apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i thought i had seen this before... and yes, i'm not having deja vu, you posted the same story on april 11th of this year.

Oh right, I remember the shelves/headboard in front of the window.

I really like the blue in the bedroom.

hmmm, is this a memorial day prank??

i've definitely seen this one before--i remember thinking: why the bed in front of the window?? and good lord, hope she doesn't have cats because that tv is going to fall of the bench & take one of them out for sure ;)

Melissa, I really like your use of bold color.

Here's a thought: The tv in the bedroom moved to the low black unit where the vase of roses is. That would seem a less precarious place.

And a question: are those shears in front of a closet door?

SHEERS, not shears!! LOL!

I really like the use of colour. With the bedroom I would have liked to see the headboard extend to the top of the window, giving that boxed look to the entire window.

Old, new, tomato, tomahto, it doesn't matter. This place is awful no matter how many times I'm forced to view it. Excuse me while I barf. Hooghflfaaaaamphhh!

Get a grip, Doug. I hope you can take a break this weekend.

Why is the iron on top of the refrigerator?

Hmmm, if it was here before, that's weird because I don't remember it and I only look on apartment therapy, oh, like 20 times a day! :)

I like the orange in the kitchen too.

Methinks the headboard is actually an IKEA Expedit bookcase with a bed pushed up against it. I think it would work better if the headboard/bed were centered in front of the window. That would involve moving the dresser and the TV. The dresser might fit where that underutilized media stand thing is, but I can't really tell from the photos. Is that a door behind the sheer curtain?

To me, this is a place where a little decluttering and rearranging would go a long way. I like the colors: the blue-and-white bedroom (blue is my favorite color), the orange walls, the red sofa. Not being able to open the cabinets above the refridgerator without moving things would drive me crazy. Two TVs in what I presume to be a one-bedroom apartment?

it's ok, i guess. nothing special. i like the unifying aspect of uniformly white furniture and trim with bold saturated walls, though.

It's really hard to tell what would fit where without more information about the dimensions of the floorplan and the furniture, but I'll give it a shot.

I would never want to cover up a window, so I would move the head of the bed to where the dresser is now and move the dresser perhaps to the wall behind where the TV sits now - I can't tell what the space is like there. Then, what about putting the TV on that black shelving unit that has the mirror on it? Or if that's not sturdy enough, getting a piece of furniture there to hold the TV and whatever additional stuff you want there? That black unit doesn't look like it's holding very much and the open shelving with the few things on it makes it look very cluttery.

I would remove the shelves/headboard piece and put it in the living room, getting rid of the shelves in the living room where the TV is, since this piece seems too dark with the light airiness of the rest of the living room, which I like very much. The living room seems nicely decluttered except for those shelves, which just weigh it down. (Even if you could paint those shelves in a lighter color, I think it would be an improvement. That color is so dull.) I realize the TV probably won't fit on those white shelves, so something else would have to happen there. In fact, if you could, I'd replace that unit with a long, low credenza type of thing that would hold the TV on top and all the stuff behind doors. Maybe with a picture or mirror over it. Maybe the mirror that's sitting on the black unit in the bedroom, which should definitely be hung up if it stays where it is.

Also, I'm not a fan of the blue in the bedroom because I think it makes it look kind of small and claustrophic (although maybe the pic doesn't do the color justice). I'd go with a lighter color in there.

Hey Jeffery, enough with the judging about the two TVs in a one-bedroom apartment. I used to have a little four-room house? And three TVs.

I love the white chair (with the saarinen-esque base) in the living room. Where did you get it? It looks similar to a chair I've seen from B&B Italia.

Mia, I have a TV. I'm not judging, just wondering if two TVs are really necessary. TVs take up a lot of space, and in a 650-square-foot apartment, there isn't much to spare. Suggesting getting rid of a TV sure does seem to be a touchy subject around here, though. I wonder how well that part of the "Apartment Therapy" book went over.

At least they're not huge TVs. Then I'd be all pissy.

What almost works about the TV is that you don't really see it that much when you enter the room, although it might be nice to see it even less. I think I'd rather have it on the black thing that looks like a TV stand, although it depends on your eyesight whether you can see it from bed.

I think I would, then, actually hang the mirror above that instead of leaning it against the wall. I'd also want to actually hanging the dresser mirror above the dresser, but I'm sure that I would either completely center the bed in front of the window or have it's head against the right wall. The depth of the the dresser has probably helped determine where the bed is, but I'd almost rather see it replaced by something else to put clothes in, instead of giving the dresser that much "power" over where the bed is placed.

