apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I really like your living room, kitchen and the giant lightbulb. But you lost me with the red guitar. Overall, very nice.

wow! this is striking. I am curious about the table parallel to the kitchen. I notice it has wheels...how does it work?

Small Space, Big Style alum..... i've always liked this one.

Maybe I just don't like postmodern art, but my initial reaction to your living room was "decoration overload."

Nice. Where from, the furry bedspread?

its very nice... like the kind of space i'd see in a magazine or something. but i wouldn't want to live there or spend any length of time there. its not home-y enough for me.

but its definitely creative! and some of the elements are just too gorgeous - like that kitchen table? JEALOUS!

Cool AND small!!

Lots I like, including the roller shade dividing kitchen from living.

Smart and high style. I would *maybe* lose an item or two, or opt for tighter groupings. I think your art would do better without so much close-by competition, just imho, but I really love the overall effect, and your taste in general.

ps: I predict we'll see this interior in print, or on SSBS, within the year...

Vegas baby vegas! Love the layout and personal style - whimsical and still calm & comforting. I take it this is a 'no shoes' kind of pad? Cheers!

Holy Warhol! They did not paint a Cherner chair silver...lordy! Well styled I agree, but if I had to spend more than 30 minutes in this apartment I'd feel like I was in a window display of a higher end vintage store.

Also, there is absolutely nothing organic in this apartment like a live plant or flowers to counteract all this plastic fantastic which leaves feeling cold.

To each his own however, and if it works for this tenant, then congrads to them for such a clean and highly styled space. I do think the layout deserves big kudos for its design and thoughtfulness.

I'd hate to have to clean all that white. I find the number of oversized elements to be overload--one or two would be whimsical, but all of them end up taking over.

I really like how you have that curtain to separate the kitchen from the living room.

I do agree though that the living room seems a little overdone. There's too much going on in there. But I must say it does look very comfortable.

Also, with the oversized objects, I think you could have stuck with one to get the effect. Several is sort of overkill in my opinion.

I like the kitchen though and the layout of the bedroom.

The light bulb, red guitar, and multi-color slab design -- this feels like a 12 year old's bedroom.

Trying just a bit too hard. Too much stuff in the living room, looks like you'd be bumping into furniture trying to walk through it. I do like the use of white and lucite.

There may be nothing *growing* but there are indeed "organic" elements here... the tribal sculpture, the fur rug, the rounded chairs, the stone horse head, the patchwork cowhide rug...

Not every space is enhanced by a grocery store plant. To me, here, that would be like putty one of those frilly toothpicks in a martini.

Wow.

And who DOESN'T like a big screw(driver) in the kitchen every now and then?!

A little too mod for me, sorry.

patrick- it's already been on SSBS

I love the white. I like the way the kitchen is done. I really like the way the lighting is done in this apartment, particularly the lighting beneath the bed.

My favorite element is the multi-functional kitchen table. Wonderful.

I'm more the zen dark furniture textured silk kind of gal and I have to say that I wouldn't mind spending a weekend in this place and curling my naked toes into that carpet (my life's goal is to live in P(too)s place for a weekend but since that isn't going to happen, I'll drool over this one for a bit :))

Lovely, and I like the fact that that Guiseppe is not afraid to let the art rule. That's what's so wonderful about the white. It let's everything else do the singing.

Oh, Oh, forgot: I adore the yellow that seems to connect throughout the place. Happy but not glaring.

My biggest concern would be having friends over...I'd be so nervous giving a friend a glass of red wine or a cocktail with cranberry juice.

this apt was featured in the NYtimes' home/garden section sevrl mnths ago.

love it, of course.

(why so many "professional" contentrs this time around? seems kind of disingenouos.)

This place was already featured in NYTimes' House & Home/Style section in March 2006.

oops, fran0356, we posted at the same time. :D

ps--last time i saw it, there was also a temporary divider of sorts to keep unsightly kitchen scenes from view, if desired. kit lks a lot btr now, tho.

