apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Super-smart layout! Too bad there can't be more natural light. Despite that, it's very inviting.

Even though they're not my style, I'm really appreciating and enjoying the 400ish sf and under entries. Good Job!

Looks promising, but the pictures aren't great...

Would have voted super cool but didn't because I was really confused by some of the pictures. I always hate when people say that, but on this post the pictures were too hard to figure out. Love what I could be though, and good for you for rocking the drum kit in the bedroom!

I see tons of potential here... I voted cool because the photography just didn't capture what I think is already there. I know this isn't a photography contest, but how well the 'coolness' is captured in pictures has a lot to do with the gut reaction of a space.

I can't believe it's only 375 sf. I think you did a great job on the place, but the photos could be better.
Good luck.

Smart space, and even though I didn't understand what was going on in that photo with the floor storage flap thing, it sounds cool. But that under the counter shot was a total waste. Why do people do that?

I'm with marlamischeif. I do like this studio and I can appreciate artistic photography and showing rooms in a different way, but a shelf corner doesnt' show much and the attempt at showing the platform was confusing. Couldn't there just be a platform opn, platform closed set of photos? Where's the picture of the office or bathroom? Isn't the point to show the layout as best as possible when discussing small spaces?

Excellent! Very creative solutions used throughout. I like exposed edge of the stacked plywood counter and other great ideas.

I wasn't able to capture the feeling of the space due to some of the pictures. I didn't get it.

Why do all the smaller apartments have bigger kitchens then mine? Grrr!!!

I love the colors and the smart use of space and light. I voted cool because there is something missing that my non-design minded brain can't articulate. I'll figure it out.

The detail shot is absolutely useless, but the space is appealing. I wish there were more natural light in there. The bookshelves seem a bit dis-sheveled too, but that's a minor sticking point. NY definitely appears to have the most interesting submissions this year. Guess there's no surprise there. Maybe in the future they should have a whole contest just for NY.

The shot of movement in the bedroom platform pictures is to show how the floor has a door that lifts up.

I agree that the detail shot is useless but if everyone would take time to look at the layout FIRST then the overall shots its really easy to figure out where everything is in all of these entries. It just takes time because not everyone has a wide angle lens and its hard to take a room shot in so little space.

where did you get that pendant fixture in the kitchen?

Pictures 2 and 3 were totally pointless. This could be cool to supercool, but the photography doesn't reveal.

One more thing, plus, a lot of photos have mirrors that show what's on the other side of the room...use them to give you a sense of the space too. That was usually the intent of the photographer I think.

I think a rule for picture submission next year should be NO VIGNETTES! Unless you make it to the final round.

The detail shot (#2) is excellent.

It shows how sheets of Baltic plywood can be made to look interesting, almost like bamboo. Thanks for including that photo and sharing that great idea, it is one of the only ideas so far in this contest that I'm actually planning to borrow.

I agree, ridge_van_winkle. Although the vignette shots can be cool, I'd rather see more of the wee homes!

I loved it! I think it's truely a small cool! I wish there were a little more natural light for a healthier feel.

Lots of interesting ideas that I don't think were all that clearly shown but still it comes across as cheerful and liveable.

This is brilliant. Really hope to see more in the semi-finals.

Say hi to Jeero for me. He is my son's pillow.

Nice space! Also, I really love all these hand-drawn layouts that entrants are submitting.

super cool! these photos of the really really small spaces just need to be looked at more carefully that's all. i had no problem with the pix.

seems like a lot of cool things going on in this place. the shelf attached to the ceiling is a great idea. overall, feels a little cluttered, but amazing use of the square footage.

gotta agree with the photo comments...i really think that they could have been a little bit more thought out, or perhaps they were even over-thought?

i do love the cubes, though!

What's with the pictures? Especially number 2.

Some of the pics were confusing...but I liked what I was able to see of the place. I vote cool!

I voted supercool (#3 of the contest for me), but I agree with everyones take on photos #2 and #3.
And If enamorado is the owner of the apt, I'd demote this to cool b/c of their attitude.

Nice Ideas, I'd like to see more pictures. though

Not everyone dislikes photo #2. I like photo #2.

I'm amazed that others don't see how brilliant photo #2 is.
I do some woodworking/ furniture building in my spare time, so maybe I appreciate what he or she has done here.

Plywood laminate has a distinct edge profile that most people dislike because it looks, well, like plywood. But this person has cleverly stacked several sheets together... the laminate structure hides the joint between sheets, so now it looks like a thick slab of some exotic wood, like bamboo (or zebrawood, only paler).

I have never seen this done before, and I think it's brilliant. It's also in keeping with the AT spirit of making it look great without spending a fortune, and also DIY'ing what you can.

Please... lay off photo #2!
;)

I like this, but agree that it is hard to tell too much from the photos. Since each entry was supposed to include one detail shot, I don't mind seeing the plywood countertops. Still, I'd like to see more of this place.

Smart space. Very cool.

Evan says:

What is your one favorite element in your small, cool home?

kitchen shelf and huge counter : made with stack of plywood and formica top, it's cheaper than any counter surfaces but the plywood edge shows its character.

I suspect that's why he include picture number 2.

I like the strange animals on your couch.

the wire ikea lighting... is that something you can install w/o hiring an electrician & breaking lease? i've been looking at them for a year.

It looks like you have a kid and turned your apartment into a super cool playspace for them.

super cool photographs... I really don't get the problems people have with them, especially when connected with the written descriptions. perhaps some are surprised by their creative qualities?

People have been crying for small cool solutions -- this entry highlights several and yet the criticizing continues!?!

cool, nice little space.

