apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

in-f@#king-credible.

And we have a winner.

LOVE. it.

Best in the west...I really like the raw casual quality...That kind of stuff works great in California...I also like the choice to photograph at night it really highlights the lighting.

That? Is amazing. Amazing.

I'm speechless--well, almost. This is jaw-droppingly ingenious, efficient and stylish. I don't think I've personally been as impressed by any other entry thus far. Your tip to "...consider the value of each improvement; Go cheap where you can, but invest where you should" are words to live by (as well as being extremely "pull-quote"-worthy). Congrats, congrats, congrats on a job well done! This is my favorite space (so far), hands-down. You guys must throw great parties... (PS I'm not generally a fan of open kitchen-shelving, but I love yours. In addition to being completely utilitarian, they seems to add nice visual texture when the storage curtain is drawn.)

A super-creative submission. Are those chairs mounted to the wall above the kitchen? Wow.

One quip: Technically, they submitted 5 image files, but there are a total of 7 photographs. I have seen some other entrants do the same. It doesn't seem fair to those who actually played fair and submitted 5 photographs, as the contest rules clearly state. That's on AT to settle, since they accepted the submission -- but it seems unfair to me.

Can I vote for something about "Wow!"??

Err, *above*. My excitement got the best of me.

Dude,

That's hot!!! Where can I find you guys???

Amazing! I'd love to see what this looks like during the day.

So sexy. I especially love the long row of spices running across the kitchen shelf. Cheers!

Yes, it's cool at night but what's it like on an overcast day? The storage is well organized but I'd like to see some additional screening/curtains. Wouldn't want to look at the cloths all the time.

Still a front runner.

HELLO! -HI
WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE BEST LUCK TO YOU!!

AMazing. I love it. I love your writing about it too. It's just a completely brilliant space. Great photography too.

this looks like it could be a set from a movie!- super sexy- i love the choice of couch and doubling the table as a console. the only thing that mildy creeps me is the chairs hanging above- but that's just my fear of being under suspended objects. otherwise- amazing and definite finalist-

Damn!!!! This is going to win. This is an incredible space! Sure to be amoung the top three, if not the top one or two!

I agree with the above comment. BUT-- some spaces demand additional pictures to be submitted. I also want to comment how AT asked for NO MORE THAN 100 word descriptions on what inspired the owners. At my informal count, it was over 37l. But again-- very nice work.

This place is beautiful! Yove' done a great job!

Is there a rolling library ladder in this setup that I've missed? How do they reach the spices? And the books?

i think this one is pretty darn good.

i have reservations, however, about all that stuff up high in earthquake country. is there anything to keep those books from beaning you in a shaker? in the kitchen i wonder how you get to the stuff up on the higher shelves...again, say good-bye to your dishes in a quake. and they don't seem to have any food other than wine. where do you keep the cheerios?

having said that, this is the first entry that i thought was a real contender for "best"...

My favorite so far. I envy the level of organization.

Holy. Crap.

You guys are my heroes, if only for that crazy wall 'o' closet storage.

But don't you ever worry about dusty wine glasses? Open storage in my kitchen drives me crazy...

Very nice!!!

Wow. That's insanely bold. I think I'm in love.

Re: earthquake safety, as someone who's lived in Los Angeles all her life, for me, at some point I just decided to live on the edge and put things up where they could fall. I haven't gotten beaned by anything yet. :)

thank you all for the compliments and feedback. really, thank you!

hopefully we can give some further insight based on some of the comments from above...

in the kitchen all of our food is kept below the counter in sliding wire baskets, unfortunately they are hidden in the shadows in that first picture. it's as equally exposed as the alcohol, i can assure you we're not just boozers! the more seldom used glassware does indeed collect dust, it's certainly a side effect of an exposed kitchen but it doesn't seem to really hamper things for us...just a quick rinse is usually all that's needed.

earthquakes! we do think about that often, we've had plans to take down the shelves, kerf the front top edge and inlay a rubber strip. this should help things from vibrating off the shelf. but as you all know its that last 1% of finishing a project that takes the most effort! the wall of storage we feel is pretty secure, if that comes down then the building probably is as well! as for the books...they are wedged so tight its hard take one down when you want it!