However.................................I can't vote on it becaus the voting results are showing and not the voting "boxes".......anyone?

"Also, there is absolutely nothing organic in this apartment like a live plant or flowers to counteract all this plastic fantastic which leaves feeling cold."

There is something plant-like in the kitchen by the sink.

G- nice use of space! And I really like the custom (?) roller shades-- do you have a suggested source for those? I'm thinking of doing this for my closet which is just a walkway without doors but I can't decide if it'll look right...

WOW indeed.

Well done! Well done! I can honestly say that I've never seen anything quite like it. You certainly get an Insta-Finalist vote from me!

It has very striking elements (I love the kitchen/dining set up and the living room furniture looks comfortable, but the whimsy is a bit over done. If it were just one or two unusual items it would be fantastic, but it just seems too... calculated rather than whimsical.

(oops..guess it's still there...my bad)

See, my predictions *already* came true. Damn, I'm good!! ;)

Loved this on SSBS. The big pencil is very cool!

SSBS? I thought this looked familiar. But, it seems like I've seen those pencils in print.

I really like the idea of interiors "discovered" here on AT through this contest, so I had hoped for a "not previously published" clause in the contest, but I see none, so this is fair game.

I think it's pretty hot. Being able to work all that white without having it look empty? Conversely, I think it's kind of a lot of stuff that manages not to look too cluttered, also. VERY interesting choice to manage to have big comfy chairs instead of a couch. Pretty brill stroke.

I'm with you P too - I was v. excited to see new spaces in the contest but so far almost everything was either a house tour or inside out or similar before.... Maybe it just seems that way because I saw this in the NYT too.

I like this space, even though it seems a little like a lived-in chelsea art gallery! Love the white rug and the n-i-ce pappassan chairs, they look super comfy to snuggle in with a book.....

I think the space is laid out well... but those over-sized objects are killing it for me. Just a few too many. I think it's that lightbulb, specifically... o_o"

BUT your place is still awesome and I LOVE your kitchen! *envy*

I love this space and have since I saw it in the New York Times - I believe it was published almost a year ago.

This is NOT a person that runs to Design Within Reach to furnish their whole apartment with 'appropriate' modernism - thank god! It may not be everyone's style but what makes it good design is the consistency of the idea and the personality that is present in the design. In fact, IMHO, it is irrelevant whether I would live here as it is not my home.

On a side note:
I don't believe professionals should be kept out of these competitions - in fact I think they add a great deal to the discussion and the level of the competition. Many of them are solving small space design problems in unique and interesting ways on very tight budgets (unless they have trust funds or lawyers for partners). I do know not everyone on AT agrees with me on this issue and I appreciate those views.
However, I do have a bit of a problem with projects qualifying that have been published already - particularly those published in major newpapers or magazines.

Of course, in the end, it is up to Maxwell to determine what does qualify and what does not, but I would love to hear what others think about this.

oops .. missed P(2)s comments while typing!

Lots of great moments, and I like the screwdriver with the Castiglioni. That piece of wood at the base is such a scrumptious shape. Like the whisk, too. It's clever to have oversize things in a small place, because NY apts are like living in the walls with the little people. I was almost expecting a matchstick box bed. Something about the kitchen area works well because it seems like it could take a mess, unlike the hyperreal living room, where a single being would be too much clutter, but I like that too.

I am also unsure about the guitar, but sure about how high those things above the bed are hung (too high). I understand you don't want to bang them in the night or...but it seems a little lonely by the bed, comparatively. I thought painting the wall on the side a color might work, or a rug perhaps...perhaps it looks fine in person.

WHERE DID YOU GET THAT TABLE?!

Always find it amusing when people say "thank god they didn't furnish all from one place (like DWR)".

But seriously, to me (even though I like it a lot) it looks like it all came from the same hip vintage store to me. What exactly is the difference?

And I don't object to pros entering at all, but I'd like them to be new-to-the-world interiors, via AT, for AT's sake.

