apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I want to know more about the 'lawn' above his desk. How's that mounted? Is it real?

I also wonder how the mirror on the mantle would look turn horizontally.

I really love the Knoll dressers too. Great pad.

This place is gorgeous. All the stuff looks great, and is beautifully put together.

However, I would love to see that pair of Crate & Barrel bookshelves next to the window split up and have one smack up against that corner, and the other smack up against the other window corner.

And I think it would be nice to see a big square of black or brown paint on the wall behind the desk. It would make that whole desk thing look like a sculpture set within a shadow-box diorama thing.

If it is alive, I bet that it is wheat grass. If so I would love to know how he waters it. I know you can buy it in square planters, but not sure about how they would be to mount on a wall and keep alive and also not ruin the paint from moisture. I have seen wall panels that are specifically for growing plants like this (I think that AT may have featured something like this at one point) but only online - has anyone seen them being sold in the city?

Is that all wood eames chair in the main room a lounge or a dining chair? I'd like to do the same thing in my living room...just not sure what height would look good. Thanks!

Ohhh a SEVEN!!! Way cool. Is the Surley a fixie?

This is a beautiful place to live. In fact I think I had a dream about being inside it drinking a beer on that Eams Chair. Nice.

This place is not gorgeous or well put together. Don't get me wrong, the furniture's great - really wonderful pieces, but really this is the problem with wholesale adoption of a style that that's said to be "cool" without first understanding it - it just looks confused. I love Eames, and it's possible to mix mid-century modern pieces with contemporary pieces, but it's not working here - feels too dorm room, post-college, first apartment, blah blah blah. I recommend browsing the interior design books in your local B&N - maybe the small interiors or small lofts books - figure out how to get the most out of what you have and don't be afraid to pair it down - your Eames recliner is totally crowded in there with the couch and the LCW - like a fat man in tight pants. You've got the basics, just do some serious editing. And mix up the seating - you've got too much of a good thing here...look to other designers of the period - throw in a Cherner for example...

I love the living wallpaper--I ditto wanting to know more!

Also, love the wall rack turned mini-bar. This never occured to me--and I think I might use that idea inside one of my closet doors. All those bottles are cluttering up my shelves!

Also wanted to know where you got your shower curtain!

I disagree pete.
I was dissing/trashing the look of a lot of Eames furniture in another thread but now that I have seen the living room pics I actually like the way he has put everything together and can appreciate the appeal of these pieces.

The grass is fake, I got it at a store called Cite on Wooster St. between Prince and Spring. You can get it in a different variety of color and thickness or style. I just hung it with little nails. The shower curtain is a Jonathan Adler print from Bed Bath and Beyond.

I kinda agree with Pete about the Eames Chair in the corner kinda crowded...but it is sentimental and beautiful so it gets a pass.

Why is this not a Smallest Coolest contender?!?

I disagree with those who say this is crowded or one-note mid-century.

And as for this looking too first apartment/dorm room, dear god you musta' had some lucky, sophisticated school chums.

And, even though I suspect that's not even the best picture he's ever taken, um, Michael is pretty easy on the eye himself.

this is such a "boy" apartment - which is a great thing! i also disagree with pete, i think this is far from a one note look. michael has incorporated the mid-century pieces into a real-life living situation. i thought the whole point of that design movement was to bring well constructed, inexpensive (don't get me started on this point) and beautiful furniture to the masses, as opposed to having them showcased in gallery like settings. i say, well done.

I think the photos probably don't do this place justice. I think there's a lot to like here and, like P2, would love to see this entered in the contest.

Great job, Michael.

Michael, do you shower with that lamp hanging inside the shower? That's extremely dangerous.

I have been inside this apartment (on a "date"), and I have to say it is one of the most refreshing retreats I've been treated to in this fair city. Very bright and airy, crisp without coming across as too stark, and as inviting as any midwestern tchotchke hag's domicile.

