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Small Cool 2009: Catherine's Traditional & Modern
Tiny Division #17

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Who Lives Here: Catherine plus 2 extra large cats
Location: Somerville, Massachusetts
Size: 528 square feet

What is your one favorite element in your small, cool home? The high ceilings — 9'-6" — are great for someone tall, like me, plus, they make the space feel bigger. It's got really big windows, too, which even though it faces north, bring in lots of light. The floors are fabulous — gorgeous old pine, and I love the color palate, of light grays and white, and how it makes a traditional space feel kind of modern. The idea to paint the back of the bookcase a vibrant red (mostly hidden by books) came from Martha Stewart, and it's great — brings color into the room really subtly.

Give Catherine a THUMBS UP if you think this home belongs in the finals!
Thumbs Up Voting is only activated for 48 Hours — so don't delay!
 
 

What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in furnishing your small home? Trying to get the color/s to work right. I repainted almost every year, until I read somewhere that painting a small apartment all the same color, preferably a light one, made it feel bigger. It worked!

Give Catherine a THUMBS UP if you think this home belongs in the finals!
Thumbs Up Voting is only activated for 48 Hours — so don't delay!


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Small Cool 2009, Tiny

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Comments (51)

Love the colors! Very soothing. Great kitchen, I'm jealous of all that counter space!

posted by jvrussell on April 8th 2009 at 1:45pm
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I love the width of the bathroom mirror, it really opens up the space. What material are your kitchen counters?

posted by FiatLex on April 8th 2009 at 1:47pm
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I love the classically styled bathroom! But do you have any other storage there?

posted by cinema on April 8th 2009 at 1:52pm
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i love the artwork over your kitchen sink. i can't read them very well though. looks neat!

posted by TNstyliegal on April 8th 2009 at 1:53pm
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What a beautiful apartment! It is stylish, yet has that "lived in" look. The kitchen is fantastic. I love the wooden floor. Would like to see the bedroom.

posted by Usbek de Perse on April 8th 2009 at 1:54pm
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Beautiful!! Do you happen to remember what paint you used? I love the grey. So soothing.

posted by LizzardtheBlizzard on April 8th 2009 at 2:00pm
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no picture of the bedroom? pity, because the rest is impressive

posted by plch on April 8th 2009 at 2:04pm
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I love your house. Very beautiful.
But take the cover off of your chair or get a fitted one!

posted by s2k on April 8th 2009 at 2:07pm
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I love your kitchen and bathroom, but I just wish that slipcover on the chair was tucked properly . . . i think its just me being anal, but its all I can see. Otherwise very nice :)

posted by azaleasmoke on April 8th 2009 at 2:09pm
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Fantastic kitchen!

posted by moira on April 8th 2009 at 2:14pm
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Beautiful! The kitchen in particular is so simple and open and lovely.

posted by heather77 on April 8th 2009 at 2:16pm
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I want your apartment for the light, kitchen and wall of shelves!

posted by sleeping spot on April 8th 2009 at 2:27pm
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That kitchen is to die for! Very nice...just one question...where are the extra large cats??

posted by suzy8track on April 8th 2009 at 2:29pm
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what a beautiful place!
(love the 'extra large cats' reference :)

i would really like to see your bedroom.
no photos?

posted by abigailbelle on April 8th 2009 at 2:30pm
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Love the bookcases.

posted by dkzody on April 8th 2009 at 2:33pm
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Love love your kitchen, especially the sink and countertops. What is the counter material? You've done a wonderful job!

posted by robinette on April 8th 2009 at 2:40pm
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Love love love this.

posted by Juliet on April 8th 2009 at 2:41pm
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It's hard for me to decide which I like better, the kitchen sink or the bookshelves. I also really like the length of the mirror in the bathroom & open cabinetry in the kitchen. Beautiful home.

posted by JuliaJanzen on April 8th 2009 at 2:43pm
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Someone else in Somerville, yay! Good job, Catherine.

posted by dtremit on April 8th 2009 at 2:58pm
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This is great - hope it gets to stage where we get to see more photos.

posted by Gallivant on April 8th 2009 at 3:00pm
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The floorplan is a classic "cleaver" shape and you are only missing one and a half areas of the feng shui bagua as far as I can see. I find the long bench in living room to be a bit of a "poison arrow". Add another armchair across from it to give you more balance and maybe add some colorful pillows to the bench, too.
Katy
http://fengshuibyfishgirl.com

posted by fishgirl on April 8th 2009 at 3:01pm
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i love a horizontal bathroom mirror, but the fun-house photos make it difficult to get a feel for the place

posted by sunan on April 8th 2009 at 3:07pm
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Gosh, I would give this a big thumbs up but I only give thumbs up to places that let me spit in the drain.