access to the higher stuff is remarkably low tech..we have this old steel stool that is really tall and pretty stable, i just climb up on top of that thing and i can reach everything but the top row on the wall of storage. for that we need a ladder (i can actually just climb up the horizontal steel members and reach the top row, but that gets me in trouble!). everything stored up there is deep storage. i guess it helps that i am fairly tall

we want to apologize if anyone feels our submittal was unfair, it was certainly not our intent. we thought that the 3 part photo was the most effective and fun way to show the curtain, and reasoned that since it was only depicting one aspect of the project it would be okay as a small, 3 part photo. we are certainly wordy people and tried to break our text into a few sections that could be eliminated if necessary, we saw another entry with some extra text and thought it would be okay. we are, of course, open to required revisions!

again thanks for all the comments, let us know if we can share anything else!

this is a no brainier……..take it down. By the way I bet that couch is comfortable to sleep on after a long night out with the boys in Down Town San Diego.

david + im,
amazing work. the space looks incredible... the way you've utlized the space is genius. best 2u2.

Geez... I hope this entry wins just so I can see a million more pictures of it, not to mention read so much more about it.

My. God. -- I. Am. In. Awe.

I know my entry just got its ass kicked - hard!

:)

There's just so much about your entry that I find stunning. The curtain. Oh, I bet it gives the place a really soft feel that contrasts the industrial aspects of the place in a wonderful way. And don't even get me started on that kitchen. Those shelves are beautiful. And your closet solution is... what could I possibly say? I'm more wowed every time I scroll up to look at your pics.

I'm going to pick my law up off the floor - after I scroll up to look at your pics a few more times.

WOW!

And when I'm done picking up my law, I'll pick my jaw up too.

Grin. Oops!

..but as long as I'm here... the suspended chairs in the kitchen. Ohhhh... it looks as much like art as it is just plain brilliant storage.

Word. Wow!

Supa' fresh. you should win regardless for having such an awful case of OCD. hmm...can't say there is one sq. inch i don't dig-or for that matter, hasn't been utilized to its full potential. great job guys!

Hey guys- We were noticing a little simmer over some possible rule stretching.

We have edited David and Im’s entry. We blame ourselves for being so blinded by their pretty space that we let the 3-in-1 pic and the wordy information pass.

The glass half full is, even with the changes it is still an entry to be envied.

Have a good weekend!

-Alec

I wish I'd gotten here before the other pics were down! I can't stop looking at this....probably because I have a container store addiction! And, I'm so relieved to see BOOKS!:)

We are so proud to both of you.

Smart problem solving!
Minimal investment!
Best of space utilizing and planing!
Good looking!
You both are definitely my winner!

david and im

who are you people.........unbelievable....i live in new york and love this site..I cannot believe the talent in san diego...i thought all apartments out there were large.....amazing!! you two need to move to new york and shake things up...small spaces are everywhere out here...great talent...don't waste it out in san diego!!!

W-I-N-N-E-R-S!!
This place is amazing...I can tell you all that it's a thousand times more amazing in person...pictures don't do justice.
LOVE YOU BOTH!!

The details and organization of your place are absolutely enthralling on both macro and micro levels. I find myself mesmorized looking at and studying what you have done and how you have accomplished it. It's a work of art and you can live in it at the same time. Thanks for sharing your place. I only wish I could see more.

David and Im,

Finally!!! Light at the end of this contest tunnel. After looking at about 40 entries I was beginning to think this was some sort of thinly veiled marketing gimmick for a new dual
IKEA / WEST ELM catalogue. What a breath of fresh air and truly thoughtful and thorough consideration of space and object. I think I'm in love with you both and judging from other responses I'm not alone. I must say thanks to Tobias G.(and others) for the flashback to 3rd year architecture studio. The tone of his lame whining about 7 photos instead of 5 brings back fond memories of certain people defending questionable concepts and ill-prepared presentations with the "play fair" card.
Ah,to be a grown-up!

