i love it. i cannot live there. but it is a real unique one full of colour and life. after a lot of the usual modern and sleek minimal apartments, this one makes a nice change.

i dont think it will fulfil the brief of this contest in terms of innovation with the space available. but it is an interesting space and assembled with a lot of love.

how do you do the dusting? there is just so much to clear

I like some of the individual pieces, and I like the wall colors. Obviously Dixie is living among things (and creatures) she loves. The floor space is uncluttered, but the walls and other surfaces are so uniformly covered, I can't imagine feeling comfortable or getting anything done in this apartment.

Fun! When I saw the top picture, my first thought was: Oh, a kid lives here. A very neat kid.

I don't think I could sleep at night with all those eyes looking at me.

LOVE this! It's fun, and we haven't seen enough fun entries. This will horrify the West Elm crowd, but the pics made me smile. Glad you entered!

I'm torn on how to vote, as some of the high-ranking Minimalist Modern entries don't use space in innovative ways, either -- they just don't own much. And this one made me smile!

I'd go mad with that much stuff to dust, but it's *cheerful.* And it doesn't look like the cover of an IKEA or West Elm catalog, nor like a hotel.

wow. anyone with so many...heads...gets my vote.

That stuff desperately needs to be edited. There's just too much, and it all blends together. Some of those things might be interesting if they had some room to breathe.

Hey Dixie, Are the birds hard to live with in a small place? Your place is fun. I wonder about the eyes also. I would want to wear clothes all the time.

I like the idea of using the bedroom as the walk in closet and not being afraid to have your bed in the main room.

This is overwhelming to me, but still, I'd visit - it looks like a fun place!

All I can think about it cotton candy.

The wall color would doom me to spending hours and hours in the gym.

cluttered. It would be cute if it were a kitschy knick-knack shop.

But I think someone said before: I admire your guts for opening up your home to brutal scrutiny.

I just noticed you live in "Bluebird Manor".
Perfect.

I'm imagining the opening scene in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events with the Happiest Elf.

Love it - love it - love it!!!!!

I love how the space is open AND clutter free.

Design Tip:

Listen to what speaks to you, other who speak. Only you know you always wanted to be a pirate, only you know you need lost of space to practice your rhumba.

Love, love, love your design tip. It totally wins. I agree that your space probably will not make it far in this contest as it seems the West Elm/boutique hotel crowd is the ruling class here, but your entry is a great alternative the usual fare.

Love it! All this insistance on editing and restraint can feel a bit stifling/puritanical. Your entry is a welcome respite. I admire your exuberance and joie de vivre!

go on Dixie, go your own way!
plus it's a pretty good solution
to make the bedroom a walk-in closet
and live in a studio surrounded by your favorite things
and birds

charming phrase of the day:
"corny carny swag"
thanks!

there is alot of stuff with a theme here but somehow, it doesn't pull together as an integrated space. looks like a display for knick-knacks.

This would be such a fun place to wake up every day! Love the colors.

it's super fun, but i find it a bit overwhelming, like an antique store. i would edit it down to your most beloved items, because i think the impact gets lost in the crowd.

but i love that you are rejecting boring, pre-fab minimalism.

Does it come furnished with magic mushrooms?

A lot of the entries could pass for catalog photos. Props to you for not being one and daring to be different and unique. The dressers are great!

finally a place that makes me want to meet the person. Kudos to you -- it's great. i especially dig the gnomes.

I love it because it's the exact opposite of anything I would ever do. I bet you are a lot of fun to hang out with.

And I would agree that I would always feel like someone was watching me. It's a lot of fun though.

szig--
re-- "the West Elm/boutique hotel crowd is the ruling class here"
I don't think the overall voting or comments really supports that, so much.(Were that so, there would not be so many positive comments on this entry)

And I always find it interesting that this crowd is ALWAYS pretty quick to critique those who "bought all their style from one box," (be it a West Elm or Ikea or DWR or Ligne Roset "box") yet on this entry, it seems not such an issue...

Sure, the purchases all happened at different times, from various sources, but the net effect is the same kind of one-note song that the Ikea shoppers have been getting consistently hammered for so far...

And yes, I get, love and salute the humor and free-spirited-ness of this entry...

Yikes!!! The clutter.

ps-- To all you gnome lovers, hope you are also a Philippe Starck lover, since I'm pretty sure those gnome tables are his, for Kartell...

Yowza Yowza Yowza!!

I love how this space contradicts all the other entries: completely eclectic, free-formed and swimming in kitsch. This one gets my vote! Oh, and if you win, you must share with everyone what you buy.

To me, it looks like a thrift shop, but I do appreciate the uniqueness of it. Do you mainly sit on your bed? I long for a comfy sofa of some sort...

Reminds me of grandma's house. Fun to visit and look at everything. But I couldn't live with the clutter.

I'd have to say that Daisy is very brave to enter. I think it is quite the eccentric place.

Theres Gno place like Gnome....
Theres Gno place like Gnome....
Theres Gno place like Gnome....

Was Baby Jane Hudson an inspiration at all? I get a sense of lost youth. It's fun but teeters on creepy.

this is just plain horrible.
you decorative style is so perverse they could feature you in that sadly departed great magazine called nest.

... and i don't have anything against kitsch, if it has some intellectual (non sentimental) counter point, but this abomination doesn't. i think you need to seek counselling. sorry.

You have a lot of wonderful things, but I don't see any rhyme or reason to how they are displayed.

Editing is needed - not in the sense of deletion, but of grouping and display. For instance, the row of dolls above the doors is eyecatching.

This reminds me of a comment made by an earlier contestant about how things are furniture/decor is flung to the perimeter of the room.

With all the decor, I don't quite get the sense of how this person lives in their space even though the sense of personality is...quite distinct! Kudos.

I'd go nuts with all that stuff, and the colors aren't to my taste, but I love that your pets are such a priority. It's so hard to have pets in the city! I miss having my kitties! And FIVE parrots, wow! They're a hoot. You must be a very fun person.

i love it! it's like living in a cupcake!

it ain't my style, but i'm impressed by how much it showcases your personality. i'll definitely vote for you, mainly because it's easy to decorate when you don't own anything, but you have lots of stuff AND a personality. well done!

This space absolutely terrifies me. I think if I had to live surrounded by all of that, I would freak out and go insane within an hour or two. All of the eyes for one thing. All of the STUFF for another.

I collect things as well (I have a ridiculous number of books, maps and interesting things - art, art and more art, tacky souvenirs, more books, a vase or two, dishware, fabric, journals, photographs - I've picked up from travelling and from around the city, as well as some city models.) I think what makes collections special is placing specific pieces or groupings of pieces in a way that really lets them shine. Rotate them in and out in visually significant areas (like a prominent bookshelf) depending on the week, the season, your mood, flowers in season. Most of my books are in a cabinet with closed doors. Most of my maps are in files. I keep these things tucked away and then rearrange them every so often on display. My apartment is tranquil and soothing, and I am still surrounded by the things I love.

