I luuuurve your teal couch.

I really like the style of your home and I'm curious to see the storage solutions you mentioned. I know it's hard to take photos in a tight space, though.

The apartment itself is nice enough - the kitchen is quite nice, tho I'd hate to walk in the front door every night to see the toilet staring back at me...
...and I'd kill for that "Flex/Storage Room" - so I don't see how storage can be much of an issue at all.

That said, I'm not seeing anything particularly clever in how space is utilized nor anything special in the manner of furnishing it - Sorry!

I don't know how you work around that table in the kitchen I would constantly be banging my hips into it. Love your place though overall...Sure wish I had that flex space. Is that something specific to Canada? Never heard of it before. What do you use it for?

Beautiful space.

The sofa is a great color not seeing anything that special otherwise. The bedroom really needs work it looks like a dorm room, some better bedding and euro pillows would help. You could paint a deep color and rethink what's on the wall. The little turquoise table is quit lovely.

Man, this is one clean place. I'm also wondering about the "flex" space. Wish there was a pic of that instead of a second image of the kitchen (unless it's where they threw all their junk before snapping these shots!).

Thanks for all the awesome feedback everyone. I'd encourage some more.

I've been struggling with what to do with my bedroom. There was once a painting above the bed, but now i'm thinking I want a headboard. Hence the vast openess.

The flexroom was actually almost impossible to take a good photo of. The room has been converted into a mini studio/storage, there's wall to wall shelving with nice boxes holding all my stuff, and a wall to wall built in desk. If I have time I will post a link to a photo of it for all those that are curious.

The point about the toilet staring at you when you walk in the door, I think it's better than having the door face out into your living room or bedroom, it's nice having it out of the way, especially when I have guests over.

The table in the kitchen came with the apartment, it's bar height and perfect extra counter space. It's where I prep all my food every day and where I eat all my meals.

Please post more comments, i'd love some design tips :)

That couch is the absolute BEST! And I love the bathroom, when I finally close on my apartment I think I might permanently steal the mirror idea.
Where did you buy the bathroom vanity?

I agree with LoriSF, I think painting the bedroom wall a dark color and keeping the sheets white and fresh would lend a better look/more put together for the entire space.
Maybe black, or navy or eggplant, those are my favrtive dark sexy colors lol. You can add art to those colors and almost any piece would stand out. www.dailypainters.com has wonderful affordable art from various different artists.
I hope this helps.

I love the living room rug and your Craigslist find looks like a steal to me. The kitchen table is lovely, (the top is sharp-looking) but I agree with what someone else said -- it's sort of in the middle of your 'work triangle'.

A large painting/photograph or headboard is desperately needed above the bed. Also, perhaps new bedding or bold pillows to bring some textural intrigue and colour (yes, I'm a fellow Canuck!) If you're able to, I'd also paint the bedroom. A light grey, turquoise or the right shade of gold/mustard might look nice IMO.

Nice space, though -- congrats!

great space - thanks for sharing. =)
Where exactly in Vancouver are you?
Nice to see Van represent!

Please separate the pink and blue lamp form the blue night stand. The latter is a lovely Asian piece and deserves a stronger lamp on it, if any. Something bigger and more sophisticated!

New bedding would definitely help.

Darker walls in the bedroom, and maybe something textural over the bed -- I have a huge sunburst mirror, for instance. Maybe a metal sculpture (not necessarily something expensive, but maybe a vintage branch of flowers or whatever...)

Nicole--

You asked for tips - So here they are:

Get some paint on those walls. Your sofa and the cabinet next to the bed tell me that you like color - You just need more of it, even if it's Grey.

Bedroom: Move the bed to the center of that wall - or close to it - and find another interesting table for the side of the bed that's currently crammed against the window. You'll find something interesting on Craigslist - I just know it. Then get some kind of big bold feature on the wall above the bed - whether it's a real headboard, a large piece of art, some vintage fabric stapled to a canvas stretcher, a big painted square in a contrasting color or a quilt: You need to anchor the bed with SOMETHING.

