apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Sarah -- looks like you followed your own advice. Thanks for sharing your happiness!

HOLY SH*T! This is some crazy-inventive design. lol I mean, yeah... it could definitely use a liiiitle clutter-control and it has a bit of bowling-alley syndrome... and IKEAitis, but other than that, this pad is totally bitching. All the daring color choices are tempered by the white and black, so it's easy on the eye, but definitely NOT boring. See, what I love about this is the fact that nothing looks permanent, so if the owner wants to move stuff around to later suit his or her needs, it's very doable... all I would change is the furniture arrangement to keep it from being so symmetrical, but other than that, I love it.

hi! i used citrus blast too (mandi's tahitian blast in the east section)! are you sure it's not benjamin moore?

thumbs up!

This is straight out FABULOUS.

I'd want it for ME. Not just for kids! :)

Wow your daughter is one lucky kid! That room is huge and looks like so much fun- I want to hop in and play!

Fabulous room, I love it!

Question, what is the point of the fish-eye shots?

Do you live in Peachtree Lofts on Peachtree St. in Midtown?

I love it Sarah! I give it two thumbs up! :)

This is wonderful, amazing, and like a hundred more glowing adjectives. Total thumbs up.

Sarrazak: to better capture the wide-open feel of such a large space- it's difficult to capture the feel of loft living (especially if you are aiming into a doorway or window) without a fair amount of distortion on the camera-end.

Great space, Sarah- i'm not usually fond of this style, but you actually make this look work really well :) What a fun space for you and your kids!

Awesome!

love love love it!
... nice photography! :)

I didn't think your place could possibly get any cooler - but it keeps evolving. You are so talented and need to do it for a living!

I don't understand this post at all. Wasn't this contest supposed to be only one room? Does this count as only one room because it's a loft?

I am a color freak and want to like this, but the fish-eye makes me slightly nauseous. I just can't make sense of the space, and as a result, have a hard time appreciating what Sarah has done.

Very cute Sarah! I think you did an amazing job!

Very fun space! Thanks for sharing!

It's pee-wee's playhouse. Honestly though your kid most love this place and it really is like a fantasyland for kids.

Thumbs up!

Sarah-- I am all thumbs............up! :)
I love what you've done with your space/place. It is VIBRANT..alive with color and creativity.
I wanna grow up there--- or maybe not grow up...but just be there.

You know what I like most here? That you created a large expanding space and intimate sub-spaces at the same time. Btw it wouldn't have worked for the reader without the fish-eye shots.
On the other hand, don't you prefer a separate bedroom for the parents or for the kid?

I would have loved to live in a place like this when I was a kid!

Impressive. A bold choice of colors and patterns, but it totally works!

Sarah, This is a dreamy space for any child. It's hard to imagine a life without such vibrant colors.

Hi Sarah, I love the pink and green curtains around your bed. Where did you get those? Great Job with your loft.

I want to go to there.

Over the top fun! I love it!

Full of life with a lovely mix of colors. Where do the floral bed linens/spread come from. Very pretty!

Looks like someone ate a million Skittles, then threw up. Not my style, but the space is nice.

Does anyone live in this space besides a kid? It looks like a preschool.

Great photo! Love the bedding.

spectacular imagination!

i wanted to offer my thanks for the great comments as well as a few responses (in no particular order) . . .

@mjs7640, yes, i live here with my kindergartener and our two dogs and three cats and the occasional bird that flies in the window. so it has to suit a lot of needs at once, and, when it doesn't, it changes. it is, as you astutely observed, modeled after an early educational teaching theory called the creative curriculum premised on offering different areas of interest where a child can move about freely and follow her own creativity.

@bruce563, i really enjoyed your comment. and, yes, someone definitely ate a million skittles and threw up in here. happens all the time. life with a small child isn't tidy, but it is colorful and can be joyous (albeit occasionally tiring) if/when i let her grand energy motivate the use of the space.

@shopgirlny, the curtains around the "big bed" are from ikea also (actually red, although they show in the photo slightly pink). sheers with a velvety pattern. i have two panels of this same red curtain along the back wall of the "puppet theater bed" (behind the heavier red curtains).

@tulpoeid, thanks for noticing the different sub-spaces. this is definitely purposeful. as to whether i prefer a separate bedroom for parent(s) and child, i have to respond that my daughter and i have to negotiate our preferences here since we are the two humans who inhabit the space, but, although we share our space, we aren't always in the same part of the space at the same time. while this area is predominantly child-oriented, there are other areas of our living space that are oriented differently (although all the areas take both of us into account).

@amandla, the citrus blast may very well be a benjamin moore color adapted to a behr base (dictated purely by pocketbook and not preference!).

@djluckyonline, you're right on the money with the "IKEAitis," but one of the aspects i really appreciate about IKEA design is its mobility and morphability. several of the pieces i have in this room have been repurposed at least three times to meet the everchanging needs of life with a growing person. and, well, i have to admit that i actually really enjoy a random IKEA as-is adventure.

@brooklynsalsera, the linens are fresh off the shelves of a big anthropologie linen sale (possibly still going on now). i have coveted anthropologie "bed clothing" for years so was ecstatic to find this duvet cover at 75% off!

Sarah, you've got a way with color!

Love this. So joyful and full of life. And while yes, this contest is supposed to focus on one "room," I love seeing that you carved out a little mom oasis for yourself.

Oh-- and cool dollhouse.

Love it, Sarah...you have such talent!

What a fantastic space! Makes me want to eat skittles, I love it!

Why can't Florida have neat places like this one? Or at least Cape Coral/Fort Myers area.

lerve it.

Would you adopt me?

Sarah, I was scrolling through the AT site like I have been for the last three months trying to find tips to help with decorating my new space in England. While marveling at your colors, (pumpkin patch drew me in) I realized something was vaguely familiar. After a closer look, I thought...it's different, but I think it might be Sarah's space. Pulling back a bit I saw your name and OMG... saw that your darling child is in kindergarten...how is that even possible. This was a great surprise and your space looks lovely... I love the changes and you have my thumbs up. E

It's just fabulous Sarah! What a great eye for fun and color!

Keep it up! Great style.

What a fun, colorful and happy space you have created for your child and for you! I love it! Bright colors make me happy,too, so this was right up my alley! Can I come live with you? Have a lovely weekend.
http://girlwhimsy.blogspot.com

Love, love, love. . . and a big ole' "thumbs up"! xo

Yes, on to the finals for a fantastic entry.

i really love my mom.

Would give a thumbs up if voting was still available. Love your space - it is an inspiration.

Awes. Could be for the kids or the grown ones.

Sarah, you are amazement in motion - I too can't believe it's been 5-1/2 years . . . wow! She is a lucky little girl, with a lucky (and very talented) mom! This is so you! I am so very happy for you. My little bits will get a big kick out of this -- they always thought you and your place was sooo cool!

I love the fourth picture very much, I am not sure about the rest... I like less things...

I would love to live here.

How did you make the curtain canopy?

As always a success. Roen is one lucky person and so is her mom.

Love the room. Your sisiter recommended this site and since I am redoing my bedroom it has arrived in the nick of time. Good Luck.

LOVE the concept. A little more cluttered than I might do, but I am definitely using this as a template for my daughter's nursery.

Wow, I truly LOVE this!!