apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Wow. I have a new favorite.

Does anybody with a loft like this ever roll over and fall out? Talk about getting up on the wrong side of the bed!

Totally hot. I love the swing out table. If you are into using dimmers a lot you may want to consider installing some scene programmable x10 style dimmers (check out www.smarthome.com). Then you can set different scenes (dining, party, tv time, gettin-it-on-time, etc.) and have all the different lights go to their appropriate levels with one button touch.

I'm using some of these in my condo, and it works wonderfully. One thing I like is that they ramp the lights up or down from the on/off position. It just looks more graceful than having the lights snap on or off (though they can do that too).

Less is more = real luxury. And dog friendly, love it!

Ooh-wee. Now here's a fantastic application of a minimalist aesthetic. Clean, simple, chic. I aspire to live like this. Definitely among my list of favorites/insta-finalists!

Beautiful. Generally, I'm not a fan of white marble, but it looks hot in this application. Do you have a routine for maintaining the white floor?

Eventhought I love clean lines and no clutter, this apartment is beautiful but too cold and lacking the home look...to me it looks like a hospital room.

What a great space to work with! Especially drawn to the minimalness of the stairs. The individual pieces of furniture are beautiful, though would like to see more personality in the decor.

Dimmers are, of course, a must. Every light switch in my apt is a dimmer.

There ought to be a law . . .

One of my top 4 so far. I love this loft and want this kitchen!

That marble is gorgeous!

I like the overall look, love the kitchen, especially the marble and like the fact that you were brave enough to paint your wood floor.

My only criticism is that the TV is mounted too high. Typically, the only time ppl mount this high is when they mount over a fireplace which is a bad compromise. The center of the TV should be as close to eye level as possible from your normal viewing position which, if you are seated, would mean only a few inches above your cool credenza.

Higher frequency sounds are very directional so you will also benefit with better sound with the TV mounted lower.

Other than that, a great looking space and I am very impressed that you are raising a child/children there.

Luxury? Where? I just couldn't think of anything so angular and sparse as luxurious. But I usually dislike stark white walls and everything in a place being modern (although there are instances where I do appreciate that approach, this is not one of them). To me, this entry is bland, hard, impersonal, and uncomfortable. Those stairs look dangerously slick. I *am* impressed with how shiny clean the floors are (do you ask people to take off their shoes when they come over?) but, sorry ~ overall, I just don't like it.

I'd like to learn more about the stair treads. We just redid the staircase from the ground to the parlour floor and the treads (the part you step on) are kind of lame oak treads. These are japanese-ish "block" treads and very cool. What wood? How much? Where do you get them?

Beautiful but it doesn't look lived in to me. I want to see the storage areas.

dIANE, please believe me when I say that I mean no offense but I am just critiquing your posting style as you would critique an apt.

I haven't found any of your posts so far to be of much interest or value. Your choice of words seem to be the harshest that you can think of and I see very little point in many of your posts.

Sorry but your posts do stick out.

Where does the child sleep? I only see one sleeping area. What about privacy issues (when you and your wife/sig other) want some intimacy??

All that space, and you only have a table for two?

Okay, that's just preference. But why just the long couch and coffee table in the living room? The leather chair (which I love, by the way) is too far away for a comfortable conversation, so does everyone just sit on the couch and crane their necks watching the television?

I don't know, maybe it's my fault for not understanding minimalism. Does it mean you're not supposed to have table lamps?

By the way, the marble in the kitchen is beautiful.

What's wrong with making people take their shoes off? I do. So does the majority of this world's population, incidentally.

Would you please send a picture of the bathroom or at least a link. just curious, ohhhh also could you tell me where you got the range top...i cant think of the name of it.... it goes over the range to get rid of the smells. I really would like to buy one. If someone could tell me where to find it, I'd appreciate it. I think this one is good enough to be an insta finalist

boooootiful.

Depends how dirty their shoes are. If it's raining and muddy out, then fine, I'll ask guests to take off their shoes. Otherwise, definitely not. That's why I have a doormat.

I also would like to see the storage areas and the bed area. Other than too much white I really like it.

