yes yes yes, but i wish i could zoom in and get a better idea of what breed that beautiful dog is. pointer? cuuuute.

I love the shades in your kitchen. The polaroid hung with the Christmas lights is a sweet touch.

Great job.

awww...I love green...your home is really great!

I've always loved the craftsman style. You've done a lovely job with color and creating such a warm and inviting home. Doggie is adorable too and looks quite regal in his pose.

That kitchen... good Lord, it's perfect!

beautifully done!
is it a real dog or a statue, am not quite convinced?

the green highlights in the kitchen are so pleasing to the eye and what kind of sink/counter is that?
like the desk in the built ins, nice touch.

Some pretty ugly plaster issues in the living room shot - why not repair the crack and paint that room? If it's not indicative of a structural problem (and hairline cracks in old plaster generally aren't), it just takes a relatively simple skim-coat or patch to fix.

I absolutely love this. I agree, less is more when it comes to color!

i like the juxtaposition of the plaster cracks combined w/ the modern furniture. it sort of gives it a story.

also, peridot is my fav color! i wore it today.

thekatieway - you are correct that is our Pointer Cash! He's just 11 months old and not nearly as regal or still as this photo would suggest.
Brozek - yes those are plaster cracks in the living room photo. The house was built in 1923 and every room had these which we as you suggest skim coated and patched to fix. We are striping and refinishing all the original wood trim in the living room ourselves thus it is not yet painted, but we like to think it adds character until its complete.

Many perfect things in this presentation, especially the posing dog! I'm envious of that beautiful pristine sink and counter.

Isn't it a bit presumptuous to tell architects how to fix their wall? :) I personally like that particular crack juxtaposed with the modern furniture. It makes what could have been a "so perfect it's boring" room and gave it a lot of character. I would keep the crack!

Your home ROCKS my world...so beautiful in EVERY way! I am jealous. I have one of those Paul McCobb coffee tables, but would never have thought to put two together, genious!!!

ooooh! love! everything is so clever.

beautiful!

so beautiful! the photography is also fantastic.

I love the collection of glass on the mantle. The built in desk is great and I just adore the green in the kitchen. You've got a great house you lucky ducks!

sassy do - sorry i missed the sink question. It's corian along with the counter and actually was a free with the purchase of the counter at the time!

Could I love your kitchen any more? I think not.

I'm speechless. I can only find one thing I don't like about it, and for me that's a miracle. ;) I'd simply reposition the four chairs in that sitting area. I simply love the built-in desk.

Its very so so perfect as it should be with TWO architects living together. I am not getting any personal feel from either one. However, it looks good just not sure I would want to have dinner there in fear I may spill.

I hate (and by hate I mean love) people that can pull off white rooms. ugh- Could it be more fantastic?

I'm totally in lust with your vintage glass collection. Beautiful!

I think this one is the winner for me :-). I love the green in the kitchen, the calmness of the living room, and I wish the bedroom was mine... Beautiful.

So gentle and moderately (hope this is the right word). Best colours of nature in your home!

I absolutely love those kitchen cabinets - beautiful

Beautiful. Simple and elegant pops of color that accent the beauty of the home. Great Job!

this is my favorite entry by far.

WOW! Now THIS is what I'm talking about! I love it. I have to know... what is the name & manufacturer of the paint color (the green) used in the kitchen? I am madly in love with it!

great place! it seems almost simple but still makes a statement and is relaxing at the same time. your use of color is great (biased, i use the same green). this is one of my favorites so far!

i also like the cracks, but you would obviously make it look great if you repair them & cover them up!

i love it, but where's your sofa? where do you "plop" down?

nevermind, I see there's a sofa now:)
sorry

beautiful - one of my favorite entries! i especially love the bedroom and the glass collection on the mantle. the kitchen isn't bad either! well done.

What a sink!! I would love to start my days in your house...it's stunning!

Totally cool. I like that it has clean lines without looking sterile, as modern homes can (ie, I'm with you on the plaster cracks!) I wouldn't be afraid to spill things there. Although I'd also probably leap to clean it up...

And the unique organic touches. Love the front yard, looks drought-tolerant. What is that kooky sorta-wavy-pencil-cactus-looking plant on your table? I want one.

Love the table in the kitchen, was it custom made or vintage?

Your use of green to add a burst of color throughout is really nice. Great home! I'm really jealous of your chair collection!!

Simple. Beautiful. Reeeaalllly like this space.

Love love love love this house!

wow! amazing, amazing home!

Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments!
tikilicious - the color in the kitchen is by Vaspar - Lime burst
whytephoenix - the plant in the living room is a firestick cactus and would turn bright red if in direct sun, but it does great indoors with alot of sun as well
Courtnyleigh - the table is a vintage knock off of the saarinen tulip table...not nearly as expensive as the real version. :)

Love, love, LOVE this! Lovely colours and arrangements.

Masterful use of color inside and out.

MyDesignSecrets.com

Wow, beautiful dog and beautiful home. I love the unfinished walls in the living room (?). They remind me of the walls at the Headlands.

