- Name:
- Matt
- Location:
- Houston, TX
- Square Feet:
- 781
- Division:
- Little
- What I Love About My Small Home:
- Almost everything in my apartment has passed through the hands of at least one other owner - very little lacks the patina of a lifetime of loving use. This includes the 72 year-old apartment itself, which sits above the family business, and has passed through the hands and varying design styles of grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts and now me.
Starting with nothing but a dusty blank space after college, I slowly sifted through second-hand stores, Craigslist, eBay, auctions and countless estate sales finding each piece of furniture and artwork on a fairly strict budget. Pieces were restored, used for a while and then sold or traded to get something better fitting. It's been a four year long non-stop curation process and it will likely continue for years to come until it's time for the next generation to move in.
- Biggest Challenge of Living in a Small Space
- The apartment is laid out like a typical low-cost 1940s home — a disproportionately large living room and two tiny bedrooms.
Instead of sticking to the intended uses for each room, the apartment was arranged accordingly to how I prefer to live. The driver was how to handle sleeping. I like to rest in open spaces, so instead of cramming a queen-sized bed into a twin-sized room, the sleeping area was moved to the living room. This in turn created a tidy conversation-centric seating area by dividing the awkwardly long space. The rest fell into place. I prefer privacy when I work and an intimate setting when I entertain for dinner, so less than ideal bedrooms became ideal for other uses. The last element was de-centralizing the television so that there wouldn't be a big black rectangle taking up visual space. By enclosing a landing at the top of the entry stairs, a place for the TV to fade into the background was created. The result is a small space without a lot of compromises.
Categories:
Style,
Main,
2012,
Small Cool,
Small Spaces
Like this Small Cool 2012 contest entry? Favorite it below!
Find Your Style: 20 Classic to Contemporary Kitchens to Add to Your Inspiration Board
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
10 Ways to Put a Muffin Pan to Good Use (Other Than Making Muffins!)
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Good work - very nice.
Wow, another nice one today. Even though I am not a big fan of mid century style, I really really love your apt. It's very clean, organized, sophisticated and very stylish.
ooh, I love this. I want to live there! Can I come in? ;)
Like the commenter above, I'm not usually big on mid century, but I LOVE this place. The non-bulky bed and the blue desk are great. So much great artwork, too.
This is hands down my favorite small cool entry to date. Love the art.
Your furniture & paintings are fantastic. Congratulations! And I love that you are constantly editing and breathing new life into your lovely space.
This is absolutely fantastic. And from Houston, hooray!
This really is a fabulous modern take on mid-century design. I love that you are using the space in a way that fits YOUR lifestyle.
groovy
where did you find the couch? it's gorgeous
wow, very nice! love the colors
HOUSTON.... has it going on
great place!
Gorgeous, but I'd have to put something, anything, to divide my living space from my sleep space. Bu that's just me. Also, I loooove that chair in the... uh... bedroom.
This is lovely and calming - and the space makes great sense the way you've arranged. Very well done!
Flawless.
your home is art. wish i could see the kitchen. =(
The curation here is stunning. I take your blurb to mean you're only 4 years out of college? Amazing restraint and purposefulness for someone so young. But really, the art makes the space. Fantastic!
This is absolutely beautiful! I'd love to see a full house tour on this space.
LOVE. Everything is so well placed. Love the accent pieces of artwork that do not feel knicknackish. Curious as to why you didn't chose to put your bedroom in the "den" for more privacy but I can see how that living room is just so large and the space is broken up nicely. I just don't want to see my bed during the day :)
LOVE it. Everything is so neat and edited. You can tell that a lot of thought and time went into this.
I may relocate to Houston and this makes me less nervous.
LOVE the huge art pieces
FANTASTIC job. It's been 10years since college and our place doesn't look anywhere like it.
Lots of nice stuff. And that floor makes everything seem to float. Good thing you didn't just slap rugs here and there. Everything makes sense.
Favorited!
I love your space! Like, really love and want to move in..right now. Sigh......
Ok, so... basically, when I finally go to college and I can have my own little piece of home, I want this. (even though I couldn't afford it on a ramen budget.) EXCELLENT work. A+ if you ask me.