Sharon, do you have ANY IDEA how DIRTY is it out there? People clop around in subways, streets, wading through dog feces and drunken peoples' urine and food and god knows what else? it's disgusting. just thinking about it makes me want to scrub myself all over with steel wool. think about it! their shoes are crusted with crap and then they walk in your house. EEEEEEW. Your home is literally coated with feces.

I am feeling filthy. I need to bathe.

Does anyone despair for these people who live in homes where the only thing mounted to the wall is not a piece of art, but rather a giant expensive television set?

No

okay, Jonathan, so you're saying that every time you come home, you stand outside your apartment door and remove your shoes before you even step inside your apartment so no dirt ever gets in there?

Now that I think about it, you must then disinfect the bottoms of your shoes before you put them in your closet, because you wouldn't want all that dirt going in your shoe boxes and shoe trees and such. Do you do that too?

And do you also change out of your street clothes before you sit down on your furniture? You sit down on subway seats, you never know what happens after that.

And I suppose you wear gloves when you leave the house as well...

The flea market scavengers and DIY-ers should definitely be in their own contest. The obvious disparate levels of income are seemingly unfair! When you can afford an apartment that has beautiful aesthetics sans decor, you're in another category!

It looks like the inhabitants don't do anything other than watch TV, eat, and sleep...

Not one bit. Especially when that TV is used to display interesting things. I think the furniture is the art in this space.

Yes, all shoes are taken off in the hallways. I would never put them in the closet with clothes, they go in the shoe closet.

I do not wear street clothes when I sit on my bed. I wear gloves when it is cold out. Now that we have established that your home is a living sewer, with diarrea splashed all over the place, I might wear gloves in the event you invited me over for tea and crumpets REGARDLESS of the weather.

it's certainly very pretty and efficient, but i would be deeply unconvinced that anyone lives there full-time. the only sign of habitation in the place is the used dish towel in the kitchen. i don't see any art, any books, any toys, any clothes...

The truth is that I am willing to let people wear their shoes in my home because I am willing to clean up after them when they leave. I find that most people with the no-shoes rule generally have unkempt homes (unlike yourself, Jonathan, whose antiseptic environment I imagine to be hospitable to a Merck laboratory). Make your guests remove their shoes means less dirt, which means less cleaning later. I clean (and I mean with Murphy's Oil Soap) my floors about twice a week. They barely get dusty. Not a mean feat in this filthy city.

from the picture, a child appears to live here. i would imagine that at nighttime, he is kept in the unit underneath the television.

"okay, johnny. bedtime. time for you to store neatly away in the credenza."

it's spare, and lovely, but i do wonder about the sleeping accommodations. i would imagine that if they entertain, they might plan the menu around something which could be served around the coffee table/sofa, etc. not everyone has the luxury of having a huge dining table.

again - there's probably clutter at some times - children's toys, for example - but they're entering a contest, so of course they cleaned up. i don't understand why this is a such tough concept to get.

americans are definitely the minority in not taking their shoes off before entering their own or someone else's home. i take mine off in the hall, and also do not sit on my bed with my street clothes on. it's my bed, y'know?

Booooooring.

Where is everything? It looks like a plastic surgeon's waiting room.

without the value judgement offered earlier, i *do* think it's an interesting comment on *something* - modernity? the status of "art"? - that the only thing on the wall *is* the tv.

if i had buck, i'd buy 4 of them, mount them in a row, connect them to disk players, and display changing forms and colors and scenes all the time. now that would be beautiful.

Pphillipp - we have the same habits. I knew there was a spark

i want to marry the marble in your kitchen.

i love love love it.

thanks.

Painted floors, marble, closets. Love.

Totally inspiring, especially on the verge of Discardia! LOVE those stairs, and while I would personally add more color to the place, and some artwork, I admire the dedication to an idea that this place shows.

The storage room behind the sleeping area comforts me -- THIS CALMNESS IS POSSIBLE without having to get rid of EVERYTHING. Love it!

Sharon--are the floors you're cleaning with Murphy's 2X a week wood floors? I have been thinking maybe I should like my shiny hardwood floors with that, but I don't want to ruin the shine. I've used Murphy's on a cruddy old floor before redoing it and on woodwork, but not on a shiny, nice floor.