I love this place. I agree that it could use a little editing. I mean, you have some GREAT lamps in there (including one I used to have), but it's hard to see them. I wish there had been more places like this in the contest. You know, the anti-HGTV. I get tired of showrooms and hotel rooms, and personally, I'd never choose to live in either. P.S. I bet you'd like Tretchikoff: http://www.tretchikoff.co.uk/

r - Take it easy and please find a way to comment without being rude or insulting. Strangers are literally throwing their doors open for you to take a peek - applaud their courage, disagree politely if what you see isn't to your taste, propose constructive suggestions if you can, ask questions or offer your congratulations. Nobody really wants to know if you think we need our heads examined.

This makes a color blind individual quite sad.

OMG! I just noticed: NO TV! That's 5 million bonus points! Everyone in this thread who has complained about "clutter" probably has a TV in their main room. To me, a TV is clutter--mental and physical--and way more annoying than a mantel covered with crazy figurines.

My goodness, Jeffery, you're right -- no visible TV!

I think I mentioned not wanting to dust that much stuff, and I don't have a TV in the main room (it lurks in the bedroom closet until wanted), nor a stereo, nor a permanent installation of computer equipment... but I just know my own lousy dusting habits.

Jeffery, are you one of those people who is quite proud of the fact that you don't have a tv? Can you explain what's so great about that, exactly? I don't mean it as a facetious question, either. I have a few friends like you, and the attitude is a total mystery to me. I don't see what's bad about liking the Sopranos or the Food Channel or CSpan or a baseball game...you get the idea. Can you help me understand?

I wish you had entered the art contest of several weeks ago! Your paint-by-number canvasses and other framed flea finds are a beautifully curated collection. To my eyes, though, they are swallowed up by the clutter and color of everything else. All of this great stuff needs focus and organization (and maybe a touch of neutral wall color?).

Love your casement windows too, BTW. Where is Bluebird Manor? (Near Sugar Hill, perhaps?)

Dear r:

"perverse" ?

"abomination" ?

"counseling" ?

christ, calm down

Okay, you finally drew me out of the shadows of my 2400sqft (3 floors each 800sf) inner-ring suburban home. My kids, 4, 5.5, 7, love to peek into your apartments with me. Their reactions range from "Cool!" to "Where do they play board games?"

This one had me laughing out loud at my 4 year old's reaction as I scrolled down from photo to photo.

"Wow."
"Wow."
"Wow."
"Wow."
"Wow."

Have to say there was a mix of shock and awe in her voice.

I am happy for you Dixie that you are surrounded by cheerful stuff. And I am glad you entered the contest.

Putting the bed in a small room is practical and what every inner child loves - a private space all their own.

Kat, I think someone's mother locked him (her?) in the basement with gnome figurines back in the day...

Hey, I wish I could see that cool ottoman in the second picture better! Any info on that? Or a description? Thanks!

Dixie, good for you! You live with passion and THAT is a wonderful thing! There is joy, happiness, and sweetness here. Will it win a design contest? Probably not, but it should win "Miss Congeniality"! You have my respect as one who knows what you need around you and then makes it happen.

Um, Dixie says in her post that she has a TV.

r,
What's your problem? At least I'm asking what's wrong with you instead of blindly initiating a judgemental pseudo-intellectual analysis of your lifestyle and taste.

Dixie,
Thank you for sharing your very creative home. Definitely not my preferred aesthetic, but if I don't hold an open mind to other ideas, how am I going to grow as a designer?

Thanks again,
Thomas

No, I'm not proud that I don't have a TV. I do have a TV. However, I keep it on a cart and only wheel it out to watch DVDs. I certainly don't think people who watch TV are "bad." Goodness knows I've done my time in front of the Boob Tube over the years. The "clutter" comment was related to a few discussions here over the past month or so: What IS clutter? A lot of people here think books are clutter, but TVs and computers are not. Why? Anyway . . . Try this: Turn your TV off for a month and see what happens, then turn it back on and see what happens. You'll learn about yourself and the power of media in the process.

Hey there Dixie!

I applaud you for entering something that really pops and mixing things up a bit. Your space is over the top cute!

Wow, it's like 1930s, 40s, and 50s all smooshed together in a really explosive package of eye-popping colors and graphics. No one can blame you for having a cold, boring or unlived in space! Quite the contrast; it's bright and cheery. I bet you're just as sweet as your environment. I can't imagine someone living there that wasn't completely full of energy and zest.

::QUESTIONS::

*Does your space reflect your personality? It appears as though you are quite extroverted and vivacious, an ENFP perhaps. Are you a peppy free spirit, or?

*If I'm not getting too personal, what industry do you work in? No need for details, just the basics here. You strike me as either a broadway actor or a high end antiques dealer down in SoHo or something.

When I see your photos, I imagine fashion designer, Betsey Johnson, cartwheeling across the floor.

Fun!

Holly

i have a friend with a house similar to this. it is not my style at all, but i love to go there and just look around. every time it seems there is some other cool thing to look at. unlike my house, which i like, but once you see it once, you've pretty much got the idea.

i say good job showing off what you love.

Turn off the tv for a month at the start of the new Sopranos season? Ain't gonna happen.

But it's a good question---what is clutter? Very appropriate for this thread. There's physical clutter---things you have to pick up and dust, dust around---too many of those and you end up spending a lot of time dusting. There's visual clutter, the result of badly arranged objects, strange color combinations, etc. There's even auditory clutter, like when you have the tv and the stereo on at the same time.

Books can be clutter if there's not enough storage for them. But how can a tv or a computer be clutter? A computer is a tool, a tv is entertainment and information. They need their places as well.

I guess I responded to your first post because I know a few tv snobs and I just don't get them at all---didn't know if you were one of them or not.

I really like the Heywood Wakefield furniture pieces hiding amongst your other beloved stuff. Way to go spending treasure on solid furniture and not expensive fluff pieces from modern boutiques.

I love it. I would move right in.

piping in about the TV debate--sorry for taking up space here on that!--but I agree with both Sharon AND Jeffery. I hate it when people i know get all righteous about the TV and how low brow it is. I'm like "get over yourself. You're probably no fun to hang with." On the other hand, for the past several weeks, I've been TV free. It was literally quite like coming off a drug in many ways. I had a serious "craving" on Sunday night. I find especially being single, I'd just have the thing ON even if I wasn't watching it...which inevitably made me end up watching something I had no intention of--like Flavor of Love. I mean, I like Flava Flav as much as the next person, but... Anyway, there's something about how TV takes over our lives so completely (I have no choice but to see it on at the gym, airport, etc etc...) that I decided to try having it off in my apartment for awhile to make room for other things. Not that I've done anything Nobel prize worthy, but I feel like it's been mental "editing." Anyway, I find the whole TV thing fascinating and frightening when I think about it. As in so many other aspects of my life (uh, checking out blogs at work...), there's a need for moderation...

the dynamics of this thread are fascinating.

