apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

What are Ashley's thoughts about color? I find this painfully monochromatic. Painful to me, a color junkie, clearly it works for her. But what is the notion behind it?

Thanks!

I wish I could see the stacks of books! Your apartment has such a serene, soft feeling (which I love), but I feel like it's lacking a certain vibrancy that books or some small pops of color could provide. Also, I keep wanting to angle your LCW and add a more substantial coffee table to better suit the scale of the sofa.

p.s. Nice to see Dutchess County represented! I grew up in Rhinebeck (now living on the other side of the river in Newburgh).

Cohesive and attractive overall style. Good use of Ikea too.

Agree with Lady J--unfortunately, this is just too drab. I like monochromatic when the tones used are rich.

I do see the stacks of books, but they're not doing cozy for me.

I admire the lack of clutter.

You can tell Ashley has good taste. Maybe (s)he just needs to win so (s)he can add some cool things to spice up the place! Good start on your home.

I'd really like to see a bright colored piece (or two) in there, but even without that I really like the feel. Visually it is very comfortable.

i love the overall sense of calm coming from the monochrome choice, but think it's meant to make artwork or flowers really pop, and unfortunately those are lacking. still cool though.

Er... while 'spare' can be done very well, it can be done very poorly, too. this space falls into the latter: the fruniture proportions are mismatched, the artwork artlessly placed, it looks like pieces of furniture are missing (er.. a bedside table? coffee table?) and furniture arrangement is uninspiring. this space is remarkably uninviting and drab.

Don't be afraid to throw some bold color in there!

I'm sorry, but it feels like this room is missing some personality. To me at least, the lack of "stuff" here doesn't make it look well-edited... just, well, lacking.

too much ikea in one home = DANGER ZONE!
this needs more personality, be it through color, mixing up the furniture choices (now noticing herman miller-style chair), some bigger, BOLDER art for the walls.

I can't get past the size of the art over the couch and the height it's placed at.

This seems like a very calm space and you have some nice individual pieces, but I agree that it feels as if something is missing and needs to be taken up a notch. I'll leave it to others to discuss just what it needs.

Colors good, Ikea furniture dealt with properly.

The first thought I had upon seeing the first picture was - brown, boring, and bottom heavy. The two small spots of blue over the couch only accentuate the fact that everything else is void of color and there isn't much there to draw the eye upward or make it cohesive. I agree with what others have said about the scale of the furnishings. How much better would it be if you substituted a larger painting in place of the two small blue ones over the couch, paired a second small table with the white table being used for a coffee table, a taller plant in place of the small one on the side table, and added curtains to the windows.

The dining room is scaled much better but is lacking color. It needs something in there that will express personality. Maybe a rug AND more colorful artwork would do the trick.

The bedroom again is bottom heavy and boring in the color dept. Adding a different colored bedspread, some accent pillows, curtains, and art over the dresser would really liven this room up.

This place is just not that exciting for me. It looks like she just went to DWR, picked up some iconic pieces and said, "voila my home home is cool now."

Very harmonious and peaceful. Would be curious to see the rest of the place.

bit boring, beige carried to extremes. I agree that a little something would fix it, colourwise, especially art, but as it is it's just too bland for my taste.

spartan - coffee table is waaay too tiny for anywhere I can see in these pics. The pics over the couch are too small too.
needs color. badly. even just one other color that makes an appearance in more art, a rug, etc.

sigh. it just doesn't look finished at all.

can someone tell me where the dresser in the bedroom comes from? is it ikea too?

It's not zen or austere (those being options, not requirements both) enough to make the monocrome work for me - it's all beige and blah. I don't want to impose my color tastes, but the beige couch and taupe bed feel draggy.

This space feels empty and impersonal to me, so I've had to vote not my thing.

I wonder about the comment, "No bookcases are needed (nor could they fit) in my apartment." Your apartment is not too small to have a bookcase, especially since you hardly have anything in there.