So happy to have another Houston entry! Lovely.
Very nice- its very midcentury which is trendy right now but also manages to have its own distinct feeling.
I was going to say what I often say when I see a nice open studio, that this shows how a studio is done. But this place has both an office and a den. The employment of space is original and appealing. Bravo.
Perfection.
I mean, PERFECTION!
......... and I need a full house tour.
Love this place!
omg i want to move in. now.
Breathtaking.
My favorite of all the entries so far! Really tastefully done, and the paintings, sculpture and furniture are outstanding. Love how you split the long room into LR and bedroom, turning the "bedroom" into office. The chair in the corner of the office and the bull sculpture are the best! I'd love to see more of your space.
The apartment is absolute beautiful (that two-tone desk is a stunner!), but I'm curious why you chose to create a "sleeping area" in the living room rather than use the den or the office as the bedroom.
Sorry, I should have read more carefully; you already answered my question.
This one is going to be hard to compete with. I like Matt's description of how he decided to use each space and why.
Interesting layout! Love the office. Curious to see more pics of the den!
I envy your art collection!!! Beautiful home.
Full tour please.
Your choices would totally work for me and I'm a 64-year-old female. Great job.
Best yet!!!
It is a lovely home, but what is 'curation'?
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT...PICTURES LOOK AMAZING ...GUYS I AM COMING OVER ON SUNDAY!!!! GET FAJITAS FOR YOUR FRIEND BELEN ;)
I've mostly been stalking my own post, but i looked at your and was super impressed so I had to vote. Your place is wonderful. It is full of all of my favorite things- MCM, color (your couch is killing me) and art. Love, love, love.
This space looks like is a mid century modern museum. Beautifully curated. I am going to dream about the desk in the office. Lovely!
I reread the entry as well and now understand why you set up the apartment as you did. Well done!
can't understand why you would choose to put your bed in the living room when you have TWO bedrooms.
open space or not....that bed out the open would drive me nuts.
Need those bedroom lamps - beautiful! Where did you find them?
Piping in with the same comments beautiful, fabulous art, nice job.
But is that a JRT I see I had one that looked similar, RIP.
Wonderful.
And do you collect art? Where do the artworks come from?
Wow. More, please. Frequently I complain that the House Tours are not edited down enough, but in this case I am wanting more. Just Spectacular.
this is just perfect.
I second the full tour request!
I am so in love with this apartment I had to visually break it apart to understand how it could look this amazing.
I'm absolutely entranced by this home. The careful choice of textures and colors create a visually balanced and captivating space. This home is all about your collection and your passion for vintage modern design and fine craftsmanship. Your home is especially inviting especially for the lack of mind-numbing clutter. Thanks for sharing!
@ Susanintoronto
Curate, used as a verb, means to choose, organize, and possibly even manage objects in a collection. Historically the word was used to describe what curators running art galleries and museums do to create their exhibitions. That is until shelter addicts decided the term "furnish" wasn't tony enough for what they are doing.
Thanks for the comments everyone!
hlarsen — It's a vintage Edward Wormley sofa
elliosl — The lamps were from a thrift store, unfortunately no manufacturer marker
b77 — He is probably the tamest jack russell you'll ever meet — unless you have a ball in hand.
jt2 — I have an obsession with collecting art! I have a particular love for modern artists from the Texas region. Sources run the full gamut from street vendors to thrift store finds to estate sales to the occasional gallery trade/purchase.
On the kitchen and den — I would have loved to have shown them, but out of all the angles taken, I thought these best represented the space in a five photo story.
where is that bed from?!? I MUST have it!
You have some amazing art.
And great idea about the study...
What does the kitchen look like, and I hunted for the TV enclosure too.
this place is AMAZING. i want it to be my second home (or i just want to steal all your furniture and move it into my place).
the office reminds me of a psychiatrist's office... but not in a bad way. i actually really like it. the only thing the whole place seems like it might be missing is window treatments.
Perfection.
Just sublime.
I would love to see a full tour on this place.
This one made me sign up to vote! Just.WOW!
A timeless decoration!
