It’s a tall order to find a stunning dresser that is also affordable. Large armoires are an investment (both budget-wise and from a square-footage standpoint). So what do you do when that dream piece does not exist? Cue IKEA, a can of paint, fresh knobs, and a few other craft supplies. 

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Malm 6-Drawer Dresser, IKEA ($300)

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Tarva 6-Drawer Chest, IKEA ($330)

From Hemnes to Malm to Tarva, all the Swedish retailer’s offerings can be made to look custom if you’re willing to dig out your toolbox and pick up a few extra materials from the hardware store. Choose your favorite look from these 15 IKEA dresser hacks and put aside a weekend to get to work. 

Slap on Slats

The beauty of the six-drawer Malm dresser is that it’s basically a big blank canvas, given the piece doesn’t have any hardware. Kayla Nelson saw it as an opportunity to add some color, personality, and texture. For $200 she covered it in 228 slats cut from MDF and coated it in Gray Heron by Behr. 

Turn It Into a Nightstand, Part 1 

DIYer Jenna Sue has noticed a shortage of large nightstands at an affordable price point, so this creation, which all started with a three-drawer Malm piece, is her giving the world what it craves. Her design hinges on adding pieces of trim at the base of each drawer to give it more of a traditional look, painting it in a chocolaty red hue, and tacking on brass knobs from Amazon. 

Turn It Into a Nightstand, Part 2

Ryia Jose (the blogger behind Kin and Kasa) wasn’t in need of a dresser for her daughter’s bedroom, but she did need a nightstand. So she turned IKEA’s Rast dresser into an ideal storage piece for $75 total by leaving off the toe-kick and bottom drawer, adding fresh feet to the base, cladding the drawer fronts in fluted wood trim, and painting it all in a dark blue. 

Add Definition

After struggling to find a campaign-style dresser for less than $1,000, A Beautiful Mess’s Elsie Larson spruced up a Malm staple with Lewis Dolin bar pulls (they actually cost more than the furniture, but she says the overall savings is still significant). Next up? Corner braces, which she spray-painted to match the shiny brass rods.

Wrap It in Raffia

Rather than drop a cool $4,000 on a piece like Serena & Lily’s raffia-covered Blake dresser, Drew Scott, the YouTuber behind Lone Fox, hacked his Tarva piece for $220. After applying a strip of fine raffia cloth to each of the drawer fronts with Mod Podge, he secured trim around the door edges and painted the wood parts in Benjamin Moore’s Pale Oak.

Beef Up the Pulls

For less than $20, Paper & Stitch blogger Brittni Mehlhoff upgraded her Moppe mini storage chest (a great dresser alternative for a small space or nursery). Her trick: ¾-inch-thick pinewood dowels. She cut the pieces down to size, sanded them, and wrapped them in strips of leather. 

Spice Up the Texture

Erika Lauren of Peony and Honey also used dowels for her DIY—but not the typical wood kind. She cut up rolls of foam, painted them a nude tone, and glued them to the surface to create a channel-quilted look. 

Create a Peekaboo Effect

After assembling her Tarva dresser, blogger Kourtni Munoz of House on Longwood Lane made rectangular cutouts on the drawer fronts using a jigsaw. Then she stained the whole piece so it had a weathered oak finish and stapled cane webbing to the inside of the openings for a beachy-chic feel. 

Build a Dresser Out of Billy Bookcases 

Who said you have to actually start with a dresser? In the awkward hallway that leads to her primary closet and bathroom, Callie Plemel of Home on Harbor installed three IKEA Billy bookcases that were previously in her library and used the framework to design an integrated dresser from scratch. Her construction-savvy husband added drawers to the bottom half of the central bookcase, accounting for one small pullout on the top for jewelry. 

Elevate It (Literally)

IKEA’s Ivar three-drawer chest technically doesn’t come with hardware, but blogger Janelle Burnett changed all that by adding Pretty Pegs’s Greta legs and Stina knobs to two of the dressers (she displayed them side by side to make them look like one piece). The additions were designed specifically for the brand’s furniture, so they attach seamlessly. 

Turn It Into a Changing Table 

Skip specialized nursery furniture by transforming a basic Tarva dresser with some white paint and a colorful pad. Blogger and photographer Erin Kelly sewed the fabric for this cushion herself. 

Go Nuts With Knobs

In order to replicate the look of authentic Jenny Lind furniture, Angelica Kalatzi of My Dear Irene glued flat-back ball knobs around the edges of the drawers. The bright white primer (the blogger used Kilz Adhesion sealer) instantly disguised its dark brown surface. Covering up the knobs will be your biggest time suck, so Kalatzi recommends listening to a captivating podcast for that part.  

Get a Hold on Things With Leather Pulls

It only takes one unexpected material to turn a basic piece of furniture on its head. You don’t have to buy fancy premade pulls for this update. Create your own straps with leather and brass screws. The paint color is all up to you. 

Craft a Mini Library

Can you spot the second IKEA hack? After painting this dresser green and adding sleek knobs to it, Megan Gilger bought two brackets from the company, painted them white, and installed them above the makeshift changing table. She topped the supports with basic wood planks from Lowe’s. Between the cubbies and the shelves, there’s plenty of room for books. 

Go Two-Tone

Shifra Jumelet stained the bottom portion of this dresser a rich brown tone and painted the top a crisp white. But the real surprise was when she swathed all the knobs in a dark dye to create an optical illusion. No one would ever guess it isn’t 100 percent bespoke.

The post A Malm With Sage Green Slats and 14 More Elevated IKEA Dresser Hacks appeared first on domino.

