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i LOVE this!

I'm still seeing a lot of "stuff" despite the downsizing....

I really like this (even tho it's not my personal style) - It looks warm and inviting.

I'd just like to see some more attention paid to the balcony and the Aero-Garden replaced with some cool shelves to the left of the microwave (I would have removed it for the picture)

At the risk of sounding like a jerk, I thought I saw the word "de-clutter," but that's just... an aspiration for... one day? Later on?

Oooh grandma chic - no it's not a criticism; I actually kind of like it, despite it being VERY unlike my style. It's what my grandmother always wanted but never quite reached there. But I still think you need to edit some more - I can't imagine having to dust down the place...

Question, or rather just an exclamation: You don't have a hood over your stove?!

It's charming and clearly filled with special treasures!

I'm with gretchen and spaceagemouse... "de-clutter"? or is "organized clutter" the correct term here.

Lol. There is definitely a little too much going on for my taste, which just makes me as curious what your definition of 'cluttered' is (amazing how we all have such different perceptions and tolerances), but I really like how you have kept the light/white sort of beach cottage theme throughout. It makes me think that if I opened the door onto your deck I would look out and see the ocean in the distance, and feel a cool breeze on my face.

A little too much going on here for me but i love all the white furniture and the shabby chic-ness of the place.

Not my style, but there's definitely a cohesive look to the place, which in itself is quite admirable.

i'm jealous of that balcony! i don't necessarily agree with the other posters that there is too much clutter - i like the clutter that shows who you are and what you love. i think the problem here is more about the scale of the furniture seeming to overwhelm the spaces (particularly in the bedroom).

All the furniture is very busy--that's why it looks "cluttered." There's not that much stuff here--it's just that there's a lot to look at in every shot! I think we're too used to seeing spartan magazine spreads.

Overall, love the space. It seems really comfortable and inviting. I did, however, find the tissue box in the first picture distracting as well as the plastic flower thing in the balcony picture. I don't think its too much clutter...I think it shows personality and doesn't make guests feel like they're in a modern art installation. I like that you gained extra storage space by having a high bed and using a taller dresser for a bedside table. I suppose the purple things on either side of the TV are covered speakers? If so, creative though I'd use a less bold color. How do you manage without upper cabinets in the kitchen though?!

the fact that you took a generic apartment and completely transformed it into a "beach bungalow" is great! the wooden shutters, the bead board in the bathroom, and the lack of wall cabinets are the details that make it feel like a cottage. i would just love to see your color palette out on the deck as well. and i disagree with other people's comments that it's cluttered--you've done the style you're doing for very well.

Why do people put the TV up so high? It should be at eye level.

stuffed to the brim, but cool!

Why mention that an advantage to living small is decluttering when this is CLEARLY not?

I can see where you're going with it and I like it.

It's not my style at all but once you fine tune it, it will be fantastic.

It's hard to put yourself out there and open to comments about how you live or your choice in decor. You are braver than most people for doing this.

Good job and good luck!

Hmm, kinda weird. Is that really 750sf?

She clearly as a vision, and has fleshed it out well. It hangs together rather nicely. Yes, I do see that she still has some "stuff", but I like how there's kind of a bunch of white pottery pieces that seem to be a collection, for instance.

I'm not a big beach-look person myself, I do think it looks comfortable and bright.

Not my style, but you managed to take shabby chic and make it kinda cool. I love the chandelier crystals hanging from the track lights in the kitchen! Fun.

not my style but i definitely would not turn down an invitation to come hang out! i am so jealous of places that are just all out feminine (i hope she won't find that insulting?). I wish I could do that! the bedroom is very sweet.

You may want to re-look at the device over the stove. It is a convection / microwave / exhaust fan. How do I know you ask? I installed it.

Not my style, but beautifully done! siongchinchan, the microwave probably has a fan/filter thing that does the job of a range hood.

I think it looks warm and inviting. And you have a lot of white, which I love!
It's just way to full of stuff for my taste. And the TV, my god how does your poor neck feel having to tilt back so far to watch TV?

