• by Larissa Faw , March 18, 2020

Apartment Therapy (AT) is teaming with Behr Paint to launch the Small/Cool contest,  seeking readers with tiny but innovatively designed spaces.

The search was invented in 2005 by ATs founder and CEO Maxwell Ryan before the competition ended in 2016. 

This year marks its  return. “We get more reader emails asking us to bring back the Small/Cool Contest than we do about anything else combined,” explains Ryan.

This rollout wasn’t without COVID-19-related challenges. The contest was expected to launch with a high-profile activation happening in New York City on April 4-5 that was then canceled in light of the pandemic. 

Despite not benefiting from this media push, AT decided to move forward with the online component, since most people are currently at home and in front of their screens -- and perhaps creatively redecorating their homes.

Entrants are invited to submit a photo of their space between April 3-24, with readers selecting winners to move to the final rounds. 

The contest has four brackets, broken out by size: small (750-1,000 square feet), smaller (500-750 square feet), tiny (250-500 square feet), and teeny tiny (less than 250 square feet). The square footage is based on the total area of the home.

After the public voting ends on May 31, a panel of experts, including Ryan and Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at Behr Paint, will vote on the grand-prize winner.

AT is working with DKC’s digital shop HangarFour to partner with several influencers, who will share pictures of their own small spaces to further spread awareness about the contest. The home design platform is also working with Behr Paint Company to provide co-branded opportunities, as well as incorporating Behr Paint products throughout the event.