i gotta say, this is a great article. now is a good time to shake up the energy in your every day life.

I agree Lady J - and the Spring Cure (with the awesome new page and local discussion boards) is a great way to do the same kind of "shake up" in your own home.

I read this article in the NY Times this morning and I was waiting for it to be posted here so that I could get this off my chest - that brown room with the huge white things on the wall is HORRIFIC! (Oh, and in the very last one, how does she watch TV since very single piece of furniture in her place seems to have it's back to it?)

As much as I care about design, if I were out of work, it's the last thing I would spend $300 on. How about groceries? Utilities? Mortgage/rent?

Is it weird that I liked the b4 better in first one? It was messy and needed to be clean, but the room seemed so much bigger and brighter; and I liked the pink & silver.

The third one is really nice. The lights make a huge difference. And it's a fun room.

pvett, hopefully the money didn't come from the room owners. Otherwise, yes, odd choice for the recently unemployed.

a big part of the story was that these recently unemployed persons were spending much more time in their home and really wanted to make it work better for them while they were there...

more specifically, each person said they were going crazy being in their homes all the time

So most of the designers didn't even manage to stay under the $300 budget? I'm kinda disappointed in the results. The tight budget was an opportunity for these designers to get really innovative and creative and they kind of fell flat. I did like the third one - and it only cost $296!

Um, the decal/stenciling? Big nono.

Kinda screams paintball practice to me. Sorry. Not my cup o' tea I guess.

I think they were sort of harsh in claiming only one designer stayed under $300. One came in at $304, and another at $326, which is close enough for me.

I loved this article. I always wonder what a designer would do without $500 vases and 12 foot ceilings.

The faux rug in pic 5 is awesome.
The white wall decals are heinous, but at least they can be removed quickly.

in pix 9 - 10, the tv was moved to sit on a credenza behind the couch and chairs. i know its more chic looking to have a sitting area w/ out a tv but how realistic is that? maybe they wanted it out of the way so they wouldnt watch tv all day

I loved this article (though couldn't stand the big white stencil pattern, or the stripped walls). And yes, $300 is a lot to spend for someone who is unemployed. But, environment breeds mood, and when someone is home all day trying to get work, an organized, inspiring space is REALLY important. More than anything I enjoyed the fact that most people just needed to get organized, clean, and reconsider furniture placement and use—all FREE ideas.

See this is the kind of thing I would like to see more of on AT intstead of expensive over designed art-fart kind of furniture. We (sorry I) want more design ideas and on a budget.

Hi guys - that's my apartment in pix 9-10, and I wanted to explain the TV thing - I hate having the TV as the centerpiece of the seating area - I like it to be more a "conversation" area so have always tried to minimize its presence. In this case, the TV is now in the perfect spot -- it can be angled to face the couch (which I have def. been doing), and I can now watch TV in bed, which I love doing! That make sense?

well, it does say studio so i figured the tv must face the unseen bed. i like how your new arrangement focuses on the view out the window.

what's harsh about saying people didn't stick to the rules? the limit was $300. even if they came close, they did not meet the criteria. it's important for them, as journalists and as judges, to disclose who did/did not follow the rules.

joan52, weren't you looking for nightstands that size that concealed everything? (pictured bedroom with pink bedding)

I liked two of the places, Laura Rich's apartment and Aurora Pedraza home, but the others didn't do it for me at all. The white stenciling on the brown walls were just so very ugly, and didn't like the color graphic on the apartment wall. It looked very teenage to me (although the article did say that the tenant lived as though he was still an adolescent). I hated the way the bedroom looked; mostly didn't like the colors or design, but the metal bed has those ugly black rubber risers on the legs (presumably to store stuff under the bed) that look like the bed legs are wearing orthopedic shoes. Major clash with the supposedly sexy new bedcovers.

the problem with the stencil is color. the colors are too dull and the contrast ratio isn't right. maybe if they were a dark spicey color instead of light. the pattern itself is gorgeous, but there are too many of them and they're too close together given their size.

I'm with everyone else who thinks that stencil job is heinous.

Ok, so before = crappy picture, with bad lighting and junk everywhere. After = nice lighting, carefully chosen perspective and freshly cleaned. I'm only moderately impressed.

I like laurarich's apartment (9 & 10) and think it is a great representation of what you can do with a modest amount of money and a furniture rearrangement. Now the room isn't focused around the TV, the color is brighter and tied together with the rug/curtains and the desk chair can be turned around to join the party.

Huh... I really appreciate the article, even if I'm not wild about some of the makeovers.

Those decals. Oy.

Okay, now I read that what I thought were decals are in fact stencils painted by a pro at a cost of $250.

There are no words.

I think Laura Rich's is my favorite. I really like the drapes and the rug as they seem to brighten up the room. Does anyone know where they are from?

Not me Lady J. Another Joan perhaps?

The first makeover came in at $490. What? So designer just decided to disregard the concept of the article, and go that much over the budget? She gets an F.

Me, I'm dying to know what those designers would have charged for their labor if this weren't a "challenge".

Well, I thought the most dramatic changes were in the Murray Hill and the Williamsburg apts. Adding splotches of dramatic color is what appealed to me.

Having said that, I was also impressed with the phonograph records storage solution already in place in Williamsburg apt. I have been looking for something just like this for my LP collection (of similar size) for the longest. Can anyone identify the source of this bookcase/bookshelf or for something similar?

Some interesting ideas... I like how those strange brown-and-orange pillows kinda work with both the fushia bed and the brick red couch.

I did roll my eyes a bit when I read that the fifth designer, who went over-budget with $326, spent $54 on "bookshelf installation by handyman." Seriously, why?? Those don't really look that hard to install... I bet they even came with instructions.

I think this is the best "outside article" I've read on AT so far.

Ditto, on the(yuk) splats on walls. I always hated it when they went over the budget on HGTV shows, too. I mean isn't that the whole point? Set a budget , then stick to it.

I like #1. I sympathize with the rubber risers, as function is paramount for some, but they do look a bit like orthopedic shoes (had to laugh at that). As I recall, Bed Bath & Beyond has some risers that are wood or wood look blocks. Perhaps that would be better. I like #9 the best, though it needs something large for the left wall. Any tips on finding a credenza like that for myself?

Ha ha! Love that unwatchable tv! LOL.
Some rooms a can't see what actually changed ( hmm, maybe a clean up and then duck out for a free $300 slap up meal / massage and hair cut : probably better choices for depressed people who have lost their jobs!).

I agree that those white Moroccan inspired (? has the designer been there ever LOL) blobs are depression inspiring.
But hey overall, doesn't this say you CAN make your place fresh without rushing out and spending a fortune and that a little change can help set you in the right direction. Overall a bloody good excercise! Bravo

my neighbor brought this article over and dropped it off (because she's seen me painstakingly redo my apartment while refusing to buy any piece of furniture for more than $100. i love you, craigslist...)

i was mostly underwhelmed with the designers' choices, but i LOVE that peacock lampshade! i've been trying to figure out what i wanted to do in terms of a tall standing lamp in my bedroom; i knew i wanted a big round shade but i don't want it to be nondescript. and now i know!

I'm sorry but I just can't take that "let's paint a supergraphic on the walls" solution again (Williamsburg apt)...it never looks good unless you have very, very good taste. Or unless you're Knoll (somewhere on this site is a wonderful orange wall with white periods and commas)...

Here is the wall: I found it.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/wallpaper-graphics/pause-graphic-wallcovering-by-2x4-079496