This is the fifth of the finalists: an amazing labor of love from Jersey. All finalists and entrees can be found on The Contest Page.
Name: Gideon and Tracey
Location: Jersey City, NJ
Size: 530 s/f studio
Original Entry: Click Here
1. Who was your favorite entry and why? (other than your own apt.)
"Our favorite project is #38 Dixie’s Vintage Carnival. It’s just so original and quirky, a little bit Betsy Johnson a little bit Rout 66 flea bag motel fabulous. Dixie’s apartment is the thing that a personal living space should be most of all…Personal...
It is more than just a collection of great old junk, although it is sublimely that, there is an iconoclastic form of curatorship going on there. With the possible exception of the lovely Haywood Wakefield furniture, Dixie avoids collections of the stuff that every body else goes for. She has no Fiesta Ware, or neon, or Elvis Memorabilia, or Lava lamps. That stuff is really beneath such a finely honed sensibility; rather then kitsch, Dixie’s use of carnival swag and leopard print achieves a finely honed edge, akin to Pink Goth...
There is something just on the funny side of scary about this place, the parrot cage might have been too Mrs. Havisham, if it were not for the Gnome side tables.
When it comes down to it we just basically love this place, because it is just a little bit kinky and it puts us in the mood for Daiquiris and ukulele music."
2. Why you should be the champ?
"Our project is fun and unusual, it reflects our personalities and it’s very much from the heart. We did it on a shoe string budget providing much of the labor ourselves and acting as our own general contractor when we needed plumbers, electricians and cabinetry. Although we had some professional advantage on our team, Gideon is in the design business (Tracey is in trucking,) this was very much a homemade effort.
When we decided to do something this radical, we worried about all the stuff you would expect. What about resale? Will the renovation take too long? Will the experiments fail and end up costing us allot of money to fix? In the end we came to the conclusion that is central to most of the projects entered in this competition…Hey, its 0ny 530 square feet, any risk we take is by necessity a small one.
If the comment threads from this competition are any indication, these days the audience for design seams to break into two groups, the “Yuk its too self-conscious and cold…Do real people actually live there?” camp and the “Gross what a mess…How do you even breath with all that junk chocking your life?” camp. The thing we are proudest of in our design is that way we avoid either characterization…Or maybe offend everyone. Ours is a complete design from concept to detail but the result is warm and colorful, there is room for the stuff of life, family photographs and Gideon’s grand father’s baseball shirt, as well as funky junk shop finds, and even a shag rug. The result is what a small space should be, cozy and personal.
"
Unreal.
There's simply not one thing where it shouldn't be.
Bravo.
incredibly unique w/ that wall. love the dark hardwood floors contrasted w/ the white. but, would've loved to have seen more pictures of the dressing area (storage acheivements) and the bathroom. all those extra pics in the slideshow and just design/floorplans/etc.
-Kellen-
While I think that the mobile wall is a unique idea, I feel that it is so chunky that it overwhelms the space. My eye is drawn to it at any angle, making it the only focal point in the room.. (Granted, it doesn't help that I don't particularly enjoy its aesthetic either and it might be less of a distraction to someone who does.)
I'd also love to see a video of the wall moving.
I, too, was hoping to see the wall in action instead of all the floorplans/elevations. I think it's so clever that seeing it over and over again in one spot defeats the purpose of the uniqueness for contest purposes (IMHO).
I sure hope a designer doesn't win.
http://studio-ga.com/
This is my favorite. I love the wall. I look it and say, wow! both small and cool. I love the decor with the fifties references in the wood paneling and the sea foam green that suggest but don't overwhelm. In combination with the wall though it is thoroughly modern and contemporary. It would be nice to see where the clothes storage is, are those doors in the elevations closet? Is the storage in the white part of the wall unit in the bedroom. Regardless, these people obviously have clothes, and I don't see them so mission accomplished! This apartment offers flexibility, convenience, and doesn't sacrifice--all in a unique design with a wow factor. If I were the judge, this would win.
the kitchen is great, esp the use of different related colors on the walls, the darker color for the "nook" space.
i'm not enthusiastic about the wall and the rug. it's like a beautiful woman wearing large plastic earrings -- i see the point but i do not see the necessity of making it.
I remain completely torn on this... the pictures are STUNNING and I would consider moving in in a heartbeat. It is all beautifully handled, with a stunning result.
And part of me wants something that is this much of a "statement" to win, since it is highly innovative AND high, high style.
But that pivoting wall (to me) still borders on complete overkill and seems like the (perforated/plexiglassed) elephant in the room...
yes yes yes. The apartment is gorgeous EXCEPT for the clunky and out-of-proportion wall. It completely ruins it for me.