You have two tiny stacks of books and one tiny plant, in my opinion, those do not equal cozy. Try to bring in some personal objects, symbols of things you like, perhaps a favorite object from childhood. I am not saying do this for us looking at your place but for you. The more you express yourself through your "home" the more it becomes a part of you and not just a temporary refueling station for a transient.

If you look at the progression of contest entries posted on AT over the course of the 2007 smallest coolest contest, it appears that the contest judges have overreacted to the complaints about professionals competing and expensive apartment renovations, and have lost sight of important factors including creativity, use of space and quality of composition. This apartment is tidy and pleasant, and clearly the owner put thought into it and created a uniform, calm atmosphere. But consistent with the comments others have made above, and knowing of other people who have entered some remarkable and unique apartments which have not yet been featured in the contest, it is unclear to me what the judging criteria are. I would be interested to know.

I love the simplicity of your place. I especially love the piece of art over the bed, did you make it? Sorry - I'm goofing off at work so I have not read the other posts yet - you already know, I am sure, that you need a larger table and larger artwork in your living room. Looks like you wait to buy quality instead of just filling your place with low quality. Hope you win a prize so you can buy those!

Please post any changes you make. Good luck!

nice and clean, but a bit boring, and doesn't show a lot of personality. Maybe if it showed the stacks of books, it would look more homey and lived in?



to frampton: I recognize the dresser as one of the Malm lines.

thanks for sharing this space with us! I voted, "not my thing" but the thing it is-- it has a lot of potential. every year i kind of end up defining each vote on my own. (cos EVERY place has potential and that's not very helpful is it?)

It would be nice to see how grouping all of art pieces over the couch in a nice arrangement, and add to see more color! that pendant lamp over the dining area is a work of art on its own-- maybe just a small pop of color on the right hand corner? (like a low shelf in red with white or framed objects?)

if this entry came earlier in the contest, I'm sure this would have gotten more "has potential" votes.

I'm sorry Ashley's place didn't get more votes. I like monochromatic spaces and think this probably has a lot more punch than is apparent from the photos. This place is so restful, peaceful, relaxing, and I further admire Ashley's ability to edit herself. There is neither too much nor too little here.

I would feel super comfortable in this apartment; truly. Though it doesn't seem to please others here, I think this is beautiful and very well done.

It looks more like a dorm room than the dorm room from yesterday. Really drab and severe.

I don't think you need much more color, maybe an accent pillow or two. I like the calmness of it and the use of warm wood and warm whites. I think what you need is a smart dose of bling. Some shine here and there and some sparkle in the form of glass and silver, mirrors maybe. I have a house that is of smilar color, but I find ways to mix in some richer darker woods and some metals. I also use baskets and stuff for more texture and depth.
MP

Hi guys! Thanks for your votes and your comments. This apartment is mine. I have enjoyed reading the comments and will say that I am trying to add some color to my apartment, though not too much. My living room area is only 50 square feet with a 6" ceiling. I was unable to angle the camera to get the stack of books in the picture. I have actually tried adding a shelf over the table, however you would hit your head getting up from the table. I would like to change my rug to add more color and I am looking to purchase a new sofa (hopefully with winnings). I am on a very thin budget. I usually spend hours on my apartment each weekend. My apartment isn't yet finished and my ex recently took a lot of stuff.

Thanks again for the comments. Happy voting!

ashley, where is that sofa from?

while this place is too art/object/decoration empty for my liking, note on photography: a lower angle in all places would give a more benefit perspective. a lower angle in the bedroom would show the art while keeping the furniture in check. just advice to others!

You have really bad luck to be shown after Kirk's amazing apartment, so you get worse woting that your otherwise would.

This is going to sound really harsh and I'm sorry but...

when are you going to start decorating?

