where is the dining table from? it looks like a perfect fit for my new place. thanks!

To be honest, I don't get it. It seems all over the place and also the photographes of the place seem very dark and of a bad quality. Not the same as usual house tours.

Now that's what I like, a look at the unit and not so much the things in it. I'm always excited when I see space of less than 495 sf (which is what I have).

the nightstand (which is beautiful) would look good painted in a bright color; it might bring some life to the side of the bed. window coverings in a bold pattern would add more texture, a floor lamp would contribute lighting and sculpture, and a few large plants could liven up the place. it's feeling stark to me, but I do understand the importance of working within a budget.

This is fantastic!! I am possible mving into a small studio , and love to see how others make it work!

So far, the DC house tours have been such a disappointment.

There is either no sense of style or its horribly put together.

Cute pattern on the rug in front of the couch.

i don't get it either. to me it's drab and lifeless. she needs some punches of color to liven it up. i like the canvas bag in the kitchen though.

Really? I must be missing something...

The layout of the apartment is really nice - it's great that you are able to have separate areas like that in a studio. I like the idea of using the stools as a coffee table, and I think the red looks great as well, but I feel like the glass top is precarious and the circle shape isn't quite right.

JulieM - I'm so glad you said that - I completely agree. I've been refraining from commenting because I don't want to be a redundant debbie-downer, but I've started to kind of avoid them, since I've been so disappointed.

i like the little night stand

i looooove your bedside table, and i love miss pixies! so glad shes got all that space in logan now, but sad to see her leave AdMo :/

I have a feeling this place is much cuter in person than it is in the photos.

I think you did an amazing job of creating a feeling of separation from space to space! I live in a small apartment as well, and it's hard when your rooms run together.

I'm truly not trying to be nasty, because I certainly haven't opened my own home up to AT critique... but I just don't really understand the recent selection of home tours. Most seem like random visits to normal homes. I haven't seen anything particularly novel or noteworthy lately. Theres nothing "wrong" with them, I suppose, but they aren't as polished and impressive as previous ones.

I just don't get it...

A cute and tidy student type apartment.
But I really don't see what's exceptional, the space is ordinart, so is most of the furniture,I have at least five friends who have this kind of room. It shows someone with promising tastes but i really don't see why its worthy of a house tour, it looks like its waiting for change.

There are some pretty things in here. Though with some of the exceptional homes and house tours on this site, this 'design' doesn't seem to contribute much to that group. I agree, recently the most lackluster tours seem to have come from the DC subsite.

This apartment is really well spaced out, and has many nice things in it. But...I think it would be much nicer to look at if the pictures were better taken and well-formatted.

It makes me disappointed, as a resident of the District, and a young, creative professional who hopes to one day soon submit my own house tour, to see house tours with potential, but no great style. Is there no selection process? Or any help for people wanting to photograph their apartments well?

I hope ATDC bloggers get on the ball and help out the people willing to share their apartments with us, so that AT readers don't give up on DC completely...

Hi, Kelly. I know how vulnerable it feels to open your home to an AT tour, and this has probably turned into a crappy day for you. But you've made a comfortable, well-organized home for yourself, with a small space and limited budget, so I say have a glass of wine or a cup of hot tea this evening and enjoy being in your space.

I agree with the "disappointed by the DC house tours" comments; sorry. I'm not seeing what's exceptional, although there might be something under the drab, blurry photography.

I agree with the posts commenting on the feature itself - why on earth would you post a house tour that what shot at night, with closed-up mini blinds, etc.? Good grief.

There are some really sweet things here. Maybe try re-photographing on a bright, sunny day - I bet it would make a world of difference.

the biggest problem is the photos are taken at night, and the artificial lighting is really bad.
suggestion: add lamps! keep the overhead lights off.
I have an apartment that has an overhead light and I never turn it on because it makes the room look garish.
another suggestion: take the photos in the day time and open the blinds!

well, i think it's great - not everyone can afford to hire designers and magazines start to make you want to buy too much stuff you can't afford. too much perfection starts to annoy after a while - this is what a real person with no money can do. and she's made her bed which is more than i have done in several years! if you can't say something nice ...

anyhoo - i only read the comments so that i wouldn't be double-posting and absolutely had to get details on the wonderful mirror/shelf combo as entryway landing strip. i have a very small condo, no entry to speak of, but a very small wall space between the front door and a window. this would be perfect and would give us a spot for keys. where did you buy it? and of course for how much? it's such a great find!

thank you! and great job :)

I like it! I like that it was done on a budget and in a small space. I get overwhelmed by some of the extensively designed places that are outside of the budget and skill level of a person like me. I can see that Kelly is a creative person and think that her place is lovely (and agree that it probably looks even better in person).