Although the wall is very cool, the more I look at it, the more it just seems to overwhelm the space and block the light. I might have been swayed if you posted more photos instead of plans.
i love a LOT about this space, but...i agree with the last three posters. the colors, the scale, the use of space - i love all of these things in this apartment, which is why the wall seems out of place. really, the apartment is just great - but I dont' know if it's a winner in this contest, that's all.
How is the moving part joined to the stationary part? How hard is it to move and move back?
Gideon and Tracey:
I like everything in your space except the wall. (It's too big. I would just take the wall down and use the left over ledge to display some McCoy or Catalina pottery.) I really enjoyed reading your response to question #2 though. It's hard not to like people who use the word "yuk" and "gross." And on top of that your favorite space was Dixie's. I'm glad you entered the contest.
seems like a lot of work to engineer that switchblade just to rotate an antiquated TV set.
otther than that, and the irrational geometry of the pocket knife, the space is quuite nice.
What I like about the wall is its complete insanity in an apartment that's otherwise classic.
Actually, I'd vote for them solely for their new pitch. The characterization of Dixie's apartment is brilliant.
I'm going to agree with the other comments here. I am surprised by how much square footage this apartment wastes. I think the photos reflect that because they're dedicated more to the wall than the apartment. This place is so big, but the wall makes it feel small. It has a hundred and sixty square feet more space than Lucy's Love Shack (for example), but no room for a desk that I can see. I guess they read AT from work.
The space is beautiful, but the wall kills it for me.
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
are you kidding? this place looks huge and light and spacious to me! if the apartment has everything that the owners want and need, how is space wasted? not everybody wants or needs a desk in their home. why make space for something you're not going to use?
Im GLAD you didn't include a video!!! Keep it about the design.
And I'm glad you included Dixie in your fave. I almost did too.
I'm with all the previous commentors on the clunky wall tip. It's just so....gigantic! It's visually heavy and just dominates an otherwise well thought-out space. I think the concept [of the wall] is a brilliant one, but I have little love for the resulting execution = \
What happened to five west and five east finalists? So far we have four east and only one west finalists and they're all listed under each section which is really confusing.
Explained here Huh
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/news/april-is-bathroom-month-007882
Beautiful place but the wall looks huge and clunky, punctuated even more by the teeny tv. The space would be great without the wall or find that one entry that made a wall out of the Ikea wardrobe doors.
This place would be perfect without the 'moble wall'. I love the personal touches but the scale of the wall throws everything off.
I think this entry should win because it's home-made and because this has the best solutions for small spaces. The mobile wall is ingenious and, although I personally don't care for the way it looks, I love the way it functions.
I agree with the entrants that this apartment is neither cold-and-sterile nor overcrowded. Also, I love the furniture choices for being classic and timeless rather than of a certain style.
I thought this was an architect's apartment. Great lighting scheme too, particularly since it's not obvious. The place is fantastic.
I love the wall, it has a Pee Wee Herman quality although it's not Pee Wee-colored.
Love the wall! Love the wall!!! I agree that I'd have loved to see more pictures and a video - esp after the fun ones yesterday. Does the place even have a bathroom? It's still my fave tho
This definately makes the top 3. Well planned and designed. Love the wall and the way you still kept things open and airy. Good layout for a box apartment. Kudos.
love the light and airy feel of the apartment in general, and I admire the fact that it looks sophisticated and sleek without being intimidatingly so. Love the framed baseball jersey. This is an apartment that I could happily spend an evening in were I invited to dinner. I have no problem with the idea of built-in seating along a wall as I can imagine the chairs easily being drawn over into a conversation grouping.
OTOH, I'm of two minds about the pivoting wall. I love the concept, and I love the touch of whimsy in the overall shape. However, its proportions are daunting and, when opened at right angles to the living space, it disrupts all the lovely sense of harmony that's there when it's swung back toward the bedroom. If it were my apartment, I'd be thinking "Drat, not quite there yet." and would be going back to the drawing board on that wall. I'd love to see what it would look like if you sprang for the flat screen and made the very same wall no more than 6-7" wide as I think it's the sheer bulk of its current incarnation that isn't working for me at the moment.
I just discovered this site on Sunday, so I've been greedily devouring all these lovely offerings. Personally, I don't mind that designers and regular folk are all thrown into the mix. Some of my favorite entries have come from people who wouldn't necessarily know an Eames chair if it bit them on the butt. To me, it's about form, function, livability, aesthetics, personality, originality, and that ever-necessary problem solving that comes with small spaces. I only wish there were a third category so that foreigners could get in on the fun!
