apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Your floors are very pretty. I'd love to copy you and get the same ones. Are they maple? Are they solid or engineered? Who did you buy the wood from?

Many thanks!

Hi Kathryn, thanks for the kind words....The name of the company (blueantstudio) is borrowed from my wife's studio where she does something alled "bulletproof art" and the name came when we were in design school and we have a project for creating animals based on repeating basics geometrics forms. So we picked the ant and the color was blue. the rest is history. This was 16 years ago.

Barbara, the floor is indeed maple engineered, floating. Made from a spanish/german company called greenket. really difficult to find... but nice and "easy" installation.

regards,

joel+maria

VERY NICE!

OK, what are those panels behind the couch?

WOW. Beautiful. Wish I could see the rest of your place!

Colours work really well here. Good job!

I like this alot. I love the chocolate with the orange. The contrast between the black photo frames and the bright orange walls is lovely. I really like it. POINTS!!

This is the PERFECT orange!

Yay, we get another entry with two highly stylized photos that selectively shoff off the furniture and other aquired goods and systematically avoid showing us the use of color in full.

The entrant celebrates their kitchen and yet we don't even get a view of the cabinets.

Yes the LCW's are beautiful and the Noguchi is sexy but I'm more interested in the wall of green panels and the hint of a floot-to-ceeling piece of art... I don't give a damn about your stuff...show me your use of color, how the color you added to your collection of stuff tes it all together, creates mood, alters the space.

Maybe next time this contest runs the requirements should be an explanation of the photo and use of color...

Ok, sorry, I'll shut up now.

Yes, please tell about the green panels in the living room. I love them--they are an interesting way to use a large expanse of color without painting--or complement a painted wall. I love this house.

Very sharp looking place indeed, love the chairs by the coffee table.

i've said it before, and i'll say it again.

there is such a thing as furniture that didn't come from DWR.

yeah, i know, crazy.

as for the colors, the orange is nice? meh.

Beautiful furniture and overall styling, but I'm not sure if colour is the overall emphasis here. I wish I could see more pics. I like the orange but can't quite tell from the photo how it impacts the room.

the opoponax-

I have come to take great pleasure in your comments.

"meh."

Me loves.

also, i disagree about the tape, in your color tips. i've never had a problem getting a good line with tape. the key is good tape laid straight, and pulled up while the paint is still slightly damp. you have to pull parallel to the line of the tape rather than perpindicular and away from the wall. slow and steady wins the race.

Hi guys!

Thanks for the kind words...

pbphoenix, the panels behind the couch are actually foam core boards cut in 36x36 size. They are white in color. We painted them with a roller for a smooth finish with wall color matte paint. After they dried, we water sprayed the back and let them sit on the sun for a quick dried up and to create the wavy/concave effect. We used black drywall screws perfectly spaced on each corner to create that industrial look. and is sitting against a grey/textured wall. You can achive the same look (without the wavyness) using plywood.

Julian (v1.0) I understand your feelings. I had so many pictures and only 2 to choose from, so, go ahead anc click my signature. There you will find my blog. Scroll down 'til mid page and you will see a series of posts done for AT tour house, there, you can find photos of the kitchen, that we paint ourselves, the floor to ceiling art, we did using a door as a canvas and every single room in the house for your pleasure. but be warned: I'm a brand-a-whore!

Thanks again!

joel+maria pirela from blueantstudio.com

In regards of the Tape tip, maybe is because my walls are all slightly tectured??? and the furniture didn't come from DWR, mostly ebay and highbrowfurniture! ; )

joel+maria pirela

Love the colors. Very sleek styling, though it doesn't look terribly comfortable, does it?

I followed the link and OMG the whole apartment is so beautifully designed. I would learn more about the paintings in the living area, if possible.

Some day I'm going to submit a photo of an apartment entirely constructed of Eames plywood chairs. The walls will be made of chairs, the table will be made of chairs, the bed will be made of chairs. The fridge will be made of chairs covered in an insulating blanket. I will be in the center of the photo digging into a cake shaped like an Eames chair, using a smaller model of the chair as a serving untensil.

If I can come up with a way to capture the energy pounded into Opopo's keyboard during the resulting posts I have no doubt that I can use it to power my home through the cold winter months.

The only people that don't like DWR, opooponax, are the people that can't afford. Poor, poor opooponax.

does anyone know why Joan is such a bitch?

