mkonar's Profile

beautiful apartment... love the sitting area, love the bathroom, love the desk area... you know you've got my vote!

@sarahjh sorry for the late reply! the bowl is by kate spade, purchased a while back at tjmaxx.

@bouncewden thank you so much, i'm so happy you've enjoyed the space!

@owlgirlo if you click on the small cool contest entry, the last picture is actually a floorplan! none of the furniture has moved since then but a number of things have been replaced!

@livelifelove85 i wish i could tell you the exact hardware i used but, honestly, i remember stealing it from my old roommate to hang something else! next time i'm at the hardware store, i will look to see if i can find what i used... i can tell you that there's one piece attached to the back of the tray and another piece on the wall, and then the one on the tray clasp into the one on the wall. but honestly, type trays are fairly light and you can probably find an easier solution (maybe even hanging wire!)

thanks everyone!

thanks again everyone for the positive feedback! i enjoy hearing what everyone has to say and especially love that so many of you have said that they feel like the space is a representation of myself! the AT community is so wonderful!

@RSR thank you so much for your comments, they are so incredibly genuine and thoughtful! and great advice on the bedframe hunting... i've always longed for this type of bed and imagine my surprise when i found it for $50!!! i know it's one of those pieces i will keep forever!

@LOGICBUTTON i never noticed that! luckily, in person the grey in the paintings is much darker than the grey in the chairs and the straws.... but still. i'm ashamed with myself!

@EEP yep, it's the sutton sofette! it's a great comfy little couch and one day when i have space, it would be perfect at the foot of a bed! i purchased it two years ago, prior to west elm having fabric options... the color i recall being portobello or mushroom something and no clue about the fabric type. the first image on the west elm site for the couch, that's what i have!

@CECILYMAEHANDMADE i completely agree that i would love to not see my kitchen from my bed but, hey, it's new york! thank you for the comments!

@JETTSAM the bookcase is at the end of the hallway with the entrance, the closet and the bathroom. i would normally never place a bookcase perpendicular to a wall but by doing that, i've created a little dressing area. if you look back at my small, cool contest entry you might get a better sense of the space, especially by looking at the floor plan.

@KINKY GAZPACHO first off, great username! second, the press is a old tabletop letterpress! still works and i love it!

@SOPHIETO you are spot on, i cannot wait to have a larger space... a round table in a studio is pretty nuts but i make do and i know that it will be wonderful when i finally have rooms (!!!!!)

i have to agree with a lot of the commenters on here regarding the voting system; it seems a little unfair and there is a disadvantage if your entry is posted in the last week or if you are contending against someone with a popular blog. both of the little and small 2nd placers were truly amazing spaces IMO but unfortunately, lost to people with popular home blogs. as for the length of time and when posted, i witnessed that myself this year -- i was lucky enough to be selected and posted in this years contest in the teenty-tiny category. but i was posted during the last week (and therefore had less than a week to collect votes) and the leader in that section had over 1100 votes already! luckily, i did manage to do incredibly well given these circumstances (and i am damn proud of myself) but i can't help but wonder what the outcome would have been if i had had those extra three weeks that the teeny-tiny winner had on me! it would be great if this contest was restructured in a way that made things more of an even playing field.

either way, there were so many amazing spaces, so many innovative designs and DIYs, and every year, i am truly inspired by all of the entries. congrats to all of the entries regardless of the voting results and i'm already looking forward to next years contest!

thanks everyone for the positive feedback! being posted so late, i am astounded by number of votes, the AT community is really wonderful and supportive!

@SUZIWEST7 funny because when i saw your entry, i was admiring all of the beautiful furniture and wanting so much of it! i will definitely make a trip out to brooklyn just to visit your store, it looks absolutely lovely! i'm out of town for the next two weekends but expect a visit the weekend of may 12th!

@JAGGAE thank you! i hope you included a caption for people to vote, hehe!

@RAHSKOLNIKOV your comment made my day! thank you so much for the laugh!

