apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i love the couch. i love that shade of turquoise. and all the pugs! i could eat them up! all the artwork, pillows and the rug does tie in all the colors but it seems too matchy matchy and a little busy for my eyes. i wish there were some softer shades to balance out that beautiful bright couch. nice entry though. i found most entries haven't "got" the concept of the contest which is COLOR! Finally some bold approaches are being displayed. Thank you.

PUUUUUGS!!!!!!! The best neutrals one could find. HA!

Love the look, it's not for me but you're making it work! The white walls keep it from being too chaotic, and the fact that the brights are all the same intensity makes it unified. Good show! Instafinalist!

I am totally in love with the first picture (and you better lock your doors b/c I am coming to steal those dogs). However, in the second pic, I think I would have preferred less of a similar flow through the carpet to the wall on the far side, to the table. I agree, a little matchy. Maybe some solid block colors instead? But overall, I think it is a super fun and energetic place.

Very fun! The first photo really works, but I agree with PPs that the wall art in the second photo is a little "matchy" with the rug.

i absolutely love the use of many bright, beautiful colors! how can you not be happy with all of these colors that exude a positive energy surrounding you?! i love the couch & carpet!!

Oh my God! I'm in loooove with the pugs! They SO go with the decor! Beautiful space!

I love the color combo! But, add me to the list of thinking the art is a bit too matchy matchy.

It's a happy, happy place!!! Where do you find amazing furniture like that? I bet the other roms are just as fun!

I bow down to you.
You do the white walls with color perfectly.

Too many patterns makes me dizzy. If you used fewer paterned peices and varied the intesity of the colors some it would feel more organic and less matchy. Add more black to ground the colors.

it's definitely an amazingly cheery space. the art IS a bit matchy, but what's bothering me most is that it's so high on the wall! move that sucker down, it will make a gigantic difference in the flow of the room.

Uhhhh....well, looks kinda cheesy to me. Reminds me of a pre-school/day-care center. Too many Crayola-like colors. The artwork looks amatuerish, especially that large painting in the second pic. Cute pugs, too many rugs!

i write this with full knowledge that everyone is entitled to their opinions. however, i find it frustrating that people find it okay to disparage people's living spaces. all entries in this contest are where people live. the contest is about how different people use color, not about people's opinions on how to "fix" other's homes. if "matchy" is what they want, then that's how they will do it. if their space is "amateur-ish" then maybe they are not professionals. anyway, i like it. i also like dark colors. i don't think one is better than the other in terms of use. i just know what i like. my $0.02

Alex, if you think that you're going to be able to corral people in and forbid them to express their true thoughts then perhaps you are browsing the wrong forum. I think that if you are brave enough to submit your pictures then your skin should be thick enough to take all that's coming your way! Did you really think that people were all going to praise every entry? Relax.

donnie, i'm not trying to "corral" anyone into anything. like i said, people are entitled to their opinions. i did not think people were going to praise every entry. i merely stated that i found it frustrating that a lot of comments were not regarding the contest. maybe you should "relax" while i express my true thoughts. two way street, sir.

Delightful, welcoming, light, happy, comfy-looking, and I agree that lowering all the art on the walls would add to the mod impact.

I just met pugs for the first time, at a local Doggy Olympics. This space is a great match to the four-legged occupants who out-number YOU.

I think it's a great fun space (and the pug-a-wugs just tie in the entire fun-loving space perfectly!) I don't mind the "matchy-ness" (I mean, come on folks, it's not like they dyed their dogs... hmm...) I love the playful energy that exudes from these use of colour - as for the comment about looking like a pre-school/day care center - go eat glue.

I love both those pix! I think I need you to redecorate my studio...

FUN! VIBRANT! EXCITING! This room evokes a fun spirt, and takes me to a special place, Upsey Downseys, Kozmic Kiddles! It's all about the strong color and bold shapes, with a hint of minimalism. Pugs a plenty add even more character and spunk!!!
RIGHT ON!!!!

FIERTH!!!!! now all i need is a place of Spaghetto to go with it!
AMAZING pics!

oops..i mean a PLATE of speghetto!

