apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I just gave you your first thumbs' up. LOVE your bedroom. Good luck.

great apartment! what is that coffee table made of?

Very original coffee table.

I adore your kitchen cabinetry -- it has a very European flair for a Texas home. Great job!

nice space...but I'd like to know more about how your small appartment is "cool," as in, how have you managed your space to make it work? what limitations have you had to overcome? what specific design choices did you make based on your space? etc.

I do love the shelves in the bedroom! Very cool.

your kitchen is adorable!

I started out loving this - Then I noticed the details...

...such as the convertible dishwasher placed next to the stove - Not only is it far away from the sink and has to be rolled over an area rug to attach to the sink, but it's also blocking storage in it's current location.

And it appears that there's a lovely kiva fireplace in the corner of the living room completely blocked by the beige sofa.

Making kitchen storage impractical to access, major appliances difficult to use and ignoring a major feature of a room are three big design No-No's for me - no matter how pretty the rest of the place is.

thumbs up immediately from me b/c the bedroom is super cute. love the wall of shelves as headboard approach.

I adore the bedroom with the bookcase and all the bright colours...

Hooray for someone in who's not building a McMansion in Alvin and spewing pollutants for three hours a day! Houston most definitely needs a small cool movement.

love the bedroom.

i love it! where is the TV?

This is so not what I think of when I think of apartments in Houston -- I wish I could see it in person.

This place is so gorgeous. The colors in each room are so vivid it makes you feel alive when you look at it. I think you've made the most out of your small place and it really does not look that small at all. You are a very talented artist!

Nice Vernon! When are you coming to redo my place?

Love the Virgin Mary. Can you have the boyfriend evicted if you break up?

love love love that bedroom!

Pretty!!! Vernon has the mad skillz!!

Who makes that tasty looking beige-y sofa?

Adorable space!
Left brain/right brain sums it up so well.

I'm just wondering, how do people get in and out of your living room seating cluster without having to move tables and chairs around? It seems a bit awkward in terms of traffic flow. I understand the need for intimate conversation areas, but I think a well defined entry and exit point might help make it more comfortable! Just a thought.

Good luck with your entry!

I think you have good taste in your selection of art and furniture. I'd love to hear more about that.

Absolutly Fabulous ;-)

Love your space

Thumbs up baby! Who would've thought such a small place could look so FAB?

Only a couple of dislikes, the black chairs in the living room remind me too much of office chairs. When I come home from work the last thing I want is a reminder of work.

Plus the space screams 'grown and sexy' but the bedroom exclaims 'not quite grown up'.

Nice space, Can you please tell me what is the company of white couch and chairs

I love the bookshelves behind the bed- I have a real issue with storage for books in my apartment. Did you custom build those shelves or are they something that you just fit in the space? I'd love to replicate that idea.

Your place is swell. But I do think that you have too much furniture in the living room. That situation with the fireplace is awkward.

UPDATEHello everyone,

I just wanted say thanks for all of the great comments and the votes. This was my first entry and my explanation was not the best. Here is my attempt to clarify some questions.

The furniture in the living room was set up to maximize the number of people. I wanted to go with the feeling of a large comfortable space, so I got the largest sofas possible (it was a real challenge getting them in the door). The fireplace in the living room is faux and has never worked. Though it is charming, it is not functional and only cuts down the floorplace. When you come in the apartment you can see it because there are about 3 ft behind the sofa that you can't see in the picture with just enough room to open the door in the kitchen. The sofas are from Crate and Barrel and Mitchell Gold. The coffee table is from Cantoni, a contemporary furniture store in Houston.

The dishwasher in the kitchen is on wheels. Since the room is so narrow, we decided to put the heavy pieces along the sides. The door that it is covering up is to the water heater which rarely needs access but when we do need to access it, the dishwasher easily moves out of the way.

I hope this answers some of the questions people had. This was my first contest and I learned a lot about image selection and telling the story. I would have liked to have chosen a few more shots of the apartment instead of focusing on just the living room. If you want to read more about the place, there was a great story in the Houston Chronicle about the building. For more shots of the apartment, click here.

Very cute. Would never have thought that 2 couches would work in a place that small.

The taupe/tan couch in the living area is such a unique shape. I love it!

Love the vibrancy in the bedroom. I tried to vote thumbs way up, but voting had closed. Nice pad. Oh yea, love the art above the stove. Original!

i've been lucky enough to be in this space... the photos don't do it justice. simply love EVERYTHING!

i really appreciate the muted colors and how they pop the GREAT paintings in the living space. i'm always impressed when people aren't afraid to put maximal furnishings in a small space- the arrangement with 2 couches and pair of chairs is so inviting. and those chairs are super sexy.

the bedroom is pure eyecandy.

Very cute! Your kitchen gave me lots of ideas for mine. Where'd you get the little shelf next to the stove?

adorable! especially love the kitchen & the bedroom..

hey, I'm in Houston too! (Heights area)

I missed voting, but I'll be voting for you in the next round. Good luck!