apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

There's a lot of visual clutter - I would try to maybe hang a curtain under the loft to add some serenity/close off the closet.

I'm impressed though that you can live in a space that's so small!

$281 a month!! I'm moving!!

Kudos on managing with such a small and awkward space, but I really think that in this small of a space, extreme selectivity is especially important. My advice would be to not buy anymore stuff. Maybe hang your clothes by color? I remember someone doing that on a SSBS episode and it was an interesting way of dealing with open storage. But, curtains work too. I'd see about painting the paneling in the entry if you could too.

158.19 sq ft--because that .19 becomes really important in a space this size. Wow, kudos on being able to live there.

Gross. Yuck. Nothing innovative here. $281/ month? Are you a homeless person or an "artist"?

You're clearly having a great time, and making suggestions would ruin the party. :-)

When a space is as small as this studio, a person needs to be more selective of what he/she has and how the items are displayed. This place has so many random items scattered everywhere and on every surface that my eye does have anywhere to rest. This place isn't very innovative as it feels even smaller than 158 sq ft. This contest is about the best use of space and its amazing that someone could live in 158 sq ft and the rent is cheap, but personally, if I was paying so little in rent, I would use some of the extra money to buy better furnishings (esp. for storage items) or I would spend some money on getting a storage unit.

Shut up, tuck.

providencial--
I second that.

Thanks for welcoming us into your TINY home, Grace!!!

Grace, Its amazing that you can live in such a small space. Even if you don't win the contest you're a winner in my book for that alone.

158, wow. I love your red/pink formica kitchen table. I'm glad that you are happy living here; it sounds like you are having a blast, and the fun collectibles on your windowsill show that. I live in a small apartment and I'm a bit poverty-stricken (compared to my neigbours, but not compared to the rest of the world) and sometimes I think that it is okay to spoil myself with fun or nostalgic decorative items which I know are kinda crazy, but make me feel good. Then after a few days, I'll change my mind and do a whirlwind edit because clutter makes me grumpy. But I know sometimes you just need to have stuff around that makes you happy. Anyway, how do you get to your toilet? There is a chair in the doorway, I think. I guess you just shove it aside at crucial moment.

shout out to Olympia! I love seeing WA state entries.

And seriously, tuck, we all know w/o reading your post that you hated it. Unless it makes you feel A LOT better about yourself to continue posting your bile, I'd really appreciate it if you just didn't weigh in on the ones you don't like.

Or, you know, learn about constructive criticism.

I had to add that I love the light up ice cream cone...seriously. I remember when i was a kid wanting something like that that I never got. Waaaaaaahhhhh! :)

ummm - I could be wrong, isn't one of the definitions of a "homeless person" someone who doesn't live in a 158 square foot apartment?

How did you take that aerial bathroom photo?

I feel so bad for saying this, but this place just totally depresses me. I couldn't possibly live in that space with all the stuff in there. Also, how expensive is Olympia really? Could an extra $25 per month buy some more square feet?

I'm impressed that at 158 sq. ft., you have an eat-in-kitchen.

I would agree with putting a curtain in front of the clothes bar.

WOW...158sq ft. I cant even imagine how you manage but hats off to you.

I think that AT should have little side co-winners like smallest apt(and u win that one), most no. of people per sq. foot etc!
:-)

this is one of the most personalized spaces we've seen yet - i can't find ANYTHING west elm!!

thanks so much Grace, it's amazing.

Look more closely, teabags, new tenant - that's Grace on the chair in the doorway of the bathroom, taking the picture by holding the camera over her head!

I like the red heart pillows on the blue couch - thanks for showing us your home, Grace!

I agree that it looks more cluttered than it probably is, due to so many colors going on. You've got a recurring theme of pink/yellow objects and belongings, even in your clothes- I'd take a page from some other entries and try to reduce the number of other colors.

