apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I was born and raised in the Bay Area and even though I know the ground doesn't move everywhere else, it still makes me anxious. I see the practicality in this but it's a little too mish mash for me.

I commend you for opening your home to AT. It's always interesting to see how other people live.

I can't help noticing what a great selection of books you have. It must be fun to spend a rainy weekend at your place -- it looks like the ideal place to curl up with a cup of tea and a good read.

I love your place! I need to get a sofa like yours!

Some interesting ideas, but for the most part this space seems very chaotic.

a bit too much of the industro-ingenuity for me and lacks a more grounded aesthetic (i.e.: one grounded in principles of contrast, balance, harmony, etc)... simply too many little things make the place seem chaotic as noted above.

definitely some great pieces and a nice space (bones-wise). singularly, the self-designed pieces are nice, but en-masse, they seem overwhelming to me -- like living in a large project-closet. it seems like it'd be simpler to streamline living than to make another set of shelves out of iron pipe and cable.

i'm a new fan of the quote from the previous page: "Know first who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly. -Euripedes"... could be turned inward on personal spaces. in this case, if i knew i was a 700SF apartment, i might not collect so many things (or i'd create copious amounts of hidden storage which would help to balance the small bitsy items with nice open, solid spaces).

also, (imho) hide the electronics. nothing says "welcome to my adult pad" like a PS3 on display.

I love the curvy bookshelves in your living room!

Very cool. Great, creative use of limited space but still chic and stylish.

I agree with the majority here that it's just too chaotic. I found myself wanting to tidy up while I was taking the tour. Too much going on...

I do love the curvy bookshelf in the living room though-care to share where it's from?

Tonya

It took me a second (I'm slow) to realize Ben was your dog. I kept expecting to see manly things around.

I have one question. What's the purpose of the rocks in the dog feeder?

Sorry I was wrong Maggie's the dog and Ben is a man. Do I have it right now?

Hi Joan52,

You're right now, Maggie's our dog. The rocks add stability to the dog feeder. Maggie knocked over her ceramic bowls, which were heavy as dog bowls go. The feeder shown doesn't move, even when she smashes into it while playing or rushing the front door.

Hey Boston23 and UWSretreat,

The curvy shelf in the living room is two Bookworm shelves from Kartell. There's a Kartell store in SoHo on Greene Street. I think they still sell them there.

The current configuration is the result of one of the shelves pulling out of the wall not long after we hung it (happens a lot here). Crumbly sheet rock or plaster walls require reinforcement unless the shelves are not intended to hold much weight. The anchors that came with the shelves weren't sufficient for our needs.

The only drawback to the Bookworm shelves is that they can get brittle over time. We had one in the bedroom with a few paperback books on it that snapped, and some of the supports on the one shown have cracked and pulled away from the shelf. Replacement supports can be purchased, so they're fairly easy to repair if the shelf isn't damaged.

Hi Lisa Hunter (Montreal),

Thanksgiving weekend in NYC was rainy. I red three books, Ben read two. You nailed it, we like to read.

Hi mahoganymoon,

I love your screen name. I wish I could tell you where we got the sofa, but I don't remember the name of the store. It was a cute little shop in SoHo that I think has closed since we bought it. If I run across the receipt, I'll post the name of the store here.

It took us a long time to decide on a sofa. Our only wish is that we'd ordered the longer version.

I love those dvd shelve things. Does anyone know where they are from?

I like your space, especially all the cool art above the eating counter, wall thing. I think it takes guts to open your space, so I commend you. I also think people need to be cognizant of everyone's various style. It's really hard to live in NYC and not accumulate a lot of stuff. Not that you can't control that because that really is a choice but it comes down to personality. That said I collect a lot of stuff/junk/crap, and then find myself having a yard sale every so often. I guess now is the time to get that under control. I really think you are utilizing the space as functionally as you can. It's obvious that you and your mate and your doggie actually live in the space. So it's more realistic to me than some of the homes I see posted on this blog. I am so challenged in hiding wires, never realized how bad that looks, am conscious of it and try to be proactive about it, but with all that goes on in life sometimes, it’s like whatever. Anyway I’m rambling; overall you guys have a great space.

Also one quick tip, if necessary, hardware stores sell plastic anchors -- they are really a lifesaver for me. I have even purchased metal anchors that attach to beams in really tough cases, like my pot rack. My BK home has the worst walls, I mean it's sad, but my hubby has utilized anchors to the fullest and everything we put up (and it's a lot) stays put!

IdiotDogBrain: Google "OFFI Duoplane DVD shelves." Lots of online places; DesignPublic.com has them on sale now.

I like the couch and the curvy bookshelves - must be a nice place to read and to have so many books at hand. Thanks for the house tour! --Tara

Gorgeous biz. Ingenuity and comfort.

