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Apartment Therapy

Mar 4, 2010 in Design, Life

My mind was captured by writer’s block today, so I decided to take a break and a buncha photos of our home. I filled out a little application and sent them to Apartment Therapy’s House Tours. Maybe they’ll pick us and want to showcase our place to their readers. Maybe they won’t.

In any case, I wanted to share them here. I feel like we put a lot of effort into making this place great, and it hasn’t been easy because our tastes are actually dissimilar when it comes to furnishing. I love color, vintage and cozy. Cameron seems to get into things that are more modern, muted and minimal. In fact, a loft probably would not be my first choice for a home. Everyone always groans but I say it’s too much space. Hence: I <3 cozy.

And yet, I think this place has really come to represent the both of us.

The upstairs office space overlooking the living room is mine, so it’s certainly more colorful and whimsical than the rest of the house. I feel, in a way, like it’s set apart. I love it very much. It’s some sort of luxury to finally have a creative work area in my home.

Cameron’s touches are elsewhere, like in our very minimal bedroom and the dark Shepard Fairey prints hanging in the dining room. The living room, meanwhile, is a blend of both our worlds.

We’re constantly thinking of new additions, improvements or, in my case, projects to convince the other to try. For example, I really want to wallpaper a wall in our guest bedroom (not shown) similar to a room at New York’s Ace Hotel.

It’s fun when you can put creative energy into your home, even better to make it reflect who you are. I’m really proud of what we have accomplished, and I love it here.

UPDATE: You can now see our official Apartment Therapy House Tour!

 
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Small Space, Big Love

Feb 11, 2010 in Design, Things I Like

A friend pointed me to this New York Times article today, and I just had to steal some photos and place them here for posterity and aspiration. This apartment kinda puts the ‘guh’ in ‘gorgeous’ for me.

At a mere 178 square feet, Zach Motl’s Brooklyn apartment is way fantastic. Now, I don’t live in a shack by any means, but I’m envious. And if I was good with maths I could tell you, in shock, just exactly how many times Motl’s space could be replicated and fit into my own loft in Los Angeles. Sweet jiminy… I’d almost trade it for something cozy, antique-strewn and lovely as this. He’s done real good. As much as there is something to be said for staging in photographs, I do believe that Motl lives a neat life very similar to what the pictures portray. He’d have to.

There is nothing wrong with a studio apartment; I’ve had one. It’s certainly about creativity and what you can make of a space that is all your own. And then there’s just general taste, which leads me to want to befriend this dude. I’m so inspired, with books covering almost every surface (in a version of planned chaos) and pockets of color everywhere. Impressed—and jealous, and in love.

Read more…

Copyright © 2010 Matthew Allard All rights reserved.