I think probably Luca will be first with Family of Four in a close second. Good luck!

1-Luca
2-Tony & Hilary
3-Family of Four
4-SS Waverly

Ditto suzy8track.

But, tough guess.

Luca number 1.

I like all of these, but two of them I don't even remember. And I thought I was paying attention.

Luca, hands down.

1. family of four
2. Tony & Hilary
3. S.S. Waverly

i love how they used every inch of their tiny spaces!!

The "Family of Four" has everything, good looks, very organized, thoughtful storage and best of all...it's family friendly! All this adds up to the perfect package in my opinion.

Hard call on #1; it will be either Luca or Tony and Hilary. Both did spectacular jobs, but in totally different ways. Nice to see Family of Four and S.S. Waverly in the finals; both managed to stay true to the original concept of the contest in a year that was deluged with large homes and uninteresting design.

Congratulations to the finalists; good luck with the judges!

1. Family of Four - well designed and the fact that 4 people fit in that small space...

2. Luca

3. Hilary and Tony

4. SS Waverly

Yeah, now that I go back, Luca for sure is this years winner. The closet in the bedroom is fantastic, and I have incorporated that design into all the floorplans I am looking at from now on, as I am looking to buy a place. Only thing that I would change. Just one thing, in the light above the table. Looks like the PH5 pendant. Too rigid. In a sense that ruins it for me, but I am looking past it, since everything else is designed so well. I see one of those soft paper Nelson ones...

All unique and made great use of space.
1st. Luca
2nd. Tony & Hilary
3rd. SS Waverly
4th. Family of 4

1 - Luca
2 - Family of Four
3 - Tony and Hilary
4 - Waverly

The first two seem to me to be far more sophisticated in use of color and design elements, and to have achieved a more liveable sense of air and space. Family of Four deserves special credit for creating sustained liveability for so many people. These two have been favorites of mine since they appeared. Tony and Hilary achieved admirable amounts of storage--but not so much aesthetic pleasure. Waverly has a nice touch of humor but to me is claustrophobic.

can't wait to see the additional pictures... but here's a shot. congrats on all four semi-finalists, these would have been my four picks too :-)

1. luca
2. family of four
3. tony and hilary
4. the s.s. loveboat.

I line them up same as suzy8track:

1-Luca
2-Tony & Hilary
3-Family of Four
4-SS Waverly - last mainly because it can't be 200 sf as stated

1 - Tony & Hilary
2 - Family of Four
3 - Luca
4 - SS Waverly

1. Family of Four
2. Luca
3. S.S. Waverly
4. Tony & Hilary

Great finalists!!!

Ahoy Readers!

Sandy and Andy here, Cap’ns of the S.S. Waverly. We are honored to be nominated and thrilled to represent the smallest space in the East! We realize we aren’t like the other entries and we are delighted to see so many readers have taken to our concept. Our apartment not only serves as a surprisingly comfortable and convenient home, but also a port of call for our equally over-the-top and inspired friends as they navigate the choppy seas of New York City. Our entry was very last minute, but we have something amazing in store you next! We are proud to represent the underdog and tickled to have shared our fanciful lifestyle on Apartment Therapy. Here’s to the little ship that could!

family of four
luca
tony
ss. waverly

1. Luca's
2. Family of 4
3. Tony and Hilary's
4. S.S. Waverly

Hi Sandy and Andy, no offense, your place is absolutely gorgeous and definitely well qualified as one of the 4 finalists. But I think Luca's and Family of 4 are in a different level which is unbeatable.

Family of Four #1

#1 - Luca
#2 - Tony and Hilary
#3 - SS Waverly
#4 - Family of Four (only because I don't think it's going to work when the kids get older)

Too bad we can't vote more officially!

Luca by a landslide. Even though I would love to see a Ft. Greener represent the neighborhood, Luca's space is by far the most coherent and most efficient use of a small space. Feels clean, open, and proportional - what everyone in a small space dreams of.

Also, extra cred to Tony&Hilary and the SS - as renters you face many more challenges than your competitors. Not really an even playing field.

I think they should have a separate category for renters and owners. It's just not financially feasible or even possible to do the same level of customization on a rented space. That said I would rank these the same as many others -

1 - Luca
2 - Family of Four
3 - Tony & Hilary
4 - S S Waverly

@ Miss Pea - why would the fact that the space won't work when the kids get older be a factor in assessing the apartment? It works for the family they have now. I don't think any of these lofted spaces are going to be great for geriatric owners but I'm not penalizing anyone for having a ladder in their apartment.

