Featured: Tip’s Home Featured on DesignSponge!!!

July 21, 2015 • nat • Before & After, Happy House Rules, Inspiring, Interiors • 2 Comments

House Tour Alert!

I’m so excited and delighted to share that Tip’s gorgeous family home is featured on DesignSponge today!

If you know about the interiors blogging world then you know that Design Sponge is THE place for interiors. And I couldn’t think of a better place for Tip’s home tour than there!

Too often every day life doesn’t look like the photos we’re being presented in interiors blogs and magazines. It’s styled, things are removed from the image. A stylists adds things that are borrowed to make things look prettier. Photoshop removes cords, cracks…

Not here! Tip’s home in the photos is exactly as it is: gorgeous, beautiful, and a real living breathing space that Tip and her family lives. Transforming spaces into places that are authentic, honest and feel great…and exactly what we’re all about. And of course, did I mention gorgeous?

You don’t need to trust me…off you go and have a look.

PS And just for kicks, here are two before photos so you can see just how much amazing work Tip has done transforming the space.

Natx

Hanging Planters

February 26, 2015 • tip • DIY, Greenery, Interiors, Trends • 8 Comments

When I saw this month’s theme for Urban Jungle Bloggers I got a bit excited as I thought it would be a great reason for me to get my craft on and create my very own hanging planter … well, February whizzed by and besides spending the last week painting my attic floor, no other house relating things happened! I DID go to IKEA (on Valentine’s Day no less – so romantic!) and picked myself up a number of new plant friends, including … wait for it … a hanging planter and little vine thingy, ‘just in case’:

I quite like it, I have to say. Let’s see how long it survives, as I am not known for my green thumb. I never let it stop me though, I just buy new plants when the old ones die!

Nanny’s Chicken Soup For The Soul: A Recipe

February 9, 2015 • nat • Food & Recipes, Interiors • No Comment

This recipe is one of the best, most healing elixirs I know.

Me and my whole family got slammed the last week with a nasty flu. It made me think a lot about what we could eat given we all had sore throats

…and of course my thoughts turned to chicken noodle soup.

But you certainly don’t need to have the flu to make and eat it!

Weekend Reading: Our most loved posts of 2014

January 18, 2015 • tip • Interiors • 1 Comment

Everyone seems to be doing it so we’re jumping on that bandwagon, bringing you the blog posts that are the most loved by our readers (that’s you!) from the last year. A little retrospective, as it were! Enjoy.

Lara Hotz’s Kitchen DIY – we are ALL about small changes => big impact here at apartment diet. Lara’s kitchen revamp does just that.
Our 7 Top Unkillable Plants – For the black thumbs around here, like me, that still want to have plants.
Natalie’s house tour on interiors addict – Natalie has turned her warren like apartment in Tel Aviv into a light, bright family space.
Sleep Habits: unplugging the bedroom – Natalie tells you a bit about how she unplugged her bedroom to sleep better.
Let it Go: Why We Keep Stuff – A really good list with the help of Karen Kingston to help you self diagnose why you’re hanging on to stuff.
Psychology of Clutter & Letting Go – A link to a great article about the psychology of stuff.
Mel Bombadiere’s Living Room Rethink – The results of our work with Mel, helping her rethink her living room & get her started again.
Moving On When Someone Close to you loses someone close to them – A personal post from Natalie about the loss of a loved one.
Let Go Of Things That Make You Feel Bad – All about “life’s too short for bad vibes”.
Can You Help Me Wife / Husband /Partner – A question we get asked. A LOT.

Weekend Links: productivity + rest – take an hour to …

December 5, 2014 • tip • Happy House Rules, Interiors, Weekend Links • No Comment

It’s been a full week as usual in the run up to the holidays, but even moreso here in The Netherlands as the Dutch version of Santa (“Sinterklaas”) culminates in a present giving evening today, December 5th. The kids everywhere have been beside themselves with excitement and the parents are running around like crazy to all the special events and parties that come with this time of year. It IS lovely and a great way to distract from the cold, wet and grey days but I’m just about all partied out and it isn’t even Christmas yet! Anyway, my plan for the weekend is to just get some things done so that I can spend time with my family but also have at least an hour to myself – something I suggested our PA also take ‘on us’, to do something to lift her soul. We all deserve at least an hour to stop, disconnect from all the beeping and buzzing and demands, and reconnect – with nature, with friends or simply, with ourselves. And I’d like to add that taking a break also helps our productivity – win win!

So this is what I wanted to put into our post today – some “ninja” productivity tips and then some space, for you to do whatever it is that lifts your soul (and no, that does not include kicking back with social media!)

Have a beautiful weekend & big love from myself & Natalie. Tipx

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A recent blog find – Samantha has ninja productivity tips for you

My all time favourite productivity rule from our “Clutter Cure eCourse”

My Instagram week of get sh*t done rules that you can find here (You might also notice that I’m taking December off social media – I’ve managed to get a lot more done this week because of it! A post on taking a digital break is in the writing!)

A little video that might help you get some things started (so you can then finish them!)

A bit of interiors mmm – this Tamarama apartment via est magazine

Finally, on my wishlist: This lamp. Prrr. (sorry, couldn’t resist – in case Santa’s reading)

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Image links: 1

Guest post – Bloggers lunch at the 1st or 2nd store

November 17, 2014 • tip • Inspiring, Interiors • 2 Comments

Elma Coetzee, a photographer & illustrator friend of mine documented our bloggers lunch adventure recently at the 1st or 2nd Design Choices store (brainchild of April & May Studio):

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On a crisp autumn afternoon I joined the lovely Tip from Apartment Diet at a bloggers lunch held at the new First or Second Store in Alkmaar. The lunch was hosted by Sandra from Accessorize your home and catered by Femke & Eddy from Hééérlijk. The shop was opened in September 2014 and is a work in progress with the upper levels yet to be updated by the talented team from April & May Studio.