This is the first entry from NY I am really excited about. I absolutely LOVE it. Seeing such creative use of 300 sf is why i love this contest. The giant lightbulb is probably my favorite piece and I think the art in general is what really makes the space. I love your use of white--it really flows in such a small space, and there are so many levels and textures that it never gets boring. Great job!

For the commenter above me, I don't think it should matter where a space was already featured. I think its history with the AT contests should be the only relevant detail. And I think I recall Maxwell saying as much during the last contest.

Absolutely not my style, but you've made good use of the space you've got. While I'd never be able to endure the endless fuzz and fluff you must have, I really like your living room rug.

Cool with potential.

"person above me"--

Yes, he did, but that doesn't mean we all have to agree. And we can let it factor into our own voting.

I love the living room. In the bedroom, I would get rid of the stack of books, move the guitar to that wall, and put something "softer" over the front of the bed, like a tall faux-fur-upholstered headboard. I love the faux fur in the apartment. Where did you get the bed covering and rug?

i envy all of your WHITE, but wonder how you keep it white and wonder where you plop yourself after a long day (your bed I suppose)...stunning and fun overall - while it may strike some as over-crowded, if you truly love all those pieces and had to have them, good job showcasing it all - you shouldn't have to put your beloved items on rotation if you can put them all out at once.

Very cool space. With spaces like this I often wonder how the design process flowed and developed. If the tenant is a professional designer then the answer is probably simple, a design was drawn and executed. But I am always interested in how a place like this develops around a single piece or idea or rug or something like that. For example, did the idea begin with the two cushy chairs in the living room and were the giant pencils and books carried around since 3rd grade? Really cool.

Personally I don't recall this apartment on SSBS and I try to not miss an episode, although someone had the giant pencils. Still an excellent use of a small space.

ZAP! ZIP! ZING! It's not my personal style but I can appreciate it for what it is.

Eventhough is not my style, I love the place. Particularly your living room.

This was featured in the NY Times a few months back. I remember it vividly, I love the (mostly) white place.

Hmm. Does anyone really live there?

Next.

This feels more like an art installation or a stage set to me than a home--but then, that's part of what makes it cool. You obviously have a vision that you've executed nearly flawlessly.

Why do you ask? Cuz no cat?
No piles of junk?

Why do people assume "stylized" means no one's at home?

I love the living room. There are a lot of pieces in there and ordinarily I might suggest getting rid of a few, but somehow it all works here and looks fun and inviting. Unfortunately, the kitchen seems too clutter-y to me and I think there is too much dissonance between the items on the wall next to the bed.

I like the big screwdriver and the big pencils.

Tony G

This place makes me feel anxious. I want to knock over a bunch of glasses of Sangiovese as a pre-emptive strike against clumsiness, just get it over with.

I don't prefer this one. It feels... suffocating.

Oh, I forgot...Three photos are not enough because you cannot see the bathroom. Three photos mean you have to leave out one room. Most people would choose kitchen, living room/dining room and bedroom and leave out the bathroom. I would like to see if the design is carried through to the loo. Maybe there is a white fuzzy toilet seat cover or the bathroom is bright red.

I am sorry, but that jumbo light bulb is totally ridiculous! Maybe Giuseppe should add a gigantic lamp too, complete with an oversized lamp shade that takes up the whole entire living room.

Okay, okay. Kidding aside. The cow-hide rug in the kitchen is awesome. Also, the studio looks way bigger then it actually is - and that is obviously through clever design.

The contestants this year are really raising the bar.

so the idea is: if less is more, just imagine how much more more will be ;-)

i love every single piece in your home, which looks like a great eskimo hang-out. but you should really get a bigger apartment to do justice to all of those beautiful pieces. or rotate them.

good luck in the contest, you've got my vote :)

it feels like a museum instead of a living space. the oversized items are cool but i would get sick of them so fast.

not my style but WAAAAAAAAY fun.

i remember this apartment featured in the times also. still it's great inspiration for using large scale art and decorative elements to make asmall space seem larger. the pencils and wisk remind me of the store, think big, which was in soho years ago.

