apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Of all the rooms in one's home, the bedroom is arguably one of the most important in regards to personal health and the presence or absence of toxins. This checklist provides a good starting point for creating a bedroom that doesn't sabotage your health, the environment or your conscience while you sleep.

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"Don't rush and, when in doubt, don't cut." Sage words of advice when it comes to pruning a Japanese maple. While experts might prune in late summer, beginners have it easier when trees are leafless and dormant, which makes now a great time to get started. Here's a quick guide to keeping your maple looking its best.

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Getting organized at home might mean having a filing cabinet for your papers. Some small homes don't have a separate space for a home office and it can be nice to have alternatives to metal filing cabinets for keeping your files in order. These filing cabinets follow that stacked suitcase trend while functioning as file drawers...

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The line between functional object and wall decal has been steadily blurring, and this coat tree could be the missing link. If the space you have for coats is only deep enough for wall hooks, but you want the formal look of a coat tree, this is one option.

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It's no secret we love casters. They make things versatile, mobile, and fun! We've been busy adding casters to some things around our own house to make it easier to sweep and thought a roundup of casters was in order. We love them so much, there's a boat load (how much is a boat load really? Are we talking yacht or dingy?) of great resources and links after the jump! Blue, green, wooden, vintage... the choices are endless!

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A photo and question from Laura: I LOVE your site, I check it multiple times every day. I recently came back from a trip to Buenos Aires and have been searching for leaf-shaped bowls we ate breakfast from every morning...

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Edna Hayes and Bruce Needleman built their hacienda-style home to withstand the tests of time. They wanted a space that had to be worked (there's no AC, you have to manually open and close shutters each day), was built to be earth friendly and reflect their true love for Mexican homes and decorating styles. Click through the jump to see more of their down to earth made from earth home!

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We stopped by the West Elm in Corte Madera recently and instantly fell in like with their new ikat pattern. The goldish hue (they call it "sand dune") mixed with ivory seemed very versatile and not overly trendy at all. The price isn't to shabby, either...

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(Hello again to Jessica who is trying out for the SF team. Her first post is here.)

Artist Tom Woodbridge does two-minute portraits of people on the backs of coasters at his local brewpub. He gave me a handful out of the more than one hundred that he does on any given night, and I immediately fell in love with them. I started thinking about how this would be a great idea for my next get-together. Have each guest draw an illustration on the back of an ordinary coaster, and soon, you have yourself a little collection of artwork from your favorite people.

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In SOMA, a B&B Italia Maxalto Writing Desk for $3000 (retail is over 6k). Jump below for links to this and other good finds:

Apartment Therapy Furniture Classifieds are open for your business in our Shopping Guide.

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Design Chat
for SF and the Northwest

Check out Yesterdays Most Popular SF Post:
Good Questions: Ideas for the Penny Tiled Powder Room?

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(Here is the final tryout post from Monika Her first post can be found right here and the second one is here. Enjoy the tour!)

Name: Monika
Location: Oakland, CA
Size: 1256 sq.ft.
Years Lived: 2.5 years

>> Enter Slideshow

My home is definitely a work in progress, but since I moved in more than two years ago, it has changed quite a bit. It is an always evolving experiment of redecorating, reorganizing, finding new storage solutions, purging things and acquiring more treasures that we can't live without.

When I first moved in, it was just me and there seemed to be enough space for all my things. Eventually my boyfriend moved in and that is when things became very tricky. Finding room for all of our furniture, collectables, plants, books and clothes became an impossible task. We had to figure out a storage solution before we could unpack any of his belongings.

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Like in so many older buildings, the condo that Erik Barr and his wife Kim Baldwin bought had beautiful bones but was badly in need of an update. The makeover they dreamt up channels both warmth and airiness...

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We never knew a bed frame could (nor did we consider wanting it to) do so much. This industrious Ikea hacker crammed five functions into a humble bed frame, extending it with simple, black ABS piping. Can you spot all the additions? (More photos after the jump).

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