I love the post-it note wall. I could have sworn it was painted brick. It must have been a nightmare to put up, not to mention to dust!

LOVE the kitchen. Love it.

Where do you get discount fabric in NYC? Google hasn't helped me at all in my search.

I like this very much. The colors are great.

I love it!!! I'll come back to it and save it!

I thought the brick was painted also.

I think this is by far one of my favorites! i SO thought those were bricks not post its! Love the use of color...and everything is so pulled together for being put together on a budget. What I especially like is that there are combinations of color I would never think to put together that look so good!

Questions--what is the thing on the top shelf of the bookcase beside the fireplace? also, where did you get the console table that is holding your computer? I am exploring my desk options right now...Thanks!

I like red items in a kitchen. I don't know why I just do. Not sure about the cactus next to the Mac though?

FINALLY! A place with color. So far you're my top pick, I hope others see how great this is and vote you to the final. I love when people include a picture of their iMac in the photos, it's a piece of art in itself. Also, with a second look back, I can't believe it's a post-it wall. Crazy. Good luck.

Christine...I can weld you up a console like the one holding the computer for about $250. not including glass.

Love all the fabrics and the fact that you pulled your wall color from a pillow in the first picture. You have a good eye. Post its are awesome.

this place is delicious. warm, fun, and personalized. the non-alignment of the sofa edge and the wall shelf would drive me crazy, however. it seems like it could scoot over a little bit further, at least, or you could fit a bigger sofa...

Surely there must be some award out there for the novel use of post-it notes. I also assumed it was painted brick. What a fun home.

Is that the KitchenAid set of pots and pans?
LOVE the kitchen!!

THIS entry makes me happy. The color, the flair, the POST ITS?! I didn't even realize that's what they were at first -- I thought it was yellow painted brick. You should at least get 3rd place just for that, seriously. I really love the minimalism and sophistication of the other entries but this one is by far the most unique, and the least self-involved -- just good, clean, cheerful design and not studied perfection like the others.

WOW! I love how the apartment POPS with color. Very original and cheery.

This is utterly charming. You have a gift. I can't believe you did is so cheaply - and the post-it wall - wow. I don't even know what to say about that. I envy you.

I *love* your bedding and boldly striped walls. You have a real love of color, which I applaud because so many are scared to experiment, especially the way you did behind your bed. I also love the color and pattern combinations that you selected for your bedding. Your bedroom pops!

Your kitchen is bright and lovely. Nice wall color. Fresh!

You made great use of such a small space. It's very inspiring because it reflects who you are and not the pages of a magazine. I also like it because I can't point to everything and say, "Oh I know where that came from" since a lot of your items have been collected from many places over time, at least I'm assuming. Point: it doesn't look like you ran to [insert bohemeth store name here] and purchased everything in one trip.

We have the same iMac! Don't you love how slim it is? No more clunky CPU and monitors with cords all over the floor. Very nice!

xo,
holly

incredibly cute and happy... i LOVE it.

I am big sucker for cabana stripes-- love them! Are they hard to do?

I love the overhead storage nook in the bedroom-- and I especially love the storage containers (boxes?) Where did you find those?

I don't know if you've inherited the yellow wall in the kitchen, but I don't like it. It makes the red accessories look too much like a circus. I know the color is appreciated though!

The wall of post-it notes is incredible and the spaciousness in such a small place makes it look inviting and casual. I am impressed that you don't feel pressured into adding too much stuff to the floor!

You have cajones, well done! What is the green object in the fireplace? My only peeve is the floating shelf behind the couch, the little cacti look insignificant. Would a tall, oversized potted plant like bamboo or a braided ficus do more justice to that space, I wonder?

Absolutely lovely! Delicious, inviting & warm use of color.

Like everyone else, I thought it was a brick wall - it didn't even occur to me it was Post-Its! So, exactly HOW did you do that? Did you use any additional sticking material/wallpaper paste? Or did you just stick the Post-Its on with its own sticky material, and overlap them? Thanks. Great job!

This would have been a great contender in the "I've Got Color!" contest.

I really love this place - between the use the color, patterns, and textures and managing to make it seem uncluttered, organized and spacious - it's a winner. Great apartment!

this is a winner.

I love this entry. Funky old furniture and post its used brilliantly. I bought some cacti more than 25 years ago and they have pieces surviving still, despite a lifetime of mostly neglect. Give them some sun in the window.

