Room for Color 2010

THE WINNNER!

Joshua, do you happen to know the brand/color name of the teal paint?

THANKYOU! Finally a room I really like. I was a little worried by the start of this year's contest...

@ ndj - no worries. The paint is a Benjamin Moore color called Newburg Green.

I'm in love with this color. Thanks for sharing the name and maker! I'm wondering how it would look in a entry way with little natural light?

Is that a wool blanket you have draped over your bed?

@ E.I.F - it could add dramatic contrast to a small space, but I would be nervous to go this dark without natural light. To the paint chips!

@ Tamarind - The indigo and white fabric across the bed is a souvenir batik. I think it's intended to be used as a wall covering. Helps me remember beach :)

This is a really beautifully styled space. I love that it looks completely livable too!

Very HGTV!

I've seen this before (was it a previous house call?)... anyhow, it's just as lovely as before. The dark moody walls are fantastic! It's very well done for such a small space.

@ wand3rlust - Thanks for the kind words! Yes, actually it was recently a house call - http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tours/joshs-small-space-on-a-budget-house-call-127633. The comments were so positive about this wall color that it encouraged me to enter this contest :)

YES.

A man's space with charm, serenity, and character. Beautiful.

Funny, I was thinking how feminine it looked

This look is stunning, a balance of color, texture, and restraint. Good job!

Awesome use of teal. I'm really liking the dark colors this year. :-)

great style! Where did you find that horn? I love it!

Love the teal paint and the accessories. Very rich and stylish IMO. Added to favourites.

@ schwyzerin - so funny you reference HGTV, that's exactly what I was reminded of when my designer discussed his color tips with me to answer this prompt :)

It's funny how much the light affects paint color. I picked up a sample of Newburg green after seeing the pics of your apartment, but in my low light living room, it looks like an entirely different color - a very dark almost hunter green.

The color is nice but the decor is really cheesy. "HGTV" hit it on the head.

@ Rebecca - yes! At the paint store, we grabbed six or seven promising paintchips in this dark blue color family and Newburg wasn't really at the top of the list. But in the actual space, it was the clear winner. It reacts handsomely to the changing light throughout the day.

This is a beautiful, peaceful room. The light really makes the color look sueded. I may pick this for my bedroom!

I was planning on going light in my room until I saw this. I am in LOVE with this color. I wonder if it would clash with my dark bedroom furniture?

This one's one of my fav. :) Quite love it!

Love

love your living space! Color is genius.

Gorgeous room. I also love the room color. I tried the BM Newburg green on a wall in my house but it looks like a muddy green. Joshua, do you have ideas of other color names that might actually show up blue teal on my wall? Thanks!

I love every bits of this room! The plant, the crate... EVERYTHING!

Kudos, Josh.

This is the only one of these rooms I like. I wouldn't mind having a room this color. Nearly everything I own is some shade of blue or green, and I think this color would complement my Navy chairs nicely (re-covered in Knoll's Stepping Stones Malachite).

Thanks to you all for the warm reception, it's been such a pleasure to share my space with the AT community :)

@ natalie - funny you ask. One of the colors my designer and I considered was BM Newburyport Blue. The value is similar, but it looked a little too saturated in the actual space. So it might be closer to what you're looking for. Happy color hunting!

My favorite part about this room is the way the bed is off center! I like that it's different, off from the wall and on an angle. It looks inviting. Interesting that you changed pillow directions and moved the light for the photos. Either way works. It's the only twin bed I'd ever want to fall in! So thumbs up on that. And speaking of matchy matchy, different shades of blue work really well in here- the walls, blanket, pillows, etc. Love.

My favourite room of the contest. Well done!

Be bold... I agree! Beatiful small space :)

This is ok, but I really do not get where all the love for this room is coming from.

I would say the decor is tongue-in-cheek over "cheesy." Thumbs up!

Lovely room and great inspiration! I've seen similar batik from Sulawesi and Japan uses a lot of indigo/white in their ikats. Where is your batik from? Also, I noticed the framed portrait on the table, but I can't make out the traditional attire. Where is it from? Thanks!

I like the color, not crazy about the decor though. Why everyone is so gaga over this room?

