apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

your bed looks comfy and i think my grandma had that same secretary's desk (in your lr)... i wish she'd give me hers!

The aqua-colored wall in your living room is beautiful! What's the shade, please?

Love the wall colors. Paint name/brand for the dining room please?

Ditch the living room rug and I'll bring over a pot of tea and a nice cake.

I am inspired - you prove that one can mix "cast-offs" into a really pleasing living arrangment. Nice job!

Do people have to walk through your bedroom to get to your living room? If so, is this the original layout?

Tony G.

hey! your apartment is great! maybe you could send the landlord details my way ;)

weasel dearest obviously doesn't live in ny, or is fantastically well off and only has friends who are likewise :)

its a railroad apartment silly!

I'm jealous of that shine on your floors!

This is sad. Sad sad sad. I'd rather spend time in a nursing home. At least there the beds are adjustable.

Meg:

So that means she does bring people through her bedroom to get to her living room, right? There's nothing wrong with it. I had just never seen an apartment like this. (I don't think they have these in either California or Iowa -- the place of my birth.)

Tony G.

Jambone....if you WERE in a nursing home...no one would come to visit you....then again, you probably don't have many friends as it is do you?

Weasel,

This is a very common apartment/condo layout in NYC and surrounding areas, mostly in pre-war buildings. However, there's a range of diversity in how the interiors of railroad apartments are often configured- namely, where the bathrooms, living and bedrooms are assigned (take a look at Chin-Hua's Creative Corridor entry as an example of another approach to a railroad layout).

These apartments definitely present their own unique design challenges- and while I agree with Rachel's decision to devote the largest space to the livingroom (where one usually spends most of their time, at least awake) I think the hallway-bedroom could still use some touches to give it more of a sense of it's own space, and make the apartment as a whole seem less like a really long narrow studio. Perhaps some sliding glass panels or some creative curtaining would do the trick? Then again, it's possible such elements are already there, and the camera angle just doesn't represent it well....

All the railroad apartments that I've seen/lived in have been almost impossibly dark- yours looks very bright, especially the living room.

does the ceiling fan in the dining area disrupt the ambiance?

I love that you have used things from your family especially the cherished heirlooms. Your aqua walls are beautiful and I love the patterned shades covering the window as they create a homey old time feel. I agree about losing the LR rug it doesn't fit the over all feel of the room. Enjoy your lovely apartment.

this may be a retarded question, but what is your mattress resting on that allows it to be low to the ground and still have a bed skirt?

i love this apartment. that dining room table is great.

When I had a railroad I turned the bed 90 degrees and centered it on the wall, so that the foot was at the 'invisible' hall line. We built and hung a framed scrim-like screen panel from the ceiling to create a semi-hall. It worked great for making the bed area a little bit private and still let in the light. There may be a creative solution in there for you.

I do like the red chairs against that turquoise wall a lot, but I'm afraid you lost me at skyline art (a personal pet peeve). Sorry!

Good luck and enjoy!

Here in New Orleans, most people just starting out live in shotgun houses. These are old houses from the late nineteenth century that were made in the shape of a shotgun barrel. The joke is that you could shoot a shotgun at the front door and it would head straight through the home to the back yard. You have to walk through each room to get to the next. Usually the layout is living room, bedroom, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom. The privacy is limited but the architectural details are great. The RR apartment style reminds me of the shotgun.

plenty of railroads in SF. Most awkard apt: downtown Oakland converted 1 bdrm into 2 bdrm 1900's flat: my friends had to walk through the bathroom to get to my bedroom. (shared living).

there should be a Most Awkward Set-Up Contest.

Tony G - I've never seen one in California either, but the town I live in (oddly enough - it's where it is because of the railroad) does have some bungalows with some rather curious little rooms.

Isa - thanks for explaining - I was born and raised in CA and have never seen one of these, either.

Rachel, your home is lovely and very homey feeling. I like the wall colors too, so do please share. I'd be very interested in seeing more photos of your space (bet Tony G would, too) as I'm always curious about other people's spaces. I do like quirky places!