While everyone else was in the comments section of Jenna Lyons’s recent Instagram video debating if Brooklyn is “the city” or not, we were zeroed in on another detail. No, it’s not how close the RHONY star’s red fingernails were to her microplane, or any other unexpected touch Lyons is a fan of, but a little nook off to the left of her shiny brass countertops.

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Tucked away in its own neatly sized home is a roll of paper towels, flush on both sides (we applaud the contractor here). If you’re planning a kitchen renovation or have the room to incorporate built-in storage without a full gut, it’s a smart way to save precious countertop or cabinet space. We like to think you could even remove the roll when guests are over and display knickknacks there instead; they wouldn’t even know it was meant for the latter. 

The petite pocket got us thinking of all the discreet ways we’ve seen paper towels dealt with, whether that’s incorporated into cabinetry, nestled under a shelf, or installed beneath a shelf. Or you can go the opposite route entirely and just proudly put it on display.

Pretty Paper Towel Holders

NewMade LA Paper Towel Holder, West Elm ($68)

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Spool Paper Towel Holder by Sam Stewart, Areaware ($50)

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Undershelf Paper Towel Holder, Yamazaki Home ($14 was $20)

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Perkins Paper Towel Rail, Schoolhouse ($149)

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Alessi Mattina Paper Towel Roll Holder, Nordstrom ($76)

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East to West Magnetic Paper Towel Holder, Stainless Steel, Amazon ($10)

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The post Jenna Lyons Shows Us That Nooks Are for More Than Reading appeared first on domino.

When John McDonald, the founder of Semihandmade, called up Leanne Ford and asked her if she’d want to design a line of semi-custom cabinets for the brand, she had one request: “We have to tackle white oak.” Countless times, the designer has had white oak door fronts show up to a project only for them to have a yellowy orange tint to them (a result of the protective sealant). “One time, 10 of us spent the night with hand-sanders trying to get the veneer off,” recalls Ford. Her goal? To be left with an unfinished, natural look. “I was like, why doesn’t anybody have this ready for us as is?” she adds.

And so, with Semihandmade backing the exclusive collaboration—out today!—Ford drove over to Ohio and worked with some of the makers to concoct the perfect stain formula. Naturally, the designer had to weave in a warm white painted front option, too, using one of her favorite shades: Shoji by Sherwin-Williams. “I wanted this collection to be for anyone, any style, anywhere,” shares Ford. Her edit for the doors was equally tight, sticking to a classic Shaker, a flat slab, and another called Frame, which is basically a skinny version of the Shaker profile. While Semihandmade has been prized as a resource for IKEA kitchen hacks, this collection technically falls under the brand’s own semi-custom line, meaning you get all of the actual cabinet boxes when you place your order. 

Want to put Ford’s cabinet collection to use just as she would? Look no further than her latest project: a historic home on Church Lane in Pittsburgh that the designer bought, renovated, and recently put up for sale. Ahead, in her own words, she shares seven tips for nailing a designer-grade kitchen all on your own.

Don’t Feel Confined by the Kitchen Work Triangle

Before getting on [Semihandmade’s] website, think about the layout of your kitchen. Are you someone who wants your stove to be in the middle of the party? Or do you never even turn it on? Think about all of that. People always talk about “the work triangle.” I have gone away from that many times in my life because I personally don’t mind getting the extra steps in. 

Hack Your Way to a Bespoke Island 

This is another fun hack: In the closet, we put the cabinetry line into a vintage island. I literally just threw it in there. And it’s beautiful on all sides. 

Confused About Door Styles? Start With the Knobs and Pulls

If you’re questioning your door style, think about your hardware first. Do you want it to be big? Do you want it to be small? Do you want it to be hidden? That will help you decide. Like this über-simple slab: It can take any hardware, anything. You can have the weirdest, wildest stuff. Or you can do what I did and powder coat the hardware so it goes away. The Frame is similar; it can carry more options. The Shaker is super-traditional, classic, and for that I’d keep to simpler, smaller hardware. 

Hide Appliances at All Costs

My nonnegotiable is panel-ready appliances. I never want to see the dishwasher. I never want to see the refrigerator. I want that to go away and be involved in the cabinetry.

Get Artsy With Your Countertop

I always do honed marble, not glossy. Let it get stained, let it get beat up. At Church Lane, we did tons of salvaged marble. We just overgrouted it and did wide grout lines—it’s a beautiful, artistic expression. Don’t worry about trying to be perfect; perfect can get very boring. 

Stock Shallow Closets With S-Hooks

We want to live this minimalist life, but we all have junk. This bedroom didn’t allow for deep cabinets, so we layered floor-to-ceiling boxes, and inside, we installed bars with S-hooks for hanging items like denim jeans. 

Know When to Stop Your Millwork

You don’t have to fill a kitchen with cabinetry, left to right. Semihandmade provides these side slabs that let you close it up so you can have space for a beautiful vintage table or a butcher block island. 

The post Leanne Ford Just Debuted Semihandmade Cabinets and Hacked Them Immediately appeared first on domino.

In the spirit of cleaning house, we’re canceling our exciting Saturday night plans to aimlessly wander every aisle at our decluttering store of choice: the Container Store. But before we dedicate our entire weekend to tidying up, we thought we’d seek a little advice. We took our most pressing Container Store–related question to every organization professional we knew and asked them: What’s in your basket?

Among the many no-fail products on their shopping list, there were some clear winners in the group. Read on for the organizing essential that will have your space sparkling in no time.

