apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Skirts are for pretty ladies, not chairs.

Eh, nothing...WOW.

I hope AT is learning a valuable lesson from this year: Expanding the space requirements is a bad idea. It allows people to enter lots of lovely, cozy, well decorated homes. Which is not the point of the contest. The point of the contest is to show that you can make do with as little space as possible!

C'mon, seriously! This is a great little apartment - but, like SO many others in the contest, lacks anything really surprising or clever. Next year the contest should go back to 600sf or less!

I admire anyone with the guts to put their home up for us all to see and comment on but I agree with Modfan's comments.

its cute! and in all fairness (because thats what the rules are this year) it should be considered for the contest.

but i do agree with you modfan, about rethinking the size for next year.


i voted 'cool'. i love the red in the bedroom. :)

maybe instead of shrinking the size requirement they could do a juried first round that eliminated the nice-but-not-ingenious apts.

Well... that vase with flowers is really nice.
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Also, I think this contest is about small, cool apartments that are well thought out AND beautifully designed. Why should it be one or the other?

I voted cool, b/c the red in the bedroom was hot!

Um... I was disappointed to see the rest of the slide because only the first pictures (bedroom) looked nice.

Modfan said it best.

i don't think the problem is about size, though i seem to generally agree with modfan on a daily basis :) the problem is about filling up all these different categories. when there's so many AT annex sites to be filled, and so little quality submissions from other regions than east (apparently), AT should just reconsider their 40 submissions per region style, and go back to east/non-east as in the beginning three years ago. now it looks like anyone and their cat submitting anything is posted when non-east. and international submissions seem to be left out completely... :-/

I enjoy the red splashes of color in your bedroom shot.

In fairness, the rules do say "ingenious and beautiful" (they also use 'wedge' and 'crevice' in the same sentence..tehehe)

But at some point if all the homes are pretty even the prettiest home becomes average. I've got nothing against these places other than that they are what AT viewers see on a regular (non-contest) day. Contests are specific- Small/Cool, Fall Colors etc. I dont think its exclusionary at all for AT to say "this contest is ONLY for this set of people" as long as they have a different contest for the rest. This year AT got caught up in the feel-good-invite-everyone mentality and its proving to be a rather uninspiring contest.

Even the debacle with Diane all those years ago was interesting (if heartless on many accounts)!

Go Modfan. I am with you.

half of the entries look like my place, which i think is nice, but certainly not ingenious or innovative or particularly beautiful. i agree, most of these apartments are nice and decorated nice to varying degrees, for sure, but the same is true for thousands of apartments in the great U.S. of A. if i can see it over my friends' houses, i ain't impressed. i want to see innovative design or decorating or use of space, even if the innovations are small. i don't need grand. so i feel like i'm dissing on nice places and i feel bad. i voted not my style, when, in reality, this place is perfectly nice, just not contest worthy.

What was the 'debacle with Diane'?

Where is the rest of the house?

My apologies- I'm slow and forget about the slideshow link. I liked your kitchen :)

I think this was mentioned before. If you have a family of four living in 850 sf and they are utilizing every last square inch efficiently and beautifully, they should be considered in this contest. I'm getting tired of just looking at pretty apartments with no clever, innovative ideas about storage or living.

I'm very new here and don't have the historical perspective so I hope it's OK to add my 2 cents.

It would be sorta sad to imagine that only those with less than 600 sq ft are welcome here as a full participants. If this year's contest is uninspiring, I would conjecture that it's not because of who entered, it's because of who didn't. But surely nobody is saying all the "acceptably cool" people withheld their entry because they knew Rihanna was going to enter a 709 sq ft rental. Although I did note that this discussion did not rear its head in David's very cool 700 sq ft pad in San Francisco. Hmmmmm.....

i hate fake flowers!

This is not your grandma's ...

..oh wait it kind of is.

I too am with Modfan!!!
Next year, 600 sq ft or less!

The place is clean and orderly.
It was great of the owner to share what they've done.

But not really innovative or outstanding.However the owner obviously takes pride and wanted to share what was accomplished.

