You voted, our judges met, and we’ve got a grand prize winner for the 2021 Small/Cool Contest!But first, some backstory. (We know, we know, bear with us for a quick sec.) Last year, Apartment Therapy revived the reader-favorite Small/Cool Contest. We hadn’t run the contest since 2016, and we were so excited to see your small (1,000 square feet or fewer) and cool (self-explanatory) spaces from all around the world.

Scandinavian home decor is something that I've always been fascinated with. The home featured today is a charming old home in Sweden that has been renovated in..

A unique one of a kind doormat! About: 100% coir doormat. The doormats are made with natural fibers that vary in color. No single mat is identical to another. Each mat has its own imperfections that make it unique. The layered Rug is not included with your purchase, It is for staging purposes only. If you are interested in buying a layered rug, we have several options. Thank you for shopping small and make sure to follow us on social media @tiananicholledesigns!

The brief was to transform a dark five-bedroom Edwardian detached house into a colourful, light free-flowing family home.

Our new house!

We are more than ready for 2020 to begin, but first we’re looking back at our most-liked images from Instagram of 2019. From gorgeous pool-side retreats, moody colored cabinets and more, the 2019 round-up is full of great design that deserves a double take (or two!) before we move into the new year.

Tips on making your house or apartment a more home-like place.

This week we were finally granted planning permission to renovate our 1930s house into a Scandinavian inspired contemporary family home. Come and see the design prepared for us by Detail Architects and get tips on how to navigate the planning process.

A curation of interior spaces to inspire your renovation project and fuel your curiosity

Here are some of our musings of what happens living in a new build home for a week! There have been some things we really needed and didn't.

Remodel & extension of a 1970’s bungalow to provide a sustainable & contemporary family home. Situated on a sloping site with stunning sea views, Bray Head.

These nature-inspired bathroom design ideas bring the best of the natural world together with the best of the engineered world.

Name: Darcie Location: East Geelong — Victoria, Australia We bought our cute two bedroom, weatherboard dutch-gable house in East Geelong around seven or eight years ago as first time home buyers, and saved like mad for years to renovate. Its been over 12 months since the work was finished, but because everyone knows houses are NEVER finished, it’s still a work in progress! The yard is next..

