Small Cool 2011

Your bedding is adorable. Also like the furniture combination in the living room.

I'm in love with all your windows and the whole design of the house. Very quirky. :)

Love it but can't add to favorites. Too BIG a presence. And too private. Misses the spirit of the contest in my opinion.

I love it. And less than 1000 sq ft is less than 1000 sq ft is less than 1000 sq ft. It qualifies, it's beautiful and unusual, and not everyone in America lives in a city.
(I especially adore the living room, by the way. Can I move in?)

I grew up in an A frame...LOVE it. Could you use small hooks to screw into the studs to hang artwork?

Well I think this is extra beautiful.

I remember this home being featured in Ready Made magazine. I loved it then and now. The furniture fits right in to this retro home and I'd kill for a glass tile shower like that.

I like it but I think the structure itself is what makes this place and agree with poster above, this contest is about making smalll living cool, not who lives in the coolest small structure. Don't get me wrong, I think it's one of the most impressive spaces on here, but again, its not so much about "great architecture" as it is about creating an amazing home in a small space.

can't you nail or pin art/maps on those slanted walls?

950 sq. feet works for me. I love your home, Julia. It's all so well done. I especially like your bedding, the bedroom ceiling light, and the wonderful view out the bedroom window!

the living room and the bedroom are amazing! how lucky you are to have those views

wasn't this featured in a magazine?

Great use of space and decor!

who cares about the structure. it's obvious she has great taste. i doubt people would vote for this entry if it was filled with overstuffed leather couches and thomas kinkade paintings.

@ raddlesnack - exactly! This is my favorite in the small category so far.

you have treated your home quite well, not cluttered with well suited furnishings. the sort of space where waking up each morning would be uplifting!

Some comments aren't fair! 200 square feet in a city also have a structure. Be it a beautiful old window, high ceilings with plastering or a brick wall. This all adds to the character of a space. If you don't want that, all participants would have to start with the same blank box. Isn't the contest about what you do with the structure you've got?

Julia, I love your home! I'm looking for a house like that and I know about the problems furnishing such a space. Very well done! You've got my vote ;-)

Seriously one of the coolest houses I have ever seen.

This is FANTASTIC. Why on earth would you fault her for having a great base to start with? She's clearly exhibited great decorating taste so what's there to dislike? Sounds like some people are just envious of her good fortune to have such an awesome structure.

Love, love, love it! Brilliantly done, from top to bottom. A-frames feel smaller than regular houses, so this one fits in perfectly.

Such an effing amazing house!!!!!! You've got my vote.

Please please please do a house tour on this one, AT!

Gorgeous. Just amazing.

I just realized I have never been inside an A-frame house, though I have always admired them from the outside. Now I kind of want one!

Wow. This is my dream home - it reminds me, quite wistfully, of that wondeful Fisher Price A-Frame toy!

I don't really like the "Small" division of this contest because I just don't think furnishing and organizing a 900-1000 sq. ft. space is all that challenging. However, I think your home is lovely and I hope you win in this division.

Can I move in? LOVE your space! Can't decide what I love most... The blue bathroom? The comfy living room with the lovely sofa? The bedroom with the incredible windows and that forest view? Your kitchen with the great backsplash? The overall summer camping feel to the place? I just love everything!!!

the lamp over the bed looks odd--photoshop?

Wow! Very beautiful.

You are living my dream. :)

beautiful.

Wow, thanks for all the comments, positive and negative -- that's what this is all about and not everyone will like everything. The house was not in this shape when I bought it, the kitchen and bath have been re-modeled mostly by me and my boyfriend. We even poured our own concrete sink for the bathroom. re: photoshop lamp question, no it's not photoshopped.

Thank all for your comments and votes!
Julia

Lovely and serene - a fantastic combo for a small home.

wow amazing space! I can't help but think you must be an early riser. With those big windows in your bedroom with no window treatments it must be super bright!