I agree with those who say this doesn't look like a space that has been decluttered but rather like organized "clutter". However, there's nothing wrong with that! Some of us have no choice but to live in organized clutter and some of us can use it to make a space look good. The owner of this space has managed the latter very well.

I disagree vociferously with those who say you should have removed things from spaces before taking pictures though, as I think that staging the scene is misleading.

A space with a lot of stuff can be arranged in a way that is restful to the eye, or in a way that is tiring. Like many others, I like the style you're going for, but I find the many objects tiring.

Look at that first picture. There are two very pretty pieces of furniture on either side of the fireplace, and they are filled with objects. That's not a problem. But then there are more objects on top of the furniture, which detracts the eye from the shape of the furniture itself. Also, there is too much going on between over the fireplace. All of it together is too much.

Another example in the same picture. You have both a table behind the sofa, and then another small side table beside that. I'd remove the small table (or the big one). Both are two much.

I think you have the basis for a fantastic apartment, if you leave a few empty spaces for the eye to rest.
Good luck. Thanks for sharing.

Here's an example of a better presentation of "clutter?" (in my opinion). There's white space around the clutter. Pic was taken from Desire to Inspire.
http://bp3.blogger.com/_9kROCtAPcEE/SAMQWEim4UI/AAAAAAAAQ0g/L6GWsx-y41M/s1600-h/9.png

I really like the personality in this place. Favorites are the bedroom and I think the living room is charming. I can see how it may not be to everyone's taste but I do like it :)

Karen

If I was into shabby chic this is what my place would look like. Its really not my style, but I gave you a "Super Cool", because its your style and in my opinion it looks great. I'm a visual person and I like to look, to sit and ponder (sometimes)for a long time, for no apparent reason at all. Your place gives a lot to look at no matter how many times see it (hope that makes sense).

Not my thing, but the unity of the decorating must be applauded. It looks like everything has been thought out and is presented as a cohesive whole. I wonder if, after this entrant took the pictures, she reevaluated how much "stuff" should be displayed. When I'm redoing an area I find that taking a picture helps me see what's important and what's too much.

I'm surprised no one has said anything about how high the televison is.

Sorry television

I would describe this place as comfortable, because it looks like someone does actually live there. I like it a lot better than the utilitarian hotel look some people go for. That being said, I am a bit curious as to what the place must have looked like prior to the "de-cluttering". The area depicted in the top picture in this post really does have a whole lot going on. A little more editing and I think this place could be fantastic.

I think the poster meant De Cluttered Place.

Your home looks warm, well-loved and inviting - it really does have the feel of a beach cottage. I like all the little touches, like the crystals on the kitchen track lights. All you need now, is a nice weathered white chair and bench on the balcony to complete the picture. (Maybe if some of the plants were on a tall shelf to make room for them?)

Thanks for sharing your pics with us. :)

It looks like a store where the people who like this look would shop. I can't criticize the style, it's just not my style, a piece here or there might appeal to me, not really into all the tassels, but when I saw that wreath over the bed, I got real itchy. I liked the kitchen a lot better and didn't notice the lack of high cabinets until it was pointed out, because it's so cute to have art to look at on the walls there.

It is nice to see spaces that aren't all "hipster," but you have my mother's tiffany lamp, and I don't need to say anymore.

Why is the TV so friggin high?! I dunno why people put there television up so high out of the line of vision while sitting. Is whiplash the in thing now?

*their* television

some of these comments are sorta mean. This place is lovely, has personality, is not overly cluttered so that you're tripping over stuff and it's completely functional too. I would love to come home to such a nice place, I guess, because it feels like a real HOME. :)

what a charming home!

This is a lovely, lovely home. While it is tastifully appointed, it maintains a look of coziness and home. The use of color is restful, the arrangement of decorations adhere to a "form follows function" artistry, and the pathways would be lauded by feng shui advocates. I would feel most comfortable in these surroundings.