The space is certainly colorful; I don't know that it shows a skillful use of color. I also don't understand what the dogs have to do with anything. Is this just their space?

This Place Rocks!!!!!!!!!! Love the pugs.

i love how colorful the room is and how the pillows, rug, and the paintings really tie in well with eachother. One of my favorite things about the room is that its not too much. Sometimes colorful rooms are too much of an overload, but the plain white walls and shiny wood floors really balance all the crazy cool-colors (and of course, the cute PUGS!). AMAZING!

I LOVE these pictures...they make me happy just looking at them..i can only imagine living in a place like that...how happy i'd be...colors can do so much...and you are brilliant with their use!

My favorite thing about this is that you don't notice, at first, that the walls are WHITE! Renter-white! Wow! You can have color without painting the walls (which is immediately what I think of when thinking color).

Very impressive.

I love the bright light colors. The color of the couch is awesome with the paintings above and I'm sooooo jealous of your rug. Your pugs must be extra clean because I have 2 cats and NO WAY IN HELL would it every stay white...they shed soo much it's suprising. I love your place, it's so nice and refreshing. Your pups are too adorable. They sure get my vote.

The pugalicious pad ROCKS!!!!!! I had never sat in a turquoise chair before I went there!!!

I love the white walls and the use of color on everything else. After trying to do our house in colors, I realized that I really liked white walls and color in the art, textiles etc. But the best is the PUGSSSSSSSS. I have two Bugs (Boston Terrier -Pug mixes) and the dogs are the best.
Suzanne

This is funky and fun without being jarring or overwhelming.

I agree with Boliyou. Also, I like the artwork.

This is so far the most colorful, (nicely done) fun, living space to enter this contest. I love the use of color it's dramatic and bold. I love the colors just don't think it would work for everyone. I'd be climbing the walls with energy!!
This place to me is young, hip, and kewl...it reminds me of an amusement park and that would put a smile on anyones face. By the way LOVE THOSE POOCHIES!!!

Love it. Just cheers up my depressed lifestyle just looking at it. My room is all black.

That Alex guy really needs to relax.

Excellent! Truly amazing!

I was having a pretty dull day until I took a look at your pictures! Your colorful rooms really cheered me up! Especially those cutie patutie pups of yours! LOVE your work!

You either love it or hate it- I personally love it- But I think it may be too bright for some people. I guess it's a matter of taste. This place looks clean and uncluttered. I like that it's unique as far as the furniture. It's not every day you see a turquoise sofa . The colors pop out against the white walls. Very different from the other entries since the walls are white and painting the walls in wacky colors are the obvious choice to do. Kudos for stepping out of the box and going for it. No doubt this place has some serious color!

I agree with Donnie. This room reminds me of a daycare center. Perhaps if this was a contest for kid's rooms, then maybe it could offer some competition. While it is certainly colorful, I do not feel it really reflects an innovative use of color.

Thanks for not going with the obvious- Just because a room is painted in one color or three colors doesn't make it "innovative"- Simple, refreshing and whimsical.. I like it!

Personally, I don't see why a kid's room would be ineligible for a contest about color. I love it, and I loved pre-school! Good Luck!

Thanks for all the input! A couple of things: both the diva and i firmly believe in being only as young as you feel, so our design aesthetic reflects our quest for eternal youth. As for the matchy-ness of our rug and our art work, well, we dig matching. to each their own, i guess. The reason we wanted to show our place is because so many people are not able to paint their spaces when they rent, so we feel like we've solved that problem by going bold with everything else in the room so that the white walls simply serve as a punctuation, if you will. Anyway, thanks for all your votes!

I think this really rises to the spirit of the contest.
(Art is kinda high, tho...)

Ok, lets focus on good use of color here, not on cute pugs!!!! The pugs' place is in a whole different contest.......

Ok, let's stop voting for this because of the cute dogs. They ARE cute, but this apartment is OBNOXIOUS! It looks like a repeat of the 60's and belongs at a beach or island house, not in Chicago. Aren't the colors supposed to be fall colors and not psychodelic colors of the 60's hedonistic age?????

