apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I love this place and that homemade, mirror closet is really cute!

I'm knocked out by their DIY prowess and ingenuity! The DIY chandelier, masking tape "wallpaper", the high-drama behind-the-bad wall mural, etc. Yet another emotional favorite of mine... Perhaps Hakarl and Jili could have a DIY thread on that chandelier? (I'm seriously in love with it.)

I love the design of this space! All of the pieces work so well together and I appreciate the repitition of lighting style. The art in the bedroom is absolutley amazing and the wall colors are ones that I would never be brave enough to choose but I think they look fabulous in this apartment!

I'm knocked out by the way the bed is framed by the windows and paint/mural, not to mention the rich rich yellow paint in the living room.

I wonder if they put the moulding on the living room wall. What a difference that moulding makes. (is it moulding? You know what I mean) I enjoy how it adds texture to the wall. I prefer this to art actually! At least, on that wall. Maybe it's due to the shape of the room? I have no clue, but it pops.

Doesn't float my boat. The ideas have been seen everywhere. Only a couple of things make this well designed: the window seat and the closet. Otherwise, I'm underwhelmed.

Why, oh judges, why?

Also, the moulding must be original to the apartment. If Hakarl and Jili had installed it, they would have used it as a design element throughout the room to provide unity to the design. This looks choppy.

So, cup of tea. What do you think of the rules?

While I really like this apartment and the thoughts behind the DIY projects (plus, the couple seems great), I have to nit pick since we're at what I imagine will be a by-the-nose final -

the 'mural' above the bed is a cut down poster they got from the Gap (which they talked about in their original entry) and the stripes are masking
tape.

While they look really in a photo - I get the feeling they look very DIY (see the tape close up) in person. In an HGTV makeover way. An unframed poster never looks good. Unless you're 15.

And the chandelier idea just misses with the way the light bulb/ socket is exposed. Perhaps a chrome dome light bulb would help ($5, if that).

So much of it is fab, but there's just a hair too many not-quite-finished DIY pieces for me.

And, oh what a missed oppurtunity to make that moulding pop.

Just my opinion. But I absolutely think it deserves to be in the finals.

Folks, if you look at the contest rules, the finalists were determined by the votes, not by the judges' preference (with some screening for obvious vote-stuffing). There's no point in asking, "Why judges, why?" People visiting the site voted for these apartments.

Inevitably, I have my little spreadsheet and a theory on how scoring was done. So far, it's playing out, but we'll see if I'm right about the last five.

Terminally chic, in a relaxed, unassuming way.

Magazine shoot- AND move-in ready.

Color used with a deft hand that does the colors justice without chopping up the small space... no easy feat...

Enrique:

Crystals:

Best prices anywhere, and I've looked a lot of places:
http://tinyurl.com/kk7h

There are different grades of crystals...from molded glass to cut leaded crystal. They only have the 3" size of the Colonial Crystal above.

If you have an IKEA nearby, you can check out excellent prices on molded glass:
http://tinyurl.com/enzar

I like this entry. Very much. I'm more of a do-it-yourselfer when possible. I like to use things in whatever way I think of, which is not necessarily what they were intended for. And I love FREE STUFF...as in street finds.

I prefer this entry over some of the others, because they did make do with what they have or what they found. Everything didn't just fall out of a catalog or website. And it's CREATIVE.

Some of the entries start off with great architecture, that even MY crap would look good in. LOL! If you take away all the color and the interesting things in Hakari and Jili's place, it's another white box. And it wouldn't be interesting at all.

I like it because there ARE some things I could do. It's NOT about money...and money is what I have very little of. I have imagination, plenty of that.

Yeah, it does look a little unfinished in spots. It's a work in progress. That doesn't make it less "cool" than completely finished rooms. And it leaves open future possibilities...

I'd be really excited to see what they chose, if they won. If I was near by, I'd be constantly looking for items that would work in their place that were free or reasonably priced. They could actually DO something with what was found.

We'd sit around ooohing and ahhhing over some decrepit thing, coming up with ideas on what it could be used for and how it could be refinished. LOL!

I think they'd appreciate found things as much as store-bought things too. They don't have a snooty factor. I like them. And this has been one of my favorites from the beginning, so I hope they do win a prize. :)

Oh, I stand corrected. The finalists were picked by the voters, eh?

Oh well...long live the voters.

