apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

A new thread so soon--there were only 3 posts on the last one, including mine, which I'll repeat here.

Sometimes right after the smallest, coolest contest ends I get a blah feeling when I come to the site, like the day after Xmas. I must admit, the ICFF coverage is a let down after seeing the personality of individual apartments in the contest.

Maybe we should start seeing more photos of those entries that didn't make it to the finals. That would kind of ease the transition a bit perhaps. I know there were plenty of homes I wanted to see more of!!

Pixie -

You are so absolutely right. It really does seem kind of anti-climactic. It makes me wonder, when I see the ICFF stuff, how much of that stuff will end up getting filtered through the personalities of next years entrants. Several things that we saw in this year's contest were things that I (for one) first saw here as new products, like the Blik decals, etc.

Good morning!
Anyone have any good sources for modern outdoor wall lights? I'm trying to give my little front stoop a bit of new life, and need something chrome or brushed steel to go with my cool new house numbers. Of course, like most everyone else, I'm on a pretty tight budget. I've checked around the big chain stores, but no luck so far.
Thanks!

Hey Maxwell, if you're there, I need your services!

Brooke (nc) as soon as I read your comment I thought of these.

http://www.chiasso.com/store/item.aspx?DepartmentId=50&ItemId=50469

Actually I want to vent a bit on the way they run the contest. I was a contestant myself, and I entered my apartment for fun. But I noticed a few things that I did not like at all how they run it. Firstly I am annoyed that the first prize went to someone in London. He could have posted, but I am sorry, I thought this was run in the US, it said East Coast, England is the East Coast of WHAT??? And also being in Europe, where the majority have small spaces, it is not so hard to get small furniture and small appliances. Does anyone have any idea what it takes to find 24inch appliances in the US - the land of McMansions. I understand that the first prizes went to the smallest spaces, as it should have gone to the smallest square footage - so to me Laura is the first place winner, bcs she decorated her space with a TIGHT budget, in a TIGHT space, no hired architect, no hired decorator - these things should be cleared up in the future contests.

I've recently moved, and my new bedroom (which I like a *lot*) is only big enough for the bed with a nightstand on either side. I just read a book called Easy and Elegant Bedrooms, that suggested putting a little shelf on the wall, to hold a couple of photos and maybe a vase. I got excited about that idea, and would like to stagger two small smoked glass shelves on the tiny bit of wall between the closet and the open door, and stagger two larger smoked glass shelves on the wall next to the window. I think that would balance the room a bit, and give more interest than just the box-ness of the room the way it is currently. But this morning when I woke up, I started thinking about dusting, and wondered if I was asking for trouble. (Also, I rent -- do you think screwing shelf brackets into the wall in four places would be a bad idea?)

Any and all comments gratefully received. There's a picture of my bedroom in its very basic state, from when I had just moved in, on my Flickr (link in my profile).

Thanks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/magazine/20europe-t.html?ei=5087%0A&em=&en=b8f2aaa863403674&ex=1179979200&pagewanted=print

in support of my point.

smallcitybeth: if you're handy, you can always spackle over the holes when you move. As for dusting, if you have to ask, it's not for you. More seriously, a three-dimensional wall hanging -- a textile -- a mask -- might have the same effect. Love to read what one of the real minimalists say about this since my immediate reaction was no, let the box be what it is. An interesting paint color or treatment might be a more effective and satisfying way to go.

Anusha73: my own experience with spaces in Paris and London is that they are on a par with New York. If anything, London seems to have more generous ones. I must say I always thought American furniture is supersized is partly because Americans are supersized. I used to have a haus koller chair, which I greatly loved, but had to get rid of because guests kept complaining that it was too tight a fit. One comments that sitting in it was like having his kidneys cuddled. As for your larger point, o.k., if a Londoner wants to enter, which regional contest should he or she enter if not the East Coast one given the rules as they stand? London is a lot closer to New York than it is to, say, Chicago?