There are no rules about the colors having to be "fall colors"- The contest is about having a space that HAS COLOR.. The contest happens to take place in the FALL.. so that's why they call it the " The Fall color contest" Judy-
I happen to like the 60's style of this entry.. From the 60's Panton Chairs to the Marimekko lamps.If it's not your cup of tea-then vote "no way Jose" - No need to be rude-This is someone's home HAVE SOME RESPECT. This place has it's own style.. Some people enjoy the generic look of Potterybarn and some people prefer the entries that are straight from a Westelm catalogue. This is an example of a midcentury modern / funky theme.. Unique from the rest and I dig it..Let people vote for what they like and don't try to sabatoge a good room. By the way- The entry did have the word "MOD" in it so it did refer to a 60's throwback.
and it's spelled PSYCHEDELIC - I guess I like "Obnoxious" things because this one gets my vote!

I guess this one wins because it's straight out of CB2 not Pottery Barn or West Elm.

I happen to like this one. If they win, I think it's because it's very CB2. Some of these entries don't look like they would have any CB2 stuff in their home anyway. What would they do with a gift certificate from there if it's not their style? That's Dumb. The dogs are cute but the style of the space is great as well. Alot of the entries are just bad immitations of catalogs. I think this is a good example of color if you are renting. Not a "Insta" for me but a "In contention" for sure.

I write here because the actual mod diva gets way too upset to.
I am personally grateful to all that vote for us. We are quite proud of our space and are happy to share it with others.
I cannot apologize to those who find our space obnoxious, amateur, cheesy, or whatever other rude adjectives are used because we did not decorate our apartment with their tastes in mind. This is our taste. We entered because it's a COLOR contest. It is not a renovation contest, nor is it a forum where we ask for your help in our decor.
I was having fun in this contest, till I realized how rude people are on this site. This doesn't apply to all, just most.
We have an extended family and numerous friends that span the globe...from Hawaii to the Philippines. We've asked all of them to vote for us. Thanks guys.
As for the pugs...what is the big deal? We have pugs. They live with us. Our couch is where they sit. That is why they are in the picture.
Finally, how people vote is their own business. I personally voted insta-finalist for many entries because they deserved it. To tell someone to stop giving negative votes to others is inane. Especially coming from someone who obviously voted negatively for us.
Somehow, I believe that if we all were to meet in person, this experience would be a pleasurable one for all. The fact that people decide to disparage other people's homes so relentlessly and with such tactless fervor, sours me on the idea that the internet can be used as a "community."
So, if you don't like our entry, I welcome you to vote no way, jose. If you wish to tell us why, that's great too. If you want to insult us, i invite you to leave your email address, or email me at daddyselma@sbcglobal.net so we can discuss, or get in to a debate about it.
Thanks.

To mod diva's ~ I applaud you and thank you for sharing your space. And your right this is a "color contest" not a "I need help decorating contest!" It's sad to have to defend your taste or style to individuals who have to hide behind their computers to insult others. I've noticed these same folk insulted not only your space but others. What needs to be addressed is this is a "contest" not a let's insult the hell out of these entries. Which is what I see happening here. If these folks are experts on style and decorating pleaseeeeee share you personal domain with us!! PLEASEEEEE!

I do this your place is nice, but I do have to agree that you are using the pugs for a selling point. ( I would do the same for more votes)



More than that I also agree with caramelly fresh. It is kinda strange that you have so many votes??? Way more than any onle else!

Not bad, but couldn´t you get those doggies in pink? Their undefined brownish sort of spoils the color scale in your room. In addition I think the symmetry of four dogs of the same size doesn´t go well with the otherwise wild organic designs on rugs, pillows and everythink else. Try going for one big dog (German Sheperd), but place it on the left side of your couch to balance that lamp on the other. And do (!) go for a pink one...

I know it's been said but it bears repeating...there is NO way that 778 people actully think this is a great use of color. You have a lot of friends, don't you? Anyhow, it's not a big eighties pop art season at CB2 so you should really let the first 4 prizes go to someone else.

