apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Such a sweet apartment! Feels very cozy.

so cute!

...except the little mummy thingies really freak me out.

I love the simple floor plan of this apartment. Something about square-footage that fits neatly into one big square is appealing to me. Maybe I'm just square.

I think there is a really nice sense of balance here between open, blank space (some walls, expanse of simple couch surface), assemblages of little stuff (office, kitchen) and large bold forms (big art, lamp etc). I think that is really hard to pull off, and veers smartly away from the idea that a small space necessarily means small furniture and decorations.

I am impressed if you really work full-time at your kitchen table? Those chairs don't look ergonomic enough! Though decor-wise it makes sense since kitchen stuff and office stuff don't distract from each other much.

I like your home and I like how you wrote about it.

I like it- what ARE the little mummy thingies?

i like this place overall but I hate the kitchen (but then again I'm very particular about kitchens, I don't even like my own). There seems to be too many nic-nacs in the kitchen. I am of the school that the kitchen should be a well planned work space, free of unnecessary clutter.

Man, I love your dressers in the bedroom! Oh and the use of plants all around is great too.

I think the mummy thingies are kind of awesome. I can't believe how small your place is. I had no idea!

I want to do exactly what your cat is doing, your couch looks like a wonderful place to chill out.

Love your name too!

I thought the mummie things were seashells.

Fab place - can I hire you to score me some unique wall pieces?

Those dressers are gorgeous.

Hi ~ Love this apt. It feels alot bigger than 440sq ft. Everything is sized well.

You said that you found some great local craftspersons which created some of your furniture. Would you mind sharing the names? I am looking for some furniture for my home and would love to go through a craftsman and have something better built than the typical big-box stores . . . and less expensive would be a huge bonus. Thanks.

Thank you all for the lovely, lovely comments and in return, a few answers:

The mummies: They are by a New York artist named E.V. Day. You may remember her giant fighter plane constructed out of many pairs of thong underwear that hung from the roof at the Whitney Biennial a few years back. I get that they are either love or hate... I just happen to love them.

Bess: Thank you for summing up my feelings about having normal sized furniture in a small space far better than I could.

And yes, I work from that desk all day and it works pretty well, though I have long days out of the office meeting with clients and galleries as well. And I do get up and pace around a lot. And sometimes I spread out on the couch. And sometimes I spread out on the couch and get reaaaaalllly distracted from my work...

Brooke: The dresser and two matching nightstands were an absolute steal on Craigslist.

Granted, I looked for what I wanted for 3 years before I found them. But I found them and that's what matters. Thanks Craig!

LOVE the dresser!

i also really like the kitchen photo and the apple print...what is it?

great apartment!

your bedroom is lovely.

LOVE the pops of red in the kitchen, and the glow in your bedroom is just divine.

Wicked eye. I love this apartment and you should win hands down. You are working with a lot less space than a lot of these other peeps. You're magic. ;0)

I think I have a new favorite.

I'd love to see more of the kitchen.

everything works so well in here, it doesn't seem so small! what a wonderful job you've done... looks cozy and very personalized. :) the plants do an amazing job of making the place pop..

speaking of the bedroom, does anyone know what kind of plant that spiky one is? or if its non-toxic for cats?

The clutter-y kitchen would annoy me, but I really like your teak dresser/nightstands. Even better that they were "an absolute steal on Craig's List"; nothing like a sweet bargain!

I love the flow of this place and the fact that it seems to have a place for everything, even despite its small size. Great!

I love the wall hangings (the ones that everyone refers to as mummies) and the pottery. It has a very organic feel. I also like that the place looks real and like someone actually lives in it. There are a lot of pots in the kitchen, but I know what it's like to have too little storage space and to have no choice but to keep such things in the open. It's a very warm place but still has style.

Love your place. Very warm, tranquil and full of character.

Oh, and great use of your 440!

the little mummy thingies remind me of the turd in south park. sorry, but they do.
nice apartment. some of the furniture seems too big for the space, but it's still very nice.

