Room by Room
Open Shelving in a Small Kitchen: How to Style It So It Doesn't Look Cluttered
From the world's most depressing garage sale to 'which designer did this.' Three items per cluster, one color story, a $27 light strip, and restraint.
Room by Room
How to Make a Tiny Bathroom Feel Like a Boutique Hotel (Renter Version)
A friend from Portland stayed four nights and called my 5 by 7 windowless bathroom a boutique hotel. It's a sconce, three towels in one color and a curtain hung high, and it all comes down in ten minutes.
Room by Room
Kitchen Counter Lighting for Renters: The Under-Cabinet Strip That Fixed My Shadow
A year of chopping onions in my own shadow under the landlord's ceiling light, then a $38 strip under the cabinets and the counter was lit from the front. The setup, the mounting, and why it changed the whole apartment.
Room by Room
Best Bathroom Upgrades for Renters: The $40 Sconce That Fixed My Mirror
A 5 by 7 windowless bathroom with one overhead light that put my face in shadow. A $40 plug-in sconce beside the mirror on strips, and the mirror became the best-lit spot in the apartment. The rest of the list, ranked.
Room by Room
Kitchen Lighting for Renters Who Actually Cook: Light the Counter From the Front
I bake sourdough weekly in an 8-foot rental kitchen with one ceiling light behind where I stand, and for a year I chopped in my own shadow. One rule, three fixtures, $190, and the onion is in the light.