apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Gorgeous space-- I am a sucker for natural light!

Goodness. This is amazing.

Very nice closet.

Beautiful! Does anyone know where I could find a coffee table like that?

Lovely! I especially like those glass shelves with the coral.

love it!

Beautiful apartment! I just love the calm, light-filled vibe.

swoon! i love the built-ins, and the shared tv. most of all i love the light in your apartment!

Beautifully done, great space planning and tons of storage for such a small space!

Wait, who lives here? According to the Luca Andrisani website, thois is the "Esposito Residence". Is this contest open to designers just pimping their projects? That seems out of the spirit of the idea, right?

Great design, perhaps the help of a good architect/interior designer, a whole lot of money... and the world is your oyster. Wow!

Wow! Love the TV solution. I love the natural feel of the space. Full of texture. Generally I'd want more color but this seems very elegant.

ooh_food, i just went to the site, too. maybe the designer lives in that particular apt? i dunno. weird.

wow! the built-ins are impeccably designed -- stylish and so functional. love the light-filled space. i want your dining chairs!

I love that coffee table. Where is it from?

lovely light!

Fantastic use of 400 sf. Really well-selected photos within the limitation of only 4 pics. What are the blinds on the windows? Does the closet behind the bed close completely?

I hope the designer lives here and this one's not eliminated. My fave so far.

hi everyone,
this is Luca and that is my Residence! I used my mother's maiden name for obvious privacy reasons....
thanks

This is why I read AT. Excellent use of space and storage, especially in such a teeny-weeny space!

It's like a museum, but it is nice!

Fabulous! I love it!, But does the designer of this space live here?

so glad you live there luca.
did you have a builder do all the cabinetry?

I love it. Wow and it's clean too!

Yes, i did use a builder. the cabinetry is all custom. In place of that wall there used to be a traditional sheet-rock wall and the bed was lofted!

Wow! Amazing! Do you design spaces like this for other people as well? I'd love to see more of them.

The white cladding on the t.v. wall is super cool and I'd love to know how you floated those glass shelves.

Brilliant.

in response to Robroz, the coffee table was purchased on auction at www.right20.com

Masterful use of shapes and space. Would have liked a bit more color to move it up to the super cool category.

Hi Luca!

What color is the sofa?

in response to Art, the built-ins dividing the bedroom from the living room are made in white laquered wood, while the wall dividing the walk-in closet and the bed is in light oak.
the glass shelves are hold on two sides: the channels are grooved into the wood

Amazing! What are those dining chairs? Thanks.

Hi Kerri. the sofa is from Freefrom (http://www.flexform.it/).
the color is a brown with some orange in it

is there any way we can set an rss feed for JUST smallcool2008 instead of all of apartment therapy?

Hi Bigfun. The charis are Danish from the 50's and by Arne Jacobsen

Extremely smart usage of space Luca. I have a 700sqf apartment around UN. Would you be interested in working in a condo (it was completely redone by Extell developers, but it looks so standard). I would like to have the kitchen integrated to the dinning and living area like yours.

Congratulations - the best place so far

Hello Jbv1978 and thank you.
if you like, you can contact me through my website. i'll be glad to see your apartment.
best,
L

Luca-Luca,

Totally envy your apt! Where did you get that desk?

I keep looking back at different things - the glass display shelves, the expanse of exposed brick, which makes for a spacious feel, the airiness in such a small, engineered space. And, my god, the storage!

It's sublime. That should be the top category.

Wow! Very well edited furniture, unique accent pieces, and beautiful woodwork. Stunning.

cohesive, well-planned, airy space---great job!

Oh yes. This is beautiful! I think I've found my favorite! Very clean, very efficient, very nice use of light and form! LOVE IT!

Nice light, well curated... but it's so spare, it seems like a model home where nobody actually lives.
The 360 tv detail is pretty awesome, though.
A really well thought-out space. Cool.