@JENNESY you may have to get in line... a few friends of mine have already claimed the apartment if i ever move (which i do not intend to do for a few years!) but i will add you to the list! thank you!

@PHILLY704 i love martha, so all of my paints are hers from home depot. the teal is yucca plant (as you noted) and the gray is bedford gray. the bathroom (not pictured) is seal (a nice dark gray with a slight tint of brown). the white was already there, so who knows!

@RUTHINAZ a vacation in scottsdale sounds wonderful -- we may have to work something out! and i went to college in new england so i'm happy to hear that i brought some of that spirit with me to NYC. thank you!

and finally....

@HAPPY CHEERY GIRL and @DINOSAURPUKE the backsplash is something i randomly came up with and i'm so excited that you both like it so much that you want to try making your own! i was so sure it would look ridiculous and i would be taking it down in a day or two... but a month later, i'm still loving it! here's basically what i did:

supplies
cork tiles -- i bought those 12"x12" four pack tiles that you can find at staples or target in the office section, be sure to grab something thick if you plan to tack things so that you don't damage your walls
paint in the color of your choice
polycrylic -- i used minwax polycrylic protective finish in gloss; i used this to provide a clear top coat that could be wipeable since it's in the kitchen and at risk of being splattered by grease, food, flying dish soap, etc.
those 3mm adhesive strips that remove cleanly from the walls -- cork will expand and contract depending on humidity and temperature so each tile is attached to the wall with one strip placed in the center of the tile; if you use more than one, the tile will eventually stretch or pull at the strips and may have disastrous results... i learned the hard way with my last backsplash attempt (one large piece of cork nailed in the corners -- BAD idea)

process
1. decide on the size of your tiles (i went subway tile size so roughly 3"x6"), figure out what sort of pattern you want (google brick coursing, common patterns include stack or running), and measure your wall space. there was a little math involved here -- using my computer, i sketched out my wall and figured out how many tiles i would need to create to cover the entire space.

2. using a metal ruler, xacto/olfa/utility knife, and cutting matt, cut your tiles down to size.

3. paint each tile on the top and edges. the cork will suck up a little bit of the paint so i probably did about three coats before i felt like i had the saturation that i was going for. remember to allow the paint to dry between coats.

3. top with a coat or two of the polycrylic. again, allow tiles to dry between coats.

4. once dry, attach one of those adhesive strips to your tile and stick it to the wall; i started in the corner and used 1/2" masking tape to keep the spaces around each tile equal. work your way across the wall... once it's covered, you're done!

thanks again everyone!

@DIRTY MARTINI thank you for the UWS support! it's truly the best neighborhood to live in; no other neighborhood can compete with our selection of grocery stores and the quiet residential feel!

@LINDSAYFF never fear color! it's amazing what color can do in a small space, and i promise it doesn't make it feel smaller!

@ELLE URKER you're welcome! good luck with your move!

@PURPLECHARM it was purchased from west elm last summer and unfortunately, i do not think they still carry it! it's actually a large hurricane for candles but when flipped over it became a perfect little table!

@VERY ARTSMART oh, how i wish i could!

@CHITIM thank you! i spent more time than i should ever admit sketching it out!

@SANDINMYUNDERPANTS first off, great username! it's actually the bekvam stool from ikea (the birch one painted black with an acrylic top coat, much better for outdoors than the veneered black one). here's a link to it: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60178887/

and again, thank you everyone for the positive feedback! i'm still surprised and overjoyed to have been selected!

@EMMELEMM guilty! sketched out the floorplan in illustrator (though, really, i have no idea what everyone else used so maybe not that guilty!)

@AMYMARTHA not sure what you're referring to exactly but i think it may be the wreath on the wall? it's actually made from old books... tutorial can be found here: http://livingwithlindsay.com/2009/11/librarians-please-avert-your-eyes.html

@ANUSZKA thank you so much!

@heysandybell -- i second that. 200sq ft doesn't make sense when you consider the loft and add in the kitchen, bathroom and closet.

i'm sorry... but even the trim and doors are painted pink! i'll all for color, even pink in large quantites... but doors and trim too!?!