What a great illustration of ways to introduce colour! The DIY wall panels are particularly inspiring! In addition to liking the colour choices, I also like how the colours are complemented by the other textures (steel, glass, wool, wood, ceramic) and neutral colours (black, white, brown, grey, silver). Skilful lighting and good photography also contribute to the success of this entry.

Finally we have an entry with color and some *restraint*!! "Colorful" does not have to equate to "primary colors".

The second photo is a bit off - why the closeup of the refrigerator? anyway, I love the treatment of the green foam core panels and the rest of the photos from your blog are quite nice.

And I love the fact that you describe yourself as a brand-a-whore!

Sorry Joan, but I don't care for the generic look of DWR and I can afford it.

wow, joan. very mature of you.

and creative to boot!

Thanks and sorry for the typos... damn keyboard!

Joel, outstanding. I snuck a peak at the other pictures too, and the whole house is breath-taking. Today's entries have really kicked the competition up a notch!

A couple of questions -

1) Could you tell us the color name of the grey in your livingroom? I love the warmth of it.

2) I'm confused that you said the wall panels were white. Did you just mean that they were white foam core BEFORE you painted them green? Sorry if I'm being dense but I just want to make sure that the color is reading properly over the computer...

Yes Joan, that was not very nice. Opopo and I spar back and forth every once in a while about my Capitalist Pig-Dog enjoyment of certain types of furniture versus her worker-empowering rudely constructed "collection" made of a paste of scavenged breadcrumbs and AM Newyork papers.

It's all in good fun, and I'd happily buy her a drink. Especially if it's that good vodka that was reserved for members of the Polit Bureau.

Okay, Joel, ignore question #2... I can tell in the pictures on your blog and from your comments there that the panels definitely ARE green like we all thought/they appeared.

But I'd definitely love to know the color names you've used...

KMW, I will have to get back to you on the cool (color wise, not awesome wise) grey color. I know is by Berr but we actually lost 70 square feet of property since my wife painted that wall 7 times!!!! Due to the lighting, the color changes radically!

Yes, the boards where white. we have to paint them. It was a test of patience...

yes, you could definitely buy me a drink with the prize money you'd so obviously win with your eames-chair apartment in whatever the next big contest is.

also, i would like to report that i LOVE eames chairs in the right setting. see one of today's entries on the SF site. it's really just when they're the focal point of the submitted photos (or worse yet, the apartment itself) that i get annoyed at the status symbolishness of it all.

also, i think there are TONS of great furniture pieces out there which don't fall into the "modern classics" genre.

I can afford to shop at DWR but I don't. I love modern furniture but I hate pre-curated places like that, telling one what is good and what is bad. And no, I don't have time to troll craigslist and the salvation army. I find stuff I like all around town, slowly.
Clearly Joan is just jonesing.

That's the only thing Joan has ever said that made me laugh (well, the last part). Primarily because I disagree with opo (again) about this looking like all DWR. Even if it is. (and how exactly is the brilliant "meh" mature OR creative, btw?)

On another note, could we make it REQUIRED that if you show a wall color, you give the name in your entry? Would save SOOOO much time.

But, um, yet another entry sneakily directing us to more than the two pics? Foul, I say!

Um, ANY store is "precurated."

Re: "there are TONS of great furniture pieces out there which don't fall into the 'modern classics' genre."

Yes, of course. But what's wrong with going that direction if a homeowner chooses?

Ooooo I love the orange too!!! I second the request for the name... Thx!

You should see what Joel can do in S30V and D2...

Love your place, love your site.

the opoponax, "yes, you could definitely buy me a drink"... is that a date?

patrick (the other one) , ... they asked for! ; )

Actually you can see at my place the table sitting on a target rug, eames in front of a Crate&Barrel buffet and a Crate&Barrel dining table and credenza at the bedroom... also, the patio chairs where replaced by $14 Ikea's and I made the table/balcony table and entry bench. It's a mix of hi-low. If I like it, i'll get it... besides, not a single friend of mine knows anything about MCM. so is not that I'm bragging!!!! I need more gay friends!!!!!! ; )

joel

Rocknrope, you think?????? ; )

That will get me kicked out of here! ; )

joel--

"I need more gay friends!!!!!"

Is THAT a date? ;)

Very nice and polished. Your apartment speaks to what is happening now. Loving it!

i think of both burnt orange and olive as interior decorator 101 colors that my grandma would have used. in peoria. in 1948.
actually she was a genius at color and had graduated from that to red, yellow and blue. in the kitchen, in the bedroom, in the living room.
i agree with the comment above that this is a shot of furniture and not a good explication of the use of color, and that perhaps the contest specifications should be more explicit.

