apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I love this entry, though I don't share Shawna's taste. I think she did a fabulous job with very little.

Kudos Shawna: you're so creative! I hope you are in the top three.

YES!

Not only do I love this pad, and by love I mean just the right amount of classic pieces combined with charisma and ecclectic charm (blue wall refrencing the blue china!!) , I love the fact that Shauna lives here in an APARTMENT and has a BUDGET.

A little goes a long way and this is a great example of how someone without alot of cash can whip up a stellar home!!

I truly hope something from DWR makes it into her pad!!

Remarkable and memorable.

No new photos? Did I miss the link?

Congrats to Shauna either way! I was hoping this one would make the finals, and I want to second both Terry and Julian's comments! My taste definitely differs from yours, but your creativity shines through and I enjoy that. Love the living room and bedroom shots.

If you win any DWR stuff Shauna, please post pics. Cheers!

Oops! I should have read the top of the entry - then I'd know why we're seeing the same pics.

No, but you missed the comment that goes with the posting, Shauna hasn't responded to emails from AT re being a finalist...up there at the top, before the pictures.

It sounds like there is a problem with email, since she has been responding to questions about her original entry.

regards,
trillium

This apartment is so stylish, I hope she is in the top three too!

Shauna's boyfriend here -- additional pictures will be arriving soon! Shauna originally sent them by the deadline but they must've taken a bad detour in cyberspace and they need to be re-sent. As soon as her DSL provider gets service back up-and-running in Los Angeles, she'll zip the rest of her pictures on over to AT.

Every time I've passed a mid-century used goodies shop here in Phoenix (none of which are open on Mondays, which gives me a reason to hope not to be hit by a meteorite in the night), I've thought of Shauna's apartment fondly.

Fun and quirky -- and at the same time elegant and restful -- NOT an easy accomplishment!

Shauna's living room is magazine photoshoot ready...beautifully balanced, elegant, and with an inviting palette. Can't wait to see new photos.

I'm really in love with this place - Shauna this crisp pear living room has me drooling. Everything about your apartment is so welcoming, personal, unique and SO not a wannabe imitation of a catalog or design trend. I love it.

Holly@decor8

This apartment is a stellar example of being in touch with your own personal style and being patient to wait for the RIGHT pieces to be added. Yes, Shauna said it took years of collecting, considering, altering, creating. And from the looks of the result, it's certainly worthwhile not to race out to buy the newest, hottest, most trendy thing that is introduced.

Instead, it's better to really know YOURSELF and your tastes. These furnishings/this style would look great in any city, any setting, any time frame.

Because it DOES have a timeless style...or maybe it's that it grabs from various styles and meshes them in a wonderful way to create a timeless style.

Creativity abounds. Chalk on the wall as a finished product. Brilliant. And that comes from knowing when to stop. She realized that the chalk looked great, and she didn't NEED to paint over the mural.

Scarf on the bed...adds color, pattern, style.

I don't know if the pictures of the ladies are prints...or from neat old catalogs featuring swimwear or under garments. It doesn't matter. They look great. And they aren't something everyone is going to have in their homes (uh...until now, that everyone's seen it, it will be in everyone's homes, LOL).

Mixing florals and stripes and the picture on the patio. Love it. Colorful. Tropical. Exotic. The picture could be a travel poster or a Miss Beautiful something-or-other promo or something else. Remember in...uh...that Christmas movie...
with Jimmy Stewart??? Well, whatever, the one where they put travel posters and music and such in the old home?

That's kind of what this reminds me of, and it's creating another PLACE in your current space. It's the feeling of being somewhere else...on vacation. Like Jane and Darko's Thicket, this patio of Shauna's is another world.

I'm especially pleased with this apartment because it's not chock full of name brands which are (I guess) supposed to impress someone. Your chairs look comfortable. Your sofa looks comfortable. Even your rug looks comfortable.

I can hardly wait for more photos!

This one is my favorite. And I like a lot of them.

I'm a lurker, annoyed out of silence to say, Andree, enough is enough. To concur with jamie pup's opinion on another comment thread, you need to chill out. Suffice to say, Shauna's entry is awesome. You don't need to launch into such long tangents. As many of the finalists advised, EDIT, EDIT, EDIT!!! (And kill the LOL, seriously)

Congrat's Shauna, can't wait to see new pics!
Viva la DIY!

So happy your charming apartment made it to the finals Shauna! And I'm glad to see many others have been inspired by your chirpy color palette and wonderfully quirky sense of style humor.

