apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Cool apartment, looking forward to seeing it on the show. I guess the best outcome, after reading your entry, would be to get CHOSEN to appear on the show, then turn it down, so you get the validation, without going through all the work:)

Congrats! I'm looking forward to seeing the episode. Hey - just curious here - what was the host like? On the show, he never seems (to me at least) like he's all that interested in decor. Am I misreading his hosting style or....?

This looks like a different host from the earlier episodes. Has the first one been replaced or are they just rotating?

New host? That'd be good news. The original host was a bit of a snooze.

There is indeed a new host. However, he does not have any background in decorating or design.

Ha! Oh Sharon, I feel you. My apartment is also going to be on the show and each time I watch I can't fully concentrate on the designs because I'm baffled that the homeowners seem so relaxed and sweat-free whereas I was dripping with sweat and after much coaxing for "more energy" I was yelping enthusiastically about my lamp! my closet! my view!! and flourishing my arms like a deranged Vanna White.

Surely adults have a better command of the English language than to have to use the term "wet dream." This isn't middle school. This type of written garbage takes away from the experience of seeing your apartment both on this aite and on HGTV. It certainly doesn't reflecft well on the author's intelligence level.

Laura, if you are going to throw stones about intelligence, you should pay attention to typos.

Laura posted, "It certainly doesn't reflecft well on the author's intelligence level."

Laura, there's no need for you to be rude AND display your poor spelling.

Sharon, thanks for sharing - love the plants and the frame arrangements.

i loved reading your post and your apartment is fantastic! complete with familiar faces because the show visited our apartment as well and quite truthfully, it took a week to recover. i scrubbed, dusted, wiped, painted and stressed for days (fearing the idea of HD) only to find that by one hour in there were: seven people in our 350 square foot apartment, empty water bottles and coffee cups from Starbuck's along with crumbs from bagels and scones, dirt on the floor from plants that had been uprooted by too many bodies and cameras in one room, and a dirty towel and steam in the bathroom after the host's SHOWER in our apartment (don't ask). the crew was pleasant and gracious but what i learned from this experience is that i will never do something like this again.

Surely adults can use PG-rated phrases without readers getting all hot and bothered, or their panties in a bunch. Oh, I guess not.

In response to Dorio's comments... I did turn them down, twice, and I'm glad of it. These TV shows just want to make money off of free material we provide them with. My hat's off to anyone who has the time to sacrifice from either a workday or a weekend, but my professional and personal lives are both far too valuable to sweat bullets for 12 hours without any compensation from HGTV. I was asked by two different HGTV shows to allow a film crew into the Pivoting Perfection, but you know what? They acted like they were doing me a service with all the "exposure" they were giving me... Whatever. This is NYC and money talks. I'm not a designer starving for a break... I live in a house I care for and work in Real Estate. Raspberries to "exposure." Besides, both my building's hallway and the sidewalk are really small... Was I supposed to allow a film crew to barge in and disturb the neighbors in my building and on my street so that HGTV could have a show?

By the way... I wasn't even looking for actual money when they approached me. I let them know I'd review their proposal including compensation, which they could be creative with... I was hoping for some home improvement allowance or a donation from a sponsor or even a donation to a charity but they refused to consider any compensation for my troubles. It just made no sense to me. I'd have been happy to be on TV had they reached out.

Sharon, sincere congrats to you and the other Smallest, Coolest Apartment Contest people who did participate, however. Hope the show helps you in your future endeavors.

Wow, Laura. Total buzzkill. (Middle school colloquialisms intended.)

Great job, Sharon! (I really like the burlwood/drifwood accessory next to the candles.) Can't wait to watch your small-screen debut.

That's too bad, Paul. I would have enjoyed seeing your place featured on the show since it was a favorite from the Smallest, Coolest competition... but it sounds like it was more trouble than it was worth to you.

Sorry kids, I side with Laura.
The terminology used is not my taste. No need to carp on spelling, please -- let's not turn this into some Brownstoner dot com forum.
Congrats to Sharon for being chosen.

Great apartment, Sharon. Now to the most important question: what color green is that on your walls? Love it!

Sharon, I loved your apartment in the Smallest, Coolest competition and you've done good work on it since. It looks great. Particularly like the stacked suitcase end table.

They also filmed at my place, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

I had a great time, met great highly-professional people, and when the crew left, you would have never known they were there. Yeah, things got a little sweaty, but no complaints AT ALL since they all worked very hard to make sure the place looked great.

I like that screen-thingy in front of the AC. I have AC and radiator right under my only living room window and i've been agonizing over folding screen/cabinet/long curtains, sliding panels/what do do to disguise it. Congratulations. I wouldn't want them in my house.

Just wanted to add my thanks to the chorus. This was a great read Sharon (also, I checked out your website and really dig the design of that too!) Can't wait to see all these A.T. apartments on the small screen!

Craig - It's Martha Stewart "Honey Dew" remixed by Janivic in Benjamin Moore paint.

me--
When somebody comments on the taste of another's comment, there's no need for them to bring intelligence in to the argument.

But if they do, then their spelling is CERTAINLY fair game...

Patrick --
Sorry, disagree again.
Its one thing for Sharon to say "wet dream" as her description. It's another for Maxwell to use it as a header in a post. Since I (and others, I imagine) read this site at work, anything that can be read from a few feet away -- pics, headers, etc -- in my opinion should be "safe", could not possibly be construed as distasteful, "adult entertainment" etc.
As for the typos, I've seen plenty on them on this site. No big deal, imho.

