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Small Cool 2009: BlondeinBrooklyn's Southern Exposure
Tiny Division #05

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Who Lives Here: BlondeinBrooklyn
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Size: 600 square feet

What is your one favorite element in your small, cool home? The high ceilings and large, southern facing windows that bathe the apartment in sunlight make my small apartment appear much larger. And although the apartment is so bright that I only need to use the chandelier lighting in the evenings, the lighting fixtures are among my favorite design elements.

Give BlondeinBrooklyn a THUMBS UP if you think this home belongs in the finals!
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What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in furnishing your small home? The floor plan is a huge rectangle so the options are limited as to furniture placement. I long for the smallest of vestibules that would make for a better transition from the front door into the living space. I broke up the living room into two distinct areas with the couch in the middle. I also opted for a round glass coffee table which makes the main seating area appear less crowded.

Give BlondeinBrooklyn a THUMBS UP if you think this home belongs in the finals!
Thumbs Up Voting is only activated for 48 Hours — so don't delay!

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Do you have a Small Cool Home? Enter Here by April 13th!

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Small Cool 2009, Brooklyn, Tiny

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Comments (47)

love the purple chairs - separating them is a stroke of design genius

... and that HW dresser is timeless

posted by sunan on April 3rd 2009 at 2:08pm
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This is lovely. I especially like the openness of the area behind the sofa. Despite being only 600 ft2, it looks open and not claustrophobic at all. The colors work well, especially the two bordeaux colored chairs with the neutral palette (oh how I love that pretensious word!) of the other furniture and walls. A definite finalist!

posted by Usbek de Perse on April 3rd 2009 at 2:10pm
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Love it! Your bedroom looks so peaceful.

posted by MellowModernMegan on April 3rd 2009 at 2:15pm
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Beautiful.

posted by prairie girl on April 3rd 2009 at 2:17pm
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This is a lovely home. I really like how you used a similar color scheme throughout to really pull it all together.

posted by Sassyladie on April 3rd 2009 at 2:17pm
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this is why i like this contest. just great!

posted by aad on April 3rd 2009 at 2:19pm
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Also that bedroom is gorgeous.

posted by Juliet on April 3rd 2009 at 2:23pm
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Very cute apartment! I love that white bookshelf in your bedroom- where is it from?

posted by dnice on April 3rd 2009 at 2:30pm
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This looks wonderful! Tell me, did that ceiling light fixture in the living room come with the place or did you install it yourself? I love how it looks!

posted by suzy8track on April 3rd 2009 at 2:44pm
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Lovely, beautiful, delightful.
Your kitchen is so cute.
Love the bedding.

posted by STYLeyes on April 3rd 2009 at 2:44pm
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hey i remember this from the fall colors contest i think. or a house call? i still love the kitchen!

posted by rstrtz on April 3rd 2009 at 2:44pm
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I think it was a house call, and yes, I never tire of seeing it either.

Best of luck! I expect this will do very well in S/C 2009.

posted by marc from vancouver on April 3rd 2009 at 2:46pm
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Lovely.

Where is the sofa from. It's exactly what I'm looking for but all of the ones I'm finding are crazy expensive or horribly uncomfortable. Do you like it? Is it comfy?

posted by Auburn on April 3rd 2009 at 2:51pm
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Really beautiful.
The palette is perfect, the shots of purple amazing.

posted by theserovingeyes on April 3rd 2009 at 2:51pm
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This is the epitome of small and cool to me.

posted by ee2485 on April 3rd 2009 at 3:42pm
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It's cute - However to get that "vestibule" effect that you'd like, I'd consider swapping the living and dining areas around.

If the cable is an issue - just run a long cord along the baseboard and beneath the heater.

BTW - Love the kitchen and chandelier: Did that fixture come with the apartment?

posted by bepsf on April 3rd 2009 at 3:44pm
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Wait... That's my couch! And my console! How come my place doesn't look as good?

posted by rchow on April 3rd 2009 at 3:46pm
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Very nice!

posted by david @ justveggingout.com on April 3rd 2009 at 4:09pm
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Ahhhh! How I love your couch! Where does it hail from?

posted by Leez on April 3rd 2009 at 4:15pm
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Love the colors - especially the way the purple (Saarinen?) chairs pop against all the more muted colors.

posted by cvjn on April 3rd 2009 at 4:29pm
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Nice apartment!

posted by connieching on April 3rd 2009 at 8:43pm
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I love your place, ingenious use of color. After years of living in very bright & colorful rooms, I find myself increasingly drawn to spaces that limit the decor to a few, muted colors. Those rooms are so peaceful and restful.
(Maybe I'm just getting old ;0)

posted by katlia on April 3rd 2009 at 8:44pm
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This is why I miss Brooklyn. I am liking this very much.