(and just btw - haven't had a tv for long, long time - miss american idol, but not much else)

(wait - that's sad, isn't it?)

There isn't necessarily "too much" stuff--admittedly there is a certain charm to the deliberateness of the chaos--but the clutter prevents one from enjoying the subtler things one might notice in a minimalist room, like the beauty in the grain of a particular piece of wood or the patterns made by sunlight falling on the back of a sofa.

>But how can a tv or a computer be clutter? A computer is a tool, a tv is entertainment and information.

Wires. Ugly. Requires its own shelf space.

Loved going wireless so that we keep the router and printer in a closet and just use laptops, which tuck away to nothing. One could argue that the WiFi antennas in the foyer aren't as aesthetic as a nice vase, but it's still less obtrusive than a desktop computer set-up, and it's not in a place where people linger.

Just because it's a tool, that doesn't mean it has to be on display, either. My immersion blender is a tool. It lives in the cupboard when not in use. It even has a nice sleek design -- it just doesn't need to be "out" all the time.

Very similar layout & colors to a woman in the craft business recently featured on SSBS. Anyone see it? Pinks and greens, and she had her bed in the LR, her studio in the BR.

It is wonderful to see a variety in the contest. I applaud the posts that are careful to praise the good things and keep their fingers quiet about anything negative. "If you can't say anything nice, ..."

dixie has some killer finds here. i might suggest to him/her that s/he take some time to group AND edit these things, so that they are able to really be seen in all their glory.

one of the best pieces of advice i ever got (re: decorating) was to "rotate" your possessions - you don't need to throw beloved things out, but you also don't have to show everything you have all at once. after a year or so, you might want to take out that bust or vase or lamp, and put it in the place of something else beautiful, then let *it* retire for a while. for those who really love to keep/collect things, it allows them to "shine" for a while, it allows the owner to really appreciate them (without "competition"), and it allows your space to continually renew itself.

just something i thunk.

"As in so many other aspects of my life (uh, checking out blogs at work...), there's a need for moderation..."

I hear you. Oh boy, do I hear you.

Televisions and computers can definitely be clutter. When your TV and computer visually dominate your space, when the noise drives out all meaningful thought, when your computer intrudes on your leisure time, that's clutter.

Crazy funky cool. I applaud bold statements like this, as I myself am afraid to make them. However, Dixie (even her name fits this space) is someone I'd like to meet. For all it's quirkyness, there is a real order to how everything is placed and you can tell she spends a lot of time cleaning. On a rainy day, this is where I'd want to hang out to cheer me up.

ack, now i know how some of you feel. there's another "ali"... does this mean i need to add something to my name now? and now i know just how stressed i am, i read the comment and then really wondered if i had written it earlier... need nap.

Hmmm. I am the person who lives in this apartment. I had noidea until tioday that a) I needed counseling, b) the items in my home that I treasure really only exist to be curated and displayed in such a way that others will enjoy them, and c) I pine for, what was it, my "lost youth"? This discourse has been quite the eye-opener. Still, I live here and *I* like these colors, *I* cherish these things, and *I* am a very happy, life-lovin' gal. And did I mention that *I* live here? A very, very heartfelt thank you to everyone who said something kind, sweet or otherwise non-punitive. I will now go ponder what it would take for me to take time out to dump someone else's personal style. Naw, I just can't picture it.

BTW, I hope I didn't sound snotty in that last post. I really am genuinely surprised by the strong reactions. After all, I live here and take it for granted that it rocks! And again, thanks to those who said kind things. Sweet talk = my favorite kind!

What Joey said. Just looking at the place, you can tell a lot about the person who lives here. While I'm impressed with some of the minimal and efficient efforts of some of the other contestants, this place has a lot of personality. Probably wouldn't pick it as a contest winner though.

Isn't it weird, Christine? And once you go through withdrawal, TV is never the same again, is it? Whenever I see it now--and I can't help but see it sometimes--it seems totally surreal.

For me, the really big mental editing was no background music, and getting used to the quiet has been a real trip.

Off topic, I guess. Maybe Dixie can chip in regarding whether or not she has TV, what she does with it and where she keeps it.

just wondering, dixie - seriously - are you angry at suggestions at all, or just ones that are deemed "nasty." do you think advice, in this context (i.e., AT's contest) is wrong/hurtful/inappropriate?

seriously, wondering - if so, sorry if my suggestion was offensive.

Personally, I couldn't live here. But I don't. It's Dixie's place and I would say that based on what I see, Dixie is a happy, cheery, brave and free spirited soul. You go girl! It's nice to see someone decorating their own place based on who they are and what they love as opposed to feeding the rest of the world's interests.

Besides, everything looks shiny, clean and highly organized and if I'm correct, there are some very, very valuable pieces in this place.

I have several collect friends in Los Angeles who would consider this a wonderland. the bark cloth, the lamps, the collection of paint by number, all real collectible.

Dusting: I hate dusting. Hate it. But I think Dixie has an easy time of it because she probably loves absolutely every single piece in her place.

Good question, pphillippe -- I've been wondering why there's the impulse to give advice for any of these entries. I had thought the point here was to have people demonstrate how they've creatively (or not) used their space -- it's not the "before" segment of a makeover show, right? I love that people feel engaged by the space but sometimes, the comments seem to veer from engagement to one-upmanship.

And speaking of solutions ... with regards to the contest as a whole, it seems like there are some solutions that practically amount to holy writ, and anything else is unacceptable. A newcomer to the site might easily infer that there is only one acceptable and attractive way to live in a small apartment -- via mid-century modern lines with a rigorously-edited palette and practically no stuff.

Dixie, your space is beautiful. It's so unique and exuberant, and so long as it works for you -- yay!

A bright neon green wall between 2 windows just spells HAPPINESS. I, personally, love me some instant happiness in my abode. There's plenty of midtone blahness in the world. I want my endorphins to soar.

These contests and their deconstructions just confirm how DIFFERENT everyone is with respect to how they perceive space and color and mood. It's a fascinating anthropochomatoemotive study.

PS, it's funny how the 2 extremes -- everything perfectly in its minimalist midtone space and the chaotic garden abloom -- draw reactions. Those sorta comfy, sorta normal places, don't even elicit a blip.

having lots of fun anyway. When I should be painting my place, Doh!

For instance, I have no trouble living in a brightly colored environment full of fun stuff to look at and play with and get inspired by. My tastes run towards the psychedelic Moroccan funhouse. So many people bring up not being able to sleep amidst bright colors or the eyes of dolls. But, I dunno, it's nighttime, lights off, you close your eyes and it's done. There's lots of grist for the mill here, granted. Insomnia, hyperactive mind, titles of books mercilessly staring you down as you try to get a wink. So Ok, I'm keeping my bookshelves in the living room and Ok, I'm lucky to have a separate room I can call that. But my point, different people perceive "peace and tranquility" differently and it's extremely volatile emotionally. White walls make me depressed. Taupe, even more so. So I'm gonna make sure I keep that depression at bay with ... orange and green and red and purple.