The Large Tapered Canvas Bin

Large Tapered Canvas Bin Grey Stripe, The Container Store ($18)

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These are pro organizer and Minimalista author Shira Gill’s go-to solution for just about anything. “I love using them for corralling toys and small games in a playroom, storing seasonal essentials in an entry closet, and containing linens and towels in a linen closet,” she shares. 

The XL Rattan Bin

X-Large Rattan Bin w/ Lid Natural, The Container Store ($180)

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“I adore this bin for its incredible versatility,” says Rachel Rosenthal. Its secret lies in its lid: You can pop it off if you want to treat it as a cute storage basket for blankets or keep it sealed if you prefer to load it up with all the Legos your kids own. 

The Shimo Multipurpose Bin

Shimo Small Multi-Purpose Bin Translucent, The Container Store ($11)

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While you could certainly use this transparent bin for grouping file folders and notebooks, Jen Du Bois of Home With Jen D has another idea for you. “They also work great for organizing canned goods in your pantry,” she reveals.

The Stacking Bottle Organizer

Everything Organizer Stacking Bottle Organizer Clear, The Container Store ($15)

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Thanks to its stackable design, you can make the most of a tall upper cabinet with this clever holder that’s meant to stop water bottles from toppling over. “I love that it gives me a way to set a limit on how many bottles I keep, but still keeps them neatly arranged and easy to reach,” says Nikki Boyd, founder of At Home With Nikki.

The Palaset XL Magazine Holder 

Palaset XL Magazine Holder, The Container Store ($18)

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Like Du Bois, Boyd doesn’t just accept products for what they are—she comes up with new uses for them. Take this magazine holder. For starters, you can use it under a bathroom sink to keep all your hair products and styling tools organized and categorized. “It’s also a fantastic solution in the closet for keeping sandals and flip-flops in order,” says Boyd.

The 3-Tier Rolling Cart

3-Tier Rolling Cart Sage, The Container Store ($40)

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Boyd’s final lifesaver? This rolling cart that can be used to tote crafts from room to room but also works wonders in tiny kitchens (you can put your utensils on one shelf, mugs on another). 

The Tosca Basket

Yamazaki Slim Tosca Basket w/ Wooden Handles White/Natural, The Container Store ($30)

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This Yamazaki find is Breathing Room’s Holly Blakey’s most-used Container Store product. “Kitchens, pantries, bathrooms, laundry rooms—they level up the look of any space and are superpractical,” she says, noting that they’re the perfect size for most cabinets, too. 

The Artisan Grasscloth Bin

Large Artisan Grasscloth Bin Natural, The Container Store ($40)

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These newer additions to the Container Store have Blakey excited to use them in closets, not just because the woven finish will complement your wardrobe but because they’re sturdy and will keep folded items in place. 

The Purse Storage Organizer

Acrylic 4-Section Purse Storage Organizer, The Container Store ($40)

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“This is another product I use in almost every home I organize,” says Blakey. “It holds clutches, art supplies, office devices…it’s a definite go-to.”

The iDesign Linus Turntable

iDESIGN Linus 9″ Divided Turntable Clear, The Container Store ($22)

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Almost every organizing pro we asked dubbed this versatile essential an absolute must. “It’s the perfect tool to keep items contained and easily accessible,” says Clea Shearer, cofounder of The Home Edit. Her business partner, Joanna Teplin, recommends using it in a front hall closet for pharmacy and first-aid supplies or a the pantry for oils and vinegars.

“For me, it’s a lifesaver!” adds organization pro and founder of Cindyology, Cindy Huzenman. “When I find myself in a deep pantry or a cabinet corner, the best item to use is a turntable. It will facilitate access but won’t let food get lost in the back.” Psst: If the fridge is your weak spot, you can also stick it in there (yogurts and cheese sticks fit perfectly).  

Jessica Litman of Chicago-based firm The Organized Mama also shared her praise for the piece. Along with keeping kids’ snacks in their proper place, Litman likes to use the lazy Susan in a bathroom for added storage under the sink. “Since it’s so versatile, it works in those hard-to-get-to spaces without taking up too much room,” she says.

The Nonslip Velvet Hangers

Non-Slip Velvet Shirt Hangers Linen Pkg/10, The Container Store ($10)

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When Jamie Hord, founder of Horderly, steps into a closet, she notices right away if the hangers are matching. It’s that thing that gives you instant gratification, plus there’s a hidden function. “You will be shocked at how using all matching felt hangers will save you space in your closet,” she says. 

The post Professional Organizers Won’t Leave the Container Store Without These 11 Items appeared first on domino.

Sacha and Troy Strebe own a lot more jeans than the average couple, and understandably so. He’s a denim designer, and long before she became the editorial director of EyeSwoon, she was a fashion editor. “We have a lot of clothing,” Sacha stresses, “and we are both collectors of vintage denim.” So why then would they move into a house with essentially zero built-in storage? As longtime renters in Los Angeles who were looking to buy their first house, the allure of owning property on a quiet street in Altadena at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains outweighed the fact that their closets were minuscule. 

To paint a picture in measurements: The closet in the couple’s primary bedroom was a mere 5-by-4 feet. Even though you could technically walk inside of it, there was no way both of them were squeezing stacks of pants and bulky leather jackets in there. Luckily, it was only the closet that was teeny. Their bedroom is unusually long and narrow (21-by-10 feet). Troy came up with the genius idea to section off the end of the space with a wall and an archway, creating a true dressing room that could house their combined wardrobe. The new closet is still small by most walk-in standards, but at around 163 square feet “it feels big for us,” says Sacha. 