Oh, how I envy this place! How I envy you two living in downtown! This is the type of space that I want so badly, but I know this isn't the style that my boyfriend likes at all. This is why I'm glad I have my own office so I can do whatever the heck I want to it!

We love it. ;O)
Hope to see it one day!
Love M & Co

The design and ingeniuty of your space is incredible. Seeing the transformations take place from beginning to now has been amazing. you had a vision with your 426 sq. ft. that I and many others never saw. What talent the both of you possess. I am envious and proud!

immy and dave, we love it! could you guys design our place too?

please?

gy+ashay

incredible creative..!!!!! I love to see people havin no boundries..!

WOW
way to rock a studio - can't wait to see you in the finals so we can see more pix!
I love open shelving, when it gives so much texture and character to the place. Really artful, congratulations.

Although I have been reading AT for about a year, this is the first time that I have ever felt a compulsion to submit a comment about anything posted:

Breathtaking.

This is an example of great photography. As people mentioned...how does your place look during the day? Not a fan of chairs mounted to a wall...

LOVE that kitchen wall!!! It's a huge sculpture, especially with those chairs hanging on the wall! Love the dining area and the lounge/reading area, especially the bookshelves. The sleeping loft looks like it would be very cozy and comfy and probably stays nice and dark in the mornings. The only thing that would be hard for me is the wear wall. I really like the watch and work areas and while the wear portion is super organized, it would distract me a bit. I feel wrong even saying that because the place is amazing. Great job and beautiful photos!

Every time I look at these pictures, I'm more in awe. This space is exactly what the contest is all about.

The edited down description cuts out some important info, I think. These people rent, so they built everything to be removable when they leave. I was stunned when I read that! I just keep going back to the closet and kitchen pics again and again, and I marvel. They accomplished this in a rental!

David and Im, I don't know what you do or a living, but you're in the wrong business. You should be in NYC converting spaces!

inspiritional... and the OCD is what drives me too!!! we love you and can't wait to watch you both win this! XOXO j

For the first 30 seconds, I sat looking with my mouth open. Amazing lighting in the kitchen. I want to come over for dinner, desert, and breakfast the next day. Good for you for not relying on catalogs, but your own creativity. Finally an entry not just about good furniture and art placement.

I appreciate that the knives are arranged from shortest to longest on the fridge. That way, you can always grab the "big knife" without looking. Very cunning you two.

i LOVE it!!!

I bow to you design-wise, but what's the point of a "loft" without windows/views?

Whoa. Those chairs along the ceiling make this place look like an Escher. The exposed clothing and stuff reminds me of a Chinatown market.

Joining the "Best I've seen so far" bandwagon. Such a unique looking place.

Hmm. While some pics are drop-dead, I would be totally overwhelmed by the amount of exposed open storage, which (for me) would undo anything calm and zen about all the other simply gorgeous decisions.

Now, if you covered that wall in floor to ceiling white drapes on hospital track, then I'd be converted.

Although this place gives me a touch of vertigo, still an amazing job. However, I'm now starting to think that the smallest coolest rules should be based on cubic footage, not square footage! These guys easily have three times the decorating space of many other entries given ceilings like these ;-).

P(too)...I think they do have a curtain (see the wispy thing in the corner of the photos...apparently, there was a series of closed-to-open curtain pics). I think...I missed them!

Hmmm, christine, not sure that's what those are.. they don't look close enough to the wall to be that.

And how exactly do they get to their book collection? Or clothes? Is there a library ladder or scaffold that I'm missing?

Reminds me also a little of the very cool current set for Sweeney Todd.

patrick,

white curtain on a hospital track is correct! we have a 14' tall milky white curtain that we pull completely over the wall-of-storage most of the time (see also the squiggly line in our floorplan). the picture of the curtain was edited out last week, hopefully we'll be able to get it back online.

im + david--
Way cool. Thanks for the clarification. Consider me converted.

This is clearly the winner....

cheers!

but where will you fit the DWR Repro's? the walls seem kind of packed...