Wende,
Please tell me that "Bri and Chad" and the "Silverlake" entry made your last five (ie. the finals)?

Huh. I thought cup of tea was the chronic malcontent who has been railing against the rules all along.

He, she, or it has grown on me, however.

Slothful Henrietta

Andree-

I couldn't agree more.

Perhaps AT will come up with some other contests like best DIY, Best use of color, Most svelte found object, Coolest on a budget etc...

Julian there was a color contest not too long ago.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/sales-events-calendar/ive-got-color-the-fall-colors-contest-003905

I REALLY LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR SPACE! Top of my list!
Good luck to you ;)

I agree with Andree too.. this place is fabulous. At only 450 sq. ft., they have really used the space well with beautifully designed spaces that are independent fomr each other yet still work together.

I also like that the moulding in the living room is monchrome. Those that criticize the unfinished moulding haven't really thought about what painting the moulding a different color would do to the room. In this case, I think that making the moulding "pop" would actually make that wall (and therefore the room) look much much smaller since you'd effectively divide it into three spaces. Whereas the orange actually has an expansive effect on the wall.

I'm a huge fan of the mirrored closet too.

These are very clever DIYers. I like that wall color in the LR and the molding. And the hall light. I personally don't care for the bedroom art.

[in one word:]
champion!

Lisa from VA:

Looks like Silverlake made it, and yup, that's where it should be on my little list. I'm looking to see Jed's apt and Shauna's apt show up in the finals...

BUT... my theory is based on the numbers available to the public, so if there were anything weird about the voting (NOT necessarily with the entrants' knowledge or consent), that wouldn't be part of my formula.

Henrietta, I'm not railing against the rules. I only believe AT should have stuck to the rules. Some of the changes make no sense.

On this entry Darlyn is right. The monochrome wall was a wise move. Painting it all one color looks fabulous and gives the illusion of the room being larger than it is. If they made any effort to make that moulding stand out more, it would have overwhelmed the room. Good job and good luck on the quest for DWR loot.

Trust me on this wende, finalists aren't chosen by votes.

"Judges have from April 1st through the morning of April 4th to evaluate the reader's choices and determine a top 5 from the West Coast and a top 5 from the East Coast."

It only says they evaluate readers choices. Judges "determine."

OK, rules, you're right, I didn't make the distinction.

Rules -- Then I guess it's just a coincidence how closely the vote calculations have matched the choices. Weird, that... I wonder what the odds are.

my panties will seriously bunch if this place doesn't make top 4. (we love it!)

Dear Henrietta:

Well, I'm glad to have grown on you. Actually I am a person who never posts a negative opinion, believing that one shouldn't say anything unless it's nice.

I dubbed myself "tea" from the embarrassment; here I felt the need to speak out against this particular choice in the finals.

Anyway, no, I'm not a chronic malcontent, just cowardly when it comes to expressing negative opinions. Perhaps I ought to re-think this.

In any case, despite others' opinions, my own is that this apartment does not deserve to be in the finals. I'm sure its Hakarl and Jili put their creativity, hard work and money toward their apartment and I congratulate them. I also thank them for letting me into their home. Still, in terms of overall design/layout/creativity, etc., I find this entry to pale in comparison to others.

"Anyway, no, I'm not a chronic malcontent, just cowardly when it comes to expressing negative opinions. Perhaps I ought to re-think this."

No! It's part of your charm.

Besides, I may have confused you with other stealthy critics. I'm a sloppy reader.

But I don't think I did.

This apartment rocks!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!
colors, furniture, ideas -- #1 in my book!

wow you guys really have a beautiful apartment--want to use your prize money to help me redo my place? just kidding! Bold, fearless, and yet quite cozy homey as well-hawdya do it?
good luck!!

Beautiful!

Not only is this the coolest small apartment but it is definitely the most creative! Anyone with more money can have a great apartment, but the thought and energy behind this place is not easily attained--it's unique. Bravo Hakarl & Jili, you deserve to win!

hi guys --
thank you so much for your feedback. one of the best things that came out of this contest is to hear your opinions and find so many of you share our aesthetic. wow.

not my cup of tea --
i appreciate your honesty -- don't feel bad for sharing your opinion. for us, this apartment is an ongoing experiment: you have to keep an open mind to explore outside the box and find truly original solutions. I realize that with our bold color choices, the found art and the flea market furniture, we might not be everybody's "cup of tea", but i'm somehow surprised to hear you complaining about seeing us in the final round. in taking a look at the criteria for this competition: Efficiency (Innovative use of small space to maximize livability), Aesthetics (Beauty and stylistic achievement in Decor) and Special Challenges (Creative problem solving in dealing with adverse conditions) you will realize that we full fill all of them. Fortunately enough there is no wrong or right when it comes to personal style -- it's what makes us unique and loveable.
I’m looking forward to hear more from you guys and I can’t wait for the judges decision.
cheers,
hakarl

Love mix of elements and colors that make this house a cozy home. Where can I get one like it??????