I like the plaster cracks, too!

DIG IT, DIG IT, DIG IT!!! please do not "fix" the wall: it is the perfect backdrop to your room. love this. thanks for posting.

Great outdoor colors too! And I love the low-water landscaping!

The hands down winner! I love every single thing about it. I want Dave and Melanie to 1) find me a craftsman, and 2) help me decorate it.

beautiful! very cute dog as well. and it actually looks like a home real people live in.

So great. I basically love every single thing.

Yeah for the awesome entry!! Great job, Melanie and Dave!!

great job. the colors selection is creative and maximizes the natural light. so much character - you can tell the personal touch and care that has gone into the house.

so gorgeous I love that kitchen and your bedroom and well everything! and of course the cute puppy and the natural grasses on your lawn!! so nice :)

where are those cute curtains from?
(on window next to low bookshelf)

I don't know. It's not that it isn't nicely done. However, I keep thinking this is a contest about color. This entry has less color than many of the other entries. Tasteful yes. The most colorful---NO.

I agree with Lillyrose... I keep coming back to this thinking I will see the "colors" other people are seeing. To me it looks very clean and serene, but NOT colorful.

A top contender for certain. Wonderful throughout.

thank you again everyone for the encouraging comments.
.angela - the curtains are from ikea!

lillyrose & jazzybelle- i see color in every shot. the only white i see is in the kitchen and even there there is plenty of accents and color in the way the natural light works within the room. if anything, i see it as a more considered approach to the topic.

Hey, I remember when you were still putting together the living room (I blogged on the fireplace screen). Love the final look, congrats!

i love this. i was going to enter my own home, but now i feel too outdone

Ohhhh.....! I'm seeing this for the first time tonight, and the green in your kitchen never ceases to make me smile all over. Everything is just perfect. As for the plaster cracks....they're great, they look great for the time being, so much character.

Wow...you have really transformed your place! I know of another completely white house you could work your magic on...

It's a nice home, very nice for sure but I feel like I'm seeing 4 or 5 pictures of the same room and I don't understand the two Eames chairs isolated in the middle of the room in photos 3 & 4. Is that the dining room?

One thing I love are the placemats.

The eames chairs are in the dining room yes. We like to use that room as a casual seating area. Our dining table is against the wall in the overall photo. It's a vintage folding Mathsson that expands to seat 12 which is perfect for our lifestyle. We can bring it out when we have friends over for dinner but keep it away otherwise. On a daily basis we usually eat at the table in the kitchen.

THIS HOUSE IS UGLY AND LIFELESS....THERES NO COLOR EXCEPT FOR UGLY GREEN.... I DONT KNOW WHY PEOPLE LIKE THIS BLAND LOOKING PLACE.....WITH THE ULGY OUTSIDE PAINT....PEOPLE ARE YOU SERIOUS.....ARE YOU PEOPLE COLOR BLIND!!!!!!!

It's too bad people have to be mean instead of giving constructive criticism.

Oh IT stud, you fresh new AT reader, you miraculously timely registrant, I happen to love the "ulgy" paint outside. I don't love when people register just to make silly comments about their friends' opponents, but hey, it's the result of the new bracket system. Dave & Melanie, your glass collection is so beautiful and I appreciate your respect for natural light in your planning. Good luck in the next round!

Number 1, I live on my own...and what do you mean ...fall colors...most of the walls are white and cracked.....with that green color....yuk.....I guess these people have a lot of friends with many email addresses

I think you're a little mean IT stud but I do agree with Gigi, there are 6 or 7 pictures of one room

I'm pulling for you Dave & Melanie! Love the colorful bottles, such an inspiration! Don't let negative comments get you down!

They must have a lot of friends voting with multiple email addresses ....theres no way that this place is better than the last three places.....i smell cheating....so sad

I smell someone who's only out to comment negatively on just one place. Now that, with a touch of rosemary and some garlic, that smells like cheating, IT stud. Dave and Melanie, ignore this one sad cad. Your place is stunning and natural. Cheers!

I agree, cheating

I am confused. When I think of the most colorful house in the world and I look at the original entries and then I look at some of the finals, I wonder. There were some houses with a ton of color that didn't make the finals. The ones that did really pop, didn't make it to the finals. Personally, I never saw "beige" as a color. In fact, I always viewed it as the anti-color. It's not that people don't like it but still it doesn't feel like color to me. I have seen a lot of neutral colors with just a pop of color in the decor here and there. I hope the winner has real color who ever it is and however they end up winning. Most contests that are left to the public, end up being stuffed. It's just how it is. For me, the real winners (the ones with the most color) got weeded out early on.

Thanks for the kind wishes! You're doing great so far! Now let's keep your votes up so we can share the final two!!! You've already got ours!

To clear up the question about which rooms are which in our photos, here is a list

1-3 Living and Dining Room
4-6 Kitchen
7 2nd Bedroom / Office
8-9 1st Bedroom
10 no explanation necessary :)

Thank you to everyone who voted for us!

