Small Cool 2011

I love Modigliani! It's also nice to see someone doing something other than Midcentury modern and/or tons of grey.

BOLD!

Absolutely gorgeous.

Modernist here, but this space is stunning!

love the red

Love your sofa.

don't typically like that much red but you make it work beautifully. the space doesn't present as 530 sq feet which is amazing!

Love it! At first I was a little taken by all the red, but you made it work wonderfully.

Sexay!

LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Love it! I'm just about to move into an apartment the same size and I'm totally inspired!

All that red is definitely working-- great place! Great title, too! *singing to self*

Gorgeous!

pretty and sumptuous!

It is so nice to see an elegant and comfortable traditional interior. Red is one of my favorite colors. I could see myself having a dinner party or just curling up with a good book and tea on the sofa. Great job!

There are things I "don't so much like" here (main example, the overdose-to-me of small objects in certain places) but the things I do like far outnumber them: the red, the sliding French doors (brilliant idea), the windows obviously, your bed solution, the ghost chair at the desk, the perfect portrait cushions... Tell me that the red curtain can be closed at night to cocoon the bedroom and I will be over the moon.

As soon as I saw the first picture, I said to myself, "Tudor City!" You have truly performed magic and turned this space into a storybook home. I am awed by your talent and your home's beauty . . .

Sumptuous yet bright and airy.
Quite delicious.

Your space is so inviting, elegant and rich. You have wonderful taste and an eye for beauty. Truly an inspiring example of what you can do in a small space. Stunning absolutely stunning! I hope you win! :)

Thanks for all the compliments. I must agree with the comment about tchotchkes. It's hard for me to not display the things I find and fall in love with but everytime I start to pare down, I wind up putting everything back! And yes the curtains do close on the "bedroom" side of the apartment :)

Love your jewel box in NYC!

You have really done well in maximizing your space. I think the Persian meets Asian vibe is very refreshing, especially considering the amount of entries that are so fixated on the modern asthetic. The generous amount of wood from your pieces adds lots of warmth and comfort to your home. The acrylic chair at the desk adds a modern touch while keeping the Asian lines.

I would only change a couple of things. I think red hues are wonderful and underused, but too much can be intimidating, so they need to be toned down a little here. That could be accomplished by changing the dining room chair covers to something like black or gold. It would also serve to separate the dining space more from the living area. The other change would be to find a more fitting setup for your TV and equipment. Some sort of shelf or preferably a cabinet that could hide components so that they don't distract from all of the great pieces in your home.

Really, this is one of the better entries. It has a very comfortable, lived in feel, but still presents with some sophistication. Great job!

Girl, you do have big furniture...woo! But, it is nice. And looking at the pictures, it does look the way you described it Nicely done!

Hi Aexley,
I HATE the way my televison is mounted. If you have an ideas, I would truly appreciate it. Thanks!

After years of “design safe” neutral and minimalist decor, it’s thrilling to see a space
that is bursting personality the way this does! Thanks for posting!

TV: 1. Is there any way to hide it in the armoire? 2. How about moving the side table next to the sofa across the room and setting the TV on top of it? You could "hide" the components on the bottom shelves (in a box or basket that you can keep closed when you're not watching TV) or even go crazy and hang the TV on the wall in a gold (?) art frame with or without art covering the screen when it's not in use. I have my TV at the end of my sofa on a shelving unit with curtains that close if I don't want to look at a blank screen when the TV is off rather than having it across the room in the center of everything (as it is usually placed). Works fine for me!

I had to look twice when your description was of a studio in Tudor City -- it looks huge! Your furniture is gorgeous and massive, which doesn't say "tiny apartment" at all -- nor does your bold use of RED. Very elegant and stately. I'd have to dress better if I lived there!

first word OOHHH ,gorgeous!

Oh no no no no no!

Gorgeous. Totally not my style or color scheme and yet I am totally enamored with your apartment.

Sharina, do you mind sharing where you got those Chinese-looking pillows? They're amazing!

it's totally not my taste but it's still gorgeous! That huge armoire is drool worthy. The art is incredilbly lovely. And your commitment to that lively rose color is a bit heady but romantic and charming. Your place is lovely!