Great use of space and very welcoming. Nice photo detail that the window view is unidentifiable as New York (trees) but the tv shows cityscape. Wow, you must be organized behind all those doors; my books/music/work would tumble out as from the Marx Brothers' stateroom when any door opened. Especially love the coral too.

hi phase2phase. the desk is from the early 1900s by George Nelson & Associates

what a beautiful example of how living small can be grand.

What are those window coverings? Does the closet in the bedroom close?

wonderful space.
completely in love.

It's stunningly beautiful and well planned but I'd like to think that innovation in a small space is about more than having the money to build custom cabinetry.

That being said.. I still love it

This is gorgeous; a great use of space, beautiful furniture, incredible natural light, my favorite entry so far, by far! Clean design, beautifully photographed, a truly wonderful environment. I wish the other entries were up to this caliber of competition.

Best of luck Luca!

agree, the best so far, but do you have a microwave or place to heat a pan of food.. that is.. cook?

Hi Pixie,
the window coverings are Linen roman shades.
Yes, the bedroom closet door closes and when it does, it looks like a secret hidden door.

It's a beautiful space! No clutter at sight. Maybe a bit TOO perfect, you know? Loveloveloooovveeeee. I think we have a winner :D

thank you guys!!!if i win you are all welcome to come by for a tour :)

I think there are many ways to have innovation in a small space, and this is one.

That 360º TV is badass! I love the headboard wall too. woo!

wow! love the storage solutions in the bedroom!

luca, we are so there!

you will have to take turns! it's only 400sqf....

I love the light wood and natural light--well done! The rotating TV is very clever.

Love it! so fresh & bright!

How do you lay in bed and watch that tv? It doesn't seem like that would really work unless you were perched on the far edge?

This is so carefully staged...cool use of built-ins in a small space, but no sense of who lives there or how.

I was hoping to enter the contest a week from now, after seeing such a professional entry I am thinking should I???

This is an inspiration! I love all the hidden storage... The space feels warm and liveable, and very chic. Obviously, you need a certain amount of $ to make a space like this happen... (sigh) one day.

I like this, but it does look a little like a catalogue and not like a home. But maybe that's Luca's aesthetic. I'm drooling over the storage.

Gorgeous built-ins, and use of space. This is the sort of thing that actually makes me wish I owned my apartment!

Fan! Tastic!

powkang: just bookmark the contest page
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/contests/2008/small-cool/
which is what I do when it's "small cool" time!

Hi Luca, do you live here with someone or alone? I am very impressed by how neat and edited the space is, and even more so if you share it with someone!

why do so many people comment on the lack of clutter?

when you go to the dentist, you brush your teeth first (i hope).

when you go to the ob/gyn, you take a shower first (please say you do).

when you're showcasing your apartment for millions to see, you CLEAN up (thank you, luca).

true, there aren't a lot of personal affects (carelessly) strewn about around, but maybe that's just personal preference. for many people, "spare" works. it clearly works here! you don't have to have crap lying around for a home to be lived in.

Fabulous. Excellent use of space and light. Love the wood accents and the wood wall in the bedroom. Bravo.

So completely different from the last two, but I like them all so far. Maybe I'm getting old. Anyway, this one is absolutely beautiful. I think the wood elements keep it just warm enough. I think that a developer should get people like him to completely do entire buildings of furnished condos; don't make each one the same; just make them all this good.

I'm dead sure there are people who would love to just move right into a turn-key situation that looked like this. Those people would probably be looking for a pied-a-terre, which is not what this site is about, but still... I think that could be nice.

thank you JI

thanks Curtis!

Beautiful! So calm and peaceful. Love the shells throughout and how artfully they're placed.

I'm not voting because although it is beautiful it's not like you put an ounce of effort into it except for open up the checkbook.

This is a wonderful entry! Very professionally done and probably expensive, but the real beauty is in the feeling of expansiveness and clever use of storage to create privacy and flow. The rotating TV is a great idea that most people could modify and use as well. What thoughtful planning and editing to support your design and constraints. I don't mind the calm color palette and lack of a lot of personal items - I find that it fits the design: calming and expansive. Bravo!

