apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

dont like the colors together, makes space too sterile. tried to read answers to contest questions to seek more insight into the square, harsh color design. but ended up disliking the space even more. seems to full of itself without pulling off desired effect. very copy-cat, just kinda boring bland, even with that green wall. dats honestly why i voted no way jose. just tryin to be honest. would add some more personal, human touches that show softer side of the people who live there. would love to see something they picked for themselves, not to copy ikea magazine or diy project of the moment.

With all the cool stripe combinations we've seen so far, I think this room would really pop if they painted some of the blue-green-black-white color combinations on the walls.

It seems that for the most part, people really are afraid of paint.

Another lime green room that I like.
I love how seamless your A/V unit is. How did you get the wires hidden for A/V equip? Are they just tucked behind the equipment, or is there an access panel in the wall?

This is one of my favorite of the lime green rooms. I like the vibrant wall with the slightly mellower colors in the rug and pillows.

Can you tell me where you got your cute ottomans?

I like it, though personally I'd like the a/v stuff dropped down a little lower.

But I MUST know where you got that wall mounted cabinet. Seriously. I love it.

I also like the wall dots. I'm starting to feel a need for 3-dimensional walls....

The wall mounted cabinet to me (and I could be way off) looks just like the LACK bookcase at Ikea, turned on it's side, and with a shelf removed.

And it looks GREAT!

Yeah yeah it's well assembled; they followed the instructions to a T. Where is the evidence that humans live here. No artwork, no photos, no books, no mementos, nothing that didn't come in the hermetically sealed, just-add-water package.

I understand that a staged scene looks better than the one with the shoes astray, glasses half full, and general mess around and this certainly is staged for an open house or showroom photoshoot.

Give us some of your personality.

And yes I know this is not a contest about personality or charm or even success of the space but simply adding a wall of color, matching pillows and a few coordinated decorations does not good color make. Good use of color is when it is becomes essential to the space and by space I mean the phycical environment complete with people.

This room is easy, change the greens to any other color and it has no effect on the space other than being different.

It is not integrated into the space, it is not essential to the space, it is not part of the space. Rather it is a foreign element that plugs into the space.

I was just photoshoping this entry, changing the wall colors to orange etc...

One thing that I've noticed in all the entries is the overwhelming lack of understanding in how color actually works.

Imagine this wall first painted with the opposing orange from the color spectrum and then painted with the green several times in slightly different hues. The build up of the greens on the base of orange would greate an absoutely stunning wall of vibrant, textured alive color. One that adds depth, warmth and movement to the room. As it is now it flattens, freezes and silences the space... I guess that's what they were going for...

Julian just said everything I was thinking.

The space is lovely, but it really does look like it was all purchased at once over the internet. Furniture? Click. Oops, guess I need rug to match. Click. Lemme take a look at the "users who bought this might also like" suggestion section of same web site and click.

That doesn't detract from its lovliness, but doesn't wow me either. It's very nice, but I think an actual piece of art over the sofa instead of the stick on circles would go a long way. Or the stick on might work but maybe in a way that isn't so obvious.

Nice though.

I've been looking for a coffee table like yours... where did you find it?

I soooooo almost bought that rug from Urban Outfitters earlier this year!

Wendy S,

The coffee table looks like:
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=114&f=697&viewall=1

from CB2.

Wow, that floating wall unit is amazing. Do tell us more about it!

Is there a ghost in the room ?

This is a first time I am seeing a TV !! ?? I was in the cave last 50 years.

What were you thinking when you put this room together ??
Good production.

yes i also need to know about that wall unit. if that's a lack bookcase, how the HELL did you get it to hang like that?

Ok, so I know everybody else is aching for some "personality" but I think this is just gorgeous. I would LOVE to come home to this everyday. The natural light and the bright colors and symmetrical wall spaces are so aesthetically pleasing that it's peaceful. I would love to see more house pics and I MUST know how you wired the TV into the wall so seamlessly. Just gorgeous. And, as I net-shop almost exclusively, there is a helluva lot to be said for not fighting bullshit crowds and hauling stuff around in your friend's truck. Coming to my front door for me to assemble with a wine and kicked up music is a GREAT way to shop and make a home. Nesting without the hassles and waiting and stores not having the stock anyway is the way to go.

And honestly, I think DJ is way out of line (and unfair) with the square-ish comments because you have paired lots of designers, lots of different hues of a color and families together and made it seamless and comfortable. So what if you get it all on the net? Down here in the south, there is virtually no other way to get cool stuff except on the net (apparently they think we're uneducated AND unstylish), so props to you if you can pair it all together, slap some sexy paint on the wall and live in peace. Way to go. I'd gladly move in.

