apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

May I suggest that the reason there are so few Midwest entries is that generally speaking apartments are larger in the Midwest. Most of the Chicago apartments I have lived in (minus a tiny studio on E. Erie) have been more than 650 square feet. Perhaps regional differences in apartment architecture should be considered for future contests?

i think Nicole is right. while i look forward to seeing how people in spaces less than 650 sq. ft. live. i know that my 750 sq. ft. is considered down right tiny for two people to live in in chicago. people we know are failrly flabbergasted that we even considered buying it.

I second Nicole and BBT on this one - my studio is 830 sq. ft. That may be a palace in NYC or LA, but here? Not so much. Everyone has a different definition/perspective on what constitutes "small."

I'll chime in. I'm from NY (but check in from time to time on the other sections of AT). I just think its not fair that NY'ers (plus all of Europe) are competing against one another for the prize in our "region" when so many fewer people will be competing against one another in the midwest and California (that state gets TWO ATs :( ).

Perhaps there should be regional rules, but I'm certain there should be a proportional amount of prizes given to regions with more or fewer contestants.

Well, I've lived in small apartments in the Midwest and small apartments on the East Coast.... And while you're totally right that the definition of 'small' really varies with the context of what others have, there are many design challenges that face the NYC 'small' that are simply not an issue in the typical Chicago 'small'. For example, do you have to see your bed from your living area? Do you even have a bedroom? Do you have a place to sit in your kitchen? Do you have room for a bathtub? Does your apartment get *any* natural light or have more than one view? etc.... I've lived in apartments that had a cover on the bathtub so that it could double as a kitchen counter (it was in the kitchen anyway), and whose toilet was outside the apartment, another that was so narrow in the long middle part that I could - literally - touch both walls with my arms outstretched, ...

As often noted, layout is far more important than square footage. But the best indicator that you have serious layout challenges is if your apartment is smaller than 650 (actually, to be really safe, I would make it under 600) square feet. So it seems to me that this is not really a contest that can be equally represented by each region of the nation. Other places in the world would have a greater affinity for what 'smallest' is here in NYC.

Where are you all finding these "giant" apartments in Chicago?! I live in a vintage studio that is a generous 450 square feet and the majority of my friends (mid-20s) live in comparable studios or one bedrooms. I have to disagree that the Midwest has smaller apartments, as I looked at at least 25 places prior to choosing my current apartment. The small spaces are out there...it's just that no one thinks they are cool--just small.

I know mine is is just small...perhaps I will be cool enough by 2008 :)

I have to second what Meg said above.

Didn't realize that the prizes are guaranteed by region. Does seem pretty unfair, given how much stiffer the competition is in NY.

Not that I'm entering.

hi all,

love all the feedback!

just to clarify one point - prizes are not guaranteed by region.

each regional site will send their top finishing entries to the finals, but from there it's up to the judges irrespective of geography...so all four prizes could eventually go to entries from a single region.

Hi janel,

Thanks for the quick correction on that!
Sounds like the contest is set up well. After all, it's good to have a sample from all regions to consider - but it's also good that region of origin doesn't determine the final winners.

Agree that there are just fewer apartments that small in the midwest, especially occupied by people with the money/interest to be really into interior design. In new york even if you have a large decorating budget you are going to be in a place that small if you're buying, not the case here.

Also I imagine people are turned off by all the problems of the last contest.

I agree with many of the expressed sentiments. Even in my most thrifty moments I have never lived in a Chicago apartment under 800sf.

As the grandson of an architect I'm forever regaled with tales of the evolution of Chicago buildings and building in Chicago. In a recent conversation with my grandfather he briefly explained to me that Chicago has many rules and regulations with respect to how many units may be build in one acre, how wide hallways must be, the minimum square footage per dwelling unit for each "R" designation, etc...

The point is that governmental codes have a dramatic impact on what can be built and where. So while a 300 sf unit may be acceptable in NY it may not be in Chicago.

A bit of research into the local housing codes and reflection in said rules and restrictions in the contest seems to be in order.

In addition the shift to keeping the entries hidden until the submission deadline may seem like a good idea yet one shall always remember; "out of sight, out of mind"

That, and the fact that AT has grown so much in the past year or two and now includes among the regular viewership many designers, architects, and other professionals and income bases from very little to very much the whole contest is just not built on a solid and fair footing.

Case in point:
Take the Home Tech portion. Now lest I have the monies to purchase all sorts of home tech I'm certainly not going to win with a cute little clock radio that I suped up...particularly when there are folk here who have professional solutions designed...

And tell me that laminate will triumph over carrera marble in a kitchen contest and I'll laugh myself to bed.

Also on a tangential rant; doesn't it seem a bit askew that the people who are deemed to have the "Smallest and coolest" apartment are given lust worthy prizes while those who with said prizes could be winners are left out cold.

I say 3rd place gets the big prize and 1st gets a good old handshake!

Man, I wish I had moved into my apartment a month earlier! I won't be finishing up my decorating for another three weeks or so, but if I was done, I would definitely be entering my 555 sq. ft. one bedroom for consideration. I mentioned this on the NYC site, but for future contests, coinciding the end of the Cure with the deadline for Smallest Coolest contest entries would seem to be a wise choice. It almost seems cruel that many people are working diligently to make their homes beautiful, but may be prevent from entering Smallest Coolest as they're still wrapping up projects.

Regarding the conversation above, although I have a handful of friends who live in smaller one bedrooms and studios, I would second (or fifth?) the idea that Chicago apartment dwellers would have difficulty participating due to the larger size of apartments here. I imagine the addition of dining rooms that so many Chicago apartments are fortunate to have is what would put many of them over the 650 mark.