I love it. I think this is a tremendous use of space, and it's really fun. Great job!

Hmm. Does anyone really live there?

Hmmmm... I see comfortable seats, tables to rest a glass on, bookshelves with books, potholders in the kitchen, storage in the bedroom, adequate cooking space if you move the potted plant... yup, looks designed to be lived-in to me.

It's pop art rather than cozy, and you have to like your art as focal points rather than as backdrop -- but it's definitely a home. (The white doesn't bother me that much -- unless you brilliantly match your upholstery to the prevailing local dust and are careful with the merlot, just about any color presents cleaning and spill issues.)

I think this is one of the best apartments I've ever seen.

Like many others here, it is not my aesthetic, but I adore the way the art takes center stage. If one can imagine one's own art in this sort of space, then it would work easily.

What's truly genius is the way Giuseppe made 300sf look like it's a great deal bigger.

The space is so very well laid out:

1. The table serves many purposes and has a view. It's beautiful in itself.

2. The living room is very comfy and the lucite-backed chairs can serve the dining area.

3. The bedroom feels like a bedroom but it also feels like a niche within the living area. The bedcover is unusual; so that helps it look like a living room niche as well.

4. The bedroom looks ultra sexy and has a view.

5. The kitchen has a view; indeed, all spaces have a view.

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It saddens me to see so much criticism here. What's going on? Why not applaud what is well done? Is this envy?

this is not my aesthetic at all, but i love this space. it's so great to see people really taking risks, and not seeing the same old midcentury modern thing played out again and again. on a side note, does this apartment remind anyone else of the nuni schoeners snl skit?

Reminds me of the scene in St. Elmo's Fire where Demi Moore's character is coked out of her mind in front of the neon Billy Idol wall "art". Not for me...

Hey Giuseppe:

Your ingrao.com web site seems to have a problem. I'm so curious to see more of your work.

BTW: The more I look at this the more I see and like. Your space planning is fantastic. How do you keep everything so clean? I've had very little luck with white in NYC.

Gorgeous! I love all the white. Although I've never been a big fan of Papa-san type chairs, the living room is amazing. The art is a wonderful combination of wit and tribal.

BTW, where's the source for the rug in the kitchen.

Dear SharonC - The dining table doubles as a working surface; because of the whells it can be moved easily, especially during my often hosted dinner parties, sometimes up to 6 people.

k in ditmas - The bed cover is made of goat skin; I found it at the Chelsea Flea Market in NYC.

Amazing.... definitely fits the COOLEST apartment bill!

s in DC - The roller shade is made of a sheer mash called Sheer #2000; it is aveilable at any Janovic stores.

M - I got the table from Las Venus in NYC; it is Swedish, 1950s, made of teak. I sprayed with white lacquer paint, so it desappear with the white background.

heps - The white area rug is made of sheep skin; I bought it at ABC Carpets.

This is my favorite space so far, it's WHITE HOT!

Giuseppe says that his personal space is cozy, warm and functional?
Instead of an open plan he decided to create distinct living spaces? It looks like open plan to me.
Good use of space.

This place is great for its lighting and "knock you over the head" aesthetic. The hanging piece with double arrows leaves little doubt about Giuseppe's sexual preference, another "big idea" one cannot miss.

I love your artwork! I love how you have set it against white so it does not look too cluttered. Also, the white table dividing the kitchen area from the living area is genius. It does look like you need a comfortable place to sit to admire all that beautiful art, though.

It feels overly gimmicky, and severely 80s. There's a fine line between kitschy and tacky, and I'm not sure where this falls.

Maja - I was determined to create a real dining area, a real living area and a real bedroom, not a universal space that would not serve any of those functions well.

im really impressed that this is 350 sq ft and it's set up nice and not cluttered.. but i just can't stand some of the objects you used for decor. i had to vote not my thing.. cause while your favorite thing was the "oversized pop art objects, a giant whisk – a large screw driver – a pair of over sized pencil " that would have to be my least favorite !
that and the furry rug/carpet in the living rooom.. ahhh. no thanks :)

How on earth can you keep this space clean!