While I am jealous of such a great place, I too am a bit tired of seeing those same chairs in everyone's pix. Maybe it's out of envy?? But that one and that other half-leather, half-wood recliner. [Obviously I am not in the know w/chair designers]

But I do love that orange.

Where are the entries from people who have souls, the ones that show spaces that are lived in....breathed in... full of life? Why does everyone want to look like they live on a catalog page or in a still life? Get out, folks! See the world. Incorporate something that was free, or that came from off the street, that is straight up tacky, that was a gift from somebody with horrible taste... I am so tired of seeing homes that could easily be mistaken for showrooms.

Being from Miami, and knowing how easy and fun it is to incorporate such a lush (and colorful) city into a personal space, I'm so disappointed by this entry.

Very nice digs. Love the color, but what I'd really like to see in this contest are more entries from non-design professionals, us "mere mortals."

Uh, maybe they don't want street sh*t or bookshelves built from popsicle sticks.

Assuming that these people A) don't "see the world" B) are posers or C) like "generic" furniture, simply because they have an Eames chair and a tidy apartment, is a flawed approach.

I love your place - the balance of color and quiet, of shape and clean lines. The classics are classics for a reason and I still love them, and how you combined witht other pieces.

Two questions:
What IS that fabulous orange (I dont think you have said yet?)

What are the fabulous lights over the table in front of the orange wall? (and where's you get them!)

Claudia

Bianca,
I'm almost 100% certain that these apartments/homes would normally look quite lived in. But, when photographing your home to show others, you would tend to tidy it up and make it as neat as possible.
That said, I'm a complete neat freak and drive my girl crazy b/c of it.

For everyone else, I agree and disagree with all of you. :-)

Bianca--

I'm also from Miami, and I love this entry.

Patrick, maybe it's a date! ; )

The orangy color is called Red Oxide from Behr (several coats were needed to cover a white wall!!!!) The light fixture on top of that wall is a cheap wire system by Home Depot ($39) that I ran the low voltage cables inside the wall for a neater appearance.

G, I'm blusing if you think we are professionals. That means a lot! Like Claudia says. " classics are classics for a reason" and I LOVE THEM! ALL OF THEM!!!! The house is a blend of bunch of DIY's and nice pieces, along with low end ones (did I mention the $14 Ikea chairs??) even that I'm a brand-a-whore, it creates a nice balance and a very inviting atmosphere. All the stuff gets used around the house very much.
Thanks agin guys. and Kathryn, I love your place!

regards,

Joel

Anybody from Miami, SOFLA, I invite you to come un-anounced at any time!!! ; )

Our house (even with Isabella) is that tidy!

I think my doctor said something like OTD or OCD??? i didn't have time to check. We are freaks. ; )

Oh, and I can't find the links to more pics on your blog. Could you supply a direct link to the post? Thanks.

I personally love classics because the architects and artists that designed them are some of the people's work I really respect. I love the sculptural effect and the attention to detail. Thats why they are classics. Its sort of the same effect you get when you slip on a tailored outfit.

No one should be ashamed to be a commercial-whore or repremend someone for aquiring things that they love.

And yes I'm saving up for that eames chair damn it!

One of the things I like about it is how immediately I got it. Didn't have to even think, does this work? as in so many of the other entries.

I meant to add: I want to see more photos or at least wider shots!

Hi mscot... here are the direct links for the other pictures you requested:

http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2006/09/for-apartment-therapy-hous_115858135283524796.html#links

http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2006/09/for-apartment-therapy-hous_115858118377336458.html#links

http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2006/09/for-apartment-therapy-hous_115858110883489728.html#links

http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2006/09/for-apartment-therapy-hous_115858102929588742.html#links

http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2006/09/for-apartment-therapy-hous_115858091865210769.html#links

http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2006/09/for-apartment-therapy-hous_115858074384473307.html#links

http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2006/09/for-apartment-therapy-hous_115858064879086938.html#links

http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2006/09/for-apartment-therapy-hous_115858046796643941.html#links

http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2006/09/for-apartment-therapy-house-tour-part_18.html#links

http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com/2006/09/for-apartment-therapy-house-tour-part.html#links

Sorry for the bunch of links......

JP

Joel,

Just curious about how you came up with the name of your company...did you ever read "Pattern Recognition" by William Gibson?

