apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I don't like it. I'm not a fan of that style furniture. I don't like the textures (all the velvet, I have a phobia of velvet). I also dislike the mix of colors...the red and the gold velvet and the light blue...I dunno, just not me I guess, I find the gold couch looks dirty. I'm sorry, not my taste.

I really like the wood floors though, they're great!

yay. love the caballero over the red sofa.

by the way--knocking out a wall in a rental? gutsy! (everyone out there who says "the landlord won't let me paint!" should consider that an declaration of independence...)

I really like this set up. I'm getting a bit tired of all the flourescent green walls and decor inspired by Target in this contest. Bright green and orange are looking mighty dated. I prefer this motif of eclectic, Graceland-esque furniture with the Victorian meets Morrocan theme. At least it isn't a boring copy cat. Good job!

Is that first picture blurry or is it just that this apt is making me feel like I need to throw up. Don't like it. At all.

I like the boldness and creativity behind it - and the unusual furniture. But I have to say, it's suffering from a little bit of much-too-muchness. Just because you have lots of interesting ornate frames doesn't mean you have to display every single one. The look would benefit from streamlining with a little discipline. Maybe JUST the red curtains or JUST the chandelier or JUST the hanging lamp, but not all three at the same time. Otherwise it looks like a Victorian decor shop, and not a place to live.

Looks like a New Orleans bordello

Insta-finalist. Come on, step out of your comfort zone, people! Do you really think you'll be buying boxy sofas for the rest of your life? In five years, when these two have moved on to something different, we'll probably all be bidding up the price of these sofas on eBay. Seven or eight years ago, you could find modern furniture in pristine condition out on the curb just about every week ...

That said, this room is well put together. Would I decorate with these things? No- they wouldn't go with my boxy sofa. But this contest isn't about what you LIKE, it's about how well the contestant uses color. And I'd much rather see a place like this with furniture that isn't really my taste win than something that looks like Drew Carey's Mimi vomited all over the Ikea catalogue...

LOVE IT! so inviting and cozy - makes me want to hang out on the sofa and listen to billie holiday.
also love the 3 different shades of blue on the walls/trim/doors.

refreshing to see something besides streamlined modern. GREAT use of color!

yeah - i get the bordello/burlesque house vibe here too, but not even that well executed. Stick with the rich, warm colors, and lose the leopard print, and then you'll have a nicer place. what's up with the lighting too? is that chandelier just decoration? we'd get an idea of the actual colors if you lit the place better before taking the shots. try a tripod if you don't want to use a flash.

This is so not my style, but it totally rocks. It makes me want to play The Saucy Maid and the Lecherous Landlord with my wife.

Please tell me that you both spend a lot of time in this room lounging in silk robes while drinking congnac.

I'm not sure about the blue wall though.

Not my style, but I love theh boldness of it. Feels warmer than the Brocade styling of similar shapes (especially the first picture).

However, if you *were* to win (which is unlikely given the mid-century vibe on this site), what the @#%!#%$#% would you do with a gift certificate to CB2?

I really like the style and color of your pieces. I love the gold sofa especially, it looks fantastic! And the rich colors you have chosen are great, I like how the red and gold tones play off each other and that you've incorporated the colors through use of throw pillows and the tones in the artwork.

But I do have some issues with the layout of the room and the usability of the arrangement.
- I don't understand the sheer curtains over the gold couch, what is their purpose? is it not a hindrance when people want to sit in that couch? If they are only there to add color, adding a wall hanging, tapestry or vibrant artwork might work better
- And there seem to be 4 lighting fixtures around the gold couch, but none around the red couch. I think the room would be more centered if these were edited and more evenly distributed.
- It's hard to tell from the picture but the two couches seem a bit far apart for comfortable conversation. It might work better to have them adjacent to each other, maybe an L-shaped arrangement

I like this. Reminds me of some of the rooms in the Doges Palace in Venice. I wish the first picture wasn't so low light so we could see the artwork more clearly.

Three years from now, Restoration Hardware's catalog will include something like that first shot.

Max got this right, there is absolutely not enough wearing-silk robes-drinkig-cognac-lounging-around in this contest. I love the first photo, the lighting and soft focus really work to make an opulent atmosphere. The second photo reveals that you worked this magic with thrift store finds. Nice entry.

I love the left half of the first photo ... looks at first glance like a rich, sexy place to live. The other half (with the clashing trim in the background, etc.) and the second photo (which I'm sorry ... is so tacky in my opinion) really turn me off. The random mix of colors ... the random pieces ...

I agree it's so nice to see an entry that is not all sleek and from the same 3 stores in New York (or like Mimi threw up on the IKEA catalog ... great visual, whoever said that!) ;-) but this is too much. The same design in a momochromic scheme (so that the shapes and curves of the pieces could say it all ... or with maybe just the bright red couch) might actually be kinda cool.

Oops ... I never finished my first paragraph. I meant to say that having both random colors and random pieces makes the place look like a trift store with everything just stacked all around.