This *almost* makes me want to move to NH. Where did you get the non-photoshopped lamp, Julia? I love it!

I don't follow the pictures. The bedroom has windows that don't match the lay-out of the exterior shot. Where did the glass panes go?

This is EXACTLY the kind of place I want to make my home. It can be awkward furnishing and decorating an A-frame...I've done it before (not nearly as well). You did an amazing job!

I wish I could live in a house this beautiful! There is not one thing I didn't love. You have my vote!

immediately you have my vote, Ju! it is really very homey, inspirational and the only thing I miss there is pivo on the bar and goat behind the house :)

The bedroom shot that is displayed faces the back of the house, into the woods. The front bedroom isn't pictured which would have the side glass panes that you see in the exterior image.

This makes me want an A frame house. beautiful.

Adorable, wonderful. Also, so happy to see NH. Represent!

Wonderful! the cosy wood panelling, the large windows, the soft rug... I wanna live there!

Very small and cool!! I guess the roof sheds snow in a practical way.

A-frame.... SWOOOOON!

Yeah, I always loved the idea of an A-frame, but as I got older I also saw the various impracticalities. But you've made it beautiful!

the A frame and view - envy. Even tho I'm a city dweller down to every single bone It must be so lovely to wake up in the morning to your surroundings.

Thank you! I follow the lay-out now. Beautiful!

Not "faulting" her at all. Its obvious she has great taste. But when "I" am rating my choices and "I" am making "my" comments I take certain things into consideration. I think architecture wins over style in this case, so it doesnt go into one of my favorites (its a personal thing). I really like to see what people with a tiny blank box do. That's just what "I" get out of this contest, that's all. Chill out people, its a design contest.

Oooooh , I love it to pieces! You got my vote, girl! Those windows are to die for!

Julie, where did you get your beautiful bedding?

I'm sorry..Julia!

Lovely! Thank you for sharing your space with us.

There's a house down the street from where i grew up that's an A-Frame. My friend lived there and it was the most amazing house. I love A-Frames! :)

cvgmiami: "I really like to see what people with a tiny blank box do."

Your vote, your rules - but I think you're missing something important here: Every space has its own set of limitations and opportunities. 'Tiny blank box' is one kind of challenge, 'slanted walls that provide no wall space and shrink the actual footprint' is another, 'wall of windows that basically steals one whole side of the room' is yet another and so on. Choosing furnishings that fit with your existing architecture and bring out the best in it - in this case specifically when it comes to small spaces - is sort of what design is about :)

So yes, Julia's space is unique and 99% of readers won't be able to copy/paste her solutions to their spaces. Boo hoo, she'd still done a terrific job :)

KasieB - bedding is from Garnet Hill

Absolutely beautiful.

I saw this in readymade a while back and honestly, it has stuck with me more than any other picture of a house that I have seen. I love every bit of it, especially the tiles in the shower. Every bit of it is amazing. Please let me live there when you are done!

You also totally inspired me to pour my own concrete sink!

I want this house so bad I can't stannnnddd it! Love your style. :)

I'm surprised that people think starting with an A-frame gives Julia an advantage. I think an A-frame is so much more challenging than "a blank white box." The reason it looks so good her is because of what she did with it.

There are plenty of dark, lodgey A-frames that I wouldn't want to set foot in. I would stay in Julia's if only she'd have me.

I hung on to my copy of Readymade that featured this place - just 'cause it's so cool. Great job. Glad you entered.

WINNER!

I looked at a similar a-frame in Bethlehem Nh a couple years ago. It needed so much work. We passed on the buy. Wish we had these photos as a guide to go by. Really nice job.

I agree that the fun of the contest is to see what people can do with small spaces. To that end, I think this is a great example - the A-frame presents challenges that other homes her size don't have.

Like this, but love the shower.

Gorgeous home!

