apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I absolutely love the second picture. Very nice!!

Like Nicola, I really like the second picture--the textures are great. I would like to find a light like the one that hangs over your dining table in the first picture. This may be a basic question, but can you tell me what it is and where you bought it?

I think you definitely get props for best use of a kitty. I like the layered "I am a rug" look as well as the insouciant "I am a throw pillow" one.

the cat clashes with the rug. Love the paint colors and the mobile. Is that acoustic ceiling tile and a surefit slipcover?

I love the wall colors, throw pillows and the rug. The slipcover and the coffee table seem too dark in contrast. Where did you get the red chair from? I have a chair just like it but with a different fabric.

NEW HAVEN IN THE HOUSE!!!

I like it.

Most excellent!!!

Eeeep! Am I the only one that doesn't like this room? It's too busy to me. The fabrics don't work. The rug doesn't work. The recliner doesn't work. All the pillows....not working. Sorry, it's just not for me.

Those blue pillows are just too blue, y'know? And that makes it look like you tried a bit to hard to be matchy-matchy. Could've gone with a softer orange, as well. And the rug just takes it all way over the top, but not really in a good way. You're on to something - I just think it needs to be finessed a bit.

what is the color of the blue pillows called in english? does it have its own name?

Definitely bold. Wall colors pop.

Both Fab! and Gear!

Where is the orange dining room table from?

A little too Trading Spaces, in my opinion, but it looks like a fun place to party.

What's going on by the sliding glass door? It looks like a baby screen in front of a triangle side table.

Good colors, no so great execution. The cheap-o slipcover and the chair in the living room are ghastly and that rug -- eek!

I need this room to go away.

I am sure those colors are amazing a lone, but this is overkill for me. The patterns and Ikea everything make it seem like a cartoon.

I think you are headed in the right direction with the pattern on the chair, but you have too many inspirations, and you need to narrow it down.

I need to get outa here.

You are ahead of your time. America doesn't feel warm and fun loving. Your place feels warm and fun loving. Quirky. You are more like European. Americans are way too ordered, bossy and opinionated for our own good.

Great place. Great ideas. Fun

PS

Is the cat stuffed, a doll or real

moe

grey and orange is the most chic color combination EVAR.
it rocks with the blue and the little white critters.
i love the spirited sophistication of this room, and the blueness of the window you picked up with the wall.
i am wearing orange and grey as we speak. with my bumpin' metallic pewter shoes.
you rock. this is an excellent, sensitive, smart and sophisticated use of color.
thank you.

Great use of color - love them all. What a fun place to come home to! The cool cat is right at home there...

I just love the boldness of the colors and the combination. It spells fun and funky!

The orange table was custom made for my parents in 1970. I never really liked it as a child, but I love it now! The red chair is from a consignment shop that used to be in New Haven, which sadly, is no more. It carried only "retro" furniture, and had some great pieces (the coffee table is from there as well). I miss it. If it still was around, it's possible that I wouldn't still have the sofa with the black slipcover and pillows, but I would have a cool sofa in it's place... but, this is why we enter design contests - to get ideas, feedback, and hopefully to replace the things that need replacing. Oh - the pendant light is a LeKlint. They sell them on a few on-line lighting stores. I think that answers all the questions.... Thanks to everyone for comments and questions.

someone sees one almodovar film and they think they understand european design.

Yes, I agree, in fact if Rachael Ray could do trading spaces - I think this is what you would get. Her, or Punky Brewster.

I think there are too many patterns, too many colors, too many hues, too much stuff in the living room, etc.

Bleccccccch.

Plus, I think you sihoudl have left that green alone - lettuce is much crisper than that color (pun intended!)!!

At least in my eating world...

Yuck!

I love it. The zebra print isn't something I would choose for myself, but I like it in this room. I love the blue and green on the walls, those are the kind of colors I'd choose. I really like that red chair in the back and the bookshelf-the books give nice little dashes of color. Even with all the prints and bold colors, that second picture makes the place look so cozy. Great job!

Rasil, I would call that shade of blue (on the pillows) periwinkle.

