apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Love the couch, where is it from?

one ugly couch from bo concept and some ugly mirrors on a wall does not a room make.

Nice place, but why do you have the couch in the middle of the room as opposed to pushed up against the wall? The room looks spacious in the first pic, narrow in the second the way you have it set up.

neither the couch nor the mirrors is ugly, but I'll wager that mmm is--meanspritedness can do that to a person.

The real story in this room is the wallpapered alcove beyond the arch, and the red chair that occupies it. beautiful!

Your place is great! I love it. You definitely have more than one leg to stand on in this competition. House tour please!

Hey! It's all well and good to be snarky, but Mr. Mmmm's comment just seems lazy and reflexive snarkitude. I think the room is lovely and restrained and I like it very much.

very nice, but two things; what are those legs doing there? and is the sofa set away from the wall?

I love the legs! Nice dash of wit. And ignore the snark.

The disembodied legs must go with the floating torso in pic #2.

mmm, try some Pamprin.

I like this a lot. I'm looking for 40's ish looks, especially with the dark floor, and yours is a good inspiration piece. Love the wall paper in the alcove, and the framed mirrors.

That couch is amazing and it looks great w/ the reds. I love that wallpaper in the back, it looks so elegant there. Like some others, I'm not wild about the legs, but everyone has their own taste and pieces speak to us all differently, so it doesn't really bother me. It's a color contest and I love the colors and their execution in the room.

yes, house tour, please!
did you paint the mirrors yourselves, and if so, with what?

I love the framed mirrors too. Are the frames all flea market finds?

also, what color is the living room wall?
Thanks.

The multiple color treatments in one great room disorient me. It's more appropriate for a child's playroom than adult quarters.

The room is very eclectic. I love all the unique conversation pieces. However the colors seem sedated and secondary.

Sorry. Meant that critical posting for another room with the bright colors on every other wall. Agree with the postings about this treatment being very nice, especially the contrast of the solid living room paint with the hallway wallpaper with the red accents.

I think the sofa is in the middle of the room to encourage traffic flow (my guess).

A house tour would be great.

Wow. Love it from top to bottom.

Not sure of protocol here, but I'l try and answer a couple questions.. Yeah, mirrors were all street or thrift store finds that I repainted with spray paint, Thrift store curio repainted, the walls are grey with a hue of turqoise in them with your standard white woodwork. the paper in the entry is vintage hand printed wallpaper from the 40's. The couch is yes, Bo concept, but it's actually been a great comfortable couch.. I think a good purchase.
In regards to the legs, yeah, we have some odd items but I like a mix of stuff.. It can't be "too desingery" or it just looks like a tired catalog. and it's definately a culmination of two personalities.. and the sofa in teh middle gives alittle walkway in back and makes the room cozier and conversational.. we like it.

well, i think it's completely ideal! it's the perfect blend of classic grace & delicacy & straight, modern lines.

I like the overall look. I have my sofa positioned in the same way for the same reasons. That comment about pushing the sofa up against the wall was bad advice!

Beautiful use of soft colors (grey, white, blue) with a punch of an accent color (red). Great job, very posh (in the very best sense.) Good luck!

I love how this apartment looks!! The decor looks like so much fun and so well put together and the color really works well to bring the whole ensemble together.

I think is beautiful the way it is, I also love the wall paper on the back it makes a very elegant entrance. I believe that having the sofa against the wall is boring and predictable. I love the mirrors too. good luck

i love the look, the couch fabric is beautiful; the white furniture looks a little cold and pristine to me. I feel like i want more texture somewhere...

but good job! it's hard to make those 40s looks work.

That's a seriously beautiful gray wall color. For me, it competes *a little* with the sofa color (I want it to be either closer or farther).

Love your style.

So funny that having the sofa away from the wall is causing a freakout. I agree it's a good choice.

But Clinton, I think your quirky accessories make your space *more* "designery" than less. But I think "designery" is a compliment.

This place is VERY Domino. Again, in a good way.

But would love to see an area rug anchoring your seating arrangement.

Love the red accents. Hate that we only get 2 pics; I want to see more, I have a feeling that the rest of the place is just as interesting.

i like this room a lot, as well as the subtle color, but it's not a room about color.

the couch is pulled out from the wall because that's a creative design decision and also, perhaps, provides floor space for somebody who sews to cut patterns on the floor with which to drape the dress form. it also shows the beautiful color of the floor and eliminates the petit bourgeois need for an area rug to "anchor" the seating area.

i feel the whole "restrained" vibe, but i think it might be a little TOO restrained (for as fun as the inhabitants seem, what with the random legs scattered about) - try throwing in little pops of warmer colors (maybe some more reds or oranges, even a warmer brown or purple hue someplace) to bring your space to life. the gray walls and gray-green couch almost look dingy to me. then, it could also be the camera.

purejuice--
I respectfully disagree about this room *not* being about color, in my petit bourgeois way.