Neat

I lived in an A-frame once, a long time ago. There were lofts and a catwalk and it all reminded me of a tree house. It was one of my favorites of all time.

Yep, you have a point - sort of. While I'm taking everyone's comments into consideration and looking at this space not just as a cool building but a challenging one, it's clear that it's challenging not because its small, but because it's oddly shaped.

Maybe we need another contest called "Weird/Challenging 2011"?

Or maybe the size limit needs to be lowered? But then we'd miss so many cool places. Ugh, okay. I'm torturing this point.

Julia, either way, your house is DROP DEAD GORGEOUS.

Again, love it...but it seems odd to include a house, complete with a pic of the outside of the house, in an apartment design contest. Makes the cutoff square footage wise, but seems like the house structure and setting is having an influence on people here. I love the outside of the italianate villa that my 960 sq ft condo is in, but I can't imagine including a pic of it in this contest. To each his own. Favorite away people.

you have my vote - you had me at the first photo! well done.

@Ahab
Thanks for your comments. The contest is about Small Homes, it doesn't say that they have to be apartments only. If I lived in an apartment I probably wouldn't include the exterior because it's not entirely my space. But there are many people that choose to live in a single standing, small home and this contest is about making a small space a home. All images were accepted and approved by the AT staff, so it's a legit entry.

Go for the gold Julia! Your place is awesome!

can I live here?

Love this adorable A-frame. Can I move in? haha.

LOVE! J'ADORE! Makes me want to cry- because i'm so damn envious.

Amazing feeling of being like a bird in Nature and totally intune to what the Mother speaks.
Thank you

Gorgeous and yes, lovely bedding! I would love to live in this house! I wouldn't feel too bad about not being able to use as much vertical space because the structure/architectural features are so great, you don't need a lot on your walls. On the top level, you could do the fantastic pendant light because of the height, it may not have worked in a non a frame environment. The comments about the size are interesting, there are many entries that are lofts with high ceilings that don't result in that type of reaction.

What a great inspiration! Where did you get your lovely pillows?

if you don't think this entry fulfills the criteria of the competition why comment on it? take it up with the creators of the competition. there are different categories of "space" + this is where julia's entry is deemed to be appropriate by the creators.

julia, i really liked the use of the space as i've never been in/lived in an A-line home. i would love to wake up to an environment like this!

you have my vote, goodluck.

Great use of pretty awkward space (and much more interesting than Ikea inside of a white box). Who needs wall art when you have that view into the woods!!!! Great job!

You are living in my dream:)

absolutely beautiful!!!!

I too live in an A-frame. I think we should start a "club":) Hanging art work is definitely a challenge. I've become a BIG fan of Command strips- anchor the frame at top, and put the strip on bottom. You'll have to let me know how to photoshop the light into my house as well:)D

Reminds me of the tons of A-frames you see up at our local ski resort - Big Bear Lake, CA. Never thought one would or could look this great on the inside!!

Someone else already asked, but where'd you get that amazing lighting fixture over the bed?

I have always loved A-frames, and yours is really fantastic! Must be a wonderful place to wake up!

Yay, New Hampshire!! Love it! I want a house just like this! :)

Omigosh, who wouldn't want to live here? Heaven!

Love it, especially the hanging ceiling light. Is it made of wood strips? I owned a double A frame house for many years and an A frame trailer! The shape makes everything fun or difficult, depending on one's perspective.

My dream house. All the teeny entries are what inspires me for my tiny city studio, but this is what I long for upon retirement :)

cvgmiami: "It's clear that it's challenging not because its small, but because it's oddly shaped."

Or it's challenging because it's both, if you believe the AT criteria for small ;) Personally, I would agree that 1000sqft is by no means a small space... but I don't make the rules, and frankly, 980sqft lofts with 18-foot ceilings seem to me far more out of place in this competition.

But I would definitely support and enjoy "Weird spaces 2011"!