I think this could be a great space with some tweaking. I reaaly love the wall colors, particularly the blue, (which is pastel done right) and also you have some GREAT pieces like that awesome orange table. I think the weak spot is that black slipcovered sofa and the oversized pillows. If you removed the slipcover (whatever is underneath is better than the slipcover, I imagine) and draped the sofa with an oversized throw (in a calm color/print to offset the boldness of the room) then that might be a huge improvement. And then get rid of the pillows and get a handful of smaller scaled modern pillows (lol like the ones at CB2 for example). I think the room could also benefit from editing. If you love the Zebra rug then great..that's you! But consider toning it down to help the other elements in the room stand out. All in all this entry really doesn't deserve the catty comments--it has a lot of great elements and certainly belongs in a color contest.

You have some great items...I too love the dining and coffee tables and shelving unit. But I think right now because the rug is so busy, it makes it look like there is a little too much going on. I think you could moved the recliner to another room, or at least away from the rug. Then replace your couch, maybe a new white one with grey pillows, you could really have something! Nice start! I'm also wondering what you could do with those accoustical ceiling tile...

you know what I'm godamned sick of? i'll tell you what i'm godamned sick of. i'm godamned sick of the lies, deceit and pointless arse-smooching that goes on here. all these positive comments are LIES. i tell you, that not a single AT devotee would ever live in this room, would ever have such a nasty slipcover, and most of all would ever leave origami swans on their coffee table. i would love to take those swans and toss them in the fire.

"i tell you, that not a single AT devotee would ever live in this room" - What? As opposed to being a paycheck or two from homelessness? It's not that bad and plenty of folks have given constructive criticism.

Since you have the skill of architectural legends, the style and supreme vision of interior design stars and the deep pockets of Bill, Jobs and Oprah of course YOU hate this room. But thanks for speaking for all the "AT devotee"s. 'Preciate it.

this room is trying WAY too hard to be artsy and wacky and colorful and soho-ish, when it pretty much screams "I RAIDED THE IKEA AS-IS ROOM."

PS: The zepra carpet moonwalks the room back into 1982.

jonathan, i just reread all the comments, and yours is a breath of fresh air.

szig, thanks for your reply, i looked up periwinkle in google images and found 20 different shades of blue, to nicely clarify matters.

i liked the swans best, and quite wondered if i should scatter origami on my desk, but the rooms aren't crisp enough to be almodovary, i think.

Sandy seems to bring out the best in everyone

Thanks for sharing Jonathan

love

moe

My friends call me Moose Puppy

I have to say that this room is trying way too hard to be different... but if it works for Sandy... then good for her.

I think this room is exactly what the contest is about. It's fun, it's bright, it's unique and it's BOLD.. You went for it.And I commend you for going for IT! Don't mind the haters.. they just want to scare you off.This place might not be for some but I like it!! Kudos!

this doesn't feel fun to me, it feels stressed out. it stresses me out. no worky. gives me flu symptoms.

except for the orange table which is fabulous!

Edgy and fun, much like the inhabitant.
Nice!

Good luck,
Seth

It works pretty well except the print on the arm chair--wrong texture/color--maybe a solid wouldn't work since it would be heathered with cat hair very soon, but some wave or curve to complement the rug, or a softening texture? Origami birds a nice bit of delicacy. How about w/vertical blinds drawn? My favorite aspect is how the pillows and books resonate.

Get rid of all of your pillows save one, orange one. Then invest in one nicely crafted pillow, perhaps a Jonathan Adler needlepoint one in the right colors. That's all you need to make this place great. (Well, that and a new sofa as soon as you've got teh cash.)

Meow

I don't find it arty or edgy, sorry. Maybe that's my European sense of decoration that's taking over. That is not Almodovar-like either, come on! I am surprised you like it so much.

Maybe I'll stop posting on this forum if this is what everyone considers a color contest winner, without accepting comments. Is the competition just about stuffing as many colors as you can into one room? Is this the concept?