I spent some more time looking at your links and I remain very impressed by your home. I love the mix of "high and low" and the sophisticated use of color. Good luck in the contest!!

Thank God. Color for grownups. Color that looks like it was not chosen by Betsy Johnson. Fabulous!

Beautiful place, I love the burnt orange in the kitchen and the placement of the artworks throughout your home. I know you had mentioned that the rug was from Target, do you remember the name of it by any chance? I've been looking on their website all morning and cannot seem to find it.

Thanks!

the rug, they don't have it anymore. It was called White Japanese yarn and it was under the "shag" category

regards,

Once again I am with P2:

BOO HISS to posting more than two photos! I also find it frustrating not to see more of places that I like, but the rules say TWO PHOTOS.

No fair to punish those who follow the instructions!

Joel, I really admire the amount of work and thought put into this place but please at least attempt to respect the guidelines laid down by Maxwell. At the very least, you could offer to email photos to the curious separately -- or post your place again AFTER the contest.

Rules were made to be bent or broken so cheers to you. When was the last time you did 55 in a 55?

I agree with Patrick, if they really love the chairs, why not? It's not really helping to snicker at those who own these design classics. Perhaps giving them alternate suggestions would be more useful than the typical "oh god, not another DWR furnished apt". That too is getting old and not very supportive. I've noticed there are those who rove the site just to find something to pick on and to make the same comments. Lets try to be a supportive community. Constructive criticism helps. If you have a partner who is overweight, you don't ask him/her if they are "really" going to eat that? or "Isn't that fattening"? No, you offer them suggestions.

Joel, very nice place. Very tastefully done. You seem to enjoy modern classics so do just that, enjoy them. I like to think of modern classics as segues into really understanding the emerging designers of today, where they are and what they offer. It may not be the most original and unique furniture today as it was the pieces debuted, but it shows you have great taste and style. Everyone has different tastes as design is relative to ones personal tastes and aesthetics so you will have people who stumble on your entry and not like it. I love Gustov Klimts painting. He is one of the most talented painters to ever hold a brush. Many write him off because of the overexposure but look at his paintings and you will see techinique and colors used in a way that is beyond words. His work resonates with me but not the guy sitting next to me and I appreciate that even if his reasons are because of overexposure. It's normal so don't let it discourage you.

Nice entry.

Some retailers you might be interested in is from the more conservative like Room and Board to something in the middle like Bo Concept to something a little more edgy (and pricey) like Unicahome or themagazine.

AS for the colors of your place, they are well coordinated and nice safe colors to choose. They match the furniture and accesories well. We often are challenged in the office to convince people to use a less typical color that complements the surrounding interior environment while creating the mood you want for a particular space. It is terrifying to go with a color that may seem like vomit on a sample but when it is actually painted in a room, everything comes to life or mellows (if you're more chill) in a way you would not have anticipated. Computer programs make it possible to see it beforehand but be warned it is very difficult to anticipate the effects of ambient light. It does help though. Nice work again.

Sorry for posting other links to the rest of the pics... people asked and I thought... anyways, If I could edit my post, i will delete them.... but in the mean time, don't go there to get biased on the other pics.... ;)

Thanks again for the kind words...

joel+maria

Joel, I wouldn't bother deleting the posts. Just leave them. We are human beings and adults. If we choose to be biased, let us. If you don't want to be biased, it's simple, don't look at the photos. There is nothing that says you can't have your work posted elsewhere. Again, rules were made to be broken or bent. The best designers, the best buildings have done just that. Look at all the posts your thread has garnered. You are obviously doing something right.

Leave them. Your initial two photos were good enough to make us want more! If we liked other people's homes as much we'd ask them the same.

Joel,

Does your blog have any details on your DIY projects? I always enjoy reading about the process (and seeing pictures). I couldn't find any posts regarding them.....

Lets be honest: this is a contest that is rewarded with a significant amount of money/prizes. It is fairly safe to say that posting more than two pictures of your house is clearly against the rules.

I also agree with the comments about your furniture: it is lovely design, but doesnt really show us much about your use of color. The only thing that makes this entry viable is the detail about the DIY panels behind the couch.

Let the photo thing go. It's not like the contestants who aren't doing so well could possibly do any better by posting more photos. like I said before, this one was a no-brainer even with the little I could see from the "official" photos.

I agree with Charlene. No, he shouldn't have really posted more photos, but I think a few people who have posted more pics really didn't realize it was against the rules, and are sharing out a desire to show more of their homes. I think it's up to Maxwell/Jill to delineate that to contestants who are chosen to submit, if it's really just not going to be tolerated.