I love the stripes, the colors, the bear on the shelf, the whole idea that this place doesn't take itself too seriously, but it's still comfortable enough to be a home. It has so much personality, but not in a pretentious way. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the black chair. Maybe they'll win the contest and buy a new one with the bigger budget!

Thanks everyone for all the comments and suggestions. Our apartment is still very much a work in progress, so we really appreciate everyones input.
To answer a few questions:

heather: We're from Oklahoma, and consequently bought all of the fabric there (at the Cottontail Originals Fabric Outlet in Stillwater, if anyone cares...they have fabric for 50 cents a yard). Often the bargain sections of regular fabric stores are very good, but I can't point you to a specific store in NYC...Sorry, but good luck!

Christine: The lantern above the bookshelf was handmade from wrought iron in Mexico. It was made for my mom's best friends house which was huge and beautiful, overlooking a lake in OK. The house was broken into and set on fire when I was still in elementary school. It burned to the ground, and the lanterns were one of the only things that survived. My mom was given one of them, and it had been in our garage for over 10 years. When we moved in, that hook was actually already in place. Guess it was meant to be there. The console table is from the Crate and Barrel Outlet. It was on sale for $30, so you may be able to find something similar for not too much $.

mgt: The wall color in the bedroom is actually pulled from the polka dots in the comforter. We found the pillows after the paint was already up...Needless to say, we were thrilled.

tcb: Yes, those are Kitchen Aid pots and pans. I got them at a suffocating outlet mall in central Kansas, but they were very cheap, and I am madly in love with them.

decor8 holly: I love these iMacs SO much. They are the ultimate computers for small spaces (plus, they are adorable).

John Trosko: The storage boxes are holiday stemware storage from hold everything (the stemware inserts are removable). If you live in NYC, you should definitely check out the store, as everything is 25% off. Those boxes were $7 each. And we plan on possibly adding stripes in the kitchen in the next few weeks. They really aren't hard to do. It's all about measuring and taping.

Jonathan: The green thing is this old metal storage...um...thing, for lack of a better word. I found it at a second hand store and liked the color and shape of it. The drawers are 8.5 x 11, so it's great for storing paperwork. The wall is a point of contention for us...Still trying to figure out what will work there. Thanks for the suggestions...We definitely need something taller on that shelf. The only thing we really love on that wall is the art. Also planning on painting that wall a solid color to highlight the drawing.

Phyllis: They are just regular post-its (actually, they are Staples brand). We had originally thought about painting the wall, then we tried spray starching tracing paper on the wall (a good idea in theory, but it looked like animal skin and was not as pleasantly tactile as we had hoped), and then turned to post-its. We didn't use any extra adhesive, and just overlapped them from the bottom of the wall to the top (it only took a few hours). They stick well and really aren't too bad to gently dust. Also, Post-It makes heavy duty notes with stronger adhesive, so those would probably be even better.

Kate(NC): I do move them into the sun regularly...The windows are so cold right now, though. I just assume that's not great for them...but, of course, I'm just making that up. I hope mine last 25 years!

Sharon: You're right. The black chair doesn't have much in the way of aesthetics, but it's incredibly comfortable. I inherited it (and the rooster in the kitchen) from my grandma. It was the chair I always sat in at her house before Sunday dinner. It still smells like her house (I mean that in a good way, not in a creepy "this smells like old people" way).

Thanks again.

The colors are magnificent! I LOVE the red rooster in the kitchen. And, the Vogue prints on the wall add a great touch. Everywhere you look you see splashes of color, sometimes unexpected color! Incredible job!

I am most impressed by the scale of your "stuff". Small spaces require either large statements or smaller groupings and very few people can do the latter without cluttering the place up. You have struck the perfect balance of small things grouped to make an impact. This looks great.

There's just too much positivity in the responses here- I must interject with some cynicism.

The post-its DO look EXACTLY like painted brick. I don't like painted brick.

I know personal touches count, but this reminds me too much of my grandmother and Oklahoma!

Except for the paper lantern- but why is it hidden under the console and turned off?

Yes! I agree, thomas paul, tozai vases and jim dine.
VERY oklahoma grandma! YR
Love it!

Maybe my Grandma is more hip than yours.

