The Tiny Life

So why this is called the love shack, I don’t know, but at 371 square feet this renter makes the most of it.  Here is what she says:

This is an exceptionally small apartment – only 371sf! Sized more appropriately for our dog, Lucy, than two adults. There were NO closets provided by the landlord, so we designed and built a unique storage wall that extends from the sleeping area back to the kitchen.  .Each section is sized to hold exactly what we own. The living area is small, yet feels spacious thanks to the modular shelving system which features an entertainment area, bookshelves, and small desk area. All of the furniture is lightweight and easy to take with us to the next (hopefully larger) apartment.

More photos after link

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Here is an interesting article form the New York Times, where this designer lives in a Tiny Apartment, but says that by “having more stuff, makes the room feel bigger”.  It is an interesting assertion, I will leave judgment up to you.

Living in a room that’s only 178 square feet, you don’t want to cook much, Mr. Motl said; it’s just too odoriferous. He once made French onion soup, and the apartment smelled for four days. “It was gross,” he said.

But Mr. Motl, 25, has made the most of this studio apartment in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, which he rents for $944 a month, and has outfitted for about $2,500 in the three years since he moved to New York City. He has hewed to the old decorating dictum that says the more stuff you put in a room (albeit artfully arranged stuff), the bigger it seems. More really is more.

Mr. Motl, a theater major who also studied sculpture at the State University of New York at Geneseo, had planned to pursue a career in acting after graduating in 2007. Like so many before him, he had been testing the waters in New York City during his summers off from school, cobbling together a living and a career path by doing two or three jobs at a time, along with a handful of internships: waiting tables in Bellport, N.Y., his hometown, and in Brooklyn; teaching sailing at yacht clubs up and down Long Island; interning at P.S. 122 in New York, and for Miles Redd, the maximalist designer.

Pretty quickly, Mr. Motl began to realize he would much rather work in interior design than the theater. “Not that I knew anything about it,” he said. “I thought ikat” — a trendy textile — “was a piece of furniture.”

Still, he is an innately stylish guy. “I always knew what I liked and what I didn’t like,” he said.

And he has a sailor’s sense of thrift and handiness that has served him well in his new profession, and at home. When he moved into this apartment, a grubby white box, he removed all the window panes, scraped them clean and reattached each one so they wouldn’t bang or let the cold in (he keeps them sparkling clean).

He also chipped the mirrored tiles off the bathroom walls — “That’s when the love affair with my downstairs neighbor began,” he said dryly — and painted the room midnight blue. He built task lights with a steampunk aesthetic out of components he found at Canal Lighting for less than $200; he also put together a milk-glass shade ($12 on eBay), an Edison bulb ($18 at Canal Lighting) and an electric cord to make the fixture that hangs atmospherically over the beadboard breakfast counter/front hall table/cabinet he built himself.

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This great guest house was designed by Wayne F. Tjaden, he was tasked to figure out how to take a awkward space of 100 square feet with 13.5 foot high ceilings and make it a home away from home.  The end result is pretty amazing and the re-purposing of an old mill reduces its impact.

Here is what he had to say about the process of design:

I was inspired by the challenge of converting a 200 sq.ft. former factory restroom plus 100 sq.ft. of an adjacent corridor, all with 13 ft. ceiling, into a guest apartment for the owner/architect’s live/work loft on the floor directly above.  To solve the problem, I introduced diagonal walls, at aspect ratio of 1:4 separating the space longitudinally into principal living spaces and support spaces located adjacent to existing plumbing services. Then, I suspended a sleeping mezzanine within the 13 ft. tall space.  The diagonal walls create forced perspectives which enhance the perception of spaciousness and the floating mezzanine allows the spaces to be appreciated as parts of a single whole.

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This neat Parisian flat was designed by H2O Architects and is just under 650 square feet.  With a unique flowing wall that is designed to define space while maintain the flow, it allows the owner, an avid comic book collector, to show off his collection.  The built in storage is pervasive through out the apartment and has really nice accent backings to break up the almost overwhelming white.

Here is what the architect had to say about the design:

The new design offers a continuous wide open space which expands, becomes more complex or dense depending on orientations and uses. These variances are defined by the variable geometries and the usable thickness of the casework and walls. A study on sculpting these depths allowed to create a variety of cavities, niches and alcoves. The sculpted shapes vary in size and colors to adapt to multiple functions in different locations. They can harbor either the vast collection of comics or a bar, a bathroom, a closet, and so on.