Number 1: Luca

Number 2: S.S. Waverly

Number 3:Family of Four

Number 4: Tony & Hilary's

Where is Colleen's Petite Pad??? This is a travesty.

1st - Luca
2nd - Family of Four
3rd - Tony & Hilary

S S Waverly... would not have chosen this entry as a finalist

Kathryn - agreed.

My hopes:

1. Family of Four
2. Tony & Hilary
3. Luca
4. S S Waverly

I'd rather not have a professional win, though Luca's apartment is definitely gorgeous.

All are beautiful, but hope the non-professionals win too.

Luca looks great but with a professional discount and access to materials who wouldn't have an awesome space. Maybe that should be a sep. category as well? I agree too that some others should have been finalists.

1 - Tony & Hilary
2 - Family of Four
3 - Luca
4 - SS Waverly

ss waverly
tony and hilary
family of four
luca

Jones20000 - yeah so you get a professional discount on super high end furniture - it still doesn't make it affordable to the average person. Retail places like West Elm etc.. offer 10% off. Big woop..

The advantages are really more about budget and rent vs. own than being a professional.

I am a professional and you know why I like my job so much? I get to design with a big budget that I personally could never have. Despite what you may think, the majority of designers (especially the non-residential type) are NOT rolling in the same dough as their clients'. Not even close.

oh come on people, Luca is the hands-down winner! Her apartment is GENIUS!!!!

tom and hilary
luca
family of four
s.s waverly

Because "cool" is about tension and surprise, not just beauty:

1) family of four
2) SS Waverly
3) Tony & Hilary
4) Luca

Thank you Laura! I wish I had my clients' money :)
Also, money is not everything...you need good taste as well...

1. Luca
2. Tony and Hilary
3. Family of four
4. Waverly

1. Family of Four
2. Tony & Hilary
3. Luca
4. S.S. Waverly

All beautiful!

1. Tom and Hilary
2. Family of Four
3. SS Waverly
4. Luca's

I put SS Waverly above Luca's because even though it isn't my personal taste I appreciate the fact that they did something creative and different. Basically had fun with their space.

1-Luca
2-Tony & Hilary
3-Family of Four
4-SS Waverly

For sheer ingenuity,

1 Family of Four
2 Tony and Hillary
3 SS Waverly
4 Luca

Arza: my thoughts & choices, exactly.

1-Family of Four
2-SS Waverly
3-Tony and Hilary
4-Luca

But let's face it, it's a 4-way tie.

First, congrat to all the finalists.

So what WILL win on AT for Small Cool and what I think SHOULD win are completely different things.

So what WILL win: 1)Luca 2) Family of Four 3) Tony & Hilary 4) SS Waverly

Alas I am sick of the MCM overkill and cookiecutter modern look I see on AT. If its white and spare then people on AT seems to drool and go into paroxysms of delight. Granted these finalists arent examples of this trend. But it make me wonder.

I like apartments that are interesting. calming and use space, color and texture well. So WHAT should win: 1)SS Waverly and 2)Tony& Hilary 3)Luca 4) Family of Four.

1 Tony and Hilary's 3 in 1 Studio
2 Family of Four's "Two Bedroom" Studio
3 Luca's Surplus & Light
4 The S.S. Waverly

Maybe I'm biased because they're from BK, but --

The 3-in-1 is my pick to win. I can't get over that place, man. It's designerish but not stuffy. Clever but not unapproachable. And, on top of all that, it's a rental. My fav. Bravo, Tony & Hilary.

Luca Apartment is my fav & in my hood.

luca-1
family-2
waverly-3
3in1=4

1 - family of four
2 - storage and light
3 - 3 in 1
4 - SS waverly

1 - Luca
2 - SS Waverly
TIED for 3 - family-of-4 AND Tony & Hilary

Luca is just a dang slam-dunk; it's just so dang pretty it makes one DROOL! And yes, it's very clever with that TV looking both ways, and those built-ins are fantastic.

The SS Waverly is SOOOOOO different from Luca, but makes me smile ALMOST as much, and in a very different way.

But both of those others are just wonderful. The East Coast really knows how to rock out a small space in a huge way.

There is no 4th place; they're really all fantastic.