posted by Botany on April 3rd 2009 at 10:32pm
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I loved this the first time I saw the house tour of it, so I am pleased to see it in the contest. Good luck!

posted by Hydra on April 3rd 2009 at 11:38pm
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What a beautiful apartment!

posted by cricketk on April 4th 2009 at 7:10am
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My favorite so far! Can I come live with you?

posted by Elizcrtv on April 4th 2009 at 9:53am
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That's the Macy's Corona sofa in Cafe Noir I believe. I have it in Pear and it is the best purchase I've made for my apt. It is very comfortable and well made, look for it on sale, I got mine for $629 last year (not including shipping etc.) Much better quality than sofas I looked at that cost more from other stores (Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, etc.)

posted by annab on April 4th 2009 at 1:44pm
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I love the white entry console! Please tell me where can I find something similar?

posted by splinky on April 5th 2009 at 12:33am
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Can you tell the name of the couch, thank u

posted by msrr on April 5th 2009 at 2:16am
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i believe the two frames behind her bed are neisha crosland wallpaper which i am SO craving but it's so expensive. good idea if you can't afford to cover the wall with it. i'd love to do the wall behind my bed in pretty much exactly the same pattern.

posted by furrina on April 5th 2009 at 2:51am
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i love how the creamy yellow and celery green just travels the whole apartment. The kitchen is my favorite, and considering the space is super small, and i think it's used very wisely.

Gotta vote for this one: The owner has the same coffee table as i do!

posted by Meapale on April 5th 2009 at 11:29am
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the awesomeness is not in the design but the planning. such a remarkable planning! crossed all my fingers and really hope that you will win!!!

posted by mirint on April 5th 2009 at 1:06pm
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Too late to vote, but I've loved this place since it was first featured on this site. I absolutely love the warmth and personality. Very fun but also very classy!

posted by Ninella on April 5th 2009 at 5:11pm
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What are you using as your kitchen backsplash?

posted by ravensong9 on April 5th 2009 at 6:37pm
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I'm so mad at myself for not making it in time to do a thumbs up, but I love this whole bloomin' entry. OK, I really, really love the bedroom, but I like the whole thing.

posted by Curtis on April 6th 2009 at 12:01pm
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The space definitely flows with the choice of paint colors. Nice job. Looks like a peaceful place to spend your time.

posted by Manuchao on April 6th 2009 at 3:22pm
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To All - Thanks for your kind comments and thumbs up. Here are the answers to your questions.

Couch - Macy's Corona in Cafe Noir
Chandelier in Living Room - George Kovaks - Kimono from Lumens.com
Bedroom Bookshelf - West Elm
White Living Room Console - Company Store.com
Framed Wallpaper in Bedroom - Georgina Trail from Creative Wallcoverings. Not expensive - I bought one roll - $60 I think
Kitchen Backsplash - Crossville Tile - Colorblox II line- model is Chopsticks

Thanks again!

posted by BlondeinBrooklyn on April 6th 2009 at 7:37pm
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Beautiful space! The living room is so pretty and inviting!

posted by letteretcher on April 7th 2009 at 8:07pm
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I like the bedroom, the small kitchen with wooden backsplash, and the living room area. Inspiring for small apartment owners.

posted by jeanne211 on April 9th 2009 at 4:24am
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Love the bedroom decor, especially the prints hanging over the bed and the pillows!

posted by ukpuritan40 on April 9th 2009 at 5:28am
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In my fantasies of moving to NY, I live in your apartment ;) With the light and the colors, it looks like a great retreat from the noise and stress. I especially like the wallpaper in frames. I've been thinking of doing that with some rolls of Japanese wrapping paper.
Thanks for the inspiration!

posted by ensuenos on April 10th 2009 at 12:03pm
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this has been one of my favorite entries from the beginning.. i love how soothing the space is and how each room seems to flow.. tranquil and lovely!

posted by la petite femme on April 13th 2009 at 4:44pm
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It is very soothing. Very good use of color and space.

posted by teapotrose on April 13th 2009 at 6:12pm
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Gorgeous bedding -- can you tell us where you found the duvet cover?

posted by holiday1 on April 17th 2009 at 8:10pm
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Holiday1 - The comforter, shams, and geometric pillows are from West Elm (no longer in stock) but I purchased them new on eBay - you might try to find them there. The rectangle pillow is from Crate & Barrel. Good luck!

posted by BlondeinBrooklyn on April 18th 2009 at 2:03pm
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Ravensong - The backsplash is from Crossville's Colorblox Too line - the style is "Chopsticks". Purchased from Nemo Tile in Manhattan. It's very affordable.

posted by BlondeinBrooklyn on April 18th 2009 at 2:05pm
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This was one of my favorites. Blonde, you were robbed.

posted by storyscribe on April 28th 2009 at 7:54pm
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