I like the reality of the fact that you have things you love and you display them, rather than having absolutely clear spaces and empty walls like some of these entries. It's not practical to think that a person doesn't have Kleenex or their favorite knick-knacks that they've had since they were a child. And as much as it's overdone, I'm a huge lover of shabby chic done right.

That being said, I think if you edited just a tad more, you would have it spot on. Removing a few things from the top of the mantle, off the shelves and definitely the top of the bookcases would do wonders. Perhaps a slight re-working of the furniture to make it more of a conversation area rather than pointed at the TV. (so, basically turning the chairs to face each other) And maybe get the two random chairs out of there.

Just my two cents. I think you have a very cute place.

750 sq feet is a lot of space for one person, but that apartment feels very cramped.

i think "i just have what i need" in regards to having pared down your belongings is a bit of a stretch (just look at all of those hanging kitchen utensils- you really need and use all of those??). This decor reminds me of a Savannah bed & breakfast - cozy, pretty & feminine. But it's certainly a "more-is-more" style of decorating.

feels like the bedroom furniture is too big for the space

Great commitment to the style, very cohesive and comfortable looking.
I gotta chime in on the TV, bring that whole mount down closer to the mantel and hang art above it if you want, but bring it down. It draws your eye right up out of the space placed like that between the high hutches(sp?)

Also, your space would be perfect for an ornate frame on that flatscreen, then run a photo slide show on it... of the beach maybe?

re: the tv


maybe she like it that high.

It's not 100% my style, but I think I prefer this to some of the sparser places with very little furniture and stark white walls with nothing on them. I guess it's just a personal preference.

I do agree with others that the TV is way too high. I don't think I'd be able to tolerate that.

there's just... so much. when you put up a painting over the toilet, there's a postcard underneath. where ever one looks, there's something happening. it feels completely chaotic, you managed to make a 750 sqft dwelling feel like 350. i fail to see how you can live there without going insane, and i hate to imagine what it was like before you "de-cluttered", and the stuff that's up seems cheap and sentimental. not cool, sorry.

Wow - you've managed to make 750sf look TINY. THere's just too much stuff and its much too big.

I love the kitchen, but I'm with everyone else about wondering how this is considered de-cluttered. I didn't see a single open space, shelf, or countertop that didn't have SOMETHING on it. The furniture itself is all very busy with lots of drawers, architectural details or moulding, and then there's a lot of knickknacks on top of it. I had to look at the living room twice to actually recognize the TV - it's hung so high it looks like a picture frame.

I don't hate it though. For the style that it is, it seems to work. Way too much white and way too heavy style of furniture for my tastes though.

Clearly this person doesn't own a pet and doesn't watch a lot of TV.

Too. Much. Stuff. for my taste. I wouldn't have included a pic of the balcony, it needs more cohesion and style. But I like the kitchen appliances!

There is a lot of storage in plain sight; while the modern thing to do is to hide as much as possible, Margaret is not the only person who likes to look at her pretty things, even when she's not using them. There is a lot of furniture here, but I think it's very cozy and inviting.

The bedroom is very nice in a Provençal taste. The terrace is totally enviable. That said, the bathroom gives me the creeps. and btw cozy doesn't necessarily require space packed with stuff wherever you look.

Unlike most posters, I like shabby chic, and I love what white paint does for those heavy brown pieces of furniture. At its best, this can be an elegant look. But all the cutesy-wootsey gee-gaws give me claustrophobia. I can't breathe. All that bric-a-brac makes the room seem dirty and dusty. It's exhausting -- there's nowhere for the eye to rest. With no blank space, you can't appreciate anything hanging on the walls. Even worse, this kind of collecting suggests the owner is well on the road to meeting her demise under stacks of horded Victoria magazines.

Blech, do we really come here to be so judgemental and nasty? For real people, who cares if it isn't your style!! Its homey, cozy and warm and its Margaret's style. Also, give a little credit to the reality of moving from a home to an apartment. That is not a once-and-done kind of thing. You need to live with a space, edit, re-thinking and rework. Its not an easy thing to do and its certainly different from moving into an apartment without a whole lot of stuff. Cheers to decorating to make yourself happy and living in a space that makes you feel good. Love the colors.

absolutely lovely, but a bit too much stuff for my taste

I spent a lot of time looking at the pictures this contestant submitted and reading the comments before posting this comment.