Italian style is the best!

outstanding! Smartly conceptualized and executed. I for one can tell that a great deal of effort when into the design of this space. Remember that this contest is not "Budget Small Cool 2008" or "DIY Small Cool 2008" or even "Amateur Small Cool 2008." It is simply "Small Cool 2008." This place is small at 400sqf and it is definitely cool as far as I am concerned. affordability, whether or not the homeowner did the reno work him/herself, and whether or not he or she is a professional designer are questions for another contest.

denverdigs, quit being so sour. just because luca can afford to put some money into making her home exactly what she wants doesn't mean it shouldn't be included.

but...where did the slideshow link go???

Looks like an ultimate escape from chaotic and stressful city environment to a clean, neat and peaceful space ones would love to call it home. Conscious use of simplicity brought much richness to the design... Excellent job!!!

Simply stunning! You have inspired me to register so I can vote.

This is the perfect example of why I have followed this site for 3 years and why I love small living. Beautifully edited, uncluttered, inovative, and perfect. Living in a small space lets you focus on doing a few things right and you certainly have done that here. Best of luck! You have my vote.

love love love

GORGEOUS.

Thanks guys for all your kind words and support. Despite of what some people say, I put a lot of effort to design it and build it. Also it takes some guts to expose your own home to so many people and judgments. It's all worth it though...
Thanks again!

the built ins, the brick walls, the wood, the white!

yes! now that's a "super cool!" congrats and thanks for sharing.

thank you mrs!

Wow - great job! You really thought through the space with the built-ins. It's very impressive.

such a wonderful use of space and light. great design but hard to believe that someone is currently living there. It feels a little too staged by a professional.

I'm speechless, but I think it's a shame to see this contest go to the designers rather than the people Apartment Therapy was created for. This is the Esposito Residence featured on his design portfolio. It is stunning though.

Rob--
asked and answered.
This question has already been raised and Luca responded. Luca lives there.

Meh....a little overdone if you ask me. It screams "LOOK, DON'T TOUCH"

I absolutely love television...but that huge TV in the bedroom is totally impractical. How could you even WATCH the thing at that angle?? Your eyes would fry! Neat concept, but totally impractical for day to day use.

I look at homes like these as mere inspiration for ideas to incorporate into REAL homes where people actually do REAL things....

Luca, after perusing your website, I can see that this is absolutely your design and sensibility and not just a designer showroom created by someone else. The thought that you put into this space is really evident and the execution is flawless. Congrats! It's a beautiful home. I *would* like to see some wild contemporary art but that obviously doesn't make your minimalist heart go pitter-pat, like it does mine.

Unfortunately for you Luca there are a lot of poor people who post here and hence will punish you for working hard or at least having parents who worked hard and not living in a hovel.

Lots of natural light, and exposed brick. My two favorite things! Beautiful place. Nice and serene.

Amazing space especially love the bedroom and walk in closet

Thank you ooh_food

Thank you Pixie

In response to Edina_Rose Monsoon:
Thank you for your support. This is not a contest about the most effordable and cool design. It's called Small Cool!
Also, if I were rich, i would not probably be living in a 400sqf apartment! Just enjoy what i've shared and get inspired...

Similar to what Curtis said, I think.

This is a space that I would consider "move-in ready". It has anticipated every need of the client and has maximized every inch. It's palette is neutral making it a blank canvas to be painted with the occupant's personal possessions. It's small, it's cool and just as important, it's smart.

Luca,

I didn't say you were rich, I just said you weren't poor but it appears that you are trying to garner favor with the posters who hate me at my expense. I praised your apartment and didn't get so much as a thank you until I talked about poor people.

duly noted.

Dear Edina, my comments were not about you but about those who have made comments about my wallet and stuff like that. I was axctually thanking you and using your post as an example.
sorry for the missunderstanding

It's stunning. great taste

Dreamy and modern without feeling stuffy or overtly DWR'd.

wonder what the bathroom in this place is like.