Very nice! Loved the furniture, colors & artwork.
wow! i love your style! a total work of art!! and i just love the open feeling. thanks for sharing!
LOVE YOUR PLACE! i'm not a huge fan of having my sleeping quarters out in the open either but after seeing your post i now think i could be persuaded :) your art collection is impressive and well-edited, the placement and choice of furniture speaks volume about your style. i also love how you made the space your own, not confining to each room and its intended purposes. thanks for the inspiration!
Home Tour, please. Great collection of art and vintage pieces (detractors of mid-century "style" need to get back to watching HGTV - this is a collection).
Echoing those who are asking for a full house tour.
this is great, and Houston is way underrated, especially as an art town.
side note: can we nix the word "curated"? It may just be me, but I'm sick of it.
I too LOVE the artwork...please share all the artist/sources, especially the creator of the painting between the two windows in photo #2
I love all your art!!!
Thanks again for the comments!
lightintheloafers — I actually built the bed. It's an upholstered wood frame and the legs were from a Knoll credenza.
heela — The painting between the back windows is John O'Neil.
Artist names for the larger pieces:
Above the bed — David Adickes
Above the corner lounge chair — Dixon Reeder
Above the dresser — Horace Robertson
Next to the sofa — Dorothy Hood
Next to the desk — Defforest Judd
Behind the dining table — Herbert Mears
Above the bull sculpture — Buford Evans
Whoop iPhone autocorrect
Above the dresser — Oris Robertson
Above the bull sculpture — Burford Evans
This space is beautiful!! Truly an inspirational space.
Did you build the desk yourself?
Sophisticated and elegant, kudos on your outstanding abillity to edit!
Travislessness I totally agree...no more "curated" spaces!
Houston, we don't have a problem. STUNNING!
And the winner is........
Nothing raises the tone of the small white box quite like big, powerful art. Without it, this would have been a "nice" space. With it, you have created a sophisticated and confident home. Well done.
I've "favorited" a lot of entries so far, but your space honestly made me feel different. I can't quite put my finger on it... Just very unique. I didn't think I'd like mid century, but then things started catching my eye like your desk... is that a metal teal locker?? Modern touches and art caught my eye, and then I just sank in the space.. it's so fun and cozy at the same time.. historical.. and I love that it's above your family business and that you put your bed out there... I did that with my tiny one bedroom for the same reason of wanting to rest in an open space. Ok, I'll shut up now, but your space is dope.
Beautiful. I love everything in your place.
Thank you for providing the sources for your art. Your dog seems to love the piece opposite the bed, and I couldn't agree more.
Love this space!! I love the sofa, especially the color - where did you get it??
Hi I'm from Houston and I love your place. Where did you get the shelving unit on your wall? Any favorite places in Houston you can share? Beautiful space. The art rocks.
Your taste is flawless & use of color, art & placement of same is absolute eye-candy. Furniture and layout looks so inviting. Love your pup too!
Absolutely stunning. My favorite so far. I love how you made use of the space to fit your needs. I hope you win! Good luck!
One more comment - I adore how all the furniture has legs and appears to float! I also love your art collection. Oops I guess that's two...
@Jukesgrrl,
This probably explains my ambivalence about this entry. It's "perfectly curated" -- to the point where it feels less like a home than a gallery or staging. Ok, the dog and the art kind of saves it, but I can't "see" the person in it, like I can with all the other entries.
My inspirational space! Sign up for the first time to vote though I have been a big fan of this site for quite some time. Can not take my eyes away from the space, everything is just beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!
@Profkd,
Ah - tastes/preferences are so subjective. I love this space and can totally imagine the person/people/ME in it. The space shows the obviously great eye and discernment of the owner but it's also totally warm and inviting (at least to me) and INTERESTING!
Thanks again for the comments from all perspectives.
@amberly — I wish I could do metal work, but It's actually a George Nelson MMG desk.
@valeriee — The sofa is a vintage Edward Wormley that was reupholstered.
@kkkkaren — It's a George Nelson CSS wall unit that was found at an estate sale.