@ From Bali - I bought the batik at a massive open-air market in Bangkok. I'd assumed it was Thai, but now that you ask, I'm not sure. It could have come from anywhere - the breadth of things you can find at those markets is insane :)

The photo is a vintage portrait of two girls dressed in matching Arabian-themed costumes. It's a sepia print that's been colored with golds and burgundy. I found it at a flea market so it's past is a mystery - although it reads very 1930's to me.

You know what bothers me about this room? "The DESIGNER created this color palette with three thoughts in mind" So... shouldn't his designer win? It just seems pretty lame to be able to win a contest when all you did was hire someone else to be the creative genius (do not misunderstand me... I am not saying this room is genius). On a side note: I am having a competition where you win by hiring a chef to make me a tasty meal. The person with the chef that makes the best meal wins!

@ crispyfry5 - With my small apartment and smaller budget, I was so lucky to collaborate with a designer on a space I'm proud to call my home. For more insight on the design process, check out the house call: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tours/joshs-small-space-on-a-budget-house-call-127633

I hate to leave a comment with a negative note, but I agree with CrispyFry5... I actually re-read the introduction several times to make sure I hadn't misunderstood... grossly unfair on the other contestants if a designer-created room wins!

Ah... I did not really need more insight on your designer's design process... but thanks for using my comment to plug another whole page of photos and information about your room. Good thing all the other entries get an equal amou... HEY WAIT A MINUTE!

Wow, I wouldn't ever think that in such a small space this color would work so well. Looks amazing! I do staging for my line of work and I am a true fan of angles, and the bed at that angle truly helps utilize the small space and brings the eye around to all the accents that you have provided. Great choice of accents, not over done, and well placed of pieces to lure the eye to the next piece. One thing that really caught my eye was the choice of rug you used. Where did you pick it up? I would love to use it in one of my clients new cabin homes. Please don't tell me its one-of-a-kind, cause it'll kill me. Truly a pleasure to see someone now days that is so detail oriented. I look forward to more of your designs.

You should ask who his designer is so you can look forward to more of his designer's designs instead...

Well, he isn't breaking any rules by submitting a room decorated by a designer, so if you have a problem with it, it's Apartment Therapy you should complain to. I don't care that this room was professionally "designed" -- I just think it's way to cutesy/prissy. The empty frame and the twigs, and all that stuff on the walls? So cloying.

@ ofenno - The rug I picked up at Ikea a few years ago, maybe 2006? I think it was their first "persian-inspired" rug and they priced it low to see if Ikea shoppers would respond to the style. It was $49, which I thought was insanely affordable. So even though I'd only come for kitchen stuff, I ended up lugging it back to Brooklyn by shuttlebus, subway and sidewalk from Elizabeth, NJ. No regrets, it's held up well. :)

What is the point in entering this contest anyways? You live in New York so you don't need to win a trip there and you just redid your apartment so you don't need the paint. It looks like you'll at least get the paint since you're so far ahead in your division... but I hope someone wins the trip who has never had the pleasure of visiting the city.

Josh, thank you for your reply and the info on the batik and portrait. I think the room looks great! Thanks for the inspiration!
From Bali With Love,
Anna

I have one of those side tables in the fifth picture and I LOVE what it's paired with here, the hanging light and nailed-up boxes on the wall.

Love it. Tripped over it at Bright Bazaar, and since this thread isn't stale yet, I had to say - way to go, whoever put together that wall.

And I love those tables, I really do (along with my toddler, who uses it as a 'stove', 'fridge' and 'treasure box').

@ MediaGirl - I entered this for fun and as a way to publicly thank my design collaborator, Ryuhei. He's a young designer just starting out and he did so much with so little. As far as the prize, I definitely agree that it's odd to reward well-painted rooms with more paint. If I do happen to win, those 15 gallons will go to charity.

@ p_capucine - thanks for sharing, I can definitely see the fun in playing with that little cupboard :)

I don't get it. It's blue walls and little else. I hope the designer is pleased with the result of the voting. It must be nice to know so many people in NYC.

Firstly, what is this room - a bedroom? A reading room? ...
Secondly, the colour is pretty but I think it makes the small room feel even smaller and a bit claustrophobic.
Thirdly, it's waaaaaay too magazine-y and doesn't look like it's lived in at all, which is a shame.

