apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I think this apartment is lovely and truly in the spirit (the hotly debated spirit, nonetheless) of the contest. Congrats!

Your place is whimsical, colorful, homey, cozy, and perfectly molded to a rental studio, Irena. I really like alot! I used live in a bachelor just like this so I understand how difficult it is to decorate this space, especially with color! Wow... excellent use of the resources that you have.
C'est magnifique! You, too, are tops in my votes!

Nice to see the entire place finally. Good for you!

P.S.

I have pine shelving just like you, so I know what the need is like to get new furniture.

I also have a tortoise-colored cat just like yours, named Janey. What a beautiful companion to a beautiful home. You are truly blessed with a home sweet home. Tres bien. :)
Definately a winner!

Who makes that color in the bathroom? That is the EXACT shade that i've been searching for, but all the blues i come across in the paint stores are too dull and toned down. I'm looking for something bright and cheery like this!

I really like your place! What you've done with your studio on a budget is fantastic. I hope you place so you can use some prize money to get those new shelves. =)

Good luck!

i have some pine shelves and have found them much more bearable after staining them bright colors - mine are a really warm shade of orange now. you can get stains in virtually any color, have some great colors to go with your stuff, but still have the wood grain look.

Charming and altogether delightful. A happy selection.

Hurrah, hurrah!!!

Congratulations, Irena, you deserve it. You did an excellent job with your apartment.

Gotta love them Canadians! Do they ever know how to use colour ;) Love your place...and the cat.

i love this place for so many reasons...one of them being that you are a grad student (please tell me from a non-artistic discipline?) you worked with what you had and made it a fantastic and happy place.

fellow eternal grad student

I really liked this apartment the first time I saw it, and like it even more now that I get to see more of it! I hope you win, because I know you will put the prize to good use. Good luck!

Hurray! So glad to see this is a finalist. One of my favorite entries -- a great example of what can be done with a minimal budget and an impressive imagination. Congrats, Irena, you have inspired me to make my studio apt. a little more colorific.

It's a confident contestant who leads with the toilet shot! :)

The quality of light in your photos is gor-GEOUS.

Congrats on making the Finals!

I like how the cat insist on being in ever photo.
Love the sunny cheerful colors in your place.

yay Irena! I loved this place the first time around and I love it more now. I hope that you win.

I absolutely love the bright colors and the whimsical details like the vases and the dishes. And the kitty cat, of course.

yaay! throughout this contest, I think I would always compare every entry to this entry-- which was my absolute favorite. congrats irena!

I too hope you win. I like your place for other reasons. I live in a studio similar to yours (my kitchen and bath are located in different places) but your layout has given me insperation. I am in the process of my cure and will use your pics to help me.

that pink makes me so happy i can't stand it. you're the freaking winner

Now here's a real winner! Not only did she do great style on a very tight budget, but she could actually use the prize. Nothing against the well-to-do entrants, but this girl deserves it!!!

This place stayed my favorite throughout the entire contest. That bathroom! The plants! This contest, and especially this entry, has made me realize that I love the color pink.

where can you get pine furniture like the shelves and dining table

The companion animals always steal my heart away. Love the kitty.

I missed this the first time it was up, but it's really nice. I do think the vibe is happy and cheerful. :)

I'm so happy this made it to the finals! It is so cheery and bright. Feels like a giant piece of candy.

What I still like about this entry is how the design makes the pine furniture look kind of rustic-cute -- it's difficult to make that stuff look designed-in.

That, and you sold me on a shade of lilac that I loathe by itself but love in your room.

I really love the apartment, your use of color is sooo fun, but can you please get rid of the furry toilet cover thingy... it just ruins the bathroom for me.

Love it, love it, love it. Smart use of FUN colors. Feels like Candyland. Keep the good work
Carla

I think this place is a great example of what you can do with great creativity. I really like how poppy it feels and hope to work a lot of that into my place via accessories like you did.

Do you know that there has been research done by Dr. Albert Schauss, Director of the American Institute for Biosocial Research, that states that the color pink (close to Benjamin Moore #1328's pink color) has a calming effect? People cannot be angry or aggressive in the presence of this pink because it brings down their heart rate.
Irena, you must be calm all the time!
Maybe the streets of NY should be painted in this color.

I thought that this was a very sweet entry - the colors definitely reminded me of candy! I especially loved the first photo, the way the orange played off of the lilac - two colors that I would never imagine putting together, but they work so well here. Your bathroom is adorable too. Very happy vibe going on here!

ok, just curious, is the toilet bowl cover made of acrylic pile or GenUine sheepskin?

The kitty is too adorable and just cracks me up, especially the shot with him/her on the top shelf! I'd like to know more about the "Shhhh" picture in the tv area, it's gorgeous!