apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

All that has been done was placing a few items of furniture in the place. There's no sense of style and personality, nothing that would make it stand out and be "cool."

I'm just wondering why the favorite element/room in your entire home wasn't pictured?

The loveseat and the chair look like they are having a staring contest. This room needs humanizing touches (and not those pillows.)

i don't understand this years contestants.

Memo to self do not enter any online contest.

i mean, i love seeing people's homes & this is a very nice space. but unless i thought my place was stellar i'd not enter a *contest* especially after looking at entries (and responses) from previous years.

You should get rid of the shade in the kitchen. That would not pass code in California, I don't know about there, but it's not a good idea to put window treatment over or behind a gas range or any range. I suggest not replacing it with anything or a type of privacy film for it if you'de like. I do like the kitchen cabinets though.

Her favorite element is the mosaic tiles that we can't see? Is there a photo missing?

Weezerad79, I thought you meant "get rid of the shade 'of' the kitchen". I'd suggest that too. Blah. Whole thing is boring.

the bookcase is awesome but it doesn't work against the brick wall. also, the bedsheets are a disaster with the couch pillows. I think if you painted an accent wall it would help a lot. the furniture and the apartment have real potential, its just not there yet.

I like your pendant lights (all , esp over the bar) and your cabinets are beautiful.
Your place definately qualifies as small.

I'd think about hospital track for enclosing your sleeping space. I'd consdder swaping your leather chair out for two lighter side chairs. Do you have a TV, is it hiding?

Whats on that far wall we can't see in any of the photos?
I like the long shot where we can see into your bath and I see its all tiled with a floor drain which i love.

You clearly have a flavor and opinions, I think you should hang more art.

Lots of potential.

The first thing that needs to be done is to figure out the shutter speed on your camera so you can take pictures without the flash. Flash flattens out everything including the lovely zebra-wood cabinets.

Second, get a rug to define the space between the chair and the sofa. And a different bedspread -something that is solid toned and rich (but not garish). Both areas will thank you.

Third, hang, dangle or lean some artwork. Somewhere. Anywhere.

I like this a lot, but I would like if there was something breaking up the visual space a little between couch and bedroom -- they look too in-a-line to me. I think it's a very nice place, but needs a little finessing.

The space itself seems very interesting and certainly has potential. You need some rugs, artwork and anything else that might add some color and separation to the different areas of the studio. I wish we could have seen the bathroom too.

So much potential in both the bones of the apartment and the various pieces within. This is a good example that simply possessing classic design pieces (in this case lighting) does not make an apartment.

Creating a 'showroom' look definitely takes more effort than simply handing over a credit card.

i can't figure out what exactly it is, maybe the way the bed looks like its right next to chunky yet tiny looking living room furniture, but this place looks suuuuper small for 490sf which says to me something isnt working.

Re: super small for 490sf. I think a lot of the space is wasted in the narrow entryway. It's common in Japan to see the same thing. The total space feels much smaller than stated because it's squandered in a tunnel-like entry.

I thought this place had good lines and good potential, but it was undermined by some truly ugly textiles (the throw pillows and the bed cover). I think that something a bit cooler looking (e.g., white) might have pulled a theme in, particularly with the window shades and paper lamp being white. It would also help to have a few plants.

The apartment itself is fantastic, the contents don't really excite me much...

I am a fan of the long entry hall... And I do love that the entire bathroom is the shower. Great use of space.

Absolutely amazing! I love that you converted an otherwise wasted space in that long entry corridor into both an art gallery and a unique storage facility. Kudos for the overhead storage between the LeKlint pendants.

The kitchen is so inviting and is definitely my favorite. The cork floor is super cool and green! Your zebrawood cabinetry is stunning and works swimmingly well with the darker stained lower cabinets, and the white stone really pops against the dark chocolate.

Speaking of which, I love the chocolate/white mix displayed elsewhere across the apartment (the seating/coffee table in the living area, the incredible bookcase, and even the bed/bench combination). Such great continuity!

Oh dear. This isn't quite finished, yet. Not enough for the contest, anyway.

I see that you own. Could you paint? If you like those pillows and that bed-spread then those white, white walls just aren't you.

What a wonderful choice of materials throughout the space. So very modern, fun, and inviting.

The kitchen counter looks like the perfect spot for a martini.

And what a neat layout in the bathroom... A cool shower solution for such a small space!

How is this entry organic? I was expecting to see some plants and natural looking items. Like Art Nouveau...
I am pleased to see your shelving with books and trinkets (I like trinkets). I am not a fan of the pillows, but they fit with your shelving; however, I am wondering where the rest of your personal style is reflected.

I love the entry hall! It's very grand, and builds suspense...

What the hell is wrong with you so-called "intelligentsia-of-interior-decorating?" This apartment is awesome, and the girl obviously possesses creativity beyond your feeble imaginations....bookcase and chocolate, pillow cases and bed covers....the place is stellar! Ah the minions of tastelessness always follow the trends and completely miss the boat of creativity and genius....go live in your shiny, happy, little dull homes that copies the taste of the masses; especially the so-called "cultural elites" that do nothing but feed off of the lack of artistic taste of one another.

Anyone else suspicious that the last few "wow!" comments were all by first-time posters?