@JT2, you're right, it's very subjective. I think I'm just empathically drawn to imperfection :)
That being said, the art, symmetry, and furniture choices are all pretty amazing. Knowing that the bed is DIY makes me regret my cattiness.
I NEED a full house tour. If I could favorite it twice I would! Beautiful Art and arrangement.
This is the most stunning collection of art I've seen in 4 years of reading AT. I can imagine you sauntering in a dressing gown from the shower to the den and closet to dress for dinner, pausing to look at a canvas from a never-before-considered angle. In my mind you look like Cary Grant.
Love the natural light, love that your furniture is lifted away from the ground, giving that light and airy feel. It feels like with colors you didn't go with a 'scheme' necessarily, but it all comes together well. One of my favorites!
I keep coming back to this to admire. Absolutely my fave so far. I showed my husband over the weekend and he was in awe as well...
beautifully done! Though it's really not that small....
Ooh, wish we could see more of the den! Beautiful!
Your apartment got me back onto AT. Long ago, I lived in studios for a few years and when I got my first 4 room apartment I also put my bed in the living room - I also preferred the open space. So I love how you've purposed each room - perfect in each way. They all seem like you use them too- because what's the point of having extra rooms if they are not used? And your sculpture, pottery, paintings are so well chosen. Nothing seems picked just to fill a space or to "decorate", but that it is really appreciated. Extremely well done. I hope you get a house tour.
Thanks too for posting the names of artists - great choices. Your obsession has led you to some really fine pieces.
I love the summery sense of color and airy feel to the room.
I'm confused as to how the lovely bones apartment pulled ahead of this amazing space. I think it's because people are biased against Houston.
I like your space but it seems that your (clearly) expensive and well-made furniture is doing a lot of the work... estate sales or not.
OMG love your George Nelson wall shelving. You must got a good deal in estate sale too! Jealous!! Love your home too! Especially the spacious office space!
You have edited and refined until your apartment is warm, calm and inviting. Using the rooms the way that feels right instead of how they were 'supposed' to be.. adds to the sense of togetherness in your apartment. Yours is a rich, creative space.
That is fantastic! Love it!
i took the arduous task of signing in just so i could vote for this place. love the art work. the whole thing is pretty perfect really.
What an amazing place! Care to do an apartment swap in the summer? ;)
@Apartmentpsychology, I don't think it's bias against Houston, so much as it is the owner of the Amazing Bones' very good entry has a popular blog with some enthusiastic regular readers who'd like to see it win.
But really an S|C contestant doesn't have to be up against a blogger's apartment to feel shortchanged or outgunned. Imagine the disadvantage of having your entry posted the last day. How would you ever be able to catch up to the ones that had been online and collecting casual votes from occasional visitors for two weeks? I don't know how AT can fix that inherent flaw in the judging, though.
But you & I and the others who commented on this page know this is an amazing apartment no matter where it's located, and no matter if it loses to Amazing Bones just because it doesn't have a dedicated blog. This is MCM done right: effortlessly stylish, warmly gracious and not a bit pretentious.
Dorothy Hood? Wow. That's an amazing score for someone who's not been out of college long.Makes ya wonder if the HO Matt's family biz is Meredith Long or something. ;-)
Beautiful, beautiful job, Matt. Congratulations for holding your own without a blog following to help keep you at the top of the heap. Hopefully AT will give us a tour of your place someday soon. And if you see a tall brunette in the parking lot of ML peering up with a pair of binoculars, don't be alarmed, it's just me trying to figure out if it's you up there! ;-)
This place could be a postcard for art!
Matt has an amazing eye and a vast knowledge of Mid Century furniture. I am always learning new things from him. Amazing space, Matt! Very well curated and you just have to know that I have serious chair envy.
I completely agree with @leilanitexas, the design and care put into Matt's apartment really shows. Of course the furniture and art are doing a lot of the work! Isn't that what interior design is all about? This place is stunning.
Where in Houston did you find your furniture and art? I would love to know! Your apartment is beautiful and very impressive for someone 4 years out of college. Amazing taste, I hope you win!
matt -- so sorry that your beautiful place was passed by daniel and the support of the fans of his blog! i was so sure you would be the place to beat! i'm not normally a fan of MCM but you have done it wonderfully! anyway, had to vote for you to show my support!
michelle from michelle's dream space
Matt, are you by any chance a grad of Rice School of Architecture?
