Name: Simone
Location: Vancouver
Size: 591 sq. ft.
Rent/Own: Owned apartment
What is the advantage of SMALL? I can only bring home things that are either very beautiful or very useful (or both).
Name: Simone
Location: Vancouver
Size: 591 sq. ft.
Rent/Own: Owned apartment
What is the advantage of SMALL? I can only bring home things that are either very beautiful or very useful (or both).

What is the advantage of SMALL? CONT'D
As a result, each and every corner of my living space has become an expression of me.
What's your favorite resource for your home?
Vancouver's Chinatown, my father (he built all the cabinets in my home and installed the floor), Apartment Therapy, and, for inspiration, local retailers Inform Interiors and Koolhaus.
What is your one favorite element in your small, cool home?
The large windows and high ceilings lend a sense of spaciousness and permit a lot of light to flow into and around the space. The large windows have also allowed for some fairly dramatic curtains, which are definitely one of the highlights of my home.
Winner!
view black_sheep's profile
gaaaargeous! I'm glad to see a Canadian entry.
view HeatherT.O.'s profile
Beautiful *and* an efficient use of space.
view Li's profile
This is lovely! I vote Super Cool!
view suzy8track's profile
I LOVE this. I wish I had that much natural light.
-http://www.blogazar.com
view blogazar's profile
Finally a Canadian! This is very pretty. I am jealous that you live in BC :( One day I'll get out west...
view aladywhoknows's profile
I love that rug under the coffee table.
view insanity_pepper's profile
I love this apartment! Great use of space, and all of the natural light and high ceilings are to die for!
view twenty twenty-one's profile
I absolutely adore your home and all the design choices you have made. I am also incredibly jealous of the area where you live! If I remember correctly, I was there a few years ago for the yearly jazz festival. Oh how my heart longs to be back in Vancouver :-)
view vegidesi's profile
I like it but why did you choose to block a good bit of storage with your sofa? Is that where you store stuff that you never use?
view mscot's profile
stunning.
view LuluLiz's profile
just the right amount of stuff... lived in,but not cluttered.
And beautiful.
view JulesDC's profile
great a local entry! nice space and use of colour. i know this is one of the two local buildings in gastown that are nice semi-affordable loft spaces, so it helps a lot to see how you've used the layout. one day i hope to also be in loft in gastown or downtown area as well.
curtains = cool!
thanks for sharing
view artsycoolcat's profile
Oh my damn, that couch is amazing.
The whole place is amazing, actually.
Winner for sure.
view ehat's profile
Love it!
view bepsf's profile
Stunning!
Winner!
view hdtex's profile
Bravo on those curtains. Lovely!
view metalguru's profile
I agree...the winner for sure. Small space and an amazing sense of style. Not too matchy-matchy, and just the right amount of stuff. PERFECTION.
view nazrd's profile
those windows are nice!
the place is really open.
view mariegael's profile
While a lot of the decor isn't really my style, it's hard for a nice loft not to be cool.
view sorin's profile
What's going on under those stairs? That would be interesting to see. Cool place for the space and amazing natural light, but I couldn't vote super cool because of the plague of white laminate storage, much of which is inconveniently blocked. Do you climb on the lounge to get books down? Also colour sense is a bit haphazard - blues, greens, reds, browns, purples, taupe - not really coming together to make one story IMO.
view amed studio's profile
where did the sideboard come from?
view Adam Wood's profile
This is the entrant quality I expect!
This isn't just fabu. It's SUPER-FABU!
Can we use this as the standard for all future entries?
Great Place. Good Luck.
Where did you get that bedspread? I want it!
view Mr. Dangerous's profile
Beautiful! And I love the picture wall. I'd be happy every time I used the stairs.
view Elizabeth II's profile
Space-efficient, smart, personal, artful, inviting-- super cool!
view farmhousemoderne's profile
i like what i see, but i wish there were photos of the kitchen, a nice wide shot from the windows looking in. i'm curious what the lofted area looks like from the living room.
view le_sacre's profile
Does you dad want to visit Boston and make me some built ins?
view siobhan.'s profile
Okay. Now we're talking. Really great apartment!
view right angle's profile
Your table and chairs are great. I love your neighborhood, my parents are there right now... I wish I was too, I love Vancouver!
view Tiffany's profile
Damn, I wish my father was a handyman! Very nicely done--lofts are often hard to decorate properly, but you made great use of the wallspace with the bookcases and artwork. I like the choice of curtains too!
view KidMoe's profile
Good design choices and lots of personality... super cool!
Good luck - Hope you make the finals!
P.S. Can you lease tell me where you found those bed linens? Gorgeous.
view Joanna D.'s profile
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for voting and for your very kind comments.
To answer a few questions...
The duvet cover is called Spirograph (what else?!) and is from Canadian retailer Daniadown â they do online orders.
The cabinet/built-in/sideboard has come up a couple of times and I just wanted to say for the record that itâs made of wood, not laminate. Though I am guilty as charged on the laminate bookcase... which is from Ikea, no surprise.
