apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Wow, those aerial spaces are amazing. Is that sleeping area off to the side the guest bed?

There's a lot about this place I don't like - the chilly colours especially - but it'd be impossible to argue that it's anything but Super Cool. The idiosyncratic architecture, the Ramones poster, and the Single Bed of Death (one roll over during the night and you die!) all suggest that someone way, way cooler than me lives here.

Great space, and I really wanted to love it. Especially after seeing the Ramones poster! Unfortunately, however, that shade of green alone, much less together with the color of the couch, is really not doing anything for me at all... it feels kind of depressing. Sorry.

This is the first space I've seen this year that I've been truly envious of, and I would probably mess it up.

Great job.

i absolutely love this place! but maybe a little ramp would be a smart idea on the 'bed of death' as blandwagon so aptly called it.

OMG -- that is a "bed of death". Do you make your mother sleep there?

let's hang out.

I just wish the quality of the photos were better.

hahaha! bed of death. totally.

on the other hand, this person is way cooler than me. super cool it is.

omg that bed is truly terrifying. i voted supercool because although no single item jumped out, your place is beautiful.

Joanna, I don't see the color green anywhere (other than the plant stalks). Perhaps you're talking about what appears on my screen as gray/blue? I'd check the entry on another computer...

- - -

I think a rug might soften up the living room a bit, but otherwise this looks like--lofts are always a smart use of vertical space.

i really like it. the space is so cool and your stuff in there looks nice and fine. you definitely didn't ruin the space and i think your stuff works nice. the drapes over the bed are so elegant and serene. love them.

Super cool. I even liked the "bed of death". There's a rail. I'm just not quite sure how you'd get into it from the photo. Do you have to climb onto the desk?

Do you guys often fall out of bed? I've slept on a twin sized bed all my life and I don't think I've fallen out of it once since I was 10 or so.

Re: Falling out of bed. Most people don't fall out of bed, but people do things in their sleep sometimes by accident (when sick perhaps and a bit less sensitive to their physical environment). I haven't fallen out of bed since becoming an adult, but I've come close once or twice in the last 25 years. I'd hate for one wrong roll and a loss of balance to end in broken bones or death.

All that being said, this is a lovely place. It's very well laid out and nicely appointed. The colors look good. I think the pictures may look funny because they may have been filtered to avoid the "flat" look some pictures have been criticized for. Some places don't have the natural light to take shots without a flash.

Is this a basement apartment or something? I don't see any windows in the pics or natural light.

Anyone who sleeps in a bed situation like this deserves to win something.

I don't understand the overall positive response to this entry.

Ursa, I'm with you. I don't get it. At all.

Hi, thanks for all the comments! This contest was a great incentive to finish all the work on my condo I have been putting off.

The Bed of Death is a perfect way to describe the guest bed. For the record I am a good daughter and take the Bed of Death while my mom gets the main bed. I have tested rolling over the rail and you do have to be rolling at a good force to get over the rail but I will freely admit that the bed does not go into the safe category. You do have to put your knee onto my office desk to comfortably get in the Death Bed.

Sorry about the quality of the photos. I have never wanted a new camera as bad as when I was picking/taking these photos. The walls in real life are a gray/blue as davidasposted said.

Pixie; The main sleeping area is off to the east of the guest bed. There is the "office" and a walkway between the two.

Jenny!: Anytime. :)

davidasposted: I agree that a rug would soften up the place especially a shag or flokati but every time I put one down my cat immediately makes them "not so nice". I have kind of given up. Suggestions for a non-rug flooring piece?

TheCount: I live in the top floor with 4 windows located across from the sofa. There is no natural light in the photos because I took the photos at 11pm scrambling to get them in before the contest closed.

Again thanks for all the comments!

Monica

while i am totally sick of those blik birds, i otherwise absolutely love the place. I love that you squeezed an extra (death) bed in there! This almost seems....big. And the ramones poster is PERFECT in placement, color, and of course, taste :)

I admit I have not been keeping up with all the entries. But I did not like this one. I see a lot of potential, but potential doesn't mean finished.