Does it ever occur to anyone that perhaps, perhaps that they might clean it up a little more for taking contest pictures?

I know this has to be a minimal space no matter what but there's a little assumption in this. I bet the owners of this place put a little effort into getting everything just so. Which is *normal* -- the photos for this contest are likely to be the best these places ever look, not necessarily the everyday just got home and heating up pasta while kids are running about...

Jamie Pup:

Is there a way for me to email you off-line?

Jennifer

the shoe debate:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/012606/good-questions/good-questions-is-shoes-off-at-a-party-proper-006082

Also love the marble.

Also curious about where the child sleeps. And where does the child have fun?

Sharon, don't even bother. It's just not worth your time or energy.

I love the hanging glo-ball light in the kitchen, if that's what it is (love it no matter what it is)and the rust/orange steps. It warms it up, because otherwise, it's too austere for me; gave me a cold shiver. I did have to laugh at optimus' comment: "okay, johnny. bedtime. time for you to store neatly away in the credenza" because it seems child unfriendly. It's hard to imagine hanging out and relaxing in this space. But I appreciate how thought out it all is and how consistent it is. It's just not for me.

does that cactus need special light to stay alive?

love your place. and love people with kids and pets who make a comittment not to give in to hosting a playground in every room 24/7.

A beautiful entry. Uber-swank to the point of looking computer-generated (not a bad thing).

And I'd move in.

I'd just bring with me one teensy, tiny "layer" of decor/art to bring the space to life. These look like scouting shouts, and the magazine art director has not yet come in with THE perfect vase, or THE perfect whatever... and I'd let the kid out of the credenza. :)

And I'd want a little organic softness, in the same modern way the grain of the marble is doing for the kitchen.

Seems like people who live in this type of statement place are afraid that any additional decor will undo the impact or obscure the hard work and money put in. But I think it could actually improve/enhance it it.

And god yes the shoes need to come off before entering this place... just beacuse street grit will require that floor be repainted like, a gazillion times. Brave to paint a floor, I think.

And, um, you street-clothes wearing, shoe-doffing germ-a-phobes, need-an-airlock-in-my-apartment stay when on vacation? Certainly not HOTELS.

Pixie: two things to remember about Murphy's---always mix it with the recommended amount of water, and always dry the wood with a towel afterward. It's the moisture that can damage the wood, not the soap. It won't leave residue on the wood. I cheat and buy those prepackaged wipes---they're the best!

Thanks Sharon-I've seen those and haven't tried them - I definitely think they would be worth it for a nice floor.

Love the marble, the swingy table, and the fact we're seeing a kitchen! But, I'm left feeling cold too...I can't put my finger on exactly what it reminds me of--kind of like an art installation in a gallery. It's like the editing went too far....to a practically blank page.

Pixie--I've used "good wood" from Method for my wood floors--I like it. It smells like almonds. But, mine are not super new floors....but it makes them shiny.

Holy crap! Talk about crisp and clean minimalsim. I think I might love it!

"you street-clothes wearing, shoe-doffing germ-a-phobes, need-an-airlock-in-my-apartment..."

what's this? name calling?

"...stay when on vacation? Certainly not HOTELS."

certainly not. hostels.

I'm with guido about the idea of not having children need to live in a playground.

But ya know... I think that when people say that there should be different categories for different budgets, I'm not sure I really agree.

There have been some amazing things that people have done with very little money, and in that last contest there were places where lots of money seemed to have been squandered on unfortunate choices.

Anyway... I love a lot about this place, but especially the marble. I'm still figuring out why the air conditioner in that window doesn't bother, since I know it's so nakedly there that it should. For some reason it strikes me as a compositional element in this space.

It really does remind me, though, of the Absolutely Fabulous episode where Edina remembers being in her friends' apartment when they were childless and it was completely white everywhere, so that you couldn't even tell where the edges of surfaces were. If there even WERE surfaces. And it made her go through her own space screaming, "THIS is what I don't want to see! THINGS on surfaces!

one thing i wonder about in a place like this - acoustics? without a lot of absorbing materials, i'm afraid it might sound rather bare and treble-y. we take care to think about our colors, our light, our textures - but sound is extremely important, as well. galleries don't only *look* like galleries, but also *sound* like galleries. cold timbres can be just as distrubing as cold colors, or...

not that i know what this place sounds like from a picture, of course. i'm just wondering.