I really admire the modernist style and a tastefull geometrically correct spacing and mixing of objects. Oh, and people who dust. But I know I am not going to be able to maintain the minimalism that demands that. Life will just continue to spill out all over the place. So, less minimalism, less stress for me.

We all have our ways.

Go Dixie! The minute I saw your place, I thought, "oh, oh ... here we go, this place is going to cause a riot!"

It's riotous! Riotous fun!

"Good question, pphillippe -- I've been wondering why there's the impulse to give advice for any of these entries. I had thought the point here was to have people demonstrate how they've creatively (or not) used their space -- it's not the "before" segment of a makeover show, right? I love that people feel engaged by the space but sometimes, the comments seem to veer from engagement to one-upmanship."

actually, lisa, i think we're in disagreement here. i'm actually going to be *in* this contest, and certainly part of the reason is to say - for better or worse - "woo-hoo, lookee what i done did!" however the other part is that - as is well known to regular readers of this site, but not by drive-by bashers - this forum is full of generous, talented people who give their advice to those of us who could really learn from what they have to say.

if people offer constructive criticism, then i have the benefit of a lot of different minds, fresh eyes, and the like. mind you, i'm not looking forward to people telling me my mom looks like a crack-wh*re, or that i need a face-lift (she doesn't; i do), or that my apartment is the skankiest thing they've ever seen. but if they do, i think i'll live. oh, i'll hunt them down and make them suffer - but i'll live.

Dixie,
All I can is that your taste, your style, your love of all things bright beautiful and retro make me smile. You have taken vintage to a place of high art. It is so UN-IKEA. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful photos. -Tufluv

I was shocked at first, but the more I looked the more I liked. What won me over, though, finally, is one thing. I used to have that exact rattan end table, and a very similar rattan chair, and a wonderful matching floor lamp (though nothing like as groovy as yours), and I frigging loved them, and my mother helped me pack to move out of state and when I was out for the day she threw them away.

You know why? Because they'd been hers 30 years before, and to her, they were junk. To me, they were awesome. That's exactly the reason this apartment works for me. Yes, it's full. Full is not always a bad thing.

ohmygod she has a barbershop chair. I want to come over and play.

Dixie: I love the dog pictures above the fireplace.

Re: clutter---so as not to clutter the thread with more clutter-centered comments, I will link to a more recent AT thread from their book---apparently they have a chapter on the subject---I never knew this subject went so deep...

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/032206/at-book/the-eight-step-home-cure-excerpt-v-007318#comments

pphilipp - i concur.

with some notable rare exceptions, i view most of these spaces as works in progress because they belong to normal (?) people like me (??) who love their space but have practical con$traint$ and are still planning to make improvements in the future.

we're here for therapy, right? and isn't it in the therapists best interest to never let us leave?

"we're here for therapy, right? and isn't it in the therapists best interest to never let us leave?"

exactly - and you're funny! now just don't call my mom a crack-wh*re, and we're solid.

About suggestions or criticism... when you vote up top, you're encouraged to explain a negative vote. Probably most of the suggestions could also be construed as explanations of negative votes.

Dixie quoth: "BTW, I hope I didn't sound snotty in that last post. I really am genuinely surprised by the strong reactions."

Consider it a sign of your room having a LOT of personality that it sparked so much debate. Given the Boutique Hotel aesthetic that was getting raves over the past week, your design was destined to be either ignored or provocative.

Many of us are vocally opinionated as a result of years of fielding "When are you going to buy a REAL house?" questions asked in the same tone as "When are you getting married?" or "When are you going to have a baby?"

And remember -- we all just want to break into houses and rearrange other people's furniture.

Long time lurker here.

When I saw this entry, I breathed a sign of relief-- something about it is so refreshing.

Dixie-- your space communicates so much personality, and it really says something about you, as opposed to someone that you're trying to be. I like that you've used the space to make it fit your unique needs.

Don't mind the snarkies. They need more than Apartment Therapy.

patrick, i can't figure out if you just slammed the entry or you liked it. confused.

I forget whether it was DC or Chapel Hill, however there used to be a woman in one of those places who drove around in a old car with little doll heads glued on every surface. I never had the chance to speak with her, however she was written up in a local paper, and the gist of the article was that the women was both an artist and a nut case. This place reminds me of that woman's car.

Look at how many comments this entry is generating. Reading them, Dixie might never know why the the majority of votes are "No way Jose."

Regarding the coolness of this apartment, I voted "No Way Jose" because I feel creeped out looking into it. That is my gut feeling. It is a strong feeling too, and that's why I am bothering to express it here.

There are definitely some rude people out there, but I think most people are just trying to give helpful suggestions or opinions on the space. It IS your space, Dixie, and one of the most unique, but it's also in a contest, on a web site, so you're bound to get both crazies and unsolicited advice! Every single person who submitted their apartments deserve some applause, because they're braver than I am!

ubetcha--
If you were talking to me, I was not slamming it, no.

I like the kitchen. Speaking of creepy: I think people who have birds as pets are creepy and cruel. It's like cutting your childs legs and arms off so they'll stay home. I would be tormented by having birds in a cage in my home! Tormented!

"the other part is that - as is well known to regular readers of this site, but not by drive-by bashers - this forum is full of generous, talented people who give their advice to those of us who could really learn from what they have to say"

I don't know if I fully buy that -- it seems like there's such a dominant, specific aesthetic encouraged via discussions, that unless your desire is to really learn how to create that minimalize mid-century look, a lot of the comments won't be nearly so beneficial as one might think. I don't dispute that there are a lot of people here who are blessed with the uncanny and enviable ability to articulate and execute a beautiful, logical look. I just doubt that every. single. post. has to be construed as a cry for help from the commentariat.

Then again, maybe that's the way regular commenters prefer it? I am a regular reader -- nearly two years now -- but not a regular commentor. So I imagine it'll be easy enough to dismiss this all out of hand.

Most pet birds are born and raised in captivity. They don't have the experience of flying around free and would quickly die if they were released. Also, parrots are extremely social and bond closely with their human owners, so don't feel too sorry for these birds.

That would be "commenter," not "commentor." Inconsistency is the real hobgoblin of small minds, as well as website comments!

(That said, gosh, how much do I love looking at other people's homes in the contest? So brave!)

The thing is that I want almost every curio item that you have in your apartment, yet the number of them make this look too much like a store than a home. I would put a lot in storage and trade them out as your current favorites change.