For instance, The Bed of Death. That's a horrible idea. Why would anyone do that? It's not safe, it's probably not legal, and to get to the bathroom from that Death Bed, one has to walk through the other bedroom, the entire length of the home, and walk the entire length again to get to the bathroom.

Now, I can see a guy setting up a funnel system, that would allow urination from the Death Bed without even having to get up, draining directly into the toilet ... hopefully not raining on anyone in the bathroom though.

If you can make it two stories, legally, the whole place could be almost 800 sq ft. That's HUGE. There could be a normal sized kitchen. A second bath. No bed of death.

But why that second floor was installed as it is, I do not know. It's all hacked in chunks that are not all that useful.

The part that I loved (besides the Ramones poster) was the bed loft look with the curtains. That IS very cool.

But the tiny kitchen, with the bathroom that appears to have GLASS BLOCK on it for everyone's view pleasure???

The living room furniture appears to be shoved under the bed roosting area.

Is the rest of the open area empty? Is it also a dance studio? Or artist's studio? Or what?

You could have had two small bedrooms, the same size as the current sleeping loft. I'm guessing you can't legally do that either, as the rooms would be required by law to have natural light. At least not with solid walls, but nothing is preventing the appearance of a room from being formed the same way you did upstairs, with curtains.

Giving it a totally exotic look downstairs, full of deep tones. Sort of like this:
http://www.san-nicolas-suites.co.uk/8.html

Bonus: the layers of fabric mute sounds. It doesn't have to be those colors or that style, but draping the bed area with the curtains for a downstairs bedroom would be more practical.

I don't even think life insurance would pay off if one fell out of that bed area. No way.

And don't let any children inside, as the stairwell railing and upstairs railing probably wouldn't meet code either.

So, I love glass block, but not on a bathroom that can be viewed from the living room, and I do not know if that is allowable either. I love lofting spaces, but not ones that are obvious hazards, no matter how romantic or airy they appear.

Maybe they have different rules and regulations in your area. But I just can't vote overall "cool" when it's scary.

I for one am totally in love with the loft construction. I love the chunkiness. It's not what you'd expect. I think the exposed wood is absolutely beautiful. I wish I could live in a place like that; I wish I could see it in person! It reminds me of a kid's tree house for a grown-up.

This place is a winner for me, but the photograph are really crappy quality.

I find it a little funny that Melissa's Pod (East #24) was bashed by some of the members here because it was deemed HUGE and here we have this entry which is larger still, doesnt have to deal with two separate bedrooms and probably feels bigger than the listed sqft because of the empty space. I haven't heard a peep about it being "way too big." But I digress...

I keep getting this nagging feeling (can't validate) that, with some exceptions, in order for an apartment to be "super cool" it has to have a sleeping loft somewhere in the apartment. People swoon over lofts, and while useful, they are not the be all end all of small space design.

I might be a little bitter, but I would deem this apartment 'cool.' It does have a decent layout but there seems to be a lot of dead space.

Ok, I've said my peace.

Oh what an amazing space!!! You have my vote, pretty sure the Ramones posted clinched the deal...

Monica,
I just LOVE this place. I had a very similar loft style apt at one time and it was the most fun I had ever had with an apt. Not only was my bed in an open loft like yours, there was a whirpool tub up in an opposing loft...yes, for everyone to see..great parties, man, great parties.
I hope you have alot of fun in your place, it is just lovely!

are those two beds upstairs!? wow.

I never want to see another bird motif again; bad trend to begin with and it has been everywhere for the last couple of years, but the apartment overall is very cool. Cannot ever resist The Ramones!

just so cool. I'm at a loss for words.

Wow. Inventive use of space/architecture. Decor seems a bit flat, though.

I see a lot of things I like in here. I think you did an excellent job and it shows your creativity. I would like to see a rug as well.

awesome- super cool--

How to people sleep in that guest bed by the way?

love it! there's a doll house quality about it that I just can't resist - maybe being able to see into all these separate space.