The exposed clothes storage and kitchen seem in close proximity to one another. Are your clothes and shoes affected by cooking smells at all? Curious...

you two are so hot.

i've never seen storage look so good...

Craziest thing I have ever seen, love the organization

Wow. Clearly the best of the bunch, not only for the website, but for the whole functional maximalist movement as well!

I’d love to see more pictures!

This is really startingly wonderful.

Is that bicycle in a closet with glass doors? Is all of that storage exposed as well?

It seems well appointed with storage, although dark and a bit stark for my tastes in terms of decor. Thank you for sharing.

Associate Prof. Pisprapai Sarasalin,

Just curious b/c of your name: Are you from the Land of Smiles? Home now or stateside?

Would love to start a local AT chapter if you're out this way.

victor--it looks to me like the bicycle is on a patio, but I could be wrong.

I like how this entry shows how they deal with all their stuff. It's something I'll have to explore for my space.

Since you're almost certain to advance to the next round, will you take some pictures in the daytime so we can get a sense of the light at that time?

Am completely awe-struck! This is a rental?!!!

This is unbelievable. I'm speechless.

Beautiful and well done.

Hang sheer linen panels in front of the storage wall and I'd move in in a heartbeat.

Whoops. I retract my previous comment. Didn't see the storage curtain in the plans.

Favorite so far!

Beautiful apartment! I love your long metal table. Is that stainless steel? How long is it? Where did you buy it?

Good luck!
HG

Hi guys, just wanted to check in and answer some questions...

The table is indeed stainless steel: 2' wide by 7'6" long, made to match the length of the couch. We fabricated it ourselves using the same components as the wall of storage & kitchen counters...14ga stainless steel, 2x2 steel angle and planed 2x12's.

The bicycle is in fact on a patio, which is where we enter from. I hope we will have the opportunity to post further pictures that might make more sense of it all! Certainly daylight pictures would help better explain the exterior relationships/views.

Again, the curtain action isn't fully portrayed in the image that got chopped up. But it has the ability to totally mask off the wall of storage from the rest of the space. It's represented, though unfortunately not labeled, on the floor plan by the thin squiggly line at the left of the space.

Interesting question about the cooking smells, as there certainly is a close proximity of the clothing to the kitchen. It doesn't seem to be a problem though. With the good cross ventilation available, smells don't really seem to linger.

Thanks for all the comments and let us know if we can provide any more info!

I've noticed that a lot of people "repeat" what others say. Everybody is just ga-ga over this place and while I do like the chairs hanging on the wall ------ when I look at this place one word comes to mind: PACKRAT. Get rid of some stuff! 86 those green, plastic, storage crates.
You don't need all this stuff stored up for... someday.

great look congratulations. You just cant leave anything out in small spaces because the smallest pile looks like clutter.

A masterpiece of modernism, functionality, color, light, form, porportion, texture, flow, surprise, individualism, organization,... oh to heck with it!! Don't know what you both do, but hopefully there's a tv show or book or magazine out there with you in it soon!! And to think that 2 of you enjoy this space together, when most the others seem to be solo spaces, all the more amazing that you melded so well and produced genius. Bravo! You get my vote without reservation.

Proportion - geez, can't type, sure can't spell. Actually, now that I think about it, this one space and its creation could make a darn good design book!!

The answer to: "Home is where my stuff is."

Step Back! We have the winner!

Hi David & Im,

We're interested in your space & would love to talk to you about our HGTV show, "Small Space, Big Style". Would you be able to email us at smallspaces@brainbox.tv so we can get in touch with you?

thanks!
Sage.

Too funny! I scrolled down to say you should be on "Small Space, Big Style," and I see you've already been contacted! You must be the most organized people in the world. If you can live together in such a small space and keep it that tidy, you were made to be together. Very impressive design. You use readily available, inexpensive materials (I, too, love boating supply shops). You rely little on furniture or ornament (which is funny, since this is a DWR contest). It's all very practical, and yet I would find it difficult to live there. I think I'd give up on putting things back into the storage boxes, and I'd just give all of it away to be done with it. One question -- how do you dust all the high stuff, like those chairs?