Would grown women please stop referring to themselves as "girl." It's inane.

p.s. for the hotttttesttttt possible draperies, check out brooke's elegant and mysterious turquoise chiffon bedroom door drapes in an earlier entry to this contest. they compliment both rooms they divide. the bedroom looks hottt looking through them. the contrast they form with the brown/plum LR walls and their big white graphic is breathtaking. in other words, they work on several levels.

It's nicely done in that opulent archaic kind of way but unoriginal and boring. After all, red and gold? Velvet and chenille? Never seen *that* before, right?

This room makes me want to sleep or eat chocolate served by a butler, not sit up and have interesting conversations. There's no snap.

LOVE IT!!! I come to this site to see new and inspiring things, not just domino rehashes or mindless mid-century messes. It's wonderful to see someone pull off a nineteenth century look that isn't all sepia and dried flowers.

I absolutely love how you've really captured this wonderful nineteenth century hipster vibe in the first photo. Can I come over to read baudelaire and smoke some opium?

Is there a big mosquito problem in Passaic?

wende - three *weeks* from now, Brocade Home (aka Restoration Hardware Lite/Femme) catalog will include something like that first shot.

the first photo kinda grabbed me, but the second photo looks like a cheap and tacky imitation. the colors just do not work together, and that curtain should be heavier and darker (and not so synthetic-looking), or go away. ditto for all the pillows.

it just seems random, not as if the colors were actually put together with a sense of purpose.

Forgot to add that I love this entry. Cozy and unique.

Zilla, are you smoking something (perhaps something that would be served out of a pipe in this room)? Who called themself a girl and what does that have to do with this contest?

Would grown people stop making random and stupid comments. It's annoying.

Rookie quoth: "wende - three *weeks* from now, Brocade Home (aka Restoration Hardware Lite/Femme) catalog will include something like that first shot."

Oh my -- Anthropologie may have gotten there first. Take a look at the colors on their Home Decor page:
http://www.anthropologie.com/jump.jsp?itemID=6&itemType=CATEGORY

The rest of their home catalog is headed strongly that way, too.

But it was clear MCM had jumped the shark when it started dominating Wal-Mart's furniture section.

I don't see "random" here at all...

Anthropologie (and their less expensive sis) Urban Outfitters have actually had this look for quite a while ... the glam chandeliers, the ornate victoriana mirrors ... very boudoir, and really kinda cool. (I actually have quite a bit of it myself ... but as I mentioned in an ealier post, not everyone would "get" my place ... I'm a comic book artist, so I've used these pieces [all in white] with a bright cartoony pink.)

It's not about the actual style of the pieces ... there's just too much here ... as a few people said, too many light fixtures. The chandelier alone is a great touch. But you've got several other things hanging down around it. The gold couch indeed is a gorgeous shape, but the color does look dirty. And that bright red round pillow on the sofa ... it makes my eye hurt. It looks like a bright happy IKEA kids pillow sitting in the middle of a bunch of vintage colors and shapes ...

ridge - your place sounds awesome. can we see it?

Haha ... thanks. I didn't get my shit together in time to take pics for this year's contest. If they do this again next year, I'll submit my place for all the rants and critiques. After all, if I dish it out, I should be able to take it myself ... ;-)

I'm with Miranda. This place reflects the resident's taste rather than a trend (as in the silly green-and-brown, blue-and-brown, and other styles we've seen lately. I hope this makes the finals because it is, to reiterate, not about trends and all about the residents.

it's not my taste, but i like your boldness of scale and attack. i'm a fan of draping beds and cozy spaces, but the color -- which is our criterion here -- of this drapery does not work for me. it's not serious about any one of its many potential msgs. it doesn't make a statement for color or transparent color or transparency or coziness, or, doesn't my skin look sexier when you're looking at me through this. it looks, i'm sorry to say, like the dante's inferno halloween decorations we did for our college dorm. i'm even a big fan of cheese, as you can tell. but i can't go for this, as much as i want to.

This is not my style, but that's ok. I can see from all the comments that people are VERY vocal about their style. Some people love MCM, others hate it. Some love kitsch, again other hate it. I believe that whether you love or hate a certain style or design, as long as it's put together well and is cohesive, it works.

For example, Melissa's and Stu's Over the Top Bold is not my style at all. I would never decorate my place like this. But looking at the first photo, I think it works for what they are trying to accomplish. Very boudoir, very red-light district.

The second photo shows a portion of their space that I believe doesn't work as well as the first photo. I say, if you are going to go for a particular look, go all the way! Push the limits! I would say get rid of the blue door and the light blue trim. Make it a color that's more deep and rich...like a raisin or eggplant. Maybe a dark ruby. Also get rid of that white window treatment behind the gold couch. Maybe try a tapestry-like treatment or another rich color here. Someone mentioned too many things hanging...I say in the second picture, cluster all those things that are hanging into one corner. Have you ever been to ABC Carpet and Home? They have TONS of things hanging and it works for that look. It has more impact and interest when the different chandeliers are hanging in a cluster at different heights! Maybe try having a small antique looking footstool by that gold couch to give it more of that boudoir feel.