Luca: do you have a source for the lights mounted on your "headboard" in the bedroom? I have been looking for something like that? Thanks!

Luca,

I love the fact that there is still a place for a dining room table in a 400 sf home and it seats 6! This is a perfect use of space for living and having guests over.

The way the TV is hidden is almost EXACTLY what I want to do for my TV. I want it to look like the rest of the wall until you open it up and discover there is a TV behind it. I was going to talk to a contractor this week about an estimate, I will have to print these to show him. :)

Love all of it.

Luca-luca,

How high is the ceiling? Thx again.

I like your style, good job Luca!

great apartment! The light is amazing. I do wish that more of the entries were not professionally designed - I am more interested in how regular folks use more limited resources to create a great space.

The light makes me swoon; the rest feels a bit overdesigned.

Hi Mint,
the bedroom lights are MICRO from www.lightology.com

Hi phase2phase.
ceiling height is 10 feet

This entry, how do you say, PWNS!

stunning

Ben fatto, congratulazioni Luca!

love it. it's amazing how this 400sf place can appear so much more spacious and open than some of the larget places in the contest..
amazing storage for media and clothes also!

grazie Martita!

LOVE IT.

One question. How do you get into the rest of the bedroom closet? It looks like the bed is in the way and only a little bit is revealed.

It needs more color. More white walls...boooring.

Hi Louis,
look at the floorplan and you'll see an hidden door to the walk-in closet.

ciao
L

the swiveling tv got me. super cool.

Very nice use of the space and I lived in what I've been told is a 450QFt studio, built in the mid to late 20's. It had a walk in closet, a full bath and a decent sized kitchen. The main living space measured 14.5x15 Ft and had 2 large windows in it so I know exactly how it feels to live in a small space although I didn't have the funds to do what you did and the layout didn't allow for too much space division like you were able to due to the other "rooms".

That said, I like how you treated the space easthically speaking but if I were to do it, a bit more color and less white on white to bring a bit of zing to the overall space but the style is nice and I like it and I love the storage solution a lot, very well designed if you ask me.

I will agree, it's a little too perfect for my taste as well and I don't get some of the so called backstabbing (or so it seems anyway) with some here as I look at all designs, both high end and low end for inspiration of IDEAS and their EXECUTION over what it costs because even though it may cost XX dollars to build, with a little creativity, it can be made in a similar fashion with many of the same elements for much less and have it fit in with the space/needs of the person being designed/modified for and that's the real test here I think. Can someone take this idea and modify it to THEIR needs on THEIR budget?

I would get so much joy of living there and having everything fit so perfectly together, like a little jewel box. Budgets don't matter for me in this contest, its the fact that every little detail was seen to so carefully and thoughtfully. Congrats!

It's nice in its own way but it's a little too tasteful for me. I wish there was a collection of doll heads on the coffee table or a stuffed skunk lurking someplace or a Robert Mapplethorpe photo hanging on the wall --- to shock everyone back to life.

But, hey, ignore my suggestions because you've got a hundred "yes" men saying it's perfect.

This is grand!! I can't get over this wonderful layout.

I'm rooting for you!

I always look to critique as well as praise a job well executed.
This one is THE winner in my books.
I am so impressed!

my fav so far.

Anyone that uses Grand Prix chairs over Series 7 or Ant gets my vote! Nuff said.

Hi Luca,
I think your place is gorgeous.

For the AT Small Cool contest organizers, could we have two separate contests: one for those with architecture/interior design training/experience, and those without? I would like to gain inspiration from both categories.

-Figs

I love this place. The mood is exactly the kind I crave in my own home. It's bright, happy, restrained and stylish. The only thing I have a problem with is the huge tv next to the bed, but the overall coolness of the place outshines that. Bravo.

well this is amazing

as a grad student I can't even imagine ever being able to rent a place with such amazing bones... let alone own!

Really like this one! It's so light and airy feeling.