Or maybe the color combination on those curtains reminds me of spending humid, boring summers with 'ma and 'pa in the Ozarks.

In fact my first apartment looked much like this one, with all of their castoffs when Grandma moved into a Home. Of course I spruced it up with pillows and posters, too. I should've entered a contest...

This place is grrreat. And while I love the same things everybody else has already gushed about --the stripes, the colours, the print pillows, etc... I also love that big black chair. It is really cool to see somebody keep something in their home because it is comfortable (and smells like Grandma!). I always get sucked in by these very sharp, minimalistic designs that are all about clean lines and looking very spare, and I start thinking I need to throw out my comfy couch and buy a poured concrete chesterfield or something to be all edgy and modern. Sorry, I'm not a designer type so I don't have the right language to explain what I'm thinking. But I just felt so comforted seeing that chair! I'd like to sink into it right now in fact instead of being stuck here in my office at my gruelling (ha!) job where I secretly, obsessively, look at AT all day!

Maybe you should have entered a contest, then you wouldn't be so bitter.

Maybe the colors aren't ugly, they just conjure up all those repressed memories; the hand-me-down teddy bear and those horrible green-and-orange pants I had to wear and banging my head on the poorly-placed shelf and not getting to play the glockenspiel and I start to feel the anger changing me.

But I digress. Bitter or not, the place is just not to my taste. Lucky for me Bri and Chad are now re-considering having me over for tea.

A little too tacky and kitsch … looks like cheap materials, a feign interest in art… or worst lazy adoration

I just wanted to comment on one specific thing - the pillows. I just love the fabric on the pillows that are on the sofa and the bed. Gorgeous colors. The pictures make me want to drag out my sewing machine. Thank you for sharing.

Your first picture just jumped out to me. This is exactly what I was looking for, something similar enough to what I am trying to do with my apartment. The theory of using what you already have but just making it better. It’s affordable but not cheap, personal but not off-putting, colorful but it doesn’t clash, and comfortable but not sloppy. Love it, LOVE it, LOVE IT!!! I need you to make it to the finals so I see more of your space. Good luck! However, win or not, I think you should submit the rest of it as a House Tour later on. Thanks for representing the “thrifty but imaginative” folks!

taking the post-it note wall a little further:
http://mentalhygiene.com/index.php/2005/06/04/post-it-mosaic-howto/

as for the apartment, the first word that popped into my head was "happy". even the floorplan illustration is cute.

Bri, years ago a friend loaned me a funny and fascinating book that described the tastes of the lower, middle and upper classes. The author identified a fourth class, category X, made up of artists and other creative people, the unmoneyed aristocracy. You are securely in category X and should pay no attention to the criticisms of nonmembers. The black chair is great and more meaningful than anything you could buy. It gives a vitality and depth to everything else. I found myself hoping you win and then thinking you could get expensive furniture, but I like the old stuff.
Those horses in your website show the vulnerability and sweetness of horses aand I think you must be very sensitive to capture that. I like the humor in the other pieces also. best of luck! really enjoyed your entry and your art professor too.

Sorry but I think I'm missing something. I feel like the foreigner that didn't get the joke. Though I respect everyone's instant feelings of comfort and joy. I take issue with various things like bedrooms that combine 4 different contrasting patterns and 3+ flat colors or a Salvation Army version of a leather chair, I can't see anything redeemable here aside from the computer desk/cactus area (very nice but overtly ikea). I'm serious. I'm sorry. I feel confused and left out. Yellow and red are McDonald's colors.

Seems like this place has a lot in common with other apartments that have been bashed for various reasons. This design is busy and uses too many colors and patterns in a disorganized and incoherent way.

Oh, how I would love that simple console. I have been looking everyone for one of reasonable fee.

Thank you, Timo. You not alone. You be much more articulate than me is.

I must confess, I first thought the first picture was of a nursery.

A fun, colorful, cheerful nursery, but a nursery nontheless.

Also reminds me of the Van Gogh "Room at Arles". Which is neither here nor there.

Yeah, I think there is a bias here in general toward "found art" and general quirkiness that lets some owner/decorators get away with a little more than the more polished or minimal, or-- god forbid-- the higher budgeted.

But, as I have said before, "Don't buy everything from one place." I think that sometimes holds true for "antique store" and "thrift shop" as much as it does Ikea or Pottery Barn.

Not a specific comment or complaint about this place, btw...