After the contest is over, it would be awesome to see more pictures of your place!

Let´s do the Most Awkward Set-Up Contest I say. :)

I love railroads! I love this place and I love my railroad. the extension of the apt in one long line is very peaceful and I love walking the length of it and back again. No turns, just from the kitchen and straight to bed!

msjessica has a great point - no awkward turns or corners (as there are in my current place) to make it difficult in getting largish pieces of furniture into and out of rooms.

Except for your generic living room rug (I'd go for a bare floor until you find a more suitable rug) and the Vornado fan in the bedroom shot I think this is a most charming apartment. I'd turn the bed as someone else suggested, and hang a semi-sheer curtain to mask it a bit but not shut off the space & light. I think your wall color choices & nice old furniture seem very comfortable and real. Too bad we can't see the kitchen, I think it's probably quite nice with those windows.

Beautiful photographs! I love the colors and the light.

The yellow flowers and the pulled out chair in the dining room are so inviting - it's so easy to imagine walking into the photograph and sitting down! The juxtaposition of the newfangled white ipod dock and the old fashioned white lamp works well - it can be hard to mix technology and old furniture.

I'm envious of your secretary desk in the living room - it has nice lines and would be a good place to be able to tuck away bills and office supplies. And I like the two matching chairs next to each other beside the desk - an unusual choice, but it works well in the space and provides additional seating.

Charlotte - I think what you think is a fan in the bedroom is actually a hatbox. I agree about the living room rug, it should be about twice as big. And the sofa looks kind of smushed against the far wall. But overall, very charming apartment. Great wall colors and I'm crazy about your dining table.

Ha! You're right about the hatbox. I still think it's distracting in the photo. I'd trip over it too, on my way down the hall.

This must be my hatbox week. I saw the Queen's hatboxes one night on the news--they were remarking on her bringing so much luggage-- and they are better than any hat I ever saw her (or anyone else) wear. But...I haven't been able to find any photos of them since.

Try a tailored bed skirt.
I love your orange kitchen walls!

Nice colors - love that tin ceiling!

Lively, livable mix, and impressively cohesive, given the floor plan. Personally, I love living inside quirkiness, and wouldn't trade it for the sterility of perfection, even if I could ; )

(Private and confidential to jambone: You're a rather nasty little sot, aren't you?)

Sorry, but I feel it's missing any design innovation and the "holy crap I can't believe she did that!" part present in several other entries.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions!
The paint is Benjamin Moore- Waterfall in the living room and Peach Brandy in the dining area.

It's interesting that the living rooom rug comes across as generic- it's actually a hand woven rug from what used to be Yugoslavia. I can definitely now see how it doesn't quite work in the room.

I would like to figure out another alternative for the bedroom, but unfortunately there isn't any space to turn the bed around, so I am still trying to decide on the best way to approach that space.

To answer the other questions- the mattress is on a simple metal frame with a box spring, the skyline photo is a view from my first nyc office, it is a hatbox at the end of the bed and the red living room chairs are velvet movie chairs.

I am just in the beginning stages of figuring out the best way to set-up the long narrow space, so hopefully I can share updated photos soon!

Very nice, Rachel! I especially like your living room. Speaking of which... have you considered switching your living room and bedroom? That's probably what I would do... I like big bedrooms!

Would the judges please tell us what criteria they are using. It is not self-evident from many of the recent featured entries.

Furniture is much too old-timey for my tastes.

I love the dining table and chairs - and the colour of the sitting room - and the red chairs - a very nice feeling to this apartment

Sorry I'm posting too late to vote on this one. :(

I think maybe one of the reasons some people don't seem to like this apartment is that the photography is not showing it at its best - I'd certainly like to see more photos of this at a later date.

and I can't imagine how anyone would trip over that hatbox while walking down the hall unless they are drunk or incredibly fat!!

does this remind anyone of a funeral parlor?

Nope - looks nothing like any funeral parlour I've ever been in