I think if you got rid of all the weird oversized pop art objects it would be my favorite space by far....but the pop items dont really seem out of place, just not my style is all....

where are those paintings (prints?) in the living room from?? they are stunning!?

What a great apartment. I love your over sized artwork and splashes of color!

You would think the large objects would make the place feel smaller...but my feelings from the photos are that they don't at all. Your place is so whimsical, I love it. Your living room makes me feel like I'm walking into an arctic snowstorm :) And that screwdriver is cracking me up!

Very cool space.... Love your use of white. The black stripe down the table being picked up in the art above on the wall, as well as using the black book as a prop... Fantastic!

It's so fun! Yes, it's very stylised, but I could imagine that someone could live here very comfortably as well (as long as they were tidy).

This is white hot!

I want my MTV!

If only "Top Design" had done something like this. Absolute rock star, Giuseppe! And that giant wire wisk? !!!!!

Not a style I could live with, but certainly the cosiest version of it I've ever seen. I love the fluffy carpets, and I think a lot of effort has been put into making the place usefully organised and liveable.

Great style, but too... too. Fantastic, in a fantasy sort of way, but feels unfriendly to hanging out at home (then again, I don't have to live there so this is just me projecting). Maybe just a little less of the oversized objets d'art would help. Loan them to a public gallery?

I really don't think professional interior decorators, whose apartments have already been published, should be allowed to enter this contest.

This person not only works for an important design firm, he does decorating on his own, on the side. He is clearly very good at getting publicity. The photographs he submitted are from the magazine/newspaper shoot; professional.

I, for one, vote this apartment should be removed from consideration.

On of the best entries I have seen in a very long while. The place looks bigger than the 300sf it is. He's managed to fill his home with items that he loves without making it feel cluttered or over the top.

He's made his home to fit himself with things he loves, so I don't know why people are criticizing the home he has made for himself. I love everything about his home and I can appreciate the fact that the art is the center of it. Instead of gaudy paint colors, he uses his art to grab attention and it all fits perfectly.

It's original, luxurious, bright and fun. I think I've found my winner.

the sheer glamour of this place is heartwarming.
(i've been waiting for it to appear.)
it's a powerful vibe!!

"I really don't think professional interior decorators, whose apartments have already been published, should be allowed to enter this contest." Louise16

I agree.

Absolutely appreciate 300 sq ft really well used. But the giant stuff would make me feel like like Dennis Waterman from Little Britain...

The over-sized household items are kind of scary. It's like a pseudo-fun house thing.

So Mod Pod! very cool! love the pop art too

JacksonMarie wrote:

"my life's goal is to live in P(too)s place for a weekend"...

I'm trying to find pictures of P(too)'s apartment for while but can't! Someone help to kill my curiosity, please??

thanks in advance

Excellent execution of your vision. I love the look you've achieved.

I think it's high compliment that although many posters said the all white, modern look is not their style, they nevertheless LOVE how you pulled it off.

I happen to love the giant pop art pieces, ALL of it (the pencils, whisk, screwdriver, lightbulb). I didn't feel they were overdone; to me they represented a personal collection -- just like collections of vintage cameras, figurines, or other things people tend to collect -- that shed light on the person who lives there. It was fun for me to spot them.

AND I also love your other artwork (tribal sculpture in the living room -- what great contrast with the all-white plexiglass look --, the geometric painting over the bed, plus the other darker abstract painting and the matching animal figure beneath.

Voting has already been locked, so I can't cast my vote, but good luck in the contest!

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Where did you get the giant light bulb from?

I'm a big fan over sized, "in your face", pieces !

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Fantastic!

The (mostly) monochromatic white-on-white theme takes a lot of nerve, especially during a time when most people have a vendetta against the unpainted wall. And your playfulness and sense of humor really comes through with your quirky accessories.