apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I rated this "cool" but it is definitely not my style. I grew up with parents who sell antiques and can't throw anything away so anything "cluttery" makes me nervous. That said, you have a lot of very cool pieces. I love the bench at the end of the bed. The whole bed area is very romantic and nice. One question -- where's the kitchen?

You have a lot of really nice things and objects in your home, but I don't know where to look. I'd feel like I was walking into an overcrowded curio shop (well maybe not that overcrowded). Lovely things, but no focal point.

This is a little too much for me, but I still really like it! You have some stunning pieces throughout the apt, and there's so much light just POURING through!

My mother used to have an antique business and a lot of your collectables reminded me of the kind of stuff she would sell... so looking at your apt feels like a little piece of home =)

(You have a copper pot collection!!!! Do you actually use them, or are they for looks?)

i rated this apartment "cool" because there are a lot of nice pieces that you have rescued and you have surrounded yourself with artwork you love and that means a lot to you. it's not my style but i know several people who would love it. (your cat is very cute and photogenic!)

I agree with jimkk, I don't know where to look. I think the lack of focal point might be due to the scale of what you have there. Everything seems smallish. And while it is a small space, something larger(though not so big to overwhelm) might help focus the eye. I do like how there is something interesting everywhere you look, though! Your apartment has a lot of character and looks like you did a lot of work on it - good job!

I like a lot of things you have, in many ways your place reminds me of mine. It's refreshing to see a non-sleek/ minimalist style apartment, but you lost me w/ the vase of dried/dead flowers.

There are things I like and things I don't.

The wider shots just sort of lose me, however the close(er) up(s) show much more potential. Perhaps it's becouse the attention is focued.

There is a lot I like...but perhaps thier may just be too much of it?

I like the bedside table, the dining area etc.

I like all the vignettes you've created. To me, your apartment plus the super-minimal architects' home point out the two best strategies for small spaces. 1) so much stuff that you can't believe it's small, or 2) so little stuff that it looks huge.

Both those stategies sound deceptively simple when written out-- and you apartment vs. all the other cluttered ones we've seen shows how much talent it takes to get it right.

Your's is very nicely selected and arranged 'tons-of-stuff'---- as opposed to all the other cluttered apartments we've seen. My top 3.

Oh, honey, you suffer from the teeny disease that I used to have -- all your stuff has to be small enough that you can carry it downtown from the Chelsea Flea Market slung across your shoulder, or fit into your wheelie bag so you don't have to check your luggage. Suck it up, my sister, and start buying some bigger pieces. Your kitty should not be the biggest thing in your apartment.

Thank you; I myself am a recovering "trash to treasure" fiend, and seeing this apartment reassures me that I'm in no danger of relapsing. I had to give this one a "no way" -- I'm just so exhausted from trying to make visual sense out of all that STUFF...

I love all your finds- my only suggestion is that you paint the walls in order to better set off your stuff! Maybe paint each wall a different color... I think that would make all your collections really POP. (However, you might not be allowed to paint depending on if you rent... that's the boat I'm in!)

I agree with elisabeth and momi, you need to add color to your space and really work to create focal points out of all our pieces. Your postcards in the bathroom work pretty well, but in your kitchen all of the photos and posters are just cluttery. You don't have to add tons of color, but just having little pops of nice Rasputina-y antiqued colors would help you out. Having mauve or blue in your bed "room" would make the drape and satiny fabrics that much shinier. Plus, you have enough sunlight that using color wouldn't overpower the space.

A lot of the pieces in this apartment are nice, but the owner really needs to do a little editing of her possessions.

I get that she's not going for minimalism, but there's a fine line between quirky and mess.

I certainly appreciate the fact that your apartment is personal-so refreshing from that awful mid-century-groovy-kitsch garbage we've been seeing; however, a careful edit is needed.

This was definitely a no way for me. I couldn't even get through the slide show. It feels accumulated rather than designed.

It IS nice to see someone who has some things, and many of your items are well-cherished. I agree with Observer and think it is a nice change to see an apartment with some possessions in it. While there is a fine line between quirky and cluttered, there is also a fine line between streamlined and boring.

That said, I agree that more color would be a good idea and some rhythm to the artwork to pul things together. I once had a room with one wall covered in flea market mirrors of all shapes and sizes. There were tons of them but they were set an equal distance apart... and they were all mirrors, which made them thematic.

If you had a few furniture pieces which were also big and bold, I think there would be more cohesion.

But I bet that whenever your eye sets on one of your treasures, it makes you happy. And that's what counts.

I agree with the general sentiment. There needs to be something BIG in the apartment, like a big beautiful sofa (which you can always find at Angel Street or Housing Works on 17th for $300). Or maybe get rid of about two dozen small frames and get one big one on that crazy wall. Then again, this is your style, and it's relatively consistent throughout the apartment. For that, I applaud you. It's kind of cool to see New York apartments that aren't at all what I expect.

