apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

This is the second apartment that just keeps looking better on the final go around. The little table folds open larger! I especially liked her storage/art solution for her CD's dislpayed on the wall. Is that a DIY solution or some type of store bought rack?

The storage solution for CDs is great. I am too wondering how is it done?

Hilary gives one of the best explanations I've seen of why it's important to live minimally. In a world where far too many people have far too little, it feels wrong to be surrounded by lots and lots of things we don't really need. Great apartment, great philosophy.

I'm glad to see that the light and airy feeling of this space can still be "felt" in these professional photos...

Beautiful space!

the cd "wallpaper" almost looks like well-placed pages from a cd-wallet or album. very, very cool.

yeah, about time somebody else saw through this sham(sam and Jo show)why is it if you say what you think, people can't take it...

yes, i literally took apart my cd wallet and put it on the wall. thumbtacks are an excellent solution for a thumbtack-sized budget.

This is completely underwhelming. Minimalism is one thing, as is decorating on a budget, but schizophrenic dorm-room aesthetic should stay in a dorm room. I can only hope this is a 22-year-old's first abode, and that the plastic furniture will eventually be phased out.

This space has no place among the finalists.

I guess N stands for nasty. And not the good "Call me Ms Jackson if you are nasty" kind.

Congratulations on making it into the finals, Hillary! I like your philosophy, too. I've been striving to implement it myself. The wall art makes the space look larger, fuller, gives it a dash of cinnamon personality. The CD storage looks like psychadelic patchwork quilt wallpaper from a not-far distance--awesome. I'm glad the contest isn't based on the initial entries, because it's wonderful to see a more thorough essay of the layouts.

I have refrained from entering the melee until now, although I have been assiduously and obsessively reading every entry...

Hilary's apartment is small, elegant, and minimalist in an entirely authentic way. It ain't Pottery Barn. It ain't trying to be a hotgreen overly designed swingers' bar (a la Marlon.) It doesn't look like architects tricked it out, or like her parents bought it for her. It ain't aiming for a full page spread in 'Domino.' And it doesn't have a fishtank for a wall.

Rather, it is a 'clean, well-lighted space,' to quote Hemingway. Someone with ethics, aesthetics and the guts to aim for simplicity lives there. She gets my vote.

let us all keep in mind that all this was done for under 100usd !

eh, it looks like ikea threw up in her apartment. i don't really see a reflection of personal style at all.

abby - you are an arse

And N is clueless

Hilary, you did a fantastic job putting this apartment together. I envy you. I remember when I could fit all of my belongings into a Mazda sedan, and now ... excess.

I wouldn't call this the "winner" of the contest - but what she's done with 186sf (186sf, folks) and a hundred bucks (a hundred bucks, folks) is very nice.

Regarding the "IKEus Vomitus" comment - you know, lots of people outfit their digs from IKEA, and lots of the results look like keee-rap. Hillary, on the other hand, chose, I think, many of the cheapest pieces, yet still chose some of the best, managing in the end to make something rather clean, fresh and inviting. It's what you DO with your raw materials, not the materials themselves.

(Only one peccadilloe - ix-nay on the onet-may oster-pay. But I just hate Impressionism in general - and that poster is in way too many waiting rooms in too many dentists' offices.)

How come just because someone has a negative opinion of a space that person is an arse or clueless? Let people have their opinions in peace!

I'm loving these new photos, by the way.

I do like it. But does clean and well-lighted (as kwj put it)translate into the final five? Not for me. I think Hilary has done a marvelous job with what she has. But let's ask ourselves, if we did not read that this space is 186 square feet, would we swoon? What if the very same style were expressed in 400 square feet? It would be inviting, airy, yes. But a winner? REALLY a winner? I wonder.

P.S. WHERE is Patrick (the other one)??

"But let's ask ourselves, if we did not read that this space is 186 square feet, would we swoon? What if the very same style were expressed in 400 square feet?"

But isn't the whole point of the contest the *smallest* & coolest apartment? If you're saying her aesthetic wouldn't wow you at 400 square feet isn't that missing the whole point? And if her apartment is well-lit, can't that very fact be cool in and of itself even if she did not personally DESIGN for the sun to come into her apartment that way?