The front side of each shape always maintains its negative volume on the back. Behind the scenes can unveiled new uses taking place like cupboards, a desk, video, shelves, etc… In this manner, the apartment is continuously renewed and cross-views can become through-views.

Check out the multi use area below.  First it is a flip out office, but tuck that away and you have storage for your things.

More photos here

This Couch Folds Out To A Bed

Kittie and her husband started out with a minimal renovation. They pulled out the original murphy bed and the original pullman kitchen in order to create a small office nook and a modern kitchen counter, bar and sink area, respectively.

Kittie spends one week a month with her husband in Texas and her husband spends one week a month with Kittie in Tudor City. Before the full-scale renovation, Kittie recalls that she and her husband would “draw straws to see who would pull down the bits of ceiling that had peeled off that day.”

Kittie enjoyed the challenge of making small seem big so much that she decided to offer her services to all of Tudor City. In the past six months, she has fully renovated her bathroom and closet, and added a dining bar and cooking island, and has done the same for many of her neighbors.

As an up and coming interior designer of small spaces, Kittie’s alacrity for organization is as important as her sense of style. Here, she has managed to carve out space for a fully functioning kitchen, bedroom, and office space to run her business, as well as storage space for both her and her husband’s clothing, shoes, hats, cleaning supplies, bedding and pet accouterments!

Style: Serene, simple (and organized!)

Inspiration: My inspiration is this quote from William Morris in 1882: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or consider to be beautiful”.

Biggest Challenge: Creating a gracious home with everything I need, including running my interior design business, in a 10′ x 17′ space.

What Friends Say: “I can’t believe how spacious it feels” and “I love the wall color”

Biggest Embarrassment: Anyone who knows me will not be surprised that the upholstery on my armchair is still held together by pins at the back. Sigh.

Proudest DIY: Proudest D-I-Me-and-a-cabinetmaker — my “Stealth Desk” — a complete office hidden out of sight. Proudest DIY: the lampshades I made out of real burl maple veneer for less than $10 each.

Biggest Indulgence: My porcelain tea set, and fresh flowers every week.

Best Advice: Take the William Morris quote above to heart, and donate everything in your home that doesn’t meet those 2 criteria. You will be amazed at how graciously you can live in a tiny space!

More photos Click the link

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Laura has done a really nice job of using every square inch of her apartment, with a very fresh and earthy feel, her 250 square foot apartment is a great example of what you can do with little.

Laura’s done a great job injecting style and color into such small space! We particularily love how she used some office drawers to add some extra storage in the kitchen. We also love the use of a chaise at the foot of the bed. It gives some formal seating, and because it doesn’t have a full back and arms on both sides, keeps things feeling open and not too heavy.

It is really amazing how effective design and a touch of style can bring out a space to seem so much bigger!  The one downside I see is no oven or dishwasher.  Though with one person this isn’t too big of a hassle to do your dishes in the sink.  At times, I like to have the ability to use really hot water, such as a cutting board I cut chicken on, boiling water just lets me sleep a bit easier.  Otherwise her kitchen is great, plenty of storage and it is pretty open.

Source: Here

Great little apartment that maximizes space, with has rooms which feel seperated, yet open, the light floods through this place and its light pallet!

What the apartment lacks in space (it is 400 square feet), it more than makes up for in efficiency, smarts, style and personality. Jay’s affair with the apartment has been a long one: he rented the space for nearly eight years before the opportunity to purchase arose in 2005. When it did, he jumped on it. Although a ground floor apartment in an 1860 brownstone without much natural light or space, Jay loves the neighborhood and saw the possibilities that a thoughtful renovation would provide.

Over many years, he conjured how to make the most of every nook and cranny . . . all the more important for a man who works from home with a rather large husky for a roommate.

Jay hired New York architect Steve Blatz to help think through the options and spearhead the project. It was the smallest space Steve had worked on (and one of the smaller budgets he had worked within) and provided a true challenge. Jay’s goals were to maximize living space and storage, lighten the overall feel and open up the closed kitchen, providing the ability to cook for and entertain guests. He also wanted access to the bathroom to be more concealed and a more logical closet / dressing area.

Steve agreed to remove the wall separating the kitchen from the living area and in its place put a 72-foot peninsula capable of seating 3-4 comfortably. He turned the area outside of the bathroom into a dressing room with large closets on two sides. To brighten up the apartment, Steve recommended painting everything, including the brick wall and floor, white. Initially wary of this suggestion, Jay ultimately saw this as one of the most transformative changes to the apartment. Recessed lighting increased the sense of airiness.

