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Who Lives Here: Dahlush
Location: Kips Bay, New York City
Size: 415 square feet
What is your one favorite element in your small, cool home? Most elements in my home are multi-functional. The doors can be set to reveal various scenes, plus from either side I love to see the light come through. The chairs in the living room swivel and as with all the furniture, are light enough to be moved around for other configurations; the table opens to seat up to 8. Even the back splash has other abilities — the copper works as a mirror, so when cooking I can see people, or watch the TV.
Give Dahlush 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? Originally there was a bathtub in the kitchen and a "water closet", so rethinking the space was my biggest challenge. Wanting to wake up with sun meant moving the bedroom by the windows. The doors allow the sun to fill the rest of the apartment, something solid walls would have prevented. To give some cohesion to the space I then repeated the use of translucent panes in the kitchen doors and even in the upholstery on the couch, (well just the pane motif). Balancing the dark aspects — the brick, the mahogany and wood floors — with the right colors became the biggest challenge. Having an architect as a friend whom I could bounce ideas off was crucial and a tai chi teacher who is an amazing carpenter was the key.
Give Dahlush 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!

Want more Small Cool? Check out all the entries on our contest page.
wow! you did an amazing job.
view michu25's profile
great use of color, i love the doors and the warm wood
view Lady J's profile
Amazing! I love it, especially your bedside tables and lamps! :)
view mabaihua's profile
This is very beautiful, I love your furniture and colors through out. One room is soothing, serene and the other has some heat.
As far as the space this is why consulting or sharing ideas with an architect can really benefit in the use of space. This is so smart, love it. I would give five thumbs up if I could.
view LoriSF's profile
gorgeous...
view Bridget212323's profile
Love the under-floor storage!
view Kimno's profile
Lovely.
view EChaz's profile
Great use of nuetral colors and texture.
view AriannaKarlisse's profile
love the use of color and all the wood; and it looks like a very cozy and comfortable place to live.
view blushingbe's profile
I love some of your decor elements - the pendant lights by the bed, the metallic pouffe... so many gorgeous things!
view EC's profile
looks very west coast! in a good way :)
love it!
view k in ditmas's profile
ohhh, the pyramid shelves next to your desk are beautiful!! where did you find those?
i love the warm feeling of the whole place...and what a gorgeous kitchen!
view joyfulgirl's profile
This is spectacular! It looks beautifully designed, yet still warm and comfortable-amazing!!
view saraannsmith's profile
This looks so very warm and inviting.
I love the wood.
view gordon's profile
lovely - so warm and cozy. i love the colors, the metallics, and all the textures. would you mind sharing where your bedding is from?
view bakema's profile
ohhhhh! I love it!
view LKmen's profile
Very nice! Especially love the bedroom with the soft lighting.
view suzy8track's profile
YES! YES! YES!
view IroquoisCasual's profile
This is mind-boggling. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes it worthwhile to check in to see what's happening in this contest. This really does embody the ideal beautifully.
view Curtis's profile
wow this apartment is awesome!
very interesting and colorful
view tdeb's profile
This is easily my favorite "Small Cool" of all. I crave this space.
view laurajdt's profile
I love the capiz doors! We had capiz doors and windows in my house in the philippines when I was growing up.
view sasha12514's profile
spectacular, yes, winner !!
view orangered's profile
Lovely textures and colors. Luxurious with a tiny footprint. My sort of aesthetic.
view eonta's profile
So warm and homey, but definitely not frumpy!
view amandaPlease's profile
This is gorgeous. I would love to hang out in this delicious space!
view theheadchef's profile
You MUST win this. Your apartment is amazing!
view laudienh's profile
All the custom woodwork has truly made your home stand out above most others. I also love your chairs and ottoman and really.....everything else.
view baileyb's profile
That shiny ottoman is incredible!! I've seen similar pouffes at a shop here in Edinburgh, you can get them online at bohemiadesign.co.uk... they're sustainably made as well, which is a plus!
view koalrus's profile
so lovely.
view yolio's profile
This is absolutely gorgeous. Not only a brilliant use of a tiny space, but beautiful furnishings and colors throughout.
view missannethrope's profile
With the screens, the bedroom colors, the natural materials and exposed brick, your place looks like it's located in a far-off land and not New York, and I mean that as a compliment. It's so warm and welcoming. Beautifully done, and I love that you figured out "under desk" storage even.
view Elizabeth II's profile
The bedroom is my favorite part of the apartment, where did you get the lamps from.
view absOsteele's profile
Simply beautiful.
view misohungry's profile
This is the only entry whose photos I looked at multiple times. Each scene shows no sign of being in a tiny dwelling. I'm really impressed.
view brittanykate's profile
good lord, those really ARE capiz panels!
where did you get them?
view karmabum's profile
Yay textures.
view Elizcrtv's profile
What a peaceful, welcoming home! Excellent use of space.
view MooJu's profile
Lovely!
view olga's profile
Wow, now this is a beautiful, cozy space you could really get comfy and have some sexy fun in! ;) And love the red pyramid shelf and the art on the bedroom walls—brilliant! Makes my place look like a cell at Rikers...
view ninasphere's profile
The most notable thing about this place is that I can't look at anything and say, "Yep, I've seen one of those before." Everything looks unique. Obviously everything can't be unique, so the effect is all the more impressive.
Very cool.
view Blandwagon's profile
Interesting. Looks very 'period', but not slavishly so-- like the apartment of a NYC bohemian, circa 1965. The built-in floor storage is a great trick that one doesn't see used much, any more.
view shirley-temple-of-doom's profile
bedside lammps are dreamy...
view STYLeyes's profile
It's the Transformer home! Love to put it up on weirdos.tv
view WeirdosTV's profile
very very very NICE !
view grace_m's profile
perfectly fab...you can feel the attention to the the tiny loving details so originally chosen and created for the space..perfection in the most pleasurable eye filling way!
view Lori1957's profile
Extremely divi divine... the colours in the bedroom, the flow of all textures and the amazing details that makes this tiny space a luscious retreat not only for the mind, but to the senses... Sophisticaded yet comfortable!
His Divine Grace
Miguel Casafont-Broutin
view casafont's profile
De verdad que te quedó precioso, ¡ojalá ganés la votación, pues es uno de los mejores!
view casafont's profile
Hi,
I've been looking for plug in pendant lamps like that. Where did you get yours?
Very pretty!
view nparsee's profile
I love this one... elegant, peaceful and tiny... pretty amazing feat...
view alej in bali's profile
Damn validation is seriously addictive! Thanks for such warm comments. At this point, I'm just so delighted at the responses and happy I finally took photos.
So some answers- the lamps I ebay'ed, one at a time so it took a while to find the match, they're actually a little bit different from each other.
The screens are from Tucker Robbins, as is the headboard (a charpoy which I cut the legs off of) and are indeed capiz and mahogany from the Phillippines.
The textiles are my designs, a line of home furnishings I produced under the label of FIG or antiques from India.
Ah and the orange triangle book shelf is from CB2 and the gold metallic pouf is from Sheherazade (downtown on Orchard St.) AND he's having a sale right now!!
Thanks again for all the great commentary, it's a pleasure to have others interested in one's obsession!
view dahlush's profile
smart and warm nest! great !
view tapioca's profile