Carve Out Your Corner

Before the couple and their son moved into their new house, Troy drew a rough line on the floor where he envisioned a curved closet wall could go. They then reached out to a local contractor, who built the wood framing for the divider, added drywall, and skim-coated the whole structure with plaster.

He even installed a second ceiling inside the closet and added a new switch to the right of the arched entry, and the whole thing only took seven days. Once the major construction had wrapped, Sacha painted the space with Morning Ritual by Backdrop (that is, after first dousing the green stripe on the wall with six coats of primer). 

Mark a Clear (But Narrow) Pathway

Because the curved wall effectively makes that side of the closet unusable for cabinets, Sacha knew they’d need professional help maximizing the areas where they could incorporate built-ins. They collaborated with Sabina Loos at California Closets to create a custom arrangement for their space. “We made sure to use every single square inch for storing clothing with a little left over for room to move when trying on outfits,” says Sacha. The cabinets are laid out in a U-shape in the longest part of the closet, and there are also two more cupboards with closed doors right across from the archway. There might only be 25 or so inches of walking clearance in the back of the space, but it’s wide enough for one person to move around comfortably. 

Morning Ritual, Backdrop ($49)

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MODO 5/8 Inch Diameter Cabinet Knob , Schaub and Company ($11)

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Peep Your Jeans From the Belt Loops to the Bottoms

While Sacha tends to fold most of her jeans and store them on the highest shelves, Troy prefers to see which pants he’s plucking before getting dressed. To help him out, Loos dedicated a hanging rod for his pants. “The hangers for his jeans are actually patternmaker’s hooks, which he designed at a former denim company in Australia,” says Sacha, noting you can buy similar packs of hooks on Amazon.

Lonikstep Pattern Hooks 24 Pcs, Amazon ($18)

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Guard Your Garb From the Sun

While the beautiful sunlight streaming in from the window inside the closet is great for when the Strebes are getting dressed, it’s not so ideal for keeping black clothes in pristine condition over time. “Sunlight is a closet’s worst nightmare,” says Sacha. To help prevent their prized garments from fading, they had the Shade Store install UV 1% roller shades (in the color Tan) with wool flannel flat roman shades (in the color Fog). The layered combo allows them to let the light in when they need it and shut it out when they don’t. “I just leave a little crack open at the bottom because I love the warm afternoon light,” she adds. 

Host That Garage Sale

The couple technically began preparing for their closet reno before they even moved into their house last summer. “We purged a ton with a pretty epic garage sale at our former Silver Lake apartment, and Goodwill also received several bags,” says Sacha. Then, after their 30-day escrow came to an end, she decided to get rid of even more rarely worn items to help minimize and streamline their space. 

These days, Sacha is extra cognizant of anything new she brings home. “I make sure I don’t have something similar first or buy it vintage,” says Sacha. “I’m a huge fan of resale sites, thrift stores, eBay, and the Rose Bowl, which is now just around the corner from us.”

Play Dress-Up

Objects in the Strebe household are in perpetual motion. “I am constantly styling and restyling my home, so why should my closet be any different?” says Sacha. She dedicated a nook near the window where she can lean her EQ3 mirror, display a mixed-media work by Aliyah Sadaf, light a candle on the tall iron holder, and plop a purse or her Casa Catinella basket on an Olive Ateliers pedestal.

As someone who appreciates the art of getting dressed, this serene corner only motivates her to get more creative with her outfits. “This new space has already inspired me to dive into my archive and wear pieces I haven’t worn in a very long time,” she says. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

Spy Floor Mirror, EQ3 ($450)

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Echasse Vase by Theresa Rand for Audo Copenhagen (medium), Lumens ($485)

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The post How an Editor and a Denim Designer Built a Closet That Just Perfectly Holds All Their Stuff appeared first on domino.

The scent of Thai basil, mint, and citrus perfume the air of Kim Nguyen’s petite Southern California patio, her slice of respite after a grueling year of recovery. If you didn’t know, you might not guess that the inviting, greenery-filled space below is attached to a cozy studio in an assisted living community, all decorated by her daughter Kate Berry (yes, our Kate Berry).

In Kate’s eyes, an outdoor oasis was essential to her mom’s healing. Kim, a Vietnamese refugee who fled the country with her family in 1975, has been an avid gardener all her life—not to mention a self-made businesswoman, accomplished knitter, skilled cook, mother of four, and grandmother of five. When a stroke left her without the use of the left side of her body last July, her family had to mobilize quickly to usher her through a series of facilities and treatments. Once they settled on a long-term care home, Kate became determined to turn an otherwise cold apartment into a calming, comfortable place to live.

“There’s no right way; there’s no perfect process,” Kate says of feeling your way through caring for a parent after a medical emergency. “There’s no way to anticipate what somebody will need coming out of a situation like that.” What she and her family found out almost immediately was that her mom needed an entirely new suite of furnishings that would work for her condition, was compact enough to suit her new place, and that they could actually afford. Their search led them to West Elm, which has a substantial selection of ADA-compliant furniture. After some trial and error (more on that later), Kate designed a practical yet inviting layout and look with the brand’s help, and it works for her mom and makes everyone who walks in a little more relaxed. 

“It’s not groundbreaking, but it just looks so much better than it was,” she reflects, acknowledging that it’s really the first place her mother’s needs and comfort were put first. “All the nurses say, ‘Your mom’s room is the nicest room!’” Below, Kate breaks down all their furniture and decor decisions in her own words.