Like others have said, not my personal taste at all, but VERY well done. I'm voting for it.

Personally, I think all the "not my personal style, but still beautiful and well-done" comments are the highest form of compliment! :) It's easy to fall in love with a space that looks "just like [I] would have done it". Anyway, I'll add to the it's not my style but I really like it anyway pile.

Re: Your TV - it looks like you already have a hole in the wall/place for the wires to disappear into, which is great. I'd suggest something like this thing from DWR, except that it's outrageously expensive, so maybe a DIY or even hire someone to do one that's absolutely customized to your space:

DWR Media Panel (click on "more views/enlarge" to see what it really looks like)

That way you'd disguise the shelf brackets, and you could paint or stain it nicely. Either match your wall color to camouflage it as much as possible, or maybe a soft rose color to complement all the reds but not be "in your face", or, a really bold red to be in your face! Or a wood stain to make it seem like it's a piece of furniture. Any way you did it, it would make the whole thing seem much more finished.

Pillows were bought in World Market about 2 years ago :)

Love the minimalist entries like Stellah's disappearing bed, but this house made me sit up and want to put on my best heels! Sexy fine.

The mirror-covered murphy bed is a clever idea that turns a liability into a feature.

Opulent! Very nice.

The more I look at your flat, the more I like it!

yes, elegant, eccentric and quirky. and too red.

This is so elegant and lovely - gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! there are now a handful of entries with Murphy beds and as I have never seen one I was curious: How comfortable is a Murphy bed? Does it have a box spring/mattress or is it more like a sofa bed? When you tuck it away do you have to take off the bedding? Where do you put the pillows etc.? Do you "make" the bed (ie put it away) every day or just when people are coming over and you need more space? Hope these aren't too personal of questions, but I am intrigued by the whole Murphy bed concept.

Would love to see pictures of the kitchen and bathroom too...

The luscious color seems to flow, helping the space feel larger. I can imagine how wonderful it is at sunset.

By far my favorite, elegant, sophistocated, warm and inviting... I want to curl up on this sofa with a glass of wine ...red of course!

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL... The pictures dont do half of the justice until you really see the apt. fortunately for me, I had the pleasure of seeing it ;). All those different cultures/colors combined together, it’s just so LOVELY, WARM and WELCOMING.
You have FABULOUS taste, LOVE the RED.

You deserve to win !!!

Wow, dude... If the art is for real.... it's sooooo way above most of us.....

Love the art and the chinese cushions!

Wow. Fantastic, cohesive, unique - WOW! Everything feels like it was purchased at the same from the same place. You have a great eye!

Gorgeous! I have always loved your place Sharina! It's amazing how you have fit so much into a small space so well! You always inspire me! And for those who think this is too much red, I can honestly say, it feels just right when you are inside the apartment. (And this is coming from a woman who does not own anything in red!) My own apartment is predominantly white, which I love, but when I've been to Sharina's house with its luxurious colors and things she's collected from all over the world suddenly I feel like I haven't been really living because I haven't been living in color. It's a shame you are only allowed to submit 5 photos per entry in this contest because there are so many more wonderful things to see in this apartment! This really is a magical place!

P.S. - Funny that nobody said anything about the pale lavender walls!

Gorgeous, Elegant , very nice colors this apartment is a magical place !

Your place is stunning, really. But I think you could soften it up a bit replacing your dining chairs--maybe for French bistrot ones. Well, I dont know exactly, it's just the currant chairs kind of make the space a little too haevy. Oh, and I wish you had posted pic of your kitchen. Anyway, you got my vote.

Guys, please forgive my spelling mistakes--Im typing from a netbook which is SOOO small... :(

Fabulous!!! Really outstanding!!

I fully agree with helanother's comment that the sliding french doors are a brilliant idea. So brilliant in fact, that I'm hoping you can share where you ordered them/who installed them/how much they cost! I think they're the perfect answer to a separation dilemma I'm having in my own NYC space! And I love the tchotchkes - they make it homey! :)

absolutely fabulous !!

Hands down my absolute favorite...LOVE the use of the red. It's used perfectly..looks so homey