I am also not a fan of the particular shades of pink and green that you used. I find it too typically "retro". Perhaps if you use the same colors; pink and green, but not in the expected Mint green and Flamingo pink versions.

Immediately after signing off earlier I went to a client's house where I saw THE GNOME TABLE!!!!!!!!

OH.MY.GOD.

I had been there countless times before but I never noticed the gnome (which her mother had given her and she loved)since it was amidst tasteful dark furniture in a relatively huge space.

I shrieked and immediately showed her this site.

I bet I'll start finding gnome tables everywhere now. Thanks Dixie!

Li: I know that pet birds are bred to be so I just find that idea sad. It's more the symbolism of a caged bird that would dampen my spirit every time I saw it. I too second the comments regarding the braveness of the entries. But it also reminds me of my reaction when I see those girls wearing the belly shirts with a huge ring of fat blobbing out at the bottom. Do I admire them for saying f-you to the accepted beauty standards? Yes. Do I think they're a little nuts? YES. BTW, my apartment sucks.

I really like your apartment. It is so unlike all the other apartments on this website. It deserves an honorable mention at the very least. Don't change a thing.

Creepy... like installation art conceived to disrupt equilibrium.

I like the floor lamp with the two-tiered shade. As for the rest of the apartment...my hands are trembling with restraint as every part of me longs to type some advice that involves copious amounts of gasoline and a well-placed match. But now that I have matured, I shall only say: chacon a son gout.

I just wanted to say, that at least for me, I don't think it's the quantity of collectibles and things that people are reacting to so much as the way it's against the walls, leaving an open space that is rather disconcerting in the context of the rest of the space...it's like, you don't expect the space in the center with all the stuff in the other parts. That's my take, at least, why I said it felt like a thrift store/antiques shop--because that's kind of how that would be arranged, for ease of customer movement. I truly think that the comments would be different if the furniture was arranged differently. BUT, if you like it, Dixie (which I think you do!) charge ahead as you were! I like the pink and green...

But that open space is where Dixie practices her rhumba! You go, girl!

Exactly...just saying that I think that's perhaps why the reactions are happening! I wish I knew how to rhumba! I could practice my tarantella there, which would adequately annoy my downstairs neighbor who smokes up my apartment! :)

If I lived alone, my apartment would look a LOT like this one (maybe without the row of dolls because I still have Chucky damage). But overall, I LOVE IT. I love the colors, the art, the lamps, but most of all, the happy feeling I'm sure you get every morning upon opening your eyes. No way you could be depressed living here—this is the prozac of apartments!

I have to pipe up here in praise of individuality and artistic expression in its many forms. I enjoyed seeing this entry and think Dixie would be a great and fun friend to have. I have to come to the defense of another friend, the driver of the dollbabyhead car, who does live in Chapel Hill, though art cars are out there everywhere I'd imagine. The creator of the car is not a "nut case."
Some of us are what I like to think of as "magpie birds." Magpies take pleasure in finding, saving and embellishing. There is a surplus of misery, waste and bleakness in the world. I salute you, Dixie and Toby for a bit of sweetness, silliness and wackiness. And Jonathan too, when he wants to hang himself, I do get a laugh.

Dixie's home is a triumph of intelligence, taste and iconoclasm over lucre and austerity.

If you win, can we all come over for juleps?

Here's the thing with this place for me-it lacks the efficiency and problem solving parts of the equation. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder on this stuff. Yes she got a lot (and I mean A LOT) of stuff into the space, but I don't sense any formal elements of design, or well defined living areas or anything like that. It's always hard to see in pictures where there's a lot of stuff, but if my eye isn't being drawn to one or two particular things it reads as nothing but noise. There are ways to do this in a way that works. Maybe you don't show everything at once. Make it like a revolving exhibit. Find a way to store everything that's not on display and there's your innovation!

I think charlene has clarified pretty well why this is not garnering more positive votes or comments. That's not to say that it isn't subjectively a "cool" and cheery space. It seems a very personal and happy space. I love the colors although I'm not sure I could live with them. It has a lot of charm, but the design solutions are not there or not working as well as some other entries.

Sweet. I wanted to comment, but had to scroll and scroll and scroll . . . Nice to see an entry that has inspierd so much passion. I find it hard to comment on some entries, not because they are bad, just because they don't inspire me in some way.

There is one word for this place - Fabuloso! I have always been turned off by the decorating style that requires throwing out all your personal possesions so that a decorator can come in with "tasteful" accessories. I for one want to be surrounded by things that have meaning to me. You rock Dixie.

I also live in a main room of a small apt. and use my windowless "bedroom" as a big closet. works great, plus, I have always liked staying in hotels;)

Hi Dixie,

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.

"Maybe you don't show everything at once."

As Dixie made very clear above, she wants to show everything at once. Why? Because she loves her stuff. To someone like Dixie, it's like you're telling her "Why do you want to have all of your children around all the time? Just put some in storage and rotate them."

I'm sick and tired of the tyranny of good taste, where people are hung up on what's "correct" instead of what they love. Dixie's place has passion, energy, personality, individuality. It's a breath of fresh air.

Wow, I just saw the SSBS post. Good on you Dixie!!!

hen--

A triumph over "lucre"? Um, this amount of chalkware ain't cheap, even if every single piece was a steal. Ditto the vintage textiles. Ditto the vintage lamps. Ditto the Starck gnome stools. Ditto the... well, you get my point. I always think it funny that people think "funk" is always cheap. But I don't think it is. (Nor do I agree that "polished" is *necessarily* expensive.)

And I agree with charlene-- a joy of a space, but I think the voting audience perhaps wants to see solution-driven stuff... unless the take-away here is that you don't need storage at *all* in a small space if you just display it all. Which is actually a really valid point... storage "hidden" right out in the open!

Dixie could have won the "I've Got Color!" contest, hands down.

*applause for Dixie on getting the SSBS request*

Actually, this room strikes me as so much fun that I'd volunteer to visit and *help* dust the collections (and croon over them... you DO croon over your collections, don't you, Dixie? It's an important part of the collecting routine in my family.). I just want to go home afterwards. And I should. Rooms with strong personalities aren't meant to be a good fit with anyone who wanders in.

In many of the Gracious Modern Minimalist homes, I feel like I'd be perched nervously on the edge of the sofa for an entire visit.

It reminds me of that episode of Will and Grace where they went into Molly Shannon's character's apartment, and Will says, "Now I know who's been buying everything on Ebay."

Dixie, what I love most besides getting a peek into your fabulous living space is seeing how much dialogue you have caused out there! Whoa, lady. I'd say that your home is the most personal of all, and this is what it's all about. GO DIXIE,GO!!

Maxwell -- I'd be intrigued to know if this is one of the longest postings AT has had in response to a room.

I'd say Dixie is a winner if only because her space generates so much discussion. (I don't think any of the other contestants have come near.) (And let me admit to being biased as I love what she's done.) Dixie's strong individualism has obviously struck a chord. Some people embrace it, some people almost seem afraid of it. It's been fascinating.