Jay displayed amazing creativity in marrying his objectives with his budget. Where he truly cared about quality, such as kitchen appliances, he splurged. Where creative shortcuts could reduce cost, he took advantage. For example: a wall of “built-in” cabinets divides the space that separates the sleeping area from the entryway. The cabinets are, in reality, three $89 EXPEDIT storage units, stacked and framed by millwork to look like custom built-ins. The customized EXPEDITS, which form the other wall of the entryway, are backed with panels that Jay plans to upholster for a more customized look. And bright, white gloss cabinets in the kitchen were also sourced from IKEA.

However, in other areas, Jay splurged. The kitchen appliances are compact, stainless steel units from Bertazzoni (restaurant quality range manufacturer), Miele (dishwasher) and U-Line (under the counter refrigerator and freezer drawers with an ice maker). He squeezed in a nifty LG washer/dryer combination unit into the kitchen. The bathroom was outfitted with crisp Nemo tile, and the marble in the kitchen (island, countertop and backsplash) came from Stone Source.

Similar to a ship’s cabin, no space in the apartment is overlooked. A recessed area in the kitchen is now home to a shelving unit for wine and kitchen items as well as dog Theo’s raised feeder. Jay outfitted his bed with a hydraulic lift system he found at a hardware store for easy access to the area under the mattress for storing blankets, luggage, games and other out of site but easily reached items.

Thoughtful choices were made regarding furniture and décor — a well-considered mix of “high” and “low” is implemented throughout the home. The desk has ample storage, a great find from Williams-Sonoma Home. It is paired with an Eames chair. Rugs are from IKEA but the chandelier in the kitchen was a $3,000 splurge from Jayson Home and Garden. This item alone adds sophistication and a touch of glamour to the abode.

Throughout, art and personal effects reflect Jay’s style and bring the space to life. His favorite resources are Nest: “the owners have a great eye”; Apartment 48 and Elizabeth Bower Design on Greenwich Street. Framed nude sketches from the Housing Works Thrift Store appoint one wall.

The wonderful result of all of this meticulous design is a functional, cozy, highly personal space that seems much bigger than its 400 square feet.

Source: here

They say that their people in New York live like no one else; this is certainly the case for two residents who have taken up the task of living in apartments the size of a walk in closet.  I had the great fortune to get to sit down with two women, Felice and Genevieve, who live in a 90 square feet and 105 square feet.

When it comes to living in a tiny space Genevieve told me you need “a place for everything and everything in its place” to make it work.  Organization was something that she felt was really important for living in such a confined space.  In the 4 years she has spent living in her 105 square foot apartment she has become quite masterful at maximizing space.  Tiny House folks often talk about the “100 thing challenge” a method where-by we reduce our belongings to just 100 things.

There are, however, those things we simply can’t part from, for Genevieve it was shoes….62 of them to be exact!  With no closet she uses a bookshelf and baskets to store all her clothes and shoes.  From looking at all the clothes, it’s obvious that everything is kept “in it’s place”.

Felice put it well when she said “if something doesn’t have a place, do you really need it?”  I couldn’t agree more and from talking to these two it was obvious that they were very conscious about what was in the space. Every item was intentional, thought out and agonized over out of sheer necessity.   As a professional home organization expert, Felice spends allot of time in other spaces with people who have allot of stuff.   She often starts out with clients by asking not what do you want to keep, but “What are the things you really want?”  To select these items as if your house was burning down, which would you try to save first?  By this method Felice is able to reduce her items to the things she loves most; In the case of her closet, when she opens it, she loves every piece of clothing there, if she doesn’t absolutely love it, it gets donated.

After talking to lots of people about living in their Tiny Houses, I have noticed that people stress the need to go vertical, in the case of Felice and Genevieve, this was the case as well.  Even in apartments with 9 foot ceilings, they stacked to the ceiling, in the case of their beds, they were lofted.

Sleeping in such a small place seems to be across the board be approached by the use of lofting the sleeping area.  With only 23” of space between mattress and ceiling, Felice felt closed in when she first moved in, leaving her wondering if she had made the right move.  Nowadays, she loves the coziness of the bed.

That feeling of coziness is something that translates to the whole apartment.  “It feels cozy, I have a friend who lives in a big one bed room 2 blocks away, and we hang out at my place.”  It is similar to living in a dorm room, where you have to fit all your worldly processions in a tiny space, but still make it livable, if not loveable.