posted by beamish on April 8th 2009 at 3:10pm
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This is lovely. I really like the play of full beautiful shelves in the living room and kitchen against the clean spare tables and counters. It allows you to have many of the things you love around you without your home feeling cluttered. Well done.

posted by judy in TO on April 8th 2009 at 3:15pm
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That kitchen looks so efficient. Very nice clean space.

posted by LoriSF on April 8th 2009 at 3:18pm
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I've never been to Mass. but I could move in here too. This is the quality of entrant I expect. This person knows what they're doing design-wise.

posted by FilthyMcNasty on April 8th 2009 at 3:21pm
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so well executed

posted by brocktontriangle on April 8th 2009 at 4:17pm
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love the kitchen

posted by rhianna on April 8th 2009 at 4:39pm
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The whole place is great! What are your kitchen counters made of?

posted by Lesley on April 8th 2009 at 5:11pm
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Love the bookshelves and kitchen especially. Hey, I have musician friends in Somerville! Go catch Mike Piehl (drummer) or David Goodrich (everything guitar-like) if you ever get the chance; they used to be with the fabulous Groovasaurus.

posted by Elizabeth II on April 8th 2009 at 6:07pm
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Love all your beautiful wooden furniture, none of that molded plastic 70s thrift shop crap the hipsters love so much. Your TV is the perfect size, the wall storage unit is huge but doesn't overwhelm, the bathroom mirror so simple yet surprising, perfect white kitchen with hard-to-spot refrigerator (refrigerators usually being a kitchen's greatest eyesore), heart-breakingly adorable kitchen sink, non-anxiety-inducing wall colors.This is really great.

posted by MansardRoof on April 8th 2009 at 7:57pm
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Your kitchen sink is to die for.

posted by Krissy B on April 8th 2009 at 8:41pm
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Kitchen sink is beautiful. Where did you get that? I know you say the living room gets good light, but the white and black of the kitchen captures light beautifully. Great stuff all the way around.

posted by SilverDhow on April 8th 2009 at 9:11pm
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I distinctly remember seeing this condo online last year and showing it to a buyer-client who had driven all the way from Binghamton, NY on 4 consecutive weekends to buy a condo for her daughter. Both of them loved this kitchen and loved the whole condo but needed to live closer to Tufts NE Medical Ctr. in Chinatown. Great-looking place, Catherine!

posted by EmpacherRacingShellsRock on April 8th 2009 at 9:30pm
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I love the place and what you've done with it. I'd like to see what the bedroom looks like.

posted by boliyou on April 8th 2009 at 10:04pm
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It looks so serene. Nice job, Catherine -- I hope you move into the finals so we can see the bedroom, too.

posted by palindrome on April 8th 2009 at 11:06pm
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Well done Catherine - looks gorgeous

posted by silvestreb on April 9th 2009 at 3:52am
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and where are the XL cats? how could you resist hiding them from us?

posted by mihaela on April 9th 2009 at 5:42am
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Lovely! But I want to see the extra large cats too.

posted by Madame Is on April 9th 2009 at 7:06am
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Beautiful place!
My only complaint is not having the XL kitties in a photo.

posted by sassydo on April 9th 2009 at 7:11am
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Looks beautiful, really nice job

posted by chrisw572 on April 9th 2009 at 8:27am
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Nice work catherine

posted by charles51j on April 9th 2009 at 8:46am
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Great place Catherine! Shep.

posted by sblainc on April 9th 2009 at 12:13pm
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I love love love everything! I wish I could keep my kitchen countertops so clear, it just never happens... and that bookshelf is just dreamy...

posted by SweetChicEventsChicago on April 9th 2009 at 2:25pm
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The kitchen is perfect!

posted by lyra on April 9th 2009 at 9:01pm
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I do wish there was more color contrast with the grey. (Said as someone who adores grey).

posted by luckypeach on April 9th 2009 at 9:13pm
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Love it. I have similar size apt. in Cambridge, next town over - provides great inspiration for me. Hope you move into the finals.

posted by alisab63 on April 10th 2009 at 7:39am
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Use of wall space for storage in living rea and kitchen is efficient and elegant. Combo of 9'6'' cielings and sheer drapes disperses natural light nicely. Clean lines. Very well done!

posted by us1team on April 10th 2009 at 10:58am
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I adore the loose casual look of slipcovered chair!

posted by albaloo on April 12th 2009 at 1:12am
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it is lovely and elegant

posted by w54c59 on April 12th 2009 at 11:35am
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This apartment is beautiful. It is a crime that it didn't make it to the semi-final.

posted by mandoflute on April 19th 2009 at 11:32am
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