Optimus, your post was too funny!

My immediate reaction is wow! Cool space. It does look like it has just been styled to sell, rahter than live in. My personal prefernce is to have more intimate items that I love, placed around me, but I totally get how relaxing this clutter-free space could be. Some really creative ideas here too, like the swing out table. You have truly packed a lot of function into this small space.

First swing-out walls, now swing-out tables. This contest totally rocks as far as showcasing clever "smallest, coolest" ideas!

pphillipp--
Just feeling a little Irish-feisty on my Saint's Day. You know I like you. You could wear-- or take off-- anything you want in my house! (in your honor, will refrain from the appropriate emoticon)

Ah, cuz hostels are cleaner, no doubt. Yeah, that's it.

Like the perfect white shirt. What a nice job. I'd love to see it (as P2 suggested) professionally styled and photographed.

Enough people have complimented the marble - I'll compliment you on the stairs.

I want this one to make it to the finals so that we can peek inside your closets and storage areas - which look huge. I'm picturing lots of black and white pieces by obscure Japanese and German designers.

My mom has that same 3-legged chair in her very maximalist house! Who knew it could look so cool there all by its lonesome?

And, holy-moly---

What I wouldn't DO to have $2500 worth of DWR-bucks to "layer" into this place.

Oh, I sooo can't concentrate now...

Optimus, I was talking about the child comment. I see you had another post in there I missed.

Thanks alot Guido - now Jonathan is going to find out that I'm a "shoes on" person and he won't pine hopelessly for me anymore, because all he will able to think about is that there is dog poop and vagrant spit all over my floors. Well, darnit, I stand by my "shoes on" philosophy - to all you naysayers: clean yer dang floors. My legs still look best in heels and I'm not going to change for any of you. so there!


BTW, Jonathan - you must seriously think we are all morons: "the treads (the part you step on)" LOL!

I like a lot about this place - although I was struck by the lack of art, softness, decoration, color, esp. in the living room.

I like the dining table, the credenza, the stairs. I actually like that the walls are all white, even though my preference is for some color - it works here. You know what it is - i think these people have great taste and would love to see what kind of art they would put on their walls. It's not that it looks bad without the art - it's that I think these people have more to offer and are holding back.

pardon my ignorance of 20th century furniture, but what is the rocker's provenance?

DWR used to carry that rocker, but I'm not sure if it has any notable provenance.

That probably wasn't very helpful.

"Ah, cuz hostels are cleaner, no doubt. Yeah, that's it."

two words: COMMUNAL SHOWERS.
and now that i've totally ruined your concentration, i have to get back to work before this day is over - cuz it ain't.

pphillipp--

Um, I *assumed* communal showers was the final answer. Was getting-- er, letting you off gracefully. As it were.

Rocker looks vaguely Jens Risom, no?
Although if that's leather, not webbing, then probably just "no."

I like this arrangement, but I must voice a complaint: these photos are only as good as their ability to showcase the entire living space, which should by default include the space where a bed is located.

There are several entries that do not show the bed space, and I wish it were mandatory. You just can't fully appreciate someone's space unless you know where they lay their head every night! :D

When are the people who live here moving in? I'm rereading "Nineteen Eighty-Four," so that TV screen on the wall provokes negative connotations.

I love the kitchen too. The swing-out table is a great space-saving touch. Over all though, it's too minimalistic for me.

Now about the shoes: I always take mine off. By no means am I a germaphobe (I work with sewage sludge), but I don't want all the outside dirt to be in my house. It's just common sense to me.

St. Patrick, sooo sad
they wouldn't let you march
down Fifth Ave on your day.
WHY do you allow those Irish homophobes
to carry on like that?

But I digress.
"shoes off" has nothing to do with germphobia
for some of us.