Family of four
SS Waverly
Luca
Tony and Hilary

I wasn't going to post another comment, but I have taken another look and though I agree with the many who think Luca's is awesome, it just doesn't talk to me. Too pristine, too much of the artfully placed accessories, too little personality. I want to put a few things on the table, a dog on the couch, something on the kitchen counter, add an odd color here and there just to make it real. It's a beautiful space but doesn't feel like a home. There is little of the owners that we see other than their perfectly hung clothes in the closet. This could be jealousy, I could never get my own space that spare.

1 Tony and Hilary's 3 in 1 Studio
2 Family of Four's "Two Bedroom" Studio
3 The S.S. Waverly
4 Luca's Surplus & Light

again i'm so glad i'm not a judge. it's a tie between the home made sleeping loft and the family of four entries. talk about creative people!

1 luca
2 ss waverly (not my style, but brilliantly done)
3 tony and hilary
4 family of four

At first I thought Tony and Hillary's would be a lock for my favorite , but I totally forgot about Luca's- that is a stunning apartment.

1-Luca
2-Tony & Hilary
3-Family of Four
4-SS Waverly

The judges will find this a difficult choice given the criteria...the two that stand out for penultimate use of space are Luca and Family of Four.

1-Luca
2-Tony & Hilary
3-Family of Four
4-SS Waverly

I would rank the entries thusly:

1- Luca
2. Family of four
3. Tony and Hilary
4. SS Waverly.

Luca for being the best space to live in with the natural light, interior architecture and then used the perfect furniture and acessories for the space. Tony and Hilary for being the most creative with such a little amount of space..not my style but they really did a great job in making it interesting and functional for them.

Luca's professional mastery of design make him an obvious choice, but I can't really rank any of them - none of these move me that much, as I am part of the non-MCM minority. Perhaps we can have some categories next year so that one particular trend doesn't dominate, such as Best MCM, Best Eclectic, Best use of Color, Best Pet :-) etc.

luca
family of four
waverly-only because it is so small.

but that's it. I'm not saying hilary's isn't clever, but those curtains remind me of a hospital. And if you're older than twelve, there's nothing cool about a ladder to get into your bed.

Well, the SS Waverly certainly has gotten certain commenters in a tizzy- and I think that is a true testament to it's creativity. Clearly done on a shoe-string budget, this teensy apartment manages to incorporate interesting design choices and a much needed jolt to this competition. When living in a small/cool space (and renting for gosh sakes), you might as well have a blast with your home, which is clearly what these two did. I adore this little ship that could!

1. Tony and Hilary
2. Luca
3. Waverly
4. Family of four

I love what Tony and Hilary managed as renters, and their modular loft is extremely practical and asthetically pleasing.

1. Luca
2. Tom and Hillary
3. Family of Four
4. SS Waverly

1. luca
2. family of four
3. no
4. no

Uggh... I wrote a huge response when this first came out and my computer froze.

Tom & Hillary get first for their inspired combination of DIY, style & storage. Seriously - this is what Small Cool is all about! A friend describes why he loves seeing peoples houses in NYC because you see "how they make the best of their bad situation". Point being - NYC is hard unless you're a millionaire. Tom & Hillary succeed with flying colors.

SS Waverly - Small, bold, & super personal.

Luca - So. Very. Pretty. And. Perfect. A gem of a place with some interesting storage solutions, and heartbreakingly perfect furniture.

Family of Four - I know a lot of people live here, and I feel like thats a problem. Its one thing to have 1-2 people living in a small space, but seriously - kids needs some room to grow! This house may be great now, but I predict they'll be moving on out (moving on up!) in a year or two.

1. Family of Four
2. Tom & Hillary
3. Luca
4. S.S. Waverly

But let's face it, i'd trade my apt. in a sec for any of them. They're all super creative and maximize their space.

1 - tony and hilary - most memorable
2 - ss waverly
3 - fam of 4
4 - luca

1. Luca
2. Family of Four
3. Waverley
4. Hilary and Tony

Luca's is definitive small cool.

1. Luca
2. Obama or Hillary
3. McCain

1-Luca
Tie for 2 -Tony & Hilary or Family of Four
4-SS Waverly

Luca's space just blows my mind. I want to live there. SS Waverly is not my thing at all but I give them credit for making it to the final 4 in a style that is so different from the ususal MCM/super minimalist that shows up here.

Congratulations everyone.