Jo (up in the Great White North, where Spring has FINALLY decided to make an appearance this week. Hallelujah!)
I like the color on the kitchen wall, and the cabinets. I like the long ledge of bookshelves along one wall. I kind of like the seating that goes along the wall too, but there's a LOT of seating. Again, I would love to know what the priorities were for the people living in the space.
I like the bench as table for the wall seating. I'm okay with the wood wall. And the rug.
I absolutely despise the wall. I really do. At first I thought it was novel and interesting. Now it looks broken, and I keep waiting for the time and temperature to be displayed in the swinging part.
The layout with the wall addition SUCKS. LOL! Remember, this is from my own personal viewpoint and my OWN needs. When I wake up at night, I'd have to walk around the wall (if swung over by the bed), through the living room, through the dining and kitchen, and then the dressing area to get to the bathroom. Not to mention the other obstacles I have to miss with my shins, like the coffee table, the chair, the dining set. I'd be battered and bruised by the time I reached the hall, collapsing into a puddle just outside the bathroom door.
Yes, every single closet space in the giant wall has it's own door. Which, if left open, would block entry into the apartment or trap someone in the bathroom. At least I'd have some doors to slam if I wanted to.
Stuff I would have done (if I had any money, talent, skills, etc.)...plasma/flat screen over the fireplace. Living area in the current bed section. Seating like you have for the living area where the closets are. And a dadgum passageway to get to the bathroom from the living area.
The bed area would be where the living area is, without a swinging anything, but perhaps having the built-in closets in a wedge or right angle to accommodate clothing. Kitchen/dining stays as it is. Passage way from bedroom to dining or to living.
The wall for the closets surrounding the bed area on the outside would be finished, showing into the kitchen/dining and the living. If all the space isn't need for closets, you create a niche for a chair in any of the three "rooms".
I know I'm very practical when it comes to layouts, which is terribly boring opposed to the time, effort and creativity that was put into the making of the wall.
My own apartment has the long walk/u-shape from the front door to the bathroom, having to pass by the kitchen, through was is supposed to be the dining nook (my computer area) around by the living area, passing the bed area, through the closet area, and then finally into the bathroom. I would LOVE for there to be a pass through from the front door to the bathroom area.
Anyway, that's what I love, like and don't like about the space presented. And no, I'm not entering the contest next year, because I'm in a rental, and...well...uh...let's just say that the past parade of management companies haven't exactly kept up with the building. Yes, I still have the original 70's Harvest Gold sink and the original appliances were in here too, until they died and had to be replaced.
Alas, the previous management didn't believe in doing things right if they could be not done at all. OMG, you have no idea. I've seen better looking prison cells on television.
The pivoting wall ruins everything!
I love the seating area. Wish I had the same in my own place.
Interesting to see just how much your wall irks a lot of folks. I'm guessing you saw a bit of The Jetsons when you were young...but I like the wall and the overall design of your apartment (and the restrained use of color). I do agree with the person who hoped a designer doesn't win, though. I think there should have been two or three categories for this contest. I'm pulling for the amateurs!
IN DEFENSE OF THE WALL
So many people have disliked the mobile wall; I got to wondering about it.
1. The wall is sculpture and architecture made by the Gideon and Tracey. Sculpture and architecture are difficult to appreciate from a picture. My sense is that the wall is experienced quite differently when one is in the apartment.
2. The wall is a work of art, again made by Gideon and Tracey. Beauty is so subjective that what may please them (and many others) may displease others. Yet I don't see that the posters here are generally discriminating against other entrants on the merits of what they've put on the walls. (I voted favorably for one apartment whose artwork I disliked, yet whose design was very good.)
3. The wall is an innovative way of dividing different spaces. Plus, it moves, allowing Gideon and Tracey to divide spaces as they go along. This, in my book, makes for excellent design.
4. The wall is completely original and unique. That ought to count for a lot. Gideon and Tracey didn't go to a store and buy a ready-made room divider; they invested time, money and imagination into creating it.
I'm crazy about the wall. I wouldn't put it in my own apartment, but I have a different aesthetic. Nonetheless, it's beautiful and a great idea.
4. The wall
I have to agree with must everyone else. The space is lovely but the wall just ruins it for me. I am sure architect friends or design readers will say it's great. But it just seems like it blocks light and that its just way too big and carnival like. I am sure it's a conversation statement and I am sure visitors will say oh that is so great , but as my mom would say: what will they say when they leave the house...
Wow. I just went back to the original entry and saw that the wall houses the TV. I love this entry, I do, I do.