I think this is really nice. Soft, easy, and NO JUNK!! And FYI to all of you people who think it looks too "staged"...I have TONS of friends who live like this. And if not for all of my Grandmother's hand-me-downs, I WOULD, TOO!! Not everyone likes to clutter up their homes. And some people are downright prissy about pristine!! Could be, these people are just starting out and starting from scratch...BEFORE the house gets loaded down with CRAP! So LIGHTEN UP!!
VERY LOVER-LEE Amee and Jayesh! Nice use of color. Don't let the negative comments sway ya!

I'm always confused by the "where's the personality?" comments. This is the personality. It's the personality of careful choices, the personality of restraint, the personality of a calm, ordered mind. Perfectly human. Comfortably lived in.

Looks great! What a great use of circles on the walls.

Some constructive criticism, I would maybe make the circles bigger?

LACK is very easily mounted on the wall (it is actually meant to be there!)
this is my example (not finished yet though)

http://tinyurl.com/yhjxut
http://tinyurl.com/ym77yq

i also think minimalist, junk free, clean lokking apts rock!
mine could easily be ikea catalogue- but do u think its so easy to furnish and decorate ikea "interiors"?? did u know REAL interior designer work there and use their imagination as they would anywhere else? its not easy to assemble an ikea interior and it most definitely doesnt resemble catalogue shopping!

This contest has given me so many ideas and inspiration! I love this place! I like the color and my favorite is your floating unit! Where did you purchase it?? Anyway, this contest is about color. I've read other comments not only here but other entries and people seem to forget that syle varies. Color preferences vary. What I like you might hate so-on and so-forth. Again, color is the key word in this contest whether it's a painted wall or colorful furniture or appliances or personal collection of knick-knacks. Why are some of you so uptight, just say I don't like the color but maybe, maybe you might like something else. Be kind. As far as the specialists/experts in color or style or ego whatever it is, give advice but don't knock someone elses preference in color. Again, style is unique and different not the same 'ol lets follow the leader to Ikea or DWR or Crate n Barrel. I'd take grandma's hand me downs in a heartbeat. I love personal objects which have a unique story behind 'em something that's been in my family for years. It's about meaning, love, and respect for something. Think about that nxt time you decide to go all this is the way it should be, look, or appear.

i love it. bee-you-tiful.

very nicely done. this room is not spacious or busy but the use of color and shape in the things you chose to accent it with give it life. the colors in the decor and the wall compliment and play off of one another, allowing you to keep the rest of it simple. other people's spaces in this contest couldn't get away with that without appearing empty and lacking.

I made a desk out of an IKEA Lack TV stand/Coffee Table.

Check it out at

picasaweb.google.com/alafleur/DeskAndCouch

I like this.. esp. that sexy TV. My only suggestion would be to lose the dots over the couch and investing in a large painting to replace them. The dots are a little too... sorority girl's/reality tv show house.

This is one of my favorites. I love the use of apple green. You did a beautiful job putting it on just one wall. You achieved bright color and simplicity. I love to live in an austere fashion, and it's quite a challenge because I love so many beautiful things. I also really love the ottomans, the rug and the capis walling hanging. You've achieved beautiful zen-like balance. The only thing I would change is the vase. I would get a more substantial vase (not more vases) probably larger and in either green or blue? Or you could put a green one and blue one together, but I certainly wouldn't do much more than that, the place is beautiful the way it is.

Maybe you can buy a CB2 vase with your winnings! Good luck!

I looked at your place again, and I think some of the comments are wrong. Even though I would like to see a painting over the sofa, I would not like to stripes painted on your walls. I haven't liked any of the stripes done in this contest (except for Chino & Stephanie's Urguain Sunrise orange kitchen). I think people get very jealous when someone is able to pull off simplicity. It's not as easy as it looks.

Great work.

I love green, it's my favorite color but its too over powering. I would loved to see different shades of green, but over all Ilove the modern look of the place.

I actually really love the colour pallette- but the use of these colours throughout the space is soooooo expected that it's a let down of an otherwise really cool looking apartment.

I like the room, love the color combination. The one thing that I would change is to move those disks around over the couch. If they were more random I think the whole look would feel more organic rather than produced. And of course, that's just my opinion coming from my preferences.

My two cents -
I actually like this space and I also believe it has personality. While it looks like a showroom, the combo of furniture and color is inviting. We ALL have "showroom spaces" as most of us buy our furniture from STORES. Unless you make your own furniture, cut out the sterile comments.

pretty, but so flat and cold...take juian's comments down as precepts...