apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

This is so cool. Very colorful and unique.

cute!
i like that arch too...

I love how you've avoided the trap of shoving your sofa against a wall.

Really cool for such a small space. I have issues with that mean bear hogging up your bed, though.

you did a great job, and i love the WAKE UP!

however, i have to wonder why you didn't put the bed into the cool arched alcove...?

the space feels like it needs a flipperoo...dining/office where the bed is, sofa/tv where the office is, bed where the tv is, etc. you do have some very nice things and furniture, and i think you maximized (for sure!) your space!

I'm glad the bed's not in the alcove. That would make for one person having to crawl over the other for waking up.

I like this a lot, it feels fun, and very santa monica. I can feel the sunshine and see the palm trees when I look at it.

the bear does look kinda mean and pouty... did he not want to be in the picture? :)

I feel like the bed intrudes too much on the living space. Do you really need 2 side tables and what looks like about 3 feet of space on each side of the bed, given that you're only working with 464 sq. ft.? I think the bed would be great in the alcove if someone could get into/out of bed without crawling over the other person.

What about putting the bed behind the bookshelf/room divider, and having access to the bed via the foot of it? Not ideal, I know, but it would greatly expand your space while simultaneously making the bedroom more intimate (and it would then feel like a bed "room" rather than a bed in the middle of a living space). Unless people haven't noticed, I'm all about hiding the bed if at all possible, creating separation of space without actual walls.

I really like the bookshelf working as a room divider.

the bed wouldn't have to sit completely inside the alcove (lengthwise)...it could stick out (er, widthwise...i confuse myself) with the two nightstands still..

that alcove makes for a "separate space" feeling that isn't needed (really) for the tv...walking into the apt and seeing the bed first feels a little awkward. even if it IS pretty :)

This place is rad, and a nice mesh of a young couple. But all I can think about is how I want to call you Bennifer.

I like the wake up!

Clean, colorful, and fun. It might be cooler to have the bed in the alcove (with the head against the blue wall and the foot protruding), but hard to say without actually seeing it.

I really like the bookshelf/couch combo acting as a room divider as well.

Merging the TV and computer is an excellent merge if you don't use the computer for long periods of time.

Love your use of color and especially love that WAKE UP message! Great place!

Thanks for the comments so far - really great to get all this feedback!

The arch/alcove is one of our favorite features of the apartment. We have had the bed under the arch (both lengthwise and coming out) - it worked ok but we had a couple problems with it. First, having the bed there made the rest of the space effectively square and harder to break up. Somehow, tucking the bed back there made it feel cramped. Second, this meant we were hardly ever looking *at* the arch, unless we pointed the rest of the furniture at the bed... which is, well, a little odd. :) In the current setup (which was definitely not our first intuition!) the bed does take up more floor space, but gave the room a more open feeling, leading the eye to the arch.

We'd love to hear any more ideas about different floor plans - this is the 4th plan we've tried. We like it a lot, but there's always room to improve.

(As for the bear, he's really not that mean... you'll just have to trust us! :)

I agree the WAKE UP and TV computer combo are the best parts of this place.

Yeah, that looks great.

Why do all these LA entries have those great arches? I love those things.

I think it's just me - I do like the place - I have noticed recently that I have a major aversion to lots of little stuff everywhere (little shelves, a house full of little pictures, etc) - that includes patterns...

I like the fact that the couch is green, that's awesome! I guess I would love to see more cohesive-ness -- not that you don't have nice stuff, just a lot of different colors/patterns. that could just be me though.

I think you could achieve both objectives of "hiding" the bed in the alcove/arch area, while still getting to "look" at the arch. You could do this by putint the bed in the arch, lengthwise so the foot of the bed is at the end of the alcove and the headboard is protruding out into the room, and then EITHER you put your bookshelf/room divider against the headboard from the living room side, OR put the sofa's back against the back of the headboard. Have you tried these options.

It took me 4 months of re-arranging my furniture at least twice a week to finally come up with my current set-up - trial and error is really the best way.

yay for sawtelle! (the street i live on)

Do you own or rent?
Could you put office area in the hall right from the entrance?

Love the WAKE UP! sign in the bathroom! Not sure about the curtains...........

I dont like the idea of hiding beds in small spaces. It makes it seem like you are not content with your apartment. I have a studio and I keep the bed out in the open. Some of my other friends with studios hide the bed and it looks cramped and akward.

Also I like the fact that you have stuff - I don't understand why people want you to hide things or put them away. Its good to have things that visually entertain and inspire you. When I go over someones house for the first time I love to look around especially books, art and trinkets - you can tell a lot about a person and thier intrests.

I love the personality in this entry and think it's a great design. I think the layout looks really effective. As far as bed placement, you mentioned you're using it as seating occasionally so it makes sense not to put it in the arch and push the couch against it. I think the whole thing is great - particularly the Wake Up, green couch and bookshelves. Great job.

I really like it....very different

A nice balance of kitsch and kool. Great color, clean lines, along with a dash of wit and whimsy. Glad the bed is out in the open, can be useful for lounging and extra friends - and who wants to crawl over your partner to get out? The green couch adds just the right amount of verve to the color mix. I approve.

I love how you split the living room area into two sections with a bookshelf. The pillows and the artwork are perfect!

Yay for Relax Bear!!! WOOO!

i think your layout is fantastic; and i love LOVE everything about this place. nice to see an ugly doll in there too ;)

the only thing that throws me off is the layout of art above bed. unfortunately, i have no idea how people manage to perfectly arrange many differently sized art pieces, so can't advice you there.

i think the arch is gorgeous, and i really really want to know - where did you get the bookcase? is it the EXPEDIT? doesn't look square!

This apartment looks even better in person. It always inspires me and gives me ideas for my own place whenever I go to visit. I wish everyone could see all the small details, artwork and space saving ingenuity in every room.

Some of my favorite things: a collection of post-it art by up-and-coming artists they like (perfect for the small space), Jenny's ongoing art project of large scale themed portrait studio portraits with friends and family, the Wii!, the most comfortable bed ever, and all the little things Jenny and Ben give each other and display in the space. Also, the ocean, 1 block away.

I aspire to have a tiny rad pad like this, and I can't wait to visit it (and jenny and ben) again.

with love from chicago.

maja: we rent. :( And the hallway... well it's pretty small. There is a built in vanity right outside that bathroom, so there isn't room there. Next to the entry way, there is an "ice-chest" / dropoff thingy (before electric fridges) that isn't on the floorplan, but it prevents anything from going into the corner next to the closet.

olya: you got it - it's expedit. I think the fisheye view makes it look a little more squashed than it really is.

Thank you all for the encouraging comments!