A Regular Bed, Made More Supportive

There’s no way around it: Hospital beds are ugly. All of them. We were renting this fancier hospital bed and mattress (uncomfortable, still ugly) that reclines and, come to find out, my mom doesn’t ever use the recliner part except to take her pills at night. She really just needs the bar so she can transfer from her wheelchair to the bed. So instead, I looked at the dimensions of West Elm’s ADA-compliant furniture and sourced pieces from across its collection that fit into that size range and that could be delivered quickly. We got the Leesa mattress and the full-size Romi kids’ bed. Then we picked up an assist rail from Amazon to attach to it. Once we made the switch, she told us she slept until 7 a.m.; it was much more comfortable. It’s upholstered, which really makes a difference. Looking back, my mom could have made do with a twin bed. She’s small, and the stroke left her paralyzed on her left side, so she’s not moving around as much as I anticipated. But it’s nice that the grandchildren and I can lie next to her on the full size.

My brother-in-law also found a remote control set at a hardware store that controls the lights. We’ve connected them to all the floor lamps, plus the bedside and dining table lights so she can easily switch them on and off from her bed.

The shallow media console between the bed and the wall is such a nice narrow option with great storage. It’s where my mom keeps her bedding and other things that she needs, and it holds her TV. She doesn’t need to get in between there because she’s not mobile on that side—she always has to get into bed on the side where her right arm can grab the bar. Once I found out that I could add these simple touches—that the whole space didn’t have to be hospital-grade—that really shifted my perception of what an assisted-living room could be.

A Wheelchair-Friendly Rug Trick

The floors are carpeted, but I wanted to introduce a rug to brighten things up. We picked up a handwoven, Persian-style design that is reversible and not very thick, which in theory makes it easy to wheel over and is great for disguising spills and dirt. My mom initially complained about it because it bunched up under her wheelchair, so we took it out. But the room felt drab without it, so we brought it back and carpet-taped the entire rug. That extra step solved the bunching problem, and the rug added the decorative layer I knew was missing.

The Chair-and-a-Half That Has a Secret

This cute chair-and-a-half is actually a sleeper sofa—it’s been a game changer for us. When we visit, my daughter Quinn and I, or my sister and I, can fit on it and it’s comfortable for us. I can just rotate it if I want to pull the mattress out. Before we added the sofa, my mom would just sit on the bed or in her wheelchair all day, even to watch TV. That’s just not comfortable. Now I can prop her up on the chair to relax and recline. She can watch a show from across the room; her sight is actually still really good despite only being able to see out of one eye.

A Faucet Fix for Easier On-and-Offs

My mom has always been an amazing cook with great knife skills. While she can’t cook in the same way she used to, we’re trying to figure out what she can do. So far, she has a microwave, a rice cooker, and a kettle. We’ve made everything from rice to sweet potatoes in the cooker for when she wants something simple rather than the food that is served in the care facility’s restaurant. My sister added this attachment onto the faucet so my mom could reach it from her wheelchair, too. There are just some things that are more functional than aesthetic, and I had to let go of it not being pretty.

Well-Positioned Shelves

We put up these shelves as a spot for pictures, keys, mail, and other accessories under my mom’s calendar. We installed the one near the door low enough so she could wheel up to it and use it as a mini counter. She can also look up at her schedule and see what she’s doing that week, whether that’s different therapy appointments or activities.

Tables She Can Roll Up To

The dining table is a really simple square oak table with clean lines. It actually comes with two leaves, but for now we don’t need them. We placed it against the wall to give my mom more space and so she can look out onto the patio plants while she has her tea. The legs are wide enough for her wheelchair to fit right in.

The side table next to the upholstered chair is another accessible surface and storage spot. Other than gardening, my mom’s favorite hobby is knitting. She’s really a master of it and has created countless sweaters, hats, scarves, and pants. One of the things that has been really hard on her, and us, is the fact that she can’t knit like she used to. She’s been discouraged this past year, but I’m determined to help her get back to doing it again. To start, I made her needles and yarn easily reachable by putting them in a basket that she can pull from the side table’s shelf while still in her wheelchair. Then I simply tied a thick rubber band to the left armrest of her wheelchair where she can secure a needle. That way, she can knit with one hand. It’s not a perfect system, but we’ll get there.

An Outdoor Space That Smells Like Home

My mom took so much pleasure and joy in her garden in sunny Orange County. She cultivated everything that she had grown up with in Vietnam: passion fruit, citrus, lemongrass, longans. That was her solace, her place to escape and be happy. When she was recovering, my brother brought a humidifier with essential oils into the rehab center so it always smelled like lemongrass and lavender. So even though she couldn’t be in her garden, it would smell familiar. Everyone would come into her room and say, “It’s like a spa in here.” 

In her new living arrangement, we really wanted to create an outdoor space with plants that she could watch flourish, citrus that would bear fruit, and fresh herbs to pluck from a “garden.” When she moved in, my siblings and I outfitted a little sitting area for her and her friends. We installed teak snap tiles over the cement floor, which instantly warm the space up and don’t interfere with the nurses transferring her to a seat. We added a taller rectangle planter that creates a divider wall from the neighboring patio for privacy. With a couple of lounge chairs, a teak and wicker table, and a bunch of plants, it has a whole new vibe.

Personal Touches to Make It Feel Extra-Cozy

There are a number of little things that we did to make her studio feel like home. For one, I took a panel from the Nordic Knot sand-colored shades I use at home and put it up over her sliding patio doors. It provides shade when it’s closed but still filters sunshine into her room; her eyes are sensitive to too much brightness these days. It also adds a layer of softness to the beige walls.

