apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

This is amazing, I can't believe I missed it the first time?!?! Need a roommate?!

Super nice place.

I'd love to know what the wall color is in the main space. Love the "Blade Runner" view of the buildings from the balcony!

Please talk about the wall between the kitchen & bedroom.

Ohhhhh wait, the one with all the dead things. These pictures are so much better than the last set, which makes those antler things so much weirder and out of place to me.

Lovely apartment. I love that you made such a great living space on your balcony, very intimate and cozy..steller view of my favorite building in Chicago - Marina City by Bertrand Goldberg

this place is lovely.

You have an amazing view. This second set of pictures is soo much better than the first! Really shows off your place to its best advantage.

Wow. Gorgeous outdoor space!

This is the epitome of HORRIBLE feng shui. Apt right in front of 2 huge buildings corners (swords), couch under a huge beam, head of the bed towards the kitchen... BUT

It's beautifully decorated, absolutely no clutter (if you don't count the tv corner, which I won't count against) and wonderful use of texture, space and ambiance. LOVE your balcony.

Great to see this place from different angles than the previous photoset! These pictures give a much better feel for the place. The balcony is wonderful -- both cozy and open to the world at once.

Yeah, didnt love it the first time, like it less now.

Still lots of dead things around. Now - I'm not some crazy vegan, PETA activist but I see no point in killing something, or displaying somethings dead carcass just for decorations. Shoes, coats, chaps (if you can pull them off) are fine - they have function. A dead skin draped over a chair? Call Hannibal Lecter.

And probably more importantly this is one of those places that is very pretty and stylish, but lacks the ingenuity of some other contenders. A lot of emphasis on looks, not so many explanations of functionality or storage.

Didn't like it the first time, like it so much better now. I loved the way you photographed the place, put things in perspective and really gave us a sense of the whole place. Well done. Definitely a few ideas worth stealing, like your extra guest seating/console desk seating idea.

Yeah, I still have antler envy. I am glad to see more pics - great use of your patio space. Well done.

I like this set of pictures better than the first, although I had to go back to see the floor plan and see how it fits together. I do like the balcony, and some of the furniture, but it's not a slam-dunk for me.

Wow, you actually live there.
This is lovely, and i'm super jealous.
Seattle's modern architecture is slim and dissapearing.
Most jealous of your balcony, great use of space.

Hey, where'd you get your grey stools from?

Thanks.

Toni

Definitely a contender: my only gripe is that I would have liked to see more interior shots. But I'm also chiming in: what is that beautiful living room color?!

i thought people who used windows based computers were disqualified? wait, that was own oppressive dream world.

well i am a vegan. and i don't like this at all. not because of the animals... i just don't care too much for the design.

it looks like if my mom tried to decorate an apartment in a modernish way. good luck though. you live in a building that was on a great record cover, so you have that going for you.

I like this a lot better than I liked it initially. These expanded views really give a lot more detail about a person, like they watch Wheel of Fortune or whatever...er. Movin' on. In some cases, I've liked a space less than I anticipated, or didn't really see any "more" there, that just kind of left them at the first level. Glad to see this space "unfold."

Your balcony is deelish!

That is in one of the Marina City buildings, is it not? I love it. Great job on the place! I am soooo jealous of your view. Can you see Bob Newhart walking to work?

I really want to live in Marina City now!

eightdouble, your "mom" comment is a low blow.

Ageism is a form of bigotry, just as much as racism, or sexism...or any of those other nasty "ism's". Only children think that only other children are capable of being "cool".

Stephanie, your place is lovely, both hot and cool, and we would love to be a guest and have a glass of wine out on your fantabulous deck with its space age view. But only in the summer. Chicago is just too brrrrrrrrrr the rest of the time for our California thinned blood!

love,

loulou nico

Great place, I missed it first time too.

Stephanie's little slice of pie is perfect. It has a great sense of balance for such a samll space. Each area is neatly arranged creating harmonious circulation. The colors she selected are sophisticated and soothing, yet neutral. The rooms have a great variety of texture without being cluttered. The art she displays is interesting, and appears to be very well collected - not at all run of the mill. The balcony is fantastic- it appears to be very comfortable and cozy spot, a sort of hideaway within the large cityscape. Bravo.

That view is so amazing. I can see the Sears Tower!
The whole place looks very comfortable. Good luck!

(The "haters" I suspect are jealous. Ignore them.)

Good Design in a difficult space.

Very appealing--Especially your terrace.

How did I miss this the first time around? You have a great sense of style. It seems like the kind of place that feels so peaceful when you're there. And the view is amazing!

" eightdouble, your "mom" comment is a low blow.

Ageism is a form of bigotry, just as much as racism, or sexism...or any of those other nasty "ism's". Only children think that only other children are capable of being "cool". "

whatever. i have plenty of grey hairs. i'm no spring chicken... but i am pretty shocked that this is a finalist. i mean seriously, there's not that much to get excited about here.

maybe i shouldn't say what i think? or then again if people don't want their apartments critiqued then they shouldn't submit them for judgement.