This space is not my style at all HOWEVER I do appreciate it immensely.

When I look at this space I am betting that the owner is probably somewhere in her 60's and probably is an empty nester. At least that is what the decor suggests to me. It reminds me of a "home" that is filled with a multitude of memories and a place that children and grandchildren will find welcoming. When I look at the kitchen I am betting that the owner cooks a LOT and I, for one, want to know how to get an invite. I like the stainless appliances and love the convection oven with the range hood installed. When I look at the bedroom I just want to jump on the bed and bounce! I am totally jealous of the balcony....I want one!

Some of the comments here make me wonder what people are thinking. Grandmother's Tiffany lamp? Tele too high? The space is not "de-cluttered?" Goodness...is this a site only for individuals under 35? Perhaps we have been looking at rooms occupied by one piece of reproduction mid-century modern furniture in front of a window too long to appreciate something different. The space is tastefully done and is anything but cluttered. It appears to be the home of someone who has lived a rich life and has a LOT of memories to share. The simple fact that some of you say the space "looks" larger than 750 sq ft proves that the owner has truly created a space that is indeed small AND cool.

I don't know if you want to guess how old anyone is by assessing their style or belongings, because this look has been popular across ages for a while. I also like my stuff, and I'm glad to see people exposing their accumulations instead of reflecting on their small space as a lesson in monkishness. Or both!! This one definitely has a lot of stuff just scattered all over and embellished excessively; I don't know how you can say it's "anything but cluttered." I like to see how people's real stuff and their real love of their stuff gets incorporated or organized into good design (I also admire well-done examples of bare minimum places, that's "not my style" either, technically).

I could not say it was bad just because I don't like a lot of the elements personally, but it has so much ... indecisiveness. "They're all my favorites." I can appreciate this is a person who probably unloaded 2/3rds or more from a larger home previously, but it looks like a curio shop and I could probably buy some candles or a teapot in there.

It's very unlike my home, but I personally love it. Yes, there is a lot going on, but I'd love to be a guest and spend a Sunday afternoon looking at everything. Yes, reminiscent of an antique store or bed and breakfast like someone mentioned, but I think it works. Just charming.

I've viewed probably hundreds of homes on AT, and if ever there were one I would love to just move in to...this is it! I think it's absolutely beautiful! The minimalists may have their say...but at the end of the day you have this absolutely lovely space to come home to...you lucky girl! Very well done! Kudos, kudos, kudos!

I am compelled to answer Orangejuice and others that have commented on the height of the TV.
I usually do not use the word “friggin” but the “friggin” television is so “friggin” high because she “friggin” wanted it that way. You may want to look at the “friggin” chairs on either side of the “friggin” couch. They are “friggin” recliners.

There will be no “friggin” whiplash just comfortable TV watching.

Lovely setting! Very beachy and comfortable. I love that the kitchen upper cupboards are gone and the dishes are now on the living room hutches as showpieces, while still being used to serve meals. Multi use in a cool small space!
AND
as for the tv being high, it seems to work very well since it is NOT intended to be the primary source of entertainment in the living room, evidenced by the fact that two wing back recliners and a small sofa are facing the fireplace and forming a lovely little conversation area!

very cool small place. Function and Style seem to work well and still look comfortable.
Balcony looks great and when the flowers bloom, it will be fantastic!

Love the whole place, and wonder about some of the negative comments. Place very homey and pretty!

I have read every response on this page. I have looked at every photograph this contestant submitted and I have looked at every entrant in this contest. I love some of them, hated none of them but have been moved to comment on only one of them.

Margaret is indeed a grandmother (a few times over.) A very hip and cool grandmother but a grandmother none the less. She has pared down from a HUGE home into a 750 sq ft flat and when you are actually standing in the space you realize that it is not cluttered at all.