I'm doing the Apartment Therapy Cure and could use advice. I hope this is an okay place to post a question; I haven't quite figured out the procedures around here yet. I've got photos up on FLickr and am also blogging about the entire Cure process at http://cottoncandypink.blogspot.com/search/label/Apartment%20Therapy

My current problem is that we need to rearrange our living room (for better flow and appearance), but despite sitting in a few spots for different vantage points, I haven't been able to come up with a new plan.

We own a lot of furniture, much of it quite large, and it is all fairly new, so we are not willing to part with any of it at this time. We also have no options for storage someplace else at this time. Given those constraints, I'd love to get advice about how to rearrange our living room for better flow and to avoid the bowling alley syndrome (without getting rid of our current furniture: armchair, ottoman, sofa, coffee table, tv table, phone table, bookshelf, side table, and dog bed--whew! Actually the large ottoman may be able to be moved to another room at a later time--after cleaning and throwing things out, but for now we need to keep it in there).

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can suggest a good alternative. Photos are on Flickr at http://flickr.com/photos/msblog/sets/72157600199496858/
There are 5 photos there of the living room. Thanks all!

Best,

M

MsBlog, could you post a sketch of your floor plan too? I don't think you'll get much help with just the photos.

MsBlog
Just my 2 cents: I would start by decluttering first, then posting the after-photos with the floor plan. I don't know about others, but it's hard to see the bones for the toppings (ok, mixed metaphor...)

Anusha73 if you really want to see TIGHT budgets and TIGHT spaces you should check out the state of the property market in the UK. An average studio flat in London will set you back £151,000. Average salary is around £15,000. This has only happened in the last 5 years, so the whole of the UK is not unfairly advantaged in catering for small spaces because we're still getting used to it. Less than 10 years ago you could literally buy a 3 bedroom semi with half that money. It's just as difficult and more expensive! - here, and the trend among wealthy Brits of buying extra houses, holiday homes, small holdings etc makes it an even bitterer pill to swallow! Believe me, we do not all swan around in gorgeous places like London Urchin's. I so wish we did!

Taking a lunch break yesterday at ICFF I ended up talking to a guy from London. I asked what a studio apt. would go for there and he said that in central London they range from $850,000 to $1 million. Yikes! And I thought $500,000 was a lot in Midtown Manhattan.

Oh, believe you me, I understand how the market in London is. And please with the conversion rate to american dollars is even ridiculous - please don't convert to dollars bcs it becomes silly money. I am not sure of a average income in London of 15,000 GBP - but I know in New York, including the boroughs, the average income is $55,000. But there are people in Manhattan that make in one year a bonus of $680,000... So we are not talking about that. What I was talking about was this, that if one wants to buy a decent stove that is 24 inches wide, can find it much easily in Europe, England in this case, than the struggle one has to buy one decent quality in the US. My husband in British, and I have lived there and visit 3-4 times a year. Have many many friends in different levels of the society strata... No one has HUGE appliances, even families with 4 children have a 24inch fridge and tiny freezer. Here in america the fridge IS a freezer, bcs everything is from the frozen isle (and I am not talking about people like me that shop daily at the farmer's market or grand central market - the freezing department knows who they are..... When Maxwell and his wife put an undercounter fridge with a small child I was PROUD of them. I am glad to see here in New York (but not much anywhere in the rest of the country) people being more conscious about their limitation, not spreading out in the way they live, whether it is by their square footage, their foraging or their shared spaces... But anyway, there are so many issues tackeled in these blogs, that sometimes we just ramble :-)... tin_angel, thanks for the lovely chat

Anusha73 I must say I agree with you about the contest. I also think professional designers should be banned its not fair. The contest main focus (for me at least) is to get ideas on how to deal with my own small space within reason money wise. A professional will have the means I don't as well as the skills I dont.

