I love the tranquility of the design. To me, this is sophisticated yet supremely comfortable. Nicely done!

It flows very nicely. Enough space for 2.

great place. even better attitude and ethic! wish the landlord/property owners in my town had the same and took such good care of the units they want to keep rented.

thanks for sharing.

very well designed, love it.

Looks great, except that the couch is right up against the A/C unit!

I second katiekinsinma, it's completely tranqual.

Is there no tv throughout the place at all?

I also noticed the couch blocking the a/c unit, vykim. The apt is very nice, looks great, but if the purpose is to show the livability of said apartment, then it fails. Anyone can nicely decorate a space, while ignoring essential functions! Very disappointing.

Fabulous. I could absolutely live in this little space alone, although I would probably have a slightly different configuration for the furniture.

Love the patio and exposed brick walls.

What's the other door for?

I can certainly live without the television, but where are the reading lamps? Even with ceiling lights, what good is a reading chair without a reading lamp next to it?

The brick is a wonderful touch, and I think the air conditioner placement is good. I hate the usual window unit which takes up the view and too much space.

forget lamps and lights. I want to see the kitchen and bathroom.

Totally B-E-A-U-tiful.

Cool- I see a ton of West Elm! My studio is only a little bit larger (380 square feet), but this one has nicer walls, floors, and kitchen & bathroom fixtures. Crazy how it can be so much nicer with that stuff.

Also, where is the vacuum and closets? I struggle w/storage in my studio.

Most importantly...how much is the rent? ;-)

I wish people would do under-mount sinks with granite, but it's a cute place anyway.

@tinystudio - if you go to his site (http://estatepg.com/our-properties/rockwell-commons) looks like the small version is $800. Not bad for such nice updates!

Also, looks like the bedroom AC is behind the bed? Only a problem a few months a year, and I guess you can just pull the bed off the wall.

300 Square Feet? Well done!

I looooove the exposed brick in the bedroom. I have it too! :)

Very West Elm! I LOVE West Elm so I loveee this space and the brick is amazing :-) Great job, you guys!

I have the same AC unit and even with the louvers pointed straight up, you're impeding the in-flow with the couch where it is. Unrealistic picture.

The trays on the dining area are too much in my opinion. They barely fit there.

Blocking the AC was another no-no. I really like the design, though.

SOMEBODY please tell me where I can buy that living room rug!

This is lovely... but it reminds me of the internal conflict I had before I discovered Apartment Therapy...
If you have to spend money to buy specific things/ furniture/ conveniences to make living in a too small space tolerable... why not just use that money to live in a bigger more tolerable space?
Granted, one has to draw the line on diminishing returns... and maybe that attitude comes from growing up in the midwest - in a land of plenty-o-space but I always had a hard time resolving buying stuff to accommodate the small space when - one would imagine - they won't be there long and plan to be a larger space as soon as possible.

When can I move in? :)
clickchick - Whatever size of space you decide to live in, you'll need to get furniture that fits that space. And small-scale furniture is often less expensive than its massive counterparts. I'd much rather live in a sensibly-furnished small space than a big, empty space.
Plus, since I plan to live in small spaces for the rest of my life, I know I'll be able to take my little furniture with me. :)

Did he actually sit in that sofa before putting the white shelf just above it on the wall? Looks like taller people would hit their head. Otherwise, in general, smart idea. People always need to see examples.

I never new it was possible to get a separate bedroom out of 300 sqaure feet! Well done. Stylish, cosy and inviting. x

Interesting to me how very different and unlived in this feels. Amazing that you can glean that sense just from the photos. It's kind of like looking at a magazine spread. But, very pretty. On the whole, however, I prefer to look at how people have arranged their living spaces for real life.

I agree with other comments that without the TV and the furniture blocking the a/c units it just seems like it's not really lived in. It's very pretty and very well styled but I would wonder how you "live" in this apartment. The size of the kitchen is nice for a Chicago apartment, especially considering the size of the place. But the full size bed reads one person only. Where's the storage? I'm hoping there's a closet or all that pretty is going to waste.

Looks great, but no dishwasher? That would kill it for me.

There's no storage (at all), there's no prep space in the kitchen. The door in the bedroom wouldn't close because of the chair in the way. This kind of fake styled space really annoys me. Show it how someone could actually use it.

