apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

There are entries that I think are amazing and flawless in so many ways, but which I think would win hands-down in a contest that didn't have bold color as its stated mission, even though their colors are very well thought out.

Also, it's kind of hard to separate what's going on with color from all the other factors that contribute to a general good feeling one has about a room.

A quick shout-out and thank you to the great person on here (sorry I don't remember your name and can't find your post now) who recommneded Elite Granite to me for my kitchen counters. Their bid was 30% lower than the bid my contractor got for the exact same Caesarstone job. Thank you and my budget thanks you too.

They are coming to install my new counters next week.

My favorite entry in the entire contest is very much a dark horse: "Libby and Dave's Lofty Kitchen". I completely adored this room--I think SO many of the entries lacked character or simply projected a sterile aura. My favorite spaces where the ones that stood out because they were NOT sleek. I think this room has inspired color and really seemed lived-in. It's what I would aspire for my own kitchen to look like. And yet the blue-ribbon votes never came pouring in! It's too bad it was overlooked. But at least they've got a great kitchen! :)

Having drooled over many a beautifully designed modern room here... my favorites at heart are Courtney's softly colored bedroom and Abbe's color-memory living room. When the chips and the checkbook are down, we always end up choosing more "traditional" apartments and furniture, so these rooms are my practical inspirations.

Oh, and Curtis' mural-painting adventures... I've been trying to convince the husband that our two arched niches need matching "simplified" skylines. The jury is still out on whether it'll be Minneapolis & St. Paul (where we lived for many years) or maybe our respective hometowns on opposite coasts.

I look forward to the Freeform Furniture show on DIY these days. Anybody else enjoying it ?

My "entries of choice" really depends on what hat i put on and what mood I am in. I share Enrique's comments about Billy's room when I am thinking of a modern artist. I like Libby and Dave's lofty kitchen's real world lived in look. I like Jon's modern aesthetics. It is very hard for me to nail down any one as the entry. And yes most of us are most often playing with the traditional definition of "acceptable" home decor and it would take a lot for me to do something as inspired as Billy's room.

Curtis's is still my favorite, for a million reasons. I have no idea whether it's a dark horse at this point or not--I hope not.

I agree with Curtis' comment about the difficulty of separating use of color from the overall effect of a room. I vote for his room as the overall winner because it does succeed on both levels. And yet I can't see Curtis putting the CB2 credit to nearly as good a use as some of the other contestants, particularly those on a budget. A close second is that kid's room with the racing stripes. And for sheer boldness, the bright pink room in DC. Funny, all of my top picks--at least at this second--are rooms I wouldn't especially like living in myself. Maybe the contrast from my own aesthetic is what makes these rooms stick out in my mind. And finally, kudos to MGR and Assoociates for posting all those entries!

Forget color for a minute: Is anyone else just a little jealous at the amount of space the non-nyc homes have...

Jealous? Um... of people who have actual rooms? Actual rooms like extra bedrooms? Home offices that aren't a laptop computer on the sofa and a bunch of gear in the closet? Dining rooms where one can have guests who weigh more than Kate Moss? Kitchens that have TWO whole drawers?

Naaaahhhhhh... the chartreuse tone to my skin is purely the result of the unfriendly San Francisco climate.

I've noticed a couple of things about this contest. Unlike the previous contests since I've been a regular on this blog, many of the votes were either closely split up between the 3 voting categories or were polarized between the highest and lowest categories. Second, the rooms I tend to like least are the ones that are in bright monochrome - such as all orange walls, bedspreads, pillows, and other stuff. It's like when you order food spicy and instead of the spiciness being fully integrated into the dish, they just throw in a lot of extra hot sauce and all you can taste is the hot sauce. My favorites in this contest were where the color was integrated into the entire design, rather than being one big assertion of a single, loud color. Not that there's anything wrong with picking that and liking to live with it. But, aesthetically, I find it not nuanced or balanced and didn't tend to vote highly for those.

a,
Don't be jealous of the non-NYC folk (of whom I am one)...we don't have NYC outside our doors and have less access to cutting edge stuff. What we've got in space, you've got in style. :) I mean, as much as my "town" DC likes to escalate its real estate upwards toward Manhattan standards, it's not and never will be Manhattan. >sigh
Anyhow, I agree with Curtis...what I'd pick as my favorite room would not necessarily be what I might select as a "color contest" winner. And, honestly, I was really impressed with everyone's entries for different reasons and can't even say who my darkhorse favorites would be...