Okay, I guess we can't play nice here anymore. I wanted to stay above all the cattiness, but I have to defend my home.

Jennifer, your lack of an entry in this contest is probably the explanation for your complete ignorance about the use of color, or design for that matter. Our style is clearly 60's retro mod, not eighties, as you so dim-wittedly assumed, so if we're fortunate enough to place in this contest, we will be just fine. Also among your assumptions is that if you don't like it, then no one can possibly (or "actully" as you put it) like it either. Yes, we do have a lot of friends. They happen to like our use of color. Maybe, just maybe, our friends have other friends (gasp!) who also like our design. And just maybe, those people know other people (what?!?) who also like our design. Anyway, I personally think that 778 people voting for us is not an unheard of number. There are hundreds of thousands of people surfing the net for modern design as we speak, and just maybe, they might have stumbled on to apartment therapy's site. I'm sure that AT is glad that they have more than just 500 people perusing their site. Furthermore, you have no idea how contests work if you think I have the power to "let the first 4 prizes go to someone else." How can I "let" someone have a prize? I'm not in charge. I'm a contestant.
As I've said before, and this truly bears repeating, if we were all to meet in person, there is no way any of these comments would be made. Jennifer, your cowardly attempts to belittle my home and my integrity only serve to cast you in a completely uninformed light. I wish your life could be as happy and colorful as mine, but until you stop using your internet access as a way to fulfill your desire to be an important member of society, you will continue to be a sad, pathetic person whose voice is only semi-important when laced with cattiness on an internet chat board.
The invitation to email me is still open, though I doubt you possess the actual courage to be that personal with someone.
And to all others who agree with jennifer, caramelly fresh, judy, or any other person who finds our entry completely repulsive, why not vote "no way jose?" By the tone of some of these comments, there surely must be thousands of people who could eliminate us from contention. Or maybe jennifer is wrong, and there are people who like our entry. Hmmmm.

Sorry, Alexander. I didn't know that you and the Mrs. had such a soft spot. It's true that we have very different tastes. However, you can hardly accuse me of using the internet "to fulfill [my] desire to be an important member of society" when my comment took about 60 seconds to compose. How long did you stay up thinking about what you were going to respond last night?

Secondly, friends do things for their friends. That's the nature of friendship. Friends even go see their friend's bands whether or not they like the music. Don't be fooled into thinking 778 people like your design, especially after you've admitted you're soliciting votes.

Good luck in the competition!

Hubby, you are insane. Seriously. This is the internet. People talk trash. If you can't deal with it, don't post pics of your apartment on the internet for people to comment on.

Also, your style is clearly NOT "60's retro mod". It’s an example of what some fool thinks mod looks like. If you knew what mod was, you would know the difference. It looks like you maxed out your Visa at Ikea.. The fact that you have to match everything shows you have no imagination, and can't come up with a clear, coherent, original thought.

Jennifer, you would do well to review what AT has posted today about this contest. Maybe then your comments might make sense. How quickly you take in crafting a response hardly proves that your opinion means more. In fact, it makes sense that your half baked assumptions came off the top of your head without any thought. Anyway, you're right. 778 people don't like our design. As I type this, 787 people do. Clearly, I do not need your wishes of "good luck." What a shocker it is to find no messages from you in my inbox. Does your internet fame feel good? I hope so.

J, have you been to Ikea? Only our t.v. stand and side lamp table is Ikea. 60's mod actually is our style. That doesn't mean that we're doing an exact replica of a 60's mod room, just in the style. That being said, perhaps you should rethink which of your rude comments is "clear" or "coherent." And, again, we entered this contest not to read vile comments like yours. We entered for a chance to win CB2 stuff. Nowhere in the original criteria for entry does it say part of the contest is to endure stupidity from select posters. I guess that's the internet, as you say.

Like I said, I will defend my home to any rude comments. We've been on the site for 11 days now. is it not possible that 70 people vote in a day? Read the reminders about the contest, people. Constructive criticism is great. Pretending like you're an expert by posting insults is another.

