apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The item that jumps out at me that I really love is the lamp you say is from the Kansas City Art Collective. Congrats on your Micro Palace.

Without a floor plan, understanding the echo effects could be a bit difficult. From the previous articles on the Micro Palace it looks like the bedroom is a box with only a bed.

To tame the echo you'll need some absoption and or diffusion in there. This means something squashy on the walls/ceiling and or something to break up the flat surfaces.

Good things to use are:

Rugs
Wall hangings
Shelves of books
Big chairs/sofas
Acoustic foam (though it often is rather ugly) or specially designed panels (often expensive)

the stained shelving is exactly what i need. is it those movable brackets attached to the wall? (i.e., with those vertical anchor strip things...that's as articulate as i can get with this hardware). like container store but with wood, i guess. thanks!

*sigh*

Been following since the beginning– what a let down. Was getting super-excited to see the finish, but this?

I like "lived In" as much as the next person, but jeez, put some of your crap away.

-Bobby

Bobby, that could have been put a little more nicely.
That said, this apartment doesn't quite do it for me. The silk curtains are beautiful (and kudos on actually sewing, Amy!), and I like the pressed tin cieling tiles. The open medicine cabinet is also very cool. I don't like the clutter though. All those reciepts need to go in a drawer. The other problem spots for me are the book shelf, the extra kitchen storage in and around the pantry (both too messy, although the book shelf may just look that way in the slightly odd angle it was photographed in) and the couch, which looks like it's seen better days.
On the other hand, I think Amy recently moved into this apartment, and it takes time to pull a place together. Thanks for sharing with us, Amy.

Love the cat door with that pic of Ms/Mr Cat barreling through.

I do really like the chalkboard paint on the back of her door. I may have to steal that idea...

I do like a lot of the details in the apartment, but I have to agree the enormity of the clutter made it difficult to keep looking at the pictures. I think this is a style thing though, some people need calm when they look around, and others need interest.

Lots of great details - the customized pottery barn piece, the shelves, the curtains, the cat door.

Was anyone else frustrated with the picture selection in the slideshow? I suspect they don't do the place justice. No establishing shots, three pictures of the cat door, etc. How are we supposed to give advice on the bedroom when we don't get to see it?

I love that when Amy couldn't find the table she wanted, she built it herself. Way to go. I like the chairs too.

Have to agree about the clutter, though. I'm all in favor of "points of interest" - and I wish I had ones as good as some of Amy's, but stacks of paper don't count. It's not easy to find attractive paper storage solutions, but I think they would make a big difference here.

I have a profusion of paper and nitnoid items too, and have solved this with square baskets that fit on shelves like Amy's shelves, and wine crates. Nobody can see inside the basket boxes to know what nightmares, like cd cases with missing cds and random nail polish, lie within!

One suggestion I have is from pic 19... the back and sides of the kitchen units facing the living room appear to be unfinished; I would paint them to match the wall.

Here are my suggestions:

1. Get a firmer couch. THis is too low and sunken. A practival single color, not white, livened up with two pillows maybe. I think a modern higher firmer couch would be good. Although pull out is ok to create a larger double. Sometimes a couch that is about 76 inches by 36 inches works well as a twin bed for one person, not two, but maybe not every night. It looks soft and squishy. Maybe you use it as a bed, and that is why it had to be custom made and convertible, not sure.

2. Also, I see that a lot of your storage is exposed. However, this is best for someone with few things, in a big white empty loft. For you, why expose all the shelves, pots, utensils, bathroom cabinet, etc... I think it is time to hide some things. The other posters were right about the clutter, and I think hiding some of it would make the remaining clutter bearable. ALso, sometimes covering with curtains is not enough. Instead try some type of wooden armoire or something. It doesn't have to be so expensive, just not one of the cheaper ikea things either. Also, try to throw some stuff out, or donate it.

COngrats on your new place and keep up the good work though.

nice job on the curtains too.

As someone who is in the midst of a move to a SMALL (about 475 sq. ft.), oddly shaped apartment (for two people), I have to step up and defend Amy. It is an ENORMOUS amount of work to move, and a renovation takes months. Just unpacking and organizing last time we moved took me two months. Add a renovation and you add a lot of time. And everything takes longer in Manhattan.
She opened up her home to us and that was brave and honest, especially since she was renovating! I won't even let my parents in when it's a mess from unpacking! With time, I'm sure she'll be able to get clutter under control.
That said, Amy, check out Organize.com . They have amazing storage solutions that won't kill you in price the way the container store or hold everything or BB&B will! As someone decluttering her life, here are some tips:
1) Get a bunch of file folders and a garbage can.
2) Go through things intially. Throw out as much as possible. Make a folders for stuff you need to keep.
3) When you've gone through all the papers in your apartment, look back through your folders and see what you really need to keep. It's probably less than you think. Get rid of as much as possible.
4) Catagorize and organize the folders. Get file boxes in an attractive fabric or metal or leather and put them on the bottom shelf of your bookcase or stack them in a corner or at the side of the couch and use as a table. You shouldn't need more than two boxes, even if you work from home!If you do, you're keeping too much.
5) Baskets and boxes ARE great for hiding, but before you hide something, think: "Do I really need this?"
Amy, I think you're doing a terrific job! Don't let the negative people get you down! I want to know two things:
1) How do I contact the place in Wisconsin about the white tile? I'm doing a bathroom renovation and looking for that exact tile.
2) Which store in Jackson Heights had that fabric? I want to use it in the Moroccan bedroom I am planning.

