apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

This is the kind of apartment that I love even more after seeing more pictures. They really thought of everything, and it all works beautifully. Although it's very clean and sleek, I think they still managed to work some real personality into it.

Stunning. This place is beautiful. Great artwork too.

Why does the text not match the entry? We are talking about David and Im but looking at James and Margaret...)

Yay! This is one of my favorites! I'm glad they are a finalist! I'll have to see the movie at home, but I really love this - it looks real, while at the same time being simple and clean and designed.

desk--
Because they (the homeowners) are answering the question "Who was your favorite entry and why? (other than your own apt.)"

desk-
James and Margaret were asked who else's place THEY liked, and that's why they mention Daivd and Im. See? Methinx (and me likes) that it's kind of a way to get a chance to get an extra peek into the tastes of the entrants AND to share the limelight.

Oh, I read too fast. I thought that copy was from the judges...I was looking forward to what the judges have to say since I think it is nice to hear their analysis.

i love seeing the before photos, great job! the brown-color paint in your kitchen is really nice. i'm thinking of going brown on one of my walls, can you tell me the color?

I can't get the video on either format, and I have a T1 line.

This is the first time I am posting after reading for over a year! I am so excited to see the finalists. I love the wall surrounding the bed. I just bought my first condo and will move in next month. It is very small--less than 250 sq ft, so I always turn to this website for inspiration! Thanks for sponsoring another terrific contest!

This place is great. To do so much in so little space is a real testament to their skill (as well as the necessity for making good decisions in manhattan). The wood wall really lends some warmth and texture to that building. I hope they win!

It's no surprise that this marvelous apartment made the cut.

Congratulations!

This is the WINNER!

I don't even want to see anything else. It's ovah.

ooh- love the video footage, because it really gives me a better sense of the space- which leads me to- love the space! An amazing transformation (great to see the before photo) and excellent job overall- I agree with christina about the dark brown in the kitchen..maybe i need to change my kitchen color too...

Could you please tell me where you got the wine rack and the artwork in the kitchen? That wine rack kicks butt!

The first go round I thought this place looked so dark - bravo for the new pictures. Truly a beautiful apartment and great artwork

Desk, I read too fast too.

I. Love. This. Apartment.

I don't understand why it feels smaller in the video than in the pics though. Hmmm. 565 square feet feel pretty small here, but I can't put my finger on why.

Still, I sure do love the way they divided up the space. This is a top notch job, and that's putting it mildly.

I'd almost forgotten this gorgeous space in the avalanche of entries. Well deserved finalist. Love that wood wall.

christina and I are thining alike, what color brown is in the kitchen?

this place makes me weak with desire.
so clever, so well edited, so functional and wonderful...and the kitchen! way to make simple gorgeous without spending scads (am I wrong?)
Am totally stealing the wall technique for a bed I am building (will post. should be very poorly made, but fun to do.)

I just don't know why everyone likes this one so much. I couldn't see being comfortable at that table. The chairs look and bench look so narrow and hard. And despite all the warm brown everywhere, which is one of my favorite colors, the place has a precision and coldness to it that I find very unappealing. The decor just seems like it's trying too hard. Sorry, I knew this one would be a finalist because it got so many raves, but I don't get it.

The apartment is fabulous. I'm delighted it made the finals.

It struck me, this time through, that J & M forteighted a rather sizable closet in the main room. If I'm reading the before and after plans correctly, that storage space was not reimbursed. Amazing!

I am curious, though, how the layout, with the sleeping area fully facing the windows, as well as the lliving and working areas "satisfie[s] the needs of two people with different sleep schedules"... Is there a way to close off the sleeping area so that the sleeper is not disturbed by the person on the sofa or at the desk? Does the person who's awake sit only at the dining table while the other person sleeps?

It is truly a beautiful and well-planned space. My only quibble: why not show the closet and bathroom area? My guess is that they haven't redone them yet, but it seems that we should see a whole space for the finalists.

this place is so dope! i'd also love to know what the art hanging in the kicthen is. and are those calder prints next to the wine rack, over the dresser/sideboard?

Loved the slideshow and everything they had done to the place until the photo of the living room appeared. The sofa facing the TV with coffee table as ottoman really needs another look. These people clearly have very sharp design sensibilities--why would they make the TV the focal point of their living room!?

Two things:

1) That wall with the TV. It looks like an altar to the tube or the "electronic hearth.” It just takes too much focus on that wall. I feel like the TV and giant boom box needs some padding (books, a slightly more substantial media area) around it to help it not feel so Darth-like.