You could get a huge positive change if you (1) painted everything possible white, especially your DIY woodworking and that paneling, (2) replaced the gobbledegook plastic hangers with plastic hangers of the same color, and (3)reduced some of the patterning - if the window curtain must have a pattern, make it a big scale flower, painted by you, if need be. Ditto for the shower curtain. Little prints just busy things up too much for your space.

I wouldn't hang a dividing curtain in such a small space - just makes it even smaller, and such curtains need a lot of volume to avoid looking chintzy.

Kudos on letting your personality shine through and on not letting the limited square footage constrain your sense of humor and your enjoyment at gathering and collecting.

Though it isn't a top choice for me, I appreciate this brief glimpse into your "fun house." Thanks.

Tuck, you are beyond disgusting. Spoken like somebody who has always had daddy's/mommy's money to fall back on--but daddy and mommy didn't teach you any manners.

Grace, thank you for sharing. I just cannot imagine how you manage to be so organized. I would also hang a curtain in front of the closet, but that's me.

I third providencial -

and....wende's comment is the best.
And I say bravo to you Grace.

Wow - I never would have thought that such a small place could be really liveable (with a real kitchen table nonetheless!) but you have done it with such personal style. Thanks for sharing with us.

I voted against this entry, I'm afraid. I don't see that you have hit any of the objectives of this contest. I don't see anything to be proud of here. It looks cluttered and messy.

I'm reminded of Maude's place from Harold and Maude--in a good way. I like it. I don't think clutter is necessarily bad; the clutter I see is fun and colorful, which in turn makes the small space a fun place to live in.

I heart the pillows. And the ice cream cone lamp.

This reminds me of the apartments in the book "Tokyo: A Certain Style."

Thanks so much for submitting it, and letting us peek in.

The first photo, with the collectibles in the window, is very charming! Being a collector, it's challenging to find places to display collectibles, particularly living in such small quarters, so it's bound to be a lil cluttered, but I think she's found innovative ways to store her finds in tight quarters. I'm sure she'll eventually be moving on to larger accommodations and she's managing until that time. Good for her!

i don't know about your apartment, but i want all of your clothes.

I took the picture of the toilet by standing on a chair. When you are using the toilet your knees are in the shower. But I am a small lady of 5'2" so living her really is no problem. It so small that it is hard to photograph. The width of the kitchen is about 5 feet. And my apartment actually isn't cluttered (to me anyway). I really am a Neat Freak! Thank you to all of you who took a peek at my home.

Grace, after reading your post, I took another look and have to agree -- you are very organized and neat, everything in it's place -- I think what we are seeing is lots of texture, color packed into such a tiny space that it can be confusing to the mind at first glance, but Grace, my hat is off to you -- you've managed to make yourself a colorful, comfortable, charming little abode in which to dwell as in "home is where the heart is."

wow. i could never live here, but i'm glad you can! i would suggest covering some of the storage with doors, mirrors, or coordinated curtains to reduce the visual clutter a bit. also, i might edit some of the knicknacks, but maybe if you cover up all the clothes and shoes you wouldn't have to. also, would you consider turning the loft into storage and then replacing your sofa with a futon you can also sleep on?

Grace- Your place has a lot of personality. I get tired of the functional designer, yuppie sterile look that I see so much of. At least your place is interesting. I dig how you thrift shop and live simply. I like your style!

I really wish that I could replace the sofa with a futon Liz, but I don't think that they make futons that are 4" wide and 3" long! It is a great idea though. I have to use what little space I have behind the sofa for storage. My room is about 12" x 6", which = 72 sq. ft. It also doubles as my living room.

wow - you really live in 158 sq ft? kudos! your quirky thrift finds are great - so NOT design-in-a-box, west elm style. do you think you could get away with painting the wood paneling in your kitchen? my landlord let me paint mine in college, and it made TONS of difference in opening up the room.

Good Job Grace!!It is amazing that you have so many treasures in such a small space. It show that you enjoy "special stuff" and you have my vote.