Bri, Chad,
Could you tell me how you created your "enhanced" floor plan? I've seen a similar online tool from Better Homes and Gardens for the layout, but how did you add the color and designs? Thanks

Lisa: We used Adobe Illustrator (there is a 30 day free trial on their website, www.adobe.com if you want to check it out). Everything is built from squares, circles, and lines, sometimes using effects within the program to morph the shapes (rounding corners, making shapes curve, etc.) Illustrator is great because it's vector based, you can make your drawing any size without the quality degrading. Colors are easy to add and change right on the toolbar, and you can change the interior color as well as the color of the outline. Still, I spent a few hours drawing that plan...It's not quick, but it's fun and the results are kind of nice.

terrific pillows!!
especially the snall one on the bed.
the wall of post-its, a sort of tribute to Romy + Michelle
("we...invented post-its!")

you guys are so talented. and lucky. love you!

Hi Bri & Chad,

We're interested in your space & would love to talk to you about our HGTV show, "Small Space, Big Style". Would you be able to email us at smallspaces@brainbox.tv so we can get in touch with you?

thanks,
Sage.

Ok, I love this one too! My other favorite!

:)

When I saw the names Bri and Chad, I knew it would mean fun.

after looking at all the others so far, this is my favorite. fun, happy, but not too overwhelming. lots of personality, but not too cluttered. the colors and fabrics are great. and all clearly on a budget, which is refreshing.

What fun to click on the computer and find the decorating skills of someone very "special to me".I was impressed with the colorful apartment!Keep up the creative work.

Chad Longmore is the CHuck Norris of cello

If you guys can do this on a miniscule budget, I'd love to see what you could do with the DWR prize. Ideas are great, the Post-Its, as mentioned, are a best try and remind me of some Cy Twombly pieces with greek names scrawled. Could get very artsy underground with that if you wanted to, including using accent color underneath.

And using 'found' objects from garage sales, thrift stores, Craigslist, etc. takes just as much design talent as having a more generous budget, potentially more, because style depends on your creativity rather than the size of your checking acct. balance. Three cheers!

Do you guys live without a tv? Just wondering (I did not have one for many years myself).

dIANE: we own a tv, but it's broken and in the closet. we haven't watched tv since moving here, and find we get so much more accomplished. i'm sure at some point we will get a new one and get cable and all of that, but with us both trying to deal with the demands of school and our jobs, it's nice to not be distracted by tv right now. when we feel like watching something, we'll go rent a movie to pop into the computer.

we just painted the wall with the curtains yesterday. i'm sure a few of you would be horrified, but we totally love it.

OMG i love it. I live in NY too. thomas paul sample sales??? How do you hear about them????? please tell!

bugkat: they put up listings on craigslist. apartment therapy may have also posted it in their weekend sales listing...there's always good stuff there. you can find some discounted tp pillows here: http://www.pillowsandthrows.com/thomas-paul-pillows.html

i really hope the rumors about thomas paul ending production are untrue.

Bri, Chad.
You were robbed. I thought because you didn't get a special prize that you were going to be a finalist. You are still tops in my book.

Please post more pics of your place regardless for those of us who were waiting for your finalist slideshow. I'm curious about that wall you painted after entering.

But when I think of it, what would you have bought with the DWR prize, would you have totally changed your look?

Great place..but your sofa doesn't do you justice....it seems too muted for your tastes in color...

I think its all been said. What I'm interested in is the coloured floor plan you did. Brill, I must say.
Can you tell me which package u used, if easy to use and how to get the colours and exact fabric prints in as well!

Hope this doesn't lost in the zillions of comments.

It's my kitchen, right down to the Kitchen-Aide! I questioned painting my cabinets white but now I probably will, as soon as I scrape the decades of filth off of them....

I love this apartment; whoever said it looked "like a nursery" is should just go back to their cold DWR cave and crawl under their Calvin Klein percale sheets. ; ) Really, who dosen't want to have cocktails at Bri and Chad's?

Love it! The apartment has wit, style and ingenuity. Nice creative use of space.

I love it. The pillows and fabric especially. I am useless with a sewing machine and have commissioned my sister in Wisconsin to help me with pillow covers for my place and am very inspired by your choices!! Meanwhile, a one bedroom in Chelsea for less than $1000??? Excuse my while I kill myself.