Excellent job of making your place so organized, livable and aesthetic at the same time. Is this a Jonathan Segal building?

This is just insanely beautiful.

tony,
packrats... maybe... but we prefer to be called 'objecticians'!

stacey,
thanks- it is a ted smith / lloyd russell building.

Hi David + Im,
That is coincidental, ours is a Ted Smith building also, #27. I should have recognized the block pattern; he used it on our building also.
Again, your loft totally rocks and you are space planning geniuses!

This design is very reminiscent of Frank Loyd Wright's design.

gekko

Yes, I am from the land of smile, Thailand.I am teaching design at Rangsit University. Would you please explain what is AT Chapter? thank you very much.

This space is fabulous. I hope you both are very proud. I just have one question: where did you get the coffee table? Did you fabricate that or purchase it?

abc

stacey rae, you must be in the building on university? that's one of his building's that i have yet to get a close look at. have you seen lloyd russell's new building at india and laurel? it's pretty awesome.

ts, i am curious as to which FLW design you are referring to...?

adam, the coffee table...actually this was our first project together...while at architecture school one of the studios had a cardboard furniture project, they did some nice stuff but left piles of cardboard all around the school. we gathered them up, trimmed the scraps to a sensible module and glued it together with contact cement into the fantastic monolithic chunk that is our coffee table. we were initially concerned about the durability but its lasted seven years so far!

What a pad! When can I move in? This looks like the winner to me!
Great use of spacial conceptual visualization! Say what?

Dave, Hi to Im.

Stan

Wow!very nice,I will show this to grandpa and grandma(preecha&Veena).

Great!It's very smart way to solve problem.I would like to use this idea for my small space too.
Thank you very much.

Dear David&Im

your house is very beautiful
It looks so warm, I like it so much

:)

oooh, thats very nice! those sliding drapes easily cover up so much clutter when guests are over, and those backlights add mood to the room!

im + david.

the decision "to go up", a clear zoning strategy and the smart use of light and texture makes this entry the strongest competitor.

elements placed high reveal the sacredness of the ground, while acknowledging their own stature as if on a 'pedestal'.

but then, you already know all this, right?

beautifully conceived, clear and strong spatial zones tranforms an otherwise cluttered/cramped quarters into ordered and navigatable space.

private/public line is surprisingly well-defined given stringent SF limitations. eat, climb, work, etc. marvelous! the long curtain was a strong-elegant solution for demarcation.

passion is revealed in this space, telling of your obsession with/dedication to life + design.

your hands are obvious in the elements. the pictures don't do it justice, but i would guess that the craft/fabrication of the details are just as clean + poetic as it was in architecture school.

thank you for sharing your space. siri.

very creative storage. love the books in the living room.

So ya organized a big ol' closet and took great pictures of it? M'kay. It's very Container-Store porn, but not loving the 'decor.' Or everything open in the kitchen (that stuff gets sooo dusty) or the chairs on the wall.

You obviously love it and seem like nice folks, but I'm missing the swoon factor. Are people really that over the moon about organization (you build shelves and put your crap in plastic bins - where's the revolution there?) I get the "pocket knife" divider wall, but this? What an interesting peek into space psychology that people are so ga ga.

I think it's the orange chair and good light.

it's not my favorite style-wise, but i completely respect what you've done. this is definitly a winner!

I love it, for the same reasons I don't like it...LOL!

This was one of my first favorites. I envied and applauded the organization, and the way things were custom-created specifically for that space.

Later looking at it, it began to remind me of a retail space. And it would make a great retail space too.

The lighting and the exposed glassware in the kitchen says "buy me" rather than "make yourself and home and have a beverage".

The main storage wall, also kind of says "retail" to me...here's the selection of designer apparel, and the storage up top is for the extra apparel.

And I keep expecting to see a "SALE!" sign the one of the windows.

If I had the money, I'd be right over to buy the nifty coffee table you made (which unfortunately would end up be a groovy cat scratcher).