I think it's super cool! I love your style. Seriously, since when does all style have to look like an iMac ad or an Ikea showroom? That bed above the closet is a great idea.

I think this place is amazing. How on earth did Grace fit every little thing into a space this size? Amazing?

I will refer to this often; it shows how much can be done in a teensy space.

My only two criticism are

1. Some of the storage could be covered with plywood or curtains or something. (Well, perhaps with a bit more money.)

2. Like others, I did not enjoy so much visual clutter and would lose some of the items, but then, Grace may LOVE them and they make her happy, so who am I to judge?

This place looks comfortable for all the functions it serves. I wish Grace could come over to my place in NYC and make some suggestions. I wish I had such talent.

This contest just keeps getting better!

This apartment is the coolest apartment. I can't italize here, but I want to italize is because that would more succesfully get my point across on how cool this apartment is. Tiny, great space usage, love the bed and you can't beat the rent.

Hang in there Grace someday you will live in the Taj Mahal....or someplace like it.

Grace, First off I have to tell you your idea to custom build a loft bed for your place was marvelous. Great use of space! Secondly, I have been in your itty bitty teeny tiny apartment so I know for a fact how simply adorable it is. You definitely have your own unique style and don't' let anyone tell you to change it! It's too bad that these photographs don't do your place justice. I don't think people realize how difficult it is to photograph such a small and awkwardly shaped space! I have a lot of respect for you because you were able to turn this little "closet apartment" in to a fully functional home that meets all of your living needs! This is a little off topic but lately I've been hearing too many people complaining about how they worry the world is becoming over populated and I find it some what irritating because if everyone lived a little less selfishly, (maybe not extreme as but more like you!) there would be more than enough room for everyone! When I hear of people owning multiple homes at 5000 sq/ft or larger for just one or two people I find it completely ridiculous! Anyway even if you don't win this contest you truly are a winner for being so thrifty and making what you have work for you!

My friends find my apartment tiny, at 289 sq. feet, yet yours is so much tinier. Yours has all the grace and charm that such a small space can have. I find that so many of the comments here smack of smugness, class bias, and ignorance -- or denial -- on how most of the people of this world live. You don't spend tons of money on original Nelsons or Eames or Mies or anything else by a name dropped designer to come up with a space that is as original as anything I've ever seen. This may be asking too much, but I hope you win, if only to show how someone can come up with such amazing livability with so (by U.S. standards) small a footprint in this world.

not my style, but its not my place. very cool. and i love the floor plan that you made. frame it!

Grace has the best style ever, basically.
Vintagey, kitschy, creative, and cheap.
And those pink boots rock so hard.
*LOVE*

WOW! It's amazing.
And I also LOVE icecream cone lamp, it makes me smile. :)

I love the table, chairs, and sofa. I'm nosy, how much did the sofa cost?
Sorting your closet by color is definitely the cheapest way to make it look less cluttered. If you are allowed to paint a pastel 50's inspired color would be great in the kitchen.

The Love seat was free! And my dad hand made my loft bed, my room was too small to buy one from ikea. My ceiling is only 8", the railing on my loft is maybe an inch taller than me. I think that I will color code my clothes, it is a great idea! I am very thankful that I have a closet at all though. Before I had the loft there wasn't a closet.

This is the only apartment in the whole bunch that is actually "small". And one of only a handful that isn't simply a sparse collection of modernist throwback crap assembled i.e. ordered from some lame catalog, by some yuppie hack whose greatest design success consisted of picking out their wedding colors. Jesus, didn't you people see fight club.

Great job, Grace! It's personal, creative and functional and really, really small. You deserve to win.

First off about this overpopulation thing,
I live in Canada, if you don’t mind the cold
there’s lots of space up north.

Grace, kudos for making this space work.
I have to agree with some others though visually there is just too much going on.