One last note I would like to see more apt and small home interiors rather than expensive, stupid products that I can't afford nor want. Each day or week as people submitt their pictures a home could be chosen for display. I first came here last year in the middle of the small space contest and thought Id found heaven. But for the year after that its been one over price product after another and not until the contest again do I feel AT lives up to its purpose (to help people with small spaces).

I don't mean to complain just want more pictures of real homes not some chair made of plastic.

Sara48 et al--

Do you understand there is currently an onslaught of new product on here because this week is the epicenter of furniture design here in NYC? I think all ATers should feel privileged to get such an inside and immediate vew of what's being touted as the next big thing during ICFF and all the related events.

Expecting to have AT *not* cover ICFF is kinda like expecting a sports blog not cover the Olympics 'cuz you like quarterbacking a fantasy fooball team better...

Anusha--
While I was hoping for an "American win" for the Smallest Coolest for purely sentimental reasons, the contest was indeed open to all the globe. And access to even a small refrigerator does not automatically guarantee a cool interior...

But please don't slam those of us who do indeed haunt the frozen food section of the local D'Agostino's...!

JonathanB: "o.k., if a Londoner wants to enter, which regional contest should he or she enter if not the East Coast one given the rules as they stand? London is a lot closer to New York than it is to, say, Chicago?"

No. It's obvious that there are many more worthwhile New York entries than make it into the contest, so there's no reason for any foreign contestants to take up any 'East Coast' space. AT can just stipulate that the entries from outside the US will be arbitrarily added to those from any of the non-East Coast regions. Each of those have room to spare for extra entries.

Thank you Patrick (the other one) but ICFF isnt year round and my complaint was the showing of such products all the time instead of homes.

Then you have been missing the house tours.

But I've not noticed any real shift toward product over the years.

I personally like the product posts. And I like a mix of "real" homes in with the aspirational ones.

On the contest front, perhaps an additional "Outside the US" category would solve the problem of where to put "the foreigners". But a reminder that London Urchin is, I believe, a US ex-pat.

Laura and Pixie (and anyone else who may be willing to make suggestions for a new living room furniture arrangement for me),

I've posted a (crudely drawn--sorry!) floor plan on my Flickr page. It should be legible if you click on it to enlarge.

I don't know when I'll have a chance to repost photos of the place in a neater state. Though it's obviously neater when we clean up, a lot of what you see in the photos are items that are usually out in the living room, so I can't really take all that away just for the photos, especially since in reality all those items will have to be dealt with and fit somehow into the living room.

I'm hoping that with the floor plan and the photos it's possible to get the overall idea of the furniture arrangement and suggest a new arrangement. The floor plan is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/msblog/510408724/ and the rest of the photos are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/msblog/sets/72157600199496858/
and my initial post about this is above in the comments here.

Thank you!

M

(Please feel free to leave suggestions here, on my blog, or to my email. Thanks so much!!)

Keep the spirit of fun and sharing in the contest by creating lots of categories and more prizes to keep the entries as diverse as possible: best shoestring job, most opulent, witty, cozy, elegant, etc. Most perfect entry could win a vacation instead of furniture, maybe to visit Maryam in Marrakesh? Don't see why it matters where the entries are from,
that's the magic of the internet. I wouldn't want to see the contest become dominated by professional decorators but I don't think they should be banned. Most people on this site seem to have a background in arts of some type.
Looking forward to seeing as many products as possible to compensate for not being able to tour ICFF myself.

I don't see the point of banning professional designers, as long as they are entering their own home in the contest. How do we know that the other entrants haven't received paid design help? I really suspect that this fact is often not disclosed, and those people are going up against people without paid help who did everything themselves--so the playing field will never be truly level.

I find the ICFF posts boring, but I understand that others don't. It's not the products themselves--I'd be interested in seeing them in person--but 10 photos of products in a row are snoozeville for me.

M, the first thing I think is that the TV table is too small for the TV. move it up to the larger stand (and the various systems inside the stand). Also, the small boombox on the side table - is there any way to technologically consolidate its function into the current things you own? If it is usually there, it looks very clutterish.