Wende -- when is Maxwell going to turn your phrase into a tee shirt:

"We just want to break into houses and rearrange other people's furniture"

I think it would be a huge profit-generator!

Wende, that is a very funny turn of phrase.

I think it is already copyrighted as the official slogan for the Gay Mafia.

P(too) is correct. It's adapted from A Chorus Line.

I think this is a great example of how you can have lots of tchotchkes and things while avoiding clutter and having lots of open space. This is something I've been striving for in my living space, trying to keep the things I really like while getting rid of the crap, all the while keeping some individuality. The minimalist spaces look pretty, and may be functional, but they seem so devoid of personality. This place has a lot of personality, and I like how it's done. The dolls, gnomes, etc may not be to my taste, but I really like how it's done, and commend Dixie for having a living space that is so filled with personality and displaying objects in a clever way.

I thought the faux/closed off fireplace was pretty nifty, too.

Wow. I'm amazed! Not only by the apartment itself, which is fabulous, but the way that it changed in my mind as I read the whole slew of comments that followed it.

By the time I got to the end of all the comments the image of the apartment I had in my head changed to be this completely overwhelming kitschy grandma place where not a spot was left that wasn't covered with crap.

But I went back up to view the photos again and saw this wasn't the case at all! It's actually surprisingly open and organized. Well done, and a nice change from the "norm".

I can't believe I just put a word in quotes.

Which is the official musical of the Gay Mafia.
Well, ONE of them.

Cute...I wouldn't want to live there. but if you can stand it, more power to you.

p2
the late Fred Ebb is spinning in Greenwood to hear you say that.
Expect a visit from Liza.

what was the original line in A Chorus Line?

When I saw pink and green, I cringed. But then I thought, well, at least this will stir things up. And so it has! (I like the comment from "G.") Honestly, your home would give me a migraine, but at least you have the nerve to put your ideas out there. You are you, and you aren't ashamed. It's cool that a four-year old was gobsmacked by it. Maybe you have a new profession there. You could design dream rooms for young girls! Here's to finding our inner child!

Guido,

The original is "That's when I started breaking into people's houses -- oh, I didn't steal anything --just re-arrange their furniture." Bobby from Buffalo says it.

best apartment ever! can i move in?

Dixie... your apartment is fabulous! It's the first entry I've seen that's my kinda style, and I love it (how can you NOT love log pillows?!).

I'm impressed you've been able to pick up so much great stuff like this in NYC. Seems like I'm only able to get great, affordable kitsch on some random trips out of town. Catskills at least. Anyway, thanks for sharing!

If anything should be named "acid trip," this is it. I would love to eat mushrooms in this apartment. I find this place terrifying and I love it!

I would love come in and find ways to rearrange all this same exact stuff without throwing out ANYTHING away, but just have it somehow work a little bit better together.

I think it's a very, very fun bunch of stuff, and I think there would be a way to make it all sing. Like a really kicky swingy show choir. I'm kind of having a hard time "hearing" some of the little statements that some of them are trying to say as it is now.

Dixie -

This apartment is an amazing Wonderland!
Now I want to get HGTV just to see it on SmallSpaceBigStyle!

Something I read a long time ago in Marco Pasanella's book - Living in Style Without Losing Your Mind - "Whatever your comfort level... allow your home to have at least one terrific aspect that raises an eyebrow."

I love that you showed so much individuality.

Curtis hit the nail on the head, for me.

I love all the Old Florida colors and spirit being in the middle of Manhattan, and I love the extroversion of it. It must be so nice to walk in the door on a wintery day.

And a dog lives there! Wonderful!

Curtis,

That was so nicely put. I like how you want to help bring out the best of Dixie's truly unique, personal collection so that the individual pieces "sing".

Dixie,
Your place reminds us all how important it is not to lose our personal style and identity when creating our homes. Yes, I like many of the streamlined, modern looks of other entries, but I have to admit that some of them are so minimalist and "edited" that they've lost the "voice" of the inhabitants.

Although I experienced sensory overload when I first saw your place (there were so many collectibles and details to look at), what I do appreciate is that your unique personality shines through 100%. So, although we have different tastes, thanks so much for sharing, and more power to you.

Jonathan,

Hats off to you for your trembling restraint and chacon a son gout note.

This time we didn't even have to pardon your French.

i know i shouldn't, but i'm going to respond to a posting here - and to be clear, i'm *NOT* responding to dixie, but to li, who says:

"As Dixie made very clear above, she wants to show everything at once. Why? Because she loves her stuff. To someone like Dixie, it's like you're telling her "Why do you want to have all of your children around all the time? Just put some in storage and rotate them.""

i can imagine what your underlying "philosophy" is here, but won't speculate openly; but to me, to compare one's "things" with one's "children" (or any other human being) seems to be chillingly reminiscent of emerson's suggestion that "things are in the saddle/and ride mankind." i understand that it is just an analogy that you made - but, imho, it's a very telling (and unfortunate) one.

at its best, minimalism strives, *i think*, to end the "tyranny of things" (sort of like the tyrrany of "good taste" you loathe), and open up space for other dynamics in one's life. given a choice between "things" or people, i'd choose the latter.

i would assume that dixie loves her things *and* people, and that they need not be seen as antithetical to one another - so again, i'm not addressing her. but li's comment, i think, points to some of the self-contradictory "ideology" flowing through this thread.

If we're heading into ideology, I'd argue that Minimalism does not end the tyranny of stuff at all. It just shifts the focus to owning Three Perfect Things, spawning competition to (a) prove that I'm morally superior because I can get by with only Two Perfect Things and (b) demonstrate that my Things are more Perfect than your Things.

Truly not being tyrannized by stuff is my husband pre-marriage. The only things in his living room were a TV and an ugly sofa set someone gave him. He liked having somewhere to sit to watch TV, but if no one had given him a sofa, he wouldn't have gone out and bought one.

As soon as we start worrying about Design, the Stuff has already won.

"As soon as we start worrying about Design, the Stuff has already won."

totally, totally disagree. to support this, one would have to say that aesthetics and beauty are disposable (or even bad). and they are not.

of course, then there's the (i think misogynist) argument that the beauty foudn in "art" is worth our gaze (and architecture, of course, with its coded "manliness"), but "design" is frivolous, ephemeral, lightweight (note the gendering), and thus undeserving.

not being ruled by things does not necessitate a proscription of attention to beauty, unless one chooses to define the ascetic as the seat of all goodness. i don't.

(and please note - i said minimalism "at its best" - i, too, would find fault in the obsession over that "one perfect [fill in the blank]" at the expense of all other dynamics in one's life)

Not so much disposable as optional.

I'm just uncomfortable with the implied dichotomy between:
(1) Having lots of stuff (defined as "clutter" by the Minimalists and "having a personality" by the collectors.
(2) Being a (morally pure) Minimalist with Three Perfect Things.

