it's for sale for less than half the retail price, so jump on it, people! Jump below for links to this and other good finds.

Not long ago we wrote about high gloss white floors... well, what about black floors? Who's done it? Love it? Hate it?