From not enough space and too many things to not knowing what color to paint the living room walls, many of us struggle with our homes. Now Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, frequent makeover expert on HGTV?s Mission: Organization and Small Spaces, Big Style, shares the do-it-yourself strategies that have enabled his clients and fans to transform their apartments into well-organized, beautiful places that suit their style and budget. Week by week, Apartment Therapy will guide you to treat common problems, eliminate clutter, and revamp even the tiniest space. Here is an eight-step process that includes:

• A therapeutic questionnaire to help you get in touch with your personal taste and diagnose your home?s physical, emotional, and energy flow issues
• A prescription with recommendations for each room based on your needs and lifestyle?including tips on how to use color, lighting, and accessories
• A treatment plan, including regular maintenance schedules to ensure the ongoing health of your space
• Illustrations of floor plans and decorative examples that allow you to visualize concepts before you begin

With surprising ease and without elaborate professional help, Apartment Therapy will help you clear a path through disorder and indecision?to reveal a home you?ll love.

"New York-based interior designer Gillingham-Ryan is out to prove that even the dreariest, no-view walk-up can be transformed into a cozy urban oasis using his 'eight-step home cure.' The unflaggingly enthusiastic author asks readers to 'listen' to their apartments-appraising what he refers to as the bones, breath, heart and head of the space-before determining ways to streamline. Despite the decorator's forays into psycho-babble, his advice proves practical as he teaches readers how to determine a makeover budget, de-clutter, liberate themselves from a lifetime of accumulated possessions and choose paint hues. Gillingham-Ryan's belief that the right lighting can 'create warmth and visual movement' leads to more helpful advice on choosing the right fixtures, the different types of light and the virtues of high-end candles. No housing revival would be complete without a party, so Gillingham-Ryan shares the most festive recipes in his arsenal, including 'Orange Pant's Deadly Simple Chocolate Mousse' and 'Margaritas to Make Men and Women Giggle.' While the author's ideas may not break new ground, his ebullient, can-do attitude will appeal to readers interested in, but intimidated by, an apartment overhaul." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Decorating a home is just plain stressful! Maxwell's book offers a way out; it's like hiring a pro (without the attitude or expense). He takes us by the hand and gently guides us through the entire process, from coming up with a plan to executing it without going broke. Whether you're just dipping in for a quick hit of inspiration, or committing to the whole eight week cure, your home — and life — will be better because of it." Angela Matusik, Editor-in-Chief, Budget Living Magazine

"New York-based interior designer Gillingham-Ryan is out to prove that even the dreariest, no-view walk-up can be transformed into a cozy urban oasis using his "eight-step home cure.... Ebullient!"--Publishers Weekly

“What a refreshing decorating book! Apartment Therapy is a must-read for creating your perfect nest. Fire your shrink and follow Maxwell's eight-step therapeutic cure!”--Jonathan Adler, potter, designer, and author of My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living

"Decorating a home is just plain stressful! Maxwell's book offers a way out; it's like hiring a pro (without the attitude or expense). He takes us by the hand and gently guides us through the entire process, from coming up with a plan to executing it without going broke. Whether you're just dipping in for a quick hit of inspiration, or committing to the whole eight week cure, your home — and life — will be better because of it."--Angela Matusik, Editor-in-Chief, Budget Living Magazine

"Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan's Apartment Therapy is refreshing in its point of view–your house has to work for you from the inside out. Gillingham-Ryan encourages readers to really take a good look at where they are at home and how they can improve the quality of their lives.”--Wendy Goodman, interior design editor, New York Magazine

The frequent makeover expert on HGTVUs "Mission: Organization" shares the do-it-yourself strategies that have enabled his clients and fans to transform their apartments into well-organized, beautiful places that suit their style and budget. Illustrations.

"One part interior designer, one part life coach," Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan is the founder of Apartment Therapy, a unique interior design practice in the New York metropolitan area. Maxwell is a regular commentator on the new House & Garden Television show, Small Space, Big Style. Previously, Maxwell appeared on HGTV's Mission Organization. He has been interviewed in various publications including the New York Times, the New York Post, the New York Observer, and the Wall Street Journal. A former elementary school teacher, he holds a B.A. from Oberlin College, an M.A. from Columbia University, and a M. Ed. from Antioch. He lives in a 250-square foot apartment in New York's West Village with his wife, Sara-Kate, a food writer.