I'm not sure which are my faves - there is such a wide variety in colors, styles, budgets, etc. Overall, I appreciate all those who entered - not only for sharing their homes but for throwing themselves out there to opinions, praise, criticism... Thank you!

As to non-NY folks space, I don't have a lot of room in my place but the rent is really cheap especially when compared to NY rates. But, then, I think the lower income here probably levels things out a bit?

I agree with Pixie.

There was someone who posted that "just painting a wall" does not make your apartment colorful. I agree completely. Its in the layering that you attain richness of palette. To me, painting an orange wall and throwing some orange pillows on the couch does not make a great room.

My difficulty in deciding lays within the fact that some are gorgeous and completely put together such as Milo's baby bedroom (so graphic and great!). Then there are the ones like Mary's exotic red and cool blue which has some great elements going for it (like the curtains- LOVE them) but price points have obviously dictated some elements of design so far. If she won, think what she COULD do, you know?

If we're talking dark horse here, my favorite is Karen's Circle of Color the final entry on the L.A. site. I'm not sure I'd say it was my overall favorite or that I'd want to live in it, and it's not got enough votes to win anyway, but I thought it was a well integrated use of color that was comforting and not in your face, unlike some of the flashier entries.

Wende, if you feel any better, I'm in DC in a 350 square foot efficiency - no bedroom; three drawers in the kitchen (2 supplied by me); if I use the coffee maker, toaster oven and computer at the same time the fuse blows; the smoke detector erupts when I *preheat* the oven ("then don't use your oven"); and I've lived in it longer than most or at least a great many of you have been alive!

But I have a view, rent control, utilities are included, and I'm a block from Metro.

But you in NYC have **soooo** many more resources -- even if carless!

I'll re-post my thoughts on my favorite dark horse entry (from a previous post). Sorry if this is redundant to some, but I thought I should put my thoughts on the proper thread...

With all due respect to all the entries, I keep coming back to Billy's Grid Wall Bedroom in hopes that it garner more Blue Ribbon votes. I think it's the most visionary of all the entries because it seems so fresh and original.

It doesn't ape one popular decorating style or another. Though the room might benefit from one or two finishing touches and tweaks (as noted on the thread for his entry), it truly is an inspiration because of the singularity of its vision. I can't put my finger on it, but there is something intuitively "right" about its overall feel. It's the only one that inspires me. All the other rooms (mine included) vary from "nice" to "well-done" to "fully realized vision."

I don't know about everyone else, but I've never wanted a room that looked like tear-sheet from a showroom. "Good taste" is overrated in my mind. I like imperfection and stylistic "disconnects." Give me funk, give me character, give me a statement. Give me something I haven't seen before--but make it good.

For me, Billy's room is it. Plus, in my mind, it hits all the marks in terms of satisfying the color parameters of this contest. Is the room "done"? Well... maybe not completely. Is it colorful? Yes--and in a way that is so vastly different from all the other entries.

But, uh yeah. You should still vote for my room(if I make the finals)! I've been eyeing a floor lamp and a set of cordials on the CB2 site for months now... ;)

SMACKDOWN! BRING IT!

a - I don't know what you're talking about. I'm in DC and I have 650 sq ft. :)

I am a bit bummed that the folks most likely to use the CB gift well are not the folks who will win it. But I just voted based on what I liked the mostmeaning, what felt clean, comfortable, and put together without being over designed.

Doug and Jean,
Yo DC folk...I don't really know how big my apt is--maybe 700 sf--but I still think I can get more space here than in NYC for the $. Curious as to where you live...my 1 BR (which I feel is average for a 1BR, but maybe my mind's been warped) is $1000/mo plus util in NE by Lincoln Park. By no means the hippest spot, no view, 15 min walk from the metro, but then, that's why I'm not paying $1800. I just moved there in August. Still, I think I scored a deal. I have an apt washer and dryer, hardwood floors, and a dishwasher! Practically a dream for me...

I was Feeling Deeply for Jean's 350 sq ft until I read about Christine's 700 with a dishwasher (a dishwasher! I'd kill for double sink!) and a W/D. sigh. I'm in San Francisco, so we don't get the sophistication of NY for our big bucks, either.

Hey Wende,
But you have low humidity, and San Fran's pretty awesome too! :) Oh, and I'd have to measure or something to know if this was REALLY 700, but I find it comfortable, so I assume it's about that big...I've lived in tiny ones before too!

Christine - That sounds like a deal to me. :) I'm directly on Logan Circle and I own. I bought about a year ago and with a 20%+ down payment I'm still paying $1600 for my mortgage and $250 for condo fees.