Curtains: Tiebacks need something to tie back to even if it's just a $.05 cuphook screwed into the drywall - otherwise they're just pigtails. Even better: Do without the tiebacks completely and spread the fabric on those rods a bit to give the windows a nice "frame".

Lighting: You need a pair of big table lamps on either side of your bed, and some more substantial lamps on taller end tables to either side of your sofa - Again: Craigslist, eBay and local Flea Markets are your friends. Those thin metal lamps and whimpy shades on that low table aren't cutting it next to that massive sofa.

Rug: Bigger. A small coffee table or ottoman in there would be nice too.

Tchotchkes: Collect them all together on one shelf - perhaps two, and put the rest away. Remember: Windowsills are not shelves.

Bathroom: Put the extra TP in the cabinet where you can reach it while seated on the toilet - not on the open shelf.

Balcony: A wee cafe table and a pair of chairs would sure look nice out there (and be a pleasant place to have coffee or a glass of wine) So would a plant stand for all the little plants on the balcony floor...

Even better: get one or two huge glazed terracotta pots and plant all your wee little plants in it/them - Let 'em get all mixed up and jungle-y together. Plant something tall in the center, shorter things around it and drapey/viney plants on the edges.

Green Chair: It's cute, but it's overwhelmed by the scale of the sofa. Perhaps you can use it in your bedroom? Look for another cool vintage chair on CL that's bigger and can stand up to the size and scale of the sofa - one that wouldn't take up much more space than the current chair and that rubber-tree plant that's there now - Perhaps a nice tall wing chair?

Good luck!

visualheart - can you do wallcovering?

It would be nice to have a headboard something with a "V Shape" due to the size of the room because square would be too boxy, something higher than this but the shape is good-
http://www.decorpad.com/bookmark.htm?bookmarkId=82

Then go with a bold wall covering on the one wall and ditch the art above the bed. Take away what you have on the wall. if you cannot go with a wallcovering then paint the room a deep color and keep the bedding white with one pattern in a cushion or shames and maybe add a patterned curtains.

Get a simple box pleat bed shirt, nice duvet cover and shams - two euro pillows with shames and two regular pillows behind.

Keep that adorable table and get one nice size lamp and your clock.

Since you have leaned towards blue and black go with that as your color scheme, maybe blue, black, white and bring in a pinch or gold or yellow.

quite nice overall, love the microwave cubbyhole and the kitchen table. bedroom looks a bit undone though - you need a headboard or something!

also - just for our american friends, my quotidian comment on canada's stupid real estate - i bet this condo cost $500,000. (hopefully you rent! otherwise, ow.)

Lovely! I agree the room needs something, a headboard perhaps! but overall I like the colors and I want to seat on that couch!!!

bepsf - thanks for the feedback

All the stuff for the bedroom is great and all, but if you knew how small it was in there, most of that wouldn't work. The bed can't go on the center of the wall, because then i wouldn't be able to access the storage under it (drawers would hit the wall on the opposite side) so then that also gets rid of me being able to put bedside tables on each side of it. But otherwise great tips! There will be paint added or some kind of headboard.

The coffee table idea is nice, but i've had one before, the room is just too small and everyone kept smacking their knee on it, so I decided to get foot stools/storage that I pull up when needed.

Okay so here's a few links to some extra photos, they're not glamourous but I wanted to share the rest of my place....

The "flex room" or as much of it as I could fit in the camera lens. This room is used for storage and all my art supplies (i'm a graphic designer and artist, so there's always canvas and random supplies just laying around in here. http://twitpic.com/1f7twv

The built in storage with sliding door that I added in after I had moved in. It is a pantry and also stores art supplies and shoes.
http://twitpic.com/1f7tyk http://twitpic.com/1f7v7l

Here's some photos of the missing parts of my place. They aren't glamourous at all, I just snapped them when I got home after reading all the comments.

