Funny, after the all the photos I'd seen during the contest, I was still amazed by the smallness of the apartment in the one above!

The article actually says what his rent is - WOW it is an expensive city.

I was excited when I recognized the design on NBC Today! I didn't get to watch it all though, but they were talking about small homes vs. large homes. Funny that's been a hot topic lately on AT.

Will wonders ever cease? The AT smallest coolest winner organizes his books by color.
hehe. I love it.

$1550 ain't bad, either. Welcome to NY :(

@Gallivant - $1550, even for a studio that size, is considered a steal in NYC. No joke. Listings usually start at $2000 for a comparably sized apartment, though have fallen just a little only very recently.

Wonder if The Today Show ever did more than show a few pictures from this. I had to leave for work and never saw if they went back to speak more about the winning apartment. Seemed to mainly be focusing on people moving from larger houses to smaller ones.

Yikes! He pays that much for that tiny space??? That is half of what I pay for a one bedroom with a full basement and outdoor patio area!

...but I gotta admit that he has done wonders with his small home.

Wow, I could pay my rent over two times and my space is about four times larger.

I guess you gotta pay to live in NY. His home was definitely the best use of space and design.

Wow, what a hottie

Resourceful, compact, inventive, organized, cheery---looks very good to me.

Do we know where his bathroom is? I like the line of book shelves along the ceiling. I want to do that! It doesn't matter how small his apartment is or how much he pays for it, it's in New York! You don't need a big apartment in New York when you can have such a great city to play in.

I'm sure people paying $450 for a two bedroom apartment in Overland Park, Kansas wouldn't get that. Then again, you have to have a nice, big place to live when you live in a god awlful suburban housing tract "community" that is just housing pods, strip malls and Taco Johns with no public spaces to enjoy.

Kudos to this guy and I love New York!

New York is pretty great, but yikes that's some insane rent. There are a lot of awesome cities in the US that are much more affordable - the biggest isn't automatically the best.
Are we sure there isn't some kind of super awesome drug present in NYC air that keeps people hooked?

^^^ Yes there is, and it smells like maple syrup!

good looking homeowner; good looking apartment.

Tinnie -- Ok, you are the one throwing insults. I think some people's points are they might not be able to afford the prices of place in NY. If we paid that rent, we wouldn't be going out at ALL to enjoy public spaces.

Another point to break your bubble - sorry but even the suburban cities do have public spaces to enjoy. Actually a lot more parks, probably less than 20 mins from a couple of museums, etc.

I live in NYC and I would never pay $1550 for such a small space. I don't care what anybody says, but you CAN actually find 2 bedroom apartments for that price in NYC - you just have to LOOK! I pay $1,000 for a one bedroom and found it w/o the help of a broker - in a good neighborhood; minutes from the train and the park. But God bless those who are willing and able to pay that much rent for such extremely small space.

Anyways - I do love how he decorated his small space

Am I the only one who still is anti this apt b/c he decorated with a huge Mao statue? If it weren't essentially an apartment-decorating contest I wouldn't get so up in arms... He does use his space well, but... Mao? Really? Not okay. (also just to weigh in on the rent issue, I live in NYC, and my appt is $1550, but its a 1400 sq ft 3 bedroom, so... not everyone is dropping the kind of cash on rent in this city that certain parties are)

Let's straighten out a few things: All areas in NYC are not equal. NYC includes 5 boroughs -- our winner lives on the Upper West Side; the UWS is one of THE coolest neighborhoods in Manhattan, which is the most expensive borough with the exception of some parts of Brooklyn. I have lived in other cities and would and have given up more space and amenities to be back here -- maybe it is something in the air (?) but it's a good something.

I live way north in Manhattan (Hudson Heights) and would gladly give up any extra space I have to live where Kevin lives if I could afford the additional rent (which is a bargain for the area). I would have at least an hour a day less commuting time on the subway for starters, and lots more to do and see within spitting distance. Totally worth it.

I LOVE the way he used the space and kept it bright, uncluttered and flexible. Art is personal -- if he likes/admires/is intrigued by Mao, why do we care? He made the wise choice of using only a couple of statement pieces - perfect.

There were many other worthy entrants in the contest, but I agree that he deserved the No. 1 spot.

I'm with Milena B. As someone who lives in the village and pays just a few hundred more per month than Kevin for a one bedroom apartment about 4 times the size (in a far more desirable and accessible location), I think his space is very expensive for what it is. According to this recent market study, his studio is slightly under market for the area: http://www.tregny.com/manhattan_rental_market_report#uws-upper-west-side, but I have to believe that 210 sq feet is much smaller than your average studio. On a per square footage basis, I'm certain it is no great bargain.

I applaud the creativity and flexibility of design, but I'd far rather live in Ft. Greene or other parts of Brooklyn in a huge apartment for that price.

"New York is pretty great, but yikes that's some insane rent. There are a lot of awesome cities in the US that are much more affordable - the biggest isn't automatically the best.
Are we sure there isn't some kind of super awesome drug present in NYC air that keeps people hooked?"

Lol Christopher B. I personally have a love/hate relationship with New York. Love the diversity, flavor and opportunities in this city, but hate the expense. There are ways to live frugally here though. The keys to finding lower rent in NYC? Up and coming, walk-up, and/or rent stabilized.

I don't live in NYC, but I wish the rent had never been published. It's taken the focus off the objectives of this website: design, decor, and home therapy.
I don't care for the Mao statue either, but I do like the Tyvek curtain/room divider (which seems reasonably priced). And there are other pluses and minuses in this apartment, don't you think?

The pic with him standing in the apt makes it seem so much smaller! One drunken weave on a late Saturday night and I'd take out that TV.

Nice use of space and I like that he has worked out 3 configurations that allow for guests and entertaining.