apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

(Welcome to Elizabeth from Milwaukee, one of the bloggers trying out for a place on the Apartment Therapy editorial team as a House Tour Contributor. Enjoy her work!)

Name: Michael & Danijela
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Size: 1300 square feet
Years lived in: 2.5

Newlyweds Michael and Danijela still seem a little surprised by their home and location. Young, design-loving, tech-savvy, Eurocentric professionals, they might seem more at home in a hip, downtown warehouse convert. But the creamy Cape Cod, which sits in a Norman Rockwell-esque neighborhood north of Milwaukee, offers any features missing from the condo set.

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Just when we thought we were sick and tired of poufs, we came across these new little lovelies, designed by Donna Wilson for SCP. The color combinations feel like a brand new take on vintage '70s, and the patterns are chic and fresh. As in all of Wilson's work, the wool knits have a cozy, inviting texture we'd welcome at home anytime.

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Most people know how to paint a piece of wood furniture, but it never hurts to have a refresher course. This hand-me-down case of drawers was the perfect size for our entryway, but its dark wood stain and knobs weren’t our taste. After reviving it with a coat of primer, a couple coats of paint, and some new knobs, we love it…

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Today we've invited new Apartment Therapy Los Angeles contributor Marcia Prentice to share her first post for us, an informative Home Hack which may help reduce a lot of the guesswork involved in rearranging and decorating a new space from scratch using some simple and affordable preparation.

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This month we've fine tuned our winter How To theme even more by opening it up to how to's that really talk about "how to do anything around your home." Inspired by Mark Bittman's book, "How To Cook Everything," and all of the crazy hack sites out there, from Lifehacker to Ikeahacker, we've given it the title, Home Hacks, and we're looking for all the smartest tips for doing things better at home. Here are the top 10 from our first week. Got one of your own? Let us know.

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Remember this great Athropologie inspired Ikea Hacked Bedside Table? Well it was one of our favorite transformations and we've been checking out the designer Britt McMaster's crafty blog Cucumbersome ever since…

• Read the full post at Re-Nest

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Almost every place we've lived — house or apartment — has had some DIY project done by the landlord or previous inhabitant that we really wish had been left up to professionals. It took us awhile to figure out that the back hallway of our current house was not covered in a high-gloss vinyl, but was actually a painstaking DIY enterprise.

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The clock is ticking and Valentine's Day is less than a week away. Are you looking for something with a little more staying power than the traditional box of chocolates or bouquet of red roses? Apartment Therapy's very own Susie Nadler has just the solution. Susie recently collaborated with San Francisco's favorite gardening guru, Flora Grubb, to launch The Cutting Garden, a floral design studio. Her designs, available for V-day, are anything but played out.

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Name: Katie Kelly McCormack & family
Location: neighborhood of Del Ray in Alexandria, Virginia

I am an interior designer living in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood with my husband Eddie and our three sons. Our home is an early 1930's American four-square, built when the neighborhood was centered around the local railroad (the area on our street where the trains used to roll through is now a playground and dog park). I would describe my style as 'Family Chic,' as I strive to inject elegance and warmth into everyday practicality.

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We often hear people complain that they're no good at thrift store shopping—they have an aversion to dirt, no patience, or just bad luck. The truth is that anyone can be a good thrifter if they keep an open mind. It's as simple as recognizing when an object needs a good cleaning, a coat of paint, or even just a new context. Here are a few common items to keep an eye out for the next time you're at the thrift store.

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Q: I just recently purchased this houndstooth sofa and I am struggling with decor ideas. All the other accessories in my apartment are black, so I was wondering if it would be a good idea to paint the wooden trim on the sofa to match the rest of the decor?

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We've all seen millions of those 'Keep Calm and Carry On' posters over the past few years, but there's a secret history behind this print and the many others sold by Keep Calm Gallery in London.

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Just in time for Valentine's day, we're here to start an argument: Does your significant other's morning alarm annoy you? In a perfect world, you and the wife/husband/live-in squeeze would wake up at the same time and enjoy a pot of coffee together over the morning paper.

• Read the full post at Unplggd

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Though newer hardwood floors are often coated with polyurethane, those of us living in older homes are sometimes puzzled by how to care for floors with more traditional coating. I grew up in a pre-war apartment in DC with beautiful waxed wood floors, and didn't realize until I was in college that not everyone waxes their wood floors 2 to 3 times per year! For those of you with waxed wood floors, here is my mom's guide to caring for them.

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