From the pictures it is really hard to see what your apartment looks like. It seems like there are so many colors that it could be a little overstimulating but on the other hand brite colors make me really happy so it could be nice. It seems very homey. I'm glad to finally see an apartment on here that actually looks lived in! Some of the ones i've seen look like someone just ripped a page right out of the ikea or pottery barn magazines!

absolutely darling. your apartment shows a lot of personality and charm. i love it.

I really like the first picture. It's a nice still life.

This reminds me of my undergrad dorm rooms. I had a DIY loft that was in all of them.

Kudos for making such a small space livable and comfortable.

Grace i must say you have always imprest me with you imagination to decorate and i love it! i wish i had you creativity to decorate my tiny space the way you8 have way to go grace !!!!
i give you major props kid

grace,
your place looks great! i especially like the kitchen!!

THIS IS THe BEst little apartmen t for
the best little neat stuff...

who needs alot of space......its nice to be cozy...
go GRAce!

You are fantastic! I love it!

Grace, I think you did a really great job with an impossibly (impressively) tiny amount of square footage. And you say that you lived there without a closet, too? Wow. Wow. Wow.

Your first picture was taken by looking in through the outside window, correct? It's got me so curious - is this a converted back porch of a house that's been split up into apartments? Or something like a closed-off side entrance? Just wondering how the owner saw the possiblitity of renting out such a small space, rather than having it be part of another. It does remind me of SRO apartments in NYC (Single Room Occupancy) - except those usually have to share bathrooms and kitchens with other tenants. It's cool that you have a kitchen and a bathroom in this sliver of an apartment - truly private!

It looks like the living area walls are painted, so would your landlord allow you to paint the rest? Having the woodwork that your father built and the paneled walls all painted (maybe semi-gloss?) would help unify it all as a backdrop for all your fun stuff. And, as far as a curtain for your closet - wouldn't it be great if you found some really swank vintage fabric, like from the 50's, to hang over it? Maybe even a Hawaiian print!! You wouldn't need much - LOL.

And I just have to know about your loft bed - how do you get in it? Do you have to swing your leg over the rail while on the top rung of the ladder, or do you just kind of crawl in and situate yourself? It's nice that there's a window up there - and I see a lamp, too. So, is there enough clearance to the ceiling to be able to sit up in bed?

Okay, I'll stop now.

I just climb up the ladder and get in! I have a lamp up there and do alot of reading. If I sit up straight my head touches the ceiling. Luckily I like to read while lying down. The first picture is taken out of the window because there actually isn't enough room to take a photo of the kitchen while you are in the kitchen! It really is only about 5" wide. I had a very hard time taking photos in such a small place. One person commented that I should organize my closet by color, which I thought was a great idea. In the photo it looks scattered. What you can't tell is that it is organized, rather by what the article of clothing happens to be. Jackets with other jackets, sweaters with sweaters, and so on. The Building that I live in is called The Puget Sound Wesleyan Institute. It is the oldest college building in the state of Washington. It was built in 1852. It was also the place where Olympia women first tried to vote in 1870. It is now apartments. The room that I live in is a converted hallway. Right now the city of Olympia is trying to buy the building for historical purposes. There was an articial in the Olympian about this last week! I talked to my landlord about this, he said not to worry. The city doesn't have enough $$$ to buy it. When they so I'm sure that my landlord will make bank on it!

No

There must be A LOT of empty apartments in OLYMPIA. If I were you I would get a part time job as a cocktail waitress (at some roadside tavern) and use that extra roadside tavern money to get a bigger place. Maybe you should try to get something OLYMPIA-adjacent? It would probably be cheaper.

I like the praying hands!

I know that people are trying to be nice to grace but you are really just being patronizing. This is terrible and you all know it. The shoe rack in the kitchen is unsanitary and not pleasing to the eye. And why on earth would anyone live in a 158 sq. ft. apartment in Olympia. NYC or SF yes, but Olympia, no.

Also, I appreciate a bargain like the next guy but it shouldn't look like its a bargain.

