apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

While I can't say that this would be my choice to win the contest - the competition is fierce, I admire Abigail for successfully carrying off this amazing green. Great selection of objects. Would be a fun place for a cocktail party!

what in the world is sitting on the settee next to the wild bird mix? It looks like a plus sized raccoon. I love your boldness & your kitchen table with the fold-down sides. Thanks!

Thanks to both of you! re: the creature on the settee -- haha! it is actually my friends' little dog, Darla, a terrier-chihuahua (we think) mix -- but she does not quite come across clearly in this photo, it's true, and definitely does resemble a plus-sized raccoon! I am sure that is what we'll be calling her from now on...

Gah, your furniture is awesome. And your pillows. And your rugs. And the art. Beautifully put together!

Good eyesight, bcthree. I thought the dog was a furry pillow. Fun apt!

I thought it was a cat on a cushion.

I LOVE this room. The color and the objects. Love.

Love that color

I love your space. It is a nice mixture of everything without being too busy. It also is inspiring because it looks acheivable. I can imagine it is the setting for good conversations and times! One question - what is that on the orange chair? It looks like maybe black paint or marker??

Thanks Wabi -- the chair is painted but I am not sure by whom; I got it at a yard sale a few years ago.

The back says: "'Neal Cassidy.' Bus seat of Further. RL"

Wow! Love your boldness! Really makes everything else in the room pop.

I love the contrast between the green living room and the tangerine hall. Strong, bold, colors are so compatible - sometimes in a surprising way.

Love your inspirations, your art and their arrangements, not to mention your sense of whimsy. Colors are awesome. Curiously, wonder if the reference on your chair is to Neal "Cassady" of 50s Beat Generation fame.

@muirwoods08 - oh goodness, if it is ... that would make it an even more amazing find. I've always had a bizarre crush on Dean Moriarty.

Thanks all for your lovely comments! re: the chair -- yes, the reference is absolutely to that Neal Cassady! In fact, when I bought the chair, the story was that it was *in fact* a seat from the "Further" bus of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters fame. I have never quite believed that that was true, but nonetheless, it makes for a very intriguing object...

I would be curious to know how Oscar Wilde inspires color.

Perhaps when he says,

"Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months."

or

"Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace."

or

"One should absorb the colour of life, but one should never remember its details. Details are always vulgar."

or

"Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes."

I don't know...

"You have too many white walls. More colour is wanted. You should have such men as Whistler among you to teach you the beauty and joy of colour...[I]f the simple and unaided colour strike the right keynote, the whole conception is made clear. I regard Mr. Whistler's famous Peacock Room as the finest thing in colour and art decoration which the world has known since Correggio painted that wonderful room in Italy where the little children are dancing on the walls."

-Oscar Wilde, "House Decoration" (1882)

I never would know what to do with that kind of green. I'm very impressed that it all fits together so nicely. Comfy and bold both, which seems hard to accomplish.

if only that colour green was just a distant horrible memory of the 1970's. Even with all the extremely busy bric a brac my eye is still drawen to the paint job in photo 1.

Can't stop staring at this color. Not something I'd choose because I'd never envision it the way you've put the entire room together. Bold color and nicely done.

This room is amazing, I just want to curl up and BE in it! This is really hands-down an exemplary use of color - I mean, according to the terms of the contest itself - in addition to just the most gorgeous room. And the color combo itself is so classy and original - I am tired of this notion of "color style" these days meaning 'a super-saccharine tone of one of a few very cliche pastels the same stark, institutional white room.' These colors are deep and rich and ACTUALLY inviting! I predict that this one will make it to the top...

Thanks for the chair information. I would love to see the details on the seat. I also looked closer at some of the details. I just saw looked on the table and saw that the leg ends with a behind! My husband would be forever hovering over it. It would either cause a distraction or a great relief! Either way, what a great conversation piece.

I like everything but the green paint.

Bravo!

...so maybe that chair is an inspiration spot to sit upon...very cool.

What a cool room..and again, glad to see that your entry is bang on to the title of this contest, as so many of the entries are not...the white mannequin leg is awesome (there's got to be a story there of it's purchase??), your placement of the wall art is so very well done which lends to it's dramatic effects on the wall, your bench seat is to die for...great room, thanks for the view!!

Great job with that bold color choice--love it!

Pieces of this are lovely and others I think would have done better, if they would have played with softer hues of some of the walls instead of the bold green everywhere.

Wilde would have approved! Lovely.

I realize it's not "color" exactly but I love that (I think?) you bought a scribbled-on chair?? What a cool and bold move.

I love much of this -- the assemblages in the first couple of pictures especially. I think I see what you are going for with the corner behind the white couch, with lots of white echoes, which is a cool idea but it looks a little crowded.

Wow, I love everything about this. You give me hope, because your apartment layout looks a lot like mine, with the long flat hall like that, and I think my neighbors have a bright orange hall like that. All apartments in Morningside Heights must be built similarly. ^_^

I wanted you to win in the East category!