Patrick (the other one), I am sorry that you are bound to the frozen dept (at an overpriced D'Agostinos nevertheless)

You said: And access to even a small refrigerator does not automatically guarantee a cool interior...

The fridge is only one tiny example. What I am saying is this: in Europe it is much easier to find space saving products. C'mon, here on AT I have been seeing for the last two years, month after month people asking for a bed that is not huge that has storage etc. In Europe, that is fairly easy to find, go to a furniture store - anyone around the corner and find it. How about sofa that becomes a bed and has a huge storage underneath... You can find them fairly easily and at not a huge cost and the quality is SUPERB. How about danish furniture, original made in denmark - it is ALL OVER flea markets in every single city in Europe, from London, to Paris, to Scandinavia, to Vienna....

That is my point. That smaller it is much easier to find and fit in Europe. So for a Londoner to win, it is a disgrace in my opinion.

I voted winner for the guy that got the 4th place - despite the fact I was a contender myself. Got nothing to do with it. But when I learnt that he is a designer and does this for a living, I was a tiny tad taken aback... But his place screamed professional, cover of Elle Decor... - then did anybody read the entries of the judges??? I felt ill in my stomach, they all, with one exception mentioned as the best designed place, their own space. Doesn;t that tell something to you about how self involved they are and how narrow minded they are not to accept the fact that there are spaces out there that are designed better than their own... Dissgraceful.

I stand by Laura's entry as a winner, for the reason's I listed above, and for the reason that Sara48 mentioned, how about some real homes, some that feel homey, not like they are cut out of magazines.

I thought one of the goals of this blog was to convey the message, that one can have a cool, elegant home, in a small space - within reasonable budget.

Ms Blog,

I found this for you. On the wall that you have the tv, you have to decluter first, and buy a piece of furniture like this so you gain storage by going high. You need to use height to store all the things that are lying around your apartment first. Once you get there, post the changes and then we can continue in reorganizing the space.

But this is the idea for the tv wall: http://cgi.ebay.com/original-DANISH-Modern-ROSEWOOD-BUFFET_W0QQitemZ180120331845QQihZ008QQcategoryZ63564QQcmdZViewItem

You can raise the top of this credenza so the tv can go on the hollow spot and use the rest for storage.

You are right, your pieces are a bit big, but they are new and in good condition. So we will keep them.

If you'd like more direct advise, feel free to contact me at ana_krasniqi@hotmail.com

Anusha, your sour grapes are showing.

And MY point about small appliances is that it may make everything *fit* but it doesn't guarantee any type of style, or any cool factor. You are talking practicality, not necessarily style. I think this contest is also about ingenuity, and ingenuity comes from having to make things work.

Plus, if your Euro-conspiracy theory holds true, why weren't all winners (or even more entries) from across the pond?

And you are making big jumps and incorrect assumptions about what being a designer does or doesn't do to one's budget. Not all designers make the kinds of budgets there clients typically have.

Being a designer generally doesn't buy paint any cheaper.
Nor does it get you flea market purchases any cheaper than non designers.

And these are the two major tools Ron used to transform his apartment.

And there will always exist here two camps: the "homies" (who use "cut from a magazine" as an accusation) and people like me who love interiors that look polished, finished, designed, and (some times) purely aspirational. But to me, its the mix that matters, since I think inspiration can come from anyone's home.

And just a tip, but by including your email at the end of your entries, you are going to start having a SERIOUS spam problem...

On the contest front, I really wish the Smallest Coolests in the other categories (Tech, Nursery and Kitchen) were spread out duirng the year, and not the same time as the major contest.

oops... "have" the kinds of budgets "their" clients have

I second Patrick (too)'s suggestion to hold the Tech, Nursery, and Kitchen contests at a different time from the Smallest Coolest Apartment contest.

