Hundreds of entries hit our inbox for the sixth annual Small Cool Home contest. With over 500 submissions, our editors picked the top 165 spaces from around the world to share with our readers. Each entry got a chance to gain "thumbs up" votes to make it into the final rounds. Thousands of "thumbs up" and votes later, the readers' two favorite Small Cool spaces were announced — the US winner, Chris's Furniture Tetris and the international winner, Maria's Pockets.
U.S. Winner
Chris's Furniture Tetris
Chris lives in Houston and maximized his 450 square feet studio with perfectly-placed furniture and thoughtful additions like his sheer panel room divider that doubles as a projection screen. Chris says "To maximize the layout, I drew out the floorplan and furniture pieces to scale in Adobe Illustrator and played furniture Tetris for two weeks straight before I moved in. My goal was to have every part of the studio be completely functional, so that it would feel like a real home and not a compromise."
Visit Chris's home: Chris Furniture Tetris
division winners
- Teeny-Tiny1-400 square feet
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- All Teeny-Tiny Entries »
- Teeny-Tiny Bracket »
- Tiny401-600 square feet
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- All Tiny Entries »
- Tiny Bracket »
- Little601-800 square feet
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- All Little Entries »
- Little Bracket »
- Small801-1000 square feet
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- All Small Entries »
- Small Bracket »
- InternationalUnder 1000 square feet
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- All International Entries »
- International Bracket »
International Winner
Maria's Pockets
Maria's home in Barcelona was built in 1851 and features high ceilings which help to make the most of the 699 square foot space. There is lots to love about the vintage home - as Maria says, it has great character and the small balcony is a plus for enjoying the breeze when the weather is good.
As is often the case with small urban homes, the central location is a worthwhile tradeoff for less square footage - this home is nearby shopping, restaurants and bars and only 20 minutes from the beach.
Visit Maria's home: Maria's Pockets
Who Has The Smallest, Coolest Home?
At Apartment Therapy we've never accepted that a lack of space is fatal when it comes to creating an inspiring home, and nothing thrills us more than the hand-made home or the stylish studio wedged into an urban crevice.
For the Sixth year, Apartment Therapy invites readers from around the world to inspire us with their beautiful small spaces and tips for small-scale living.
Schedule
| April 5-April 25 | Thumbs-Up Round |
| April 26-May 5 | Finalist Brackets |
| May 6-May 10 | Final Four Elimination |
| May 11 | Winners Announced & Book Launch |