I particularly love the entryway and the chest of drawers and pieces on top of the chest. Miss Pixies is such a great resource! And I would love to know where you got your dining room table as well.

Two thumbs up for good separation of space. I love how it looks like there are several rooms instead of just one. The shelf between the bed and dining room I am in love with. I would like to have it for use in our extra room.

I think for the most part it has just the right amount of color - she doesn't want to overwhelm the space. I'd add two more throw pillows to the couch in a bold design and maybe brighter area rugs - but overall I love it and I could definitely live there.

A few things.. If this was my friend's apartment and I walked in for the first time, I would be pretty impressed. If you step back from the poor quality photos, and realize that it's a super tiny apartment, it really has some great features. You did a nice job overall especially with the layout. It's a nice apartment, but the photos are not AT worthy. Like others have said, do a re-shoot in the daylight.

Also, what in God's name are you presenting pictures of the closet and bathroom for?!?! who wants to see that? They definitely detract from the overall housetour, and upset readers more than delight them. DC AT needs to step it up because I'm tired of my city being misrepresented.

OK. There are plenty of amazing houses/condos/apartments in DC and none of them show up on this site. Just on the walk between my home and my office I could pick out 5 houses worthy of a house tour. I think it's nice to show a home with more personal touch and less financial investment on occasion, but that seems to be all that the DCAT bloggers have to offer. In addition, DC is getting a bad rep because of the awful photography on the site. Please, please get a new photographer. Put a request on the site for one and I'm sure someone will take up the call. Every house tour from DC, good or bad, has been destroyed by the photography.

I like how well the space is divided into separate areas, and how neat and tidy it all is. I am especially impressed with that organised closet, which is more space than I've had in a closet in years. Sigh.

This apt has some good features and nice furniture, it seems bigger than it is and that's a plus. Apart from the unflattering lighting, however, there are a few things here that are examples of what not to do, and this has to do with the art work. (It's great to have a lot of original art work, by the way).

What bothers me the most is that there is an important painting that is not hung up but leaning against a chest and semi-hidden by vases and other things. This should, instead be hung in an important place. And perhaps all the family photos grouped in a less conspicuous place, since casual visitors will have little interest in seeing them.

The other thing is the Buddha, which is really very nice and deserves a better (lower, simpler) setting (and better lighting), rather than being perched precariously on the edge of a high shelf with a lot of other miscellaneous nick knacks. Perhaps it could go on the chest, by itself or with maybe a some fresh flowers next to it, and the vases could go somewhere else. Or it or they could have a dedicated shelf.

Generally I see no rhyme or reason in the way things are hung up -- often not at right angles! Since the owner is an artist and/or artlover, she can surely do better. I would say, if you can't display them properly, store them somewhere and just take out a few at a time and rotate them.

Good use of space! Awesome floors. Nice things and good looking apartment, though I do agree that it's pretty normal. Nice normal but normal (aka average). Not to diss the owner, b/c if this was my friend's pad I'd really like it and like hanging out there. And it's about equivalent to my pad (except mine is in an old schoolhouse and has lots of inherent charm/character just by virtue of that). Great job with the space, but come on ATDC, give us something that will get us all giddy or something unique enough to give us lots of ideas. Other cities are making us (I consider myself a Washingtonian, even though I live in Bmore) look less than the sparkling cool and character-strong city that we are.

But I do like your place. I'd live there with you!

monarda - I'm fairly sure there is no law on what kind or how much artwork you have hung. I could see the groupings being just fine for a small space...you are telling her to overwhelm it, which is just silly.

After today's DC house tour that was just posted, I decided to go back and see more of the previous DC tours. I figured that HAVE to be some good ones out there. Then I came across this one, as well as the other comments about the disappointment with DC tours. Come on up to Baltimore, I'll open up my rowhouse for a tour!

This is another average apartment. I do like the dresser in the entryway and the pillows, and it is cool that nothing was over $200, but this apartment is lacking something to tie it all together.