Sometimes at night, when I’m alone in my bunker, I cry myself to sleep. I can’t help myself. I simply can’t stand eating another can of peaches. When was the last time you had canned peaches? Those things suck. Seriously. And canned corn too. Canned corn is disgusting. I much prefer the frozen kind because it tastes more like the real thing, but I can’t get my freezer in here. Just enough room for the peaches, corn, bottled water, and gas mask. Jesus, I can’t wait for death’s sweet release.

Alright-
Let's just stick to the contest- "J" Or
"Jennifer" "Judy ' all starts with "J".. hummmmm... whatever,who ever you are- (Because I know you're one in the same). If you really want to be heard- Get some guts and be able to post with a real name and a real email address . The last I saw, the invitation to write a proper e-mail was still open.
NEXT-

I really don't care for this. No nuance, variation or restraint. And I really dislike those dogs.

glad you're the vote police, "caramelly fresh." no need to thank me or my "friends." i vote the way i vote based on how i think an entry fares in this competition. again, perhaps there are others who agree with my opinion. and, yet again, look at the date that entries are posted. the longer an entry is posted, the more votes they'll have. what? really? how can that be? get a life.

I think this apartment is wicked. I'm green with envy. Too bad so many people are such drama queens.

This place is cute. I'd like to know which Ikea sells a couch like that. Good looking pugs as well. Nice colors looks so fresh and so clean, clean!

I like this place a lot! So colorful and cheerful!! I live in NYC and I would love to hang out here during the cold, dark months of January and February. I love the pugs too! Great job!

Ok, this is Judy again. No, I'm not Jennifer or "J", but that is clever of you to think that. Yes, to me the color scheme is obnoxious, but YOU ARE RIGHT. It is your place and you love it that way and so do many others. My vote is still "no way, Jose". Good luck with the contest.

This place is cozy. It's fun and colorful. Most definitely a place to hang out on a dreary Chicago day and get happy. I like it alot!

Does the Humane Society know what you're doing to those dogs?

I LOVE IT!!!! It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And those PUGS!!!! Perfect antidote to Chicago's brilliantly changeable/crappy weather.

Dang. Your place made me smile with delight, but then I read your comments, which are the exact opposite of your place's vibe: paranoid instead of carefree, mean instead of generous, and self-important instead of fun. Between that and your self-admitted and obvious vote-rigging you took me from joy to ashes in 5 minutes.

There's a lesson here for all entrants: don't try to overmoderate your own entry, don't try to outfroth the naysayers, and don't be so generally desperate. (And no, I am not emailing you, because you are crazy and you scare me.)

Don't let the AT snobs influence your personal taste. Like all art, there is no right or wrong, just what you like and I love this place.This is different and fun.

this place is great! it's as if you were the love interest of Elphaba's younger sister, Nessarose.

Wow HM your right.......I agree with you 100%

It is very colorful that's for sure

So... your friends all voted for this place? You must be AMAZINGLY popular. I tallied up all the votes in the contest, and plugged them into excel. [who says insomnia is bad?]

The average number of total votes for all entries is: 318 your total number of votes is 1864!

The only other competitor even close to that total number of votes is Tricia's Dressed up Palette, with 1695 total votes.

Mod Diva's InstaFinalist votes total: 917, the average is 112

Tricia's Dressed up Palette has almost as many total votes BUT her number of NoWayJose votes is 643 compared to ModDiva's 342.

I find it not a little suspicious that ModDiva outpaced the Finalist votes exponentially across the competition. If, as you say, there are hundreds of people looking for modern design on the internet, that number should reflect equally nationwide. The Eastcoast and Midwest had slightly higher numbers than South & Northwest, but not this kind of disparity.


Some other interesting numbers:

Average # of NoWay votes by region:

East- 133; only 3 entries w/ more than 300 "noway" votes
Midwest - 230; 16 entries w/ more than 300 "noWay" votes
Southwest - 78; 0 entries w/ over 300 "noway" votes
Northwest - 81; 1 entry w/ over 300 "noway" votes

The average # of 'InContentions' vote was 72; Mod Diva had 605. The next highest number is 364 (go tyler!)

Yes, this could all be a coincidence. But its probably not.