I love, love, love the orange lamp. And your closet 'after' looks great. Very inspiring.

If I may steer the controversy raging in the comments in a different direction -

I'm not a design professional - I'm just an aesthetic control freak. So please, Sharon, don't be offended by this: I have that same chat noir poster and a bona fide chat noir that inspired my mom to give me said poster. And I can never figure out whether I really love its francophile kitschiness, or if I ought to pile it with my college futon. I'd really like to feel more settled about this.

Any thoughts on French posters? (yeah, yeah, the kind you hang on the wall, rather than any Jean-Claudes who post here.)

me--
I wasn't disagreeing with you about the take on the title. To each his/her own. I actually thought the title was ironic and not so titillating, but whatever.

Regarding typos, sure, no big deal. But "It certainly doesn't reflecft well on the author's intelligence level." was just too good to pass up.

Blue - my best friend's mother (Laura Gold) is one of the world's top dealers in turn-of-the-century French Art posters - her gallery used to be at street level in Carnegie Hall, and when the place was renovated she moved upstairs and is now a private dealer. I grew up at the Alwyn Court a block north (Laura still lives there), and us kids were surrounded by the most amazing posters, all originals, Steinlens, Toulouse-Lautrecs, Muchas, etc. You wouldn't believe the prices!!!!!! Good copies are worth it. Just because it's a cheaper copy doesn't make it any less worth hanging on the wall. Especially if you love it. By the way - Laura's site - www.parksouthgallery.com

I almost forgot! Sharon! Smashing job! Love the poster, too ;)

thanks, Justin. And after viewing the slideshow a couple of more times, Sharon's wet dream has, er, inspired me to, um, embrace my francophilia.

who knew reproduction posters could be so exciting?

thanks, Sharon!

Blue - Your thoughts echo some of my own, but THIS version of Chat Noir has some quirks that make it worth it.
First, we own a black cat. Second, the poster is a rather expensive lithograph. Not that knock-offs can't be great, because they can, if properly treated. In this case, however, it's "real" art, whatever that is.
That said, my big issue with it at this point is that it has become so common. Boo hoo.

Completely off topic here, but I once thanked an old aunt of my husbands's for the lovely poster she gave us, only to be berated later by my mother-in-law who was called up by said aunt and told, "it's no poster, it's a lithograph I purchased on that Carribean cruise last summer". The heavily crumpled lithograph (aunt had stuffed it into a crdboard tube) had unfortunately been retired to the trash by this point. I've felt guilty ever since.

Sharon - Love the apartment by the way. Why is it I can never quite pull off color? My place looks too "safe" me thinks.

Reef

ckeith,

The host showered in your apartment?! Patrick, no wonder you were so pleased when they filmed at your place.

And Sharon, great looking place. I can't wait to see it and the others on HGTV in spite of all the hassles it apparently entails.

Reef, I'm so with you there. My shame that dare not speak its name is my fear of color...walls that it. I admit it. I'm ebrown and I'm afraid of color. It's probably because I've done most of the painting myself and would really not want to redo a color mistake. Especially if that would mean many coats to cover.
And yet. And yet. I love color. Too weird.

And I liked the first host. He moved furniture for the show. Was very cute. And seemed genuinely nice. Did I say he was very cute?

jimkk--

Okay, that made me laugh out loud. You know me too well. But, alas, no showering in my apartment.

And he refused my offers of a sponge bath. Oh well. I'd still do it all again. :)

Actually, the "hassle" for me was no more than what I would have done were I preparing for a guest or party. I just found it to be a cool thing to be able to do.

ebrown,

I too have painted virtually every wall I call my home. I once decided to go bold in the spare room and paint it purple, then green and now it's a sort of coffee color. I'm destined to be surrounded by variations of beige. My most daring color embrace is in my entrance which is a dark chocolate brown but everytime I look at it I contemplate lightening it! Aaah!

Reef

What I like about her poster is the context in the room; I love the style of it with that table and chairs, and now that she has put something on that other bit of wall, it looks less lonely than it did in the contest.

Congratulations, Sharon. And you must trust me when I say that if they approached me to do my apartment, I would say yes so fast that it would make your head spin as if created by computer-generated animation.

Thanks to Sharon and everyone else who undergoes this, because we the audience get to ooh and aah and drool over the results! But, I can certainly understand why someone wouldn't want to have their house and building invaded. I wouldn't do it.

HGTV certainly is mining the AT site for small spaces, is it not? Sharon and Ptoo, when are your places going to air?

"Wet dream": this is such a common phrase that you almost have to stop and think about the risque-ness of it.

Pixie -
I don't know yet when it will air, but I propose that all of us who have been part of the show let Maxwell know when the big days are and have them posted. I certainly will let you all know via the open thread!
P.S. I'm available for color consultation!

Me,
Are you saying that in constructing his post headers, Maxwell should ask himself: "Is this going to potentially look bad for someone reading this at work, if someone a few feet away takes a quick glance and draws a negative conclusion?"? That sounds like a shunting off of responsibility. If this is a genuine risk at your workplace, you shouldn't be visiting this or similar websites at work. If visiting such websites is linked to your work, trust your coworkers and boss(es) to be grown-ups and to trust you.

kat