That splint is also hung sort of low and odd (and backwards – that orientation doesn’t let you know that it was for a leg) and the splint is dwarfed by the tube. It's a cool piece - why put it above the TV?

2) I wish I knew what the bathroom looks like. The entry feels incomplete without it and I think it is bonus-points to show how you can transform a space that has the limitations of being small and utilitarian.

I’m also curious how a CNC router fits into the limited budget part of your design (seems like a big tool to make wood slats). If you got a cheap one, rented one or borrowed one, that would be a resource worth sharing.

I think the horizontal orientation of the splint is great. It turns it more completely into a piece of art by giving it more ambiguity and helps it, as they say, "begin to become something else".

Maybe these people just like TV.

This is one of my top two picks. I think they did such a great job creating a unique and personal space and also carving out useful spaces for distinct functions. The wall/bench eating area is beautiful, and though some have stated it looks uncomfortable . . . there are compromises you have to make when you live in a space that small--and I think this is a great example of living large, even in a tiny environment. Bravo!

True, Curtis, it becomes something else. But I also believe in the concept of "it is what it is" -- that is to say that you could turn anything around and rotate it but that doesn't enhance it. The placement of it above the TV makes me think they haven't found its perfect placement yet.

I luv it, I luv it, I luv it.... This was one of my faves from the moment it was posted. They are not afraid of the word modern, too bad so many others are.

They have this great space and they collect souvenir buildings. This makes them rich and somewhat nerdy. Which is a cool combination! Very Bill Gates. The only suggestion I would make is that they purchase a 1930s art deco display case to house their souvenir buildings. (It cuts down on the dusting. On the other hand, it looks like they probably have a maid so, hey, I guess the maid can dust.)I liked this place before. I like this place now. I wish you the best of luck James and Margaret.

Wow -- the new photos have made the walnut wall look so much warmer and lighter.

I don't see where this one is "cold" modernism. They have storage (look at those nooks in the bedroom wall under the bench!). They aren't afraid of accessories (I even see an Eiffel Tower). There's some color to liven up the neutrals (see how the line of DVDs echoes the stripes in the living room rug). I wouldn't spend a whole day sitting in those dining chairs, but there aren't many dining chairs I *would* spend a whole day in.

Though I will never, ever have a television as the focal point of my living room, I can't see what's wrong with it if watching TV is an important activity when they're home.

Awesome, awesome apartment. But come on, save some of that renovating money and buy a new tv. lol

despite it being ultra-cool and mod and highly-transformed.. i can't help but think this is also a true *love nest* for the couple. bravo!

Awesome place. As far as the competition, though, this entry is the precise reason why the contest should've distinguished between owners and renters.

I agree with the comment about this not at all being cold modernism. I don't get the feeling they're rich, but that they cleaned the place up to take the pics!

I think when Desk said the splint was backwards, he might have meant the front was facing the wall, which it is - but my take on that is it's a 3D object, and maybe the couple likes it more as a sculptural object.

Hello again everyone.

Margaret and I continue to be impressed by everyone’s interest and comments. I will take this opportunity to address some of those now:

The first comment by Curtis – Thank you. Your statement really hits on what we wanted to achieve. Going back to our favorite resources, both Breuer and Aalto were able to maintain the spirit of modernism while integrating natural materials in the composition.

Paint color - I will dig around tonight to find the name and post it as soon as I do. I know it was actually in that borderline area between warm grey and brown.

Wine rack – This will take a minute so bear with me. I designed and made the wine rack a few years ago as a birthday gift for Margaret. It is based on both a previously designed wine rack and chair. A website called woodbymail often sells scrap wood at very reduced prices. I bought a box of small walnut pieces and attached them to a frame with shaped profile. (sound familiar?) The wine rack led directly to design of the wood wall. This idea, that one design informs another, is the reason we have the Eames leg splint so prominently displayed. I find it a good lesson to remember.

Art in the kitchen – These are vintage Herman Miller Summer Picnic posters. An office I used to work in was going to throw them out, but decided instead to sell them for $5 apiece. I think they really add life to the kitchen.

Different sleep schedules - Because we did not want to give up natural light in any zone of the apartment, the bed and desk are not used simultaneously. Margaret is up early in the AM reading at the kitchen island or dining room table while I sleep. I am up late at night sketching at the dining room table or unwinding on the couch while Margaret sleeps. It actually works quite well. We have also talked about curtaining off the bed to accommodate simultaneous bed and computer use, but it has not been a problem yet.