Also, a few tips for your place:
1) Line the sides of the kitchen counter with copper to match your table! It would finish off the counters and pull the room together.
2) Sew a bedskirt that slides back (like a shower curtain- maybe on a tiny metal runner) on your platform bed and use the space underneath for storage with rolling under the bed drawers.
3) Add some interesting lighting in the bedroom.
4) Add visual interest on the bed with different but complimentary fabrics.
5) Getting a new couch is a ridiculous idea (silly T) when you just had this one custom made. However, on Canal St. you can get foam custom cut for not too much money. Putting new foam in the cushions might give the couch a more structured, newer look.
Good luck! Keep up the good work! You're an inspiration!

Why on earth would someone live in a 350 square ft apartment?

The post is called "Amy's Micro Palace in Detail!", but I think we're getting too much detail to really appreciate the apartment overall. Perhaps "Amy's Micro Palace: the Big Picture!" would offer a better view. It's hard to ignore the 'stuff' when that's the focal point of the shot...

I know it's tempting folks, but please don't feed the trolls.

Amy's kitchen looks more useable than mine. I think that I need to get off my behind and do something about the kitchen.

I previously lived in an apartment around this size, and as a "stuff person" it was a true challenge. Finding ingenious places to stash stuff was a huge part of the game, and I can see that Amy has come up with quite a few of them. She has also used some lovely colors and fabrics.

That being said, the apartment does have a bit of a cluttered/busy appearance. In a place of this size, sometimes grouping a lot of small objects/pictures, etc. can backfire: You may want to combine a bunch of different images into one large frame, for example, and throwing stuff in bins will also be a huge help. I also second the notion of covering as much of your storage as possible, and using doors rather than curtains.

In my old 350-s.f. studio I divided the room with three basic bookshelves but mounted sliding wood doors on the front and mirrors on the back. In a space of that size, even the backs of books were too much visual clutter. The cat door area is a great example of the spacious feeling you could attain.

Hey Edina-I live in a space smaller than Amy:)

My studio is 335 sq ft in downtown DC and I love it!!!!

Moving into my new smaller place has been the best thing for me. I have had to really evaluate what is important to me, what I need to have and how I want to decorate my space. This past weekend, I made $40 on things that I never used and was stored for almost 2 years. I love living in a studio, I love being able to walk to everything-work, tons of food places, park, coffee shops, cleaners, store. Friends stop by more often for a short chat, glass of water or to just say hello. I only use my car 3 times a week. It is great!

amy -- i really like those metal shelves across the window in your kitchen, and have been looking to do the same thing. where did you get them, and how did you attach them?

thanks.

i applaud amy for her handmade furniture and her ability to create a living space that she loves.

...that being said, this place is what i see in bad dreams. i am so anal and to see all that "storage" exposed would drive me crazy! i'm also not a 'fabric person' and have never been a fan of curtain panels, beaded curtains, throws, etc to cover up, separate, or liven up a room. its a weird personal thing, i just think that over-using fabric in a room makes it look messy and stuffy, like too many prom queens piled in a limo.

i also live in a teeny tiny apartment. i used to be a 'stuff person' too, but when i moved in, i cleansed HEAVILY. i know you love your books, but do you really need to hang onto all of them? go through all your kitchen stuff and decide what you really need...those shelves next to your stove look like they'd comfortably fit everything you'd ever want to cook with, spice rack and utensils included. i mean, how often do you really use those teapots and egg cups and shot glasses?

i think lots of people living in a small space are sometimes overcome with desire to make every available flat surface and blank wall space "useful". but in the end, the apartment ends up looking cluttered and messy. i mean, its great that Amy has designated a space to keeping her receipts tacked up......but maybe it'd look a little nicer if she kept those receipts in a file on her bookshelf and left that little nook open and clean?

i'd love to see this space after a very thorough cleansing...

ok did I miss something? no photo of the esteemed clawfoot?

Who would live in 350 sf? Lots of people, including me. Especially given the location of this apartment.

love the idea of the sticky dealies for the fridge! i have a conserve too and would love to put a couple photos up. thanks for sharing!

the kitchen is wonderful!!