For me, I'm not only looking at the best "designed" apartment....I'm looking at the coolest space period (regardless of how it came to be cool)

But I do think she had a lot to do with allowing the best aspects of her apartment to shine through (the light, the height of the ceilings) while dealing with the very real problems of her space (extremely narrow and potentially claustorphobic) on a low budget.

Clean, simple, uncluttered, practical, on a budget, reflective of the resident's personality. Very nice.

For the amount of space in the apartment that you had, I think you found an ingenious solution. The bunk bed offers privacy but doesn't enclose the sleeping area into a walled up space. I like the clothesline near the bed. Good Job!

Again, great job with the space. I take it that the "clothesline" is a way of displaying treasures. It's a great way to bring art into your personal space atop the bed.

BTW jimkk, rocky, and pd, Urban Outfitters sells "cd wallpaper" that looks just like that. You hang the sheet of cd pockets on the wall and fill as you choose.

Said it before say it again..looks like a kids bedroom...for the money you spent on it well done..( don't waste any more) for the lack of imagination..well what can I say...

I think there were stronger entries - and I agree that it isn't so much the style of the apartment that is impressing people as the sub-200 sq feet that looks downright spacious in the photos.

I think the apartment is simple and practical - but just a little too plain to be a finalist. Of course, anyone that successfully lives in a space that small earns my respect

The philosophy is what I enjoy the most. I feel like I should bookmark this entry for whenever I am feeling envious or incomplete. I also have seen areas of the world that have survived with so much less. It doesn't matter if the table is plastic or if the clotheslines were homemade or bought at a fancy minimalist store. Creativity and spirit is wonerful and can carry you far.

But this IS a contest for interior fanatics and people who obsess over the details of their dwelling (this is not meant as a negative). And a contest based in a city that has many resources and a large population of people with fairly deep pockets and access to amazing shopping and services. It is hard to hold up something this humble to that kind of a magnifying glass. I like this apartment's spiritual side, but feel as if the envelope could have been pushed for the sake of showcasing this lifestyle in this venue. Using your CD's as wall art, finding the right shape of table - those were good choices. I liked the placement of colors, like the splash of orange on the wall - but I can't get beyond it being 'just a towel', it doesn't feel precious to me.

I would love to see a contest that focuses on the minimalist budget, to see how far it could stretch. New York is full of people talented in this way- you may be friends with some and not even know it. A litte talent, some cooperation and a few (very few) dollars can make wonderful things happen. This apartment reminds us...I want to see someone run with it.

I understand that one of the contest's goals was to prove that "taste trumps budget," but I just don't see that reflected here. I'm really not a big fan of the furniture or the decor, and I don't thing this stems from the small budget. The bunk bed completely obstructs the view from what appears to be the space's only windows. The space created beneath the bed doesn't seem large enough to justify the bunk filling up so much of the space - she'd be better to do with mattress sans box springs on a simple platform - at least that way her bed could double as a couch.

Paul (the other one) shows abby and N how to post constructively and without repeating himself to no benefit (sy)

I agree with the ppl who have said that use of such a small space is indeed an important factor in this competition and if that is the main reason why Hilary's apt is getting such high praise then it proves that she and the approvers have understood the premise.

Wow - that's the fastest sex change I have ever had the opportunity to witness!

Sorry. My wife and I are using the same computer. It gets confusing...

Her info was put into the auto-fill...and I tried to fix it by stopping the submission. Only to make things worse. Like just about any other mistake you rush to fix. Which is why people say when you drop something you should just let it fall.

heheh - I know what you're talking about. I've tried to stop a posting before (on more than one occassion so I have not learnt my lesson) to no avail.

Are you telling me that in a city with a glut of creativity and dearth of space this is the best you could come up with. This place is mediocre at best.

people! come on!

Can we not give some credit to Hilary for her ingenuity and her right on minimalist approach? Yes, there's Ikea-crap. And a Monet poster. Alas.

I appreciate the fact that she hasn't tricked out her (rental) apartment in all kinds of goofy, super-expensive ways--while at the same time, she HAS worked the hell out of what she's got.

186 sq. ft. + $100 = cool! Anybody with cash can buy 'beauty.' But taste is something else...

