apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I'm beyond shocked that this is not a finalist.

Me too! I do not understand why this apartment with all of it's extremely clever storage for a small space did not make it as a finalist.

No way..! I really thought this one was going to be one of the finalists. I guess the judges this year are in favor of "less stuff" in homes.

Good call Ms. Mann! This really is 1 of my favorite entries. It looks lived in. And real. Like someone made the most of the resources/space they had. Instead of throwing gobs of valuable green cash at an architect to produce yet another aseptic Manhattan Mausoleum.

This place looks a mess. When you're living small, you've got to let stuff go. There's no need to hang on to EVERY magazine!

oh, i agree. why keep all those magazines? and display them like it is a waiting room?

I'm very disappointed that this is not a finalist. Seems to me that cleverly designed massive amounts of storage are exactly what small cool is supposed to be about!

To elaborate on my above pithy comment...

I like that this apartment is stuffed with stuff. After all, there are many, many people for whom that much stuff is not just the reality of the living space, but a requirement of their job, lifestyle or current circumstance.

I'm thinking of a friend of mine who is a composer. His apartment is FULL of music - sheet music, scores, records, CDs. And two computers. And a keyboard. And a piano - a baby grand piano. And it's a studio! He lives in New York City and it's the reality of his life that he has to make his whole life fit into a small space. It just happens that his whole life includes lots of stuff. So he has clever built-ins, underbed storage, hidden drawers, the works. And you know what? It's great. It's totally works. He'll never have a minimalist white box, or "spare walls" or a "pared-down aesthetic." And that's ok.

Now Daniel here has the most amazing organization and storage systems I've ever laid eyes on. Moreover, he manages that level of organization while maintaining a coherant and, in my opinion, gorgeous, warm, elegant style. That's damn impressive, people.

...And perhaps it's worth imagining that his magzine display is for his job?

The overriding point of this contest, for me, is to spotlight those who've made great design in the context of their life's requirements, not those who shoehorn their lives into Great Design. Daniel has created design around his life, his needs. That, I believe, is Small Cool at its finest.

I think this is why they asked professionals in the industry to be the final judges. Maybe you could lobby to be a judge next year, Moira?

should have been a finalist! the voting should have been left up to the professionals and not the web surfer that probably spent less than 10 seconds making up there mind as to; instant-finalist, cool, rubbisola. This apartment is very well organized, clean and clever. It seems that decor will win you this contest and not design (which this apartment is very strong in). I strongly agree with moira's comments.

Ah, of course you're right West212. As I'm just a passionate amateur and not a professional in the industry, I should most surely keep my comments and opinions to myself.

No, I was serious. You should lobby to be a judge next year. Represent!

Yes those comments were wonderful, thank you. Thats all we could ever ask for....passion.

Moira, I agree with you.
Daniel's place is my 'winner'. His ideas and images are a real inspiration.
Don't mean to be sarcastic, but the judges designs don't do anything for me at all...am I getting too long in the tooth for this perhaps?
Flora

Yikes, So sorry, West212, for my snark! I let my cranky mood yesterday influence my reading of your comment.

Many thanks. Maybe we should lobby Maxwell et al for greater "civilian" participation in next year's contest. A 5th judge, taken from the readership, perhaps?

moira, "A 5th judge, taken from the readership, perhaps?"

Sounds good, but they'd have to make certain they don't choose a "professional" for this job! I suppose that would mean no professional training, not just not currently employed as such, right?

Thanks so much for the feedback, folks. I’m gratified that so many of you seem to appreciate my “more is more” aesthetic. And I love to have provoked such spirited discussion -- almost as much as I love the praise, which is extra-special coming from residents of my former adopted hometown. (I lived in Wrigleyville for the two years immediately following my undergrad days and before I moved to NYC…)

To answer some of the speculation, yes, I save the mags in part because I'm a former staff editor and current freelance writer; some of them contain pieces I’ve written, and all of them frequently prove to be essential reference materials. Beyond the work component, though, I proudly admit that I save because I’m a packrat at heart. To me, the stuff we all accumulate can be a rich archive of the past and a wonderful source of inspiration for the future, as long as we don’t let it overrun the present!

Speaking of organization, months before I even entered Small Cool 2007 I was asked by the online editor at This Old House http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh to do a photo-gallery article on my apartment; the focus is on how someone such as myself, with no formal training in interior design and little carpentry experience (beyond high-school shop class), can through trial and error successfully tailor a small space to his individual needs. Tentatively entitled “This Old Studio Apartment”, it’s slated to run in early June. I think it’ll answer many of the numerous questions posed by commenters on my Small Cool entry page, as well as show lots of other cool (in my opinion!) elements that I couldn’t show in just three pictures. I’ll try to remember to post the URL when the piece is finally live on the site…

Best,
Daniel

Ah, Daniel, it's gratifying to know you are indeed a writer! (this was what I was speculating on your original entry thread). And definitely, definitely do post a link to the This Old House photo-gallery article on your apartment. Maybe Maxwell could highlight the piece so we'll all be sure not to miss it.

On a side note, I have a feeling that the extra pictures (as they have for so many other entries) will show once again that we need more than three photos to make the first round of evaluations for the contest. ...And it will probably leave some people kicking themselves for not rating you higher in the first place! Cheers,

That article I mentioned, "This Old Studio Apartment", just went live on the TOH website this morning. For about a week, it'll be on the home page...

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/

...and it can also be accessed directly at...

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/interiors/gallery/0,25895,1629897,00.html

Hope you'll check it out.

-D

AT should really highlight the This Old House piece on this apartment.

It's hugely enjoyable. Lots of incredible, impressive and obsessive, attention to detail. Love that bathroom! Wow to all of it.

Thanks so much, Sea. It was lots of fun working on the article -- just as it was participating in the Small Cool 2007 contest. Really appreciate all the feedback... -D