The little glass jar on her nightstand was meant for my niece from a White Elephant we did last Christmas with the grandchildren, but she ended up with it and thought it was so cute. It’s for all her bingo quarters from her winnings (which isn’t much, but that’s not the point!).

My friend Paul Ferney painted a portrait of Quinn that hangs in one sunny corner. The ceramic box on the shelf near her bed was made by my sister when she was a child and my mom has kept it all these years. We put pictures of her and the grandchildren up everywhere; they’re the number-one thing that makes her happy. She loves the pictures of her and the kids in Mexico, the last family vacation we took together before the stroke. My mom left everything behind when we had to get out of Vietnam at the end of the war. As a refugee not having anything when you leave your country, you hold onto a ceramic that reminds you of the time your daughter was younger and photos that transport you to happy times.

This process has been really hard for all of us, but especially Mom; we’re learning to adapt to a new normal. A friend whose father had a stroke a few years ago said to me: “There will be good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks, and good months and bad months.” That has given me patience and perspective when dealing with difficult moments. 

The above portrait of her, where she’s smiling, really makes me happy, but not because she looks happy. It’s because the way we knew how to get her to smile was to remind her of a moment she had a couple of months after her stroke. She had to be taken to the ER in an ambulance because of a complication and, after that, she could not stop talking about the handsome paramedic who looked like Kyle Chandler (yes, the coach from Friday Night Lights). She told us how he flirted with her, referring to my sister (her daughter) as her sister. Now all we have to say is “Kyle Chandler” for her to crack a smile. And just like that, a new funny memory.

The post When My Mom Had a Stroke, My Goal Was to Make Her Assisted Living Apartment Calm and Cozy appeared first on domino.

Do you know why almost every hotel has white bedding and towels? Because when you can see how crisp and spotless they are, you automatically believe the room is clean. Minimalist bathrooms have a similar effect. A tight color palette, a sleek round mirror, a curbless shower—these are the types of elements that give you that squeaky-clean feeling (well, that and a good sudsing). The 11 minimalist bathrooms we’ve rounded up below are by no means immune to bronzer powder dust gunking up the sink or wet towels being flung on the floor, but they do look orderly through it all. 

Create Clear Sight Lines 

In a bathroom as small as the one in this Manhattan apartment, designed by Silvana Vergara, a minimalist aesthetic can make the space feel much larger than it really is. It all starts with the right shower divider. While a patterned curtain would read as too busy, a clear glass partition looks sleek and lets light shine through. FYI: It’s not an expensive upgrade. You can find a similar-looking metal-framed panel on Wayfair for only $500.

Walk Into a Wet Room

The idea behind this L.A. bathroom was ease: You can hop underneath the showerhead without stepping over a curb or moving a sliding door. The only time you have to crouch down is when you want to get into the Madre Perla stone–clad tub. “You’re able to have that European spa bathhouse feel,” says Alison Wilson, one of the home’s designers. 

Swathe the Walls in SureCrete

Instead of retiling her old Pacific Palisades bathroom to achieve a brand-new look, Leanne Ford coated the walls in SureCrete, a decorative concrete resurfacing material. The treatment, which has the consistency of pancake batter and can be applied with a drywall knife, trowel, or spray gun, instantly transports the skylit shower to Santorini. 

Separate the Shower and Vanity 

The kids’ bathroom in designer Dana Lynch’s Georgia cabin works smarter, not harder. She put the vanity in the hallway and separated everything else with two doors; that way you can have someone using the toilet, someone showering, and someone brushing their teeth all at the same time. When actions are isolated, so is clutter. 

Go Monochrome, Part 1

You can have zellige tile, tadelakt walls, and a mix of hardware finishes and still call your bathroom minimalist as long as they stick to a tight color palette. In this space, designer Elspeth Benoit landed on deep shades of blue. Even though there is a glass shower door dividing the space, it looks like one wall surface bleeds into the next. 

Go Monochrome, Part 2

In case you needed another reminder that not all minimalist bathrooms need to be white, peep film director and visual artist Loïc Maes’s space, designed by architecture firm Re-ad. The different tones of black lend a sense of depth to the room, and they continue down to the stained concrete floors and even up to the ceiling, which happens to be painted a medium gray hue. 

Make Bold Moves With Curves

Scratch that maximalist itch with exaggerated shapes. In this Park City, Utah, bathroom, an enormous round window and curved shower wall clad in chalky white Stone Source tile create the wow factor.

Hone in on the Medicine Cabinet

Maybe it’s because homeowner Cheryl Mainland describes her style as “industrial beach chic,” or maybe it’s because her son’s name is Cobalt—either way, her medicine cabinet ended up with a lick of blue around the base and on the handle. The detail introduces some much-needed personality to what otherwise could feel like a sterile space without being overwhelming.

Babyproof the Zenlike Shower

Minimalists by nature, Natalia Swarz and Armando Mesías make living in a 700-square-foot home (with a toddler) look easy thanks to a tranquil grouping of materials. In the bathroom, they combined olive green zellige tile and dim lighting to set a relaxing mood for nighttime baths with their little one. The way the shower is open without a glass door or curtain makes it easy to slide their daughter’s bathtub in there, too.

Become One With the Bedroom

Chef Nasim Alikhani did the most minimalist thing one can do: She didn’t put a wall up between her bedroom and bathroom. Even though her friends joke she’ll never be able to sell the New York City apartment due to the open sinks perched above her bed, she stands by the setup, as she loves to wash her face in fresh air and natural light. Plus being forced to look at your bathroom sink even when you’re not in there would make anyone a tidy person.