The "Apple" print (the full title is "History of an Apple Pie") was a score during a thrifting spree up in Ventura. It's signed "Pati 1967" but that's all the information I have...

My go-to man for upholstery is Don Jefferies at Laguna West. They did the platform bed for me in a full size and in a gorgeous linen tweed. They sofas look great too, though I had my done at The Sofa Company, which others seem to have varying reviews on but I had a really good experience. The trick seems to be knowing exactly what you want and going over every little detail (seaming, fill, legs).

The plant is a Draceana and my understanding is that it can be a mild irritant to cats, though Slick leaves it well enough alone.

I really do have a place for everything... even the ottomans in the living room have storage - they are the perfect size to house my beloved LP's.

And the other half of the kitchen is clear counters and closed storage, but I could only submit so many photos... which reminds me, the most difficult thing about a small space may be trying to photograph it! Talk about working yourself into a corner... anyone else struggle with this?

Wow. Supercool for me.

Just lovely. I like the descriptive answers too. I think your apartment, although not minimal, transcends "stuff". When everything works, things go smoothly. Nice, soft, apartment to move about.

I voted supercool because it looks warm and personalized and cozy but uncluttered and functional as well. Unique art pieces (love the mummies!) and no need to rely on iconic mid-century modern furnishings that are sometimes the only thing other entries have going for them. Two cheers for Craigslist!!!

this place feels cozy. good use of color. some o the furniture feels a little big, however.
don't your pots get dusty/grimy sitting on the shelf above the stove?

cute space!

Re: The issue of open storage.

Living 5 blocks from the beach and in a 1940's building, I deal with dust *anytime* things are not in cabinets. Yes, I have to take down the Bauer pottery and pots and dust up there regularly - same as all the shelves in my house. But I have never found anything needing more than a quick rinse.

What I think makes a big difference is that I cook everyday, at least twice a day and often for a couple of friends or neighbors in addition to myself, so each of those pots and pans is in heavy rotation (it may seem like a lot to some, that is actually the paired down, essential cookware selection. You should see my baking supplies, talk about multi-tasking...)

I agree with everyone who has commented that they would like to see less going on in the kitchen - me too. But I am pretty happy with the current solution because there is no randomness in what goes on each shelf - you could even say each space has it's on taxonomy: 1) Magazines & oversized bowls; 2) cookbooks; 3) dishes and glassware; 4) office supplies...

That said, with a better budget and bigger space, I would be first in line to remodel.

Wow, really blown away by the feedback. Thank you all. I think I'm only related to 30 of you or so.

Hey Ana,

Great job. I really like your space!

Photographing a really small space is hard. I submitted my little shack to the contest, and it is only 200 sq. ft. so I know exactly what you are talking about. It is hard to make anything look 'polished' when you are wedged into the upper corner of your room, and your furthest focal point in the room is still only 5 feet away. My photos didn't feel like they really represented my home because I couldn't get far enough away from things to take good photos that put them in the context of my space. I applaud you for being able to convey your space so well without succumbing to the gimmicky sort of vignettes that everyone seems to be submitting. I come to AT and this contest because I really want to see people's entire space, and how you use and live in it.

If you cook at all, you have pots and pans, and I actually like to see them! I only have three pots and one pan, myself, so I may just be jealous... When people hide all of the things that make everyday life happen, just to take a cool photo for the contest, it defeats the purpose of showing us how you use your space. So, good on you for not being afraid to show us your kitchen as it is, and for keeping your pots in a practical and accessible place. I can see that you cook a lot by how you have things arranged.

Like this a lot! Great use of space, lots of personality.

Ana-

Regarding photographing a small space.

I know exactly what you mean, trying to photograph my kitchen had me wedged in with bookcase and my head going sideways under cabinets.

Going high, going low...small spaces have tight corners!

Very nice.
you really worked the space well.
Nice flow.
No useless rugs hiding the nice floors.
Bravo.