The outside of the store certainly gives nothing away about the inside. I was happily surprised when I walked through the door hit by the welcoming smell of cookies and beautiful design furniture. The store is tastefully decorated in a minimalistic scandinavian style. Imagine clean lines balanced with subtle soft furnishings.

After a delicious lunch we had the store all to ourselves and received a tour from Jantine & Vivian. I love the way they play with art accessories. Posters, little drawings, black and white prints or even just a postcard taped to the wall. I found the store to be original, inspiring and I had a lot of fun taking photos on the day.

* For those of you in the Netherlands interested in joining a bloggers lunch hosted by Sandra / Femke & Eddy, check out the website.

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All images shot & edited & owned by Elma Coetzee.

Featured: Natalie’s House Tour on The Interiors Addict!!!

November 10, 2014 • tip • Interiors • 4 Comments

Yes, its a triple exclamation mark title because I am just. so. excited!!! So excited.

We’ve been sitting on a little secret, patiently waiting until the lovely Jen of The Interiors Addict posted the feature of Nat’s apartment reno on her blog … but the wait is no longer! It’s up!!! (I’m still excited.) So head over here for the post and more pics of Nat’s gorgeous place and of the gorgeous Natalie herself (& her little cutie Luke).

What are you waiting for? Go!

Tipxo

Photography credits: Asaf Kliger / Alan Tzatzkin

Join Me On A Trip To The Design Museum (Part 1)

October 15, 2014 • nat • Interiors • No Comment

Some buildings just make me happy. This is one of them.

Happy Wednesday / Hump Day! My parents are in town and that means re-exploring the city, and heading outside Tel Aviv’s bounds…and where did that lead us?

The Design Museum in Holon.

Designed by Ron Arad the building is frankly, spectacular. But it’s also somehow, quiet and human scale. And while the exhibition spaces inside it are small, I forgot how fun it is simply to sit and enjoy a lovely well designed space.

I love how the light works. These are NOT adjusted photos. I took them with my iphone. It looks like this.

I’m obsessed with the custom benches that are pretty AND comfortable. And I especially loved how the center of the building was, for the most part, empty (except for the said benches).

On one hand it’s a very ‘heavy’ space, especially given it’s a steel and concrete structure. But something about the curves, and the light and the empty center, makes it almost light.

I must admit it also opened my eyes up to Issy Miyake and what he’s doing and thinking about the future of fashion. And there was a lovely exhibition on “gathering” with interesting furniture and lighting. But I’ll save that for a second blogpost tomorrow.

For now, I just wanted to share the building, and see if it inspires you too.

What do you think?

– natalie

hem IS here!!!

October 1, 2014 • tip • Interiors, Products • No Comment

So I’ve been meaning to tell you guys about this new concept store for a little while now, but with all that’s been going on for our impending launch (yes, we’re launching something too!!!), I’ve had my hands full. But, it’s good timing anyway as they are now actually here and ready to take pre-orders. From the folk that started fab (which also bought out One Nordic) comes a brand that calls itself “High Modern Design Made Easy” – comes an IKEA flat-pack model but with private-label furnishings. A “luxury IKEA” as it were. Even better though is that you can order online and have it sent to you (IKEA has started but isn’t quite there yet as they have a different business model, unfortunately). Yahoo! No more dealing with furniture warehouses, wandering around for hours and then having to wait 6-8 weeks! BUT WAIT, there’s more – they also allow you to customise things some aspects! Very exciting stuff. Anyway, less yabbering from me, I’m sure that you want to see what they’ve got to offer so … some pictures for you to check out below. For more, head over to hem’s webshop. Enjoy! Tipxo

A Love Letter

September 24, 2014 • tip • Happy House Rules, Inspiring, Interiors • No Comment

While Nat takes a well deserved break for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) I would like to share with you one of my all time favourite Happy House Rules. It’s a bit like my “attitude of gratitude” that I use to help me deal with my depression – a way of changing your perspective on things but maybe it’s even more than that. Anyway, here goes:

I would like to challenge you to write a love letter to your home.

(Yes, you can still do this while you’re resting.)

Yup. That’s mine. I wrote it a few years ago and it is still there, in the mirror in our living room. We saw this idea via the genius that is Grace Bonney (a.k.a. Design Sponge) who usually gets folk to include them in her sneak peeks of their spaces and decided to try it out. I have to say, that the effect it had on me was significant – so much so that I have fought to ensure that it stays as one of our key Happy House Rules.

Instead of focusing on all of the negatives and stuff I still had to fix in the this old home, I started focusing instead on the positives and appreciating what she gave me. There’s a lot still to do here but I now love my home rather than feel weighed down by all the not so nice bits that I still have to deal with. Of course, this lightness also has to do with a lot of the other Happy House Rules I’ve implemented across the years but this one is simple and easy to do (and it works!). Mine is a quick scribble (which is all that it needs to be) but here are a couple more for you to look at to get some ideas going.

There’s not much more to say beyond this as it’s pretty straight forward. It’s quite a personal thing but if you’d like to share then we would love love love to see yours. So, will you join me this week and

Write a love letter to your home?

In love and lightness,

Tipxo

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Images 1 My home by BintiHome / 2 / 3

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