In both of those visions, the Things retain great importance in expressing the Owner's self. I see at least a third option of:
(3) Having few or random things because that's not where you get your sense of self.

As a person, I'm totally in favor of expressing one's self through one's relationship to Things. As a scatty, half-hearted scholar, I see both (1) and (2) as similar in treating material culture as rhetorical, while (3) denies the power of Things to communicate.

"Not so much disposable as optional"

ok. but i don't even see beauty as "optional" (any more than, say, music), understanding that each person finds beauty in different sites. and i'm *not*, btw, arguing for a classical, philosophical definition of "beauty" as being universal, ahistorical or culturally non-specific.

i also think that there is no "escape" from defining one's self/having one's self being defined by "things" - every item of clothing we wear, magazine we read, lamp we buy, song we (choose to) listen to is implicated in the formation of identity (ours, through it; its, through us).

i *do* like your highlighting that dichotomy, because i also disagree with it, and think it has undergirded much of what was said in this thread. personally, i've never thought that having fewer things implied any sort of "moral" superiority - but, converesely, neither does having LOTS of things, no matter what their provenance (flea markets, book stores, DWR). in short, that's what's bugging me - the implied "morality" of much of what's being said.

Wow, this is getting deep. I agreee with #3 from Wende's post. Remember the maps on the walls in a previous contest, that everyone was denigrating? For me, maps are one of the best things I could display, because they communicates a desire to travel, and memories of places I have been.

I kind of like an apt. to reveal a bit about a person, not EVERYTHING of course, some insight that I would not have known otherwise.

I still maintain that these contest entries should be printed, bound and sold as a little book each year. So much inspiration and creativity.

pphillipp, you read waaayyy too much into my post. If you'd seen my comments in other threads, you'd know that one of the other rooms I truly loved was Ivar's, which consisted of a few pieces of art and a bed.

I was just pointing out that Dixie cares about her stuff and likes having it in view and that telling her to put some away isn't helpful advice. If you truly think that I equate people and objects you are far too literal and lacking in a sense of humor.

as i said, li, i was aware that you were making an analogy; as i also said, it was one which was quite telling - perhaps more telling than you might have wanted it to be.

i have read the other threads; if you have read them, you will see that i do, indeed, have a very active sense of humor (albeit one not always successful). the tone of your post, however, had not an ounce of humor, to which i could have responded in like fashion.

btw, i still find it amazing that you profess to not only a) know what dixie wants/needs/desires/likes, but also b) know which advice on this board is helpful, and which is not.

You interpreted what I said in the worst light without knowing a thing about me. No, I didn't feel like responding with humor.

My comments about what Dixie wanted were taken directly from her post above:

"Hmmm. I am the person who lives in this apartment. I had noidea until tioday that a) I needed counseling, b) the items in my home that I treasure really only exist to be curated and displayed in such a way that others will enjoy them, and c) I pine for, what was it, my "lost youth"? This discourse has been quite the eye-opener. Still, I live here and *I* like these colors, *I* cherish these things, and *I* am a very happy, life-lovin' gal. And did I mention that *I* live here? A very, very heartfelt thank you to everyone who said something kind, sweet or otherwise non-punitive. I will now go ponder what it would take for me to take time out to dump someone else's personal style. Naw, I just can't picture it."

"You interpreted what I said in the worst light without knowing a thing about me"

in the same way you interpreted others' comments, apparently - including mine.

Li, I read pphillipp as trying to make a point about the "stuff is clutter once it accumulates" vs. "stuff is a tangible reminder of my past and my self" dispute that has been heating up here and in the Excerpt #8 thread -- more using your point as a jumping-off spot than attacking.

Because we all pretty much concur that Stuff Means, the cherish-vs-curate debate is probably going to get REALLY hot when the Group Cure (which I keep reading as "group hug" in the thread title) commences.

i can't understand what anyone is talking about anymore.

yes, i was trying to bring out some of the underlying themes of what's happening - cuz, contrary to popular belief, nothing - even design - is "innocent."

Are you kidding??????

hahahahahahahah

Well, if this apartment doesn't win the Disturbing Award of 2006, surely this string ought to win the Late Night Undergrade Bullshit Posturing Award of the GODAMNED MILLENNIUM

The one design element that all of the above failed to miss was the REMARKABLE opportunity this place offers for filming the best horror film, like, ever.

Can you imagine if, in the middle of the night, all of these grotesque little gnomes and dolls actually...COME TO LIFE??? You're lying there in bed dozing off, a copy of "Barely Legal" or the "Nambla Newsletter" carelessly tossed to one side, and all of a sudden you are BUMRUSHED by thousands of disgusting little dolls, tchoskes and stupid plastic gnomes! They move towards you. You try to get away but you CANNOT. You are surrounded and they all STAB YOU TO DEATH. Or maybe they torture you first...I'm not sure.

I am so in the wrong business

I love it. I've liked a lot of the entries so far, but this place actually looks lived in and fun to be in, especially when it's gray outside. I do like modern minimalism, but vintage color is much more warm and comfortable to me.
My first thought was that you seem like someone I'd love to go flea marketing or thrifting with; we have very similar taste. As someone who also has pink and green walls in her apartment, I give you my vote!

oh, and are those dog paintings paint-by-numbers?

"I would love come in and find ways to rearrange all this same exact stuff without throwing out ANYTHING away, but just have it somehow work a little bit better together." .....Curtis

This is a superb piece of advice. I will just bet 10 cents, Dixie, that, given someone with a bit of an eye for arrangement, that YOU would enjoy your precious collections in an even better, emotionally gratifying, way. I would predict even more enjoyment of your collections, no question. Imagine that? You already love it, can you love your place more? I think with some focused arranging, you could. That would be my gentle piece of advice, seconding Curtis.

Again, I want to say that you are to be commended (in my world) for having the courage to live with all your precious things, out there to glance at singly or en masse, to give you a smile in our very scary world. Good for you. Many of us decorate a little for us, a lot for others. You appear to do it for just one person...you. And, you know what? That's your right.

This entrant deserves kudos for knowing what she likes and not feeling as though she should live like anyone else. A woman with spirit.

I think this a fun space that suits it owner just fine. It shows personality, I hate when people design there living spaces like a model home or magazine ad. I love seeing spaces where real people live and breathe...Rock on

Living here would feel like living in someone's attic. No thank you. But at least you have your own style-not a lot of people can claim that!

A very unique condo. A lot of color to keep one happy. Have fun with it all.

love it. love the tutti-frutti oh rudy look. i think the lovely smooth gleaming floors and furniture keep it from getting clausty, along with the critters. love to the critters.

dix,
i don't mean to spam you, but now that i've read all the comments i have to say this style is not an uncommon one among, how you say, downtown girlz in NYC. the pink and glittery place with pink upholstered victorian sofas and recycled children's ride-a-ponies en-pinked and en-glittered -- it's an NYC aesthetic. as for the person who complained about their not being defined "work spaces", well NYC is a defined work space, and some people want to come home and sit in a chair and look at stuff. not everybody likes or wants to work at home. some people want to play at home.
what a concept.