However, I can understand someone might put this together, love it and want to live in it. Don't they say Van Gogh's works were loathed at the time he painted them? If you feel good in that home, this is what matters the most and I totally sympathize with that. That's what a home is about.

wicked!

This is ill. And not in the good way.

What's with the sudden influx of "European sensibility" all of a sudden? Wasn't is snarky enough in here already without having to import more?

Lau--
The votes are not supporting this to be a winner, so you can relax and keep posting.

What?! Brillant and CREATIVE?

I enjoy this room - good colors, and I particularly enjoy the subtle inclusion of retro-modern items (the wall clock....the mobile), not to mention the animal print. What sort of sullen people don't like color? Oh well.

The cat also is a particularly nice touch.

Awesome use of Color!!! Way to Go:)

These rooms say FUN!!!!! Love the great wall colors, the oragami birds on the table with the martini glasses, the blending of color indoor and out. The cats on the rug and in the chair really love the space, which says it all. And what a great idea to use color to make a polka dot screen to hide the litter box!

i think the votes say it all on this one. There's actually things I like about this room -the wall colors, and the orange parsons table (or anyway, it looks like a parsons table, I could have used a better pic of THAT!). But the mismatched patterns of the zebra rug and armchair make me feel dizzy, and the orange/blue pillows are a bit much. How do you actually sit on the couch with all those pillows? :)

I didn't think AT devotees actually used their furniture; I thought they just stood around and looked at it so as to not crease the upholstery?? :>)
Actually, this couch, with all the pillow looks very inviting and useful for sitting on, etc....

I'd slipcover the chair and let the rug knock you out on it's own (not a bad thing if you like it), but that is just my opinion. And, I may borrow the kitty screen idea, need a better solution than the one I have....

Looks great!

I agree the rug is dizzying!
Does the cat try to play with those origami swans? I know mine would've swatted them a long time ago!

I actually really like the chair. I like the blue on the walls, but not with that green. I think they compete with rather than complement each other. The couch and the throw pillows do nothing for the room. Yes, they may be comfortable, but Sandy, I would change the slipcover to either a white, or a grey (leaning heavily to gray, especially with pets). The navy blue does not work with the black in your room at all.
I think you're off to a great start, especially considering you had a very plain standard white-box condo to start with (it's too bad you have that nasty hanging tile ceiling). Other things I'd change is that halogen up-light and the vertical blinds. But you have lots of time for that.

Very creative use of color and space. It feels happy and inviting with great energy.
A fantastic voyage! Well done.

This is a very interesting AUUGH! MY EYES!

Sorry, but this is terrifying. Too much, too much. The chair would be wonderful in many other rooms, but here it just looks like a rendering error.

The white lamp over the table is the Le Klint 172 pendant lamp (which I also have over my dining room table) and I got mine at YLighting 2 years ago. Here's the link: http://ylighting.com/leklinpenmod4.html?gtse=goog&keyword=le%20klint&gclid=CKucz5fsgogCFREHHgodbz6JHA

Wow...it's gone up in price since I bought mine, but it's still a gorgeous light and has a wonderful glow!

Wow. This is cheery and comfortable. I think Sandy must be a good person to know!

HI Sandy,
Wow big difference since i was there, i love it lots of colors great imagination awesome job!!!!!!!!!

You go girl! Zing 'em with all that style and personality!

I wish I could have a friend like you!

THE BEST OF THE BEST!!!

I voted insta-finalist for you...and then...I realized...I gave you a good vote because I'm a sucker, and absolute drooling idiot for anything blue and green.

I love, love, love the color choices on the walls. LURVE them, darling!

And I can deal with the orange and the blue pillows!

And I can deal with the zebra rug and the blue walls!

But somewhere along the lines I'm losing your sense of focus. You have some amazing ideas here and some amazing prints and bold statements - the zebra rug and blue walls, the orange pillows and blue walls, but I think you've chosen too many statements for one room.

The one really awesome thing in the room: The huge gigantic fat cat. Who does clash with the carpet, but who would mess with a cat that size?

this room is bottom-heavy.