I like this place!

Agree with everything TrueBlue said. To me, a big part of what makes an apartment super-cool is an efficient use of space. This apartment seems to squander space, and to squander it in a dangerous way. If you have to use your knee on the desk to get into the second bed, that's a problem. If you have to walk through another bedroom to get to the bathroom, that's a problem. And there's enough space that it didn't have to be designed that way.

Looks really cool and there are some really impressive elements, but also feels like a lot of wasted space. In such a big place, I don't understand why the compact living spaces are tucked into corners and up under the eaves leaving so much empty floor space. Unless a double-height studio is critical for other work activity or massive parties, it's not well-used.

I also don't understand why the railing on the Bed of Death wasn't just made higher.

Again, I'm not bashing this person's aesthetic but I don't get it. The furniture up against the walls, the curtains around the loft, the cold floors, the coatrack, etc. It's not doing anything for me & I am truly befuddled by all of the positives. Somebody *splain* it to me please. As design what on earth makes this supercool?

I love this space. If I didn't have a family, I'd move in tomorrow.

But I feel compelled to reiterate the main problem I have with the contest this year: 840 sq ft is HUGE for a single person.
It is the equivalent of a family of 4 living in 3360 sq ft. There is no art in that.

I think the contest rules should be changed next year, either:
1) Back to the old 650 sq. ft limit
2) Or introduce a size limit that relates to the number of people living in a space, say 250 sq ft. per person... so a 1000 sq ft place would qualify if it was inhabited by a family of four, for example.

umm.. yeah, can we be roommates?

clearly a winner, and it needs better photos

I love the use of the upstairs curtains and railing and the general feel for the main bedroom, so I was expecting more of the same breezy, almost tropical feel for the rest. The downstairs was fairly disappointing - it seems very cold and empty, especially when compared to the bedroom. So much could be done with all that wonderful openness and blonde wood, but it seems to be overlooked. Plants might be a help, instead of decals... I don't know. I voted it Cool.

I have never even come close to falling out of bed, so I don't get the comments about that. That bed is so cool I'd be sleeping there every night! Also, re: the lack of a rug. Do none of you have pets? Sometimes you have to sacrifice decor if it's something your pets will destroy. I really like this space.

Sorry, but this place is neither small nor cool. Also the curtains upstairs look hideous.

I think this space is amazing. I am super-envious of the bed and the color scheme works for me.

I don't understand all the ravings over the Ramones poster. That element alone reads "college dorm" to me.

I don't understand the size limit for this contest. I appreciate the people (especially couples) who can make their 500sf homes work. I'm not so inspired by people who have vast 800 sf homes that look bare.

This place is brilliantly done!!! Totally not my style but I loved it! The glass blocks are perfect for lots and lots of natual light.

oooooooooh ice block.

blah

there's that white IKEA locker/credenza again! your space has a very nice feel to it. it's thought out, but it doesn't feel self-conscious. it feels like home. i like it a lot.

that bed is crazy.

Small and cool, nice.

You need a rug i nthat living room, it feels way too open and cold.

This is a fun layout, but can't you put a taller safety rail by the death bed? It makes me nervous for you using it.

As someone who lives in a loft myself, I think that this entry shows a good use of space. All lofts have their practical shortcomings - the lack of built-in storage and closets is a primary one. Hence the coat racks and the storage systems that are often placed against walls.

Furniture placement is always an interesting problem, especially in a loft that has an oddly shaped main space, as this one seems to have. It may be that the livingroom area "feels" cozier placed under the lower ceiling of the bedroom. It may not be the most photogenic setup, but perhaps it is better for real life.

The lack of clutter is quite impressive, and I love the exposed wood and the cool blue paint. I agree with the posters above, though, about the Blik bird decals. They have become overused and now approach the status of truly annoying.

Your loft has great bones, and you've added some fine touches. I'm sure it will only improve with time.

840 sf for one person seems too big to be called small!

