A highlight of our editorial year has come and gone but I know we'll remember the ninth year of Small Cool as one with a standout selection of beautiful homes. Over 180 entrants garnered nearly 50,000 votes of support from design lovers around the world and we all got a good healthy dose of inspiration and enjoyment for the past month. Let's take a look at your final choices for the Smallest, Coolest Homes of the year...

The ballots are in! Over the weekend, our smart and stylish judges, Emma, Emily and Jason, voted on your choices for the top 5 homes in each of our divisions. After counting their votes, reading their ballots, checking our tallies (and checking them again!) here, without further ado, are the division winners and your finalists for the Small Cool home of the year! Check them out, congratulate them on their division win and then click on through to the main contest page to vote for the home you think should be the Grand Prize winner for 2013...

I'm sure many of you blog-loving HGTV-watching designfans recognize our third judge for Small Cool 2013. Joining Jason and Emma, please welcome Emily of Style By Emily Henderson...

We're thrilled that three of our favorite design folks could lend their expertise to our judges panel for Small Cool 2013. You met Jason earlier, now say hello to a talented stylist and editor with a super sharp sense of Scandinavian style, Emma of the always wonderful Emmas Designblogg...

Our judges have been hard at work over the weekend, reviewing the top entries in each of our divisions to select our finalists. This afternoon we'll be introducing you to each of our lovely panel members one by one, talented designers and small-space lovers, all. First, meet Jason Oliver Nixon of Madcap Cottage...

Often, living in a small space means dealing with a nearly minuscule kitchen. I couldn't help but be inspired by the myriad ways in which this year's crew of Small Cool entrants made the most of their small cooking spaces. Read on for lots of ideas for making a small kitchen work for you. 

The magic of Small Cool contest is seeing, time and time again, how square footage doesn't determine a cap on style. From the tiniest homes on up to the biggest of the smalls, each of our entries make the most of light, color and serious space-planning skills. To help tide us over while our judges do their thing this weekend, here is a look at the very smallest of the small from this years competition - the wonderful homes that clocked in at under the 300 square foot mark...

→Voting is still open on all the Small Cool entries - check them out and choose your favorites!

Small Cool 2013 is going strong as we near the judges phase. With over 180 amazing spaces to explore and all the voting still active, now is your chance to dig in, survey all the entries and support your favorites. There are truly inspiring homes in all styles and sizes of "small" to discover, including some from this, our fourth week of posting. Dive in now and help send your choices to the next round!

Using mirrors in a small space is a classic strategy for making a room look brighter and feel bigger. There are many terrific examples in this years crop of Small Cool entrants from floor-length mirrors to strategically placed mirrors and even a Murphy Bed with a mirrored underside. Take a look and get inspired!