Gorgeous!

re: lamp inquiry.
The lamp I bought at the Garnet Hill outlet store.

Wow! You are getting a vote almost every second. What's your secret?

I thought about the great architecture when I cast my vote, but then I looked at what she did with the space. The balance of natural wood and modern. The way the oblong rectangle is repeated throughout, from the exterior or the building to the windows, to the red tile in the bathroom to the shape of the sofa to the lampshade. Well done.

This is a very cool house. I love the views, and that I can almost imagine seeing through the house. It seems to be very space efficient, even with some "lost space". I do think you can get some creative seasonal storage out of the lost spaces though.

The lounge area looks a bit large, for my taste. I would have liked to see a dining area somewhere.

Overall, it's really cool. It reminds me of my grandparent's cabin.

I joined just so I could vote for this house! As other posters already said, it's not just the cool architecture but clearly what she's done with the place. The rules do not state that the entries must be apartment- or condo-dwellers.

Love A frames. They are interesting structures that require creative solutions to small and strangely shaped spaces. I think Julia has done a beautiful job.

Awh, I grew up in an A-frame house in New Hampshire!! So this really, truly feels like home to me. What a wonderful feeling! :)

I like everything about your home. The setting is particularly appealing. Lucky you!

Love it! Love everything about it! The textures and colors...all beautiful!

Sweet treat in form f this space can't get any better! Love the use of space . Perfection to the T or P for that matter of fact!Great space!

I registered just to vote. I love A frame houses and it's so great to see such a nice one!

Love it Julia!! I voted for you!!
Gina from Nebraska : )

Lovely place. But it's not so great that you should have this many votes two days after entering. Something's up with the votes. You entered just yesterday and you've blown past gorgeous entries who have been here for weeks. 681 votes at nearly one per minute at 1am. Yeah right. It'll be interesting to pull the IP addresses of all the people voting. Could it be that that the majority of them are coming from the same location?

Thanks for being such a good sport.

Wow what a rude comment above! First of all people are voting for this because it's awesome and unique. I signed up on here just to vote for this entry. Secondly have you ever heard of time zones? It is late here on the west coast.

By the way if anything is suspicious it's the leader of this division. He generates votes exactly as needed to stay on top, it seems.

Blue Adidas: Maybe Julia is the CEO of Garnet Hill and made all her employees vote for her.

mailmann: Obviously he's too shy to have a social network.

I've been amazed at what inspirational design and a strong social network can generate over the past few days. Such wonderful and kind comments, thank you all for your support and votes. It saddens me that a few false accusations can tarnish the fun we're having in this contest. No tricks, nothing to hide (feel free to look into those IP addresses). Finally, although flattering, no I'm not the CEO of Garnet Hill. His house is amazing, though slightly larger than 1000sf.

HOW DID YOU GET THIS HOUSE, PLEASE?

Nato
Nothing out of the ordinary -- I saw it listed, viewed with the realtor, made a bid, bid accepted, sold. Then did a lot of work on it.

click, click....click,click....click

You are a SURE winner. Timing is everything.
click..click.................click

Sorry, Julia, I was kidding (after being up all night). It is no wonder that the beauty of your home is much admired.

Great space, cool mid century vibe and I love the view of the woods out of the bedroom window. cool

Julia, This is my 2nd comment...I just have to say, living in NH, I'm actually talking to my husband about selling our cape and buying a small piece of land in the middle of nowhere...and duplicating your home! I would love to know if a home like this could run off of solar power...And also, do you have a basement or is it built on a slab?

Very cool house! I think she's getting a lot of votes because bloggers are blogging about this entry. I don't visit AT everyday. I came over here via 2 blogs that linked to her entry.