I'm disappointed in the comments lately here for not being constructive regarding the places shown; instead veering off the track and going on about the contest and AT's choice of format.
I too have issues with that but can't we also include some commentary on the home reviewed?
Send Maxwell an e-mail. I did.
I am getting less and less inspired here by the lack of reviews and critiques to 'better' a place. Surely we aren't afraid to politely offer suggestions, innovations and new ideas the owner may appreciate. This site was once alive with great commentary.

My suggestion to better this place would be to edit and regroup. Nothing really stands out.
There are vignettes that are pulled from from various periods; somewhat discarded and dated ones at that.
Just one example is that ensemble with the picture hanging from a ribbon/bow.
If you really like that print then do some homework on decent framing styles and give it some aplomb.
The cluster on the wall above the bed should be looked at afresh also.
It doesn't have to be 'cutting edge' but getting ideas from magazines, decor sites, etc might inspire an update.

the comments this year i think are annoying me more than the entries! rhianna, if that super cute cherry blossom is from "Stuff I Made" I'm going to commission a work for my place!

I agree with paulmuscat that the comments for this particular entry have been unfortunately dominated by non-constructive criticism of the contest rather than constructive criticism of the entry. But I think it's because this entry is illustrative of the type of place that defies criticism of any kind. With apologies to Rhianna, it's 'nice' but not terribly creative or stylish in a way that's going to win prizes round here. It doesn't creatively address issues of managing small space and doesn't offer a strong design point of view either.

That said, here's my attempt at constructive criticism for this space: try to find images of what you would like your ideal living space to look like, even if the elements are out of reach at the moment. Plan it all out in your head or on paper if necessary. Then remove anything that doesn't match up with your aspiration. Leave blank spaces - not every nook and cranny must be worked over right away. Also consider working in some larger decorative and furniture pieces. Nearly everything is at knick-knack scale and that's what give's the 'granny's cottage' effect.

YAWN -- both the apartment and the 'size' discussion.

Oh my gosh. This is her first place, she's got the beginnings of a great little home. The bedroom is great. There's vision there, it will all come together in time.

The comments and votes here have shocked me as I thought this was a very nicely set up but "real" home. No, it's not some "House Beautiful" show room, but it's very nicely done. The bedroom is bold and has a distinct style. The kitchen elements are feminine and look more "real" than some of the sterile ones in other places (cute little green cups and pastel serving tray with tea set).

I think that there need to be two different categories for entrants if the attitude is going to be that only places which look like they are staged perfectly and immaculately designed are going to receive a warm response. I like those beautiful places, too, but they are clearly not spaces people live in. Either they are places people crash at mainly for sleep or they have been set up for a photo shoot and are rather different in real life. I like to see real spaces which are nicely appointed, too. And I give this entry credit for that.

It's brave to show your home to the world in whatever form. Go contestants! You are all winners.

Wow! The first other Rhian(n)a I've encountered in my 26 years (Umbrella-ella,etc. excluded)! Good on you for entering the contest, girl.

It is obvious we can't like every entry. There is no need to make negative comments - just vote no. I expect most people enjoy looking at the entries, as I do. If you can't say something nice ......

What was the 'debacle with Diane'?
posted by ARC on 2008-04-17 19:55:31

ARC - Modfan (whose comments I agree with) was referring to a truly catastrophic entry a few years ago called "Diane's Cozy Downtown Nest".

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/small-cool-2006-entries/36-dianes-cozy-nest-downtown-007455

I really cannot stress enough how much I HATE HATE HATE red accents. I don't know what it is. I can't een explain it. But I just do. I think I would take a red wall before I endured red accents. Anyway, it's not my place so moving on. I think this one comes off a bit granny to me. I don't find a lot of excitement here.

OMG, that Diane thing was horribly, horribly bad. What was AT thinking by even posting it? It's like they were trying to set her up!

The comments this year might be a little harsh to look at this year but so are a lot of the entries.
This one, like so many others, is OK, but just OK. I'm looking for some creative use of space and inspirational design and I'm just not finding this year.