Closet and bathroom – These are very simple, functional, and well designed spaces. We continue to use the original bathroom fixtures and added only small things such as paint and a few shelves and hooks. Since we really did not renovate the space we felt we could not take credit for it.

Other artwork – The lithographs above the dresser/sideboard are indeed Calders. They are from a publicity campaign by Braniff Airlines. The large painting near the desk is by Robert Szot, a very talented Brooklyn artist.

Television location in the living room – We like to watch television and feel no shame about that. We have no need to hide something typically used on a daily basis.

CNC router – I found a cabinet maker who owns a CNC router. I provided him with drawings and he provided me all the wood I needed to frame the wall, all with three sheets of plywood. The wood slats were cut by me, one by one on a table saw.

Comfort of the bench – You will have to trust me: it is comfortable. Using what I learned studying the Eames’ work and designing chairs myself, what could be a hard surface is actually shaped to properly support a seated person. Luckily, my pregnant wife agrees.

I just love, lurv, loav, luff this apt.

I live in the same building (judging by the view and description in the original entry; no, I don't know them) and have seen numerous apartments in Kips Bay. I'm blown-away by what James & Margaret have done with their studio. It's completely beyond what anybody else in the building, as far as I've seen, has ever come up with.

It's amazing to see a space that I know quite well, redefined. I'm seeing whole new possibilities that I never even thought about.

Even with the before and after pictures, I'm not sure how well people appreciate that, beyond merely redocrating the space, James & Margaret have transformed it. I forwarded the original entry to several people that live in the building, and nobody recognized that it was a Kips Bay apartment (while there are some variations, they're all pretty standardized).

For the record, I thought this was the best entry _before_ I knew it was in the building. Imagine my surprise ...

Coming from a Caribbean Guy...... and maybe the first person from the Small Island of Dominica in the Caribbean to post a comment on this website.

KOOL ....KOOL ...APARTMENT
NUFF RESPECT

Kool Runnings!

I have looked at this a zillion times, both in the original posting and here with the video, and, while I think this is an amazing place, there are things that don't work for me: the dark wood walls (I know almost everyone else who has posted is ga ga for them); all the additional brown in the kitchen; the wood walls plus the floor plus the rug are jarring together (see first picture.) This is a very, very clever design and I'm doubly impressed with what it must have taken to take this place to this after reading Kips Bayer's post. But, my honest, gut reaction is that I find these colors depressing. I also agree with someone else who said the living room is blah. The view out of the front windows is depressing and I would like that to have been addressed somehow (drapes or I don't know what). I do think the best thing about this place is the wall, the dining room area, the clever cubbies under the bench, and that the kitchen and all the other areas are tucked away behind all the main living areas, thus creating so many distinct spaces in the small square footage. But I come back to this entry time and again and am struck again and again by my disappointment in these features.

What I love and adore is the layout. How wide is your apartment? I'd be grateful for measurements and can't make them out from the floorplan.

(Please, if this is an obvious thing, I'd appreciate not being made fun of by other people.)

Terry:

I looked for the measurements too. I couldn't see them either.

Hi again.

The width of our main living space is 16'-7" with a depth of 19'-8". The widest part of our apartment is 17'-6", and the overall depth is 32'5"

Also, someone asked a while back about the pendant lamps in the dining area. The are called "Bulb" and were designed by Sofie Refer.

The original entry didn't do this place justice. There's a lot to love here; and a lot of touches I missed or didn't see the first time around. What impresses me the most is the bold personal statement the totality of the space seems to be making.

This was indeed one of my favorites, and even though there were a few choices I would have made differently, I think the use of space is truly inspired.

Hilarious to me the discussions about the TV, the view (um, not so much in their control, now...) and how to "properly" hang an Eames splint. Um, it's a SPLINT, not really originally meant to be art at all, so anything goes now that it is considered such.

But for the record, mine is on a stand. :)

And WOW... HUGE score on the Herman Miller Summer posters for just $5 a piece.

If you don't win the big DWR prize, I think you could sell those posters on eBay for a DWR shopping spree of your own!

I love the wood wall - I am curious how much did it cost to get it done?

The artwork is great, and I think sleeping amid the brown is probably a cozy, in-a-cabin feeling.

Meticulously considered, designed, and executed. The clear winner!

Bare bulbs - how trendy.

For some reason, my comments at the top of this thread were cut, so I'll have another go (very annoying, btw, Webmasters!). Maybe because I said something negative too close to the top? I can see why this place got to be in the finals. They've used materials in an innovative way, and they've maximized their small space. The wine rack is trick, though not a good place to store wine. However, for me the space is cold and gloomy, and the wall/bench makes me think of an airport lounge or a fast food restaurant. I just don't like it.