The shoe rack isn't in the kitchen. It is in the hallway (this is humor, do you get it?). I don't see why having a shoe rack at the other end of the kitchen is unsanitary. I don't eat next to my shoes, I eat at the table.

I've been to Grace's Olympia Studio in person, & must say I was quite impressed with what she's done with it! It's such a small space that I'd be claustrophobic if it weren't for her unique & eye-catching decorations & projects (dried grapefruit for instance)... it felt cozy & pretty & cool. ;o)

I, too, love thrift store shopping, but she's got an excellent sense of style that makes her tiny apartment feel much more interesting than mine...

dude, #38 is so bloody cool i just want to curl up near the space heater. i wish there was a word in english for the place a cat sleeps with the sun shining through the window. cause that what this place is. hands down, the best. go grace!

YEAH! GO GRACE!

This looks like a place that i would come to just to take a nap. Forget about watching a movie or hanging out with you! I'm gonna sleep! lol It has a homey, sentimental feel to it. I also love how u used every inch of wall space with creative and decorative shelves. I have to do the same in my teeny house, which was built in 1896. It reminds me of a "Where's Waldo" pic, that you can just sit for hours and look around, like, an oversized doll house! lol. However, in such a small area, simplicity is key to making it SEEM like there's more room. Also, Szarka totally rocked my socks about the one big flower idea, you seem so artsy anyways!! perfect project for you!

I was going to move into this tiny lil' place myself until i got scared of how small it was and backed out. Then my friend Grace, who has much more stuff and is super meticulous and neat, moves in and look what she did with the place! Gracey rocks! I dunno what's up with y'all haters saying this girl ain't got no style. She's got HER OWN style, which is alot more than i can say for many of these entries. If i wanted to look at a catalog, then.... And we've definetly got the "small" covered here, do we not? I definetly agree with a previous poster...it's Maude all the way.

Wow I stumbled upon this site and I must say I am truly amazed! After looking at many of the other contestants I must say this is not only the most original but also it has a lot of heart and it looks FUN! I love finding all these neat little thingamajigs you have that add such character to your small space.

I think you truely captured what this contest is about. If anyone else had an apartment this size, It would look so bland and like some boring closet or something. But Somehow you managed to not only give this small space some life, but you made a place I wouldn't mind living in despite it's size.

This apartment is the "ROCKY" of all apartments. It has the eye of the tiger, and it's not going to stop until it's the CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!

Good Luck and I encourage everyone else to vote for this little apartment that could.

I PITY DA FOO WHO DON'T VOTE THIS #1!!!

I've lived Deep East Coast and I've lived Deep West Coast, and Grace's apt. has a fun look, but original in Olympia, it's just not, and hasn't been for a decade and more. I guess this is where opinions land. The thrift store question is nicely resolved by pphilipp, and generally I'm much more excited by the white-loving minimalists and tidy renovators in this contest. The theory and practice goes a little deeper with many entrants, there is more being said than here. But before I side completely with the dissers and haters I should admit: today driving home, I was rocking out to Sleater-Kinney. And I hadn't even seen Grace's pad yet. Then again, maybe to Grace, Sleater-Kinney are, like, grandparents.

"This is the only apartment in the whole bunch that is actually "small". And one of only a handful that isn't simply a sparse collection of modernist throwback crap assembled i.e. ordered from some lame catalog, by some yuppie hack whose greatest design success consisted of picking out their wedding colors. Jesus, didn't you people see fight club.

Great job, Grace! It's personal, creative and functional and really, really small. You deserve to win.

Posted by Gabe at 03/30/06 3:09 AM "

Hahah...

Word.

I Agree, if there was any justice in this world, this would deserve to win--alas, it probably won't win...

Very adorable--and livable considering the size. The Pink glowing ice cream cone is freakin awesome.