Matt
I share Michelle's sentiment-
You have done an stunning job, you have succesfully combined the clean contemporary lines of the mcm with wonderful pops of art while subtly layering a touch of home.
P.S. I also feel the pain of losing ground to a blogger.
-you got my vote-Ryan Ryan's perfect blank canvas
Thanks everyone for your comments and votes if you casted them. You wouldn't believe the amount of effort it took to get the space to where it is as you see it and it really was done on a pretty strict budget. I really was just fortunate in what I've been able to find, but the coordination to get everything to where it feels right was a more than arduous task.
@apartmentpsychology and @leilanitexas — Houston was and is an amazing place in terms of progressive modern design more than most realize. Local designers' and art collectors' choices not only served as inspiration for my own home, but when it came time to transition these pieces via estate sale or change of heart, I worked hard to have the opportunity to carry on their selections. (@leilanitexas — the family biz is no ML, but perhaps one day).
@apartmentpsychology — on the second question, U of H actually, but my degree is completely unrelated to architecture and all that I'm doing now.
@mkonar and @rstudio — Thanks for the kind words and the support. Your spaces too are quite spectacular — truly, and not as just reciprocity. I hold no ill regard towards the current division leader as he too has worked hard to make his home a home.
@crisanta — Truly, all over our great city. We have a great heritage of incredible design taste. To avoid any unfair store hocking, I'd be happy to give a few sources to anyone via email at my username at gmail.com.
Great job .. wonderful space .. my favorite ...
Well it is very much like a glass inclosed mausoleum of mid century worship so if you feel you are more a "curator" than I don't know a lowly tenant or home owner, you have achieved your goal in spades. Would daring to have rugs be too much of a offense to your curatorial senses?
@indigosailor: Huh? I see rugs in 3 of the 5 photos. Also, take into account this is subtropical Houston. Bare(r) floors are just more comfortable and more healthful in a hot climate.
De gustibus non est disputandum, though. A higher than usual proportion of the commenters here have mentioned that they aren't big fans of MCM, but that this particular rendition is appealing precisely because it isn't the stilted, self-conscious & almost theme-parkish approach to the style which we so often see. While I disagree emphatically with your characterization of this particular residence as a "mausoleum", it's nonetheless an excellent description for a lot of other drab & lifeless - even anal-retentive - executions of MCM we've all seen.
Just not this one!This one is much more relaxed and easy going & quite vivacious to my eyes thanks to the vibrant, uplifting palate and all the beautifully showcased hand-made art juxtaposed with the "machine age" lines of MCM. It just seems more human-friendly somehow.
Judging from the comments other than yours, it seems so to the eyes of others as well. But, hey, like I said, de gustibus yadayada. If we all saw things through the same eyes, this would be an excruciatingly boring planet to look at.
Eek! That's supposed to be palette in the second to last graph. Goodness.Did I do that or did auto-correct? Waitress, more coffee at this table!
Second @Leilanitexas in spades. I'm one of those folks who isn't a big fan of MCM but I love what Matt has done with MCM in his space. Yes, I like how well chosen and beautifully presented everything is. But more importantly, I like how he put it all together so it seems to flow together effortlessly and how warm and personal it is as a whole. (I like the Amazing Bones entry a lot as well but I so wish Matt's would take the category. :-)
Matt! Your white globe shade over the dining room is gorgeous! Where did you find it??
I love the look of the large space; unique to have the open floor plan include the bedroom. It's midcentury with touches of older times, a southwestern feel.
Help, I cannot click favorite on this site- It should totally have way more votes such lovely "stuff"
LOVE every inch of your apartment! Hope to see a full tour soon.
@jeannia — It's a George Nelson Bubble Lamp. This one is an old one, but new ones can be purchased from DWR or Modernica.
Thanks all for the votes and comments! I'm glad the apartment made it as far as it did. Thanks also to everyone who lent helping hands and opinions over the years to get my ever-changing home to where it is now. Good luck to the last four!