Only thing is, this isn't Mike's apartment. It's _my_ apartment. Not cool, man.

grow up max, please disregard max's post

I feel that you've truly taken your apartment and treated it like one of your canvases...taking the time to carefully determine where everything should go and what can be done to maximize the uniqueness of each piece....whether it's the pieces of grass on the wall or the shower curtain or the mirror over the fireplace. Each piece captures the eye. What a great apartment for an amazing artist like yourself :)

It is an incredibly modern set-up, but at the same time, it does not feel too pretentious or cold. I feel like I can relax there and I love your apartment.

this apartment truly has beautiful, tasteful furnishings and i congratulate michael on that taste. however, while i appreciate his taste there's something about this setup that feels sterile, prescribed and not personal at all. it feels like an apartment that was furnished in one swell swoop in maybe 2-3 shops, quickly and that any one with the same budget could have gone to those same shops and bought the exact same pieces. while it's super cool, it doesn't have a warm or lived in feeling. it lacks his personality and it feels cookie cutter, but eames, mid-century cookie cutter, if that's possible. so i guess while very good taste, it feels cliche.

How glorious of a dwelling! I feel like I’ve been there before. Maybe it was in a past life. BTW, I’m honored to get the spot above the couch. It will be magnificent.

Blah. yawn. some cool pieces, but very just-add-water eames. It's a start, but it looks like a collection of brand names, rather than an orginal space.

exactly mags. i couldn't agree more. mix mid-century designer A with mid-century designer B and get apartment C. it emanates lack of original expression and instead it's "furnish by numbers", formulaic and predictable.

Hey, take your bitterness out on the actual contest entrants... those who expected critiques after sharing their homes with us to try to win prizes.

Leave those who have opened their homes out of sheer PRIDE out of the fray.

Anyone know where I could procure the cart ( http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/030806michael/m15 ) the printer is on?

Thanks!

I LOVE the fact that we get to see the person that lives in the apartment! It should be part of the entry requirements!

Omigod - what a scandalous luffer's spat on the AT boards - this is a first! A milestone! Yay for AT breaking barriers! Liberte! Egalite! Sexualite!

I think the pieces are great, but that's a given by now -- the apartment itself feels barren and sterile. He needs paint, preferably in a grey-blue or pale green, no strong primary colors. The white walls are just too stark, esp with all the metal accents.

Heheh. That was one of my favorite exchanges I have read on AT yet Maddy.

The style of this particular hovel can be summed up in one word: barfola.

great apt! where did you get the white dressers from? very cool...

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/030806michael/m20

thx.

Carole--

Goodbye, Dolly! Don't let the Eames swiveling rocker hit your bitter old @ss on the way out...

C'mon, people! Limit your cattiness to the CONTEST, of which this is NOT (but could be) an entry. Give *this* guy a break. Sheeeee-eez.

Okay, I am going to enter the small apartment contest, that will let all you Michael apartment haters really get worked up.

Hi Michael,

I have a Krueger fiberglass chair similar to the one in your place, it's orange and I would love to refurbish it. Do you know how to paint fiberglass or make it look less warn and more polished??

Great place! I read that Michael is an artist. Why isn't there any art on any walls?

I love this apartment. I have never understood most Americans' design sense of in-the-box, over-stuffed, and cluttered living. The mid-century pieces make a small space feel and look larger. I too have a mini-museum of Eames/Noguchi/Knoll/Jacobsen/Nelson pieces in a small space and guests LOVE it. There IS intelligent life out there - thank you Michael! Keep up the good work.

You might want to get rid of the mirror above mantle and place work of art or picture up there instead, something modern would be fun.

Michael

What a Great Job you did with your apt. Very encouraging to me to See how little you can have If you are organized and keep it simple.
Thank you and enjoy your Home.
Sibella of Boston

LOVE the bathroom floor!

this place lacks originality. i think the use of black furniture is depressing. it is just too much. it is like a model home for a modern apt. bad, bad, bad.

Love the apt, not so impressed with the design. Too cold. No personal statement. Unless that the owner is cold. Needs creativity, color and warmth. The metal furnitture and fixtures make me think about ice cold winter mornings--especially eating my cereal oat the dining table.

I also found this a little chilly at first glance, and was thinking right away "accent wall"! Such a great space and beautiful pieces to work with. My big question was about the dining area...is it right next to the desk, by the door? I'd like to see that little table and chairs liberated, perhaps over by the window? My favorite part is the bike rack! Now thats AT style!