This place is very artsy-frugal, and creative - she has and needs color - it is always so gray up there. Congrats! Good luck, hopefully your next place will start with white walls so your art has more room to pop, and you have more room to spread out your treasures for guests to wander thru and enjoy!

tres petit, et super chic...
it looks like a widow box.
love the colors
xo

to everyone who thinks this sucks- you suck!
go accually measure what that square footage would accually be like, and then move all your stuff into it and try and take a picture that looks better than these, THEN you can say grace's appartment sucks, but im sorry, before you do that, your just not allowed.

i'm susie, and i'm right. deal with it.

How wonderful to see design that didn't come from a catalog, or Architectural Digest, or that looks like the showroom at DWR (much as I like the showrooms). This entry shows that design can be personal, unique, and creative. No one could ever recreate Grace's apartment through purchasing power, although with mere money it would be easy to copy the the other entries I saw. It's just not clever or interesting to decorate a home like it's Showroom D from a store. Grace, you truly have a place that money CAN'T buy, and through it you show your unique taste and sense of design.

Congratulations to the sponsors for having open enough minds to feature Grace's entry! Clearly this contest is about design, and not just about selling the same furniture to thousands of different people.

And I love the pink boots. Trust me, I'll be looking for a pair of those for myself.

Grace - you're a much better woman than I. Living in 158sf is about as zen as one can be. My hat is off to you.

Great job on fitting your life into such a small space and having a ball with it!

I'm with providential and others. I admire you Grace. I'm building a tiny, shed-roof cabin in the mountains of NH - approx. 210 sq/ft. I'm inspired by your very personal space. (And yu can't beat the rent!)

Oh my god I wish I had known you when I lived there so you could have designed that space for me. I couldnt make useful use of the space and hated living there, though loved the idea of small living spaces and of course cheap rent. Way to go Gracie, you have a gift.

Shannon, Did you really live here too? It is so cool that you got to see it. I actually really love living here. I have everything that I need, my own yard, and great neighbors. I'm sorry that it didn't work out for you. The loft bed REALLY helps.

http://www.gofuckyourself.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=263612

it's a nice place. I slept under the kitchen table once, very comfy indeed.

This is a long time after the rest of the comments but, Grace, I just wanted to tell you that your place reminds me of a small apartment I was invited to dinner in about 30 years ago in Omaha. The girl's name was Penny and she invited several of us over for dinner. We had no idea Penny's apartment was one small room, nor did we know what quiche was! We all arrived together (about 6 of us) and sort of looked around wondering where we were all going to sit. She served us as we all sat on the bed. She had a small kitchen but her bath was down the hall. Your apartment is very cool and even though the "poor" days of having to shop thrift store are over for me, (and I now actually work at a furniture store) thrifting's still the biggest thrill of all for me for clothes, shoes, pictures, furniture and well, just about everything! I love to sit in a meeting with a bunch of "suits" and know I paid just 99 cents for my suit at a garage sale.

Thanks for inspiration.

TeriJune

Grace -- I had no idea you were in this contest! How wonderful, and what a wonderful place! A direct reflection of your creativity, thrift, and refusal to become one of the good little consumer soldiers. Shame on Tuck --- I imagine this person to be the epitome of American consumer gluttony....yuck.
We all need to take inventory of what it is we need - exactly / reallyl - and start sharing space and resources with the planet.....THAT is good design.
Laura

Grace...
This is a wonderful apartment... I have a small home about 950 square feet... and often have people comment on how small it is... I love what you have done with the space you have. How innovative and creative.

I have no suggestions only observations... believe it or not you still have lots of possible spaces for more storage...

I noticed you are handy with building... bravo... maybe a floor to ceiling shelf where the shoe rack is by the front door... with a couple of shelves for your shoes... and lots of space for other treasures or storage.... a hook or peg for umbrella and coat.

The wonderful shelf above your couch still has room for a shelf or two ... maybe some of your great shirts, sweaters or pants could be folded and displayed for quick access on those days when you are running late... I just love this quaint and unique space....