I don't understand how this got through to be posted as a entrant. There is nothing in these three pictures that shows any kind of originality in decoration of this space - theres no creative use of space as shown in so many of the other entries - theres no creative use of colour or artwork (although I have to say I do love that piece over the bed but its totally wasted on that beige wall) - theres nothing that makes this space any different to millions of apartments all over the country where people have painted the whole place the same colour and plonked down the minimum of furniture.

"I usually spend hours on my apartment each weekend." Can I ask doing what? - 'cause theres no sign of any time being spent on it at all.

First off I'd change that art over the sofa - totally wrong for the space - if you like the pictures and want to keep them they need wider frames - the same width as the white mounts - but I'm not sure where you'd put them in that apartment as beige and purple do not belong together!!

To think that this could actually win over some of the gorgeous/exciting/creative entries we've already seen is beyond belief!

I voted 'not my thang', as I think this place is nice, but not showing the innovation or style required for a winner. But AT was begging people to enter, so what has anyone got to lose by putting in an entry? I'd like to see Ashley enter again next year, after having some time to find the right pieces to replace what her ex took, and apply what she learns from the AT book (there's only 80 being given, I hope she gets one).

In the meanwhile, I'd suggest a largish plant to add colour and texture on a budget, or maybe a luxe-looking cushion for the couch.

Well-edited and clutter-free, this space definitely has potential, but why not showing a picture of your favorite element--the stacks of books? Visually reads a bit sterile, although it sounds like you're transitioning a bit in your life...sorry about the ex. Definitely empowering to re-arrange things to your liking without having to take someone else's opinion into account!

I have asked that my posting be removed. I can't believe that this contest was allowed to take place. It is bias towards anyone who cannot spend $25,000 to fill their place. I also can't change anything, molding, paint, etc because I am in a rental. The pictures over the sofa are a lot larger than they appear in the picture. I had to use my phone to take the pictures. Sorry I couldn't get the stacks of book into the photos. I spend hours trying to make my space look just right. Forgive me for being lower class and trying to survive on a budget.

ashley--

Don't fret over the beee-atches ragging on you (for the record, some being negative here are REGULARLY bitchy.. hope that doesn't "sound harsh"...)

I think you have a lovely, calm, clutter-free home. If it were submitted as the "After" in a Cure thread, most everyone here would be cooing, oohing and ahing.

These contests bring out the not-so-attractive side of people, even when the place being critiqued is largely fault-free.

I think a few tiny rearranges would make this even better, but your home is MUCH nicer than most out there. Thanks for sharing.

And perhaps we can see the *spectacular* homes of the naysayers here sometime soon...

REALLY ignore the people who want you to make this "more colorful" (this ain't the color contest, folks). Your palette is very calming and richer than I think it initially appears.

And I STRONGLY disagree that this looks like it all came from Ikea... you can't get Eames or that Platner/Platner-inspired table (which I sooooo want!!!) at Ikea last time I checked.

Also incredibly envious you have two stories. And don't apologize for your pics... they are better than many in the contest that *didn't* come from a camera phone!!

What do you mean you can't believe this contest was allowed to take place? Allowed by whom?

It's a nice place and a place that has lots of potential but have you looked at other entried from the past two contests?

I voted not my thing b/c while there is a lot of potential it needs another layer or two to bring it home.

(I keep thinking of Shauna's More Dash than Cash from last year and nothing this year matches that for personal *style*.)

"It is bias towards anyone who cannot spend $25,000 to fill their place."

The contest is in no way biased towards people who have spent a lot of money - many of the comments in the past have been bad for places that have had a lot of money spent on them - commenters actually like people who have been innovative and creative without having spent vast amounts of money - many entrants have furnished their apartments from family hand-me-downs and thrift stores/craigslist - the contest is not looking for money to be spent - its looking for creativity and style

"I also can't change anything, molding, paint, etc because I am in a rental."

fair enough - many other renters are also in this position and work around it - you have an unfortunate colour on the walls that limits your choices for furnishings

"The pictures over the sofa are a lot larger than they appear in the picture."

