this apartment is great! love the eclectic space. what part of brooklyn is this in?

I love your place! What is the sqft of this place? So cozy, and functional! You have a place for everything.

I do have a question though, how comfortable is it to watch tv since it's not exactly in front of any seating. I've been trying to get more idea to rearrange my living room, and noticed that a lot of living seatings are set up in a way which TV isn't facing the couch directly. Care to share? Thanks. =)

what is the map looking thingie above the tv?

@pier723, I find that seating that is not directly in front of the tv promotes other uses for the space (i.e. entertaining, reading, etc.), but if you want to watch tv, it also make it more comfortable to lay down and watch, instead of just sitting, or putting your feet up on the coffee table... i more enjoy the couch turned 90 degrees from the television, just as shown!!

I love it. A perfect job. And I'd die to have that view from my kitchen. Incidentally, I'm looking on a tiny computer screen right now, so your small dog looks even smaller ... but oh so adorable.

Charming! The table in front of the kitchen window is so inviting.

I love it! Definitely a nice use of space. The flat file coffee table thing is very cool.

Very clever, you're really handy. I like it when the TV isn't the star of the living room.

@pier723 - I also have my tv/sofa set up the same way and it works well for me since I like to lay down and watch tv at night. I also like that it takes away the focus on the living room being for tv watching and allows me to configure my sofa and chairs in a way thats better for guests.

Very nice apartment, love the decorating, the apartment, the furniture, and the personality of your home. I'm glad you shared this with us.

Love!!! This is a gorgeous space!

I like the map-like thing above the TV, as well. :) What is it, please?

very sweet. reminds me of my first place 'all by myself.'

Love the decor! ...and the windows in that place are amazing!

What a happy apartment. I particularly like the kitchen table w/view. Nice touches throughout.

this is my FAV of all the apts i've seen here. EVER.

Great job! I didn't do this well in my first apartments. Style grew with age for me ;-) But this is really nice.

I am so jealous of the flat file/coffee table and the fact that it was a roadside find makes me even more jealous!

I totally envy your closet! I have a lot more square footage, but teeny tiny "between the wars" (that's WWI and WWII kids) closets LOL.

A very cute apartment - and I agree that you've done very well for your first place. Mine certainly didn't look that good!

That is a cute studio. Love the headboard and the bench at the foot of the bed. Where are they from?

How did you hack the headboard? I love it.

Charming!

@feasby05 and ellearRVA, thanks for sharing!! I'm definitely going to try it out turning my couch 90degree and buy a neck brace just in case. =)

Nice!

Very cute; pretty good for a first effort.

Another inquiry about the map artwork. Nicely done.

Great kitchen and bathroom!

Very, very nice. I love the view from the little dining nook as well.

It shows that she's having fun with her place...all the nice touches that adds to the charm. Great first place.

love your view from your little bistro table. very nice job!

Lovely, charming apartment.

You've done a great job!
Love the place, and love the Spiderman perspective of some of the photos... guess you were standing on a ladder? Anyway, nice effect, and nice work!

Your home is wonderful! Like many others, I'm green with envy over your breakfast nook view and adorable closet. Your home office is genius, too!

i love your apartment! very nicely done! i seriously love everything about it. i agree that the space has great bones, but i like your style. i love the breakfast table and nook.

what brand and shade of paint is the pale grey?

what is your degree in and what are you doing for work?

Hey Alex, love your home. Two words for you - Small Cool ?!?

love that headboard/curtain hack. great wall color in the closet. and i'd love to paint my kitchen cabinets if only i knew how. can anyone post a tutorial? do they have to be taken off the wall? this continues to baffle me but my cabinets are mounted on a cleat. and they're quite flimsy. the inside walls don't fit together properly, there are holes, and sawdust has been raining down on everything in them for eight years now.

@Lady J, Uh, oh, that sawdust sounds like it may actually be from termites. Maybe a pest control person should check it?

Great taste! I'm pea green with envy over your small table and view in your kitchen/dining area!

Wonderful job!

great use of space, you've managed to squeeze every last drop of livable space out of your apartment without making anything feel cramped or cluttered.

very pretty and charming-love it!

Thank you for showing us your home.

Love this place! Great job.

So cute- love it!

This place is so damn charming it's ridiculous.

This looks like a perfect amount of space for a first apt. You are lucky to have such a big closet. Great job!