I think this place shows one very good answer to the question, "What do we really need to live?" Good placement, careful choices, flood of light -- and yet just enough touches of personal touches to make her feel at home without making her feel possessed by her possessions.

The only nod to decadence here is the newness of the paint job, etc., and the renovations that she probably had no control over. But where to live is sort of a curatorial choice which reflects her taste, too -- her only splurge was on the clean look of freshness, and the airiness of the environment. She is a young person with more taste and will power than money.

I think that not difficult to pick out each little thing, when you go on a fault-finding mission, but I think the overall effect here is greater than the sum of its parts.

I agree kwj. And so does my wife.

I keep thinking of Noh or Kyogen theater. Most people hate these because there is so little to look at, very few props to guide us. It is not like plopping down in front of a Hollywood blockbuster or bigtime Broadway play. But for those that give it a little credit and use their imagination, there are so many rewards. The Noh masks are made so that they subtly smile or frown (just like that dollar-bill folding trick) and you have to use what little they give you to fill the space in your imagination. You make it your own. It is not the same effect as a huge onscreen explosion, or seeing the Titanic sinking in every graphic detail, or Jim Carrey laughing maniacally for us. And I repeat that it is not to everyone's liking. But it is valid. And valuable.

I like things that cause the viewer to think a little and involve them in reaching enjoyment.

If this space were mine, I could easily imagine how I would change it. But that's not the point. It's her space. And we should listen to what she is telling us without feeling like it is the only show in town. If you like blockbuster, then this contest also has that. And blockbuster may actually win. But we can still enjoy this space for what it is.

This is the only apartment of its size I can even look at without suffocating; she has found the air and framed it.

Simplicity of means here makes for a peaceful space -- not an easy thing to achieve gracefully. A zen master of an apartment.

Wow, thank you for such a nice compliment, vileonath.

I've been trying to dissociate from this site and some of the hurtful comments, but I'm glad I read this one, it makes my day.

Thank you too curtis, matt and kwj. Actually, "A Clean Well-Lighted Place" is one of my favorite pieces by Hemingway.

Okay, now I'm going to duck and cover and hope that I can return to my normal life unscathed.

A CWLP or a line (from "Plays well With Others", about a painting, but i think it applies) "It looks like you breathed it."

"I would love to see a contest that focuses on the minimalist budget, to see how far it could stretch" said matt...Yes! Or a showcase...what would the minimalist budget be...

Good morning Hilary,I may have said some awful things about your pad but I was only seeing how far people would go in America to praise and defend... you all showed your worth...you have alovely flat and I hope you carry on enjoying it...SY

I'm surprised that some people here aren't taking issue with the color of the toilet paper!

This apartment is serene and practical. It's light, airy and grounded. This one really jumped out and stayed with me. Brilliant living. Makes me wonder why we need lots of space. I'm glad it's in the finals.

Very airy. I like how much diffused light gets into the space. I am about to either build a low platform bed with an extended edge around all sides, or get a loft bed and set up a reading area underneath it. I have plenty of space where I am now but may be moving to a more urban place and need the space a loft bed saves you. I was wondering if you have noticed that it's warmer being on such a high sleeping surface. If so, what have you done to remedy that?

I have mixed feelings about this apartment, largely based around practicality. I know that you likely face a lot of SUV-types who scoff and claim you're not being realistic and all, but I have a few honest questions about various uses of this space.

Before I ask them, I'd like to say that the bars that the loft bed puts over the window space are unfortunate, but judging by the shot out the main door, I'd say that this is at street or stoop level, and it probably provides some small peace of mind against intruders.

Okay, so my first question is about cooking. Don't the smells work their way up to the bed? I live in a small 1br myself, and my wife and I are always unhappy when we forget to close the door to our bedroom. How do you keep your sheets and pillows from smelling like onions and garlic?

Lots of these designs seem to put loft beds right above kitchenettes, and to my mind that's just a terrible idea in general.

Also, I don't suppose you keep many records around for tax purposes, or other teeth-grinding assaults of "stuff" that our society forces on us. I'd love to walk lighter upon the Earth, but it seems that most of our clutter is obnoxious matter thrust upon us from outside.

Finally, I'd just like to say that I really love the triangular table. That's a much better solution than swinging leaves or collapsables.