Oh, I now see its right across from the kitchen, so the table makes sense there. It just feels like too much along that right wall: table, desk, couch.

This is one of my least favorite out of all the spaces that have been featured here. It does seem very get all the most famous eames furniture and surely it will look cool. However I'm struggling with the same thing in my place, I think it's very hard to make it truly a home that reflects you rather than a collection of furniture that you like.

It is really hard for me to get past all the white in every room. This place has minimal furniture, clean lines (which is great), but seems lifeless without any color on the walls.

Maybe it's just me, I could not live in an all white apartment. I need color.

I want to know more about the lamp next to the bed... On the "drivers" side. With multiple bulbs... ?

berman:

to say that this looks like a model apartment is to offer a compliment that michael would like to receive but very much does not deserve.

the apartment is harmless, but it is far from interesting or well-done.

I am always put off by the negative comments. I don't get their purpose - even in the contests - other than for someone to say something negative. Sometimes the seamingly innocuous "It's not my style" is even worse. Who cares if it's your style or not? When I hear people say they don't like something I do I usually chalk it up to their bad taste, because mine is impeccable.

I also had the question about the lamp in the shower - please take it out, I'm going to have a nightmare about it tonight.

Also, just my personal opinion, but I think the mirror over the dining room table should be lower. Anyway, congrats on your space.

Nice apartment but the light hanging in the bathroom over the bathtub looks dangerous. It looks like it is hanging from a hook over the shower bar. I got nervous just looking at the picture. Was that put there temporarliy when taking photos of the apartment? I hope so!

A nice place to be sure. As a non-designer, I have to agree that I'd love to see those tall dark (and handsome) bookcases split into their respective corners in the livingroom. It also feels a teeny bit crowded with the small round table next to Granddaddy's Eames chair (under the a/c unit). But hey, it's Michael's place not mine. Speaking of tall, dark and handsome, I agree that people should post their own pics with their slideshows! Woohoo!

It's OK, but, in my view, only "OK".

The bathroom looks cluttered, and since it's a small bathroom, I think it would be wise to make it seem more spacious.

The bedroom is a little boring. And I'm not a fan of the bicycle storage method. I think maybe some touches of dark colours would make the bedroom more dramatic, which would be good.

The living room area is nice, and I like the Eames chairs, but, yeah, it seems a little uninspired...a little cliche.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying it's bad - but I have to say that I think it's quite a bit weaker than the other places I've seen on this website and, quite frankly, I think it would get totally dominated in any of the contests.

On a somewhat related note, I would agree with some of the posters (eames-just-add-water) that it takes more than some great pieces to make a place great. And great pieces, where used, should be used to full effect! Not just placed in a corner among several other items. This makes me think of the guy who had the Ikea glass-sliding doors as his bedroom partition - remember? He had the Chaise Lounge, the Barcelona chair, the eileen gray table, and the place was still boring.

Some of the places I've seen on this site are worthy of design books. This is not one of them. But it looks like a fun place to live.

I think you have made very good use of a very small space. I would use light colors only on the walls because it will make your rooms look larger. White is okay, but you do need to add some color. Dark walls would tend to make things look smaller so stick with white or light colors. You could use a little color in accents. Some personalization would be good. A colorful rug under the coffee table would look great! Also, some artwork in the bedroom over the bed and a new bedspread that had more color would look good. Is that a storage bed you have? If not, a storage bed would give you a lot more storage. If you need media storge, you could buy a wall hanging storage unit. I bought some furniture recently that I am very pleased with from an online store I Like Furniture.com. They have a good selection and great prices. Good luck with your new place.

did everyone read all that jill wrote about michael and that his grandfather was a big eames fan and that michael restored some of those pieces that are in this apartment. also art and photography are planned to be hung on the walls.

great apt. michael! i recently moved into a cookie cutter new construction and i'm facing your past dilemma of adding character and life to a white box...

ditto, heather - i love to see pics of the dwellers - especially when they look like michael

i'm usually pretty impressed (and inspired) by the living spaces you show. however, with this one i just don't see what's so special...so you go to dwr and crate and barrel, go nuts buying the usual eames' chairs, etc. and that's it?! you lost me with this one. i'm not saying that the apartment isn't nice, but i don't see what makes it unique or even interesting.

