What Crazy Things Would You Put In Your Dream Home?

Loads of people dream of winning the lottery and building their dream house, so let's take a second to collectively dream together. A waterslide from the bedroom closet to the pool is a good example, and there's plenty more where that came from! What wild and wacky things would be in your dreamhouse?

It’s difficult to read design magazines and blogs and celebrity living profiles without silently ticking off the things one would put in one’s dream home, assuming, of course, that one were to win the lottery or publish Harry Potter before moving in. Sure, we might think we'd be living in nice little cottages with just as much as we need, but then one day a bathroom renovation goes too far and suddenly there's a water slide in the house. 

For when that happens, Buzzfeed has gathered 27 items you might want to include in your house of dreams, though they vary wildly in utility. At $405, a dog shower in the garage seems downright practical and economical when compared with the door in the bedroom that opens onto a water slide that winds all the way down to the pool, which is the most awesome by far. (Though I wouldn't say no to that kitchen wine station.) 

If money were no object at all, what crazy things would you put in your dream home?

Check out the rest of the list on Buzzfeed.

Full article here: http://bit.ly/15GVg72

Read more »

Brandy's All In One Home Office, Craft Space, and Guest Room

Talk about multi-purpose! This room is not only a home office, but also a craft space, AND a guest room! Do you have any rooms with more than one purpose? Let us know in the comments and in the meantime, check out ‘Brandy’s All In One’ room below!

In an ideal world we all live in homes or apartments with enough separate spaces for all of our daily activities. But the reality is more often than not one we have to compromise and combine uses into a single room. Brandy sent us her glowing example of shared utility, a guest room which also works as a home office and crafting space. It's impressively organized in a pretty small space...

Brandy describes planning and organizing her triple threat guest room:

When we had our home built, we made sure to add an extra bedroom on the main floor with a full bathroom for our guest room and home office. I also wanted to somehow incorporate my crafting supplies into the space, but didn't want to overwhelm the room. Three functions is a bit much for a small space and so we got creative. Since we only have guests use the room several times a year, we made sure that the furniture was lined up against the walls with enough room to easily bring in a queen sized Aerobed for our guests and still have enough room to comfortable walk around the room and use the closet. Then we added a CraftBox for all of my crafting needs and IKEA shelving for my fabric. That left the office space.

My CraftBox ended up being big enough to house all of our office supplies too! Bonus. I turned an older entertainment center into a hutch for our printer, paper, and all of our computer-related books, CDs, etc. I also turned an old file cabinet into a sewing machine stand and store my sewing books, bobbins, foot pedal, and thread inside. In the end, we were able to tastefully decorate this small room into a Home Office/Craft Space/Guest Room and tie it all together.

Crafters naturally deal with a great deal of possible clutter, and seeing Brandy's highly organized workspace reminds us having a place for everything can be the difference between an efficient place to work or a never-ending space to clean and organize. I had never seen the CraftBox before ("everything visible...everything is in arm's reach"), but I'm impressed with the sheer amount of storage available all within a modest footprint storage unit, perfect for fitting in a home office in the smallest space possible.

Full article here: http://bit.ly/Zv1V2H

Read more »

DIY Aged Terra Cotta Pots

Terra Cotta has a certain rustic beauty to it, and can be an excellent addition to any home. DIYers may be disappointed by the long period of time it takes for the pots to gain that old and weathered look naturally, but we’ve got a short cut to give your pots that aged look without the actual age. Check it out below.

Aged and distressed terra cotta pots have a romantic appeal, but sometimes I'm just too impatient to sit around and wait for the weather to do its thing. And so is Whitney at The Curtis Casa. She discovered a simple way to recreate that weathered look with something we all have around the house!

Making a thin paste of baking powder and water, Whitney painted on a faux finish that mimics aged terra cotta. I'm not sure this kind of effect would work well outside, as rain or moisture might wash away the "paint," but it looks good inside and is easy to touch up when needed.

Check out the project at The Curtis Casa.

MORE TERRA COTTA POTS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:

• Aging Clay Plant Pots
• Summer Style: A Whole Lotta Terracotta
• Indoor Garden Inspiration: Bring In The Terracotta!

Full article here: http://bit.ly/17oA6JR

Read more »

Storage Solutions for Apartment Kitchens

Does your kitchen feel like it doesn’t have enough space and storage for your appliances and wares? You’re not alone, and we’ve found a list of ten people who took this problem on and came out successful! Check out the stories below, and use the links to see exactly what they did.

1. Mark's kitchen offers a number of innovative storage solutions. An island serves double duty as a breakfast bar/dining table. Because the island is on casters, you could wheel it out a bit and add more stools when guests come over. Also notice the microwave shelf above the fridge, which maximizes vertical space, and the use of an unusual location for a pot rack.

2. In Kate's home, counter risers help add some storage space for spices and grains, added chrome shelving keeps her utensils and pots close at hand, and a classic solution — a peg board — adds some much-needed storage in the absence of cabinets.

3. If you're short on counter space, why not turn the old idea of a bar cart into one that suits your particular needs? Elsie turned this old cart into a coffee/tea station, but you could just as easily use a rolling cart as a baking station or storage for oils, vinegars, spices, and herbs.

4. By using an old desk as a microwave stand and as extra storage space, Rodellee has devised a clever way to keep some essentials close at hand, including fresh herbs, and she is able to stash her recycling neatly below.

5. The Kitchn suggests using CD storage racks to corral all the rogue container lids that can so easily clutter and consume cabinet space.

6. Veronica and Keith cleverly make use of vertical space by keeping their produce in hanging baskets and by relying on a hanging pot rack. They added a freestanding island, which offers more counter space and a handy place for the microwave and trash can. Cookbooks are simply and neatly housed in stacked wooden crates.

7. Kelly and Michael offset an awkward cabinet arrangement with the addition of an IKEA shelf. Even if you can't add any shelves to your rental space, you can steal their idea of sticking useful items, like this timer, to the side of cabinets, where they aren't easily visible, but are close at hand.

8. If you've got some open wall space, but it's not deep enough for the addition of cabinets or a sideboard, you can take a cue from Lisa and Clay's kitchen and use a row of low bookcases, which can offer handy pantry storage or a display place for narrower dishes.

9. In Jesse and Leia's kitchen, elevated shelves, use of the refrigerator top, and an IKEA pot rack maximize space. If you aren't allowed to put screws in the wall but still want to use every inch of space, consider a tiered produce basket, which rests on the floor but offers a bit of verticality.

10. Kathryn & David have not only created a beautiful little corner for all their fruits and vegetables, but they've also added a hanging garlic basket. If you don't have counter space to spare, hanging baskets like these are small enough to fit under a counter or in small corners, but they're useful enough to keep bits and bobs off the counter.

Full article here: http://bit.ly/11IcqMp

Read more »