apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

YES! Brandon's shoebox IS chic. Definitely one of my finalists.

I love this apartment too. The red doors are great - the new pictures tell the complete story. I'm interested in the tall piece near the desk. Are all those knobs to individual drawers or does it have two tall doors that open?

I think it's a great idea for AT to take photos of the finalists - a see a lot of great stuff in these photos that I didn't see in the original submission.

This apartment is QUITE impressive...I love the use of color and the simplicity of the design. Very chic...

Love it even more than I did the first time. Great photos. It's fun to see so much more of the apartment.

And am still wondering where Brandon found the huge B&W photo of NYC (shown in his original photos, against the brick wall, although I don't see it here).

I like it so much more in these new photos...WOW!

Very impressed!

These pictures really do give more of a virtual tour of the place, so you get a much better sense of what it must be like to be there. And it must be wonderful to be there. That loftbed really looks like it's worth the climb, and the view from it is great.

these new pictures are awesome. i didn't even really remember this apartment, but now i see that it should definitely be a finalist. thanks at!

Really nice. It's obvious that good pics help a lot to get a good sense of a place. The "chicness" in Brandon's place jumps at you in these new pictures. And what qualify this place as homo? I am straight and I like it. Could philip point at specific homo element? I'm curious.

The pictures help in providing some sort of iniformity accross the contest.

It's a good move on AT's part. To level the feild and not take one's photgraphy skills in to account during the finals.

In other news I just found out what my place is missing...a good photgrapher

Brandon's apartment is wonderfully built, and he colored in and outside the lines very well. The living area translates into a private space as well as an area great for entertaining--not easy to do. I love the ease and comfort of the neighboring colors and the uncluttered arrangement of large but homey furniture. Great to see more pictures, because the layout wasn't as evident in the first round.

It's interesting how Brandon's apartment looks its best with interior lighting, while Hillary's is better complimented by natural light.

Brandon's apartment is the homo-chic-iest - and that's a compliment (coming from a homo). The best thing about this apartment is that it appears everything was thought out carefully, but it doesn't look "over-planned" - and even better, every "area" of the space really, really works, both as an individual area, and as a part of the whole (which is greater than the sum of the vignettes - or something like that).

Maybe it's too much "good taste" for some - but when "good taste" is good - it's GOOOOOOOOOOOOO-D.

"see a small history of my life" Brandon, you have absolutely hit it on the nail. That's what I love about spaces as an aspiring young architect, the story that is knit together, and sometimes that is difficult to see in completion because it takes time to assemble a story that makes sense. I hope everyone reads your secret, because spaces will automatically become better because of the care and thought that becomes apparent once it is put together. Love your philosophy! How'd you keep your apartment so clean? Do you hire a cleaning service?

It's all the rainbow flags, the Stonewall posters, and the Tom of Finland artwork.

No, really, it's simply that Brandon's sense of aesthetics seems to mirror that of a certain segment of urban homos. I'm not saying that str8 people wouldn't like it/wouldn't choose some of the same elements, nor am I implying there's *A* "gay aesthetic" (shudder) (my first sentence was meant to lampoon just such thinking) - but, like gaydar, like knowing that guy sitting across from me on the D train is a mo, I get a homo-chic vibe from Brandon's apartment. Or maybe he's a metrosexual.

Aren't cultural semiotics nutty?

(of course, Brendan will turn out to be a hulking, football-playing, stockbroker breeder from Milwaukee, currently keeping company with five gourgeous women, and I'll have to take my gaydar in to jiffy lube for a tune-up)

I get the feeling it might be against the rules to respond to questions...anyone care to drop their two cents in before I begin to participate/answer questions?

Brandon, congratulations. You did a great job with this place. For whatever reason I didn't notice it when originally posted.

The place is tasteful, clean, organized and stylish without trying. The history you mentionned is not obvious (to me) but I get your reference though not the one pphilipp tried to explain to me. I guess I need a gaydar or do I?

It's adorable and tidy without being stark. I like the pragmatic step can and I have a similar $2 paper lantern from Ikea.

Great fan by your bed! Is it silent? Provenance please?

I love the colors and (do my eyes deceive me?) the loft bed looks like a Zen garden - very restful and open in a little space. I wonder if climbing the ladder every night heightens the experience. (no pun intended)

I wonder why anyone thinks that the contestants' sexual orientations are any of our business.

Please, please, let's keep this civilized!

Brandon...reading your description of the studio is like reading a Daniele Steele novel. Hot!

Love the view from the top and the splash of color.

that apartment is hot. HOT!

Awesome. Makes me miss NY.

Was my calling Brandon's apartment the "homo-chic-iest" uncivilized? It was meant as a compliment - I love what he did.

From my *subjective* viewpoint, I get a homo vibe from this place (despite the dearth of rainbow flags) - which is, incidentally, not a bad thing, in my book. I have no idea how many people will get the same vibe. This really isn't about the entrant's sexual orientation, per se - it's about "semiotics," broadly speaking.

(And please note, an undertone of humor was intended in my postings - although how [un-]successful it was, I don't know...)

Great space! Very chic and practical. You get my vote.

pphillipp,

why can't we as humans enjoy something without attaching our sexual orientation to it? I believe the apartment is wonderfull, and it has nothing to do with wether the occupant is staight or gay.

Excellent Job Brandon,

A Kelowna Modernist