Hey Hakarl:

Thanks for not taking my criticism to heart. It's very big of you.

Unlike most of the other entries, Hakari and Jili were brave enough to pick bright colors and made them work in a small space. Each of the walls seem like they have art even when they don't! This one's definitely among the top 3!

Stunning! Love the mirrored doors, the entrance, the living room and even the preppy dining area. I would have never thought i'd get so excited over orange! All the colors really grew on me and it all works so well together. where can i get the chandelier in the kitchen?

masking tape as wallpaper? why didn't i think of it?!

love this one!!!!! as a new yorker, I know what they have to work with-- small space, old walls and woodwork, and they've turned it into a dominoesque doma. Best-of-breed!

This place really gets creative. That tape on the wall is crazy! Never would have guessed. Love the bright colors as well as the painting over the bed. The mirrors open the space up which is nice. I think these people are in my top 3 for sure. Good luck!

I am loving the bright colors, this place really takes a chance being bold and i think it worked out. They keep it bright and bold but the accents are sleek and not intrusive so there is no fighting between the elements. Really like it, this is my winner.

i wish you could win a CASH prize which would enable you guys to move out of this fabulous apt and sublet it to ME! it's gorgeous, love it, so super creative. fingers crossed that you take home that big prize!

I originally said that I thought the space was a little unfinished in spots. And I'm not sure what it was that I was seeing then that I'm not seeing now.

I think one of the fun parts in that apartment would be to try different light bulbs in the hand made chandelier in the slideshow picture 8. (Henry, they MADE that!)

Like this one:
http://tinyurl.com/hk5ae

They have those at Target too. Since the bulb is exposed, it would totally show off the colored bulbs and not be blocked by a shade.

I just breezed through the comments above, so just wanted to say in reference to "it probably doesn't look so great in person" comment, I have to vouch for the fact that it looks fabulous in person--you wouldn't even know the tape was tape unless they told you--I am forever impressed by Hakarl's ability to lay a straight line of tape! Plus, I would like to add that all these DIY and found-on the-street elements lend a real originality to the apartment and help add to it's overall yummy flavor. It's truly a unique combination of unusual finds, inventive solutions, bold color, and classic functionality.

I love, love love your place. Great job guys!!! I must ask you where you got the big dark wood unit that is in your living room (it has the books on it and the calendar). I have been looking for something like it for ages, and I live in NYC. Please let me know...

thanks!!!

thanks sherri
the shelfing unit was a find at a good will store -- it took me 2 years to get one that was just right for a good price. if you're not that patient, you should check out the furniture stores in williamsburg on whythe street around N1st.
hope that helps.
hakarl

For Hakari and Jili:

Hope you get back to see this article that mentions you folks:
http://tinyurl.com/nua3o

I sent it to Maxwell a couple days ago to have him forward, if possible.

I really like the aluminum cabinets. In an older rental it's really hard to justify installing new cabinets to replace ugly ones so what a great idea. Could we get some detail on how you did this?

Looks great! What kind of aluminum did you use for the kitchen? Thanks!

hi gretchen and MR
we bought the alumnium sheets at Home Depot. they come as rolled up strips in different heights up to about 20". you'll find them among other insulation materials.
cutting them to size is quite easy with a carpet knife. fortunately our kitchen cabinets featured framed doors, so we just cut the sheets down to the right size (the inside frame plus an additional 0,5" on the left side). since the alumnium is flexible you can just slide it in between the inside wood panel and frame on one left, bend the alumnium and snap it in on the right.
for the backsplash we just glued the sheets on with silicone.
hope that helps
hakarl

hello fellow brooklynites

your place is AMAZING!!!! congratualtions!

may i ask where you got that fabulous 3-tier shell chandelier in your entryway?

thank you!!

Beautiful use of space. Where did you get the mirrored floor dividers?