One person asked how Margaret could live without kitchen cabinets on her wall while another admonished her for the items on the hutches and offered a link to a picture that showed how it "should" be done. If you take a look at those hutches you will see plates, bowls, serving platters etc. This is where Margaret keeps her dishes, glasses, flatware etc. Let me assure that she uses them every single day. Those kitchen utensils hanging behind the sink? Margaret is a chef, and I don't mean an amateur chef. Lots of fun gatherings with lots of fun guests and family take place in that little cottage. I am one of the fortunates to have received and invite a time or two....all I can say is...yummy! So yes, she uses every one of them...and quite a few you don't see. Everything has a practical use for her.

Another seemingly huge concern is the height of the tele. When a person places a tele this high it usually means they don't watch a lot of tele OR they have recliners. In this instance both things are true...two recliners on either side of the 1.5 chair which when sat in really provide a very comfortable viewing angle. Not everyone sits at a 90 degree angle when watching the tele.

There seemed to be an issue with the painting hung in the bath. Yes it is an actual painting...as is the tiny hand painted oil beneath it. Sorry...that's not a postcard...it's real art.

Clutter is generally defined as "littering with things in a disorderly manner." If you look at the pictures you will see that everything has its place and everything has a use. The paintings? Originals given by the artist. The shells in jars? Collected over years from many trips to the shore. The picture frames? Filled with children and grandchildren. (Sure she could put them on one single table in a cluster but hey, maybe she wants to see her little cherubs from every place in her home.) The table next to the sofa table? It is actually between the 1.5 chair and the recliner so the occupants will have a place to put their drinks etc. The Aireo Garden? To have moved it would have been staging the picture which provides an untrue portrait.

Perhaps the pictures could have been taken better...from a different angle...but as I remember it...that is Margaret's lil beach cottage. Filled with warmth and welcomeness and the constant scents of something warm from the oven.

This of course is just my two cents. Now I'll go back to my flat...the one where when you step through the door you swear the year is 1969. Oh yes....I voted Super Cool because even though it is not my taste...it really fits the elements of small AND cool.

Hi
You can do any look you like.
But do it well.
You could stand to 'edit' and 'calm' things down a bit here:
too many pictures...too high;
wierd mix above the bed;
same in the kitchen.
Pare it down, and keep a simple focus on each vignette.

I guess everyone on here thinks that being young and "hip" means loving that minimalist, modern, Asian look. I am sick of it, and I am only 32! I love this apartment with its cool pastel coloring and shabby chic almost French country look.

I am glad you have a small TV way up high on a shelf rather than those ubiquitous flat screen monstrosities. Speaking of ubiquitous, why is every entry in here full of Asian inspired, "minimalist" furnishings? I would just love to be inspired by unique rococo furnished place or a batik patterned West African styled place. My god its like everyone is a sheep here. Come on folks, that's what I come here to see: ideas and designs that will inspire me that I don't see in every Elle decor or Domino that I pick up.

Shabby chic could use a bit more editing.

Ok, MochaCaliGirl, calmate, just breathe. Margaret joined a contest, that receives votes, and people who did not love it gave reasons as is expected in the contest. Do ATers often go too far in critiquing, and forget that home decoration is very personal and "funny" comments can wound? Yup, and I do wish people would be kinder. But it's a contest, so smoothe down the feathers. Nice as it is of you to get so indignant on a friend's behalf :)

On to my thoughts - I agree with most of the posters that she has not quite mastered the clutter. The bones actually are quite spare and elegant, with nice clean lines (I absolutely adore the hutches, I'm eyeing my hutch now thinking about painting it like hers), but there are too many things that the eye bounces between. Not every horizontal surface needs something on it. The pretty white table behind the sofa - why does it have a cloth on it, obscuring the pretty lines? She needs another ruthless cleaning for only the true treasures, or else disciplined rotation (to and from the hutch drawers, maybe) of the many treasures she has scattered all over now. Otherwise, a great posting.