Kate (NC): And I also like your suggestion of doing away with ALL regional categories. They could post the entries in separate regions if they want, but then the voting would determine who makes it to the semi-finals without guaranteeing any sort of representation from each region. Just let the best apartments go to the top. Sure, that would lead to more entries from NY in the finals, but isn't that the point - if they're better, and everyone agrees that they are, why force them to lose out to an apartment just because that other apartment is less good but in a different region?

Or, if AT doesn't like that, why not just have two contests: A smallest coolest NY region contest, and an "every other region" contest. ... And hold them at different times. Then each individual contest would be more fair, AND contest junkies would get more of their fill over the course of the year.

Thanks for the tips everyone.

I have already moved the CD player since having taken the photos. And will look into something else for the TV. That current cabinet has been with us for many years and we have focused on buying other new furniture (bed, coffee table, etc.) that was more important, so now I guess it's time to consider a replacement for it. Thanks for the suggestions.

If anyone has ideas on how to rearrange the sofa, coffee table, armchair setup to create better flow and avoid bowling alley syndrome, I would love the advice. That is the main concern I have and the issue I am hoping to get some tips on. Thanks very much.

M

Patrick (the other one)

We each have our own opinions. We can choose to differ. I respect your opinion, but you and I have chosen to lead two different life styles. I love interiors, that is the reason I am studying interior design - that is the reason why I have my own opinion and am voicing it out - we don't have to agree to everything else that gets presented to us. As far as interior designers don't get discounts - oh they do. Ask any interior designer and they will tell you that just for the business they can get up to 40% markdown from furniture to appliances to paint - I am absolutely 100% of this - and that is one of the major sources of how they make their money.

Anusha you are welcome for the chat! Sorry i meant £15,000 as a national average, not in London. There was a documentary on Radio 4 about sort of about this recently, about eco-friendly-ness rather than design type stuff, where an english and american family swapped houses and i seem to remember an exclamation from one the american family's kids of "Look at the refrigerator! It's tiny!". Although it took me ages to find a tiny freezer, strangely. Re: contests, I like Kate's entries idea instead of regional divisions. And yeah i kind of think it's cheating to have professional designers in the contest!

Tin_angel. It even sounds nice.

You made me laugh with the Radio4 show. Well that would happen in that situation.:-) Everytime I come back to England I love to look at the small cottages, small houses, I get so nostalgic of all that. Ahhhh, miss Europe right now.

Kate's idea is excellent. I wonder if the editors of AT read our comments to get ideas. I hope so, bcs there are some very good ideas and comments about how to run the future contests. Like no region division, run the different contests at different times of the year, use a bit more sensible judges and not use the word judge... :-) And that is what I am trying to convey - the get a better way to run the show next year.

Anusha--

I'm pretty sure we *both* love interiors.

I'm fully aware designers make some (sometimes a lot) of their money by receiving items at wholesale and marking them up. My point is, in a small apartment, how much difference does a "possible" 20% discount off *one* can of paint make in the end result and success of the space? And sorry, but there is no such thing as a designer discount at a flea market, which is where Ron got a ton of stuff (as an example). And in rentals, the price of appliances is a non-issue, since I don't think most renters are typically redoing their appliances. So how, again, exactly, are professionals automatically getting an unfair advantage?

And perhaps it is not the best judgement, as a judge, to cite your own space as your favorite... dut it certainly isn't a "dissgrace" (sic).

And if you are studying interior design, why did that not give *you* an unfair advantage in the contest?

You keep making it sound like money automatically gives advantage, and time and again here, that's not proven true. Very often, the genius lies in making a place appear expensive when it is not. True of many of this year's (and past year's) entries.

Frankly, I think people who have DIY woodworking or construction skills have an unfair advantage, but so what? That, too, doesn't guarantee style or innovation.

And given your philosophy, since you *are* studying interiors, I guess that means you will shun any opportunity to be covered by a magazine when you get to that phase of your career...?

Please keep in mind that there is a difference between residential designers that purchase furniture for their clients and designers that work for a large corporate firm. The salary and discounts are not even close!