Family Homes

Spoil her a little.

Calling all washers of dishes: this one's for you.

Get inspired with these before and after photos!

If you love the color green, you will love this charming Scottish home.

My son and I used to talk all the time, but now that he’s a teenager he just clams up. What’s a healthy way to keep channels open with him and stay in touch with what he’s going through? ElaineDear Elaine,This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot and this past week I had a small breakthrough (aided by my therapist, who is love). Staying in touch with your children as they go through the teenage years is INCREDIBLY HARD, but IMPORTANT.

The after is an explosion of color, pattern, and imagination.

Name: Janelle Williams, husband Darrell Williams, and three children ages 19, 16, and 11 Location: Annapolis, MarylandSize: 2600 square feet Type of Home: Single Family HouseYears lived in: 5 years, ownedStarting the year off by touring the homes (and drawers, pantries, closets, and more behind-the-scenes spots) of professional organizers, small space dwellers, and other design experts has become a tradition on Apartment Therapy.

Homeowner Sandy Jandu describes her home's style as "Escaping the '90s." She explains: "It's a three-bedroom builder-grade from the 1990s, chock-full of 45-degree angled halls and nooks to nowhere. We have worked our tails off to bring it to life, and while our home has a ways to go, it feels like OURS."

The bold library wall is a bookworm's fantasy.

This homeowner and organizing enthusiast has tons of tips for getting the most out of your garage storage.

One or more of these tips is bound to work for your kid, too.

NOTE: These short memory stories, dropped in as they are to my Ask Maxwell column, do serve a purpose. While definitely different, my aim is to provide context for what we were thinking when we were children, which will help us to understand our own children. I find that in going back into my own childhood and sharing stories of my own struggles and what I was thinking at the time has been very helpful in connecting with my own daughter as she has grown.

From a new parent self-care move to a trick borrowed from puppies.

Steffy Degreff is a lifestyle and fashion content creator and shares things like style hacks and home DIYs on her website, Instagram, and TikTok. She and her family have been renovating this 1974 A-frame cabin in the woods of Upstate New York.

Before, it was barely able to fit one person. Now, it can seat plenty of guests.

It's the perfect happy medium for a young family.

It also has near-perfect reviews on Amazon.

The whole family helped with this renovation!

Yes, it's possible.

You don't have to change every single thing in a space to totally transform the feel of it, and this redo is proof.

You do NOT need to decant things into cute jars! Promise.

Could you recommend some chapter books to read to very young children at bedtime. I have grandchildren who are 5, 4 and 2 years old?ShereenDear Shereen, I’ve absolutely got some books for you, though I will say that is a big stretch in ages. The five and the four year old will be great with one kind of book, and the two year old with another. That said, older children love to revisit younger books, so you may be able to get them all together at bedtime eventually.

It's amazing what a little trim can do.

Jennifer is a part-time nursing professor and the full-time CEO/lead professional organizer for organizing company, Organized by Jen D. She shares this San Diego home with her husband, Tony, sons Alton, Aiden, and Sean, and pets.

The once childish space is now unrecognizable — and very, very cool.

This in-between space is now reaching its full potential.

Misella and Angga run Lumalamp, a handmade origami lampshade business, out of their home, this 700-square-foot apartment they renovated themselves and share with their three young kids.

Emily Auffrey describes the rental apartment she shares with her family as a NYC dream space. “We truly feel like we moved into our dream NYC apartment. In addition to being the dream home; the area is just absolutely ideal for a family," she writes.

It took less than 15 minutes!

If you need inspiration for an easy, done-in-a-day furniture refresh, read on.

A new, more functional layout helped, too!

If you have an ugly utility sink at home, bookmark this redo.

Teachers have the most innovative storage and organizing solutions. I'm lucky enough to live next door to a retired fourth grade teacher, and I learn something from her every time we're together.

From shushers to snot suckers and everything in between, make sure these items are on your gift list.

Stephanie Lalley, who is the Design Director at Lucy Interior Design, turned this unloved, nearly tear-down cabin into a stunning and bright retreat for her family of four.

"I had all of these ideas and was struggling to narrow them down, to simplify the design, until I realized it’s my house, and in this small space I can take some risks," the homeowner says. "So I did all of them."

The cabin was built in 1987 by a local musician, and Caley and her family fell in love with the "extremely unique home."

The designer-homeowner used a pop of color in an unexpected place.

Be sure to check out the new bathroom, too!

The new shower curtain adds the perfect amount of color and whimsy to tie the whole space together.

Hey, Maxwell, I’d love to hear from some other parents about small victories they’ve had and helpful tips at home they’ve figured out. Would you ever do that? HannaDear Hanna,I THINK THAT’S A GREAT IDEA, and, as someone who gets to go on and on and on sometimes, I’d love to throw open the door and see what some of you might have to share that could help us all out.

Spring cleaning is hard enough without also having to scoot kids out of the way! Here, some little chores they can do with you (without creating a bigger mess).

Can Bon Ami or dish soap do the trick? Let's find out.

Styling can feel like a daunting task, especially if you're a beginner. The good news is that if you're feeling stumped by a corner of your home, you're in luck.

A clever solution for all of that wasted space in your medicine cabinet.

She said something so simple yet so wise that it will always stick with me.

We did an IKEA kitchen renovation, and these 5 pieces made all the difference.

It's not all that hard. Promise.

Let’s talk about the power of liquid starch.

All the stuff you never want to be without when you're away from home and feeling ill.

The secret to this DIY project was just a little bit of raffia cloth.

Appliances like washing machines are particularly sensitive to mold growth.

Thanks to an IKEA hack that saved a handy homeowner up to $10,000 on construction costs!

Don't be so fast to automatically run the drying cycle!

My daughter is twelve and just got her first smartphone, which is causing havoc. She’s got tons of apps going, doing weird things with her friends, and it feels like too much for her age. How can I easily, kindly, and firmly control this? MichelleDear Michelle,This is a huge question and has many different answers, depending on what sorts of behaviors you are seeing and which ones you want to curtail, but I GET IT.

These clever projects were the best of the year for these talented DIYers.

The whole family pitched in to make this cozy outdoor living room.

Wallpaper, antiques, and many more trends that will dominate.

Think dark colors and open shelving.

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. When I was growing up, my mother had a saying: The Devil works overtime on Sunday mornings. She meant that every minute I spent arguing with her about clothes, every harsh word spoken as she herded our family out of the house to get to church on time, was a kind of warfare: Satan trying to keep us from worship.

Professional organizer Shira Gill's definition of minimalism is "not about deprivation or scarcity, but rather, defining what is essential and meaningful to you, and then stripping away the clutter and distraction that stands in the way."

Focus on what’s doable and realistic.

Here are a few of the organizations providing immediate and critical assistance to Ukrainians.

NOTE: These short memory stories, dropped in as they are to my Ask Maxwell column, do serve a purpose. While definitely different, my aim is to provide context for what we were thinking when we were children, which will help us to understand our own children. I find that in going back into my own childhood and sharing stories of my own struggles and what I was thinking at the time has been very helpful in connecting with my own daughter as she has grown.

A pro organizer gives her pantry a more minimalistic look.

These investments were an absolute game-changer in our small apartment.

The basement is now home to a TV and gaming area, a ping-pong zone, a workout corner, and a utility room.

Less waste, more convenience.

Because your kitchen needs a little springtime TLC.

And they take only minutes to DIY!

I know; it seems unlikely that a gorgeous antique is also kid-friendly. But I’m here to tell you that it is indeed possible.

We’re really loving the Lightning McQueen bed!