The "flex room" the place where I store all my odd stuff and mostly all my art supplies, there's canvases, paint, pens etc (i'm a graphic designer and artist).
http://twitpic.com/1f7twv

Built in wall storage, there was this odd spot in the hallway that was perfect for some shelves and sliding doors, this storage is a pantry/shoes/art supplies area.

http://twitpic.com/1f7tyk and http://twitpic.com/1f7v7l

hrlemwrlddiva - the bathroom vanity came with the apartment and so did the mirror. Good luck finding something you love.

I love to see a Kelly green duvet or throw blanket on the bed. A fabric covered headboard would also add visual interest and make the room feel more complete. You could stretch some fabric over a canvas and hang that above the bed to create the look of a headboard for cheap.

I'd love to know where the sofa and the rug are from.

LaDonnaNichole - the sofa is just a cheap one that I got some custom fabric on, it's from a local Vancouver company, the fabric is called "Cabana"

http://www.stylussofas.com/stylegallery_details.php?styleid=26&categoryid=1

the rug is from Urban Outfitters a few years ago

YEAH Vancouver represent!!! Is this downtown?

I love the space- did you do the kitchen/bathroom renos or did you buy it like that. Everything is beautiful!

Lovely kitchen. And, love love the little nightstand in your bedroom.

This is my patio, except now the chairs are gone and there's a custom built cedar bench along the wall, perfect for lounging in the summer time. The wood floor was added, covering the nasty concrete.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/my-great-outdoors-2009/my-great-outdoors-nicoles-vancouver-balcony-086742

Your apartment came with some gorgeous fixtures built in - the counters in the kitchen and the bathroom, plus the bathroom mirror to name a few -- or was that mirrir an "aftermarket" addition? Also, the butcher block island/breakfast bar: I assume that came with the place too...? I'm having a hard time figuring out what parts you added and what parts came with the place. (This is why I've never submitted my place - a lot of the best parts of my apartment came with it: nice counters, nice cabinets, nice floors, nice walls...).

I'm a big fan of that couch though.

bepsf - you're my hero! you covered everything I was going to say and much more, great eye!

visualheart - even if you the bed isn't centered on the wall, moving it away from the wall with the window will give it a lot of breathing room and make your room more finished. If you can't spare 10 or 12 inches for a little table then try a planter or hang a floating shelf on the wall. That should only take 5 or 6 inches, which shouldn't affect the drawer usage too much.

The table in the kitchen seems to overpower the space, and you might find a similar one on craigslist at the right height. I would look for a round or oval to contrast with the sharp lines of the kitchen, but can also understand using it if it came with the rental.

Great use of shelving for the storage issues!

Rosy

Love the couch and the extra pics you posted of your storage. You did a great job adding those. The one in the hall looks custom:) Is it IKEA?

First, Thumbs Up. But I have a question: Has anyone noticed that (and not necessarily in this contest) that outside of the U.S. we frequently see beds that are made up with the bedspread/comforter/etc just pulled up over the pillows and not tucked in or not laying flat with pillows layed on top? I read a few British decor magazines and I see it all the time.

I know this isn't as important as world peace, but has anyone else noticed it?

@mjs7640

Well, as a second generation American, when I make my bed, I don't deliberately try to make it hard for me to get back in later. I wonder when making one's bed that way became normal? It seems so inconvenient and pointless. I wonder if it was to keep critters from crawling into the bed, or if stores were displaying their bed coverings that way (look, the side that actually touches you is not gross!!! and don't get in, you'll mess up the display!!!) and people just followed suit...?

As for the table, it has such a pretty surface, it would be a shame to not use it. If it looks too big for the kitchen, though, the floor is continuous into the living room, maybe you can move it a little further out?

If you are going to enter photos of your bedroom in a decor contest at least make an effort to make your bedding presentable.

great living room!

Love what you've done with the place, just wondering where did you get that gorgeous turquoise table in your bedroom?

nice....