By the way, what does LOL stand for? When I encounter it I just end up sounding it out in my head as it is spelled - which is a noise like what my cat makes before it is sick. Does it mean 'Lots of Love'?? I am so antiquated...

I love the quality of light this apartment has. It makes the colors very successful. Every time I see the beautiful light in the LA entries it makes me want to hop on a plane.

Matt, LOL = Laughing Out Loud

Andree, I enjoy reading your posts.

Lurker "stop", have another cup of coffee & take a deep breath, will you?

Andree:

I like reading what you have to say, I think your comments are among the most interesting on here.

Lurker:
What Andree is saying in this post is 100% about the apartment pictured. How exactly is that a "tangent?"
Also, if you're reading a post you don't find interesting, how about skipping down to the next one? People here should feel free to comment as much as they want -- that's kind of the point of a comment board, right?

This is a stunning space. Very different from many of the other finalists, but deserving high praise if not a top prize. Glad it made it to the finals as I missed it first time around.

I think #16 (Ivar) and #31 (Bri and Chads fab on a budget) should be contenders.

As a friendly co-finalist and fellow Angeleno, if you need our help in re-uploading those new photos with our connection, please feel free to contact us. The deadline is nearing, and it would be a shame not to see the new photos.

Thanks Greg -

Pics were re-sent yesterday. Should be up soon.

This place is just beautiful, and stylish and kind of witty, too. I prefer all of the indoor photos to the outdoor one, but I really like this.

I love it. if i *had* to throw shade, the bedspread is a random choice, but otherwise, this is so full of both fun and elegance. i admire how the different areas have distinct but complimentary "looks".

and i'd like to take a bite out of the living room furniture!

I'm so pleased that his made the finals! I didn't see it during the voting phase, but would have given it top marks if I had. The living room is glamorous! I want to sit in there in a Jean Harlow shimmery gown and sip cocktails. It's a lot harder than it looks to do a room in one color, and yet get so much depth, and atmosphere. (I do have a weakness for puddled silk drapes, I admit. No minimalist I.) I love everything else here, too. You have created a unique environment. Look forward to more pics.

(I take it I'm not alone in skipping past Andree's postings.)

Where are Shauna's new photos?? I can only hit 'Refresh' so many times. :)

...still dwelling on the green. Want you all to know that green is a difficult color to use. Tends to go too yellow or too blue, too muddy or too acid. It's as subjective a color as you can find. A lot of folks absolutely hate it. It shows how good this living room is that there's no one saying "Ach -- green!" here. The room has a translucent quality.

Shauna, did you spray a fixitive on the chalk mural, or do you just have to touch it occasionally?

..I meant re-touch it occasionally. Poor typing.

Still stuck on that green. Iis that mohair velvet on the living room chairs? Whose fabric and what color, please (I'm assuming you had them uphostered), or whose chairs are they? Sorry if this is already answered on another thread.

Pat, if you go read the comments on the original entry, I think answers to both of your questions are there.

regards,
trillium

I think many ATers have suggested that Andree's opinions might be considered more seriously if he tried to edit his thoughts down a bit.

And dIANE, you are one to suggest that someone else take a deep breath! LOL!!

Yesterday on Mission Organization, Maxwell said he felt "anxious" upon walking into the organizee's green room. I really loved the color, but of course in person it might be too much.

Shauna, *please* tell us more about those turquoise dishes!

I love your place; when I originally saw the first pic, I gasped. Blown away.

Shauna:

It really is spectacular. I would like to see you win (or Swanky Rob K. or the thicket’s Jane and Darko). I think the only thing that might hold you back is that your place is so FEMALE. (How many Male judges are there?) Regardless of what happens, don’t make any concessions design-wise and please don’t suddenly “butch up” the place. It’s great the way it is. Best of luck. I’m sure you’ll be at the finish line, neck and neck, with the best of them.

JenDC, I'm a female. I have boobies and they're spectacular (name the show that latter part came from for a bonus prize).

I seriously don't realize how big the posts ARE when typing in this little box. There is no "Preview" for the post that shows me it's length qualifies for a "Book of the Month Club-alternate selection".

If you're the person who I'm working with, or passing ideas onto, the posts aren't long enough. If you are an uninvolved, uninterested third-party, they are way too long, and very boring. Do read the comments from Melanie on her Nest West page. That's what I do, and that's what I try to do.

