apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Nice walls, but why are all of the pillows up on top of the couch? Is that a new thing I missed out on?

I'm going to stop voting on these things. People only vote when the design is over the top - meaning, they are not voting on the color at all, the point of the contest. This house uses color brilliantly, yet it's a "long shot." I don't think people grok the concept here.

I'm sorry... but these colors hurt my everything.

Monkeyme,

The contest isn't just about the presence of color, its about using color in one's space in a creative and meaningful adn pleasant way that enhances the decor. this entry does not of that. With the exception of the bedroom which is only passable because the entrant basically bought an entire page from the Ikea catalog, the rest of the apartment is awful.

Additionally, entrants should be required to clean their rooms before submitting them for consideration. And any entrant that uses any sort fo sponging technique should be automatically disqualified. Consequently I will not vote for this contestant because it should not even be in the contest in the first place. How long is this thing going to go on for?

Monkeyme, I totally agree with you. It seems to me that Apartmenttherapy is a site for interior-designers-in-training as opposed to the commonman and interior-designers-in-training. Much as I love to oggle and drool over the carefully edited/curated ineriors I also enjoy looking at "homes." the ones that I can see myself comfortably visiting. Where the owner would be welcoming to my resting my legs (sans shoes of cours) on the sofa. Folks like me :)
Maxwell, just a suggestion but can we do the "Cure" and Color contest in different months? I find the color cure overshadow the cure..but that's just me.

Forgive but maybe I missed the section in the rules that stipulated no sponging only stripes allowed.
Please, let's be helpful not scathing.

There's no point in complaining how other people are voting. You can't tell at all what's going into the thinking behind a vote.

I like this apartment, and he is using brilliant colors, but I don't think he's using them brilliantly.

you should get extra points for doing all this on a college budget.

Wow! There's no way I could have done anything like this when I was in college. I really like the first picture.

So let me see if I get the current "rules" right . . .

Stripes = in
Sponging= out (stippling and rag rolling too, right?)

50's and 60's furniture from grandma's house = "mid century modern", but not covered in plastic like Grandma used to do

50's drapes = oh no!

50's giant ashtrays = retro

50's drapes reeking of 50's and 60's cigarette smoke = not retro

70's home accessories = quirky and edgy

70's multi-colored brown, beige and gold shag mix carpeting, brown paneling and/or "Spanish" furniture = eeeek!

70's glass tables = acceptable in certain shapes and styles

70's Avocado Green or Harvest Gold appliances =
a.) Nature-inspired reaction to 50's-60's pink and aqua
b.) You couldn't afford stainless steel?

80's decor = Cheap motel and/or "Miami Vice" flashbacks
(New "rules" to bring some of this back in a few years.)

90's beige = a.) Subdued reaction to 80's styles or b.) boring. Wait until ~2012 for reappearance among hipsters, 2017 for partial re-acceptance by general public.

2007 bold solid colors on walls = "What were we thinking?" comments in 2012 as people re-embrace flower print wallpaper. And sponging.

we just choose the best from each period ;)

TracyM -- great post

personally, i think it's courageous to use colors in the manner that Matt did for his apartment. for those of you "interior-designers-in-training" who don't remember their college years, creativity is hard to come by when you are worried about food/tuition, nevermind a living space that is unique and inspired. i thought that his use of primary colors, specifically, to be reflective of the early 1980s upper east side trends is wonderfully executed.

also, i don't think i like the negativity of these postings, i believe this space is for positive critiques and encouragement and not shallow and misspelled comments.

I find this innovative. I'm sorry the entrant did not get the votes; this is original, not married to current trends (as are most of the entries), and the use of color accents and changes the proportions. I love it.

Tracy M:

Fantastic post! May I add something?

The Golden Rule: The more you can make your place look like the DWR showroom, the better.

I don't think the colors in this space are cohesive at all. I don't think the design is appealing. I don't think that mindlessly trusting design to Ikea is a solution.(I don't see any piece of furniture or lighting -the piano, that didn't come from Ikea.) I don't think its wise to enter a contest without evaluating your competition. This space isn't up to the standards of the majority of users here on AT, and if this persons feelings are hurt by the harshness of AT users, they need to understand what they've put themselves against. Surely part of the blame is to be dealt to the individual who "designed" this space, but it is equally unfair for the AT mods to post spaces that will undoubtedly be labeled unacceptable by users.

It needs work, and it's great that you're trying- I think its fair to say that you really aren't prepared for this competition and hopefully you'll find some creativity from the harshness of these criticisms.

Eek.

I have to say I kind of agree.
The normal person could not afford to do half the things most of these entries do, and sometimes it shows. You see the total loss of votes in people who have gone above and beyond the call with crafty and useful DIY, bright and inspiring colors, and home design to be lived in, not looked at. And all without a trust fund.

I like the bright colors in each room. If you look at the entry again and take out the living room its nice! The third picture is just a little over the top. I liked the entry.

Edina: Me-ow!

Also, I recall the mods at AT:SF wondered why there weren't very many entries this year (perhaps just in SF, perhaps generally). I think the comments thread at this entry provides a pretty good clue. Constructive criticism (such as, "It would be better if you ....." or "That ___ is a bit too ___ for me.") is cool. Classist snobbery isn't.

I put "in the running" for this space. There's some things I'd do differently (more plants, less texture on the walls), but on the whole it's bright and cheery and it looks like a real person lives here. I come to AT for inspiration, and a space like this inspires me to be bolder with colour than I might otherwise have been. If I want to see homes that look like catalogue arrangements, I can look at a catalogue. Tant pis.

insta finalist - your place looks great, amazing color (and on a student budget! EXTRA BONUS POINTS ).

for the others: if he had DWR furniture and not ikea you'd be all over this entry. the fact that his bed cost $200, and not $2000 doesn't mean it should be discounted.

i'm totally digging that living room. color == wonderful!

I don't think an apartment full of DWR furniture is very creative either. I think a variation of interesting things makes for a creative-looking space. I don't think ordering everything out of ANY catalog takes much effort/thought/creativity/intelligence. Not only does the furniture scream "Thank God Ikea can tell me whats hip", it also screams "Thank God I didn't have to put any genuine thought or effort into furnishing my space." The furniture in this apartment lacks character and that is what I find charming about the majority of apartments/homes on this site. I didn't furnish my apartment on a trust fund, I don't own ANYTHING from DWR (read: It would be impossible for me to find the money for ANYTHING from DWR) yet because of my love for tasteful design, and my observation of nicely designed spaces, I've managed to create a coherent, interesting and comfortable space suitable to be posted on this site. Finding pieces with character doesn't cost any more money than a trip to Ikea (read: Antique stores, thrift stores, flea markets etc.) The true nature of good design is found in the effort exerted hunting out the RIGHT furniture that represents your taste and character. Ikea is a cheap and easy solution to design- but in excess, not what I would consider to be good, thoughtful design. You're all correct in defending this competition as a color competition, but color is nothing without careful paring, selection and decor. It takes very little effort to match your paint color to your bedspread, it takes very little effort to buy a rainbow of pillows from Ikea- and thus, this spaces is "a long shot" for me.

I really like your apartment and especially the bedroom. I think you have done a great job :)

Great job, kid! Love the burst of color!!

If someone had invited me to this apartment while I was in college I would have been floored.

I agree with shira02144 - it never occured to me or any of my college buddies that paint could make such a difference! Well done!

I enjoyed your post TRACY M.