Where are you from, how old are you and what's your job? That might help explain all this.

Lots of wonderful stuff. love the postcards. I agree some strong focal points would be helpful

Mary, Rasputina-y? Please explain

Many beautiful, interesting things..... but just so many of them! You have a great eye, but I think its time to learn to edit a bit. I love your furniture -- I'm imagining that each one has a story.

I love Rasputina! I saw them a couple of years ago at Southpaw.

This apartment is exhausting to look at and, no doubt, to live in (think of all the dusting!). I can appreciate that many people are delighted by various objects, but that doesn't mean you need to display them all at the same time. As a decluttering exercise, Beth might consider removing everything in the apartment and then adding back only what is necessary for living or truly pleasing to the eye. One final thought, which I might as well add since I've been so critical already--Just because your friends tell you they like your apartment doesn't mean they really do.

Wow, that last line was waaaaaaay nasty.

Wow... I thought *I* was in a cranky mean mood until I read some of these comments! I thought the apartment looked very pleasant -- Beth gave areas room to breathe where it really counts, like the area where the armchair is, and in the bedroom. And elsewhere, there are interesting collections to look at! I think the picture on the front page probably didn't do it justice -- I'd suggest grouping the bathroom pictures more to improve "focus". I agree about maybe using paint to create distinct areas... but overall, very nice place!

Rasputina-y -- I think Beth's apartment would look great with some really well chosen color, but the wrong ones, especially those crappy "Victoriana" colors, could ruin it really fast... I just couldn't think of another word for it other than to reference that band. Rasputina is "The Lady's Cello Society", a trio of three singer/cellists. They have this nice, weird balance between being lovers of all things Victorian and being actual modern people from the East Village...

You're right, patrick the other one. I reread my last line and it does sound really mean -- way meaner than i intended. Maybe I'm just smarting from a friend who had assured me she loved my minimalist pad recently confessing she hates how "sterile" it is. Or maybe it was inadequate caffeination. In any case, Beth, I'm sorry. The only one who needs to be happy in your apartment is YOU. Signed, your penitent fellow Beth.

Thanks for taking the time to clarify! Now grab a giant cup of coffee, take that freshly-caffeinated anger and point it TOTALLY at your friend!!! ;)

A little busy for my taste but there is character here. You can tell every object, picture, furniture has a reason to be here and contribute to make Beth feels at home.

Not my style at all but the place is cohesive and charming.

Great to see an apartment that is so personal and 'rich' in decoration. All those objects w/ their stories and histories that are part of the life of the owner. I don't mind the more minimalist interiors as long as they retain their 'spirit', but I'd much rather surround myself w/ stuff collected over the years, w/ memories attached to them that only I might know about or that I share w/ good friends and my family.

I rated it 'cool' because while I love the idea, I'm not too crazy about the execution. First of all, I would definitely put some color on the walls, anything other than white would already be an improvement (this goes for 95% of the other apartments, too, if you ask me). And second, I would try to get more order, rythm and hierarchy in all the objects. They all scream for attention at the same level, whereas it would be better if some objects stand out, while others are more in the background, and are only discovered when you visit the apartment for the second time. This 'layering' would add even more interest to your apartment.

Overall a great job, definitely one of the more interesting.

This is not my style, but it's fun and expresses a lot of personality. I also suspect that all the small stuff doesn't photograph so well. I was a bit put off by the tiny pictures, but then realized they are postcards, which is probably very cute in person. Looks cozy, though I agree that some color on the walls might be the finishing touch.

I'm all about kitsch, but a little can go a long way. There's a lot of neat pieces in here, and a lot that's just confusion.

I hate to say it, but I kind of get a little old lady feeling from this.

Nice space, if it was emptied out. Nice pieces, but so cluttered that the beautiful furniture and accessories are given the same weight as the not so important things. Could use more color, and a cleaned up scheme. I am fan of modern, but I still appreciate the beauty of pieces you have, even if it is not for me. You just need to highlight more substantial furniture, focus, de-clutter the walls. (bad postcards) and simplify. Then I would vote winner.

Beth,
i'm sorry no one has come out and said it is a jewel.
i don't get an old lady feeling.
it drips personality and sensuality.
yeah, maybe some of your things could be edited/ rotated, but it feels like your own heartfelt museum and
it's nice to see a place not too concerned with being in vogue...argh, taste is a funny thing....

ps
not there's anything wrong w/ any posts here or being in vogue...now that the finalists are in, the smoke of "coolest" clears a bit and random merits of different apartments stand out.
sure has felt odd commenting on people's homes...
thanks everyone.