Nice layout, great brick wall but the color throughout is a tad depressing.

Great stlye and nice use of a small space. I love it!

living room: the sofa is blocking the ac, however the room could be rearranged so it isn't blocked. kitchen: there is plenty of prep area (especially if you get a butcher block insert to fit over sink. no dishwasher doesn't bother me, havent had one for years. bedroom: def problem with the covered ac. the bedroom door can be removed - not needed. if jay just wants a "model apt", this is fine, however if he is truly wanting to show how efficient the space is, then more thought needs to be put into this apartment. i love the exposed brick - the bed needs a pop of color!

hey neighbor- glad to see someone fixed up that ratty old building! Although you may be pricing me out of my neighborhood...

What is the name of that sofa? I looked around the west elm site & didn't see one exactly like it.

Thanks

Nice space! And thank you, thank you for the source of the deck tiles... I've been looking everywhere and hadn't thought to try Ikea! Do you take them up in the winter time?

is this a joke? 2 people live there?

AT - THANKS for the floor plan!

My questions? What is that door off the LR? Another entrance? Please tell me it's a front closet you forgot to finish drawing. Otherwise, where do coats and vacuums go?

As well, I get that this is a model unit, but c'mon, seriously? You blocked BOTH AC units and it's kinda plain to see you didn't have a choice. Couldn't the AC units have been mounted higher up on the walls?

There isn’t a closet in the whole space! And why, if you were living in such a cramped space, would you add the ceramic fish to the bathroom?!?!! I don’t understand, and as a midwestern myself... space is worth the $$. It’s nicely decorated, of course, but I don’t think it’s hardly livable.

While I like the whole house and it's pretty much my taste, but I do have to say that it lacks some uniqueness. What I mean is: if I look at it and can tell pretty much where everything came from (mostly WestElm and some Ikea) - that's too predictable. And don't get me wrong - this is something I'm trying to fight in my own house, I have plenty of it too.
I'm learning not to be "off the rack".

I always imagine that art on the walls should be unique, not store bought... Here I see West Elm's art above the couch.

With all that said, I still like the overall feel of the house. Peacefull and relaxing. Good job guys!

I have the same exact configuration in my one and only bathroom. I'm glad to know that even the experts can't really do much more than I can to make it swanky.

BEAUTIFUL space! It makes me want to downsize.

On the A/C unit: it's a rental. If they don't use it, then there is no problem. We barely use ours, but that doesn't mean it isn't there.

Nicely done! I have the same square footage, but no separate bedroom -- rather, one larger open space that becomes a bedroom or a living room depending on what's needed. It's fascinating to see how different this space feels from mine! I also have no built-in closets, but a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe with mirrored doors serves very nicely. Living in a space this small works just fine -- you just have to learn to be choosy about your possessions, and no harm in that!

Really cute. Other than the couch blocking the ac and the white shelf that might be a head-knocker, I see nothing wrong with the space. Some people can be so nit picky about where art and furnishings are from. If it works - who cares?

Where does one put the books??

clickchick - I can only speak for myself but I love a small space, it's easier to take care of and it forces me to not accumulate too much posessions. I love a smaller footprint and living as efficiently as possible. I'd rather spend my free time at the beach or writing and not doing housework. I used to live in a large home with just two people and felt overwhelmed, not lucky. I also love nice things and with a smaller space, I can afford them, I only need to furnish a small living room, one bedroom. I can have granite countertops & expensive bamboo floors because I'm dealing with less square footage. I think it is a different perspective, because I don't feel like I'm settling or trying to cover up a small space, I prefer it.

Plus, this place is in NY right? I don't think the $$$ to furnish a smaller place nicely is equal to the costly amount of addl rent you'd have to pay on a bigger place, month after month. Plus it looks very West Elm, which is pretty affordable. I live in Hawaii where the housing cost is also high so you start to think twice about how much square footage is really necessary to have a happy life.

my mistake, it's chicago not ny..I have no clue what the rent is there but would think it woudn't be cheap

I agree, it would have been nice if the ACs were higher so not taking up valuable floor space. I also need a queen bed but hey I live in 800 sq ft, not 300.