Okay, apologies for the off-topic post here... But I just need to state that I'm definitely coming around as an Andree fan--if nothing else, for her quote: "I'm a female. I have boobies and they're spectacular..." I'll admit to initially finding Andree's posts to be a bit daunting due to the sheer volume of her crazy stream-of-consciousness flow. But her out-of-leftfield, Seinfeldian "I am Woman" proclamation above made me literally laugh out loud. Her colorful and idiosyncratic Auntie Mame-like musings now seem much more charming.

Let your freak flag fly, Andree. You're not offending or flaming anyone in your posts. If people don't care to read what you've written, they can always continue scrolling down. Your over-the-top enthusiasm provides a nice balance to the snarky negativity that can sometimes permeate these threads.

DING DING DING DING DING

We have a winner!

Congratulations, Enrique!

kisskisshughug

Let's go to Shauna's!

And let me know if there is anything I can look for online for you. I'll spend hours and hours just trying.

Time IS the most precious gift you can give.

Oh Please. If someone has the time to read all the way down to my 39-th comment for just this one link, you can read one long post from Andree. Girl - tell us what is on your mind until there is a word count maximum.

I don't know if this is the same kind as Shauna's, but this looks to be a similar color in intensity, Fire King Jadeite:
http://www.rubylane.com/shops/antiquesifind/item/5640

I thought Jadeite was a lot lighter...lemme look...

These aren't turquoise enough (but sure do look pretty all together):
http://www.spglass.com/jadite.html

Now we're getting somewhere, looks like the Turquoise Aqua Blue color by Fire King, or maybe not.

Shauna! Do please share with us. And there goes the price of whatever it is she has in her home. I'll never be able to afford it now. ;)

Congrats, Shauna!

I am moving into a new place, and am so inspired by your creativity within a budget. Your gorgeous pictures give me great hope!

On that note, where did you find the fantastic flokati rug? I'm looking for a round one myself. All the ones I've seen online tend to be upwards of $300, which is a little steep for me right now (I'm still in grad school)...any suggestions?

Thanks!

Andree, it looks like melamine/melmac. (Sorry, Shauna, if it's actually something much fancier! I love melamine, though!) Can't wait for the new photos; your place was one of my favourites.

OK, I'm guessing that Shauna is a shoe-in for the win and that's why Maxwell and the judges have not posted the additional pics. After all, they said they wanted to. Right? As Anne/the first one in Dallas said, we can only hit the refresh button so many times. I'm going to wear it out.

Someone up there hit on the reason this place moves me. It's a woman's home. Same thing with the Silverlake place (Though wasn't that a man and a woman living there? Still girl friendly.). It's a nest, and it's girlie-girl, and I love it every time I see it. It's like a Hollywood-style make-up table expanded into an apartment. In contrast, the Angular Conversion entry (which I like very much) is 100% male.

You made me laugh, Andree. I got da boobies, too, but nothing much to brag about. I see you aren't letting we grumpies get you down.

Yes, it's melmac! I pick it up when I can for a buck or two. And the rug is 8' from ebay for 100. The 6' was 75.00. Kind of a splurge, but you can throw in the washing machine and it's sooo comfy.

Sorry for the delay; I was waitin' for my other pics to post before anwering the new round of questions.

Pat,

I don't know if I would characterize that cubist guest house as "male". It reminds me foremost of Zaha Hadid, and while it's a pretty aggressive space overall, it has its gentler, kinder moments.

The renters at Silverlake have made it clear that their apartment is very much a joint enterprise between a man and a woman.

So while I can see why you would make these gender distintions, they're a little misleading.

Henrietta, though the guest house stairway is like a minimalist (female) nude, I still read that house as male. Even with the somewhat Japanese aesthetic there, all the angles, the colors (albeit softened by the violet sofa), the hard edges... all read male to me. Which is not at all meant as a negative comment. I love that place (with a few caveats detailed there). The Silverlake home (which also seems to have a Japanese feel to me, with all those little toys and the colors used) comes across as more young girl. It's like a Japanese tea house vs. a Hello Kitty store. Each stylish in their way, but -- in my perception -- expressing different genders (forget about the age difference here). But then we each have male and female within us, so it doesn't change my reading of that place finding that a man does live there. He probably just has an aesthetic that isn't specifically male. More power to him. The Silverlake place looks like a fun and happy home. Shauna's place the same. The Angular Conversion guest house looks like...a guest house. A well-designed guest house, full stop.