But PROPORTIONALLY they are wrong against the size of the sofa - artwork over that sofa needs to be at about 2/3 the width of the sofa to give a good balance

"I had to use my phone to take the pictures."

No problems - they are actually really good quality for phone pictures

"Sorry I couldn't get the stacks of book into the photos."

Any reason why you chose the particular views you did rather than views with stacks of books in them?

"I spend hours trying to make my space look just right."

If you're happy with your home then thats great but you entered it for a contest to be judged by other people against very strong competition

"Forgive me for being lower class and trying to survive on a budget."

Who mentioned anything about it being lower class? - having looked carefully at the pictures I can't find anything in your apartment that screams lower class at all - its just not as cool as the other entries in the Smallest Coolest competition

I'm sorry you wanted to withdraw but did you not realise what this site is like and what kind of competition you were entering? - have you not looked at the other entries?

You've got a great space and some great items (the dining table is smashing as is the art over the bed as I mentioned before) - personally I'd put curtains up at all your windows as it looks unfinished without them, even if you never close them (I think I can see blinds in the pictures above) - I personally hate the colour of the sofa and would chuck a throw over it or at least add lots more cushions - one on its own looks so lonely - the tiny little table in the centre of the room looks out of place - move it next to the chair under the window as a side table - its tiny size is better suited to the edges of the room than in the middle - i'd like to see the two pieces of art over the dining table be the same size and remove whatever that grey door-like thing is propped against the wall under the table - I'd get a slightly higher bed-side table for the bedroom and also change that grey rug for another colour - the cool grey is clashing with the warmth of the browns used everywhere else (better to have no rug than a clashing one as the floors are gorgeous) - I also agree with a commenter above who suggested a large green plant - I'd get several and they would really bring some life into this apartment with very little expenditure.

I meant it when I said I was sorry for sounding harsh but this apartment, in its current state, is really not up to the standard of the other entries for the Smallest Coolest Apartment contest - you say that "My apartment isn't yet finished and my ex recently took a lot of stuff" so maybe this wasn't the best time to enter this competition - please don't feel disheartened - I'd love to see this apartment entered in next years competition after you've had a year to work on it

And Violetrose, we'd love to see yours.

PS, I don't think her wall color is "unfortunate" or her browns and grays "clashing." Actually, I'd keep pointing out where I disagree with you, but the list is too long.

And like I said before, if this were the "After" of a Cure thread (or if there were a CAT in any of the pictures), the reaction would be TOTALLY different.

Well I think her wall colour is unfortunate as it won't go with every other colour in the world thus it limits her choices

You're perfectly entitled to disagree with me - its purely my opinion I'm putting forward

Yes you're quite right that the reaction to this apartment would have been different if it had been posted as an "after" cure picture - but it wasn't - it was entered into the Smallest Coolest competition - I didn't like some of the apartments previously shown as they are not my taste but I could appreciate them for their design aesthetics or creativity - this apartment didn't have that element

and having a cat in the pictures wouldn't have made a jot of difference to me - unless it was sat on the table then it would have been even worse

I would love to submit my place for a house tour - its not nearly finished to my satisfaction but I am looking forward to posting some photos of the bits I've already completed so that you can totally tear me apart - but I'll be prepared for that!

I don't know what you are seeing on your monitor, but that wall color is EXTREMELY neutral.

And I'm not arguing with your opinion... just your typically negative tone. I don't think the word "hate" belongs ANYWHERE in these threads.

I joined just to say that I like the apartment a lot. Lots of resting space. I agree about the pictures above the sofa being too small and think that a bigger coffee table would be nice, but there is a lot of restraint here and it is not too "jazzy". It seems real. The dining room and bedroom are very nice. It is kind of zen. I also like the rug and the wall hanging. Signs of life like a flower arrangement would really stand out in these spaces.