Megan Baker
Apartment Therapy
New York, NY, United States
Contact Megan
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Megan:
The Mind-Blowingly Simple, $0 Hack You Need to Know if You’re Gardening This Summer
I spent most of my adult years living in a small New York City apartment, so moving out of state a couple years ago and into a house that has an actual yard has been an exciting new adventure for me. While some parts of having a yard are equal parts exhausting and soul crushing (ahem, raking leaves), others have been exciting. → Read More
Before and After: An Empty, Underutilized Room Becomes a Functional Office Thanks to DIY Built-Ins
While working from home has plenty of perks — ahem, zero-minute commute — one thing that can be tricky is finding a space to do it. The ideal setup is something that is both out-of-the-way enough to minimize distractions and stylish enough that you don’t dread spending hours at a time there.That was what Stephanie Thain (@styledbystephthain) was wrestling with when it came to her own… → Read More
6 Tasks DIYers Should Almost Always Do Themselves, According to Reddit
There are few classic adages that hold up well throughout life, but one of them is this: Practice makes perfect. This is especially true if you’re a DIYer, since even the so-called “easiest” tasks — like hammering in a nail, painting a wall, or hanging a picture frame — requires some getting used to. There’s a learning curve for everything, and home improvement projects are no different. → Read More
Before and After: A TV Wall Shakes Its “Just-Moved Emptiness” with a Small-Budget, Big-Impact Redo
If you’ve ever moved into a new home at one time or another, you know exactly the look that DIYer Maria Dolores Slaberri calls “just-moved-emptiness.” The vibe — blank, impersonal — isn’t just relegated to new homes, either. Sometimes, spaces that you’ve lived in for a while can start to take on that blah style.Maria, a designer who blogs at Lola Can Make It, was facing just this look in her… → Read More
These 6 Eye-Catching Designer Paint Projects Are Easier Than You Think
The impact is huge, but paint projects aren't as complicated as they look. → Read More
6 of the Best Designer-Approved Plant Styling Tips for Small Spaces
Among all the trends that are part of this year’s Small/Cool NYC design showcase — a bold new “it” hue, sleek and practical built-ins, relaxing color combos — there’s one that will be especially exciting for plant lovers. That is, of course, all of the unique ways designers displayed greenery within their rooms. → Read More
This $5 Paint Project Barely Takes Any Time or Effort, But the Payoff Is Huge
When it comes to home transformations, it’s hard to beat the power of paint. A cold-feeling room can get a cozy upgrade with a couple coats of dark paint, or a dated-looking space can get a fresh and modern update with just the right shade of white.But you don’t have to stick to giant whole-room — or even whole-wall — projects to create a big impact. → Read More
The Ultimate Composting Guide for Total Beginners
There are a lot of small changes you can make at home in an effort to reduce your environmental impact: eating more vegetarian meals, switching to low-flow shower heads and toilets, or voting in every election to support candidates who advocate for green policy changes, for instance. One other (surprisingly) easy way to make a difference? Reducing your food waste and turning any scraps into a… → Read More
Before and After: A $7 Thrifted Cabinet Gets a Gorgeous Floral-Themed New Look for $200
There are some nearly-perfect treasures to be found at thrift stores, but there are lots more pieces that need a little extra love and attention to become something great. This cabinet, found by DIYer Hana Sethi (@hanashappyhome), is a prime example. When Hana found it, one of its knobs was broken, its hinges were rusted, and the orangey color of its laminate finish wasn’t doing it any favors. → Read More
I Read a 97-Year-Old Home Repair Manual and Learned 4 Great Tips and 4 That Made Me Scream in Horror
When it comes to home repairs, there’s a lot that’s the same today as it was 100 (or more) years ago. Hammers still look — and work — basically as they did when they were first invented. Handheld saws might be more comfortable and more efficient these days, but their mechanics are unchanged. And paintbrushes? Well, they might be made with different materials now, but the vintage ones are just as… → Read More
Want a Little Motivation for Your Next Home Makeover? The One Room Challenge Starts Today