There are some great pieces in here and features I like, but overall it feels a bit sterile to me.

But all the entries are giving me things to think about. I used to think my little house was spare and according to most it is, but after seeing several of the entries I have an overwhelming urge to declutter.

Too bad it's St. Patty's day and I must go drink instead. Err.. continue to drink...

dorio: you captured my issue perfectly. i don't think the pristine-ness of it bothers me (although for cluttered ole' me it seems inhuman), it's the total lack of personalization. it looks like the place is inhabited by robots.

I love it..... and the winner is YOU!.

Um, a kid lives there, too? Where does the kid sleep? I count one bed.

I don't *think* the rocker is Jens Risom - I've long had an affection for his webbed chairs and I've never run into this one.

But, as I said, I'm really not an expert.

The table is lovely, as is the overall effect, but I always wonder where the books are in these minimal places. Don't y'all read?

um, i agree with dIANE's comment, and i don't get why anyone is critiquing anyone else's comments- just ignore! the critiquing is just going to deter people from posting, and the beauty of these contests are reading everyone's opinions (even if you don't agree or don't like their writing style). okay, back to lurking.

Very nice! Do you have a fridge?

This is a little bit random, but I'm just curious: Did anyone here grow up in such a stark modern house? And how did that affect your own personal tastes and choices in your homes? I just wonder if there's a backlash, and a kid raised in a white marble showcase would somehow be drawn to floral and fluffy later on...

AT is so addictive!

One can laugh at the end of the evening if he had a bad day.

I grew up in a very stark & minimal house.
Now i live w. beaucoup de clutter. I dont know if this means I have rebelled against minimalism. I have a love/hate relationship w. all my junk.....

Curtis, didn't you bring that up about some other entry once before...or was that some other contest or someone else? Maybe just deja vu! I remember it though because it is an exactly fitting description. maybe I'll watch my Ab Fab tapes tonight instead of going out...

Love it! Love it! Love it! This works! It's neat, clean and bright. Minimilist chic at its best!

All my best,
Phyllis G.

New Tenant: you may wear heels chez Jonathan ANY TIME

I keep coming back to these pictures to gaze at the steps in the lead picture. It is making me obsess again. The steps in the picture above have a sort of delicious thickness to them. Now I hate my steps which are standard thickness of oak that has been polied to death. Why didn't I think of thick steps like this. This is the pox of the renovation: you think - if I had thicker steps THEN I would be happy. But it's never enough.

The minimalism and white beautifully highlight the simple shapes and wood tones of the beam, stairs and furniture.

The place ain't so warm and fuzzy, and the cactus echoes that.

Does the absence of something warm and fuzzy make the people within more appealing?

That swinging table is totally cool !

I love it. I love it. Where did you get that coffee table? I've been trying to find a low long coffee table fooooorever.

This is not a place I'd personally want to live, but it's just so lovely to look at. So cohesive.

Love the marble. Having said that, the rest of the place is so cold that I'm now off in search of a blanket.

What I like about this apartment is the brightness, and the fluidity of the space.It's not crowded at all. It's minimalist, sleek, and beautiful. I love it.

I agree with the critics. This place seems a little bleak to me. I'd give the child some markers and paint and let her go crazy on the walls and floors. Then it might be a place I could love.

A rug and a painting would be nice..... then you might think someone lived there. Great use of a small space. The TV seems way too high.

I love this space. I would hate to have to clean it, but I could look at it all day long. It reminds me of the Overstock tv ads--all white with a human being providing the warmth. I too have my (non-plasma) tv that high because a) then the dog doesn't block it b) I can watch comfortably while standing preparing dinner and c) If you mostly watch from a recumbent position on the couch it works really well. True confessions.

This is anamazing place, I really admire you for going this minimal. LOVE the marble. One thing, I think some textiles would warm it up, but otherwise, lovely, really nice.

I don't know if it outdoes the swiss-army-knife, but it is definitely one of my favirites. That first photo is just exquisite.

Congratulations.

I have 2 questions for all flatscreen owners and advertisers:
Why hang it so high and far away? You might as well be watching a 14" screen!!!
And why not have two or four on one wall? Cost aside, wouldn't it be wild?
(This is under the nonverbal understanding that I think the apartment kicks ass.)