As for the tv, you could place it on the wall above the dining table, I would think some tenants would choose to have a credenza there instead of a dining table. For the kitchen, you could have more prep space if they just installed a smaller sink, seems wide for that size kitchen. I've got a deep single but not as wide in my small home and it works fine (I can still fit my large crockpot in it). Also, the fridge could've been moved over closer to the end of that wall (wasted space there) which could've extended the cabinets and countertop. A narrow cabinet could fill that gap and could be used to store cutting boards/cookie sheets/platters on their side.

I love the little lanai and chairs! The brick walls are great too.

Beautiful job! I love small space design. Your to can do anything you want to a small place that you can in a large.

This looks like the entire thing was staged by West Elm. Bedding, shower curtain, bedroom curtains, vases, side table, etc. are all from their current catalog. Strange.

The grey is very nice--cool and blue. Can anyone recommend something close for my daughter's room?

Seriously, do they work at West Elm or something? I mean, I love WE and buy a lot of stuff from there, but not EVERYTHING. You have to mix it up or end up looking like you live in a catalog.

I kind of agree with Jilly37 in that it's annoying, looking on AT and seeing a place that has no history or personality. But I do realize that Jay had a different objective, and he pretty much fulfilled it.

Oh it's staged, never mind. I get it now. Still boring though.

I like the fact that the toilet has its own ottoman. Classy! ;-)

As for the lack of closets and TV, there are closets in the bedroom, and for the groovy Gen Y-ers who'd move in here TV is old tech - they'd watch whatever they want on the their iPads or laptops.

This post was sponsored by West Elm, right?

This apartment needs to reappear next spring during the Small & Cool contest. This would make for an excellent entry! Proof that you don't need thousands upon thousands of square footage to live comfortably.

adorable!

Its nice, but for me lacks personality. Which is because its a model, I guess?

A rental apartment with grasscloth? I don't think I've ever seen anything but builders beige unless it was an apt. in someone's house. That's fantastic if he really installs details like that in a rental building.

There are a few nice ideas here, which I guess is the point of a 'model' apartment. 300 sq. feet is smaaalll though. I'd love to know the price per month on a unit like this in Lincoln Square. I'd bet over $1,000, even without a dishwasher.

What brand/model is your bathroom vanity and sink combo?

I am looking for something very similar for my extra-small master bathroom...thanks in advance!

This is beautiful! So clean and classy, with a bit of fun. I like that :)

@Kris0218, if you look at his website (linked from his name at the beginning of the article), you'll see that the "small" 1brs are listed at $800 and the larger 1brs are 850. While the square footage is small, that's actually not too far off from average for the area.

I live in adjacent Ravenswood Manor and have a goodly sized (with less-nice finishes) 2br for 1200, so I don't think his comparable $1400 2br is exorbitant, either. If granite counters and sleek cabinets were important to me, I don't think I'd have trouble wrapping my head around renting something in that range.

Also, for those of you who are complaining about furniture placement, yes, blocking the bedroom AC renders it unusable (but not everyone uses AC in their bedroom...) and it looks like there's room to move the chair over to close the door, but that it's intentionally propping the door for the purposes of the shoot. I could be wrong. As for the living room AC and sofa... maybe you're unfamiliar with how an AC unit works, but it draws air INTO the front and blows out the top section of the front grill. I don't think this furniture arrangement necessarily inhibits the use of the AC. However, it *is* just a model, and there are certainly smaller sofas on the market.

All that said, in perusing his website it seems he also owns/manages a newer rehabbed building that my friends live in, and they've had problems, problems, problems and their place is nowhere NEAR as nice as this. :(

This is a FANTASTIC neighborhood, too. I rented here for years, but never saw anything this cozy. Very welcoming!

People, read the text! This is a model apartment, not his actual living space. It’s a simple fact of real estate: Most people don’t have much vision when it comes to architecture or design. They are unable to see beyond what is actually there, or to imagine a space well furnished. It also means that when the space is filled with personal tchotchkes, they can’t envision their own belongings there.

This is why real estate professionals and stagers do what they do. And West Elm makes perfect sense as a source. It is inexpensive, relatively well designed, and trendy with the demographic that he’s trying to appeal to.

One suggestion for Jay: 3 chairs is too much for the living/dining area. Get rid of the pair of undersized wood chairs, and flank the table with 2 larger upholstered chairs (the chair is your bedroom is actually the right scale for this). The new chairs will do double duty as living area seating and dining chairs.