Warm Things Up Without Doing Too Much

This Brooklyn Heights bathroom, designed by Claire Hung, almost seems to glow thanks to its buttery yellow sink, custom limewash walls, and flowy linen shower curtain. “To really make this small bathroom feel minimal, we used a wall-mount sink that is completely open below,” says Hung. “We coupled it with a wall-mount faucet, and the look is supremely clean and free of bulk and clutter.”

The post 11 Minimalist Bathroom Ideas That Aren’t All White Everything appeared first on domino.

A deep-clean of your house can quickly turn into a multiday affair that ruins your weekend—but it doesn’t have to be. Nor does it need to be an annual event that only happens during a fit of productivity in the spring. There’s no time like the present to tackle your to-do list—we swear it’ll be worth it and over in a flash. “Start at one end of the house and focus on one room at a time,” suggests Laurie Brown, CSO of Earthstone International. As you go from space to space, collect the items that don’t belong and either move them to their proper home or to the front door, where you can later recycle, toss, or donate them. 

Now for the nitty-gritty: We polled Brown and two more cleaning pros for their top tips on getting things done and dusted, room by room.

Kitchen 

Tackle the Big Surfaces First 

We’re talking your fridge and your cabinets, both of which you can clean with an all-purpose spray and a rag. “Not only is this a great time to clear out old condiments, but you should also pull everything out and wipe down each shelf and drawer,” says Melina Marcus, cofounder of Rebel Green. 

Give Your Counters a Thorough Scrub

Thelma Meyer of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day recommends simple dish soap and warm water for most surfaces, but you can DIY your own formula for countertops that stain easily like linoleum. Her go-to: baking soda and warm water. 

For grease marks, Marcus has another pantry hack: vinegar. “For any spots that receive weekend splatterings of bacon, give them a swipe with a sponge and warm water,” she says. Follow that with a spritz of distilled white vinegar, and then some dish soap mixed with water. 

Don’t Forget the Details

Specifically, the oft-overlooked garbage can. Rinse it with warm water, says Marcus, and then wipe it down inside and out with an all-purpose cleaner. 

Mandarin Basile Surface Cleaner, Homecourt ($22)

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Scrub Daddy Sponges, Set of 4, Amazon ($18)

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Bathroom

Deal With the Toilet

Lauren Haynes of Star Domestic Cleaners swears by using items you likely already have in your cupboards. First, dismantle the seat and apply a paste of baking soda and water on all the target areas. While you’re letting it do its thing, drop two tablets of antacid into the basin, let it fizz, and start on the rest of the room.

Turn to the Shower

Start with the outside: If you have a curtain, throw it in the washer and let it air dry. Don’t forget to clean the liner separately or, if you have an EVA plastic version like Quiet Town’s, rinse it and scrub until residue is gone. If you have glass doors, cut through water and soap stains with a squeegee, white vinegar, and water. Then turn your attention to the tub. 

Haynes suggests applying either a mixture of white vinegar and dish soap or a paste of baking soda and water to the walls of the shower and tub, letting it sit for three minutes, and then scrubbing it away. Rinse with warm water to reveal your sparkly clean tile. 

Sun Shower Curtain, Honey, Quiet Town ($42)

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Brabantia ReNew Shower Squeegee, Wayfair ($26)

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Living Area

Wash First, Dust Later

If you have a sofa slipcover, throw it in the washing machine (just be sure to keep it on the delicate setting). Same goes for all other removable fabrics: curtains, throw pillow covers, and that blanket the dog loves. 

Give Your Furniture Some TLC

According to Meyer, your living room furnishings need cleaning as much as the floors and surfaces do. Wood coffee tables and cabinets can be sprayed with a wood cleaner and dusted off with an old rag. For leather sofas and chairs, she advises dusting them with a slightly damp microfiber cloth. 

Think Small

Give the trinkets your attention, too. Whether it’s your collection of vases or your book stack, remove each item and dust the surface it sits on with an old sock over one hand. 

Relaxed Fit Slipcover, Pottery Barn ($159)

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À La Carte Dishcloth Set, Geometry ($14)

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Microfiber Cleaning Cloths, Set of 3, Grove Co. ($7 was $10)

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Method Almond Daily Wood Cleaner, Target ($7)

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Bedrooms 

Don’t Declutter

Save that closet refresh for another time—instead, Haynes recommends focusing on just the actual cleaning. Move everything off the closet floor for a quick dusting, and then put it right back. 

Refresh Your Mattress

Strip everything off your bed and stick your pillows and comforter in the wash. Then spread a cup of baking soda directly onto your mattress and let it sit for a few hours. It’s a miracle formula: Once vacuumed, any odors (like the ones from your beloved pup who occasionally joins you) will be completely gone. 

Royal Duster Ostrich Feather Mini Duster , Amazon ($8)

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Caldrea Sea Salt Neroli Laundry Detergent, Grove Co. ($24 was $38)

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Before you know it, you’ll be finished. Better make plans for that wide-open Sunday.

The post Our Ultimate Guide to Deep-Cleaning Your Home appeared first on domino.

Even though our closets hold some of our most important possessions, we inevitably end up neglecting them. So we’re asking clever homeowners and renters to share their time-tested organizing methods that really (really!) work in our new series, Reclaim Your Closet.

I just doubled my storage, and no, I didn’t move apartments. I got a new bed frame. 

Upgrading my classic IKEA Malm bed to the lift-up storage model gave my towels, bedding, books, winter coats, and tote bags a proper home. While I’ve always kept those items under my bed (usually crammed inside a random suitcase), to get to anything in the center, I’d have to manually lift my mattress and balance it on my back while crouching over and pulling up the wood slats. It wasn’t a pretty picture, and may or may not have led to some chronic back pain. 