The space itself works, and the kitchen is fabulous.

But this is TOO minimal. I'd love to see some art, a rug, some books, texture. And the four pieces of furniture, while each is fine, seem to have a relationship to one another. I don't love matchiness, but there are four disparate wood tones there. I'd rather see a lighter-toned sofa, a glass console, and a stone or metal table.

that should say "no relationship to one another".

I get an ulcerous twang when I feel compelled to criticize an entry.

Very clean and minimal -- too much so for me to live in, but it looks fabulous, and it clearly works for them.

To the questions about the "kid" -- nothing in their post says that they have kids. It isn't possible that the child is a friend/relative/neighbor who happens to be in the picture but doesn't live there?

Can somebody PLEASE tell me where to get that rocking chair?

Very serene and calm--makes you want to take a long deep breath and relax. It would be great to see the "before" pictures. Love the the different wood tones throughout.

The more I look at this one, the more I like the "envelope" (though I've never been a fan of entering through the kitchen, but that was probably out of their control).

But also the more I look at it, the more I totally want to refurnish/style it.

(and give some relationship to the treads/beam/loft railing woods...)

Again, I do really like this entry quite a bit.

This is great!
I love the design and how clean it looks.

I wonder if the tenants have jobs that expose them to a lot of esthetic overload, colors and textures to a point at which they just want to go home to a noiseless landscape.

This apartment sort of reminds me of the modern art displays in the museum, only the furniture isn't suspended off the floor.

Hm. Not to my personal liking, a bit extreme in minimalism--yes Curtis, that Absolutely Fabulous episode totally came to mind! "Bettina and Max! Clear! Clear! Clear!" Doesn't get my vote, but is probably the most enviable space in terms of clarity and no clutter, something I can only aspire to in my laziness.

very chic!
namita

Really nice but, um, get some books or something...or move into a museum.

it's great. like a space-lab and the woman and child are the lab-rats. while i couldn't live here, it's definitely fun and entertaining.

as for the shoe-debate, it comes down to people who do remove (for comfort and cleanliness)... and people who don't take 'em off 'cause they have deformed, smelly feet.

This place needs some signs of life.

where is the love ?and the warmth? as a great appreciator of minimilalism with a modern flair, the place oozes with hospital waiting room with some guts (barely) tell me this isnt' the smallest coolest?!

The only thing on the wall is a plasma TV? Get me out of here...

You get big points on esthetics and design, and (I assume, since I see no clutter) problem solving here. But the place makes me think of a high-end clothing store, a hair salon, or maybe the very white house in Woody Allen's movie "Sleeper." I see a child in one photo, and it worries me that a young person might grow up in such consricted circumstances. There is no joy evident in your design, and no (apparent) attempt to make people comfortable. And where is the art? Your television seems to substitute for it (scary). I would feel so cold all the time in this home, as beautiful as it is. I would like to place an open bet that your child grows up to have wild, garish furnishings in her own homes, for the rest of her life. I love that she is wearing bright pink trousers! It's a good start. FYI, I grew up in a home with white carpets, white drapes, white sofas, and white walls. I don't have a single white anything (except sheets and towels, of course...gotta be white) in my home, and never have! And a note about marble in the kitchen (even though your kitchen is gorgeous) -- terrible work surface. One accident with a lemon or a dropped canned good fromt he shelves, and it's ruined. But then, it looks as if you folks don't cook much!

Mind letting me know your ceiling height? Headroom above the bed? I love the mini loft, it's great. Nice place.

Apartment Therapy doesn't seem to be the place for griping, what gives people? You like it or you don't, there's no need to fill up space on the site with name calling and bitching. C'mon now!

Hey, there's that one guy who judges American Idol that no one likes, but his opinion seems to be respected the most. It seems that anonymous forums like this do lend themselves to people saying what they really think, without filtering.

Maybe we do need a reminder to try to also find nice things to say, (like the other Patrick does) but there are many respectable designers on this forum (I'm not talking about myself by ANY means) and I think they should say what they think!