Hi James,

In response to your email from 4/12--my email is elaine_w@mac.com

It is awesome.

But the overwhelming brown is too much. The kitchen area could be better with another color (orange? Or the yellow in the paintings?). Would life the mood, I think.

And the parquet floor just drives me bats.

But those are minor quibbles and you should be so proud of your place.

SO FABULOUS. my favorite and i love seeing the additional pics. yours was the one apt. i kept thinking about. in my book, you guys are the winner. thank you.

This is the best I have seen. I very much like the way the area under the bench is used as cubbies on the bedroom side of the wall.

Question???

Was there a problem getting your plan approved when you removed the kitchen passthrough? It appears as if your kitchen no longer has the required "natural light" with the new bedroom wall in place.

You have GREAT artificial lighting in that kitchen, but no natural light...other than what shines on the fridge (the fridge looking like it's not even part of the kitchen proper, LOL).

And I'd love to hear about the building code permit process. That's one thing that owners can share with the rest of us!!! I have no clue as to what it would take to recreate a home to suit my OWN personal needs.

I get really annoyed with some of the codes, because maybe I would WANT a completely dark bedroom that has no windows. And the rules say I can't do that. Sure, add on extra costs for light blocking window treatments and the windows themselves.

It would drive me nuts not to have the ability to see out from my kitchen, no matter how much artificial lighting there was, no matter what the view was outside, I just NEED that natural light. Yeah, I have a full-spectrum light on now to supplement my lighting needs.

So I'd sleep peacefully in the bed niche, if I could close it off, but would go nuts without natural lighting in the kitchen, and would hate to see the dark bedroom niche during the day because it's tooooo darn dark.

The dining area is innovative, but it's too diner for me. For ME (just a personal reaction). Not the way it looks, but the way the space is used and that there is little to no room for the person dining closest to the living/bed area to get by all those other people that would be seated in the loose chairs.

Which is why I say "diner" in that there would be people bumping into people. Or like a movie theater where it's a pain to get out of the seat and move down the row because people are blocking the way.

Too dark. Too crowded. For ME. (I keep putting in that "for me" because it's a personal reaction from my own point of view, and it doesn't reflect anything other than my OWN preferences and needs).

This is so nice. I hope you win!

I am too, extremely impressed with this apartment. I think it is definitely one of my top three or four spaces in this contest.

Some comments, though. It seems as though it's not too hard to decorate a 500+ sq. ft. space that has a relatively decent and liveable layout (as Kips Bay does). In fact, I've seen many entries here that are like that. Those living in 250 sq. ft. spaces with windows and doors everywhere (hence almost no wallspace) would have a tough time. I would say that to improve the contest, there should be separate categories for each different size range of apartments and select finalists based on that.

Second, I do wonder whether the wood slats are maybe a tad too dark, making the bedroom feel almost prison-like in a weird way. There's just something that is rubbing me the wrong way about the shade. I think someone mentioned that the apartment looks smaller than the listed size. I think it might have something to do with the dark wood. While the mohagony/java color is very cool and in, it feels as though there is almost too much of it.

Having stated my two reservations, however, this apartment is indeed amazing in its layout and functionality (my favorite part is the wall put up to separate off the sleeping and dining areas). When I can afford a place that size, I will certainly look to this for inspiration. Truly spectacular.

Let me revise my remarks slightly... I was looking at the video not the actual phots. In the photos, the walls are indeed lighter than in the video. I'm not sure which is the ACTUAL color, but if it is what it's in the phots, I like it a lot more (though would still prefer more tan tones... but i'm being too picky here with a very lovely space)

We’re back.

We are enjoying this opportunity to answer these questions. The finalists were limited to 100 words total to answer both questions at the top, so we tried to be as concise as possible in our text and let the images speak for themselves.

I finally dug up the color chip for the paint used in the kitchen. Sorry it took so long. It is a Pratt & Lambert paint named “Tobacco” number 33-19 (Old #2248). The color works well for us as it provides a nice accent to the white wall and ceiling, white upper cabinets, white countertop, and light blue lowers and backsplash.

Some of the new comments we would like to address:

Cost of the wood wall – Oddly enough, the thing that ties the entire apartment together was the least expensive to build. The largest part of our costs (and that is not a ton of money) was bringing the electrical systems in the apartment up to code.

