Name: Brett
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Type of Home: Studio apartment
What inspired you to use color? Moving back to Brooklyn after spending a year in Oakland, I found a small studio. As I waited in my empty apartment — with 30 boxes of books, a few knick-knacks, and not much else en route across the country — I realized there would be no better opportunity to paint. It may be that it's as simple as marking one's territory, or maybe color is an anti-depressant, but placing a coat of paint on a wall is certainly the quickest way to feel at home...
Color Tip: Someone recently said something about a pig in lipstick still being a pig, but no one said anything about how a little lipstick makes the pig that much cuter, maybe even a little more sophisticated. I say if lipstick is an option, why not use it?
Colors Used: Benjamin Moore: Blue Hydrangea (2062-60), Hot Lips (2077-30), Light Pistachio (2034-60), Harbor Fog (2062-70)
Fall Colors Introduction -------------------------------
Welcome, everyone, to our Fourth Annual Fall Colors Sharing & Contest. We're looking for the most beautiful & colorful home in the world and sharing all of the great ideas we get with our readers. This year we're amping things up and hoping to do things better than ever. There are two basic phases, the Sharing Phase and the Voting Phase...
1. Sharing Phase - you comment, judges decide
The 40 best, completed entries will be posted on a daily basis for three weeks. You can view them all at anytime via our new, improved contest pages under ALL ENTRIES. During this time your comments are VERY IMPORTANT as our six judges will be choosing 16 finalists from each region based on comments and their own colorful opinion.
2. Voting Phase - you vote till you drop
Starting October 20th, finalist voting will begin on a daily basis through our new bracketed voting system, which will pit our 16 finalists against one another until only one remains. Sound exciting? We hope so.
Best, Maxwell

The hungry bear and lumberjack at the baseboard is my favorite!
view each drop of blood a geometry's profile
I LOVE that orange chair.
view amazonikon's profile
I love your place! How did you get the little Camilla Engman-esque drawing down by your baseboards?
view heylucy's profile
ha ha... a fun house. I like the pillow that matches your cat.
Hooray for tons of books!
view whytephoenix's profile
I love the use of Camilla's decals, very sweet!
p.s. heylucy, you can get them here...
view Anna at D16's profile
I have been looking for a reading chair much like this one! Where did it come from?!
view protogarrett's profile
I love all the blue and blueish tones. Congratulations on making a strong statement while remaining subtle; this is a great-looking home!
view visualingual's profile
I like your colors and your artwork all over-- what a fabulous home! Once again a pretty kitty gets to live in a great place with another great owner, too.
view Margiefriend's profile
Why didn't I decorate with my books, instead of donating 360 to the library? Why??
Love the baseboard artwork.
view catspajamas's profile
Thanks Anna! I may have to copy this idea somewhere in my house!
view heylucy's profile
This is simple and beautiful. I too love the baseboard artwork. and the spot of red in the archway, and the more books the better - they're taking over my house now. I'm stealing some of your aesthetic for my blank, sad, unpaintable downstairs hallway. Thanks so much for sharing!
view serao's profile
this is very lovely. i like that it's not overly styled or staged and looks attainable. well done.
view kiwi's profile
LOVE everything except the bookcases. But that's a minor quibble. Everything else is pretty inspired.
view jon's profile
nicely done! love the red arch and wish i would have thought of it when i painted my house.
the whimsical parts are fun and do enjoy seeing a pet as part of the family
view sassydo's profile
wonderful! you should paint those 2 bookcases something crazy. i love the blue & red combo.
view mariegael's profile
A little cluttered, but it has a good feel.
view charlenemcbride's profile
This is my favourite home in the contest, by far. Everything about it is wonderful, and simple, and comfortable.
view gridpaper's profile
and the little red fox (that jumps over the lazy dog)
view Pommette's profile
i love the baseboard wall art! would love to know if that was self-made or if it can be purchased (decal?) somewhere.
view cara.anne's profile
my favourite entry so far. why ? because of the simple and coherent way brett uses the color, which creates a calme and cosey/homey environment.
view Jany's profile
Since you already have a fox, bird, cat, bear, elephant and deer I would suggest you get a moose and an owl.
view Mr. Dangerous's profile
Absolutely my favorite entry to date. Thoughtful, detailed, open, and welcoming. A perfect balance of comfort and style. I WANT BRETT'S HOUSE!
view donny's profile
I love the red inside the arch and the dishes, very nice details.