Sometimes a feel for color is best expressed through its restrained use. That's what makes this entry so terrific.

As to commenting in all caps, don't do that concerning politics, either. I go to a financial blog, and there's one well-known loose cannon who never realized that if you push the "Caps Lock" key twice, you can stop capitalizing.

Voter fraud? A lot of loose talk going on.

OK, I loved the two by two grouped chairs arranged at a right angle for a seating area, and the two small wooden tables pushed together in the center.

The kitchen was sublime. I can't help myself, but I think built in wooden cabinets with glass doors are the ultimate in kitchen appeal. It's so turn of the 19th-20th Century, with all the connotations of stability and family, but skilfully updated to the present.

The cracks in the plaster were distracting. I understand you're still working on the woodwork, but please spare me the rationalizations about the cracks making a statement, particularly when other parts of the house are immaculately plastered and painted. Just say it's not done, but it was done enough that you wanted to share. And I'm glad you did! Overall, it's stunning.

Oh, yeah. I wanted to say the vignette with the ceramic couple embracing was very, very sweet. A lot of people could learn a lot by seeing how you carefully edited your vintage pieces.

Dave and Mel, You have a beautiful home. Good luck!

Get and Vote.

John

I'm pleased to see John and I can agree on a few items. Dave and Mel, wonderful home. I'd love to stop by for a visit next time I'm in LA.

Best wishes.

Barack

If you would have worked on your jump shot as much as you worked on the kitchen you would be playing in the WNBA!!!

Shameless use of a gorgeous dog to get votes. Something like a McCain and his VP choice. Naughty, naughty...

Mel & Dave - You are amazing. I have a student (jr.) right now interested in architecture. I've had her check your blog. If you're ever back in the Show-Me area & want to do some pro-bono work, some day we're finishing our basement (hopefully before the kids all graduate). Darius wants to get an email account just so she can vote for you, too. But some might consider that "cheating," so we won't go there, even though you obviously have the hands-down winner. A color contest doesn't mean puking color. And who said a dog who matches the color scheme doesn't count as part of the decor? Keep rocking! ;-)

Wow, you really have a lovely place. Not over the top with dark colors, just the right hits of fun and cheery! You get my vote.

If this house wins I won't be returning to Apartment Therapy

...and AT will be better for it, 10028Girl. Congrats and best of luck to both finalists!

Hope you win!!

I love how you worked in color in such subtle spots. It totally works without being forced. I love it!

You get my vote for winner even if you don't win. It's original and "you" even though I don't know you! I like that it is well designed, but not over designed AND very comfortable still. The best of both worlds. Congrats for making it all the way.

Hey Dave and Melanie,

Great place and very inspiring!

You are a great opponent and I wish you the best of luck!

-JesseRyan

Great job Dave & Melanie!

Simple, nice and elegant.

Hope you win...

LOVE love love your house and color pallet! great job guys. Can you please let me know the exact color on top of your fire place - the wall with the 2 windows? (looks like off-white). Thanks! Good luck, hope you win!!! :-)

Hi ely2001 - the paint above the fireplace is Olympic China White and yes it's a parchment color so slightly off white (the ceiling is painted white as a reference for you).

Thank you for the encouraging comments!

Mel and Dave

What a GREAT job you have done! We are soooo proud of you. Sure hope you win.

Let me preface my comment by saying that overall your home is lovely. Great bones, good design and a nice injection of personality. But when it comes to use of color? Pardon me, but I am dumbfounded that this entry made it to the finals. The use of color here is so "considered" it is almost non-existant! I crave bold, saturated, beautiful color and this home gives me little to none.

At this point however, it appears as if I am in the minority. Oh well.

well here is my comment- how do you actually vote?

Okay I figured out how to vote... I like the green shades being so different from other color schemes I have enjoyed on AT. Cool and refreshing is a warm climate. The bedroom is sooooo soothing.

where is the low white bookshelf from? i have been looking for a simple shelf with clean lines.
beautiful home...a reflection of a couple very much in love!

Love it- the Kitchen and the outside of the house.
Nice

Hi Saltyc - the bookshelf is from ikea. thanks for the great comments!

this kitchen is so wonderful--love the green with the white! also love your bedroom. what a lovely home!

verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy creative

Mel and Dave

I know I'm late to the party. I loved your space! I LOVE your kitchen counter top! Where did you get it?

Good job!

Hi Heather C - Thanks! The counter top is Corian in Glacier White and we got it from a Lowe's rep. as they were having a sale at the time.

I love all the glass above the fireplace, very nice!

i'm still trying to find that low bookcase from ikea. do you remember the name?

Hi Saltyc - It is a Billy Bookcase. It looks like they have discontinued the two shelf option for a slightly taller one with 3 shelves.

I love your home, especially the natural color in the bedroom, and these patches of green in the kitchen really add a lot.
However, the crack in the living room just gives a feeling that this house isn't done, I thought it was a "before" picture.