"Apartment Therapy" a visual treat for modern eclectic collectors

So. I just moved into a new house a few weeks ago. Because this is the first abode I've genuinely felt excited about inhabiting, I'm brimming with ideas to make it "my own." Maxwell Ryan and Janel Laban's Apartment Therapy: Complete + Happy Home with its 300 pages of full color photos brought me into the dwellings of well-to-do homeowners and renters, city and country folk.

While I enjoyed gawking at all the photos and imagining the designers, artists, professors and CEOs that actually lived in the locations featured, I didn't feel there were too many ideas that applied to my tidy, 1940s brick cape cod. Most of the rooms featured - especially living rooms and bathrooms- were truly oversize. Even the supposed "entry-level" apartment has an open, airy feeling afforded by gigantic windows.


Nonetheless, there were several take-aways I learned during my "therapy session":

• I should make a space my own- organizing my kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and office in a way that best suits the way I live in it. (Sounds like a no-brainer; I know. But domestic diva I am not.)
• Huge floor to ceiling windows that bathe a home in light go a long way toward good design, so I've been opening my window treatments wide each morning to enjoy a natural mood-lifter. 
• Big Box furniture sets really don't seem to be in. Mismatched furnishings are in, as long as the entire room has a common theme
• Turn what might be clutter museum-like display using focal points. Play up favorite pieces of furniture as well. As the authors put it, "Every room should have a 'moment,' big or small, that is eye-catching and special."

In addition to inspiration, Apartment Therapy can be used as a reference book at times. Here's some of the handy bits and bites sprinkled throughout:

• List of "5 (semi-) indescructible houseplants" (66)
• The infographic with handy essential cleaning tools and supplies (285)
• "8 Ways to make a small room look bigger"  (251) (Even though their version of small is a lot bigger than my version of small.)
• Monthly checklists for a "Year-Round Healthy & Happy Home Calendar" (278-281)
• Tips on arranging furniture to create a healthy flow (19)

So, in short, this book made me feel both optimistic about making my house a home, and a little envious of those with a much larger budget. The title, which takes its name after the authors' popular website, is misleading for those who think apartment = furnishing and designing on the cheap.

*I received this book from the generous folks at Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.*