All the furniture is squished into that corner. I don't get it. I think the square footage is huge but it's wasted.

i like the place but... that's a lot of space for one person and it's inefficiently used. it looks like the perfect place to shoot a music video for a female singer-songwriter...

I want a "Bed-of-Death" too...
...the lack of a high railing doesnt' scare me in the least.

Monica - I'm also glad that you didn't rip out the railings and paint over the wood like you were asking about earlier this year...

I realized what would have raised my vote considerably. A couple things.

One is if the place was smaller, and that whole middle section wasn't there. The space that is located between the bed loft and the office area, if that was not there...both upstairs and downstairs.

Then the layout of the space would TOTALLY make sense to me. To ME, specifically. Then the placement of the furniture downstairs would make sense, because there would be nowhere else to put it. It would HAVE to go under the overhang, there would be no huge opening.

In the kitchen area, that open area that isn't finished that looks up the skirt of anyone sitting at the desk, THAT area would have some glass or acrylic block. And maybe frame the kitchen sides in the block too. To give it a cohesive look at that end. This is a good place to explore acrylic block options, they can be set in windows and doors too:
http://www.hy-lite.com/homeowners/

Here's what I mean about "framed in around the kitchen" as well as using it as a railing:
http://www.hy-lite.com/images/homeowners/gallery/house2.jpg

And here's a Small, Cool example of using that product in a very small space:
http://www.hy-lite.com/images/homeowners/gallery/kitchen3.jpg

Although that explosion of color and pattern is not for the easily nauseated. But the bonus would be that spilling anything on that pattern on the floor would never have to be cleaned up. You'd never find your spill. You may never have to clean your floor again! Hahaha!

Consider also the huge amount of space. I was pretty harsh. I wouldn't know what to do with that much space. It's not like one can spread out a few furnishings and use carrier pigeon to carry on a conversation from a distance. The furniture HAS to be grouped somewhere.

And I think anyone here who lives in a small space (I'm in 500 sq ft) who moved to THAT size of a space would NOT have enough furniture to spread around either. I think that is why I say it has potential. It's almost like the huge space was just moved into.

As for the comment about lack of storage space, there's enough "space" in that space to have a couple of storage containers.

There. is. no. shortage. of. space.

Only a shortage of funds to create the storage.

The bed of death is not dangerous. It just looks dangerous to amateurs, which is basically the definition of cool. danger is cool, especially when it's mostly an illusion - like an infinity pool. Hell, I've fallen that far (and further) onto concrete and it just basically hurt. Who cares?

Of course the place could be upgraded. But it's damn cool as is. (Almost as cool as mine...)

Monica,

In answer to your question... a question! Does your cat destroy rugs by clawing them, or peeing on them, or what? I empathize with your situation as next month I will move into an apartment with my girlfriend who has a dog that somehow manages to get all of its fur into everything she owns.

If you cat claws your rugs then I would get a scratch post or make one and try encouraging it to focus its attention on that instead (through a bit of training and catnip, perhaps?). Also, though I'm no expert on these things, different rugs feature different textures and fabrics and I wonder whether one may suit your needs better than flotaki, which I personally like but usually associate with child-less, pet-less homes.

Chapter 10, Section 1013, Guards.

They seem to want guards (railings) that are at least 34" tall in all residential areas, that are higher than 30" off the ground.

Secondly, they seem to want the balusters (the vertical things) spaced so that no sphere of 4.375" on the stairs can pass through. I'm guessing that's also for the second floor loft area.

Look, I watched as a child played on the balcony of an adjoining apartment, and ducked in and out of the railing. The railing here is much farther spaced apart. I'm guessing the rules are/were different for outdoor railings or different in my area.

I'm very safety-conscious. And most of these rules they didn't just make up to be a pain in the butt for homeowners and landlords. They're supposed to help to make the homes SAFE.

"Amateurs"?

"Danger is cool"?

This isn't a stunt man's house.