@ Rackers - thanks for taking the time to comment. This is a living room that doubles as a guest room. As if there's space for reading rooms in New York - ha, wishful thinking there! Regarding the color, I had the same fear that bold blue would shrink the room until my design partner really proved me wrong. Believe it or not, the blue walls optically recede away from you making the room feel spacious.

I'm sure most people would be thrilled to have their space called magazine-y, and I am definitely one of them. Thank you :)

This was my absolute favorite entry from the beginning. I love the coziness of the furnishings. I love the neutralization of the teal. I love pops of color and accessory. I love the play on nature. I don't care that it was designed by a young professional (and how lovely to help spotlight this talent!) and I don't care that the person who lives here already lives in New York City. Nothing against my other favorites (Kelly's Fire and Ice Kitchen, Carla's Luna Moth Bedroom), but I'm glad to see this one is in the lead and I hope it wins.

This all seems very fishy: This is the only room created by a designer that made it to the finals. The color palette matches exactly with the "Room for Color" banner at the top of the page. It is already located in New York. He gets to share double the information on his space since he already was featured on another page. And whenever Joshua writes something I feel like a politician is talking to me since he tends to twist words and make promises that are supposed to tug at our heart strings.

But besides that I just don't really like this room. I agree with Rackers. This room looks like you can't actually live in it. And I do not see it as very cozy... more like cluttered with all the little knick-knacks. There is barely any room to reach the mattresses since all that stuff is blocking it.

Conspiracy theory on an interior design blog? Really?

I'm just pointing out the facts :-) Draw your own conclusions.

I think this room is "fine" and if I walked into someone's apartment and saw this I would probably say - "Oh cute, I like your style." However, it really doesn't feel like a big COLOR winner to me. I don't feel inspired or energetic from looking at it. I also re-read the intro twice bc I was confused when it said "designer." I guess it's not against the rules, not as FUN I guess...

beautifully colored although I am not fond of the burgundy in general ,may be bad memories, also I don't know about your remark re furniture with colored fabric some colors go with everything you make it "work" any color could perk it up and it doesn't have to be the burgundy but this area is nice and quiet and it evokes the sea shore......

Of all the four runner ups this one is the best. I'm not quite sure about the mattress-at-an-angle-in-the-living-room look, but overall it's a well designed space, where the colors are balanced.

There is only one little problem: the fact that this was designed by a professional interior designer is rather a let down. It's just not fair to other contestants.

...And I'd already voted before I learned this. :)

This is dull. Its also staged rather than representing a real, living space. Fire the so-called professional designer and loose the tacky props. Where's the inspirational color? Come on NY, you can do better than this!

love the puzzle deer and natural wood tones. color combos are calming.

Great Job Josh! I love the Newburg Green and how it changes as the light moves across the room. I've always loved dark painted rooms, bold and sensual.

Josh, I love this. I, too, want to put it in my windowless entryway, but I think it will end up being too dark....Sigh.

Where is your secondary seating from?

I checked out your designer's website. His projects are pretty neat, but the residential ones are lacking in detail. Tell him inquiring minds would love to know more about the process.

Hello everyone, I'm the controversial designer, Ryuhei :)
(who has been called so professional that's it's not fair to the other contestants and whose design is not good enough to be professional, right?).
I make no excuses - what you see is what you get! :)
But let me explain what Josh did for this project because seems that it has been the main concern among people.
(I think he tried to give me a credit as much as possible, but it was a true teamwork!)

-He made a skirt for the daybed with his old curtains (this is a $40 IKEA bed frame).
-He made pillowcases out of his vintage shirts.
-He tea-stained another pillowcase set (not in those photos unfortunately though)
-He selected a color and painted the side table in the 5th picture.
-Lots of good accessories were supplied by him (Josh is a traveler and has a random collection of souvenirs with good taste! so I just curated and showcased them, some of which are in the crates you see in the 5th photo)

Besides, I'm truly happy that my first design came out well and received great some compliments from across the country.
And most importantly, my client is proud of his space.
His friends in the design field all seem to enjoy it and get inspired.
New York people are tough to please - so success YES!

I want to officially thank Josh for sharing this fun project with me.
I am happy to hear the paints he won will be donated to the NYC habit for humanity.

Seeing the harsh comments across the site, let me say that design should make people happy and I want this blog has to be as healthy as "therapy".