I think these pictures plus the ones from her initial entry post give more than enough detail of the interior of the apartment (which is a mere studio so there probably isn't much to see that we haven't already). Personally I think this is a wonderful use of the space you have (the lounge area is absurdly gorgeous, too bad it's Chicago and can only be utilised every so often!) and it is very classy décor. The only thing I dislike is all the picture frames in the bathroom; they seem sort of an afterthought and are just clutter.
I've noticed that a lot of the entries that don't adhere to the minimalist streamlined ideals that are so popular seem to get poo-poo'd a lot. What a shame that people can't see past their own biases. Great design doesn't follow only one genre...
Anyway, digressions aside, your first post was rather bland and disappointing but I'm glad you made it to the finals so we could see the rest. I really like it.

I would trade spaces with you any day Stephanie. These pictures show your personality, spirituality and your gift of designing. I just love every inch of it. How classy and stylish. I read through some of the other comments and being an American Indian it is a matter of respect for animals to save and use their hide and antlers, unlike leather boots or furs. How unusual to put that amazing cathedral amethyst on the balcony it gives off the warmth of a second living room. Not only does that giant crystal create the perfect (Chi) energy but it is also quite a find. It looks like the perfect space for a party and your guests have an amazing view of such astonishing architecture. Invite me to your next gathering and your will find me on the balcony sipping a martini admiring your unique and amazing finds. You’re the winner in my book.

The outdoor space is so wonderful! It just breaks my heart to think of those chicago winters...

Lovely space both indoors and outdoors!

It seems much larger than 441 square feet--does that include the balcony? Very sophisticated, yet quirky at the same time. A worthy contender. Brava.

OH, and F*CK those animal extreme-right activists. Most of those critters would eat you alive if they had the chance. Besides, the thing's dead, so might as well use it.

Lighten up all you PETA philes. I LOVE the dead things....My home is BURSTING with dead things....skins, antlers, skulls, bones....

I like the original details coupled with lots of well-proportioned basics. Where did you get your round glass table and base?

Love this! Love the dead things, and the plants, and really love the Blade Runneresque view

What views! This made me wish I were in Chicago. That's one of the best photos I've seen of those buildings; I prefer your angle of them.

Lordy, you should win on your outdoor living space alone. Absolutely stunning. Don't get me wrong the rest of your place is beautiful, but I can't stop looking at your outdoor living space. I'm che'lous!

You know, you don't have to love dead things out of spite.
As for the "ageism" comment, my mother has kind of a rigid lack of command for design, so if I were to compare something to my mother's home or taste therein, it wouldn't be ageism, it would be a reference to how she would execute an idea she got from HGTV, apparently her only resource for information.

I'd say again, this space is a lot more impressive now that I thought originally. The antlers are ok, but even though they are not featured here, I still think they are grouped too far away from the sofa. I can tell from one of the pictures, they're still too floating away to look ideal.

the corn cobs! love them :) and your space!

Isn’t PETA more about saving animals than disdain for those who think it’s cool or edgy to display carcasses? I don’t see how one can be averse to dead things as “art” and be “jealous,” either. If you don’t like something, it doesn’t secretly mean you want it. I mean, really, do you think through the logic of your comments at all before writing?

Just as I prefer photographs to oil paintings, live animals (or photos of) to dead animals, and real furniture to Lucite, it is a matter of opinion which is what we’re here to express. You don’t see the anti-dead-things commenters lambasting your blind allegiance to poor taste just because you hold an opinion. But it’s perfectly fine to name call in the opposite direction? Fine. Neanderthals, go back to your caves.

Your balcony is really amazing, and you probably get more use out of it because it's covered. I have that same material that is on the pillows on the balcony and it never occured to me to use the print diagonally - I love it!

The outdoor space is really nice, but the apartment itself is rather conventional in my opinion (if I may have one). I don't understand how this was ranked so high.

seriously. can we leave it about the design?

where did the grey stools and the console table come from? i had to scroll thru line after line about ageism b.s. to realize there's no answer!

actually, please let us know about the bench used as a coffee table, too. thanks! nice work!

Hi Christine1ca:
Thank you for your interest.
All furniture is from thrift stores. The cushion was custom made for the coffee table so it can also work as seating outside.
The paint color is Sherwin Williams SW 6276 Mystical Shade SW6276.

Thanks again!
S.

wow! i've been to a few of the studio apartments in marina, and never saw anyone make such excellent use of the space! your balcony is gorgeous, though i'm surprised the furniture doesn't blow right off, with the chicago winds! haha!

How did I miss this place? This is gorgeous, and that patio is to die for - esp. with the Matrix/Blade Runner-y type buildings in the background, how cool is that? Overall, it's lovely and soothing!

I like your place. I love Marina City and your balc. They are my second fave buildings to the IBM and 860/880 LSD. I also love the structural engineering feat story. You probably tell it all the time when you're showing off your place!

Anyway, there seems to be a slight disconnect between the interiors and exterior modern, concrete, 1960s-style, but that's fine by me.