kb from la's Profile

I live in a condo and have always mixed pots of perennial herbs like mint, thyme, rosemary and lavender with other potted plants in the patio. They require very little care--just need to be cut back once in a while. When feeling energetic I'll add a strawberry pot and and annuals like basil. Even with limited sun--the bane of all small space patio gardening--the above do quite well.

Prompted by this feature, I took a look at Paltrow's website GOOP. Up first was a promotion for a women's clothing line that sells something called a New York Bikini for little girls. $45 for about 12 square inches of nylon. Even worse is the accompanying photo of a four year old Gwyneth Paltrow lookalike modeling this thing. If you have ever wondered why even very young girls have body issues, this photo will creep you out.

I agree. A good debate is much more fun to read than a roll of saccharine compliments.

It was fascinating to read the debate contained in the comments. Much more interesting than the usual "I just love it!!!" raves. The tension between a need to impose our own taste on our personal space and people's growing consciousness about the global impact of wasteful consumption is a meaningful issue. Glad that AT provides a forum for discussion.

Nothing against anyone's bedroom, but this is a boring feature. Bedrooms don't present interesting design challenges, perhaps because they don't involve human interaction (except the most obvious) or function as work areas. There's a bed, clothes storage, maybe a tv, all arranged for maximum convenience. Big space, small space, basically the same.

10 years ago we did a gut remodel of our condo kitchen. During the planning stage I kept asking myself, what's just trendy and what will really last? Decided to go with granite counters, but not with stainless steel appliances--who wants a stove that in five years will look like the grill on a Hummer?

I certainly managed to guess wrong!!!!

JCP have managed to remake themselves into a store with good merchandise and, even more of a shock, smart, helpful salespeople who really know the stock. I had not shopped there in years, and now I go regularly instead of to Macys and Sears.

We've attended Modernism week (or whatever it's called) in Palm Springs and it's a lot of fun. There's a quirky spirit to much of the design, and whole residential neighborhoods feel as if they've been preserved under glass. Given the dramatic setting, the town has a very distinctive character.
Unfortunately preservation efforts did not happen in time for the downtown, which looks like an extended, albeit very upscale, strip mall.

I agree with most of the comments. It's difficult to visualize the place as an entirety and to judge the rooms as complete environments. Frequently a problem with AT tours.

Maybe the issue is aesthetically pleasing photos versus somewhat boring but informative photos? Getting an angle that will let us see the entire room, and tracking from one room to another may produce static images that look generic. But interspersed with shots of interesting details can make for an enjoyable house tour.

It was interesting to compare this article, which seems like a real person reflecting on real experience, and the one by Michelle at Remodelista, which seems contrived around product plugs.
I enjoy Apartment Therapy because the posts feel authentic. Too often lifestyle blogs feature an over the top fetishism (Michelle and her marble backsplash) that make women sound obsessed with trivia and contain photos that look like stage sets. Marble countertops and hardwood floors photograph beautifully, but are totally impractical in a working kitchen.