Is that an Ewok on your bed? If so, I want one!!! Seriously- is that a cat or a dog? Very nice space- I imagine it's wonderful to come home to :D

congrats on such a beautiful and welcoming first apartment on your own.

and congrats on having such a great large walk in closet too! :)

hey alex. great place. where did you get the piece that you've got your tv on?

Love your place.

I am interested in the credenza for your tv too. Where did you find it? Thks.

Ahh you guys, I SO appreciate all the positive feedback! I actually didn't even realize they had posted this until just now, sorry for getting so behind on comments!

For more photos and info about my place, check out my blog, anotherbrooklynblog.blogspot.com - I've gotten behind on posting, but I'm in the process of posting some more detailed how-tos/before-and-afters of certain elements (how I spruced up the flat file, how I pieced together the breakfast table from scrap marble and a flea-market base, etc), so keep checking back!

More about me at alexpandel.com; I'm also on Twitter as @alexpandel.

Now, to answer some of your specific questions:

@jpaugh, @pier723, @flamingopink: The apartment is in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. It's pretty little at 467 square feet, so you BET I submitted it to the Small Cool contest, but for some reason it didn't make the cut and they never posted it :( Maybe next year?

@ec05, @ofheart&city, @ValHalla: The map has a crazy story - it was a paper TABLE-RUNNER of all things, at a gala dinner for Shakespeare in the Park (it's a reproduction of the original plans for Central Park). They were just going to throw it away after the meal, so I definitely rolled it up stuck it in my purse, haha.

@studioren, @wndrwoman534: The headboard is a basic upholstered headboard, but I wanted a slipcover for it that went with the overall decor, so of all things, I found some cheap Ikea curtains in a cute pattern that I liked, and bought enough of them to sew together to make a nice little headboard cover.

@berkeley.loves.grey: The wall paint color is "Winter's Gate" by Pratt & Lambert, but to keep the costs down I just had my hardware store match the P&L swatch in Benjamin Moore's less expensive "Ben" line. I studied graphic design and am currently a freelance designer (work at alexpandel.com), but in the interview process for the job of my dreams at a startup in SF, so cross your fingers for me! :)

@sei, @Kim1216: believe it or not, it's the Torsby from Ikea!

Thanks again everyone!

LOVE the apartment! really like those curtains - would you mind sharing where you found them? thank you!

@JulianaP: yet again, another hack... my idea, my mom's fabulous handiwork. They're these from Urban Outfitters, but because of the GIANT windows and high ceilings, they were too narrow AND too short, so there are actually two panels on each side, sewn together, plus one extra panel cut in half and sewn to the bottom to add length. Since we were sewing anyway, we took the opportunity to add a lining and fancy up the top a little bit with a simple box/pinch pleat. Turned out great, I LOVE them :)

What a great place! I always see these beautiful white couches like you have. Is that a slipcover on it and if not, where did you get it? Thx!

I love this apartment! The mix of modern and vintage is perfect and I love how you maxed out your space without it looking cluttered. On a side note, WHAT KIND OF DOG IS THAT!?!? That little cutie just completes the whole space!

Beautiful apartment, love the huge windows and your dog is adorable!

Wonderful place and great job furnishing and decorating. It's got lots of personality but it's not overdone. Impressive!!!

Id get a neck ache if that was the placement of my tv! But, I am in LOVE with the coffee table. It would be the perfect item for me! And the fact that it was a curb side find makes it twice as amazing. To pull trash and other found objects together and have it look this good is a great skill and art. I'm so happy you chose to share it.

love the paint color in the bedroom. what is the brand/color?

Regarding the TV/sofa placement: I live by myself, people! I get to splay out on my couch and face the TV straight-on! :) It's way better this way, because the TV is so much less obtrusive and demanding of attention, but it still makes for really comfortable viewing, even with a group (we just pull additional chairs around the coffee table).

@BoHoChic3: the sofa is a hand-me-down Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams 71-inch "Alex" sleeper sofa (can you believe the name??) It's slipcovered in a light tan/taupe, even though it looks basically white in the pic.

@Shelbi Ann & others: Lulu is a Pomeranian. She is, indeed, the freaking cutest creature on the planet. Just thinking about her makes me smile like a fool.

@sadylady1: see my comment above answering berkeley.loves.grey's same question! Best color :)

Like they say good things come in small packages!

great use of space. love the girlie touches like in the dressing room; gorgeous. and yes, small cool next year winner for sure! very inspiring!

Adorable!