And Charlene has a point that some entries would not be gaining more points by submitting more pics. That said, love the colors and the creativity here, and the fact that Joel seems to be able to let mean comments roll off his back (and btw, I love orange and olive green--although I wouldn't consider this to be olive green--so if that makes me a grandma from Peoria, then so be it!)

Also enjoy Max and Opopo's sparring. Joan is just mean, and doesn't even manage to be entertaining while being mean.

Hi DaveD! When I did the DIY the blog didn't existed. from now on, I will take care of that...

Modfan, our approach was about the use of color, not the use of paint alone. Everything plays a lot when decorating your living area. The color/texture of the leather, the grain of different shades of wood, walnut chairs against the black piece of art or the blue vases against the green panels on the wall and the ivory-ish rug against the wood floor... they all are part of our home decorating system. The idea of the contest is to see the approach from all the people and see how they dealt with the use of color. All the enties, from bold to tame, are acceptable, in my humble opinion.

thanks,

joel+maria pirela

Okay Joel --- where are you hiding the TV set? I checked the blog, but didn't see one. I know you're a DIY guy, so I'm really curious to see what solution you came up with to the "where to put the tv" problem.

Yes Joel, you are absolutely correct and I think a lot of people have trouble realizing that because it's a color contest, that doesn't just mean what color the walls are treated. Many people have requested to see your painted walls but isn't this about the use of color that doesn't just stop at the walls? The walls complement the chairs, the tables, the floor, carpet, the artwork, etc...how incredibly boring would it be to look at a painted wall? What makes that wall more interesting? Everything around it. Even the unfilled spaces are considered something as they help to balance the space. It's like looking at a painting. You don't neccessarily single out one area, you look at it as a whole. This contest is no different. Look at CB2's prize entry page. The beauty comes from the way the furniture plays off the color of its surroundings.

BTW, furniture plays a huge deal in this contest. Why else would CB2 be involved? The prize money is nothing compared to the buzz and business this contest is generating for them. There are a lot of similarities in many of the entries but the ones that stand out have a little of that person in the space, meaning, there is something very personal to the person whether it is art or something else they collect or obsess. Gives it a little more character but all in all, lots of good stuff including this entry.

Hi Nan, I can send you a pic but I can't!!!!!!! ; )

Kiddin' aside, believe it or not, we don't have a big tv in our living area. I have a small LCD under the kitchen cabinets that we use a lot and a 37" plasma on the bedroom. but that's about to change, as I will replace the Nakamichi CD system for flat panel apple screen/mac mini, streaming music via wifi from my main computer...

joel+maria

Nan,
some of my friends don't own nor watch television. I know, you can't trust them. Suspicious! Or they've never watched Greys Anatomy.

Where on earth did you ever get that foam core idea? Nice option to paint.

I like the blue vase.

As a matter of fact, I like the entries that have some mystery to them. The hints of more color make me desirious.

Hi pbphoenix! I work on an advertising agency and we use those boards to mount ads for client's presentations. After the presentation is over, that was a good idea for recycling those.

Thanks!

JP

thanks for the info. perhaps you can elaborate a bit more on the no-bleed procedure. i'm not clear on the recommendation.

thanks.

so, joel says he wasn't aware of the picture posting rules (even though he seems to have read them to enter the contest.. and all other ducks in a row there).... but someobody told him and then he posted MORE after acknowledging.
sorry, but that pisses me off.

I love what you've done with the place. It looks terrific, beautifully balanced and a great update on modern.

One question:

To avoid this, put your tape and paint the edge with a clear matte lacquer.

I don't understand - You paint the edge of the masking tape with clear matte lacquer, onto the wall? How does the orange paint not seep under the tape if you haven't, kind of glued the lacquer, to the wall? What am I missing of this process?

Thanks,
Mary

Voted the way I did only because the presentation pictures do not offer enough of COLOR.

I can kinda see, but regardless of WHAT type of furniture is in a place, I have come to judge color use...

Very nice - otherwise!

There is nothing wrong with using iconic pieces of furniture, but you start getting into trouble when your space is full of them. It ends up looking like a furniture showroom. It makes it very hard to see the inhabitant's personality. I own the eames chairs myself in walnut, but I've mixed it with various pieces from antique stores so that they look fresh instead of flat. Your space has a lot of potential, but we need to see more of your personality!

Not the most colorful place but very nice.