Who did that gorgeous painting in the bedroom? I don't even like yellow, but I love that painting.

this wasn't one of my favorite tours :(

I understand the challenges faced by moving from a large space to a smaller one...but I feel that this home still needs a great deal of editing and some storage solutions. It feels a little too cluttered and disorganized to me.

The owner has a fantastic collection of items picked up from traveling though!

It feels so comfy cozy in there. I tend to be attracted to a slightly cluttered feeling. (I'm a musician, and I fit the stereotype very well . . . my life is always slightly cluttered). It just feels so . . . warm and lived in.
and I love the green in the living room. It's SUCH a yummy warm color. I had an avocado-ish green in my old dining room (before I moved) and it was just one of my favorite spots. I might have to resurrect that color in my new apartment . . .
Beautiful home!

Nice, I agree, is a great collection of souvenirs, feels very eclectic. However, there's a lot that needs to be done, I also think that it needs to be further edited, the pillow over the radiator seems like a fire hazard to me, the rug in the kitchen is a germ magnet...
...Oh, everyone's a critic, you have a great place, congrats!!

I'm another person who would feel right at home in this space. Though I love some of the sparce interiors that are usually highlighted on AT, I myself could never live that way. I'm happy to see a tour of a space with lots of great stuff that still manages to be stylish and to feel open. Not everyone's cup of tea I suppose, but I love a space that shares so much about the resident's personality and lifestyle. Thanks for sharing Jayne!

I love those floor pillows!

Using big pillows to cover that wall unit was genius! I'm totally stealing that idea. :)

Warm, personal, and lovely!

really? a space doesn't have to be minimal in order to be uncluttered. i felt very uncomfortable viewing this house tour...almost like i had stopped by uninvited.

it's funny how some see "cozy" and I just see "cluttered". not my fave house tour, sorry.

http://mylittleapartment.blogspot.com/

Nice pieces but waaay too cluttered.
I'm a writer too but would end up going crazy with all the stuff that's jammed into such a small space. There is such a thing as letting go of certain things so you can breathe.
And I agree the pillows over the heating unit is a fire hazard.

I like the pillows to disguise the ugly metal heating/AC unit- I hate those things. Since it is summer in DC, I'm pretty sure that the heat isn't on, but even if it was, the metal shouldn't get hot enough for the pillows to combust.

I like the space- lots of stuff to look at and enjoy without feeling overwhelmed. I love that this site offers something for everyone, from people like me who like "stuff" to people who prefer a much more minimalist look.

I love this apartment! It looks so warm and cozy. I disagree with the negative comments about "clutter" - certainly it isn't minimalistic, but this apartment has personality and warmth. Looks like the kind of place I would love to live in, or a friend's place I would be comfortable visiting. Bravo, Jayne.

My comment about clutter wasnt mean to be a negative--i was just voicing my opinion :)

I actually really dislike minimalism...I think homes should look cozy and lived in...but "cozy" doesnt mean "cluttered". I agree that this is a nice home that looks like a lot of love went into it...just not my cup of tea. It looks cluttered to me. With a couple of better storage solutions that can be easily fixed if the owner so chooses.

This is the worst house tour I have seen so far. I don't need minimalism, but this just seems cluttered and messy, such as all the stuff hanging on the door.
I also think the tv unit is at one angle and then the tv itself is at another angle, is just distracting.
I know this may sound mean, but there is nothing that I like. It just seems thrown together and kind of tacky looking.

Sorry.....but I agree with Aster.

That's a RENTAL kitchen?! Are you kidding me? Maybe I could come help you drink some of that wine in there.

Holy Clutter Batman!

Too many little items. There are some very lovely pieces but they get lost in the mix. A large sculpture/art piece here or there would have more impact. I would clear every single surface and start over. Collections of like things, grouped together might better show off favorites. Leaving some places with nothing on them would allow the eyes to rest and would draw the eye to a focal point.

Yikes! Maybe we can have a post about being a decent human being. Constructive criticism, diplomatically-delivered is one thing. Tossing insults with no thought to the apartment-owner's feelings is something else entirely. Anyone who uses words and phrases such as "worst," "nothing that I like," "tacky looking," "full of distracting grime and refuse," "poorly chosen," and "bad decorator touches" should be required to provide pics of his/her own home. And, peachpie, beginning your comment with "sorry" does not negate the nastiness of agreeing with a fellow mean-spirited commenter.

Jayne-- your place is warm and personal, which is exactly what a home should be.

Looks cozy and like some thought was put into decorating it. I'm sure the owner is happy with her home, but I wasn't really inspired by this house tour.

The decor is kind of a mish-mash of Ethan Allen-ish pieces and some generic-looking, somewhat kitschy 'ethnic' accessories. And there's just too much stuff everywhere.

The living room curtains don't work with everything else in the room (and the rod seems uneven in that picture, but maybe it's the angle) and that armoire is way too big and bulky for the space. It also needs an area rug.

Dining room: Why is that art on the floor? You can barely see it and it makes the room look unfinished, as well as competing for attention with the big mirror. Also needs an area rug.

And I wish there were stronger, richer colors on the walls. The pastels show lack of commitment and don't play well with all the dark wood.

I'm also not sure why they decided to include pictures of all sorts of mundane and not particularly attractive things: the inside of a shoe closet and a bunch of bags hanging on a door, the cluttered computer desk, wine rack, washer/dryer, etc.

And for anyone who is planning to excoriate me for being "mean" and challenge me to put my own place up for a house tour: I am well aware of the limitations of my space and know that it's not good enough to photograph and post on a design website. Clearly, others are not as clear-eyed about their own homes.

Amen on the wine ... I'm all over that. Probably my fave part of the whole tour was going, "Holy wow! Look at all that wine!"