Melissa, your place looks really nice and clean. I'm finding that your dark bookcase in the living room sort of chops it in half. Everything is fairly light and breezy and then there's this big dark thing. I wonder if you could arrange the furniture to make it a little more conversational, I cant imagine your beautiful white chair gets used very much, it almost looks like it got put there as an afterthought. I also think the red in the chair could be carried over to the rest of the room - some red lampshades, rusty orange or persimmon accents to bring the kitchen color in with the living room. But these are just my ideas...

Curtis, I agree that not really seeing the TV when you enter the bedroom is a plus. Maybe it would work better on the thing that looks like a TV stand.

I'd like to see those two cute matching lamps shown to better advantage, maybe one of either side of the bed. And like you, I'd either center the bed or, as Pixie also suggested, move it so the head is against the right wall. And I'd hang the mirrors as well. The more I look at the headboard, the more I think it could be utilized more effectively elsewhere. I mean, if it's an Expedit bookcase, there are shelves concealed by the bed. Not sure what to do about the dresser. It almost seems too big for the room. And the more I look at the sheer curtain on the wall, the more I think it is hiding a damaged door. What's that strange jagged shadow behind it?

I think the dark bookcases in the main room might work better if something else in the room picked up the color, like dark brown curtain panels or cushions on the divan thing in front of the window or both. I think the stuff on the bookcases could be arranged more neatly. I think the rug should be rotated 90 degrees and the groovy white chair moved up to the cot coffee table.

Hi Melissa:

Sorry that you got such nasty comments from some of the posts. I like your apartment very much and believe you've been struck with some quite innovative ideas.

The only thing I'd change for now is the living room bookcase, which I can see is very utilitarian but perhaps something lighter would enhance your already light feeling more.

QUESTION:
I love the daybed thingy in front of your living room window. Would you please comment on it? Is it something you made? Something that could be made?

Anyway, kudos to you. Your hard work shows and I hope you are enjoying your apartment.

Melissa,

It looks like you have come a long way from where the apartment started. You deserve praise for your effort and it looks like you are on the right track. As you have said, this is the beginning of the transformation, so take the ideas that have been posted that appeal to you the most and let the rest go. After all, this is your apartment. You live there and you should feel relaxed and comfortable.

That being said, I would like to offer a suggestion for the bookcase in the main room. Like Jeffery, I think that the bookcase could actually be a bold addition, but you will need to tie it in with the rest of the space. Pick up some accents with bright jewel toned colors to pull in the dark fuscia of the sofa and brown. Wood colored lamps with a white shade would pull the bookcase in along with brown window panels. You might even want to bring in bright green or purple pillows and art to give the room an extra kick. Just make sure that the brown accents are also there. Or, if you would rather have some warm tones and not so much retro, try burnt oranges and reds. That way, you can not only tie the room together, you can connect the kitchen with the main area.

I also agree with Pixie that the bookcase/headboard in the bedroom should be utilized in another area. Since you space is small, I would use the windows to your advantage by making them a focal point instead of covering them up. I'm having a little trouble picturing the room's space by the two pictures that you submitted, but I would think that if you removed the headboard and moved the bed against the wall under the window, it would brighten the room up and also give a main focal point. The TV can be moved to the black piece if it is important to keep the TV in your bedroom. I like the blue and white in your room. You might want to consider painting your furniture so it looks white-washed.

Good luck with the rest of your designing and I look forward to seeing the finished product next year!

Horrid.

There are two things I would love to see in your apartment:

Your entertainment center painted white (actually, I think some of the disparate-toned woods in your place would be better in white.) A long, low white entertainment center would be even better, with a huge colorful piece of art over it.


...and some big bold pattern, like some white and red suzani pillows or a bold rug. I think you need accessories with some punch to match your bold walls.

Hi Melissa,

I like your place. I have a few suggestions you may want to take under consideration. Hanging all of your nice mirrors, will accent the walls and lessen clutter. Maybe sit the TV on the dark book shelf in your room, where it will look more in place. Better utilize the bench somewhere else, I believe I saw its mate next to the bed. Maybe use both as bedside tables, where they will better compliment each other. I think the living room is nice, but consider rearranging the furniture to a more aesthetically pleasing display. Turning the rug diagonal and having emphasis on the pink sofa as well as the white chair will bring attention to the more modern pieces. The white book shelf in your room is really awesome, but hidden away behind your bed. Think about bringing it into the living room, where it will flatter accents of the same color. Also, painting the living room book case will give it a clean, updated look. The kitchen looks good, I like the brightly painted walls. Just remember to apply common themes and colors to complete a room. Use composition and organization to finish it off! Keep up the good work.

Hi,

I like your apartment. It's very cute. However, I think you have a ghost in your bedroom...(see orb)


Sincerely,
Marcus