Is it an innovative use of space? Indeed. Efficient, absolutely. You stuffed two lifetimes of crap onto one wall. LOL!

Did you creatively solve problems? Well?.... With two of four walls being windows on the lower portion, you were left with only two walls to play with...and one of those was the kitchen wall. You had no choice but to go up on the one wall, unless you wanted to rent a storage room.

Build or buy the wall storage? You built. Other folks buy. Then people like me just cram stuff into the closet and hope that the closet magically expands to hold everything being stuffed in there.

But I'm missing the Aesthetics part. Because, for ME, I keep coming back to the retail store comparison. Nice place to visit. Nice place to shop. But I wouldn't want to live there.

Stuff I would like to see done with unlimited budget and all your swell skills...

Catwalk all around the second story area...making the upper level completely accessible to able-bodied people.

Second floor...whether build from the bottom up or hung from the roof, where the bed could be placed.

Of course, I have no idea what the height is, maybe the hanging bedroom would only be good for short people like myself. LOL!

You'd have a "you must be this small to enter this room" sign with a height measurement.

Sigh. I still love the space. And I'd still look for a handbasket and start filling it up with your glassware and ask where the checkout register is.

Andree

andree, you can come and shop in our home when ever you want...we'll even mix you a drink!

p.s. we did have early thoughts and drawings of a mezzanine for the wall of storage but it complicated things tremendously, how to structure it mainly. given that this is a rental we were obligated to build essentially freestanding, easily removable elements. we thought we would try it without a mezzanine, or a library ladder, and simply found that we were able to adapt.
made obvious by the rich variety of spaces in this competition alone, we all make decisions about what is, and isn’t, important to us as we craft and manipulate our personal domain. our space was very much purpose built for us and our situation. i certainly wouldn't expect many (if any!) others to find it as comfortable and pleasant as we do!

Aha! Again someone after my own heart! LOL! I have said several times so far and whined via email to Maxwell and Co. that it is essential in future competition to know everyone's PRIORITIES...and they have to be spelled out. You folks did that, by explaining that you both went from two larger spaces into one smaller space and had to come up with something that would work.

How can anyone judge if the space is a good use of space without knowing what the space needed to DO for each person?

I saw comments elsewhere about "where do you eat?" or "where's the dining area?" Hey, I don't cook either, and I got rid of my dining table. That wasn't important to me.

My friend, an engineer, made a smart-aleck comment about your place not being very ADA accessible. LOL! I sent him the link to your place when I first started browsing, because I loved all the storage and how it was done (and yes, I am very familiar with floorplans and knew EXACTLY what the wiggly line was, LOL).

Yeah, I'm disabled. I have bad back pain, shooting nerve pain, and if it's painful to be conscious, let alone walk or climb, I'd have a real problem getting into bed there. And for me to access the upper levels? I'd need one of those construction lifts that you can drive from the upper area. LOL! I'd have to disconnect that annoying back-up beeper though.

Another thing I'd like to see in the future contests, is a listing of products, sources, and how-to's. I don't HAVE a friend with a metal shop. LOL! I just come up with ideas and pass them on to people that have the knowledge to make them work.

But maybe there are some tips you can pass on to everyone, that doesn't require a metal shop or advanced degrees. LOL!

What I wanted them to do in the future would be to do a yearly magazine of all the entries, with additional text for each one that has TONS of tips. One of those magazines you never throw away.

Even tips on how to combine two households into one. That would be very helpful for a lot of people. I can see that as being a major source of stress for new couples. Looks like you started creating your OWN style TOGETHER as a couple, rather than bringing in or discarding elements of your previously single lives. That could be very difficult for people with differing design tastes.

And tips on how to find the right space for you and your priorities. How many places did you look at before deciding on this one? Was it instantaneous, you KNEW what you would do with the space? Or did you need to think about it for awhile?

You do have the advantage, with your backgrounds, but tips for others would be soooo welcome.

Loft looks amazing...

I live in SD, what is the address of the building, so I can check out a loft???