Hey guys!!! So, I haven't blogged in nearly 4 months. It's crazy. I barely even know where to begin! There's so much to say and so much to share, so let's just jump right in and pick up where we left off. Our little Ava is now 5 months old and doing really great. We survived 4 months of colic/milk allergy/reflux and between that and a pretty difficult pregnancy, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of my sails. But, little by little, things are getting so much better and I'm slowly starting to feel like my old self again. Thank you guys so much for being patient with me and understanding that I needed some time off to focus on Ava. I'm so grateful for this precious girl, and I'm sure one day I'll look back and laugh about the past year. But, like, not yet. Ava on Halloween...finally giving us all sorts of sweet smiles. So, let's get down to business. In the final few months before I had Ava, I was able to share with you guys the finished basement renovation, our upstairs flooring redo, and the nursery. But I kinda ran out of time (duty called) before I could share the finished living room. So, a quick 5 months after I finished it, today I can finally show it to you. Many of you guys have been following my blog for awhile now and have already seen the before pictures of the upstairs living area, but I'll share them again, as it's always a nice reminder of how outdated our house was when we first moved in. So, here are the before pics. This is the living room in May of 2010 when we first moved in...wall to wall carpet, outdated light fixtures, dark wood trim, and windows so old that you could feel the wind in your hair when you stood next to them. This was what the entryway looked like. Outdated light fixture, parquet flooring and carpeted stairs, rickety old stair rail, and dark wood trim and door. This was what the dining room looked like. There was a wall between the kitchen and dining room that made the room almost too tiny to use. There was an old glass sliding door that barely opened, dark wood trim and wainscotting, outdated light fixtures, and a tile/carpet combo. This is what it looked standing in the dining room and looking into the living room. This house sat on the market for a really long time before we bought it, as it was obviously totally outdated. I was a little scared, as it was our first house and I had never renovated anything in my life. But, ultimately I decided to just go for it and I'm so glad I did. Renovating it took me almost 5 years to complete. Sometimes it was totally stressful, sometimes I wanted to quit, but ultimately it's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. And I learned a lot. Which is great because we won't live here forever, and the next time I renovate a house, I'll be much better equipped. So, that being said, here are the pics of what this upstairs area looks like today. Let's start with a little recap of the dining room and entryway and then we'll move into the living room. One of the things that made the biggest difference was knocking down the wall between the dining room and kitchen. We also built a new stair rail, painted all of the trim and wainscoting white, added new light fixtures, and installed white washed hardwood flooring. I painted our kitchen cabinets and updated the hardware when we first moved in the house, and although in an ideal world I would have been able to fully renovate the kitchen, I decided that I could really stretch our budget by just painting the cabinetry and working with what we already had. In the dining room, I added a bold rug that I found for $60 (I know it's not for everyone, and that's okay.). I found the dining room table at a salvage shop, and the white leather chairs with metallic legs I found on Overstock. The original post about the dining room with sources can be found here. Also, we've talked about my orchid sabotage many times, so...that's a fake orchid. I've got a child to raise. Here's a quick view from the landing at the top of the stairs. You can see where we also knocked down the wall and widened the old doorway into the hallway. Here's a look around the corner. You can see how we painted the old outdated wainscoting white. We also replaced the old sliding glass door in the dining room with nice french doors. In the entryway, we replaced the light fixture, and installed double doors on the coat closet. We replaced the carpet on the stairs with hardwood treads and painted white risers, and we also built a new stairrail. I painted the existing front door Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (favorite!), and added a little silver coat hook from HomeGoods. One of the deer heads broke off after I brought it home. And now this little coat hook reminds me of Jesse tinkering in the garage for an hour, determined to fix it for me. I think there was some ametuer welding going on in the garage, but I was too pregnant to waddle out there and watch. And now, let's move on to the finished living room. I don't expect this room to blow anyone's mind. But, it's come such a long way, and it's where we spend most of our time, so it definitely deserves at least a little time on the blog. We replaced the light fixtures, added some inexpensive tufted couches and a giant comfy ottoman, the rug is from awhile back, and then I thrifted the TV console. Here's a pic of the TV console I found at the thrift store. It's obviously nothing special, but it was the right size and $20, so...sold! I painted it (using the only furniture paint I ever use anymore) and changed out the hardware. It has a super glossy lacquer finish and looks really great up close. I'll eventually mount the TV on the wall, too. Here's a closeup of the hardware. Some little polished nickel pulls from Home Depot. I haven't decided on what kinda curtains I want to hang yet, so for now the windows are just bare. It took us 5 years to finally replace those old windows, so I don't mind looking at the new ones in the meantime. I added some Etsy pillows to the sofas. Here's a view of the living room looking back into the dining room, one of my favorite views. We built the mantel and made the stacked log insert for the fireplace (both were done awhile ago) and then I freshened up the mantle with some things I had around the house. The little framed floral art is a print I found on Etsy. And then, I made some art of my own...some black and white abstract art for above the sofa. I had Jesse build me a basic wooden frame. And I spray painted it with this Krylon Foil Metallic silver spray paint (affiliate link). It's good, ya'll. I think I'll be using it as my go-to silver spray paint from now on. It made my little frame look like actual metal or like it was silver leafed. Either way, good stuff. For the painting itself, I just used some Sherwin Williams Simply White paint (the same color that's on the walls), mixed it with a little gray, and then sketched out a doodle and filled it in with some Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (the same black paint I used on the front door). It's probably not gonna end up at a museum, but it took me an hour and only cost me a few bucks, so homemade art for the win. And that, you guys, is the finished upstairs living area! I'm sure it will continue to evolve and change, but it feels great to at least have it furnished and not under construction. We lived in the basement throughout most of my pregnancy, so it's nice to no longer be a cave dweller. And I'll leave you with this picture of how the living room looks in real life, filled with baby stuff. Because it would be ridiculous to pretend like my house always looks like the above pictures....it took me at least twenty minutes to clean out all the baby apparatus before I could take some blog pics. Let's be honest. :) As for the blog, a lot of you have asked what my plans are. I plan to slowly get back into the swing of things, as time allows, and as quickly as my brain starts functioning like normal again. Thank you guys for all of your sweet comments and messages. I appreciate it so much. I know I'll eventually find my groove again, but right now I'm still doing a lot of this. And I wouldn't have it any other way. 'Til next time! Follow my blog with Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email! Enter your email address:

Name: Darcie Location: East Geelong — Victoria, Australia We bought our cute two bedroom, weatherboard dutch-gable house in East Geelong around seven or eight years ago as first time home buyers, and saved like mad for years to renovate. Its been over 12 months since the work was finished, but because everyone knows houses are NEVER finished, it’s still a work in progress! The yard is next..

Enhance your prank game with our hilarious "I'm Telling Father" Jesus Door Hanger! Perfect for housewarming parties or as a surprise for your friends, this sign is sure to bring a smile to everyone's face. Measuring 9.2 inches wide and 7.9 inches tall, this 1/4 inch thick sign is made to fit standard door frames without any adhesive. Choose from either left or right side hanging options and personalize the phrase to make it even more unique. All signs are cut and engraved in-house for the highest quality finish. Don't settle for a generic gag gift. Make a statement with this funny and memorable door hanger.

✔【Design】Thi mini chandelier adds a little brightness to your small space.，The crystal deflects light and produces multi-directional light. The combination of dazzling crystal and chrome finish hardware surrounds a light bulb, making this compact aesthetic the focus. ✔【Usage】Mini chandelier with crystal chrome finish,using gorgeous K9 crystals and hardware surround by single bulb make it more attractive and bright,for Bedroom Kitchen Bathroom Loft Kitchen. ✔【Size】: the maximum length of ceiling lamp chain is 39.37 inches (adjustable chain length), the length of lamp body is 15.56 inches, and the width is 10.23 inches. The ceiling is 5.12 inches in diameter. ✔【Bulb type】E26 bulbs, incandescent, led and halogen lamps, etc. (not including bulbs) can be used ✔【Easy Installation & After-sales Service】Easy installation, The package also comes with installation instructions, which have precise installation steps. If you encounter any problems, please contact us via email and we will reply as soon as possible. Product Description This chic chandelier features a chrome finish. Combined with clear crystals.The crystals deflect the light, creating a multi-directional glow. Dress up your home with this classy fixture, makes you feel relaxed warm and romantic. The modern and traditional elements allow this chandelier to blend with a variety of styles.This ceiling chandelier is a modern ,elegant design for home decor Absolutely gorgeous little chandeliers ✔The frame of our crystal chandelier is made of commercial-grade metal, it has been cast and polished three times, make it perfectly coated and durable for long-life use without rust. using gorgeous K9 crystals and hardware surround by single bulb make it more attractive and bright. ✔This fixture features an E26 socket that is compatible with a variety of bulb types, up to 100 watts maximum,Fully dimmable when used with a dimmable bulb and compatible dimmer switch Provide instructions and accessories required for installation It's easy to install. It only took me 20 minutes Pretty glitter The crystal sparkles under the light of the bulb Shine Chrome Finish It has been cast and polished three times, make it perfectly coated and durable for long-life use without rust. Clear Crystal High quality K9 crystals Application scenario bathroom living room dining room

Located on a rural plot in Ontario, Canada, this expansive space includes an abundance of natural light and a bold mountain style

This is the space of sharing our family, our home, recipes, living simply and finding our joy… Not by collecting things, but creating memories and learning from it along the way. We are learning to trust in Him and go where we are called to live, love and nourish our family!