Not to hijack this thread (and I won't, since I plan to comment about this on my own blog more completely), but the subject of gender, colour, design, and even age demographics is an interesting realm of discussion I've been thinking about alot since the beginning of this contest, especially since our place has been the subject of much discussion in terms of what is perceived as feminine and masculine. Its funny how our place in person has never been commented as being "girly", but perhaps in the selected photos, on a 2D medium, the viewer can and will make assumptions of gender by choices of decor.

One has to remember that some of the most "girly" objects are designed by the weaker sex, us fellas :)

Gregory, I'd be interested to read your blog on the subject. It is certainly one that can be discussed in depth. The main differences I can discern in male vs. female design (that is, what reads as male or female, not what is designed or occupied by male or female) are: the use of curves and organic forms (female) vs. angles and hard -- or rough -- edges (male); a sense of being embraced by a space (female) or a sense that one might just perch there temporarily (male); warm, light-emitting or reflecting colors (female) vs. light absorbing colors, or dead white (male). Lightness and gentle movement (female) in forms and furniture, vs. weightiness and solidity of same (male). A sense of fun (I put this at female), vs. uber-chic seriousness (male, definitely). And then there is the whole question of thrust (the Diagonal Conversion is all about thrust, with angles running into that curvacious stairway (!). You can push this as far as you like. But these are all generalizations, and my perceptions only. Perhaps I should call it "Yin and Yang", and break it into cold and hot, water and fire, earth and sky. Straddlers of gender-in-design abound. Frank Gehry uses lots of organic curves, but is male in his use of mass (and I really dislike his work, btw..Disney Center in LA...ugh.). FLW is very male in his heavy, horizontal lines and dark woods and stone, and flat colors. Yet Prarie design is tactile and nurturing in its way, especially in the way his houses use light and celebrate "hearth and home". Ach, it's its own thread. I'm sure I'll be pilloried as some kind of sexist.

For full disclosure, I am female. My own taste straddles the gender categories, and is based upon the purpose of the space. I love spare Japanese design (male), but for the living areas of my home I warm it up with rich fabrics, upholstery and rugs (the female, tactile, embracing thing). I generally dislike angles other than 90 degrees (they make me anxious), and prefer round things. I don't like ellipses (they bother me, don't know why). I think kitchens should be heavy, spare and solid (male), but baths should be warm, luxe, and incorporate round edges in some way (female). So it's not a girl vs. boy thing. It's just my way of looking at design (and art, too). I love the One Space entry, and it's much more male than female. Probably stirring us a can of worms here.

Where are Shauna's new pics? I keep checking, checking, checking...

Um, hello, are my pics gonna be posted?

Did I get the boot and nobody told me?

Anyone...Bueller...Bueller...?

Pat:
I get frustrated sometimes, and usually deeply saddened, but I still think there's a place for me somewhere in this site, and someone that will be able to use what I have to give.

Shauna:
Isn't Melmac kind of plastic? Does it break easy? I break a lot of stuff. I'm the one they invented sucky-water-bottles for. Oooh, see, it's YOUR fault:
http://tinyurl.com/nngqa
SOLD. The demand is skyrocketing. Grrrrrrr

I think anything short of cat litter box contents is made all the more special when it's placed in a display, such as what you have, Shauna. It APPEARS to be very fancy, very expensive stuff, as it's on display in a sealed case. Brilliant. Another reason you should win.

Pat:
I like what you said about the decor and gender. I agree, too. What about the age thing, and would it relate more to the person's chronological age, or inner spirit age? By which I mean, I felt that Gregory and Emily's place was like a children's playhouse. Not so much being more female than male (but if I had to pick a gender for the home, it would be female), but being young and playful.

And it makes sense considering what Gregory DOES, he IS young and playful with his collection, with what he does for a living, with the colors chosen. Young as in watching
Saturday morning cartoons and riding a tricycle in the house kind of young.

I don't know what Shauna does, but I have her as a cross between a starlet that looks like Madonna in Who's That Girl in the champagne satin gown (Hello, Counselor) and a creative business genius like Betsey Johnson who makes her own style.

I'm anxiously awaiting...not just for Shauna's photos...but Shauna's first store that also takes Internet orders. Put me down for some of the neat turquoise plates, eh!

I'll send you a trophy if you don't win.
What do you mean it's a bowling trophy?
Nuh-uh. The guy who sold it to me said it was made by the same dude who did that "The Thinker" sculpture of a man on a toilet. That the outstretched body symbolizes the human struggle, between holding on and letting go, grasping for the eternal pearl of wisdom (that's what's in the hands...not a bowling ball)...

Oops, geez, it SAID it couldn't load and that the code was wrong. Yikes. SORRY!