I'll admit it, I gave you supercool for having ugly dolls be one of design resources and because I want to see more of this place. The countertop picture will be lost on most people who don't understand what you did or who don't care about homemade design. look forward to seeing more of this entree.

Thanks for the comments, I really enjoy reading them.

Sorry for the poor images quality, I have no clue why they are fuzzy. I agree that I should have put more pictures of the closet and the office, and I thought pic #2 was the detail shot that "apartment therapy" is asking for. Well well... Anyway I just want to share how little the budget can do with this apartment, and I'd love to show more pictures as well. Thanks again.

love the pics evanchan. don't listen to the armchair art/style critics that rear their heads for this small/cool business. (that goes for everyone entering too!)

i really have to know where you got your kitchen pendant from!

This is incredible! What a genius to turn a 375sf studio into a place that has bedroom, living room, kitchen, office and whatnot, very impressive.

oh, here are answers to the questions.

1. The pendant was DIY. Just go to any lighting hardware store & u can make one yourself, but please use an electrician.

2. The wire light wasn't from IKEA. Again, I'd suggest to hire an electrician.

I really like this studio. It seems chock full of good ideas for maximizing a small and dark space and turning it into a liveable apartment -- isn't that exactly what "smallest, coolest" is supposed to be about? I have a real soft spot for very small, reclaimed spaces that wouldn't be nearly as useful without the effort people have put into them, building platforms and thinking out how to divide and arrange. This is a lot more than just "decorating" the space -- this is building the space into a different shape.

I hope I'm not adding to the problem, but I'm now going to vent my spleen about some of the earlier commenters, who ought to win some prize for rude obtuseness -- not seeing what's there, not reading the entrant's own comments (which explain the detail shot of the plywood shelves -- even before the woodworking info offered in other comments which helped me appreciate it even more), criticizing the place for not having lots of natural light (hello?? is this how we judge apartments for this contest? dark places need not apply?), not "getting" the photos, which actually do a fine job of showing the apartment if you take the time to use the brain a little, whining about not seeing more of the space when the person has already used up their limit of 6 shots showing different spaces in each. I dunno -- is it helpful to ask people to engage brain before shooting off nasties from their mouth? It isn't enough to be rude and critical about someone else's efforts, but you have to be obtuse too?

Sorry for the rant.

AT -- a mix of delight and frustration.

oh wow, what a sweet set! lovely space, and I love the photos, just hope we get to see more!

Zephy - It is the subjective "I know what I like" and "I know it when I see it" that drives this contest, and the varying degrees of taste and eye for detail, not to mention actual "expertise" which is particularly fraught with shoulds and shouldn'ts. I disagree with a lot of snap judgments (color combos particularly) that people tend to make and others tend to follow, bandwagon-style, but it's also my opinion that most people are digesting this information with their preferences. I think that kitchen counter in this entry is neat-o now that I know what it is, but I still didn't think that shot was a real seller for this entrant. It's too oblique.

I didn't really like this space, despite the clever solutions, and I'll tell you why. It is because I am taking the word 'small' and the word 'cool' and looking at the slideshow for each entry to see if those two words apply. It is my opinion based on my criteria. Everyone is doing it the same way! People who liked this space tended toward the cool stuff they like too. I was put off by it because it looks like rad parents (not boring stiffs, essentially) decorated their pad with a toddler in mind, i.e. not my bag. There are a few places that I might vote cool or super cool that are not my style, would not keep it the same if it were my apartment, but which I admire the thought that went in to placement and color and maybe intangible qualities of effort and friendliness that I could be very comfortable visiting. I do not want to visit someone's home and be distracted by how clever they think they are, if it is more evident than how cool they actually are.

They didn't say if they did have kids or not, but that doesn't matter. I can't see around this style to see any good design, and that's my prerogative in voting. Some people have even less tolerance, or perhaps more tolerance for what constitutes "cool," which in most instances, I gather, means, less boring/more daring/more cool stuff on display than my apartment, and vision and clarity don't really factor, if the pictures are all in the wrong place or the sofa needs to be turned, it's perfect anyway? I can't say for sure, though. I only know what qualities make me vote any given way, but in essence, it's the same way everyone else is voting. You can't give them your eyes or prevent them from voting or commenting what you perceive is ignorance. That word there is the basis of your whole outlook on this contest.

I like, but couldn't figure out what was going on in a couple of the photos -- do I really need a close-up of the joint on the shelf, even though it's nice? And the drumset shot was very disorienting. Sorry, it got knocked down to "cool" for me because of that.

First interesting entry in the contest.

evanchan, what's that big sheet of plywood looking thing on the wall in front of the couch? is it functional or just art? looks cool either way.

K T G -- Thanks for your comments. They do help me think some more about how I'm judging and how I think people ought to be judging.

What got me so upset here is that it seemed people hadn't even tried to get what was going on, but still had no qualms about dissing it, even complaining about things the entrant had actually explained. This seems to me not so much a matter of taste as a matter of courtesy -- if you don't like an entry, fine, but if you're going to vote you should at least try to figure it out, particularly if you're going to criticize. (Yes, great photos help, but it's not a photography contest.) It was the complaining without trying to get it that bothered me, which is why I complained about obtuseness (meaning, not reading the comments), rather than rudeness (which I have somewhat come to expect here, alas).

Just FYI, this home is not really my taste except for being small and having a red couch. I found the design (not decorating) work put into it impressive. I generally find it really hard to separate what I personally like from what is well done but not my taste; I'm not sure I even know what is "well done" apart from liking it, as you suggest is true of many people. I often find the comments here really helpful in learning how to think about stuff, which is why I keep reading even though the level of rudeness sucks.