Pulling off a home makeover is no small feat, even when the projects seem small. To transform your space, you’ll need time, money, and creativity — and a little cheering section doesn’t hurt, either. That’s one reason Apartment Therapy is partnering with One Room Challenge, which connects DIYers and decor lovers all around the world as they take on their own personal one-room transformations. → Read More
Want to Actually Enjoy Painting Your Home for Once? Don’t Skip This Step
By now, you probably know that one of the most economical ways to transform a space is with a gallon of paint. But many homeowners and renters say painting is one of their least favorite home improvement tasks, often because of how boring it is.Of course, there’s one crucial step to take if you want to truly love your next paint project: watching the paint dry. → Read More
Before and After: An Old Table with Office Furniture Vibes Gets a Chic Upgrade for Under $100
Sometimes, furniture has such distinct style that you can immediately envision the environment where it belongs. That can be cool — like finding a piece that looks like it was transported from a rockstar’s living room or a teeny rustic cottage in the mountains. But sometimes it can be a harder to imagine where something should go, as was the case with this table Serena McGinnis… → Read More
Before and After: A “Stained and Crunchy” Bedroom Gets a Chic, Timeless Redo for $2,200
February is Bedroom Month on Apartment Therapy! We’re sharing stories all month about bedrooms — from how to decorate them, to the fascinating history of them, and so much more. Head over here to see them all!Sometimes you luck out when buying a house and find one that’s been well cared for and is in perfect shape — turn-key, even! → Read More
Before and After: No-Demo Decorating Strategies Make This Living Room Feel Twice as Big
If you want to make a space bigger, you’ll have to move a wall or two. But if you just want it to feel bigger? Well, there are plenty of non-permanent strategies for that, from choosing a better furniture layout to opting for a lighter color scheme.DIYer Elizabeth Brickley (@happyhomemama.diy) put both tactics to the test, plus more, in her living room redo. Elizabeth bought her home in 2015,… → Read More
Before and After: A Drab Beige Roof Deck Gets a Wildly Colorful (and Comfy!) Redo
Officially, there’s still a month of winter left — and depending on where you live, there might unofficially be even more (sorry!). But that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start planning projects to make the most of your outdoor space once the weather starts to warm. To get your creative juices flowing, look no further than this colorful transformation of a once-bland roof deck. → Read More
Before and After: This $600 Laundry Room Features a Brilliant Hack for Transforming Ugly Sinks
Laundry rooms work hard, but they don’t always get a setup that reflects that. In Lisa Chun’s (@ourhome.becoming) home, for instance, the laundry room was equipped with just a washer, dryer, and utility sink when the family moved in four years ago. Yes, it had the basics covered — but there was no space for storage, and no space for folding or hanging clean clothes. → Read More
Before and After: A Catchall Storage Space Becomes a Sweet Nursery for $1,000
Some spaces at home are easy to fill: You know a kitchen has to serve as a cook space, and you know a bedroom has to have a bed. But sometimes the odd and undefined spaces at home can present a bit of a design conundrum.At Lindsey Leger’s home, that head-scratching space was a small room between two bedrooms. It had no door and no closet, so it wasn’t really a bedroom — but it was also pretty… → Read More
Before and After: A Boring Basement Gets a Jaw-Dropping, Kid-Friendly Redo That’s Full of Whimsy
If you’re lucky enough to have a spare room in your home, you know how easily it can go from bonus space to dumping ground for things that have no other home. That’s especially true of basements, which can often feel like a black hole of belongings since they’re so far out of sight.That was certainly true at Tina Fratello’s (@fifthcornerhome) house, where the finished basement had become a bit… → Read More
Before and After: For $255, an Awkward Nook Gets a New Life as a Dreamy Reading Nook
Ever have a space at home you weren’t sure what to do with? Whether it’s a corner cabinet or an overly wide windowsill, it can be tricky to figure out how to use these awkward spaces effectively.At Luke Lusk and his boyfriend Tyler Batson’s apartment, the head-scratching space was a little nook in their living room. “It wasn’t really big enough for a couch and too big for a desk,” Luke says. “We… → Read More