I love the big swirly bookshelves so dramatic

a lovely place. very much a home. :-)

Number one reason I come to A.T. is to get the chance to experience someone else's home. All the things they cherish and work hard for.
Your place is unique and filled with the things you love and enjoy. I also commend you for sharing your home! It's lovely, comfy, and above all filled with things that are personal and make a home what home should be.

Thanks for sharing! Btw... My youngest lovebird about 5 years old also has to have rocks and one huge crystal in his food trays as well! X-cept he just seems to like to bang his trays with his head making a huge mess. :)

get an mp3. love the doggy bowls.

Cluttered, haphazard, and cheap-looking. Awful.

Great use of space, especially like the shelves for the books. The Dog feeder is awesome, love your use of creativity there! Also love the curvy bookshelves, I've never seen anything like them. Your home reflects your unique sense of style, thanks for sharing.

I would have a hard time leaving this apartment.

Hi kjpierre,

Thanks for sharing your appreciation for collecting and the tip. While I'm not a huge collector, I live with one so we've adapted. We've used lots of metal anchors, they support the Duoplanes and Bookworms. Those and 2 x 4s were the only things strong enough to hold the weight of all but the lightest items. Most of the photos are (and I'm almost afraid of the backlash of admitting this in this forum) hung unframed/unmatted with tape because so many framed pieces have crashed to the ground. I hate cleaning up broken glass, not to mention the blood if Maggie managed to walk through it. If the frames weren't destroyed, I created a new hole, and hung the piece back up sans glass. It's practical for us.

We orginally hung a couple of the Duoplanes over the kitchen pass through, but one crashed before we put anything in it. The pieces hanging there now cover the gashes that resulted.

idiotdogbrain, I highly recommend the Duoplane shelves, they're tough. When the one over the pass through fell, I think there were only a few scratches in the paint from the impact with the counter, no dents.

Wires [shrug], I guess I should have added those to the challenges question:-). They're part of how we live so I don't mind them as much as I do tumblin' tumbleweeds.

Tonya and Ben, this is absolutely beautiful! It looks cozy, warm and very full of love. I can tell you put of lot of yourselves into every room to make it a place you want to come home to. (Even though you work from home as well!) As others have said, I love to see a home that is actually lived in. I get tired of seeing homes/apartments that look as though they had to pack up the rooms before they could be photographed. Your apartment is beautiful, well designed and you have some really original designs elements that I am stealing from you!!!!

Last question/comment: I overlooked the leather chair and ottoman, great, great pieces! And can you disclose why you have the office space covered under the loft bed? I think you mentioned in the blog earlier, but I love the loft bed idea and can't wait to do this for a room in my house. It's always cool to see the office space, so curious, if you can/want to disclose why it's covered?

I like the apartment overall, but it has a little too much going on, just a little. ;-) Wonder why you guys are being commnded for sharing your space, that's what this website is for.

Tonya, you might want to do a little research on how to hang things from walls and what weight various anchors can support.

I would absolutely not hang a shelf from just drywall or plaster anchors unless it would only be holding VERY light objects. You should be able to find the studs in your walls (probably 16" apart for prewar); then you can use long 1/8" screws and get a solid mount. Better yet, I'd construct shelving with vertical supports screwed into the studs.

Also, heavy pictures and photos may need anchors rather than just hooks.

How do I know all this? Let's just say experience is a good teacher...

Hi kjpierre,

The "home office" space is covered because it is truly cluttered. Jill advised me that AT readers hate clutter, so I've spared AT readers the eyesore and myself the criticism:-). That said, the space under the bed is useful and versatile. It doubles as a home office, reference and materials library and laundry room (or would that be quadruples?). Under it are a desk and chair, shelves holding more books and electronics, file cabinets, and on laundry day, air dryables.

Bolder, Thanks for the tips! Our walls have nightmare metal studs and we have used wood supports for the really heavy stuff.

Thanks to everyone who commented and those who gave commendations. I wasn't familiar with AT until a friend told me about AT's September Offline Pet Design Meetup where panelists discussed creative products and solutions for families living with pets. I met Jill and Maxwell there and hesitated when Jill said, "you should do a house tour." It wasn't easy (just look at the expression on my face in the photos) inviting someone I'd met briefly into our home to take photos to publish on a blog known for its discerning readers, but I'm glad I did and am now an AT fan.

Happy holidays to all.

Wow, I cant believe how cruel some of the comments are, I am new to this website, I imagine there are apartment owners who have beautiful spaces and ideas but are reluctant to share becuase of the hostility. I think the home fits her life style and if she's happy with it that's all that should matter. Those of you who make cruel comments it doesn't really matter what your homes look like on the inside I imagine very few people would want to visit with your personalities. Nice apartment. Bye.

pfft i wish every packrat with tons of stuff everywhere organized it like this! so interesting having it all hanging on the walls. i saw those elongated rectangle/oval cd shelves by the kitchen and really liked them then almost peed my pants when i saw the craazy curvy shelves over the couch that room must be great to just sit in and stare at stuff!

I love those shelves.