Many of you know that I love to cook, so I had to ask about cooking in these places.  Both apartments don’t have real kitchens.  They instead have a cooking section where they can throw together food, I was impressed to hear that Genevieve is able to pull of eggplant parmesan in here “kitchen”.  Living in New York does mean that they have access to great restaurants and stores, but when it comes to cooking at home, meal planning ahead of time is key.  Genevieve is really big on meal planning and planning ahead.  She makes meals that serves easily and can be eaten for several meals.  “Planning helps keep costs and makes cooking easier.”

Doing dishes is an interesting affair, without a sink in the “kitchen” they end up in the bathroom, even having to wash dishes in the bathtub and air drying them on a wire corner rack (check out the photo, you can see dish soap in the tub lol).

In such a small space I have always wondered how much you can really get done, but talking with these two it seems that you can pull quite a bit off.  From making fancy meals, to having 3 guests spend the night, or in the case of Genevieve, running a blog about beer (check it out at thehopshoney.wordpress.com) .  Felice did talk about how sometimes she felt that getting out of the space to do work was necessary to focus, but at the same time she does cherish free time at home.  With being in such a great location, she has her pick of great places to go to.  From parks, restaurants, cafes they are all right outside her door.

To read more about these two check out my two blog posts about Tiny NYC Apartments:

Small Apartments in NYC

Cozy Couple in NYC

Many thanks to Felice and Genevieve for such great info

So on the coat tail of the Cozy couple, lots of folks have lined up to talk about their tiny house extremes.  One such apartment is 12 fee long by 7 feet wide, all for the reasonable price of $800 a month!!!  Granted it is in Hells Kitchen area of NYC and most New Yorkers wouldn’t bat an eye at this, but wow…just wow!

They do their dishes in the shower, sit sideways on the toilet and need to watch their weight just to fit into their bathrooms.

But these cramped New Yorkers wouldn’t have it any other way.

A week after The Post told the story of Zaarath and Christopher Prokop and their 175-square-foot micro-studio on Sunday, other New Yorkers lined up to share their tales of living small, including a 55-square-foot apartment in Hell’s Kitchen and a 90-square-foot home on the Upper West Side.

“To me, it’s all about location,” said Eddie Rabon, 24, who lives in a microscopic Hell’s Kitchen abode. “I’m in an amazing neighborhood, and the money I save on rent alone lets me really enjoy New York for what it is. My apartment is a place to hang my hat and catch a few hours of sleep. That’s it.”

55 sq. ft., Hell’s Kitchen

When freelance event planner Eddie Rabon talks about his itty-bitty pad — just one square foot larger than a Rikers Island jail cell — the excitement is clear in his voice.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s a great neighborhood in the greatest city. It’s about $800 a month. You won’t find that price anywhere else in this area. I feel like the money I save not having to get on the train to get around because I’m in the center of everything is worth it.”

Rabon said the longest wall in his apartment is 121/2 feet, and that includes the apartment door. At its narrowest spot, he can spread his arms and almost touch both opposing walls. He said he has trouble turning around in his little shower, and said taller friends have been unable to close the bathroom door if they need to sit.

“The bathroom has an airplane sink turned lengthwise,” he said. “So I can’t actually fit in over the sink

90 sq. ft., UWS

The first night Felice Cohen, 39, slept in her tiny apartment — with a full-size loft bed only 23 inches from the ceiling — she had a “panic attack.”

“But now I love it. It’s cozy,” she said of the 12-by-7-foot place, which rents for just over $700 a month.

Her tiny bathroom is a challenge, though: “I had to learn to sit sideways on the toilet so I don’t bang my leg on the tub.”

105 sq. ft., Greenwich Village 

Genevieve Shuler, 31, always knew she wanted to live near Washington Square Park, the neighborhood her parents once called home. “When I first walked in, I thought, ‘This is really incredibly tiny,’” she said of the $780-a-month pad. “There were no closets, no real kitchen. But I knew I could do more with it . Once I knew my loft bed could fit, I took it.” When it comes time to do the dishes, because the kitchen sink is so small, “I do them in the shower.”

Source: ANGELA MONTEFINISE 12/2009

If they can make it there, they can make it anywhere.

Zaarath and Christopher Prokop — and their two cats — live in the smallest apartment in the city, a 175-square-foot “microstudio” in Morningside Heights the couple bought three months ago for $150,000.

At 14.9 feet long and 10 feet wide, it’s about as narrow as a subway car and as claustrophobic as a jail cell. But to the Prokops, it’s a castle.

“When you first see it, the first thing you say is, ‘Holy crap, this place is small,’ ” said Zaarath, 37, an accountant for liquor company Remy Martin. “But when I saw it, all I could think of is, I can do something with this. This is perfect for us. We love it.”