I think it's very chic and love the whimsy of the legs. Clinton, do you know what paint color you used?

Stunning. Restrained and tasteful. My favorite entry so far.

patrick (too),
i like your style. tell me why you think a monochromatic room is about color. i'm interested, seriously.

I SO think this room is about color. It is gorgeous. It has a look to it and I mean that in the best way possible. Very chic.

Gray, blue, red, aqua, black, white, silver, mahogany.

Which room are *you* referring to as monochromatic?

And ps, you could have a all-fire-engine red room, which would technically be monochromatic. Wouldn't *that* be "about color"?

Love love LOVE the stark color contrast of the red Starck chair (ouch ... didn't plan that pun, sorry!) against the vintage wallpaper. I want to see this whole place!!

I agree - this does not seem 40's or a very good use of color to me, and I also do not like the couch or the disembodied legs.

Also - TURN OFF ALL CAPS OR it seems like you are yelling!

The colors should stand for themselves without yelling...

I love the blues and greys and I like the hints of just the right shade of red. So hard to get that right. I like the concept of the mirrors, but would prefer one or two large ones instead of so many small ones.

Very nice. I love your sense of fun. You guys seem like people who are serious but don't take yourselves too seriously.

Can you tell me more about your collections (dolls, etc)?

I love your place especially the alcove with the Starck chair. However, I feel the sofa is a bit naked. Perhaps you meant to have it bare as a counterpoint to the collections displayed. But, it seems to be begging for a little umph - a pillow that echoes the lovely yellow bouquet in the first pic, perhaps? Something that will warm it up and make it less austere. Otherwise, fantastic job!

Hey no one mentioned the barbies in the cabinet!

HOW FUNNY!!!!

winner! i love it! i will copy you; yes, I will.

i LOVE it! it's funky and unique and i'm sure it suits your personalities. i especially love the wallpaper! and the red accents.

I think those are Japanese geisha dolls in the cabinet.

it seems we have the same discussion over and over re color. basically some people see 'color' as 'brightly colored'. my favorite rooms in this competition have always been the ones that are restrained and subtle. using a riot of color is one way to incorporate color in your home. another way is to be more gentle with color choices usually making your statement more quietly but just as strongly. personally i love rooms like this; a few variations of one or two hues and a well selected accent color along with many textures and shapes for interest.

Oooh, I really love this one - even the disembodied legs! I honestly can't say that I know anybody else who has those. Color-wise, I love the gray with the soft-blue and just enough hot-coral red to spice it up. The red is very skillful use of an accent color - note how it is used sparingly BUT used a little bit here and there throughout the entire room.
What's up with the Bo Concepts snark? I think this couch looks fantastic. When I replace my couch and I am considering a sectional I will be checking this one out.

Really love the color palette (sp?) used here although not one I would pick. The couch, the wall paper, the walls all very cool and calming. Nice couch.

Where did you get that bowl? I love it!

Hi Susan, that is an Alessi bowl...

Marco & Clinton— I love the wall color here. Could you please tell me the color you used? I'm helping a friend find a perfect gray and yours looks close to what we've been searching for. Love the color scheme of the whole room. Touch of glam never hurt anyone.

I'm not seeing alot of color; so, i'm confused about all the Insta-finalist votes. Grey, to me, is neutral (like white or beige). I do think that the neutrlity of the wall color highlights the few pieces of color in the room, like the chair and candlesticks. I've seen beter use of color in this region.

One thing that I think works about those legs is that they're a little bit more literal version of the inspiration behind antique furniture legs, and in the position they're in, if they were up on top of that little cabinet with the oval mirror between them, they would remind one even more of the lyre-shaped swively things that mirrors often had on dressers. Not saying they should be, but that captured my imagination.

Anyway... I like the colors, and although I kind of agree with P2 about the anchoring potential of a rug (plus it would feel nice underfoot), I like it a lot as it is. I quite love the dark floor and the wallpaper, especially.

I think that a huge arched mirror on its side with the top pointed to the left, aimed at the arched doorway would be wildly wonderful, though.

wow, This is definitely one of my favorites!

JC - 1) There is nothing neutral about the wall color or overall scheme. 2) I would still argue that neutrals ARE colors.

I believe that this contest is about boldly USING color... not just bold colors. I think that it is so interesting that people think all colors have to be LOUD to be considered bold choices...

This entry has alot of elements I keep coming back to see again. This seems close to a magazine-style ready photo. That little round table near the red chair is visually detracting to the careful compositions of the room, but it is helping me see what the difference is between magazine-ready and daily living ready. I know that magazine photo shoots are not really how people always live. I really love that wallpaper and arched doorway. That dressmaker form seems almost like a maid waiting to take your coat and makes a nice surprise for guests coming in. Love the balance of red from the two chairs and other touches. Disagree about the rug suggestions, the solid clean dark floor makes the room look very crisp and modern. Is there a way to light those legs from the inside? I'd like to see them glowing or maybe made into lamps. Show us more.