Cool apartment!!

Gregory -- LINK TO YOUR BLOG!!!

Sorry to yell, but you're tossing out these fascinating comments, you have a main site with design on which I now have a major crush... and I can't find a link to the blog you mention. Inquiring minds will send a giant robot to stomp your breakfast if you don't tell us where to look.

Incredible! The barkcloth, the furniture, incredible!

Is that a cloth-wrapped cord on the black phone? If so, where did you find it, and do you use it? (My gram had one that dated from the fifties, and when she got some service changes in the sixties or seventies, the phone company took it.)

This surely will be in the top three.

I love Grant's place, also; it makes me want to get to know him.

Yeah for Shawna's new pics! Beautiful use of color, glamour and warmth, attention to detail... I'm not soo into the retro kitch items but I love this apartment!

Awesome, Shauna the more pictures, the more I love it. Your house tells me a lot about you (you have great taste in shoes!) and makes me want to come to LA and hang out and drink mojitos!!

I really think you deserve to place, because your house just seems FUN! and LIVABLE. I am especially impressed with the chalk wall, and the fastidious organization of the magazines.

Good job.

I've been pondering the tells-a-story thing... at heart, I think any room tells a story (on the principle of "you cannnot NOT communicate")... but the fantasy lives the places evoke appeal to very different people.

Shauna's place does such a fabulous job of evoking the glamour and funk of southern California -- I feel like I'm in that Randy Newman "I Love LA" video just looking at it. I think of it every time I go to Phoenix, too, because it epitomizes what hip Phoenix aspires to be.

I just fucking love this place right now... as hard as that is to admit w/ its west-coast flare, I still just absolutely love it. bravo & well done! so happy to get the rest of the pics! hope you place!

-Kellen-

Wende: I've changed my signature to direct you to my LiveJournal. Sorry about the delay...I had planned to link it when I actually had time to get down to really writing about some of the topics I've mentioned, but that day hasn't come thanks to some hectic days at the office (yes, especially at a toy company).

Shauna, I loved it the first time around and your more recent photos make it even more gorgeous. You deserve to be in the top 3. Everything meshes in a very unique way. Bravo!

Thank you, Gregory! I have bookmarked it and am *so* looking forward to reading it properly when I get home tonight.

um wow, this one is now my favorite!! What an amazingly designed space!!

Great apartment. I love the computer desk! Any ideas where it's from?

Like the style of this (but as someone said, it is very much a "character" apartment. Like one played by Rosanna Arquette.)

But do I think this space embodies, to me, what "Apartment Therapy" is about, as a representative of the site (to people who frequent the site, AND to those who don't)? NOTHING against Shauna, but I'm not sure it does (imho).

That's been my own and only voting criteria in this and past contests.

wende, "glamorous" is exactly the word. shauna's apartment is glamorous and feminine in a not "girly" way and i feel searing envy mixed in with awe and delight.

i want to win a free design consultancy with shauna!

Patrick-

what doesn't this place not contain that AT represents?

-Kellen-

Whatever you think of the apartment (and I think its fantastic), this is definitely the best response to the second question. Her lack of pretentious ponderousness is reflected in her design sense-- not so with some of the other finalists!

Also-- glad to see I'm not the only one with melmac on display!

-Kellen-
Not exactly sure, but I guess innovation might be one reason. I think AT represents moments when you smack your forehead and say, "Why didn't I think of that?!?" That doesn't happen here for me.

It doesn't feel like a "grown up apartment" (which OF COURSE is HIGHLY subjective, and some may say even if it's NOT, that that's a GOOD thing).But I want the teensy-tiniest bit of slickness to soemthing held up as AT's finest. Again, HIGHLY subjective.

I want to see a bit more Design-y ness." (But, something no less personal than this.)

It's more retro than modern.AT to me is modern, fresh and contemporary. It's a BLOG after all.

And, egads, I want to see something "magazine worthy." (NOT that this is NOT, or could very easily be, with the right photos.)

Some of why I think not is just "vibe". Hard to pin down.

Again, NOTHING against Shauna, and this is just one man's (humble) opinion.

ps--
Where were all you MelMac fans when I was trying to move some serious product on eBay?!??!?!

Patrick-

I do agree with some of your points, however- certain photos of this place could be magazine ready- just not Dwell ready maybe. But i see your point.

And, yeah, it's retro- but you can't tell me that the Eames molded plastic side chairs or Saarinen tables don't look retro too... and w/ the whole MCM movement and push around here, modern sometimes feels retro(w/in the last 20-30 yrs)- it's just not AS sleek as some designs.