Arg! I'm starting to remember why I stopped coming here! Ha! ;)

Just as a note on the size I wanted to point out the true square feet I have is 519 but going vertical and adding the lofted areas to the condo gives it another 320 feet of livable feet.

bepsf: Good memory! Yeah as I got into the project I realized I should keep the wood to give some warmth. I just painted over the moldy green on the spokes to a grey. Plus it was MUCH more economical.

davidasposted: As soon as I lay them down that night while I am sleeping she pees on them. I have always tried a shag type rug so maybe I will try your suggestion of a different texture. A flat rug might not bring up that instinct. Good luck adapting to the pet hair life :)

"Arg! I'm starting to remember why I stopped coming here! Ha! ;)"

Maybe you should go back to your old trend, since you seem to be so upset about this ;)

The camera phone quality images killed the super cool vote... But it is still cool. I would probably paint or 'white wash' the wood. I love wood, but this just doesn't look right to me.

Snizitch, I get so bent over nit-picky things. I always have. It's called "attention to detail" and can be a very good thing. Other times it's more like sticking my feet in my mouth and then putting my head in my butt.

So, here are the nit-picky, nitty-gritty, foot in mouth, head in butt facts:

"8 - Q. What is the maximum rail spacing allowed for guard openings?
A. Guards on open sides of stairways, decks above 30”, balconies, and any raised floor areas are required to have intermediate railing narrow enough to deny passage of a 4” sphere. See Seattle Residential Code Sec 312.2 (pg. 52), and CAM 303A, Common Seattle Residential Code Requirements, for more information."

Source:
http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Permits/FAQ/Construction/default.asp

It also states:
"6 - Q. Do I need an architect for my project?
A. A licensed design professional is generally required to prepare a set of drawings for review and approval within the city of Seattle. However, exceptions to this requirement include but are not limited to: single family residences & accessory structures and other projects whose total valuation is less then $30,000. See Seattle Residential Code Sec R105.5.2.2 (pg. 5) for residential projects and Seattle Building Code (SBC) Sec R106.5.2.2 for commercial projects."

judging by the floor plan there's a foot or a little more of space between the "bed of death" and the railing. meaning, if you roll out, you roll onto the floor.

and i see a window in the 2nd photo on this page - the glass tile.

AWESOME PLACE. the floating beds, and even a secluded office area is awesome.

187 supercool? are people insane?

Olya: see image here:
http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/042308monica/monica5

The bed pillow is resting on the maybe six inch tall horizontal beam separating the feather bed (?) from a ten foot drop into the kitchen.

There is no "bed" or "floor" it's some mattress on a raised area, that can be reached only by climbing over the desk.

And the glass block is on the bathroom, it's the bathroom wall. The floor plan does not show a window IN the bathroom. That lit up area below the office and the Rasterbated image is the bathroom wall.

Here are some other pictures of Monica's home before the floors were painted:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/good-questions/sf-good-questions-affordable-railings-for-my-loft-and-stairs-043951

There ARE lots of windows, shown both in the floor plan and in that link above.

LOVE the glass block wall and the sleeping loft! Although, I'd be afraid I'd fall out!!

It's funny, I didn't even think about the bed of death ... the main bed area made me nervous itself. It just doesn't look supported to me. Sure, it's latched onto the main support beam, but no vertical support below? Perhaps it doesn't need it, but I think I would think about that all the time when I was up there, regardless and I'd never feel comfortable.

Olya and TRUE BLUE your both a little right. The edge of the guest bed area comes out at an angle. At the top of the Bed the railing is right next to the bed but by the time you get to the foot of the bed there is about 2.5 feet between the railing and the bed. So if you were to roll out of bed your head would bunk the railing but your body would fall onto the carpeted area between the railing and the bed.

Monica

Love it, love it, love it. It's so wispy and lovely, wow!!! And I kinda like the bed of death, why not give yourself a little risky thrill at night? Anyway, it's fantastic, like a classy and beautiful adult's treehouse.

I Love it! I believe this is a winner!!! Too bad the pics came out so blurry...