Thanks,

Jordan

wow to the max, you rock, the chairs on the wall have a weird sense of calm to them... surprising - you might win this...

Wow. Love this. Definitely my pick for winner.

I am truly impressed with the entire apartment. I have an space in NY about your size and considering a loft bed too. I am especially impressed with the minimalist staircase that goes up to the sleeping loft and would love to know how to build one. Did it come with the space or did you build it? Any advice on how? Or recommendations on builders in NY capable of the same staircase?

Would you mine telling me exactly what fabric the "milky" curtain is? And where I could purchase said fabric if it is a special order? Thanks.

YEA Im and David! I'm so happy that you are doing great in the contest. Susan's apartment in NYC is even smaller than yours, but it is very comfortable, just like yours.

Good luck,

Richard and Susan/San Diego/NYC

David or Im…I was wondering how the custom lapeyre-like stair was working for you? Were the treads custom? Or something repurposed? Any additional info you're willing to share would be great. Thanks and a belated congratulations.

Where did you get that great ladder? We are trying to renovate a loft addition to our home and only have 300-350 sq ft to work with....this ladder hardly makes a footprint at all....

Cheers. Diane

Really love the apartment. i could never keep everything as tidy, but I must say you guys have made an absolute art of displaying books, kitchen stuff, etc. Since I am trying to be realistic about storage, and I need more of it I want to mount hospital track to the ceiling of my living room and conceal a closet.

Do you have a mail order resource (or web) that you like for Hospital Track. since I'm not the Mayo Clinic, I dont need more than around 10 feet, one curved section and the hangers or glides.
Thanks for the inspiration.

Monica

Organized space and storage geniuses!! Exudes warmth and not too much mid-century minimalism!! This couple's loft/studio was featured in HGTV's "Small Space, Big Style"

hi all,

sorry for neglecting those that asked questions! i accidentally ended up back here at our older entry page and noticed the unanswered questions, hope its not too late for anyone...the "finalist" page is here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/small-cool-2006-entries/finalist-3-david-ims-onespace-007880

and for any future questions please feel free to contact us here: http://www.studiomake.com/

in regards to the stair...all parts were custom fabricated, we used autocad to carefully layout and understand all the clearances and proportions. we used the ship ladders at mcmaster-carr for model dimensions (http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?pagenum=2014). it follows the same material vocabulary as the wall of storage. a 2x12 trimmed down to a 10" depth as our "stringer" and the treads are 2"x2"x3/16" steel angle with 6"x10" 1/2" steel plate welded on. each tread is through bolted with 3/8" ss bolts and really thick fender washers are on the opposite side. a 1/2 thick pad of solid neoprene rubber tops each tread. since we couldn't attach to the floor the bottom of the stringer is attached to a steel plate which is then attached to the adjacent wall. The bottom shelf of the wall of storage becomes the landing/first step. the only maintenance is to periodically tighten the bolts to prevent the movement of the treads against the wood. functionally the stair is far more comfortable to use than we had anticipated. we use it like a normal stair facing in on the accent and out on the descent. like any well trained monkey we are up and down it half asleep, half drunk, half awake with nary a thought. a handrail of sorts was planned but we decided we didn’t need it, just a few well placed ss sailboat cleats.

Regarding the curtain and track, from one of our other posts...the curtains we actually had custom made in bangkok. just because we were going to be there and the labor is so inexpensive. our original plan was to use sail cloth and have it sewn at a local sail boat shop. but we decided to use a low tech fabric instead and save money. i think we were better off in the end with the cotton blend rather than a lightweight nylon because it hangs a bit heavier and doesn't go crazy with a slight breeze.
the track is hospital cubicle curtain track, http://www.inprocorp.com/Files/cubicle_tracks.html, we went with the "econo cube". We got a separate track for each curtain. works great for the price.

thanks for your comments all and glad you caught the show iris!

david + im

I have no comment, thanks for sharing this with us, I was actually planning to renew my appliances and buy Frigidaire parts. I don't have money for many appliances, seeing this plan gave some good ideas about what I am gonna do.