Blissladybug
I'd love to know which blogs have picked this up?
Thanks, Julia

craftyhealthnut
My house is on a slab, built in 1961 so unfortunately not a heated slab. But if you built on a slab I'd recommend putting radiant heat in, so toasty in the winter. As far a solar -- I'm no expert, I'm sure there are many ways to make solar work in a northern climate, but you may need a back up generator in winter since light is limited. Worth researching if you're building there are a lot of green options out there that may not require you to be on the grid. I have a fireplace which keeps the main level pretty warm through the winter, and back up electric. The house is small so relatively efficient.

I love this little house and signed up just to vote for it. I had a similar little chalet in Bartlett NH and know Bethlehem well- beautiful town. Nice job!
Oh, and I came across it on a blog- Making it lovely - that I follow. No weird vote here:)

love the use of color and want to roll around on your living room carpet... it looks so soft!

So, this challenge is about making small spaces beautiful not who has the coolest small space....well, this space wins on both counts! Have you ever been in an A frame? Although big windows front and back...no side windows - to create a light, airy and spacious looking living area in an A Frame really takes creativity and a sharp eye! You got it Julia!

I love your house, wish I could be there.

Thanks, Julia for your response! Radiant heat is a fabulous idea.

As for the rude accusation about the number of votes...that's ridiculous. You can only vote once from one IP address (I know this because every time I visit this article, it's noted that I've already added it to my favorites). Might it be because it was (rightfully) featured in the AT email blast that goes out? I know I normally don't vote here on AT but when I saw the email featuring the picture of this beautiful house, I had to click on over and I said "heck yes" when I saw the vote button...I bet that's simply what's happening and good for Julia that it is! She's done an amazing job!

I love it!!!

crafthealtnut: It's not true that you can only vote once from one IP address. You can only vote once from one account, but you can register as many accounts as you want from a single IP address. So you can vote hundreds of times from on IP. I am not saying Julia did that, I do not believe she did; however, there are others who have done it a lot, and are in fact leading their divisions.

I love your place, Julia. My mother lived in a cozy a-frame for many years and there are some similarities with yours. But I am wondering--where is the washer and dryer?

Tricotbelle:
The washer and dryer are in the kitchen, tucked under the counter next to the fridge. You can see them in the photo. The washer is a top loader, so when I re-designed the kitchen I put a piano hinge into the countertop that lifts to access and load the washer. Another clever space saver that came with the house is a toaster that is built into the wall and pulls out when you need to use it.

It is an overused word. But this is
stunning.

Favorite entry of the entire contest...I want to move in!

@anodnnanaan - you are correct. you can vote more than once from the same IP as long as you use different AT accounts.

Thanks to you all who have "favorited" my space and who have been so lovely and supportive in your comments!

gorgeous! i wanna come and stay and have tea next to that lovely view of the trees! be well --juliescottsallylivi

go girl! hope we get a full on home tour one day. best of luck!

Congratulations Julia, Your place is amazing. Good luck in the finals, Its gonna be tough against your awesome A-frame!

-Alex

Amazing house, I remembered it from the Readymade feature and got so excited to see it pop up on here!! You've got my vote not only for your great place, but for your patience and responsiveness in the comments:)

Love everything about this place!

Love it so much, we're thinking about pocketing an A-Frame ourselves and tucking it in between some mountains outside Nome, Alaska! Vivid, lovely, inspiring, delicious.
YUM! Good luck. You got my vote... hands down.

As a former owner of an A-frame house, I can appreciate the challenges the design presents, and believe me, this house is a charmer. As a resident of NH, I also appreciate your location. Bethlehem is a beautiful town north of the White Mountains. You have done an outstanding job decorating your space, and although you cannot hang pictures on the walls, how about textiles. I hung quilts when I had that challenge. Good job.

this house is awesome! How long have you lived there for? Good luck in the competition, you got my vote!
-a

Congratulations Julia. You have a lovely home and I am nor surprised you made it to the finals!

I love your place, full of outdoors in!! i could spend my life in a place like yours, specially reading in your living room. Best of lucks on the final strech!!