And, there is one thing about Shauna's place that made me smack my head regarding my (and my girlfriend's) entry into the contest... "why the hell didn't WE include a beautiful daytime photo of our outdoor patio (like Shauna) instead of the one of our red-headed stepchild of a bathroom?"

but, still, I do see your point- but I also love this place.

-Kellen-

Ptoo...NOTHING against you, but I'm tired of your critiques and your opinions...in my humble opinion.

hey anon, if you can't sign your name to your statements then they mean jackshit. if you believe in what you're saying, then own up to it.

-Kellen-

-Kellen-
I don't think the by-the-book mid-century modern places do AT any more justice, so I really wasn't headed there.

So I mean "modern" as in fresh, contemporary, "current." Which can happen without a molded plywood anything in sight!!!!

I think a MIX of some sort is also a crucial "signature AT" element. If everything "vintage" here were replaced by either Eames OR Ikea OR Heywood Wakefield or West Elm, people would be SCREAMING.

Sorry anon, just answering a direct question.

Interesting points, Patrick. I'm new to the site, so I'm trying to figure out what exactly AT does stand for. I do know I love what I've seen so far! So I went back to the judges comments to see what they're looking for:

"I’d like to see intelligent and creative solutions to small-space living, but I am also interested in highly personal interiors that are somewhat over the top…"--Craig Olson. "I would like to see something very clever and sexy." --Andrianna Shamaris. "I’ll be looking for creativity and personality.” --Sam Grawe

While I'm not sure I could live in Shauna's space, I love what she's done with it. And I think it is a viable choice when you revisit what the judges were hoping to see. Clever. Creative. Sexy. Loaded with personality.

I'm just glad I'm not a judge. It wouldn't be an easy decision for me. And I wish all the finalists best of luck this evening.

screaming what? ... greatness or blandness? ... honestly could go either way- crowd's a bit fickle if you ask me.

[and back to this apartment, i still love it]

-Kellen-

Still love it. Was afraid I wouldn't (re: couple of other entrants having disappointing slideshows).

How on earth does this not "embody what AT is about"? I haven't touched this site until this contest, but it sure sounds like you are being territorial there... and snobbish. Absurd. Pooh!

I agree with Shauna that a space -- a home -- should tell something about the person living there. I notice that the most spare (soul killing) and slick entries in this contest did not make it into the finals (even though there were some magazine-ready, showroom-perfect spaces). Meaning they didn't get the votes and didn't get the nod from the judges. Meaning that something was lacking in those spaces. And that something -- the something that you feel in your gut when you look at their pics -- was a soul, a personality, a story. Joy.

Yes, Shauna should definitely be in the top three. If you aren't in design, Shauna, you should be. You could be a stylist for the film industry or television, or shelter magazines. Or an interior designer...your LR has a Barbara Barry feel, if BB wasn't so anal.

Or maybe you could do counseling. You sound like a together person.

Oh, sorry... I meant screaming in a negative way.

And again, I DO like this apartment.

Pat--
Oh jesus Christ I'm am NOT being territorial. Pooh, yourself.

Sorry, but how many times do I have to say "in my opinion" to be clear that I don't necessarily expect anyone to share it? Any more than anyone was epxected to share your ealrier gender musings.

So, Pat, so happy that this is a representation of what you've found on, or expect from, AT. TO ME, in my own humble, highly personal, highly subjective opinion... it does not.

Does that mean I think it sucks? NO.

I lovc this place. I don't understand the need for "professional" judges. How about a show of cyber-hands?

I love that this apartment is so site specific — I can't picture it anywhere but southern california. Shawna, where did you get the Baby Doll poster?

I think that the extra photos fulfilled the promise of the first ones and I really love this.

It's glamorous and wild and neat and organized and human all at the same time.

i love this place. it's H-O-T, hot (and i bet shauna is, too)!! who else left shoes in the middle of the room like that for a contest picture! too fabulous, i dig it. :)

it isn't slick and designy? i think her living room is quite slick in the original shot (not the one on top of this thread), it was like something out of a rock hudson movie. i particularly admire how she manages to do the slick living room and the sweeter, more down to earth bedroom.

yet, p2, i actually do sort of know what you mean by it not being "AT"... without making value judgements, it's light-hearted, and i think that the "AT"-er apts are more ....emphatic?... design-wise.

i can admire manifestos, but i swoon for sprezzatura. my favorites in the contest, shauna, nestwest, cem, the "miss havisham" apt, had a light-heartedness to their beauty that really impressed me... the art to conceal art as yeats said.

drumwell, "i love this place. it's H-O-T, hot (and i bet shauna is, too)!! "

is it really out of line to say that the very same thought occurred to me on first seeing shauna's apt?

and isn't it a design achievement to give total strangers the impression that one must be rather beautiful?