I've been in this space and it's very much a reflection of the owner (and her cats) personal style. We should all take such design risks in the name of expressing ourselves, within whatever means we have avaible to us.

And I must say "ouch" - some folks are getting vicious - remember, this is a just room, and such bile should be saved for the evils of the world - which, as much as you might hate it, do NOT include a slipcover. I'm a professional designer and make my living off creating aesthetic improvement so I feel I can say this with some authority: get some perspective people!!!

Knowing the designer, this room just says happy, positive, smart and energetic. Am impressed at your ability to transfer the traits that make you so special into a room.

Glad you enjoy frenetic color combinations. I prefer calm and soothing earth tones. The zebra rug alone would drive me up the lettuce alone wall. But I trust that it's good for you, and I'm pleased that in a world that praises conformity and sameness we can be almost polar opposites yet still appreciate one another's taste. Have fun with your aloneness.

Dan

I hate to say it, but it looks a lot like a room from The Sims. I love the basic concepts, but for it to be a contender, it needs to be pared down a LOT. But it's your home, so enjoy!

The room is too busy, esp with the zebra rug.

I hate you people, all of you people, who have nice things to say about this miserable sh*t-hole. This is the home of a psychotic wilderbeast.

Hi Jonathan:
Could you please clarify? Are you suggesting that I am a psychotic wildebeast, or that I should sell my condo to a psychotic wildebeast? Just curious.

i've seen rooms here that i loved, others didn;t like all that much, or even hated, but this must be the first dwelling making me sick. it's by far the worst place in terms of visual polution, and when you consider a home a place to find poise and refuge, this must be the anti-home.

Love it! And, if you notice, the colors outside and coming from the books in the "library" continue the scheme. The rug is very(growl) playful. My only suggestion...drape a throw over the chair in that blue or orange or green to bring in the chair. It's a little dark and gets lost with the rug (growl)as does Kitty. :)

Jesus Christ! Is that a tiled ceiling?

gawdawful. but, it's better than a plain white wall and some floral furniture that I keep seeing in the homes I'm looking to buy... eek! at least it doesn't have pink carpet.

Sandy's apartment is one of the neatest places I've ever been and I've stayed in alot of neat homes. I had the opportunity to "house sit" for a few days last year while she was out of town so I can easily say that her home looks like someone from a major design firm came in and orchestrated this master piece. She is a brilliant person, but I was overcome how brilliant she really is. Everything just fell into place, the furniture, colors, accent pieces,etc. To see it is to believe it.

Wow. There are some screwed up people on this post. If you don't like the room, fine. Make your critique and move on. You pompous haters out there need to do some self-evaluation. I think the room is dynamic and fun, the sign of someone who is willing to express herself and take some risks. But even if I hated it, I would have the decency to avoid turning my comments into a personal attack. Sandy: Great room, and cute cat.

Bold & Amazing!

Brave combination of vibrant colors and it WORKS !! I love it and would never have been able to put it together !! Good for you !! Enjoy ! Enjoy ! Enjoy ! It's fun fun fun and fanciful !!!

Dear AT:
While it appears that my chances of making it to the finals are remote, perhaps you might consider a cb2 gift certificate consolation prize for "room that made the most people physically ill"? Or perhaps, "room that you love to hate"? Or possibly, "most divisive room"?

I did so want to replace that sofa.

Thanks for your consideration,
Sandy

There is something about this room that actually makes me physically nauseous. It's true, I forced myself to look at it to see if I was being overly dramatic and the feeling is definitively there.

It must have something to do with the colour combination or the pattern combination... I can't quite figure it out.

Sorry, that award will probably go to Rachel's Bloody Bathroom.

Sandy, you had the guts to enter and show off your home. Congratulations and know that you do have what it takes to be a winner-courage and nicely painted walls. Ignore the small trolls under the bridge.

Brave, but sensory overload. I think it the color ratios are equal amounts as well as the pattern. They don't need to be to tie into one another. Think primary (not tone) and compliment colors for a room. A person should be able to say a room is dominantly a certain color at glance.