Will, I hope you don't count me in the "griping" you say people are doing. All the entrants have put their taste on display for review. This is a place to share opinions. I truly do worry about a child being brought up in such a sterile environment. It harms the mind. It's one thing if adults want to be uberchic and sensory deprived, but the presence of a child should change the priorities of the parents, in my opinion. And it is appropriate to point this out, since the design of a space is only successful if it suits its purpose. I gave this space a middling vote, and this is why.

Also too minimal for me. Where is the life? Where is the stuff? Do these people do nothing else but sleep (and watch TV) in the apartment? Why is the TV so large is such a focal point?

This place looks does not look restrained; it looks strained.

PS: And it pains me that these entrants obviously spent money on their place.

jacques tati. mon oncle.

I think that after reading all of these posts that most of you have forgotten what it is you are voting on. EFFICIENCY/BEAUTY/PROBLEM SOLVING. It's at the top of the page in big bold letters. Did any of you even READ their inspiration for their home? I think that from that aspect they've reached the goals that they wanted. It may not be your goal, but then again maybe your goal is scrubbing your floor twice a week or making jokes about where someone's kid sleeps. Come to think of it, this may be the first entry that I've seen that actually has someone in the photo. I'm starting to think that the rest of you don't actually live in your spaces — they're just "decorated" to look that way.
I think it was LeCorbusier (French architect) who said "a home is a machine for living." John and Tup have come up with the ultimate machineÂ…
Kudos

Wow! Your space is "minimalism" done just right! I love the way the white (and a very good color white by the way) walls and floors makes the furniture pop...and good furniture pieces at that. And the swing-out kitchen table is too clever!

Horror vacui comes to mind.

In reference to a child (does anyone even know if this child lives there?) in that environment and the mention that they must just eat, sleep and watch TV:

This is NYC. Living in such a space allows us to make the community and the city a daily and somewhat necessary part of our lives. It an extension of most people's homes. We have no yard, but we spend hours at the park and so forth. Children are exposed to an abundance of visual, mental and physical stimuli on a daily basis. The city offers an endless amount of experience and exposure. The outside environmnent in many places is sterile, uniform and plain; this could be considered the inverse.

I see nothing wrong with have a clean, simple place to come home to. Granted I do not have the time to maintain such a space with a child, but I have seen places were it has been done (usually bigger spaces).

Less is more in small places. The longer I live in the city, the more I realize how much stuff I have is frivolous. I do not think amount of stuff one has should be mistaken for what the apartment offers to an individual.

too stark

I like it.

I think it's homey. And if you look in the 3rd photo, you'll notice a cut-out area that appears to contain some books, stereo equipment and what not. So, I think they are living there quite nicely ... except the child ... who apparently has to sleep in the credenza.

If you really study the photos you'll notice that they have only 1 window wall. I think that by pairing down the apartment (removing walls, etc.) and opening everthing up and painting it white allows the space to benefit from what little natural light they may have. Remember, depending on what floor you're on and how tall the buildings are around you, you hours of natural light can be very limited in NYC. I also like how the steps seem to be the same color as the credenza... like little bits of the credenza are escaping and running away. Oh, and as far as the TV being too high... it's possible that it's on a swivel and can be viewed from the bed as well. Minimalism at it's best — one TV for all rooms!

Fabulous.

Note to naysayers: When I lived in a small space in Manhattan, I painted my floor white too. It doubled the space. What's the fuss about taking off shoes? At least with a white floor, you SEE when it's dirty. A dark floor? Who knows what germs lurk there?

Very clean and neat. I'd happily move in.

Peter

Amazing space......loose the plasma though. At least drop it over the sideboard and integrate it into the decot.

Fabulous job on this place, but lord, only one window? Are these people NYC yuppies or 19th century English factory workers? Cross-ventilation, anyone? Must get suffocatingly hot in there.

I know its a late question... wheres that credenza from?! Anyone know where I can find it, or something exactly like it?

I love everything about it. I'm guessing the kid sleeps on the sofa.

By the way, in Hawaii it's considered rude not to take off our shoes.

I saw this apartment on the HGTV Small Spaces, Big Style last week. The apartment is amazing.