Thank you for your support!
Ryuhei

Very Diplomatic, Ryuhei! :)

And kudos, his space looks great.

Regardless of the little things Josh did do himself, I still do not think this room deserves to win this contest. Maybe if it were a contest to determine the most beautifully staged room on the planet... since that is what it looks like to me.

I think the most beautiful, colorful room on the planet should be both beautiful AND colorful. Not just beautiful.

I also do not like how cluttered the room is with everything sitting low or on the ground. It feels unfinished.

Overall, it is a nice room, but I do not think it should be the winner in the context of this competition.

it sounds like the space really reflects you and uses items you have collected over time and love. that is successful design in my book.

I don't know...it looks like a blue dorm room. The bed on the floor? And there was a designer involved?

Yeee, gads! Such controversy. When I bought my condo, my goal was to have AT do a house tour when I was done. Although it's not done yet, I think I have just reconsidered putting it on AT. I really don't relish the idea of people beating it with verbal clubs. I appreciate your bravery, Joshua.

@ mime - thanks for the kind words. :) The round, woven banana-leaf floor cushions are from Ikea. The 2nd picture shows two stacked up, but they are half that size individually.

@ crispyfry - you've expressed your opinions strongly and thoroughly so its clear you really, really do not want me to win. But you also may have called this space beautiful or beautifully staged or even the most beautifully staged room on the planet - rereading your comment I'm not sure - but at the very least you said it was a nice room overall. So thank you. You're a tough cookie, so that means something coming from you.

@ mjs7640 - should I have put it on the ceiling? :) I'm kidding. The mattress is on a proper frame with a bed skirt even, so I'm not sure what's wrong with that.

@ lucky lulu - I hear you! Entering this contest has been exciting, but logging in feels kind of like running the gauntlet these days. I'm definitely learning that sharing your space on AT is not for the faint of heart.

I love that the designer took the time to outline the balance of contributions to the space. Josh is obviously more DIY than some of the other dwellers whose spaces are featured (not necessarily in this contest-- overall on this blog)! The end result is a beautiful home.

I wanted to say, too, that "colorful" means different things to people. Having a different color on every wall = a big clashing mess to MY eyes. And the all-over teal in this entry may = lack of color in YOUR eyes. I think the important thing about color is to figure out what you want evoke with your color selection. In that regard, between these four entries, I think Josh is not only the most successful (at creating an "effect" with his color selection), but the most adventurous.

It might just be my own line of work, but I admire restraint. I really admire that they've managed to do so much with one color, and I'm glad I'm not the only person who has seen that.

PS- jokes aside, I really hope AT has a way of tracking which computers are creating log-ins to vote. The heat in this comment section (and the fact that when I click on some of these usernames, I'm not seeing any history in their profile) would lead me to wonder if people are playing fairly, and that's NOT just conspiracy theory :)...

I am guessing they could track people by their computer's IP address but that would not tell them the difference between multiple people logging into different accounts from the same computer versus one person logging into different accounts from the same computer. I think the way to get the most accurate results is to not show the vote counter during voting. New people logging in that favor one of the bottom two rooms may not vote for either of them if they see it is a lost cause. The blog entries probably sway a lot of people as well. But oh the delicious debates it creates!

Also my comment on a beautiful room meant this: Yes, this room looks nice which would fall under the "beautiful" requirement for the winner of this competition... but I do not myself consider it the most beautiful room on the planet since I agree it looks more like a dorm room or someone who has just moved in and not had a chance to set up all their furniture. (something about everything sitting on the ground gives off a very unfinished vibe to me).

The second part of that comment meant that in my opinion this room does not meet the colorful requirement for the winner of this competition. And obviously painting every wall a different color is a very literal translation of colorful and not something I myself enjoy in the least. But kudos to those brave enough to try such a thing.

Its a battle of The Facebook friends! Why couldn't the final round be judged instead of all this bogus voting? Its all about 'hits' on the website more than interior design. Sorry Maxwell, but fess up. $$$.

Agreed zappledd. The average person tends to vote with their hearts (the room they like best or the room designed by someone they know) rather then their heads (the room that best represents the criteria set forth in the beginning of the competition.)

@k2yhe - I was simply trying to show Crispy how annoying such comments can be. This is kinda silly all this drama over this. This is turned into a design soap opera

It's nice, but by no means the best.