This is really nice. I think the photos might benefit from different lighting though. They look washed out as is. It's a beautiful place though, and I second (or third, as the case may be) the request for a house tour.

I am surprised there are negative comments about this room. I think it looks great! It's exactly how I'd like my apartment to look if I were to redecorate. I'd love to see more of it, do a house tour or something on AT.

I just thumbed through all the entries. Yours is my favorite so far. Elegant and practical and pretty. I hope pretty doesn't offend.
Thanks,

From start to finish- gorgeous.

Insta finalist in my book.....

"The room looks spacious in the first pic, narrow in the second the way you have it set up."

I completely agree! What is going on back there? That's where you have really gotten us. The living room is a little too Ikea. We've seen it.

And I like that your couch is in the middle of the room, why does everyone think you have to push your furniture to the walls?

Great place! Lots of style.

Was wondering if you would comment on where you found the white cabinet (with the figurines/dolls inside).

I absolutely adore your red punches. The place looks so sophisticated that I am bothered by the leg (lamps)? Other than that it is a very beautiful entry.

J'adore this apartment! A breathe of fresh air,a light handed approach with colors,never vulgar or too "funny 60 style"!
I love the sofa's color and the wallpaper in the back,I want to see more!

Really cool guys,you should win,can I see more of that entrance?
And those " Daliesque" legs add a lot of fun to the living room.

hello guys thanks for your support,I am glad that the majority of you like ourapartment so far.
We have purchased,..well the bank has purchased most of the place so far,and when we got in here it was a total mess,we did have to stain the yellowish floor in in dark ebony color,Clinton painted the living room wall in a really nice and bold shade of grey (Shady Cove
from ACE company).We bought the Bo Concept sofa because the price and quality were good,.when we will have more money we may think about getting a B & B italian couch! but I don't think it is horrible like somebody said.
With the chance to show you more pics,you will see more red accent throughout the living room,especially in the custom made bookcase.
And yes the curio has been found in a Salvation army,painted glossy white by Clinton,and it treasures all our vintage asian dolls.
Thanks for all the nice comments,
Marco

Beauty! Eclectic- yet still refined. Love the tonal palette with the dark floors and pops of red. The space itself feels very modern, but the details (the floral wall paper and the lampshade in the adjoining room, the ornate mirrors, etc.) soften the look and give the space a homey, personal touch... Sophisticated and subtle with an impeccable attention to detail. Bravo.

I agree with (the other) Patrick. It's very Domino in a good way, meaning soft but smart, not frilly. I also like the Hollywood touch in (what looks like) the entryway. The use of color is restrained but inventive, definitely not a cliché. A potential winner.

it's not often that high-design & personal knick-knacks are mixed together so well... i love the color palette with all the splashes of red, blue and white. the mirrors work well without looking too contrived. i'd love to see more of the details and more of the bookshelves. a winner indeed!

I love the painted mirrors and frames. The room looks fun and calming at the same time.

listen , i almost envy the neatness, but c'mon. this looks too uncomfortable for anyone to enjoy. i'd rather have a little bit of my mess if it means people can come by and spill- their stories, their lives, and yes: that perfect martini, olive included.

I love the room,I would love to see what did you do to the rest of the apartment.
It all seems very european to me,maybe french?
finalist or winner in my book!
more pics please,..

Stylish without being fussy,we would love to see better quality pics of the place and the rest of the rooms.
Is it vintage wallpaper the one in the entrance,I love it it blends very well with the"Dior" grey in the living room.
Good job guys,
B.

I tthink the place is lovely. It is a nice blend of modern w/ a flee market vibe (wall paper & the mirrors). The touches of red add a nice pop to the soothing colors chosen for the space. Also, I LOVE the legs & torso. It shows a touch of whimsy. People can't take their homes too seriously. Then the rooms just look decorated - not unique to the person that lives there. To all of the people that have negative comments about the legs & torso, check out Phillipe Stark's work. He has nothig too serious in any of his designs. I dare any of you to say he doesn't know what he is doing.
BRAVO to this room. Please let me know where you found the wallpaper. I am looking for something similiar myself.

Wow, that wallpaper is striking.

The second pic's area seems to be looking better than the first. It could very well just be a lighting issue but the walls don't seem the right shad of grey, the couch fabric seems a bit of an odd texture for the mix. I do like the direction your trying though.

Thanks for appreciating the wallpaper in the foyer,we bought those 40's vintage rolls at Secondhand Rose here in Manhattan.
It is handpainted,I wish we can post more pics to show it to you guys,
thanks again,
Marco and Clinton