About Apartment Therapy

Our Mission: Helping people make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online.

Ten years ago, Maxwell Ryan was known as the "apartment therapist," traveling by scooter to his clients' homes to help them make their spaces beautiful, organized and healthy. Part interior designer, part life coach, his touchpoints were simplicity, comfort, and lack of clutter.

Unlike typical designers, Maxwell didn't want to dictate where things should go or how people should live, he wanted to arm them with the tools and the confidence to decide for themselves. Shortly after launching in 2001, he started a weekly email where he would send tips and recommendations to an increasing distribution list, combining education with decoration.

In April 2004, Maxwell, with his brother Oliver Ryan, launched Apartment Therapy, turning the weekly email into a daily blog post, reviewing stores, offering tips, posting photos of Maxwell's design projects and answering readers' questions.

As the readership grew, so did Apartment Therapy. Between 2004 and 2008, the site launched sister sites devoted to cooking, family, technology and green decorating. Maxwell hired full-time staff, and an expanding pool of contributors.

In early 2012, Apartment Therapy relaunched in order to better serve its readers. Because family, technology and green living are integral parts of modern life, these separate sites are now absorbed into a more comprehensive site that focuses on the two centers of life at home, living and food. Streamlined and easier to navigate, Apartment Therapy continues to offer its readers different ways to build their own "good life," based not just on style but on lifestyle.