I really like the neat looking 3 seater couch. Where did you get it from? Anyone have any ideas where I can find something that looks like that? Great apt!

I am Michael, and his is my place, the house tour was done last March. Since then I have made some changes to my place. The wall behind the bed is painted bright orange, 10 pictures down the long hallway to the bedroom of the moon and outerspace. In the living room there are picture ledges over the desk with various pieces of artwork. Hopefully this will help calm down those of you that got a little worked up by my place, I hate to see my apartment send out negative vibes and upset people. that no good at all I tell you.

do you have a layout or dimensions of the rooms in your apt? i love it! also where did you get that couch or what is the model

thanks!

some bright sky blue baby blue in that checkerboard bathroom would add some much needed punch but other wize its a nice place - why no comments so far????? boggles my mind...

another comment after viewing again - lovely floors, amazing chairs, and otherr furniture...I would lose the grass on the wall and add some personal touch photos or art work instead...otherwise really nicely done and your pretty cute too :)

handsome apartment! i enjoy the maleness of it. my place has obvious womanliness to it. it's refreshing to see the opposite!

I love the duvet cover -- where is it from? Lovely apartment.

It's conventional good taste.

Why is everyone getting so worked up? I like hearing other people's opinions, even if they're negative. That's why I read the comments. I value AT because it exposes me to so many other perspectives.

And Michael seems like he knows how to handle criticism. If he's an artist he would have been exposed to it a long time ago.

That being said, I'm glad to hear that some color has been added to the walls. I would love to see some updated photos.

I read the old comments and several people were freaked out by the konstantin grcic lamp hanging in the shower.
If you look closely, it is plugged into a GFI outlet, which renders the lamp safe (assuming the outlet is wired properly). That said, I wouldn't put a lamp there regardless... why take a chance.

As for the overall design style, Lisa Hunter (Montreal) nailed it with a nicely diplomatic comment.

Good grief, some of you people are snobs. Nice apartment Michael.

What I like about this apartment is that it is a clearly masculine space but it is much more inspired than the typical "bachelor pad." I think he accomplishes this without it looking like he's trying too hard.

Where the hell is the couch from? That's all I care about?

This...isn't...worthy....

It looks more like an upload to HGTV's Rate My Space than an AT house tour.

I'd love to hear a defense of why AT bothered...because he has the required mid-century modern designer furniture?? Come on AT, branch out already! You're getting boring. Gosh, come do a tour of my place...I have more imagination with less expensive furnishings...my couch has a huge hole from where my cat has scratched it and I still prefer my place over his..mine has character and warmth. His looks like he has just moved in and hasn't really figured out what to do yet...he was lucky enough to inherit some nice individual pieces but doesn't know how to showcase them well.

I have seen this apartment a million times visiting friends and clients...cute, cozy, nice to spend time in..but forgettable.

But I do like the couch....

I would have like to have seen more innovation with shelving and art. And I think the nelson clock should go. And the TV storage area leaves something to be desired. I don't like the mantle/shelf. I don't like the desk area. Don't like the bed area. I do like the componibli bedside area and I do like the bike racks.

Yeah, I just don't get the reason for the post. Just looks like a normal house. Not inspiring enough.

inspiration... to never visit this site again.
no offense michael, love some of your stuff, but its not all holding hands. i'll stop there.

I read that Michael was a great painter. Somebody shouldnt have written that. It made me look forward to seeing some truly unigue and interesting color ideas and what I got was the blandest pallet ever! This reminded me of monochrome page out of a CB2 catalog. I like the few accesories that are in there, but nothing about the place says artfully designed. Borrrrring.

Oddly enough, the artist's apartment needs art. The nice thing about being a painter (I'm one too) is that it means there's lots of original art on hand to rotate around and enjoy. Most people would love to have that opportunity. Strange that Michael doesn't take advantage of that.