apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

There's a flasher in your kitchen!

I love the first photo, great use of color! The second photo appears too cluttered. Unfortunately the last photo does not show much of your space. I like the colorful bins though!

There is this freaky thing staring back at me from the "office" set up you have.. O_O I'm totally creeped out!

Cool place, but still has something missing that makes it awesome.

EEK! What is that thing in the office looking out at me!?

That's Avis guys! Say Hi! :P

Get him some pants!

Fun, colourful, organised. Potential...

Apparently Avis is a she... check it out http://www.loosetooth.com/Shop/Avis/av_hm.htm
It's not as weird after you know the whole story.

I love the multi colored storage cubes in Pic 3 and your fancy crafty versions in Pic 1, while not my style, look well-done for what they are. I'm also enjoying imagining watching TV at your place. Tony Soprano surrounded by all that whimsy...ha! Where do you sleep? Pull out the futon?

Like the funkiness, but agree that the 3rd photo doesn't really show enough about the place.

Love that first photo, as well as the storage cubes. Great colours. Out of curiosity, what are all the post-it notes and what is the meaning of where they are placed?

I can (very much) appreciate the creativity going on in this home, but there is too much mish mashy clutter going on to really see it.

Some walls are left blank (above sofa) others overwhelmed (above dining table) with stuff that while individually may be interesting on their own merits, the interest gets lost. Its as if the landlord said you can make as many holes in this one wall only. At the very least, the pet toys should be out of sight, not laying around the floor.

I do like the funky square drawer units for storage in your workspace. And I admire that you were willing to "give up" the bedroom for the sake of your art.

great, colorful integrated storage!

Oh my gosh, your drawing of the floor plan is so adorable :)

I agree with Devyn. You obviously have a creative personality, but judging from these photos, your place looks a little out of balance. Your art and funky colors would appear to greater advantage in a sleeker, more streamlined environment.

This contest seems to be wavering from clean and bland to colorful and chaotic... The key will be to find the perfect balance.

Love it! It has the same feel as our place...lots of color!! Love the couch/futon....I want to curl up there!

I like this because finally we have an artist/entrepeneur who works at home and has "stuff" to contend with, other than clothing, books, and computers.

"Functionally, my place is uber-organized to keep all the hundreds of tools and materials I need to live as an artist and entrepreneur." I feel the pain. I have the same problem. This alone is a feat.

I do agree that Brandy's bold color sense would shine brighter and with more clarity if set in a modern setting. I'd like to see the art on the dining area wall removed and the tablecloth removed. Perhaps put less and larger art on the wall behind the sofa. Actually, if I were Brandy (and I'm not), I enlarge the floorplan drawing and hang that someplace because that's kinda' nifty for an art person.

All-in-all I think this is inspiring. Brandy, are you renting? Why not have a red wall somewhere? Fun.

Neato place. Are your storage cubes by Palaset? Where did you find them?

Best out-in-the-open tv display that i've ever seen!

Fascinating to get feedback on the 3 photo representation of my home. Hopefully, my comments will be more informative than defensive-sounding.

S.P.O.naj, Thanks for introducing Avis. Ijust moved 1/1, she’s still in her post-move Burning Man outfit: naked, yellow goggles, plastic red cowboy hat.

Beamish: Yes, I sleep on the futon. It’s HUGE to have a door between my work and my leisure, so the bedroom was an easy sacrifice.

OliviaLeigh: Re: post-it notes. That’s the “work wallâ€� in my office. The week of the deadline, I was challenging myself to get a bajillion things done. Arranged by day (the M, T… up top), with layers of importance. The ones on the door got done. To the right of the door, to be done. Those along the bottom were the least important.

Re: Visual clutter. Certainly not a catalogue or magazine shoot. I just moved from an extremely cluttered 425 sq ft studio that I filled over 8 years. I was a fish that grew to the size of her aquarium. Here I decided to make that one wall my “panopticonâ€� filled with stuff. Other than lighting, the other walls are naked. Definitely a choice to give myself visual rest I didn’t have before. I adore the emptiness of the office as a blank slate. Admittedly, the photo angles don’t illustrate that well.

JacksonMarie: Glad you “getâ€� the organization challenge. I can now gets my hands on everything quickly, and that feels GREAT. I’m kind of a square renter so I’ve stayed away from taking the painting plunge.

Hubiquitous: Man, I wish I remembered the manufacturer. Some USA company that, if memory serves, went out of business. I found them at HomeDepot in 1997 and bought the rest online shortly after.

KBinBC: Really glad to hear that! Generally, the front and center tv is tacky-tastic, but I’m a movie junkie and 90% of the time the home is for me and my pets.

The Powers That Be: It’s a one bedroom, not a studio. Thanks for adding me to the mix! I love seeing everyone's styles and solutions.

thanks, brandy
just adjusted entry listing from studio to one-bedroom

Photos don't do your space, creativity, and organizational quirks justice... But you definitely have it going on in my book! I have the eclecticness going on in my cozy "Junior One Bedroom" space, but have never had to work FT out of the same space--nice job coordinating it for your needs, hopefully I will be able to apply some of your starategies. Thanks for sharing!

It's great that you actually show both rooms in your apartment. I also appreciate the angles of the photos represented on your floorplan. Really helps with visualization of the entire space.

I wish that the photos had shown the windowseat that you made.

I love so many things about your place, Brandy (both old and new). But one of my favorite things in the new place is that there are places for the eye to rest, before moving on to the next grouping of color and curiosity.

i love it.
can i visit?

xo
kim

Wow! This place is incredibly happy. I'm really impressed by the usefulness of the decor. I'm even more impressed that you run a business out of such a great-looking apartment. I almost feel that this contest needs a new category: small apartment on a small budget. It seems almost unfair that you have to compete with folks for whom no expense is too large.

i can't believe that people think this looks cluttered. i don't see clutter -- what i do see is a lot of personality, color, and inspiration. glad to see an entry that doesn't look like a dwr catalog spread.

Cool place, I like the manikin in the back room.
Great use of vintage and collectible items.
Lots of warmth and eclectic charm!
Show resources and best use of fun.
Individuality

Most creative storage solutions by far. Great job!

I really like your place. It's totally different than most of the entries. It shows a lot of personality and inventiveness. Your floorplan made me chuckle and the storage and post-its in the third photo were oddly inspiring. Thanks for sharing!

I'll take 2 of everything.

Love, love, love the floorplan.

And letting us meet Avis is a nice touch.

I like it. It has colour, it has personality, and I think it really shows who Brandy is. Now I just have to figure out how to get a smiley bathtub like that. :)

Fantastically creative and bright! I love it.

This is one of my favorites! I absolutely love your space!! This place is fun, colorful, makes me smile! This place looks like people actually live here. Doesn't lack in personal style and is definately not cluttered!

Love it! Love the color. My favorite part is the wall that some have call cluttered. It's charming, don't change a thing. Love the storage cubes too. I'm inspired!

And here is her apartment again in a photo pictorial in Chicago Reader. Congrats Brandy!
http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/nestissue/agerbeck/1/

Thanks so much Lisa from VA! I got a lot out of seeing more of this apartment. Shows how much difference the photos themselves can make. Also demonstrates (once AGAIN) that we need more than three shots for this contest. In the Chicago Reader spread, I loved the detail shots. Showed some truly inspired creativity on Brandy's part.

Thanks, Lisa! You beat me to the punch. :^) I totally get the 3 photo limit, but it is *darn* hard. I love how the Reader article and pics turned out. As an aside, the Reader was smart to pick all renters - comparing apples to apples.