Nice.
Love all the orange.

Cool space. You have an excellent mastery of color. My only complaints would be that it looks like you have to stand on the bed to access your linen storage while avoiding getting whacked in the face or head by the ceiling fan blades. That wall that sticks out next to the bed isn't too conducive for nightstands either. Otherwise, I think your place is great! :D

It's a little cookie-cutter. Plus, two bedrooms and a studio equals deducting points from the idea of dealing with a "small" space.

The living room is great - Lots of character with the built-ins, vintage pieces and the masks.

Love the bathroom too - the tilework is great.

Sadly, the rest seems "Designed to Sell".

the kitchen is to die for!!! Not to crazy about the blue walls in the bedroom.

@babyfishmouth: Why should points be deducted if they have two bedrooms. I'd say they earn extra points for pulling this off in such a small amount of space.
It's a very nice space. good job!

I love the way the bed fits into that niche. All in all, this is a very nice place.

@redbeard: I was about to make the same comment, but got distracted by the "babyfishmouth" part. You're a better man/woman (I know, beard, but you never know!) than I!

Gee with all the earthquakes lately I hope the shelving above your bed is really secured, or the doors baby locked so the contents will not fall onto your head!

Is the garage included in the square footage?

Yeah, scarlethue, those sweaters and sweatshirts could do some serious damage if they came tumbling down!

@bepsf: I wouldn't say "sadly," but I know what you mean when you say "Designed to Sell." I wish I knew how to pinpoint why a place has that feeling--and what you can do to get rid of it. It's a lovely place but, yes, something is missing. Hmmm.

i have a chair just like yours (the pair in the dining room).

Geez, hang some curtains in that kitchen! Stick some crap to the fridge with magnets! Buy some flowers!

That is the most sterile, lifeless kitchen I've ever seen in my life.

@BEPSF and @creativelicense, I think it may be the photos again. They have a "real estate web site" feel to them. Taken from high up, with the angle chosen to maximize size etc. I feel like a lot of participants this year skipped the "how to photograph your space" tutorial!

Great use of space and color! Anyone who knows anything about small spaces knows that you can't have a bunch of "crap" sitting around or the room looks cluttered. (are you hearing this STH?)

Great built ins.

Is the shower a tiled walk-in?

Yeah, we should have taken photos with a non-wide angle lens because in retrospect they do look like a real estate agent took them. As for the studio comment, its a home office that's 12' x 10' and totally keeps us under the 1000 SF limit.
We are neat-nicks with having such a small house and any clutter is magnified, thus the really clean look... although the wieners do their best to keep a constant mess around the house.
Susan 1741- the shower is a typical built-in tub that I walled in to separate the sink area and provide a little seat that's flush with the top of the tub.

Your bathroom is really well done. Love how you have handled the tiling in there and the recessed mirror area.

Your kitchen is stunning!

Great use of space. Classy appointments.
Nice job!

Living room is killer! Would have liked to see a bit more personality in the kitchen, but I'm guessing that the wall of masks in the living room provides more than enough overall.

@tpart: you're assuming that STH doesn't know that; see below @STH.

@STH: yes. I wonder if not clutter, but an obvious focal point wouldn't make a big difference. One bright/interesting object to give a dash of personality, or something. Not clutter, just oomph.

i agree about the sterile qualities of this place, i think its possible to be both neat AND have personality. its interesting though how the living room has such a burst of personality with the mask wall, so i like that. i also think the bathroom is really pretty and nicely done. Sterility aside, lovely place!

Yes, exactly, shanalulu, just something to break up all those straight lines and add a bit of warmth. Some signs of human habitation, at least.

And I mean no offense to you, grabthar; I'm glad you're happy with your space and I thank you for sharing it with us and putting up with cranky me! :)

Okay, after reading all of the above comments I finally figured out why I agreed that this home had that "Designed to Sell" feel. And I don't think it's the wide angle lens. First, however, let me say that I really do think that this is a beautiful home. The kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedrooms are all very lovely. But what separates the living room from the other rooms, what elevates it to a different level, is the wall of masks.

When STH said, "Geez, hang some curtains in that kitchen! Stick some crap to the fridge with magnets! Buy some flowers!" I don't think he or she was literally telling you to clutter up your home. I think that he or she was looking for a little personalization. The kitchen, obviously, is gorgeous. What's not to like? But it could use one great handmade ceramic bowl that you bought while you were on vacation, or a great piece of framed art propped against the tile backsplash, or whatever else personally moves YOU. Like the wall of masks. Same thing in the other rooms. It would be nice to see not only a personal touch, but something *unexpected*. That's all.

The bottom line is, your rooms are perfect: colors, furniture, accessories.... But maybe it's all a little *too* perfect. Surprise us! Like you did with the wall of masks. Or not! There's certainly nothing wrong with living with perfection. :)

If there is no "surprise" here, why doesn't everyone's home look like this?

@Patrick: This is a contest, sort of like American Idol, but without the singing. So, yeah, it's no surprise that this participant has a beautiful home. As far as I can tell, most of the participants have some level of design skill. They wouldn't have entered the contest, I'm guessing, if they didn't think they could win it. So, no, having a well decorated home wasn't the surprise I was looking for.

@patrick: the difference between blandness and a spark. It's not knocking the entrant, just feeling like the kitchen lacks a *thing*. A focus, something that grabs you. It's very nice, just feels a little lifeless. Needs a featured item or spot. Something that makes your eye stop and take notice, not just skim past in "eh, it's nice...." It's probably particularly noticeable because it's so closely juxtaposed with the living room -- it's clear (to some viewers) what's missing because it's noticeably present rightoverthere.

I want your chairs...all of them!!!

Um the question was, "why doesn't everyone's home look like this?"

And the answers I got:
"This is a contest, sort of like American Idol, but without the singing."
and
"the difference between blandness and a spark. "

Um, okay. Thanks?

@Patrick: Obviously, that wasn't your full question--and that wasn't my full answer. But if you didn't take it out of context, it wouldn't have been funny. So, um, thanks?