@arroyo.....thank you, I was just about to write what you wrote about it being a "model" apartment! People, what difference does it make where the furniture comes from or how it's positioned?? It's a model apartment, staged to show you how it could look with your furniture.
I think it's lovely. I am moving into a place that is brand new, 300 sq ft with no bedroom. It comes with a w/d, d/w, f & s but only one closet and built in's. I would rather them keep the w/d and d/w and give me more room. I would rather have this place

This is officially my design inspiration for my apartment! A little crammed, but I love everything else, from the brick walls to the decor. Very nice.

Nicely done - wish my early rentals had been like that.

So, is the rug in the living room from West Elm too? I really like it!

Wow...so many are taking the furniture placement personally :} We live in a small space, 687sq.ft. and we make it work. As far as books...I put mine on top of my kitchen cabinets and there is more than enough room in this lovely apt. for that. I'm assuming the "extra door" is a pantry/linen closet. A flat screen TV would fit on any of the bedroom or living room walls...not an issue really. As far as the ac units...furniture can be rearranged. The bed can go in front of the window in the summer when it's hot for the ac and back when it's cooler in the winter and you don't want to sleep near drafty windows. As far as the couch in the lvrm with the ac...again it can always be put onto the other wall where the cafe table is and the flat screen TV mounted accordingly...really people...be a little more open minded. It's not like you are living here in the first place.

This does look beautiful, except I didn't like the way the wallpaper seam is so visible in one of the photos. (That may sound picky, but it would've been nice if the wallpaperer had done a nicer job). Thanks for this posting, though; it is nice to see a place that's even smaller than mine (I have a 590 sq. ft condo) that looks so polished.

And is Jay friends with Diana for her West Elm discount? If so, Diana, I could use a friend!

did they win a west elm sweepstakes? lucky them!!

SO TRUE, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH PREVIOUS COMMENT, I LIVE IN CHICAGO GOLD COAST AREA WHERE STUDIOS ARE LARGER THAN THIS BY A 100 SQFT AND KNOWING LINCOLN SQUARE AREA IS A HOT PLACE TO BE THIS SPACE IS WAY TOO SMALL FOR CHICAGO LIVING UP THERE. VERY TASTEFUL DESIGN THOUGH!

At first glance I thought the "dining area" was a jumble of spare furniture someone had forgotten to move before the photo shoot.

Very cute space but that white shelf above the sofa makes my eyes hurt...and why not completely cover the elecric box (if thats what it is poking from behind the black and white picture)?

It's like a freeze-dried living space -- just add personality! ;)

Still, I am majorly jealz of the brick and dark hardwoods...

This is a model unit, hence, the neutral decor and furniture placement. Which shows potential renters the capability of a dining area, a functional and really nice kitchen, relaxing area inside and outside and a good size bedroom w/a closet. As far as the West Elm comments, i thought that's what most AT readers was about West Elm, Ikea and other such designs. Don't most of AT readers rave about the Ikea hack thing. I just think the readers are overly critical of a showcase rental, plus i would think that the actual spaces for rent are empty and waiting to be decorated by the renter.

I've been considering using IKEA wood deck tile on our balcony for a while; anyone know how well it survives Chicago weather? I'd rather not have to remove it in winter or replace it every year or two. Thanks!

300 sq? The way that it is situated, it looks bigger. Great Apt!

u really like west elm huh

Oooh, super cosy and calm. I love the natural materials you used and the way you've managed to make a small space seem spacious and yet wonderfully inviting.

I really like that grey, tall pot your plant outside sits in...and the brick walls. You really did a nice job in making it feel spacious.

I love everything about this room. I'm dying to know about the black and white man print on the white shelf above the couch. Is this Robert Longo? Would love details on where to buy.

i dunno, maybe go a bit easier on all the west elm?

I'm surprised that in such a small space there is a full size fridge, stove and sink. But I love the space - I always love small space living ideas! Well done!

The small furniture in this apartment is the best way go! I live in NY and moved from a 4 story brownstone home to a beautiful one bedroom... Now I'm trying to sell my furniture because its too big for my apartment. A brand new Theodore Alexander round dining table never use is tough to sell (although I'm trying) City living almost requires smaller furniture.

Great place but I also recognized a whole bunch of stuff from West Elm...I spend a lot of time there though.