Incidentally, I voted "cool" ... nothing about it excites me, but it's a start in the right direction, and the bones of the apartment are cool.

even though this apt is unfinished (and too much so to be in this contest) i would definitely like to live here!

i think the hallway is the best part (has the most 'solid' feeling of intent) but maybe it's because the photo was taken without a flash (as MODFAN noted above).

there's something about the living room furniture -- it looks good but if i was asked to sit i'd expect them to feel stiff, uncomfortable and even confrontational to me! maybe add some softer, cozier textured pillows. and a leafy plant for some moral support.

the apartment just needs some warmth and personality -- and maybe that will come in time if what we are we seeing is the fresh work-in-progress.

I love that long brick corridor!

This is nice, but I feel it could be better. Some of the touches such as the lamp in the kitchen and the flower cushions don't really work for me.

I assume you aren't allowed to paint, so I must say that I love your use of color through the pillows, bedspread, and the vase of balls on the kitchen counter.
Nice job.

I love your countertops and the rest of the kitchen.
what are the countertops made of?
thanks,

Interesting space. Wish we could have seen it from different angles. I agree that the photographs don't appear to be doing the finishes justice. Rethinking the furniture, and its arrangement, could do wonders, too. (I imagine one large L-shaped sofa, with its back to the sleeping area, anchored by a largish rug. Moving the bed so that the short side is against the windowed wall, and installing a ceiling height, light-weight curtain to encourage the idea of a separation between sleeping and seating areas...)

It breaks my heart to see a full sized fridge blocking a window, though.

Strile, but nice.

em I meant: Sterile, but nice!

I like the bedspread, and the finishes you chose--zebrawood et al. We, too, suffer from a long skinny hallway.

BrooklynJennie: The countertops are White Zeus silestone. Silestone is a wonderful earth-friendly solution for homes.

Alana in Canada: The walls are painted Benjamin Moore 2160-70 Sugar Cookie. They are not white.

DahliaCactus: The TV is not hiding; I don't have one. As for the absent far wall, it is exposed brick with a sizable wall unit that houses mouth-blown glass vases and bowls as well as other pottery.

RalphEMole: Please note that the floorplan clearly indicates that the main space (living and sleeping area) is a grand total of 239 square feet. The kitchen is 83 square feet. The bathroom, main closet, and coat closet are a combined 100 square feet. The hallway comprises the remaining 68 square feet.

Modfan: Thanks for the photography tips. While I enjoy viewing photos of others, I detest taking pictures. I always feel that trying to capture a moment on film destroys that very moment. Even for still life, I find that photos often distort my actual memory of things. As such, I don't own a camera and thus borrowed one (with which I was obviously unfamiliar) for this project.

Floridagirl and Firecracker: The bathroom is notably absent for two reasons: (1) I experienced much difficulty in photographing it as a whole; and (2) having read comments from entries posted prior to mine, I noted that viewers don’t appreciate seeing single elements but rather the apartment as a whole. So, I decided that it was best to include a shot of the entry corridor with four shots of the kitchen and main living and sleeping space. I specifically included the one photo that shows the opening to the bathroom so that viewers could get a true sense for the full layout of the apartment.

To everyone who commented about the lack of art: In addition to the four pieces in the entry corridor, two pieces hang on the brick wall to one side of the bookcase and a single piece is mounted on the other side. I then have eleven more pieces (of which I realistically only have space for six or seven at most) among which I am in the process of deciding proper positioning, etc. Behind the armchair, for example, rests two pieces of artwork (but I will eventually only hang one on that wall). I also have a triptych for the bedroom wall (a sliver of the pieces can be seen resting against the wall next to my bed). In short, I am human and do have personality, despite popular opinion.

Negative: Living area isn't very welcoming. Think office lobby. Many people make the mistake of putting too many large pieces in a small area. But one large piece like a sectional will anchor the room, create additional seating, and if positioned right will open the room.

Positive: You seem to like color (pillows, spread, tin lunch boxes, colored plate on coffee table). Use it on a bigger scale, maybe a wall or two of bold color to link the accessories together. I like your choice of lights. Both the Noguchi floor lamp (I have Model UF4 L10) and Nelson buble lamp are class and create wonderful mood lighting.

Boring. Bad photos. Probably much nicer in person.

Clean, chic, fresh, with a splash of color and fun

I like the bathroom with the ducks and the black squares on the wall. I love the stones on the bathroom floor and how the shower takes up most of the bathroom with no shower doors or curtains.

The kitchen is clean and ready for cooking. It would be a fun place to cook or have drinks with friends and play with toys. I love the fridge with the freezer on the bottom and the cork flooring is eco-friendly.

The artwork and interesting ceiling lighting in the entryway is a great way to use what could be a wasted space.

I like the mix of colors and patterns with the flowered pillows and striped bedding. The lunchboxes and toys are fun and retro. Operation, Curious George, and Le Petit Prince remind me of childhood. The Ugly Dolls on the bed are cute. This is definitely a fun, chic, clean, cool place.

Note to Janet,

Take comfort, your place is probably much much nicer than the homes of any of the people harshly criticizing yours.

Someone did give you good advice about adding some artwork on some of the blank walls.

It is my thinking that your presentation suffers more from the photography than from the space.

Kind regards,
Chris

A bit more color and art would take this place to a new level of cool.