OK, I know I just gave you more than my 2 cents, so I'll stop. Again, I think that the first photo is great, but the second photo shows a space that needs a little more work to get it up to par with the first.

Oh and yes, ridge! We would like to see your place submitted next year!

Yes! I agree with kk about the multiple things in a GROUP... that might've worked here. Go to Urban on 14th and 6th. They have a bunch of different chandeliers hanging together at different heights and it looks pretty cool. (And no, I don't work for Urban, so no official plug here ...) ;-)

And I agree about the color/transparency of the drape ... perhaps that's what's driving me mad. It's not rich and sexy like the couch in the first pic. It's almost like it's just the one they happened to find (that was the right size or something.)

Okay, I've hogged this entry's comment space long enough ...

Love that living room. I'm surprised that more people didn't vote "Insta Finalist" or "In Contention" because the way they use color in that living room is IMHO well done, doesn't look random - the primary colors represented by the rich blues, red & gold feel balanced & pulled together...

... until you get to the other side of the room, about which I have to agree with posters above: that part doesn't work.

I want to grab a good book and some Grand Mariner, pull the pink sheers in front of the gold couch, dim the chandelier and spend the night reading in that room. This room is great. I voted in contention because something feels off about the use of so many bold colors. I won't pretend I know how to fix it, I can just say that I like it a lot but it feels "pushy" to me.

Ha! I love this - this is fun. I'm not a fan of anything classical or whatnot by any means but this is bordello-y and neat to me. It's kind of unexpected because I would never look at any of the furniture or art in the room and think "funky, young, cool, etc.," but put together it is. I could very easily hang out there all the time.

And, like Miranda said, it's fun seeing something else in a sea of green and orange Target inspired design. I mean, I love that, and my space probably has a lot of that going on, but this is a nice change.

While I don't necessarily agree with your style, I have to give you props on your color choices. Style is one thing, but I thought this was a color contest. I think you have bold choices that work well for you. Not everyone is going to agree with them because they aren't cookie cutter, Trading Spaces, earth tones, Target shopping center color match ups, but that's what makes this unique.

It's definately different. Interesting, bold, unique. It's Marie Antoinette and Jimi Hendrix's love child. I dig it.

I like this, but I like wearing-silk robes-drinking-cognac-lounging-around, etc...

Having a red sofa takes more cojones than painting a wall red.

I really like the pictures, their frames, and the furniture.

I'm giving this Instant-Finalist but... if it were my space I would still scrap the light blue. For light colors, I would go with sand-gold, and my temptation would be to go dark with white trim.

In fact, a deep red wall behind the gold sofa and NO red curtain would be my choice.

I still like it though. Its lighthearted in a way I rarely find in MCM.

I love the gold couch! :)

Must agree that it is nice to see something a little different from the mid century modern or modern of the majority of the entries so far. However, living in Morocco, not sure that I would say that this feels Moroccan to me.

I feel like there should be a dead body in the corner of one of these photos. Kinda halloween creepy if you ask me.

Just totally thw wrong century for me on this one. But also, I think I'd like the color palette if it were more monotone and just had a mysterious ambiance about it, or something like that.

There is some "Serious Ugly" going on here

Love the colors in the first shot. Red is so lush.

Gorgeous! (and frighteningly like my parent's house minus the fun bits)

I have been so mid-century over the past 25 years I would love to try to take on this design style. It looks like a fun place to be.

And it's the color that make it young. Instant finalist.

Funky, funky, funky. Looks like a gay frat house to me.

Dear Melissa and StuL

I really enjoyed your entry; you two are original and creative. I liked the first picture much better than the second though. In the second, I like the idea of the draping, but I would have liked to have seen a lot more of it or none at all. But that's me. Also, you guys are great at hanging pictures.

As someone who is utterly numbed by the midcentury Eames with IKEA accents hooha I give you huge kudos for using such rich and inviting materials. That first photo is absolutely instafinalist. I would give my eyeteeth for that sofa!

The second photo isn't as compelling as the first. The blue entry seems an inexplicable departure from your rich red/gold/mahagony/black palette -- like going from New Orleans to Sante Fe in one turn, especially with that Sun wall hanging. The pink sheers over the gold sofa and the hanging lighting are overwhelming -- I'd much rather see paint on the wall, or even just another large piece of art (since you have such a fabulous eye for it). I'd love to see this space with some editing, basically.

But even if you don't touch a thing, you have my sincere admiration and gratitude for departing from the sterile midcentury model and creating an inviting space from beautiful vintage objects. Thank you!

Creative! Expressive! Artistic! Imaginative! Original! Dreamlike! Color!

No comparison to the Jones' cookie cutter decor, furniture, from Ikea.

How awesome to come home to a place that looks and seems like an escape from today's world.