Name: Philip
Location: South Pasadena, CA
Size & Type: 346 sq. ft. studio
Favorite resource: My grandmother's basement. Most of my furniture came from her. The living room set was custom made for my grandfather's office at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines and the desk belonged to my dad when he was a child. In general, I prefer hand-me-downs and flea markets finds.
Pitch: My small is cool because it's the perfect home. The building has great mid-century details and the furniture tells my family history. The challenge was making the space functional for all my needs, but after months of tweaking, I finally got it right. The main room serves as my bedroom, office, living room, recording studio, and party space. To me, the constraints of a small space are liberating.
Your favorite element:
My favorite elements of the apartment are the large windows. They let it lots of light and make the space feel large and airy. The vintage O'Keeke and Merrit stove is also a big plus!
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Comments (24)
Oooh, very light and airy, I love it.
What an amazing view - I love the angled wall too - great furniture layout!
I'd like to see some color on the walls....the kitchen needs something-perhaps it's mainly that the fridge that doesn't seem to fit in with the general look.
I know what you mean by your grandmother's basement being a treasure-trove - so is mine! I love love love love love all the light - that is such a fabulous asset to a small space!
this is perfect!
im so jealous of all your windows, but i'd love to see something covering the plastic curtains-- those are my most loathed thing that appears in many rentals.
love the grey tile and old stove in the kitchen. love the furniture, of course. well done-- i'm voting finalist.
I love the light and the living room set up..the custom-made furniture in there is great!
I assume that there's a closet in between the bathroom and the bed that holds..all your stuff?
I MUST, repeat, MUST own your sofa and chairs. They are exactly what I am looking for myself
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Wow, talk about light !
Those large windows are a big seller for me on this place.
I'm also really impressed with your furniture layout !
My Vote: Cool. Has Potential.
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Man, am I ever jealous of your hand-me-downs. My elders might not have had the best taste!
Looks like you picked a great layout for an odd shaped space as well, which is no easy matter. Looks great!
I truly admired the use of space. I voted insta-finalist although this entrant's design sensibility is almost the polar opposite of mine. I am quite taken with this.
The last house I rented had almost that same stove but in copper - I begged the owner to let me buy it! He said no, unfortunately.
As previously stated, you did an excellent job in furniture placement, and the light from the windows is so wonderful! Love that picture near your bed - more info?
Congratulations on a great job!!
Hello AT:
THANK YOU for all your comments!
My apartment is a rental and I can't paint the walls or take down the vertical blinds. Believe me, that would've been the first thing I did when I moved in.
I wish I had more information about the furniture, but that's pretty much all I know. By the way, my grandmother is going to be so excited to see her living room set on the web!
The "hallway" to the bathroom is a walk-through closet similar to Carrie's on Sex and the City (but mine has doors). The deep shelves give me plenty of room to keep all my clothes, books, records, etc. There is a pocket door at the other end that closes off the space and transforms it into a vocal booth for recording. The modular (removable) sound insulation panels keep my neighbors happy.
The large print next to the bed and the refridgerator magnets are all Kandinsky.
Great place!!!!!! I love that it's so simple and minimal.. great when your young with little money.. you have picked some great pieces.. just the things you really need to function.. AND IT LOOKS GREAT!!!!
wish my i lived there
That must be the tenth time that bench has shown up in this contest!
WOW!!! What a difficult floorplan to work with...you did a great job laying out your specific "rooms"! You are so lucky to have a grandmother like yours who will part with her custom made furniture! Definately an insta-finalist!
Wow Philip. I am jealous!
I like the apartment itself, but not the furnishings or decor. I'm kinda bummed to have to vote this one down.
this was a hard one... but I think what at the end I was loving the light coming in the windows more than the actual decor. cool space though.
well done!
oh my god, so cool. this is an awesome apartment
good job phil, time to come help your cumberland drive buddy set up his space in hancock park...i may have more room than you to play with, but it would be a fun project...im mrlefty on myspace...come find me!
your space is awesome and looks very inviting to live in :)
~ larry
nice!!!!
really nice apartment, philip - you mastered that floorplan.
insta-finalist!
Light and airy; looks like a pleasant space to be in. Love the mid-century details, especially the windows. The furniture is just right for this architectural era. I don't care for the backsplash tiles in the kitchen, but that's because I have this thing about the color gray.
What a great use of space. Yes, the windows really make it open and cheerful; a must for such a small space.