I have lived in an absurd number of apartments in my life — 29 to be exact. And my nomadic years taught me that little tweaks to my space, even temporary ones, can anchor my sense of belonging. My first major transformation involved a windowless bathroom and tile that hadn’t been updated (or possibly cleaned) since the 1950s; four rolls of mirrored contact paper soon covered my walls, and I was showering in my own Warhol Factory. The bathroom went from one I loathed to my favorite place in the apartment. Currently, my husband and I are renovating our house (while defiantly living in it with our children and pets), which means most of our spaces feel decidedly unfinished. And with the upheaval, I realized we’d been overlooking the trees for the forest, neglecting lower-lift upgrades because bigger projects remained incomplete. I started looking around for a place I could make my little move. When I came across something called “home decor tattoos,” I assumed they were temporary tattoos of sofas and lamps meant for the arms of design nerds like me. But actually, they are heat- and light-resistant decals conceived to customize your wall tile, mimicking the look of hand-painted ceramic. READ MORE Want fancier-looking tile? Try a home-decor tattoo→ My kitchen features an unexciting white beveled subway tile; I’ve spent a year and a half disassociating from my backsplash. For my tattoos, I picked a French medallion decal design that looked cheerful to me, like little stars. The design has lent a playfulness and a rhythm to the room — the medallions read a bit like music notes — and I now perk up whenever I walk into the kitchen. This afternoon project was a much-needed reminder: Each time I invest even a bit of time and attention, I forge a deeper connection to my home. You don’t need a permit to claim a room, sometimes you just have to leave your mark. Little moves can have a big payoff. To that end, my colleague Liam McCabe recently rounded up some expert-approved and renter-friendly home upgrades. I’m partial to the cordless sconces, but any one of them would look downright transformative. Best of luck to you. 11 home upgrades that look permanent, but peel right off→ We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more ›
“The tattoos have an illustrative quality — an intentional, hand-drawn feel — and my placement leaned into that wabi-sabi imperfection,” says Ivy. “As I worked, the slight variations in the tile itself had me considering the different hands that had contributed to this wall — now, including my own.”
Meet Mabel and Oswald, writer Caroline Mullen’s two French bulldogs. During the work day, they’re impossible to keep calm and quiet. But “salvation” — as Caroline puts it — eventually came in the form of this well-designed enrichment toy, which keeps them occupied while she types, cleans, or makes dinner. Peace at last. “My dogs kept interrupting my work calls. This toy chilled them out”→ Watching the Oscars tonight? See how the actual winners stack up against our predictions for Best Picture, Actor, Actress, and beyond. You can reach the Wirecutter Newsletters team at newsletters@wirecutter.com. We can’t always respond, but we do love to hear from you.
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