apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i LOVE your chair in the livingroom and I completely understand the "budget" thang. You're inspirational!

Ohhh, great couch, and I love that second photo. Can you tell us the names of your paint colors?

Peggy! Way to do Cleveland proud!

Nice, but you can definitely tell that a guy does not live there! ;)

Way to represent Cleveland! I miss the ol' place.

Where'd you get the great chair and ottoman in the living room? Is it second-hand?

You had me at the mention of Tricia Guild. Love the first photo, love how you describe the 'evolution' of your color sense.

I am not, however, a fan of Behr paints, and while they are inexpensive I believe they don't do that well in terms of color density or durability (at least according to Consumer Reports).

I love the shelf you have over the radiator- excellent use of the space. I've considered doing something similar but haven't found a shelf that works. Where did you get yours?

I have to vote for someone inspired by Tricia Guild.

so lovely :)

Love, love the couch and chair. Where do people FIND second hand furniture like that? I can't even find decent new furniture with simple lines on my budget.

And I just gotta root for a fellow Ohioan.

Ooooooh...lovely! I'm falling in love with red and pink together - wouldn't have thought it worked so well. I might steal this. :)

Woot woot! Another former Clevelander here.

Love it!

Oh gosh! The couch that I am selling is EXACTLY like that one, but a deep orange. I am so glad I opened this color challenge! I was going to take better pictures this weekend, but Peggy beat me to it!
Check it out on the AT classifieds, NYC.
"george nelson knoll/eames mid century daybed"

Sorry, that link is in no way right. Here:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/phpclass/ad.php?adid=2555

craigslist @

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/fur/221873000.html

i think pink is a very modern and sophisticated color, especially how you use it here. pink in living rooms and bright colors in babies' rooms. that is what im talking about!

I hate pink, but I like everything else about your space. It amazes me how some people have such a talent for finding great furniture either on the street or second hand; the good stuff is always elusive to me. Love the sofa!

Renee, I have that daybed too! I found out it's designed by Peter Hvidt and O. Molgaard Nielsen, and manufactured by France & Daverkosen, Denmark (I found all this in the Taschen 50s Decorative Art book, p. 169)

I hate pink.

But -
Your place, especially the second photo, is GORGEOUS.

I voted insta-finalist. To get this reaction from an 'anti-pink' person, you have done a wonderful job.

I'm also in Cleveland. My apartment looks similar, minus the cool furniture. Where did you find your furniture at? Love the pink/white/red/orange scheme.

I also hate pink but voted insta-finalist. :) It's amazing what you have done here!

I think I need to read that White Hot book.

wow. i live in a studio too, also used pink (on the walls). i printed this one out as something that i should do when i redecorate. amazing! i love what you got in here- the shelf divider is my favorite. i would love to see a "house tour" - as studios have a special way they need to be decorated and everything has to be placed just so. i'm craving to see all of this space!

oh and that couch! great lines and good use of placement (those old apartment radiators can be such a drag sometimes when thinking where to put things with limited space).

Love, love love the furniture!!! I also think the addition of linen sheers or something along those lines would make this sweet, small space even better.

Now that's what I call and ottoman/coffee table.
This is wonderful. Well done.

I love your chair and ottoman, I am so impressed that it is second hand. does that mean you have a stylish grandma or were you lucky enough to find that at a shop?

JenDC - I am not a fan of Behr paints because I don't like the color choices, but Consumer Reports' most recent rating rate them all very highly. Maybe you were relying on an old ratings report?

Hmmm...I would have never put red and pink together but maybe, just maybe...you have a point here.

I love love love the second photo.

I really like the peachy-coral color I'm seeing, although I don't know if that is what it really is in your apartment.

And I am someone hates pink, and hates the color combination of pink and red more than anything.

It's really interesting that so many people who don't like pink like your apartment

Despite my innate enmity for all things Cleveland, I have to admit that this is really nice. The chair is super groovy

Go Stillers!

Hi Everyone! I am really loving this contest, I will be sorry when it is over. Thank you all for your comments. I'll try to answer all the questions:

1. I am surprised people have had problems with Behr paint. I absolutely love it. All paint is Behr. I even use it on furniture and on canvases. The color in the dining room is called Watermelon Pink.

2. All furniture is second hand. The dining room table is actually three pieces I found on the curb, pieced together and spray painted. The chairs and ottoman were also found on the curb.

3. The bookcase behind the sofa was built by my very-talented brother and painted in Behr paint.

4. The sofa and chair were purchased at Flower Child in Cleveland. I totally bought the sofa because of the lines, didn't really like the color at first, but now love it!

I am surprised that people don't like pink, but am doubly-flattered because even people that don't like pink like my place. In my design philosophy, all things start with pink. When I do a room, or a painting pink is always the starting point (although not always the ending point).

Thanks again!

LOVE this. So bright without being overwhelming. Good job.

Wait a minute, wait a minute. I dont have a problem with pink. But this is not really working for me. the bookshelf looks terrible in this color, and the pink may be too dark for the wood floor. The couches,and the rest of the furniture are fine, but wow... The red couch could really shine with a better color. sorry

There's a lot here to like. Your furniture works so well in a studio. I find this space very inviting, especially the chair by the window.

Just to tell you, the apartment looks great! I LOVE wood floors and that wood floor is beautiful! All the colors look great. They blend in together perfectly! Plus, I LOVE the living room. Overall I love the apartment!

I love your place. It is modern yet looks inviting. I am curious about the painting in the dining room. It is great! Who is the artist?

Your place is beautiful! I love the pink bookshelf (your brother is very talented), especially up against the red couch. Your furniture is so great, I can't decide if I like the chair or couch best. It's the kind of furniture I'd want to have, but know I couldn't live with because I just want big cushiony stuff. I don't think I could handle all that pink on one wall, but it does look good. My favorite part is that stunning blue vase in front of it, it's just a little vase in front of all that pink, but it looks great.

Tawnie,
Thanks for the comment about my painting. I am a painter, it is one of my paintings.

Is this "snarky Peggy". I like your place. I think your comment on 49 east was shocking because it was the first comment. Agreed, were all here for fun. If we're not confident with our design choices we shouldn't post.

Peggy,

What a fun and lively home you have!!!! I LOVE your living room furniture. It's amazing how well that red sofa, the chair and ottoman go together. I can't believe that you actually found the perfect ottoman for your chair on the curb... you have a good eye. And your brother is a pro... Does he make shelves for a living?

Your dining room area is so inviting. It looks intimate and calm. The colors are so refreshing. Your painting on the wall is perfect, it kind of makes me feel like it's a window and I can look out at the sky while sitting at the table. And the vase on the table with the pretty blue color gives everything else such nice balance.

I so much enjoy the clean, peaceful feeling of a clutter-free home like yours. Alright, sushi at my place tonight and coffee and pastries at your place tomorrow afternoon...

These rooms are so stylish they look like magazine photos. You are quite a talented designer, I think, especially if you did this on a budget! Does your place always look this clean, neat and empty? How do you keep down the accumulation of objects of life (like books, dishes for eating, etc.)? Is it a constant struggle to clean everything away, or do you find yourself unable to live any other way?

I think this looks immensely chic and stylish, and I like the red/pink/white/bits of orange. I don't know how people can edit real life down to something so color coordinated and still live there.

Boring boring boring...Wow so you like pink. Good for you!