Oct. 29--He's known as "Mr. Apartment Therapy" because of a house-call service he started in 2001 in New York City. His goal then was to make homes more organized, beautiful and healthy. A website, www.apartmenttherapy.com, followed. Then a book, more websites for home cooking (the kitchen), green and technology, and more books. Fourteen years later, Maxwell Ryan's goals remain the same -- to help make a home of any size, vintage, style and type look and work well, bring occupants great joy and become an object of love for its owners or renters. We recently caught up with Ryan on his cross-country tour for his most recent book, "Apartment Therapy: Complete + Happy Home" (Potter Style, 2015), co-authored with Apartment Therapy Executive Editor Janel Laban. We asked him to share favorite tips for achieving these goals. Here's what he had to say:
Focus on three essentials to find your best home: 1. Make it near your family and friends, which in most cases will influence how much you like your neighborhood. 2. Love your neighborhood since it's an extension of your home. You'll like it more if you can walk to those things you need most -- grocery store, restaurant, bakery. Homes feel enlarged when you can go somewhere that becomes an extension of your house. 3. Have enough light, which will make you happy and allow you to grow things or have trees.
Stretch your dollars to buy or rent the best place: Spending a little more, between 10 percent and 20 percent, can make a difference and give you room to grow in your space, have it be a little nicer and maybe better-located. It will pay off in the end. It's not about square footage but the quality of the space. You might be looking to downsize and go to a smaller house but one in better condition or in a better location. When I was recently moving, I couldn't get past the way many homes I saw were run-down and had floors covered with a rug to hide what was there. But the energy felt run-down. I finally found a newly constructed home and became the guinea pig to see how well things worked.
Think house style beyond the facade: House styles -- craftsman bungalow, split-level, modern high-rise, row house or brownstone, for example -- aren't just superficial differences. They reflect structural differences too. A craftsman cottage usually has a woody interior with smaller windows, not a lot of wall space but a cozy feeling. If you want a modern interior, more light and walls to hang things, this may not be a good choice. You might be better off going to a more modern house with larger openings and bigger and smoother walls.
Arrange your best flow: How you arrange furniture can make a difference in how a room looks, works for conversation and flows to other spaces. It also can affect how happy and energized you feel in it. Too many people put a sofa in front of a TV like a movie theater setting and forget to include other seating and a table. The basic premise of a living room or dining room is that it's a social setting. You also need good flow to get through, so don't block access with furniture to other areas of the room or other rooms. Don't block windows and doors.
Find your style DNA: Labels such as classic glam, happy modern, eclectic collector can all be helpful to figure out your own style and get you started. But once you've chosen one piece, develop your own style as you cull together pieces for the entire room. We try to help people by suggesting they put together a mood or Pinterest board from images. They'll see a style taking shape when they identify the images that appeal most. Then go back, look again and remove those that no longer appeal. Everyone should be prepared to make changes. Nobody's style stays the same. Be sure you add depth to your choices -- not all new or old furniture. Mix in something inherited, antique or vintage, which gives energy to the space and tells a story.
Pick your palette: We advise an 80/20 guideline. You only have to inject 20 percent of a room in color to make a big impact, even in an otherwise neutral room. A colorful rug, one painted accent wall, or a row of colorful pillows can all give a room a colorful, lively feeling and brighten and freshen the space. We advise people to pick a few shades within one of the two main groups for harmony -- warm reds, yellows, oranges, or cool blues, greens, purples.
Highlight your floor: Floors are a room's fifth wall, but many people don't realize that since they walk on them. But how a floor looks and feels is important since it can affect how you experience a room. I like a floor with color, and it can be a nice way to make a cheap floor look great and add contrast. I'm also a big fan of color and pattern by the choice of a rug, which can add softness underfoot and absorb sound. Walls don't do that. Another advantage of rugs is that you can take them with you when you move and make it the first thing you put down.
Make window treatments more than decoration: They're a way to be sure you allow in light by your choice of shade or curtain but also a way to filter light and add a soft frame. They also offer privacy.
Light with multiple layers: Light is an animating force. You don't touch it, but you walk in a room and your eye travels anywhere there's light, natural or artificial. Layers from different sources give you the opportunity to add nuances and depth to that visual experience. You should have at least three points of light in every room, and I like them to be at a lower level of a tabletop or floor. You can't read a book with light only shining down from the ceiling.
Install art like a pro: Don't go too high -- no more than 57 inches to 60 inches from the floor to the center of your artwork, whether it's one piece or a grouping. Then, adjust the art for a seating grouping. You should lower the height to 48 inches if everyone's sitting at a dining room table, for example. People also need headroom if the art is installed over furniture. You need 5 inches to 6 inches of wall space above a sofa or headboard or 4 to 8 inches with a table. It's best if the heights are consistent throughout a room.
Make any small rooms look bigger: The more light you have, the better, and if space is really limited get as much as you can off the floor. Track lighting or recessed cans can help; so can lights in closets when opening the closet makes the room look bigger. Generally, you should choose lighter colors since they add reflection. Mirrors also are helpful to amplify light and extend a horizon. Don't use small furniture. A few large objects, artworks or oversized pieces will give a room a generous feeling and make it look bigger.
Don't forget to love your home so it loves you back and comes alive: Treat it right, buy it flowers, eat delicious meals together, serenade it, appreciate its uniqueness and remember no home is perfect, don't crowd it with too much stuff, spend time together and introduce it to your friends. I haven't yet filled up my refrigerator in my new home and to me if you're not cooking, a home feels cold.
Take the pressure off you -- and your home: Make the design process easier by forgetting trends and friends' opinions. Use a space as it makes the most sense for you, give yourself permission to let things go, even rules like hanging art at 57 inches to 60 inches off the floor. When you make mistakes, admit them, go back to square one and learn as you live.
