apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I love the fact that ONE bold dramatic shade was chosen for each space and used abundantly, not so sparingly-this paired with b&w and neutral grey gives an open yet dramatic feel-Often people feel that being colorful means cramming as much color as possible into a space and in a small space this can crowd it as much as too much furniture or accesories!!
Because the LR is so large and open and bright, a 'heavier' color actually balances that negative space,and allows you to get away with less other 'stuff' on the walls!!Love It!!

do you know what the name of the turquoise paint is?

I adore the use of color -- the color in the dining area really feels like the "right" color for that space, it just clicks -- but I'm really over the moon over the photography on the walls! Great space!

i used a very similar turquoise in one of my bedrooms a couple of years ago and a few people laughed at me -- and now i see it turning up everywhere!

A woman after my own heart! That turquoise is my absolute favorite color. Great job.

The seafoam green in the dining area is so retro, but really cute.

Why is your bedroom so cramped? Is the daybed for the dogs?

Ultimately, I voted "In the running" because the orange bathroom is way too orange and the bedroom is blah.

love the seafoam green in the dining area! I think the bedroom would be too cramped for me, but if you need a reading place or something, I think it works.

Do you need a roommate? I'd move to Chicago to live in that apartment! This is DEFINITELY Insta-Finalist.

love the turquoise! and the dining room is fabulous.

and by Chicago, I mean Austin, TX :)

The colors are upbeat, and I can imagine being very happy living surrounded by them.

But choosing neutral furnishings and very loud walls is not very inspired, and I don't like the way the colors work in the individual spaces where they've been placed. The blue of the living room is a great color, but it completely overtakes that space, making the furniture look dinky and bland. All your eye has to focus on is a huge expanse of attention-grabbing blue. I don't notice the decor, the view...just the blue. The bathroom feels like a glowing infrared lamp and I just know I would look like crap with the orange light bouncing off the walls. The drab walls in the little bedroom makes an already tight space feel depressing and cramped.

The pretty seafoam in the dining area is in my opinion the best of all the color choices. It works well with the white and chocolate pieces. But it's just not accessorized in a way that makes a coherent overall color statement. The smaller pieces, like the vases, look like odd things that were just put there rather than chosen to work with the color.

Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely, happy space and the wall colors are perfectly fine. If this were a friend's home, I'd think she'd done a great job. But this is a contest, and these rooms are just not examples of some of the crazy impressive entries we saw last year and will undoubtedly see again.

The orange in the bathroom is my favorite!

I LUV your dog photos!!!

I love the architecture of your place, especially the dining area! Orange is usually not one of my favorite colors, but I love how the orange in your bathroom glows.

i love the grey and robin's egg rooms, but the other two make me want to wear sunglasses inside.

i was mostly excited by that fabulous day bed, but i cant figure out why its crammed in a bedroom? i think it'd look wonderful in the robin's egg room...pull it out to show it off and let your bedroom breathe!

I must say I may not be a fair judge - because so far this is my absolute favorite. I admit that I have been obsessing about turquoise and orange lately.

This is an absolutely stunning achievement in color. I feel you have a grasp of how to use color in a bold way, because the rooms are bold, but they flow, and yet are simple and restrained. You have cute little pops everywhere that do not overwhelm nor compete with the color. Love your little red touches and the large amounts of white.

I really can't say enough about your place. I really prefer a place that flows like this, that is very cohesive to one that has different color schemes throughout.

Great work! Hope to see you in the finals.

Great use of color! Love the first two pics especially.

What is the dining room paint color...I love that room...

Absolutely stunning!

the turquoise reminds me of the girls' bathroom in elementary or something. it's too much.

Amazing photographs of this place!

I love the colours and architecture but the furniture is off.

I WISH people would include the paint color names with the rooms!

I've been looking for a blue like that. It's harder than you'd think.

Love love LOVE this entry. You are not afraid of paint! The aqua, the orange, the green with the art prints... it's everything I wish I could do in an apartment that won't let me paint. So far this entry is easily my favorite.

Bold -- and it works!

I love it!!! Way to go being brave and not just doing an accent wall in that turquoise.

Awesome color...I would say don't be afraid of change and try some furniture/decorative pieces that are just as vibrant as your walls.

I would be very happy staring at your walls all day.

Hi everyone! Thanks for everyone's comments and critiques. I totally agree with most of them. The bedroom shown is actually my guest bedroom - hence why it has the full bed and the daybed. The day bed is for relaxing for my guests or for putting their luggage. The room is pretty cramped but I wanted to be able to sleep more than 2 guests in that room if necessary...my own bedroom wasn't submitted because it is still a major work in progress!

The "dining room" is actually my meeting area/home office. I'm a photographer so that is where I meet new clients...and I also sometimes use it for dining.

I would love to go bolder/more creative with my furniture...I plan to start shopping at thrift stores/estate sales/vintage stores to make my home a little eclectic and replace some of the pieces in my house that I think are a bit boring...I went through a divorce a couple years ago so I sort of had to make do with what I had leftover...and so I chose color to bring some life to make up for what I thought was some furniture that lacked character.

The turquoise paint for everyone who asked is Sherwin Williams SW 6946 Surfer. The minty green/blue is Galapagos Green, and the orange (which appears brighter than it actually is) is Outgoing Orange. All are Sherwin Williams Paints. Thanks again...

Love the mix of the turquoise and orange! Winner!!!

So BOLD! I love it!

Great execution, but doesn't that aqua hurt your eyes after a while? I would love it as an accent for one wall or one area, but now a whole, large living room. But really nice execution.

Like the dining area! really cool!!

Gorgeous; love the use of one color in each space absolutely one of the best submissions. Love your dining room/office and bathroom especially. If the voting wasn't over I'd go for Insta-Finalist.

What is the floor in the dining room?