The only bad thing I can really say is that I would love to see more art on the walls. Wow! Very cohesive, I Love all of the build-ins. It's very neat how he can flip the tv around. I think it's extremely well done. Voting is closed now but I would have chosen Super-Cool.

Karen

This is going to win.

Luca Andrisani is a professional designer. This is not "his" home, but one of his client's, Esposito. He has more photos of this commission on his website.

Dear Busterbest,
I already replied to questions like yours about the owners of this space and I have already justified the different name with privacy issues. You can come anytime to this address to make me visit.
As far as me being a professional, that should not be something that should penalize me. This contest is about the best designed and smallest home, not about designing on a budget or without professional help.

Quite beautiful and austere. This is VERY well thought out. I love the contrast from the kitchen cabinets to the surrounding white built ins - more!

Hi, Luca,
The issue that is raised when a designer posts his/her work in this contest is the unfair advantage that designers have. There are contests for professional designers and the prizes are much more lucrative then this prize. Because of the resentment raised every time a designer posts his work (and wins, like last year's contestant), the spirit of the competition is compromised. The editors at Apartment Therapy ought to allow two competitions, one for professional designers who are noted to work with unlimited resources and innovative materials. The other should be for truly creative people who work with their limited resources and are not reluctant to share their very personal solutions.

Who says that professional designers have unlimited resources? If I had unlimited resources i would probably not be living in a 400sqf apartment with my partner.
The rules of this competition are clear and do not exclude professionals like me.
I wish people would relax and just appreciate what we are sharing.
It's not easy to show your home to the world and certainly I'm not doing it to win the modest prize but to inspire people and get inspired!

bustersbest's comments are absurd at best.

small (really small!), cool, well designed, owner occupied, and I'm grateful I got to see it!

Awesome. Perhaps this is the home of the future. Small - well designed.

Stop the fight. We have a winner!

I'm too late to vote but this is beautiful! Luca, thank you for sharing your home. It's an inspiration.

I love it. Would you recommend the builder that you used for your cabinets? Did he also do your bedroom closet? Is your closet door made of veneer? How much more are custom cabinets versus stock? I'm looking to redo my apt, and my architect is suggesting that I use custom for the bottom but stock for the top. Would you do that if you're on a tight budget? Or just do the whole thing custom? Sorry for all the questions, your apt really inspired me!

Although I'm not a fan of the tone of some of the posts, and I think this apartment is clearly beautiful (if a bit sterile) I have to agree with bustersbest's point. Looking through the posts for the past few weeks has been great because of the variety of spaces and solutions. Now that we are down to the final 4 (in the east at least) meh. They all (seem) to have a serious amount of $ behind them.

i think this is great - shouldn't we all remember that $$ doesn't buy taste?

Hi Jinbosm,
I would definetely recommend the builder I used. He did everything in the house. Custom is more expensive than stock for sure. The closet door is White Oak veneer.
If you have a tight budget you can combine stock and custom cabinetry for sure.
Hope that helps!
L

Feels so light and calm. Built-ins are great in small spaces if budgets allow. Wondering where the light over the kitchen/dining room table was sourced. Been looking for something similar.
Thanks,
Lori

Actually, money does buy taste. That's why you hire a professional.

I LOVE it all. It is an incredible use of space, and has a wonderful feel to it. And I am going to be shopping for exactly those shades, they're beautiful!

Lori, the dining room light is Poul Henningsen's PH5 Pendant Lamp.

I liked Patrick and family's a wee bit better, and then I read your tasteless comment about his entry. Now I like his entry a whole lot better. Your closet wall is gorgeous, but those white cabinets in the wall look like renter's melamine. Nice concept, bad execution.

.

Fiona, that was not my comment

.

I hope this wins!

So lovely. I love how the furniture legs stand out.

This is a beautiful apartment ..I can't believe it's 400 sf...it looks like a huge loft. How long did it take for the apartment to get to this stage...I would really love it if pics in these contests had one or two depicting the beginning of the process. Although the final results are impressive ..it's curious to see the journey it took to get there!