It's funny, I saw the opening photo and *knew* this home would get a ton of negative comments. It has brown carpet, green paint, and low light, which is pretty much the kiss of death for taking good photos, and it has a lived-in, slightly boho/hippy vibe, which is NOT what passes for cool on AT.

Personally, I think it's a cute home with some great accessories and clever touches. Do I think it's gorgeous? No, this is certainly not the type of design porn we've become used to on AT, and I'm a bit more minimal in my own life so it isn't my taste. Still, it's very interesting to me to see-- one example is that I have a ton of African items in my home and am thinking of letting the them get a bit more overt, and this is helpful to see one style of doing that.

I think all the nasty comments lose sight of the fact that AT is supposed to be 1 part inspiration and 1 part seeing how real people live in real apartments-- this post is weighted toward the latter, which might actually make it more useful for the former. And snarking about things like the shoe closet is ridiculous-- the picture is obviously there to show her well-organized shoe storage that maximizes a small space, not because it's supposed to be pretty.

I really love the floor cushions and the painting in the bedroom!

i think a large part of the problem here is the way this place has been photographed - both the quality of the photos and the ones chosen to feature in the slideshow.

it's really not a bad looking place! it's got a lot of personal touches and it's not THAT cluttered. it just looks like a home that's lived in - who on here has a perfectly tidy and empty desk RIGHT THIS MINUTE as you're sitting there reading AT?

for an interior design site it may not be very impressive, but when you compare it to the average American home, i think it does stand out in a positive way.

luckypeach-- I can see now that you aim to do benevolent work here. If I were Jayne I would prostrate myself at your feet for so skillfully deploying your vehemence to shake me into reality. And I would be ever so grateful to be disabused of the illusion that I had any taste or had created the kind of home I wanted for myself.

The question remains-- will you woman up, put away your handbags, hide your shoes, and open your own home for a tour? I'm sure the AT community could learn so much from your sterling example. And if you direct the photo shoot, I'm sure the AT editors could finally learn to do their jobs properly.

I have a feeling this might just be one of those homes that feels a lot better in person than on film. It is clear that the dweller has a warm and comfortable apartment.

I would enjoy being invited to a party here, it just failed to inspire me.

Some of these commentators could use an area rug over their heads.

Where are those brown floor pillows with the white design on them from?

I don't think this place has a lot of clutter. It's just lived in. It looks like a place where someone actually lives and doesn't fuss a lot about every little detail.

It's perfectly comfortable and fine.

But on that note, design-wise: I don't see why it's being featured. Maybe some little elements here and there but as a whole, it's not like there are sophisticated placement of objects or specific colour schemes.

I would have no qualms about staying there or complain about any of it. But if we're talking about interior decor, it definitely could use some editing, some painting and maybe some rearranging.

Love the sofa and the trunk table.

Here is a warm and inviting home that does clutter beautifully:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/house-tours/house-tour-tricia-and-peters-hip-and-colorful-pad-san-francisco-026218

Here is a house tour that is cluttered, but still interesting and inspirational. Color works, etc. And it is very eclectic (this is not my personal taste, but I appreciate it):
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/house-tour-lientjie-roberts-treasure-trove-pretoria-sout-africa-074573

In my opinion, this is how you do warm, inviting, and "lived-in"

Let's remember the aesthetic ground rules:
http://www.casasugar.com/497510

A few of these rules were broken in the above post. It makes people squeamish. This explains the dislike.

I think that everyone is getting a little upset because we can't relate to outdated style or things that are not carefully placed as we would want them to be. Also, maybe her international taste is not in tune with ours. However, to be honest, we all come to this site to find inspiration. If some people are inspired by the above house tour, then it has done it's job I suppose. And a few people did find something they liked.

I don't think this tour has a place on AT. Let's look at their mission:

The Apartment Therapy Mission
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/mission

The above post does not fit into AT's mission statement as well as previous tours have. It relies on too much stuff. And that stuff isn't placed in a way to induce a feeling of calm or organization. But hey, that's just US, the majority.

I didn't want to comment, but felt compelled nonetheless because I just don't get why this home is featured here. Yes, there are interesting objects from her travels, but they are displayed in such a disjointed and odd way. Most of the tabletop displays are at the outer corners and things are all sort of random and willy nilly. If you grouped all the rhinos together on a shelf and other similar items together instead of scattered about, it may look more cohesive. Also, edit the pieces. You can't always have it all out at once. Even the pillows on the couch are sitting there in an odd formation. Two like pillows beside each other -- usually would look better two like pillows separated at each end -- mix them up. I do not like the floor pillows thrown against the heater. That is just odd. It's a heater, who cares. I do agree it's just too cluttered, too messy and not organized or displayed in an appealing way at all. It does read as tacky unfortunately. Sorry.

Love the choice of color on the living room wall -- and in order to save myself some time and effort would like to know the paint brand and color name.

I like that you showed all aspects because people that may be moving into a small space would like to see the closet and the use of the hooks on the back of the door for storage etc. Also I like that you actually showed your home as it is. A lot of people have "stuff" and if some don't then that is their own choice, but really I don’t know too many people that do not have a lot of things to store and put somewhere.& you really dont have a lot of space; so I think you will run into what others call clutter etc. It is hard to downsize and sometimes everyone does improvements as they go & may not have tons of money to re-do something (or can't in a rental). I like that you showed a real lived in place and I have seen a lot of things on here that look unrealistic to me in the economy we live in. Also if I like something I look at it and if I don't I move on, nobody forces you to look at a tour so really I don't see what all the negativity is about. I think the phrase "to each their own" really needs to be used here. We all see some things we do like in others homes and some things we do not like. I appreciate that you showed this & it gives ideas for small spaces. I also like the green paint color a lot!