There is just so much evocative flair and personality in Shauna's
apartment. I am an artist and I would like to make a painting of the room in that first photo.....it's really dreamy.

Rasil-

I don't think it's out of line, but it does seem to illustrate (and we're all guilty of it someway or another) the fact that our society assumes (and views) that attractive people are smarter, kinder, more competent, more honest, more hard-working, more creative, etc than less attractive people...

so, when seeing a beautiful/great/creative/inspiring piece of art/home/music/writing etc, we assume that it must have been created by a beautiful person... b/c no one ugly could possibly create something so amazing.

but again, i don't think it's out of line. - it just happens. i've thought very similar things in positive and negative ways throughout this contest too.

-Kellen-

kellen, i actually don't think it's assuming a beautiful apt must be created by a beautiful person. i think it's that shauna's apt design has a glamorousness (sexiness?) to it that inspired the random thought that she also must be that fly.

it isn't that good design implies beautiful designers to me so much as certain design aesthetics have associations in my mind to certain kinds of people.

This apartment is beautiful, fun and sassy and has serious style. It inspires me and makes me want to re-decorate my place. Bravo Shauna. You deserve to win.

Love this space! Especially the desk - where did you get it, Shauna?

One person's idea of "too retro" is my idea of classic ;) To each their own (that's what makes this fun). But my headboard, nightstand, dresser and desk chair, are all from what I imagine as average "AT-er approved" retailers.

Honestly, if my place were bigger, you'd see more of a mix of styles - I just think the simpler approach works in a small space for me. The outside space is my Anthropologie-esque style departure.

rasil -
I also love BB's pieces, but a bit cold in how they are arranged for my taste (not enough lime-green fabrics - hee hee).

jen -
i'd love it if you painted my LR. I'd hang it in my living room - that would be hilarious! Very Gaugin-esque.

amy-
The Baby Doll poster is a French orginal found for about folded up for about 20 bucks in the dusty back corner of a hollywood blvd 'memorabilia shop'. It's the only movie poster I ever wanted (& the damn thing took me 7 years to find!) b/c the film epitomizes my sense of humor and approach to art (a mix of 'high art' and pure trash; it's a sweaty little romp that was banned when it came out, yet the photography is achingly beautiful and the script is by Tennessee Williams, so the metaphors and language are about as hi-falutin' as it gets).

Thanks for the kind words, AT people.

drumwell--
Usually, the gay stylist. ;)

RE: THE DESK-

Rosebowl flea market. 40 bucks.

Have fun tonight in the spotlight, Shauna... when you WIN! I absolutely adore your warm, inviting & unique home and every element of it... uh, when did ya say I could move in? :)

This is my favorite of the finalists. Shauna's not afraid to use color, she's not afraid to DIY, and she's struck a great balance between honoring some fun retro aesthetics and conveying a sense of era-independent freshness. I do see a lot of mixing and matching here, and I dig it.

Another thing that I think is very interesting: how she's managed to pack a LOT of personality with relatively few items. Her place feels full without feeling overstuffed; everything gives the impression that it's earned its place.

To me, Apartment Therapy has always emphasized the idea of "design, with intentions." As in, you should always have a good reason for bringing something into your space, and you should always be mindful of how each element contributes to the whole. Just as we should all think of how our habits and preferences define us as a whole, so too should we be aware of how our space reflects those preferences and amplifies their effects on our psyches.

By my admittedly subjective, non-design-pro lights ... Shauna's managed to pull together some incredible, intentional design that reflects who she is. That's AT to me!

Have fun tonight in the spotlight, Shauna... when you WIN! I absolutely adore your warm, inviting & unique home and every element comprising it... uh, when did ya say I could move in? :)

Also loved that you had the Baby Doll movie poster on the wall, and over on the other side, Lolita on the screen!

LUV-LUV-LUV IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shauna - you had me at YO-LA-TENGO in the loo.

Shauna,

Thanks for the heart felt mention on my entry. Best of luck to you. Keep doing amazing things!!!

Thom in S.F (entry #4)

AT style is what the majority of people on this site determine AT style to be. Judging from the comments posted above -- SHAUNA's APARTMENT IS AT STYLE.