Note to self: when shrooming with Dixie, don't go back to here place to chill out.

"surely this string ought to win the Late Night Undergrade Bullshit Posturing Award of the GODAMNED MILLENNIUM"

well, we just thought everyone needed a reprieve from the "painfully-self-involved-whining-masquerading-as-angst" dynamic which has littered so many of the other threads.

Is this place real?

Wow. I...don't feel so good.

Amazing journey into the semi-subconscious of a flowery, collector personality. Don't know if I could live there, or stand to be inside for more than three femtoseconds but definitely a courageous, offbeat entry.

Ewwwww. Shame on you.

It's fabulous.

You should charge admission.

Wow - Dixie clearly has personality, style and a sense of fun. This apartment has a great feel - warm, colorful and kitschy in a thought-out way too.
Clarisse

Is the whole point here to be so deliriously sweet that you poke fun at the idea of sugary cuteness? Somehow I get lonely looking at this. Then again, there are real-live woodland pals to frolick with.

Someone asked about a similar apartment on an SSBS show. There's another pink and green packrat on a show titled "Undersized Utopias"... http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_small_space/article/0,1793,HGTV_3382_4394068,00.html

The flow of the space at this link feels more comfortable and soothing-- but there's no room for rhumba (or cartwheeling.)

Thanks for the link to my SSBS segment Anna. Nothing like free publicity. You're right, the green section of my apartment is quite soothing, however...you're only getting half of my princess pad by looking at these pics. The pink side (where I design toys and write sparkly girls' craft books) holds a vintage dress that lights up, a glittery 70's bike and a throne where I make Rapunzel wigs. Hardly, what I would call tranquil. Sadly, I don't rhumba but I did have room to do a Wonder Woman-style, spinning outfit change on the show!

On to the real reason I'm here. Dixie!!! Even though we have different approaches to pink and green, I completely champion your exuberance! Since YOU are the one who has to come home to your apartment everyday, YOU are the one who has to like it. I am horrified by the manners of some people suggesting that you need therapy, just by virtue of your design sense. You'll make a fine addition to the show (and you'll love working with Sage!)

I hate most of the stuff and it's very cluttered, but, somehow, you make it work.

I love Dixie's place! I also like to be surrounded by the things I love but can never get everything to fit together and at the same time look neat and clean like Dixie's place. Nice colors and a wonderful collection of truly magical belongings!!!

Did you forget to take your schizo meds the day you decorated your apartment? Seriously?

I never understand why people want to live in a house that is basically a cartoon. Grow up. Seriously. This apartment is silly and not at all inviting. The colors are harsh and the whole scheme is childish and clownish. The only reason it is getting all these positive quotes is because people are rebelling against sleekness and style. They are rebels without a cause. And no I am not saying everything has to be industrial or mid-century but it has to be nice and liveable which this clearly is not.

a bit too much clutter.

Wow. I can't believe all the posts!
Ok, this is the only thing I'd do, and I know you won't do it anyway - maybe take down half the stuff, just a third, maybe, and just store it for a bit and see how it feels.
The dressers are GREAT! love that. go with more of that "feel"...
Next, the blue in the kitchen... how did you do it? how do you live with it? It is ballsy to say the least.
lastly - I love your collection, but it is so much like a cute little flea market store - where do you keep your regular stuff, like makeup, perfume, hair items, cleaning products? Do you have anything that didn't come from the flea market that is out, or do you hide all the every day stuff? If someone came over, would they get away with stealing a piece and you wouldn't know for a couple of days? That is a realistic question to ask yourself...

If you just spent some time picking the items that will really pop -the ones you REALLY REALLY love and have the MOST potential, you'd have a boffo place that would knock everyone's socks off. No insult, just a regular person making a regular constructive suggestion... my opinion, with a grain of salt...

-put some of the less flashy items up on ebay, take the money, repaint the kitchen, add some better lighting, and I think you got the perfect pad to have a lovely cocktail party in with all the people who bashed your sense of style up there. Be yourself. But, also be sensible about what you collect and where you put it in such a small space. A little less misc.stuff = making your *best* stuff really SHINE!

This is the first place I've seen on this site that looks like a real home to me. It has so much personality and it's really cheerful. The clarity of the wall colors is a good foil for the softer, earthier colors in the old dolls and figurines.

Do you really rhumba in there? I hope so. I can hear the Xavier Cugat music when I look at it.

Hi....

I'm looking for a painted chalkware sailor. Any suggestions on where to find one? I've been all over the web and have had 0 luck!!

Thanks....cute apartment!

Lynn

Uhhh - there is a lack of balance in this interior. The kitsch is nice, but would be more striking if contrasted with simple shapes, and more refined display techniques, as was suggested in an earlier post. The row of dolls is a good display technique, and the blue in the kitchen is nice and deep...I guess its the lack of contrast that contributes to the interior looking too homogenous. The colors should be a light and dark contrast, not three light colors (pink, green and white). Its the contrasts that display items better than just one type of tone....

ABSOLUTELY HIDEOUS!

Dixie, your apartment is the best of the bunch! I love color and you've used it so exuberently. It's awesome. I love how you incorporated vintage elements too. This is my dream apartment.

It looks more like a very specialized vintage shop than an integrated design. I don't see anything especially efficient other than the objects are all tidy.

I think your place is great! SO original, etc. I'm SO sick and tired of the boring "cut * paste" copy-cat, (yes, there I said it!), IKEA, West-Elm, etc.
You are right on sista'!
Next year I will enter my place, so all you basher's out there get ready to bash! I will laugh! And Dixie, look forward to seeing your place in the contest next year as well.
:)

I LOVE IT.

So many bright colors, and so much to look at. Not my style, but you know what? WHO CARES. You seem like you'd be a hell of a gal to hang out with. Very fun and carefree. My only suggestion would be to maybe "showcase" different items every few months, and pack away a few others, so you never get bored.

I love entries that actually look like someone with a personality lives there :)

Just saw this over on Pinterest & assumed it was a vintage shop. A little surprised to find that they were photos of an apartment! How cute!!

Dixie needs a little help with her vignette creation but her choice of kitchen color was 6 years ahead of time. Aqua kitchens are so hot here in 2012 and we just did all our cabinets aqua & the trim bright tangerine.

It's crazy to read all the rude comments on this post. It's like a time capsule of the bland, monochromatic tastes of the 2000s yuppie movement. We bet all the insulting people had those tacky "Believe, Hope, Faith" plaques on the wall that were popular back then. Thank goodness most people have gotten off the minimalist, colorless designs of last decade.