And...you made me smile with your pig comment!
view Emmm's profile
Hi all! Brett here. Thanks so much for all your kind comments. As Anna at D16 mentioned above, the Camilla Engman decals are available online and are actually really easy to apply. I just used a letter opener.
The orange chair (which I love, but which my cats are destroying) was a gift from Ugly Luggage in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. More info here: http://nymag.com/listings/stores/ugly-luggage/
The red fox was also a gift from a great local store called Cog and Pearl. More info here: http://cogandpearl.com/store/
I'd be happy to answer any other questions about specific items, so comment away!
view themonkeyrebellion's profile
This home is so cozy and comfortable. My favorite saying is
"a home with out books, is like a person with out a soul.
This home has soul, and much more. LOVELY!!!
view BonnieSchulte's profile
Excellent work. Bright 'n breezy yet apparently comfortable and comforting. Very nice eye for detail. I like.
view EAM's profile
where to begin -- this is such a beautiful apartment! it's well-designed and well-thought out, but not overly fussy -- very welcoming and oh-so deliciously literary. great sense/use of color and light.
view bettyt's profile
MY FAVE! lovely lovely. maybe it's cluttered, but that's what real people live with. i've seen many more insanely cluttered apartments on this site over the years, and this is nothing. in fact it's very well curated.
view ange_lune's profile
Oh, this is great. The colors work so well.
view brittanykate's profile
Beautiful, subtle colors and lots of original details -- my favorite of the entries, for sure!
view flux_rad's profile
Who needs Top Design? You're right at how far a little paint goes... you make it look easy. The books give it a homey feel and I love the little baseboard guys!
view niftygal's profile
Love the colors, especially the detail on the arch. Homey, beautiful, cozy, subtle, fun, welcoming and cool. I personally like the bookshelves the way they are here: plain, simple, and weighted down with that slight sag that you get by loading them up. Great apartment to curl up with a cat and read in. Fave entry!
view fhn200's profile
love love.
view xjessicax's profile
OMG! I want to live in this room! Can I hire you guys to decorate my studio? I love all the small details, esp. the illustration by the baseboard. Simply fabulous!
view saki333's profile
i LOVE this. everything feels so thoughtfully chosen and super personal. love the baseboard characters!
view bprophs's profile
this one's the best! simple, cool, and personal. i love the paint colors, the small details with the decals, and the way that the art is hung. i'm very jealous.
view garyc's profile
Good work, Brett. Your apartment is so much better looking than many of the entries we have seen thus far. I certainly hope you make it to the finals. Good luck!
view davidasposted's profile
yes, any house with books gets my vote :-) having good taste didn't hurt either, and showing 'color' not necessarily equals candy store overkill makes it a winner.
view aad's profile
nice use of colour combination of the blue and red.
view TheoJ's profile
Looks like a friendly and fun place to live! So colorful.
view SuperAwesomeDude's profile
Looks so serene and quaint. I'd love to just chill out and relax there, and maybe eat a sub.
view Huxtible5000's profile
bird art, books by a good chair, surprising baseboards, and...ahhhhhh...a live-in kitchen with colourful dishes. home.
view avianmission's profile
p.s. but this is about colour, and i do like the colour.
view avianmission's profile
This is an entry you have look closely at. I love the story-telling vibe.
view Hope's profile
Love this! It's filled with fun touches and looks like a place that I would want to live in. I get tired of the over-styled, over-staged mid century modern places. It's great to see something interesting and creative. Definitely one of my favorite entries so far.
view suzy8track's profile
great soothing colors, and i have some of the same dishes! love the framed brains.
view norah28's profile
Awesome! I love the cat pillow.
view betseygirl's profile
does this studio have a kitchen & a bedroom?
view mariegael's profile
yes, please. what's your rate?
view belleslettres's profile
hey, i'm the entry you were pitted against yesterday. in all honesty, i was hoping we'd make it to the top 4 together. i just thought i'd let you know, you were one of my fav submissions this year, & i hope you post against next year.
view mariegael's profile
i love camilla engman's work too! what great placement right above the baseboard!
view Slow Lorus's profile