1 - Family of Four
2 - Tony & Hilary
3 - Luca
4 - SS Waverly

Family of Four should win, no contest in my mind. Every detail has been carefully thought through, the space is well planned, and there are creative surprises and delights throughout.

Tony and Hillary and S.S. Waverly are rentals, right? They deserve special honor for creating what they did as renters, that's not easy.

Luca's place is very pretty, and the built-ins are great, but the apartment has great light and architectural details - that makes any design look a lot better.

Family of 4
SS Waverly
Tom and Hillary
Luca

1. Luca
2. Family of 4

The other two entries just don't excite me. The SS Waverly just seems to "themey" to me. I'm inclined to dislike "loft" bedrooms in general although they may seem a necessity in small NYC spaces which have high enough ceilings, so I do acknowledge the successful use of space in the Family of 4. Still can't see negotiating ladders or rickety "stairs" in the middle of the night.

1. Family of 4
2. Luca
3. SS Waverly
4. Tom and Hillary

1. Family of 4
2. Luca
3. Tom and Hillary
4. SS Waverly

1. The S.S. Waverly
2. Family of 4
3. Luca
4. Tom & Hillary

S. S. Waverly has the best use of space and color.

Family of Four is a photoshop disaster. For just one example, look at the outlets in Final Pics 6 & 10.

Uh... you mean because most of the outlets have either little childproof plastic caps or covers that cover the whole outlet? That's childproofing. Why would anyone photoshop outlets?

this is a tie between Family of Four’s “Two Bedroom” Studio and Luca's Surplus of Storage & Light. Both are very focused on storage, I love them both!

Why would a modern minimalist homeowner with an Eames chair cram all kinds of junk behind transparent cabinet doors? The full-size fridge doesn't fit into the space and the other appliances don't match. By the square footage showed, it would be impossible to fit the things shown, which they are, but out of proportion. The so-called master bedroom has a light switch in the middle of the wall, the top cabinet looks fake and the bottom one is not inset, looking more like a cheap bathroom cabinet. I really don't think there is a bedroom there. The bathroom, as well as the appliances, have no design appeal whatsover and would be better at a home in a 80s cookie-cutter.

The design, as the square footage with accompanying furniture, just does not add up. The pictures look like a brilliantly-designed studio from an episode of SSBS, owned by one clean, neat woman who articulately explained the thought-processes behind her small space. They've been chopped up here.

The front room has way mre furniture than the layout allows.
The orange cabinet is white on one side, and orange plastic on the other side. Crammed with junk, unattractively displayed. The nook to the right of the hallway disappears. There's a smoke detector that moves around. The "board" attached to the stairways does not align with the bottom stair. The lights on the stair are not reflected properly. The bathroom is hideous. There's another weird outlet next to the washing machine. The island is not big enough to hold a w/d and have drawers next to the stove. The upstairs ceiling has problems.

The bookshelves seem to take up a large amount of space that could be better utilized. The table looks smaller in one picture. The toaster above the microwave is not stored as one would when taking pictures for a design contest. And when you watch the video, a hole appears in the upstairs plexiglas. Bathroom far away from kitchen plumbing with awkward-opening door.

Just doesn't add up. Composites. A minimalist, custom studio has been chopped up by messy parents with a scale problem, a style problem, a consistency problem, and a desire to win a couch. If you look carefully at all of the pictures and compare the video, you will see that this place does not exist as is.

That was about Family of Four. Sorry, it's really been bugging me today. Travesty!

Hi pbphoenix. I'm not sure why its bugging you so much. Like it or not, it exists as is, and as described. Is our place the ideal, super-designed hyper-perfectionist place of people with impeccible taste? No. We built it with practicality in mind first. Then tried to make it look nice. Works for us, not for everyone.

In its original configuration, it was a super-designed, hyper-perfectionist place with a reason for everything and photos that actually looked like they were in the same studio. Somehow you've taken her loft bedroom and put it downstairs where there was no space and created a 100 sq. ft. loft that can hold more than the downstairs living space. And you can stand up in it! Nobody would have positioned a light switch against the outside wall like that in the bedroom. None of it makes sense.

We're in the New York Daily News today! Along with the uber cool Tony and Hilary and too few pics of the snazzy SS Waverly. (Guys, we walk by your building every day, we're right around the corner! We should get together sometime-email us!) http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/05/16/2008-05-16_call_the_apartments_cozy_but_these_folks.html