Best of Luck Shauna!

Love it. Where did you get the round mirror above sofa? Thanks. Good Luck

rasil -
i figure, if the ladies of AT (and some of the boys) can give it up for "Jamie's Date-Ready Pad," then the boys (and some of the ladies?) can, too, for shauna's joint. no feelings of guilt here. and i think you're right - there's an intangible about the design of this place that just hollers "sexy" to me. *real* sexy, not corny euro-model-on-a-steel-frame-tigerskin-italiad-designed-sofa psuedo-sexy.

p(too) -
clearly, the gay stylist truly understands the workings of all flavors of the male mind. ;)

lolita on the screen?!! come one, now, stop it. :)

My hands down favorite. I love everything about this place. So many entries were gorgeous but just so sterile--this shows another way to have no clutter but to have a fabulous place without looking like a hotel room.

My favorite by far. I don't know that it beats the other finalists based on the listed judging criteria, but I hope that Shauna's entry wins for various reasons listed before -- it's cool, it's sexy, and I imagine that the inhabitant's personality just shines through. It looks to me like she's ready and eager for company anytime and that any guests would feel welcome and comfortable instantly. Plus, anybody who references a WWF-style sleeper hold and suggests a cage match with an Eames chair as the only weapon must be fun! I also liked the way she described her other favorite entries.

Wow - the extra pics are lovely here. I could almost have agreed with P(too) about "adult space" had I not seen the new pics, which show that the place -- though whimsically glam-philic w/ sirens and Hollywood femmes abounding the walls -- also has a very grounded sophistication to it (note the hallway and the hanging pottery, the living room layout)

What a sexy apartment! So L.A. and reflects Shauna's taste. Very original .

Even more spectacular with the new photos. I am in awe.

Hear, hear, Tony G.!!!

P-2 is very rude... in my opinion, so to speak, as it were, you might say.

As if anyone wants to read your opinions, P-2.

I'm a little sorry, Shauna, that you said your stuff was purchased at "AT-approved" places. Kind of wanted you to fight it. But I guess you are just being agreeable.

I wouldn't take that attitude from anyone.

Makes me want you to win or place even more, just to shake things up.

Shauna, while I was glad to see Jane and Darko/Hakari and Jili in the awards lineup...I was very disappointed that you weren't there too. Your apartment brought to mind all the fantastic movies I'd watch on TV as a kid, the older movies, where men wore tuxedos, women wore gowns, and they went to supper clubs to eat, smoke, drink, be entertained, and dance.

Considering the huge response to your home, you might consider checking out other sites/magazines to get these pictures out there into the rest of the world.

There IS a place for glamour, and you've done it so well. It has broad appeal for any woman, age 8 to 80. No pun intended.

I definitely prefer your home to the two winners. No doubt about it. Anyone know if there is a place online that has a message board or magazine or blog where more styles like this might be shown? And hopefully more friendly people like Shauna? Because your personality shines though in this apartment and in your comments as a person we'd all love to be around.

Which is why I've voted you class president. ;)

Pat--

You continue to miss my point, but you don't seem to care, so I give up.

But one could argue on an open thread, in an open forum, no one really cares what anyone's opinion is. But I hope that's not the case.

Shauna--
Maybe YOU will understand me... I very, very much like you apartment. That fact was never in question. Congrats for pulling it all together with so much wit and personality, and for braving the storm of just being an entry, let alone a finalist!

Shauna, I still am planning to make a painting of your Living Room...It's on my to do list for next week.
cheers!

Alas, alas. You shoulda been a winnah, Shauna! I was quite surprised at two of the judges' choices.

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure what DWR thing would enhance your place. It's pretty fab as it is.

(And I've seen that movie Babydoll. Twisted as all-get-out, but in a campy way.)

Shauna - I think in many ways you've won based on all the positive comments you've received AND the fact that you get to live in such a cool pad.

The Smallest, Coolest, Hippest, Most Glamorous, Personality-Infused and Downright Joyously Fabulous Apartment award goes to Shauna!

Thanks, y'all. I feel the love. I know how lucky I am.

Jenny B-
You're paintings are beautiful! Great colors and texture.

http://www.gofuckyourself.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=263612

nice

What a great space - very pulled together. And fun! Makes me want a mojito! (guess I'm a year late on the kudos! I just discovered Apartment Therapy and I'm in h*e*a*v*e*n!)

can I please know where you got the babydoll poster. The ones I see online are not like he one you have. many thanks.