Closing up the pass through – The pass through window to the kitchen, and the Murphy Bed closet for that matter, were not part of the original construction. Therefore, we would not be breaking any applicable codes. If natural light were a requirement, the pass through would be insufficient to satisfy that requirement anyway. That said, and this all varies by municipality, natural light and air requirements generally apply only to living spaces, which is why so many kitchens and bathrooms are without windows. Bedrooms need direct access to windows for light, air, and safety reasons. Since building codes can be a tricky thing, it is best to hire someone local who is adept in dealing with those issues to let you know what is legally possible. For us, the portion of wall that opened up the kitchen to the dining are radically changed the quality of light in the kitchen and removed the previous claustrophobic feeling.

Building permit – This varies greatly by municipality as well. Here in NYC, the process is fairly involved and the typical thing to do is to hire an expediter. This is what we had to do for our place. Your expediter will work with your architect to file any necessary drawings with the city.

Dark wood – I will try to be brief on this since it really comes down to a matter of personal taste. The walnut wood we bought for the wall came in a broad range of shades from very light to very dark. I believe that typically for walnut the color gets darker as you get closer to the heartwood. After cutting the pieces, we painstakingly arranged them to get a variegated texture over the entire wall. The effect this has is one where the areas adjacent to the wood are clearly separate from the rest of the space but are in no way dark and foreboding. The darker tone works well for the activities where bright light is not typically desired (dining, sleeping). A dark tone will also provide depth to a small space rather than a bright tone or color that tends to make one all too aware of boundaries. And rather floating ambiguously in the space, the wood color ties into the colors of the floor and kitchen creating a unified composition. We face directly south and our apartment get a broad spectrum of light during the day. The movie taken by my 3 year old Nikon Coolpix digicam does not do justice to the quality of light in the space.

Dining Room – Our dining room functions as both corridor and dining area. It seats six comfortably, eight maximum. The banquet is what makes this all possible. Our table is not fixed and people can slide out at either end. When not in use for dining, the table is pushed in toward the banquet offering more room to the corridor. During times when we are dining or entertaining guests, the corridor is obviously less generous, but still very passable.

I think like most everyone else in this contest, our apartment is a work in progress, and one that is very personal. Our place continues to evolve, whether that be with a new bookshelf to replace one from an old apartment, or a new piece of artwork to hang on the wall.

Thanks to you all.

James, how long does it take to get plans and stuff through, just from your own personal experiences? I don't have cable, so the only show I've seen is Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. They're tearing down and building up and altering and adding, and what it LOOKS like is all you have to do to make a new home is get a black marker and draw out something on paper and then build it. LOL!

There has got to be more to it than that. Duh!

And because of such shows, folks seem to think they can do whatever they want, on their own. There have been many questions that were answered on BHG by a person who is a contractor/builder who also does work with city/county/state codes.

There I am, thinking "Sure, use the basement for whatever you need it to be" and the contractor comes along and mentions all these codes...that make total sense...if you know what they are. Like fire escapes. Hey, I don't want to be in a basement fire, no windows, and the one way out (the stairs) is burning.

But did I THINK about fires? No. I thought about using the space as needed.

It might seem to be common sense, but it's only common sense if you know about it and think about it in certain terms. Like all the people that buy paint based on the lighting in the retail store or a color they saw in a magazine and compare it to the vast numbers of colors on the paint chip wall.

Well, geez. We don't live in a retail warehouse with fluorescent lighting and 10,000 other colors to compare to.

Anyway, any tips that the owner folks could give or explain or tell us about, in terms of the things that have to be done, it would be really helpful. Maybe AT could have a special thread to have questions and answers for that specific topic.

Since stuff varies, maybe just pertaining to each person's experience. Like yours. It's fascinating to me to know all the steps...from the first look you had of your home to where you are now.

Like did you automatically "SEE" the ideas you have created and added when you first walked in the door? Did you live there for awhile and it gradually came to you over time as you assessed your needs? How did you come to choose this over that...etc.

I'm a renter. There are things I can think of doing if I was an owner, but I didn't SEE those things when I moved in.

Maybe if AT will have an area for owners to discuss, the other folks who entered can discuss the process too. I'd really like to hear more.

Thanks!

Andree,

Unfortunately, I don’t recall exactly how long the approval/permitting process took. It was a while ago. If I were to venture a guess, I would say a two or three months in total. Again, it can vary wildly and that discussion is probably best left to a different thread.

I think Margaret and I both saw the “potential” of the place when we first walked in the door. That is probably the most important thing, and something I think the majority of the contestants were able to do.

You guys were robbed. Your space planning for the tiny footprint is so impressive and inspiring.

Thanks for the kind words, Shauna. It was fun just being being part of the frenzy.

This is really awesome, where is that sideboard with the white doors from?