Who Lives Here: Stacey, John and their Cairn Terrier, Laz Location: St. Louis, Missouri Size: 787 square feet
What is your favorite element of your Small & Cool home? My favorite elements are the original steel kitchen cabinets that our landlords chose to keep (stripped of paint and given a brushed finish), the cantilevered window-turned-plant shelf that my husband and I rigged over the couch, and my dining room (and kitchen) curtains (awesome thrifted finds, re-worked a bit). Oh, and the light (2nd floor apartments have some advantages!) and colors (some inherited, some our own)!
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What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in furnishing your Small Cool home? One of the biggest challenges has been making a 27" wide kitchen work! We added wooden crates and boxes to disguise open shelves I'm not crazy about, keeping everything contained, but in reach so you can stand in one place and cook. We've tried to use other free standing pieces in a way that works to make more space out of unused areas instead of simply adding bulky space-eating storage pieces. In our long, narrow apartment, that meant a bookcase with doors on top of the fridge, a tall narrow cabinet b/w the toilet and sink, a dresser in a closet, and a bookshelf set into the bathroom windowframe. Blogs, thrift stores, and estate sales top my best resources list.
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Check out all the entries on our contest page.
10 No-Fail Decor Tricks & Tips for Small Spaces
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
How to Bake a Potato: Three Easy Methods
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
under any circumstances, do NOT turn on the ceiling fan in your kitchen...
Like you home a lot. It runs right to the edge of possibly being cluttery, but doesn't go there. It feels so much like home. I love the dining area, and you are so right about the light being a great element of the apartment. You bathroom storage is clever, especially the upside down kids chair?!?! I mean, really. I think it comes off cute and fun, not silly. All the color is playing together nicely, too. :-)
Omg, I love your taste in things. And i see green in your favorite color too =) Everything thats green, I love. But I pass on certain items because Im afraid of too many shades in the same room would somehow be a bad thing, but it totally works for a bathroom. Your bookcase reminds me of the curio cabinet I was in love with at Pier 1. And you really scored with that deep purple in the dining room - best shade ever. Definitely thumbs up!
What kind of paint is in the living room? I love it!
Love the apartment, hate the television.
I'm sure the tv is not to her taste, either. I love this! It's genius.
I, too, love the upside down kid's desk chair in the bathroom!
Great DR color! The whole feels cozy & interesting. Good job!
All absolutely wonderful. LOVE all the bright colors. Must admit that my absolute favorite part is the dog wearing a T-shirt & sitting on the couch. (o:
Really lovely. What is that color of purple called?
i love it!
i think the tv comment was a little unnecessary. it is a tv after all! what are they supposed to do, drag it out of there before taking the pictures?
Such a charming home! Love the colors!
I really like the improvised wooden crate compartments in the kitchen.
The Dining Room color looks like "Stone" by Benjamin Moore. My kitchen walls are this color, and they're gorgeous!
My grandmother's kitchen and dining room used the same green scheme as your bathroom. Your entry definitely made me smile. Kudos!
@theboss: we actually run it all the time…it’s all in the test running and rearranging of things! (although i will admit, it does kick some unwanted dust into my large Pyrex bowls!)
@NorNor: thanks so much! trust me, some days it crosses that line into “cluttery,” especially after an especially good estate sale and constantly rotating etsy stock through!! we used to have two identical old school chairs in the bathroom, sort of stairstepping down the wall…but had to take one down when we found the killer tall cabinet!
@alysaaria and austinpeahen and HCVMama: it’s “Pinniped” (Martha Stewart/Valspar Signature colors from Lowe’s) it actually came out a hair too purple the first (and the second time) they mixed it, so I settled, but I still wish it had a shade less “plum” to it and a bit more slate-iness (like the paintchip)..but if you have a sunny room, go for it…the afternoon light washes it out beautifully to a perfect mystery color of grey, plum, and brown!
@thebean (and LowBrowLawnParty and sophiesmom): i’m not the biggest fan of the tv either…i have a *perfectly* sized vintage paint-by-number to cover the screen (and want to attach it to fabric strips so it hangs down OR flips up for viewing) but would that draw even more attention to it? Now that you’ve mentioned it, though…maybe I will just move it to the bedroom and stick with Hulu on the laptop! :)
@aubstud: glad you like him. we think he’s swell!
@theECLECTIClifestyle.com: thanks, and you're totally right on Cairns (and they're such sweetheart dogs!)
@everyone: thanks for all the sweet comments! (and for your thumbs up!!)
-stacey, john, and laz
This truly has a feel of a home, not an adapted apartment. It's so cozy and welcoming. I love the milk glass collection, and the Carin! :D
Wow! I looked through this the first time and thought it was a house. Then I came back and looked at it and saw WeHoGal's comment... Great job in making it feel like a house... and soo cozy...
I second all those who have already mentioned the wonderful upside down chair - I absolutely love it!
You haved definately gone vertical.
Really love the whole color scheme! Especially the Dining Room. Great Job!
I love the kitchen and the dining room - the colors in the dining room are lovely!
yay. so incredibly excited to see that this fantastic apt is finally gracing AT's site. fantastic style and amazing creative knack for pulling vintage items together in an artsy way. love it!
Awesome!!!
This is by FAR my favorite apartment/space on AT. Great job! A total inspiration for how I want to decorate my new place.