As for why the couch is infront of the cabinet, I guess sometimes in a small space you have to make tough choices like a) having easy access to things like your suitcases and Christmas tree decorations, or b) having a place for you and your guests to sit. I voted for sit space. Thereâs very little free wall space, so storage and the couch simply have to co-exist. And the couch is actually really easy to shift when required...no big sweat.
(As a side note, there is no out-of-suite storage in my building and the only storage the space came with was under the kitchen/bathroom sinks... not a single closet to be had!)
Thanks Elizabeth II, every time I go up the stairs I am very happy indeed!
I canât wait to share more pictures with you all if I am lucky enough to make it to the next round.
Cheers,
Simone
view Sabt's profile
Good to see such a superb Canadian entry.
BTW, when can we see "AT Canada"?
view lightspeed's profile
Killer couch; in fact, I think it might go well in my own place! Is it vintage? Great match with the rug, too. Good luck!
view bokinney's profile
Ditto to what everyone says......fantastic!
view junklover's profile
Very elegant.
view vbp's profile
nicely done! Hey where is the door?
view mejezabel's profile
Did I see the same photos everyone else did? I like this and it's very nicely laid out and cohesive...but winner? Really? I voted cool, but i'm not feeling this as finalist material.
view Modfan's profile
bokinney, I'm nominating you for the Shameless Plug 2008 Award...
;)
view lightspeed's profile
This is a supercool space with wonderful texture and colors! Absolutely adore the living room.
view Alkemie's profile
you shop at fullhouse consignment, don't you!?
view darling's profile
I like it.
view Gustaf's profile
The living area is a triumph!
Colours = AWESOME!
view venus_thames's profile
I really like this.
view Marpesia's profile
Love what you've done with this space, and loving the tall ceilings...
view kristineve's profile
It's a beautifully decorated space. But who stomped a smurf in the middle of your living room rug?
view Blandwagon's profile
I like the mix of new and old. Putting this together can only be done by individual creativity. The mix of many colors works for me - it has interest and as a whole they are chosen to be complimentary. My favorite feature is the mass grouping of various-sized framed pieces on the wall...a gutsy assemblage that works here. This space has a lot of curios in it, keeping it fun and intriguing, so you could lie on the couch and gaze around, finding delight in the whimsy...yet at the same time, it's classy. Invigorating!!
view xelif's profile
Mejezabel, if you have a peek at the floorplan, the front door is just to the right of the kitchen. Iâll show photos of this if I make it to the next round.
Darling, Iâve never been to Fullhouse Consignment, but I just checked it out online and it seems like they have some really great stuff. Unfortunately, I donât think I could shoe-horn any more Danish Modern in here for the time being. :-)
Blandwagon, thanks for making me giggle! Iâll never look at my rug in quite the same way again.
Cheers,
S
view Sabt's profile
Surely a finalist.
view hrhprincessfiona's profile
Simone - Thanks so much for the Daniadown info -not only do they ship to Montrreal, but there are no shipping charges (in Canada) for orders over $100. Woohoo!
Re the smurf-splattered rug, I think you've nailed it perfectly (no pun intended). Brightly splatted shag rugs with Danish furniture were all the rage in the late 60s and early 70s.
view Joanna D.'s profile
Xelif summed it up for me.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
Not my style but I really loved this place! The color so nicely blended in and the place looked spacious!
view giggleuma's profile
The cathedral (practically) ceiling and the loft area really make for some seriously wonderful photos, and I do so very much love those curtains.
It's funny how that bottom stripe is similar to the kind of style that you see in several catalogs, etc. for normal-length curtains, and yet on this scale it manages to transcend that and almost seem like it makes the place cozier by subdividing the length of the windows, kind like how wooden paneling in cavernous castles does, when it only goes up two-thirds of the way on very, very tall walls, when they have a light color on that top portion to make the top feel airy.
In case all of that is hard to follow, basically, I love the curtains most; but I love the whole blooming place.
view Curtis's profile
I love it!! Your vintage pieces are to die for!!!
I also agree with lightspeed - can we see an AT Canada?? The decorating magazines here really cater to specific markets (like Vancouver/TO/Montreal) and although I love the sources you often talk about, a lot won't ship to the Great North. Plus, we have some great designers!
view canadian_ginger's profile
So gorgeous. So cozy and inviting. It gets more beautiful everytime I see it!
view jhaen's profile
my favorite so far. awesome!
view cblls's profile
AT Canada would be an awesome addition!
view Joanna D.'s profile
love it fellow Vancoooverite...I represented last year and you're doing a fine job this year- I think we need an Apartment Therapy North( Vancouver perhaps?) I volunteer!!
Love the wee teak table, is perrrfect
view bgball's profile
This is my other favorite of the European finalists. I love how the two-tone curtains help make the lower level seem cosier but also emphasize the height. Neat!
I'm not a fan of mid-century modern, teak, or the avocado color of your couch (sorry -- I grew up with that look and am allergic to it), but I liked your apartment anyway. It seemed decorated but not cluttered. I especially like your picture wall, which works really well (why can I not do this? Do I have the wrong size pictures, or is it some decorating gene?) and the bookcases with square shelves, and the way the spare-lined couch slots into the space. Very nice!
view zephy's profile
Looks like a place I would want to come home to everyday. Love it!!
view charlitstar's profile