Sonia

Oh the red accent tiles are awesome!!
I mean, just the whole place. I'd kill for views like that... Cities, they're such a love hate relationship.

I love your place. In the 2nd shot, it looks like the furniture is floating...I guess an effect of the lighting when the shot was taken...kinda cool.

So fantastic - you have an amazing home!!

Thanks for all your votes and support!

Julia

THIS Deserves to win. This is the best small cool space not in just this year's competition, but in the entire history of the Small Cool Competition.
bravo.
Love Love Love.

i voted for this one as finalist. the other 3 looked exactly alike. while not at all my style, it's a neat little house.

i'm surprised that for all the use of zig zags throughout this competition, none of them made it to the finals. funny.

i voted for this one as finalist. the other 3 looked exactly alike. while not at all my style, it's a neat little house.

i'm surprised that for all the use of zig zags throughout this competition, none of them made it to the finals. funny.

This house is fantastic. It shows the personality of the owner and her ability to work with the houses charms (and quirks). I live in a bungalow and have the same issue with angled walls and ceilings. It makes for some interesting design solutions. I love the turquoise and red in the front. Would love to see more pics. Well done.

Your home is absolutely smashing and while I like the other three apartments, your home is something different. Plus, I'm an outdoorsy girl, so I'd absolutely love to live in your place! I especially love the light, the kitchen back splash, and the sofa. You've got my vote, Julia!

Absolutely the top. I agree with the commenter who noted that the other three look exactly alike.

Thanks for your votes and comments, only one more day left, encourage your friends and family to vote too!

Julia

well, Ju, your A-Frame has to be the first one because it´s the best one (I only miss a goat asi I already mentioned. Vi:)

"A"-mazing Julia! Honestly, the design of the angled walls are art in and of themselves. I like them just the way you have kept them. My next cottage will be an A-Frame; practicality is overrated! Great job and thanks for sharing.

It's been a great month of Small/Cool -- Thanks everyone for your votes, support, kind words etc.. Glad I was a part of it all.

Best
Julia

Congratulations, Julia!

Where did you get your coffee table? Love it.

Great job Julia. Your place is just wonderful!

Darren

Try skylights in the slanted wall of the kitchen and upstairs for summer ventilation.

Rather than bring wood across the living room, try a small wood door opposite the fireplace.

Just reach through the wood door and grab the wood as needed.

Bathroom space:

Rather than a storage area behind the stairway, enlarge the bathroom.
Add an under-counter combination washer/dryer.

Try a pedestal sink.
Store towels and a cosmetic basket on open shelving over the toilet.

While sitting in the shower, try a handheld shower nozzle.

Where is the lighting in the kitchen?
Is that a fireplace next to the fridge?

Try a dining room set “against” the large windows in the living room.
Place chairs on three sides of the table.

With under-counter appliances, try larger windows across the entire kitchen counter area.

Try a U-shaped kitchen design (clockwise):
Fridge, lower corner carousel cabinet, sink, dishwasher, lower corner carousel cabinet, stove.

One carousel cabinet is sufficient for stackable pans/dishes, weekly dry goods and utensil basket.

Use the old breakfast area as a kitchen island.

Space:

Replace paper, books, pictures, tv, stereo and alarm clock with a handheld computer.

Rather than an end table, bed stand or coffee table – try a floor lamp and tote bag for handy items.

Try pull-out storage baskets under a bed, couch or chair.
Baskets are easy to transport.

Try louver doors in the storage area upstairs.

Try coat hooks near the entry door.

I don't understand how the stairway coincides with the slanted ceiling -

Would a spiral staircase work well?

Try a dormered, arched window over the staircase.

I think I'd like to put my pillows at the foot of the bed - so that I could stare out the window.

To brighten, paint the dark paneling.

Try a large cutting board over an under-counter washer/dryer - it creates a convenient place to fold clothes.

Rather than a spare bedroom, try a futon couch for a sitting room.