I like small and cool but when apartments get too small (100 to 300 square ft) I just think it's kind of sad that people have to live like that. (Hey, that's what I think.) On the other hand, 850 square feet seems too big to be small. This years contest isn't very inspiring or cool. Something went wrong.

I just relooked at the Diana debacle. Our NAMES (!) are actually used. OMG!

Rhianna: I like your place. Red pillows, red headboard, red curtains. Your bedroom works for me. Good luck with the contest and remember there are a lot of "bitter" people out there. Evidently, they're not all in Pennsylvania.

For a first apartment, this is downright impressive! Especially when I think back on my first apartment - haha! It is very cute.

I don't really see the "Smallest/Coolest" element here - as I haven't in many entries - it's just a cute apartment. So it just gets a "cool" from me. My favorite entries have been the ones that use a tiny space in ingenious ways.

If this were in a "Coolest 1st Apt" contest - it would be a contender :-)

I liked the bedroom.

Metairie! That's in New Orleans! We lived in 2 years in the Lower 9th Ward and 1 year in Gentilly when I was a (fairly) tiny tot in the late 1960's.

Anyway... I like the colors in the bedroom. Back when I had my first apartment (uh... 1985 in Shreveport), I would have KILLED for it to have looked this good.

fake flowers and chair skirts, oh no.

Since everyone seems to be an expert and obnoxiously opinionated, why don't you give advice on what she could have done better? Does it make you feel better about yourself to put others down? Are your homes on display for the world to see?
Would love to have seen what YOUR first apartment looked like! Maybe you aren't creative enough on your own and that's why you are so rude when your not inspired by others.
Kudos to those that gave constructive critiques.
I think this apartment is a great start!

Anyone with a Gone With the Wind Poster in their bedroom gets a cool vote from me- exactly the feeling a bedroom should convey. Thanks for sharing your space Rhianna!

I like this apartment. It's a great first place and you can tell that it's lovingly put together. Although it may not be as slick and modern as some entries, I would feel very comfortable walking in the door at the end of the day. It's very cozy! I read the link to the 'Diane' entry and I felt a little sick after reading all the posts. I had tears in my eyes....not because of her place, but because of the beating the poor girl endured. That home should have never been allowed to enter in the first place. Someone put it in as a cruel joke at Diane's expense. I know how hurt I would feel reading all those nasty comments. Obviously, when someone enters their home in a contest, they feel proud in showing it. Shame on the person who let it go that far!

J'adore! C'est tres jolie!

Oui -- the negativity has got to end, folks. I've said it before -- if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all! Real people are showing us their homes, and if you wouldn't say to an aquaintance when stepping inside their home, "ugh -- I HATE that rug", then don't say it here. Jeez.

Rhianna -- thanks for sharing your home. I *love* the red and white in the bedroom. It's adorable and cheerful!

I really like the bedroom...

I think maybe the two extra chairs are for guests? They do kind of detract from your overall look which seems to be neat and tidy. Maybe take the coverings off of them?

Can we quit the whole "first place" deal, please.
People on AT are equal opportunity - they love Ikea when it's used properly, as do they a $3,000 DWR couch. And anyway, the various bedrooms I had growing up were better decorated, by me, than some of these entries (not necessarily this one). So how does it being your first place mean that you've never thought about design before and so it's supposed to explain the state of your apartment?
I'm 20, and I am now living in my second apartment, I put in every effort to make my place look great, first, second, third, whatever.
Just my thoughts.

Overall cozy and complete for a first apartment.

I love the jadeite teacups on the shelf in the kitchen.

I think you have too many small pictures hung on their own with too little thought to the overall composition you create by grouping pictures.

When space is small, it only makes sense to double up on functions. What better idea than to have the kitchen double as the laundry room...!? I've transformed my laundry closet into an office nook, which also serves as my back entrance. So now, I'm outsourcing my laundry by using the small laundry room in the adjacent building to mine. However, if I were to bring it back into my home, I would now install a washer/dryer combo in the kitchen like Rhianna has done. I'd probably jetison the dish washer since I never use it and install the washer/dryer in it's place. Living in a small space I never entertain enough people at a time to make washing dishes by hand unmanageable.

Again, great utilization of space!