Why doesn't AT just have a panel of experts judge the entries in their various contests, rather than make it a meaningless popularity contest? I am sure this way makes a lot of new people registered on the site (perhaps multiple times) - so maybe AT is just trying to drive up the number of registered users?

Folks, it's all about taste and opinions, not what's right, or who's right. And for what it's worth, it's just a room: nobody's in danger, the house isn't on fire, and it's not costing you any money or a night of lost sleep. Let and let live. And let the best room win without the rhetoric.

@CrispyFry5 - I have been reading all your postings & I am starting to wonder if you have a personal problem with the people who designed this. Obviously you have nothing good or interesting to say so why don't you just stay quiet. If you have nothing good to say dont say anything at all. Obviously you don't like it & you're entitled, that's fine. So here is what you do, YOU DON'T VOTE. You vote for the one you like & move on, end of story. There's no need for you to spend your time (which obviously you have a lot of) with all these snappy comebacks. You've stated your opinion plenty and we know you don't like it so just move on & let the rest of the people make up their own minds, OK?

AnckSuNamun... if you have such a problem with me and what I have to say then I cannot imagine why you would waste your time reading all my posts? And I respectfully disagree with your assessment that my posts are neither good nor interesting. Obviously it held your attention long enough to read it all and just because you disagree with what I have to say does not make it bad. I appreciate your feedback though :-)

Children, children! Nap time!!

that said, anckSuNaman: contradict much? I seem to remember reading a comment on annalea's entry that was on the snarky "having nothing good to say" side.

I think this absolutely lovely

this looks like such a relaxing space

@crispyFry

you have a response for everything it seems :-)

Call my name and I will appear :-)

Wow both the entries are so close! Thanks for your voting :) i'm still hoping this room to win but who knows? Wish Josh luck!

sheesh - opinions, opinions.. everyone is entitled to their own, be it positive or negative. MY opinion is that the space and paint choice is interesting. I would never think to use such a deep color in such a small space but if it makes you happy, Josh then a big high five to you. The overall feel is a little overwhelming for me because Im more into brighter lighter spaces but I do love the accessories (btw, I have the same blue vase - love the pop of color it brings) and simplicity of the furniture. Enjoy your win and enjoy your space.

Joshua - this is a wonderful room! I can imagine that a large percentage of critics on this site would have no idea what to do with a room so small, but you made it grande!

The harshest and most honest design critics in my life (Mo&Jojo) found this design so worthy of notice that they shared it with their friends and me! When they take the time to notice a designer, I drop my pencil and look!

Congrats on your win!

I'm one of those who don't find anything special about this room - it's not that I dislike it but it gives me an empty and ordinary feeling - so I guess this has smth to do with dark blue being a safe choice. The previous winner also had the same color and pretty much nothing more.

Love this room. Contrary to what a few people have said, I find the space really inviting and totally livable ! It could be because my own decorating style is very similar, but I don't find anything contrived about the empty picture frame or the vignettes of nick-nacks and collectibles. This is the way many flea market fans and thrift store shoppers actually live. To me, it's more Elle Decor than HGTV and definitely the room with the most personality. I don't think that it matters that a designer staged the place, since the occupant of the space obviously provided the 'atmosphere' , agreeing with the colour choices and making the 'look' possible with all the items already in his possession.

Congrats on winning, Josh! I like the fact that someone with a DIY ethos won, and managed to help an up-and-coming designer. Apparently the other contestants either didn't let it be known that they used a designer, or opted not to - not your fault either way.
I am impressed with your style, and choice in decor and color. I would be happy to call this home. It's magazine-worthy, but with personal affects that make it yours. Great balance.Don't worry about the naysayers, they'll find something else to deride soon enough.

daring. i love it.

that quiet a room, one I could live with for a long time.

meh.

Love your colors! A true vintage beauty!

This definitely deserved to win. When I looked at the room, I got the "feel" of the space... most colorful rooms in the contest are so in your face. The colors took over the rooms. I love the vintage vibe. It's quite romantic and sentimental.

you Win.

You painted a tiny room blue - hardly Architectural Digest. Didnt see who you were up against in the contest but really? Get over it!

My Fav

Lovely room and I especially like the ceiling to wall treatment.