The classic and storage Malm beds are almost identical, but while the classic comes in four colorways and four sizes, the storage version comes in just two colorways and two sizes. Luckily, the size and color I wanted, full and white, came in both. The prices also differ quite a bit; for the full size, the upgrade takes you from $329 up to $659. My favorite difference: Rather than open-air sides, the storage version is completely closed. That one seemingly simple difference is what ultimately inspired me to make the swap. I knew this tiny upgrade would make my entire apartment feel so much cleaner—all of my stuff would be out of sight and, more important, it wouldn’t be such a pain (literally) to access stuff. 

Malm Storage Bed, IKEA ($659)

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The Assembly

The bed was delivered the next day (yes, you read that right) for $39. Delivery didn’t include assembly, so I hired a TaskRabbit. After watching the skilled professional with a 5-star rating take a full two hours to build the bed, I knew I had made the right choice. Paying him $150 saved me what would have been an entire weekend of frustration.

Now I simply pull a strap at the foot of the bed and—voilà!—my mattress opens to a 45-degree angle. 

The Organization

I have what I like to think of as a brand-new closet (it’s just one that lays flat on the floor!). Rather than reverting to my old ways and keeping my belongings in old suitcases, I went back to IKEA and tricked it out with interior storage compartments. Because there are so many options, I asked the interior design leader for IKEA U.S., Abbey Stark, for some pointers. She recommended a combination of Skubb and Parkla, both of which are soft zippered containers, as well as Kugis, a lidded plastic box. Full closure keeps dust at bay, and handles make them easy to pull out.

Before I put my order in, I got out a ruler and graph paper and drew the bed and containers to scale so I could play around with different orientations. After landing on the below layout, there were no surprises once my order arrived.

So what goes where? I started intuitively, putting anything that was soft and flexible (table linens, bedding, pillow inserts) in the fabric containers, and any hard objects, like books and extra taper holders, in the structured Parkla boxes. Because the Skubb boxes are the largest (they’re 36.5-by-21.75-by-7.5 inches), I saved them for bigger items like towels, and relegated smaller collections like tote bags to the Parkla containers. The nice thing about the soft containers is that they’re both sheer, so I don’t need to waste brain space remembering what is where. 

Skubb, IKEA ($7)

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Parkla, IKEA ($2)

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Kuggis, IKEA ($30)

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The post I Treat the IKEA Malm Storage Bed Like the Linen Closet I Never Had appeared first on domino.

Over the course of the pandemic, the second bedroom in our Brooklyn apartment morphed from a place where someone might sleep every night to our home office, a library, and where my husband plays music. Since then, one corner has been designated the home gym, which, until recently, has housed a supremely unorganized pile of resistance bands, recovery tools, and foam rollers. Another stash of stuff like gels and electrolyte powder resided in the closet that’s partially blocked by our Peloton, not a total impediment but always another step.  

A few months ago, I was at the brink: I couldn’t take another morning of rooting around for the proper gear to get me out the door on a run, or trying to magician an uncluttered look when out-of-town friends come to stay. I started searching for a solution—whether that was to be bins, floating shelves, or something else entirely—and landed on the Container Store’s website, as this dilemma often compels someone to do. Scrolling around, I caught a glimpse of an over-the-door product styled with gym equipment. Funny enough, once the page loaded, it showed wrapping paper, ribbons, and all manner of gifting supplies stuffed in baskets and hanging on the utility board. That didn’t deter me: I could see yoga mats fitting where those rolls were. I clicked the “add to cart” button. 

Elfa Classic Mesh Gift Wrap Door & Wall Rack

All of the components arrived swiftly within a week. Packaged well without too much plastic, the epoxy-bonded steel racks and pegboard as well as the wire-mesh baskets felt solid yet totally lightweight upon first hold. Installation requires little more than a Phillips screwdriver and an Allen wrench, and you don’t have to drill any holes—a win for renters who want their security deposit back. 

Installation, in four steps, took all of 15 minutes: Position the brackets in the center of the door, fit the rack into the bracket so that it will tighten without being too tall, and then screw it in. Attach the different components onto the rack (mine came with a gift-wrap holder, pegboard-style utility board, boxes, hooks, and two medium baskets). The pegboard can be finicky, so make sure it’s properly secured. That’s it. That’s all she wrote. Our interior doors aren’t painted, so we see a small sliver of the brackets on the other side, but if you have white doors, I bet you’d forget they’re there. 

Price-wise, there are certainly other organizers from Rubbermaid or Amazon off-brands that are cheaper. But what I love about the Container Store’s version is threefold. It’s part of the larger Elfa system, which means it’s compatible with all kinds of different baskets and bins made for the line, so you can tweak it over time as your needs change. It’s not terribly unattractive, as far as visible organizers go. Lastly, the durable steel construction means it won’t buckle under heavier loads, and very few plastic parts makes it more sustainable. 

A true testament to its versatility? I liked the rack so much that I picked up another version for our teeny entry closet. It fits right between a few existing hooks we still use, and where there was once a top shelf loaded with cleaning supplies and toilet paper, there is now room for other things we’d like to hide away, too. How’s that for creating something out of nothing? 

Elfa Classic Mesh Gift Wrap Door & Wall Rack, The Container Store ($160)

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Elfa Utility Mesh Over the Door Rack, The Container Store ($161)

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The post This Organizer Was Meant for Crafts—Here’s How I Use It for Gym Gear Instead appeared first on domino.